Thorne closed his text book and pushed himself away from his desk, slipping his physics homework into his backpack for safe keeping. He yawned and allowed himself a leisurely stretch. It had taken him even longer than usual to finish his homework and he was beginning to get frustrated with his splinted fingers. He thumbed the tape that bound his hand and eyed the small calendar sitting on his desk, mentally tallying up the weeks he had left until he could get his splint removed.

Two weeks. Two more weeks.

Thorne couldn't believe it had only been a little over a month since he had had that confrontation with Julian in the hallway. It had only been a little over a month since he had ran into Cress at the lake and he thought it was odd that his life had made so many drastic changes, and yet they still seemed to stay the same.

Two months ago he had been invisible to the entire school and now he had been nominated for Homecoming King, only to have lost to the school's star quarterback. Two months ago, only in his wildest dreams did he think he would have been able to talk to Cress and now he had been on a date with her, held her hand, kissed her, only to have lost that as well. Two months ago he had spent all of his free time hunched over the Rampion, making sure each and every detail had been perfect and now…well, the Rampion was still his, even though he hadn't had much sailing time with it.

Thorne plunged his hand into his backpack, digging around aimlessly until he felt the worn leather of his notebook and pulled it out. Standing up from his desk, he grabbed his keys, stuffed the notebook into the back pocket of his jeans and dialed Kate's number as he made his way downstairs.

"Hey stranger," Kate answered after the second ring. "How's it going?"

"It's going."

There was an audible huff on the other side. "Don't sound so dour. What are you up to this beautiful Sunday afternoon?"

Thorne smiled. "I was thinking about heading to the lake. Wanna come?"

"Can't. My mom's got me doing inventory at the bookstore and I'm trying to be on my best behavior so that I can persuade her not to make me visit my dad and Camilla next weekend."

Thorne nodded sympathetically. There had been many occasions where Kate had voiced her distaste for her stepmother and Thorne knew Kate would rather have a cyborg operation than spend a whole weekend with her. "Well, if you need a break, come to the lake...or I can pick you up."

"Thanks."

"Hey, before I forget. When do you think you'll be done with the Rampion?"

Kate let out a long breath. "I have kept it for a while haven't I? Would you hate me if I asked to keep it for another week…and a half? Just until I get back, then we can figure out a new window display."

The corner of Thorne's mouth turned up. "Sure." He had not expected Kate to conscript him in the new window display design, but he found himself delighted to be included. "I'll talk to you later."

"Have a good one."

Thorne hung up, then called out to his mom, informing her that he was headed out and hopped into his Jeep, making his way to the lake.


The sun was out in full as Thorne took a seat at his favorite bench and the light rippling off the surface of the lake was almost blinding. Nearby, a group of what looked to be ten-year-old boys took turns skipping stones across the water's surface. Thorne had forgotten how much he loved that spot and took a moment to savor the warmth beating down on his face.

He sat, fully content, until the sound of children playing faded away. The boys must have scrambled off, looking for a new adventure. Thorne smiled to himself as he cracked open his notebook, flipping to the back pages to examine his latest sketches.

It had been a week since the Homecoming dance and Thorne had spent most of his free time working on these new sketches and Rampion design modifications. There had been more than one occasion where Kate and the Rampion crew had expressed concern, but Thorne had relished in the solitude, finding comfort in the ability to lose himself in something that he loved. And now that the Rampion would soon be back in his hands, he couldn't help but look out onto the lake with a wide grin on his face and thought about which of the modifications would best suit the Rampion and the easiest ways to implement them.

Thorne was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the sound of approaching feet until they were nearly upon him. The sound snapped him to attention and even though there was no evidence to prove it, for a heartbeat, he thought it might have been Cress.

He turned towards the sound and his mouth practically fell open when he saw Kinney.

Kinney must have been just as surprised to see him because he paused mid-step and almost stumbled on the slope of the terrain leading towards the lake. Thorne watched him as he let out a soft chuckle and ran a tanned hand through his wavy brown hair, an obvious distraction as he righted his footing.

"Hey, Thorne." Kinney smiled when he finally made it to the bench.

Thorne looked at the hands that were now stuffed in the front pockets of Kinney's jeans and he thought the star quarterback looked almost nervous. "How did you know I was here?"

"Oh! I didn't. I was…" Kinney let out another nervous chuckle. "I was actually looking for Cress."

"Oh."

"You haven't seen her have you?"

"Cress?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"Oh."

Thorne watched as Kinney dug the toe of his sneakers into the grass. "Uhh…do you want to sit down?" Not waiting for a reply, Thorne scooted down the bench to give Kinney room to sit.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Kinney took the offered seat and silence fell between them.

Unsure of what to do, and feeling tension ripple in the air, Thorne cleared his throat. "So…um…you're looking for Cress?"

Kinney gave Thorne a glance. "Yeah. I thought she'd be here. She mentioned once that she liked coming here." He returned his gaze onto the lake, letting his eyes scan the water's surface.

Thorne nodded.

"I can see why she likes it. It's…peaceful." Another silence and before Thorne could open his mouth to say anything, Kinney spoke up again. "Have you talked to Cress at all?"

The question caught him by surprise and he knit his eyebrows in confusion. Why was Kinney looking for Cress and why was he asking Thorne if he had spoken to her? "No. I haven't—I haven't spoken to her since Homecoming."

"So you don't know?"

Panic began to rise in Thorne's chest and he felt the back of his neck growing hot. "What? What happened? Is she okay?" Thorne thought back to earlier in the week, he had see her a couple of times in the hallways before and after school, but he didn't think anything had been out of the ordinary except…now that Thorne was trying to remember, he didn't recall seeing Kinney around.

"I hope she's okay…" Kinney let out another nervous laugh and this one sounded a bit trite. "She broke up with me after the dance."

Thorne had to lean in, wondering if he had heard correctly. "What?"

"Yeah."

He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Why?"

Kinney sighed and gave him a weak shrug of his shoulder. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Thorne let out a low whistle and he leaned back onto the bench. As he shifted, the pen that he had tucked inside his notebook fell out and bounced under the seat. He didn't move to pick it up. The two boys sat in silence as they looked out onto the lake, the sun beginning to turn the surface of the water orange.

Thorne wondered what had happened between them. They had looked so happy at the dance, the Homecoming King and Queen. He was beginning to wonder that if Kinney of all people couldn't last with Cress, did Thorne really have a chance at all?

"You didn't tell her you love her did you?"

Kinney let out one of his good-natured chuckles and Thorne could almost hear a snort of disbelief in it. "No. We'd only been dating for two weeks. Who would do that?"

Thorne raised his hand a couple of inches off of his knee, incriminating himself. "Guilty."

Now it was Kinney's turn to let out a low whistle.

And Thorne's turn to reply, "Yeah."

Kinney ran another hand through his hair. "So how'd you finally get over her?"

Thorne winced. "I'm still not sure that I have."

"But you and Kate—"

Thorne shook his head. "Kate and I aren't dating. We're just friends."

"Huh."

Thorne raised a quizzical eyebrow at Kinney, but the boy didn't explain any further. Not until another silent minute had passed and Thorne was just beginning to grow uncomfortable.

"You know, I gotta tell ya…and I'll deny it if anyone asks…but I was kinda jealous of you."

Thorne blinked. "Me? You were jealous of me?"

Kinney ran his hand through his hair once more. The way his mouth had turned into a tight line made Thorne think he had regretted his confession, but he continued anyway. "You kinda…came up in conversation a lot." Kinney looked at Thorne and gave him a weak smile. "I don't think she did it on purpose, but…I dunno…once, she spent a whole hour telling me about stars. Stars!"

Thorne looked down at his hands. He couldn't help the slight upward twitch in the corner of his mouth despite his confusion at what Kinney was telling him. Cress talked about him? Cress broke up with Kinney? Did she break up with Kinney because of him?

Kinney's voice rattled Thorne out of his thoughts. "It kind of made me want to hate you." He threw a glance over at Thorne.

Thorne backed away instinctively and silently cursed himself for it.

"I don't, by the way," Kinney quickly amended. "You're actually a pretty cool guy."

Thorne laughed, almost incredulously. "If we're being honest, I'm pretty intimidated by you…but I guess that doesn't come as a surprise."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short." Another silence fell between them and Kinney once again dug the toe of his sneakers into the grass. "I'm beginning to think that maybe Cress hasn't really gotten over you either…"

Thorne gulped. These had been the words he had desperately been wanting to hear, but he wasn't sure how to feel hearing them come from Kinney.

"I'd be lying if I said it doesn't make me want to take a swing at you." Kinney chuckled before his eyes flickered to Thorne's splint. "But I'm not so sure you wouldn't give me a shiner to match Julian's."

Thorne let out another incredulous laugh. "So much that did for me." He held up his injured hand as emphasis.

"Next time, make sure you're making contact with the flat of your fingers and keep your wrist straight." Kinney made a fist and smacked it against the palm of his left hand, showing Thorne exactly how his punches should land.

"Thanks." Thorne rubbed the back of his neck and wondered if this conversation could get any weirder.

Kinney laughed one last time and stood up. "I should get going. Thanks for the chat."

Thorne nodded. "I'm sorry about Cress."

"Me too. I'm sorry…I'm sorry you didn't get Homecoming King."

Thorne raised an eyebrow at Kinney. "It's alright. You win some, you lose some."

Kinney considered him for a minute before his mouth quirked up. "I guess you're right. See ya, Thorne."

"Bye Kinney."

Thorne watched Kinney until the boy crested the hill and disappeared. He slumped back onto the bench and chewed on his lip, considering everything that Kinney had just said. If he had been confused about his relationship with Cress before, now things were really upside down.

A week ago, in the very spot that he was sitting in now, Thorne had told Kate that he was looking for a sign from the universe that he shouldn't give up on Cress—that he had been right in his hesitation to move on. Was this finally that sign? Sent to him in the form of, if he were being perfectly honest, someone whose perfect hair and perfect smile had always made him feel less than adequate.

If everything Kinney had said was true, did this mean that Cress really did want to be with him? She had made it perfectly clear that she only wanted to be friends, but if she talked about him, subconsciously led Kinney to believe she still had feelings for Thorne, maybe she hadn't been entirely truthful.

Thorne scrunched his nose.

But if Cress really did want to be with him, all she had to do was say so. She had not told Thorne that she and Kinney had broken up. She hadn't made any indication that anything in her life had changed and the thought that she didn't tell him anything made his heart ache a bit.

He ran a hand down his face, letting out a deep sigh. He picked up his notebook and bent down to retrieve the pen that had rolled under the bench when Thorne had been in the middle of talking to Kinney. He grabbed the pen and as he shifted, the sunset lit the ground beneath his hand and something sparkly and familiar caught Thorne's eye.

Laying in the grass, almost hidden beneath the lush green blades was a silver hairpin, the end adorned with a tiny silver star studded with rhinestones. Thorne picked it up and twirled it between his fingers, letting it catch the last bits of light from the setting sun and twinkle. He wondered where the hair pin came from. The last time he saw it was weeks ago when he had slipped it into Cress's locker. She must have worn it since then, must have been at the lake since then.

Cress had told him the first time they talked that she liked going to the lake when she wanted to get away and Thorne wondered how often that was the case. He slipped the hair pin into his pocket and stood up to walk back to his car.


Thursday morning, Thorne stood at his locker stuffing books into his bag as usual, Cress's hair pin burning a hole in his pocket. He had been wondering all week how best to approach her. He had considered dropping it into her locker like he had done before, but he didn't want to be a coward again. Kate had agreed that Thorne needed to hand deliver the hair pin, but she was too busy trying to think of ways to get out of seeing her dad for the long weekend that she wasn't much help with what Thorne should actually say to Cress when he did return the silver pin.

Thorne sighed.

This was his last chance before the week was up. They had the next day off and Thorne didn't think he could spend another three nights with the pin sitting on his nightstand, taunting him. He dared a glance over to Cress's locker and found that she was standing there, looking at him.

Cress jumped when their eyes locked and she turned towards her friends and laughed at something Kai had said. Thorne watched her for a few lingering seconds, but before he turned away, Cress looked over and caught his eye again. Thorne could have sworn that he could see her blushing from thirty feet away.

Thorne ventured a wave and Cress grinned, waving back. His mouth quirked up and he took a step forward before hesitating. He looked down at his feet, willing them to move. He huffed and then the determination set in. He steeled himself and looked up, surprised to see that Cress was walking towards him, a shy smile on her face.

Thorne gulped.

He watched as she made her way towards him and felt the heat rising up his neck. She was halfway towards him now and his heart drummed as he saw the blue of her eyes twinkle. Thorne smiled and Cress returned it before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Thorne couldn't help but rub the back of his neck in anticipation. Unfortunately, he had been so distracted with Cress that he hadn't realized Kate was standing in front of him until he blinked and saw her face a foot away from him, her big brown eyes rimmed red.

Thorne blinked again. "Kate? What—are you okay?" He knew she wasn't even before the words left his mouth.

Kate's face was ghastly pale except for two bright red sports on her cheeks. As soon as Thorne had asked her if she was okay, tears began to pool in her eyes, threatening to spill.

Horrified, Thorne reached over to place a steadying hand onto Kate's shoulder. "Kate, what's wrong?" Seeing Kate like this made Thorne's stomach churn unpleasantly.

Kate didn't answer him. Instead, her lip began to tremble and her shoulder shook. He stepped forward and gave her am a squeeze, hoping to jog her into answering him. It seemed to have done the trick, but when Kate finally opened her mouth to explain what the problem was, a sob escaped and she sunk forward, burying her face into Thorne's chest.

He stood frozen for a second, shocked that they were standing there in the middle the crowded hallway with Kate weeping in his arms. He dared a look over to Cress who had stopped ten feet away and was watching him and Kate, eyebrows knit and concern etched on her face.

Thorne found that his own eyebrows were knit and he dropped his gaze down to Kate. Not knowing what else to do, his brought his hand up to smooth her hair and whispered softly, "It's okay Kate. Whatever the problem is, it's going to be okay."

Thorne felt Kate shake her head before she let out a trembling, "It's not okay."

"Of course it is."

Kate shook her head again, finally pulling away to reveal a face streaked with tears. She took two quick gulps of air and swiped at her face, finally daring to look him in the eye. "Someone smashed the window at the bookstore last night."

Thorne looked Kate up and down, searching for any signs of injury. "Are you okay? Where you there when it happened? Did you get hurt?"

"No. It was late, we were already closed. I'm okay." She hiccuped. "But Thorne…"

Satisfied that she wasn't hurt, Thorne's attention returned to Kate's face and there was misery sketched all over it. She held his gaze for a single second before averting her eyes to her scuffed shoes and in almost a whisper said, "The Rampion was smashed."

She spoke so softly that Thorne had to bend his head closer towards her, not sure he heard her clearly over the chatter of the busy hallway. "What?"

Kate looked up at him and her eyes began to pool with a fresh set of tears. "Whoever smashed the window also smashed the Rampion." She sniffled. "It's ruined."

Thorne felt his stomach plummet, but he was unable to move. Unable to say or do anything except stare at Kate with complete disbelief.

"Thorne, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Kate clutched his hand with urgency. "I can't bring it back, but I'll—I'll pay you for the damages."

"No." He squeezed her hand to show her that it was okay. "It's not your fault."

"I feel so horrible. I talked you into letting me use it in the window display…and you asked for it back… and… and I was being selfish…and now it's gone."

Thorne pulled Kate into a firm hug. "It's not your fault." Of course it wasn't Kate's fault, but hearing himself say it out loud helped him come to terms with it. It was just another case of bad luck and Thorne began to wonder if he was destined to be unlucky for the rest of his life.

The first period bell rang, but the only movement Kate made was to groan in agony. He knew she simply couldn't go to first period like this and he hated to admit that if Kate wasn't so visibly heartbroken about the Rampion, Thorne might have broken down himself.

"Come on. Lets get out of here."

"B-but first period…"

Thorne wrapped his arm around Kate's shoulder and began to walk her down the hall. "It's okay. Come on."

He ventured a glance at Cress as they walked pass her. She gave him a sympathetic smile and looked as though she wanted to say something, but she bit her lip instead and turned away to walk to her first period class.

Thorne gave Kate's shoulder another reassuring squeeze and then opened the door at the end of the hallway that led to the parking lot. He flinched when they stepped out into the sunshine.


AN: Thanks to the wonderful zissa for beta'ing this chapter for me. Sorry it's taking me longer to update, but I started to get discourage with the drop in reviews for the last couple of chapters. THANK YOU to everyone who does leave a review, though. I read and cherish each and every one! Hopefully you liked this chapter and what's coming up. We're very, very close to the end.