A/N: This is my new Numb3rs story. It's taking place in today's time, but all the characters are in high school. Charlie skipped some grades and is in the grade below Don right now, as did Amita. For the sake of the story, both are only 3 years younger.

Summary: A school project brings together some people. Secrets are let out and nothing will be the same again.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my OCs.

Don Eppes was the star of the baseball team. He was one of the best on the football team. He got good grades. Everyone loved him. Guys wanted to be him and girls wanted to date him.

But, he often felt like nothing he did would ever measure up to what his younger brother did.

Charlie Eppes was a genius. He could solve 4 digit multiplication problems by the time he was four. He had skipped 3 grades and was often made fun of because of it. Charlie looked up to his brother.

Sometimes, Charlie made Don feel pretty stupid. Don, a junior, was forever looking out for Charlie, a sophomore due to grade skipping. It got annoying at times.

On Monday morning, Charlie and Don woke up for the first day of the new trimester. After a 2 day break from school and homework, Charlie was ready to go back. The first day of trimester was always fun for him. He went into the kitchen, very excited.

Don, however, was not. He grumbled to his father about wanting to stay home. He tried to get him to let him.

"No way." Alan said. "Your mother would have my head." Margaret had died of cancer 6 years ago, when Don was 11 and Charlie was 8.

"No, she'd have mine." Don said with a smirk.

"Get going." Alan practically pushed his son out the door.

Megan Reeves was standing at her locker when Don reached his. Megan was the pain in the ass Don had been trying to ignore ever since Freshman year, when she had moved here from New York. He had teased her on her accent and she had gotten mad at him.

"Yo Don." Colby Granger called out. Colby was one of Don's best friends. He was also on the baseball team. Colby and Don were considered 'ladies men'. Hardly ever did they date a girl for more than 2 weeks and if they did it was considered a rare occurrence.

"Colby." Don nodded. "Sinclair."

"Hey Don." David said. David had been dating the same girl for the past year and a half. Her name was Melanie and she seemed pretty nice.

The three were considered mischief makers. If there was trouble, it was very likely that they were behind it. They had been in detention more times than can be counted.

"Practice sucked yesterday." Colby said and with that, all three entered their homeroom.

Megan groaned as another day of school started. She had spent, yet another, weekend at her best friend Olivia Ryan's house. Megan and Olivia were complete opposites, yet exactly the same.

Olivia was a blonde haired, blue- eyed, 5'5 beauty. She was perky, preppy, and loved the color pink. In many ways, Megan was reminded of a Barbie, and often called her best friend that. Olivia was co- captain of the cheerleading squad and had always liked Colby, but now matter how many times Megan had tried to convince her friend to date him, Olivia wouldn't. She was too afraid of having her heart broken.

Megan had long hair that was a mixture of red and brown, but mostly brown. She had brown eyes and was 5'6. She was everything her best friend wasn't. While Olivia shopped in Hollister and Abercrombie, Megan preferred Hot Topic and Pacsun. She wasn't goth or emo, but she wasn't the perky, preppy, pink loving girl her best friend was. Megan, originally from New York City, still had her accent and was the other captain for the cheerleading squad. While Olivia truly loved cheerleading, Megan only did it for her friend.

"Hey girlie." Olivia said as she tried to open her locker.

"How ya doing?' Megan asked as she opened her friend's locker. Olivia gave her friend a grateful look before answering.

"I'm good. You?" Olivia said.

"I'm good." Megan said. The two gathered their books and walked into homeroom.

"So, I was wondering if I could ask you a big favor." Olivia said.

"Shoot." Megan popped a piece of gum in her mouth.

"Do you think I could stay with your family this weekend? My parents are flying to Seattle for business and I don't want to go."

Megan paled. Olivia didn't know why Megan spent most of her time, weekdays and weekends, at Olivia's house. "I'm not sure. Let me ask tonight and get back to you."

"Ok. Thanks." Olivia said.

The teacher walked into homeroom and everyone scrambled to their seats.

"Ok, everyone in their seats. Colby, stop kissing whatever girl today is, Don, stop flirting with whoever your girl is, Olivia, put away the mirror, and Megan, spit out the gum." Miss Mac said. She received a mixture of results.

Megan got up and threw her gum away.

Olivia put her mirror in her purse.

Colby stopped kissing the girl.

"Aww, but Miss Mac, you're lookin' so good today." Don said with a grin.

"Thank you Don." Miss Mac said.

Megan covered her laugh with a cough. That guy would do anything for extra credit, and usually, he got it.

Role was taken and the bell rang.

Megan didn't know why or how, but since Freshman year, she and Don had been in all of the same classes. This year, she, Don, Olivia, Colby, and David were all in the same classes.

At the beginning of third period, Don, Colby, and David walked into the classroom and sat down in their usual seats. When Megan and Olivia walked in, Don groaned.

"What was that?" Megan asked as she walked by.

"What was what?" Don had a smirk on his face.

"The groan."

"Now, Megan. It's not nice to accuse people." Don said. The rest of the class watched in amusement.

"I'm not accusing…"

"Yes you are."

"Not."

"Are."

"Not."

"Are." This continued for another minute, no one noticing that the teacher came in.

"You know, I'm assigning a project." Mr. Dalesio said. "I was going to let you pick your partners, but after seeing that argument, I'm going to assign them. Don and Megan, you're the first pair."

"Not fair." Megan exclaimed.

"Yes fair." Mr. Dalesio said. "And, we'll have David with Rachel."

"Yes!" David shouted, and then whispered to Don and Colby. "She's the smartest girl in class. Say hello to an A."

"Colby and Olivia." Mr. Dalesio assigned the rest of the pairs. "Now, everyone move to sit next to your partner. Once everyone was in their new seats, the complaints began again.

"Did you have to put me with him?" Rachel whined. "The apes in the San Diego Zoo are smarter than him."

"Yeah," Megan began, "And the dumb ass who works at New York's Central Park coffee shop has more brain cells than this idiot." She pointed to Don.

"Everyone can thank Don and Megan for their partner. Had they not been arguing, we would not have been in this situation. And you two," Mr. Dalesio said, "will hopefully learn to get along."

"My house, 3:30, be ready to work." Megan had told Don right after class.

So, he did what she said and waited outside her house. It was, to be frank, huge. He knew that her family had money. His did too. Most of the people in their school were what many people considered wealthy. But to be able to buy this house, her family must have a whole lot of money.

She answered her cell phone on her ear. "Delivery please. Ok, thanks." She hung up. "Pizza will be here in 25. Come on. Let's go to my room." She led the way up the stairs and to the far end of the hall.

"So, when is this due?" Don asked.

"Friday." Megan said. "It's Monday. We have 4 days to research, write a paper, make a poster, and make the presentation."

"Let's do it." Don popped his gum and sat on the floor, with his back on the side of her bed. She sat down next to him and pulled out her books.

"It's 7:30. Can we stop?" Don asked the group that was now gathered in the room. At around 4:15, Olivia and Colby had stopped by and the two groups were working on both projects.

"Yeah, I'm starving." Colby complained.

"Please Megan." Olivia pouted.

"Let's go see if Maddy has some food left over from dinner. Lead the way to the kitchen Barbie."

The group of four made their way to the kitchen and sat down at the table while an Italian woman set a plate of what looked like homemade pasta in front of each person.

"This is good." Colby remarked.

"Thank you." Maddy said and left the room.

15 minutes later, a man walked into the room. Don assumed it was Megan's father.

"Hey Dad." Don's assumptions were confirmed. He seemed to be the only one paying attention to Megan and her dad. Olivia and Colby were laughing about something that happened earlier.

"Hmmm you." Patrick Reeves said. Don looked at Megan. She seemed to be avoiding his eyes. He decided to ask her about it later, but never got the chance because he forgot all about it.

A/N: Wondering what people think of this idea. Charlie and Amita won't really be in it that much, but they will be in it later on. They probably won't be in it as much as the others. So, opportunity's knocking and it's telling you to leave a review for me to read.