The next day, the Phillip's House

Molly sat in her living room waiting for Irene and the kids to come over. Strumming her guitar she heard the well known sound of Irene's black heeled boots clunk gracefully, and at a faster than usual pace, across the wooden floor.

"Molly, we need to talk about…" Irene trailed off waving her hands in a 'you know what I'm about to say' way and Molly continued to strum.

"I know Irene, I just haven't had a lot of time to think about this. Jack says he still hasn't heard back from any schools and Fi just came home and I got this weird voice message from Melinda, something about me being proud of Fi's accomplishment." She paused and stopped strumming, "Irene, I don't even know what accomplishment she's talking about."

The next room over Fi was standing, hiding just far enough behind a tall plant to not be seen by her mom and Irene, but just close enough to hear every thing they were saying.

"Hey Fi, you're back for not even a day and spying so soon?" Jack remarked.

"Shusssh, mom's talking about going back on tour," She viciously whispered to her brother.

Jack immediately joined her behind the plant without a word.

"Molly, what is there to think about?" Irene said, "This tour will be great, hit up all the fancy places, Jack will be off at school and Fi can come with us."

"I don't know, doing senior year by tour bus is awful tough and Jack won't have any solid place to come home to during breaks, plus there's me," Molly said, laying her fingers against the strings.

"Do you think I'm too old to go back on tour?" She asked.

Irene gawked, "Molly, Kiss is having their third reunion tour in about a month, they're old enough to be our fathers, does that answer your question?"

Molly smiled and began to strum again, "I just don't know what I'm going to tell my kids."

Irene scoffed, "Mine either. One's off in California, and the other…well the other knows already so it's actually not that bad for me."

Irene laughed.

"If only I was so lucky," Molly said smiling slightly.

"Aw c'mon, I'm sure your kids will be fine with it." Irene said reassuringly.

Fi looked at Jack, they were both wide eyed and their mouths hung open slightly. Jack swallowed hard.

"C'mon," Fi said, pulling Jack away from the plant.

"Where are we going?"

"I've got something to tell you."

Fi's Room

"Ok here's the thing," Fi said, nervously pacing back and forth in her room.

Jack was sitting on her bed, arms crossed against his chest. He looked wary and skeptical at the same time, a look only Jack could master.

"I'm," Fi paused looking for the appropriate words.

"Crazy, yeah Fi, I've known that for a while."

"Jack!," Fi frowned, "Will you just listen?"

"Ok, ok" Jack threw up his arms in surrender, "I'm all ears."

"I'm not going back to school next year."

"Fi," Jack started warningly.

"No, no, it's not what you think, I've already graduated." She finished quickly, standing ready for Jack's reaction.

"Wait," he asked confused, "how did this happen?"

"I had a lot of my credits from touring, you know," she smiled, "When I wasn't off looking for weird stuff and you and Clu went out to wherever, I was in the tour bus, doing homework."

Jack snorted, "Uh-huh, and so you've finished school."

"Right."

"And mom doesn't know."

"Right."

Jack shook his head, "I don't know how you do it Fi."

"It's not that I didn't want to tell her, I will just," Fi paused, sitting next to Jack on the bed, eyes pleading, "I don't know how to tell her."

"It's not that hard Fi, you just walk up to her," he was standing now, arms flailing in front, making his case, "And go, mom, I've graduated high school a year early, what oh what should I do with my life now?"

"Oh yea," it was Fi's turn to snort, "Just as easy as saying, mom, I graduated high school but didn't apply to any schools."

"Hey," Jack threw out a threatening finger pointed directly at Fi, "I applied to a school."

"Oh yea? Then why haven't you heard back from them huh? It's summer Jack you should have heard by now." Fi spat out.

"Really, well maybe I did hear back, ever think of that?" His voice grew quieter, unlike normal brother and sister fights this one held secret content that no matter what insults were thrown in with it, it could not be heard by the parent downstairs.

"Then why haven't you told anyone Jack?"

"Maybe because I don't want to go to school Fiona!" He stopped, putting his hands to the side of his head, "Great, now I've got a head ache."

"Why don't you want to go?" Fi's anger was lost to curiosity, her more prominent character trait.

"I just," Jack paused, bring his hands downs to his side, "It's weird, being in one place for more than a few days, going somewhere without your friends."

"You can make new friends." Fi stated gently.

"Yeah well, it's just weird ok?" He brought his right hand back to his head, "I've gotta go get some Tylenol or something."

Fi shrugged, "Hey Jack?"

He turned in her doorframe, "Yeah?"

"I get it." She smiled at him, and he returned it.

"Yeah well, just don't tell anyone, ok." He pointed his left hand threateningly at her.

"Promise." She threw up her hands in surrender.