"Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place." - Unknown


"Happy Halloween, Baby!" A black-clad Max kissed Lacey quickly before tossing his keys up and catching them in a macho gesture. Stuart, Mom, and the twins were out trick-or-treating by the time he'd gotten to her house, which greatly relieved her. "Ready to go?"

Lacey narrowed her eyes. "You haven't even noticed my costume, Max. Way to go." She had been hitting the thrift stores hard this week to produce a pirate costume for herself: a short ruffled dress with bell sleeves-a bit too short for Mom's liking-layered with a leather lace-up bodice, knee-high boots, and a pirate hat. Sure, it might look a little slutty, but that seemed to be what was expected on Halloween in high school. So Lacey went with it.

"Mmm, hot." Max leered at Lacey as he looked her up and down, and suddenly she was regretting the lack of full coverage. Max's lascivious looks always felt creepy for some reason. "So I have a surprise for you."

"Yeah?" Lacey beamed. She loved surprises more than anything.

"Yup! Instead of going to the party at school, we're going somewhere else. You'll have fun, trust me. A couple of the other guys'll be there." He winked.

"Oh, which guys?" Lacey locked the front door behind her as she and Max stepped out into night air so cold it felt as though it had teeth. And her scantily clad body felt every inch of its bite.

"Well you know, Colin, Todd, a couple of the guys from the team…we have pretty big plans. Don't want you to miss it." He took her arm gently as they headed to the car.

"This have anything to do with why you're wearing all black? Is it part of some costume idea you all had?" Lacey remembered last year when about four of the hockey team showed up at Driskell's Halloween party wearing all white with white shower caps, "Swim Team" phrases and other choice words giving away that they were supposed to be sperm. It was disgusting, but Lacey had laughed. This year, though, she hoped he didn't have anything idiotic like that planned again.

"Oh, nah. This is going to be even better. You ready for some fun?" he cranked his car, smirking over at her.

"I'm ready!" At least dating Max could be exciting.

"Okay, then."

There wasn't much conversation in the car over the next several minutes, and Lacey raised her eyebrows as Max soon slowed down to pull onto Eden Hall's campus. "You got invited to another party here?"

"Well, a certain kind of party, sure." Max laughed in a way she didn't entirely like. "You know, the kind we invite ourselves to."

Lacey's stomach sank. "Max, come on. What are you going to do?"

But her boyfriend ignored her, swerving into a parking space where she saw a group of about six other guys gathering in front of them, girlfriends on their arms or embraced from behind. Lacey recognized all of them from the Rockets.

"Max?" she persisted.

"It's okay, Lacey," Max finally replied testily. "We're just going to have some fun messin' around with some rich kids. Loosen up, won't you?"

Lacey took a deep breath, reaching a trembling hand into her bag for her koosh ball. "Okay, well I think I'll just stay here." Her heart was hammering against her ribcage. "Don't get too wild."

She knew the caution was futile. This was probably going to be bad. And here she was a part of it, unwittingly.

"Suit yourself," Max shrugged, already distracted by the presence of his friends, and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind him.

Lacey watched, taking deep breaths as Max stood talking and laughing with his friends for a moment before a couple of the guys went to their cars and pulled out spray paint.

Oh no.

Just as calmly as though they were watering plants, the guys began to spray-paint foul words and phrases all over various random cars.

Lacey cursed before jumping out of the car. "Max, what are you doing?! Put it down and let's go!"

The guys who weren't participating in damaging the expensive cars were cheering the others on, girlfriends tittering in the background.

"What did these people do to you?!" Lacey continued to try to make him listen, marching toward him. "Stop it! Do you want the police to come?" Lacey shouted at him, but he acted as though he didn't hear her.

This was senseless.

Suddenly he stopped painting a four-letter word on a red corvette and turned his eyes on a car that was at once sickeningly familiar to her.

"Hey, is that Banks's car? Perfect. Let's go."

Just at that moment, shouting was heard from the nearby dorm building where Eden Hall's Halloween party was being held, as people began spilling out the double doors. Cries of "What are you doing?!" "That's my car!" and "What the hell are you doing?!" assaulted Lacey's ears, followed by a few girls sobbing, "Stop!"

But Max seemed blind to the other students, heading straight for Adam's Porsche, silver paint glimmering under the streetlight, pausing only to grab his hockey stick out of the back of his car. As he walked, he pounded the stick into the ground a couple of times, as though warming up. Suddenly, with everything she had, Lacey ran up behind him and jumped on his broad back, slapping and punching every part of him she could reach. "Max, stop! Enough!"

But it was too late. Max easily shook her off as though she was a dishrag, and with a deafening sound, Adam's windshield shattered as Max's stick made contact.

This time she tried to jerk the stick away, but was no match for his strength. "Give! It! Here!" she persisted, launching a dangerous game of tug of war.

"Lacey, get out of the way!" he finally growled. "You're gonna get hurt!"

Chaos abounded as Eden Hall students descended upon the assailants, resulting in most of the Rockets team members dropping their spray paint cans and running off into the night. But Max didn't make one move to cease his assault on Adam's car.

Adam Banks, who had done nothing to him but play a better hockey game.

As if on cue, Lacey suddenly became aware of feet thundering across the pavement directly toward them. She turned around.

"HEY! Shipley! Want that stick shoved down your throat?!" Lacey looked over to see Adam gunning for Max, followed by about four of his Ducks teammates, including Julie, who she recognized instantly in spite of the girl's cat ear headband and painted face.

Lacey grabbed the end of Max's stick when he raised it again and gave it one final jerk before losing her balance, landing hard on her tailbone. She gasped at the sharp pain, but Julie was beside her at once, helping her up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lacey instantly reached up for her hair, knocking off her carefully pinned in pirate hat and taking two handfuls, ready to jerk. "S-somebody needs to call the police," she stammered, too rattled to form a good sentence.

Julie turned and raced inside.

Meanwhile, Adam easily pulled the stick away from Max and threw it to the side, raring back to punch him, before his arm was caught by Charlie Conway.

"Adam, don't! He's not worth it!" Charlie pulled his friend away.

"What is it with you?" Adam's eyes glittered as he tried to jerk free of Charlie's grasp. "Can't handle losing? It makes you so mad you have to paint up a bunch of cars and smash windshields? You're a total disgrace to the league, Shipley."

Lacey reached down to slip off her cumbersome boots in case she had to run for help.

Max retrieved his stick quickly. "Yeah, well you're a complete fake, man, you know that? Big Ducks first line center. Don't think I haven't heard about you busting your ass on the ice the other night," he sneered. "You're losing your touch. It's over Banks. This is the beginning of the end for you. Enjoy your big NHL draft fail."

Lightning ran through Adam's eyes as he once again lunged at Max, but was caught by Charlie and, this time, another player.

"Max, just get out of here. Go!" Lacey shouted at him, half-hoarse.

"HEY!" More shouting coming from behind her as a big, burly guy about Max's size pushed past her. "What're you out here doing to cars, ass monkey?!" He reached out and grabbed Colin, who hadn't run off and was hovering near Max, by the shirt. "You better run and get your sorry-"

"Portman? Hey." Another girl that had come running out among the throng of others jumped into his path. "Calm down." She shoved him back despite her much smaller size. "Let's just let the police handle this."

"Shit, they called the fuzz!" Todd, also close by, dropped his paint can and ran.

"Uh, yeah we called them, what did you expect?!" Julie shouted at him from where she stood, having returned from the building.

Suddenly the sounds of chaos coming from all around Lacey grew louder, school officials and security guards having now gotten involved, barking orders. She could feel her heart rate rising, her breathing becoming shallow.

Oh no. Not now.

She leaned over and put her hands on her knees, hoping her hair made a curtain around her through which no one could see in.

"Yeah! You wanna run, you little bastards? Go ahead. Somebody'll be showin' up at your door here in, oh, thirty minutes." Another guy shouted. "Yeah, I see you, Jenkins!"

"Stop!" A security guard barked. "Everybody freeze!" But he was barely heard, much less obeyed.

Meanwhile, Lacey felt as though she was drowning and began to back away slowly, stumbling over her shoes. Everybody was too busy shouting or involving themselves in physical altercations-whether participating in them or breaking them up-to notice. As she got far enough away, she turned and joined the handful of others who were running from the scene.

She began to wheeze as she ran, then launched into a coughing fit she couldn't gain control of as she pushed through the double doors of the dorm building that had disgorged the Eden Hall students. Lacey fell on her hands and knees as she tumbled inside, but got up quickly, blind panic making everything blurry. She then opened up the first door she came to, which turned out to be a janitor's closet, and collapsed into a sitting position, pulling her knees to her chest and reaching once more for her hair with greedy, clawing fists.

Lacey felt completely numb from head to toe as she hugged her knees, unaware of what was taking place and losing track of time. She tried to envision a peaceful meadow, the gentle waves lapping the shore of a tropical island, the rhythmic feel of jumping on a trampoline, the mesmerizing crackle of a fire…

But the imagery availed nothing but turning beauty into a swarm of angry bees that filled her ears and her mind.

At some point during the madness, she became aware of light falling across her face. She shut her eyes tightly against the intrusion, but soon, the interruption began to bring her back to reality.

The buzzing in Lacey's ears finally grew dim, and she became aware of the silence in the hall. She looked down at her hands first, which were bloody and held thick ropes of blonde hair. She then squinted, looking up at the person who opened the door.

"Lacey?" Julie's face came into focus as she knelt down in front of her. "Oh my gosh. What did you do? Adam," she called down the hall. "Right here."

Lacey looked back down at her hands, everything coming fully back into focus. "Oh no. No…," she scrambled to get to her feet.

"Lacey!" Adam skidded to a stop in front of the door to the janitor's closet. "We've been looking for you for an hour. What-?!" But he stopped abruptly.

Lacey had forced herself back onto her bare feet, which she could now feel were freezing cold. "…I have to go. I have to call my stepdad."

Julie stood back up and gazed at her with unexpected compassion while Adam's expression had turned to shock. "Lacey, wait. Oh jeez." He kept looking at her hands, still holding the pulled hair, and tried to gently pry open her fingers.

"Don't!" She instinctively jerked her hands away and he took a couple of quick steps back.

"I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have done that. But wait. You're…obviously not okay. Why don't you let me-"

"Just leave me alone right now, Adam," Lacey whimpered, pushing past both Adam and Julie, looking in all directions for a pay phone. There had to be one somewhere. There had to be some way she could just go home.

"Lacey, please. Let us…damn," Adam rubbed the back of his neck, looking overwhelmed.

Tears streamed down Lacey's face as she became completely disoriented looking down the halls of the unfamiliar building. She found herself wandering back to where the other two stood.

"Hey. Let Adam take you home. You guys can take my car since yours is busted up," Julie offered. "Lacey, you're safe. I promise. And…hey."

Lacey noticed Julie's knowing gaze. "My sister does it, too."

She stared hard past the cat face paint into Julie's eyes, which showed an empathy she hadn't expected. "My roommate should be back up in our room by now. She'll give you my keys, Adam. Go ahead. I'll help Lacey clean up."

Adam looked between the two of them. "Okay, I'll be right back. Lacey, stay here with Julie," he spoke quietly, probably afraid to startle or upset her again.

When Adam was gone, Julie leaned in closer. "Trichotillomania. Right?"

Lacey nodded, hot tears streaking down her face once again.

"It's okay. Like I say, you're safe here with us. The police came and broke everything up. Your boyfriend was taken in, though," Julie maintained eye contact. "Adam and I were really worried. We had no idea where you went and if you were okay." She reached down and gingerly pulled the strands of hair from Lacey's hands, depositing them in the nearby trash can. "Don't worry, it doesn't show much. Now let's go get your hands cleaned up."

Mechanically, Lacey followed Julie into the girls' restroom where they washed and dried her hands, wrapping her fingers tightly in paper towels to slow down the bleeding coming from her nails, which she had also gnawed down to nubs at some point.

When they left the restroom, Lacey closed her eyes and sank down against the yellow-painted cinder block wall, exhausted from the traumatic events. After a minute, she felt Julie sink down beside her.

Soon, footsteps sounded in the hall and Adam reappeared, looking more flustered than she'd seen him. "All right, got them. I'll take you straight home." He leaned down, holding his hand out for Lacey this time instead of touching her unbidden. When she finally took it and stood, he removed his coat, placing it over her shoulders. "You have to be cold."

Lacey looked down, now embarrassed about her short, white pirate get-up with the revealing corset. What the heck had she been thinking when she put this on, anyway? Impressing Max? And who was she to have even been dating a guy who would do something like Max had just done?

She gave a wobbly smile to Adam. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I could have called my…," but her voice trailed off. Depending on what time it was, and she wasn't wearing a watch, Stuart may or may not be finished trick-or-treating with the girls. Instead of finishing her sentence, Lacey just looked back over her shoulder at Julie, who had risen and was watching with a concerned expression.

"Thank you," she called back to the girl who had been nothing but kind to her tonight, despite her firm disapproval of Lacey and Adam's encounter just a week ago.

Julie nodded. "Take care of yourself."

Adam continued to guide Lacey in the right direction to the double doors leading outside. They walked quickly, trying to outpace the cold, but before he paused next to a modest-looking black Honda, he turned to face her. "I'm sorry I upset you by taking your hands earlier. I didn't mean to do it before asking," he began to explain.

"No, please don't worry about it. I was just…," but Lacey didn't quite know how to finish the sentence, and she simply shrugged.

"It's okay," he countered quickly. "You don't have to explain. I just…," his eyes darted down again. "I remember. Um, the fingernail thing. From back then."

Lacey let out a big breath, just imagining what he must think of her.

"Hey." He took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. "You don't have to be embarrassed. Not around me. Not ever."

Lacey was unconvinced, but Adam smiled. "Because look at what you just did, going to the doctor with me and all."

"That was nothing," she shook her head. "I completely hijacked you and Julie's night with my drama. I get it if you think I'm weird."

"What I think is that the thing with your boyfriend got to you. And maybe there's something else going on, but," he shook his head, "none of it matters right now. I just need to get you home." He opened the door of Julie's car for her, ensuring she was inside and settled before he shut the door and went to his side.

The ride was silent. Adam apparently remembered how to get to her house and didn't have to ask her questions, which she was thankful for. When they arrived, he got out and came around to help her, which she wanted to prove she didn't need, stepping out of the car with what she hoped was a mask of confidence. On their way up the walk toward her front porch, she slid his jacket off. "Thanks for this," she summoned up a small smile for him.

But instead of turning back for the car, Adam stood there holding the jacket without putting it back on yet, acting as though he wanted to say-or ask-something.

Lacey beat him to it.

"It's called trichotillomania," she answered the question he didn't ask. "I've had it since I was nine. Anxious or really overwhelming situations trigger it."

He shifted his weight. "I'm… I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you I know what it means…"

"Ask Julie," Lacey replied simply. "And by the way, I'm so sorry about your car."

Adam shrugged. "It's just a car. Dad'll take care of it. I'm just glad no one got hurt. But Lacey…"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you with him?"

"Max?" she questioned, but of course she knew who he was talking about.

"Yeah. I mean, a guy who would do what he did tonight…"

The silence lay thick and palpable between them for a minute.

"But that's your business," he finished before she could speak.

"Max and I are about to be over." Lacey spoke with sincerity, surprised by her own tone and how certain she was of that fact. He'd destroyed people's property tonight, ignored her repeated requests for him to stop, and didn't even care to help her up when she fell to the concrete as a result of trying to wrestle a hockey stick away from him. Adam was only too right for his concern, but she just didn't have the energy to process the entirety of it tonight.

"Goodnight, Adam. Thank you. And, again, I'm really sorry. For everything. Max, the breakdown…"

"Lacey," he cut in, "there's nothing to forgive."

She smiled at him before turning to go into her house.

"One more thing, though."

Lacey paused with the door cracked open. "Yes?"

"Were you supposed to be dressed as, like…a medieval tavern wench? A Harley rider?"

She laughed hard in spite of her roiling emotions. When she recovered, she replied, "Neither. A pirate. I lost my hat and boots somewhere…"

Adam surprised her by laughing as well. "A pirate, huh? Wow. Okay, well…I'll see you later."

And with that, he went back to Julie's car, and Lacey returned to the safety of her house, resting her forehead against the cold door after closing it.

No one was there to ask questions after she came inside. Her sisters were already in bed, no doubt in a sugar coma from what she could see of the leftover candy strewn out all over the kitchen table. When she walked upstairs, and by her mom and Stuart's door, to reach her room, she could hear the theme song for Diagnosis Murder on their TV. She hoped to sneak by undetected.

"Ah, there she is!" Stuart muted the TV. "Come in! Tell us aboot the night. Did ye go t' a party wi' Max?"

Lacey walked slowly into their room, dreading what she knew would come next.

"Och! An' where's the rest o' it?!" Stuart waved a hand toward the dress of shame.

"I… It was just something I…," but Lacey knew no explanation would suit.

"Nex' year go as a cotton-tailed bunny, aye? Wi' one o' those coverall get-ups."

Her mom rolled her eyes. "I told you not to wear that. Were you just trying to flash your half-naked ass all over Hennepin County?"

"Mom, no. Let's just forget it, all right? It didn't turn out to be worth it, trust me." Lacey hid her hands behind her back. But her mom was staring at something else.

"Come over here."

Silently cursing, Lacey obeyed and came to sit on her mom's side of the bed.

"Lean over here, let me look at your hair."

Taking a deep breath, Lacey did so.

"You've been pulling. You've got patches of hair missing."

Lacey sat back up. "Is it that noticeable?" She'd always prided herself on having thick hair, which masked a pulling incident pretty well if it didn't happen daily.

"I'm your mom. I always know. Tell me what happened."

Stuart still hadn't unmuted the TV, and sat there looking at Lacey alongside her Mom.

"The party was just loud, okay?" Lacey finally answered. "I was starting to get overstimulated, so I guess I just did it without thinking."

"Do we need to start going back to Dr. Hemby?"

"Mom, no! Gosh! It was a one-time thing."

Darlene stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, then turned back to the TV. "Okay. If you say so. But I'm going to be doing weekly hair-and-nail checks for a while."

"Fine, Mom. You can. But this isn't a big problem anymore," Lacey responded hotly. She stood up and headed into her room without waiting for another remark from either her mom or Stuart.

She reached her room and sighed, pulling down the bed covers and climbing in without even taking her Halloween costume off. Despite her exhaustion, she lay there wide awake, thoughts racing. Could she have stopped Max from doing what he did in some other way? Adam's windshield was ruined. How could he continue to be her friend after Max had decimated his car while she'd been with him? He hadn't seemed to hold that against her when he took her home, but would it be different when he had time to think about it?

The thoughts spun round and round in her mind like clothes in a dryer, continuing to come back to the forefront again and again. Eventually, her brain became tired of the rehashing, and Lacey drifted off into a blessedly dreamless sleep.