Mandark saw Dexter at school the next day and tried to ignore the way his chest clenched while simultaneously lifting in...relief? Joy? He smiled as he reached the small redhead.

"Dexter! How are you doing? I couldn't help but notice you were back and I was wondering if-"

The words choked Mandark as Dexter looked up into the taller boy's eyes. The image of sorrow mixed in with an angry and overall vulnerable expression in those framed grey orbs would stay with Mandark for weeks afterwards.

"Dexter?" Mandark blinked with apprehension. He did not like the pain in the other teen's eyes. "Dexter? Are you okay?" Dexter sighed, shifting his eyes back to the floor and he gave no further indication that he knew Mandark was even next to him. He shuffled into Biology. Mandark sighed also, despite himself. He did not know how to help Dexter and he wanted very much for the rival genius to talk to him. Walking into the classroom, he noticed that Douglas, sitting in his assigned seat next to Dexter, was upset as well. He was angry at seeing them together because Douglas had the potential to steal Dexter's heart and thereby ruin Mandark's plan. Mandark just hoped his feelings of helplessness had not shown as badly as they did on Douglas's face.

The thought that he should not want to help his scientific rival never crossed his mind.

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~

"Alright class, classwork for today is reading the rest of Chapter Four: The First Five Presidents. For those who don't know, that's from page 86 all the way up to page 104. Read the chapter and create another page of your dialectical journal (1) as you go along. Whatever you don't finish is homework, along with these worksheets."

Mandark groaned internally as he wrote it all down. Mr. Drummble rarely assigned homework, but when he did, it was usually a shitload of classwork that was impossible to finish within the period and then that was added to homework he was already planning to assign in the first place. (Not to mention the fact that Miss Garrett and his AP English and AB Calculus teachers, Mr. Mussolini and Mrs. O'Neal, had already assigned homework as well.) The Astronominov could literally see the hands of the clock pouring away his leisure time for his beautiful lab. He hated AP classes.

Mr. Drummble fixed Dexter with a significant, fake look. "Dexter you won't have to do this particular assignment." Mandark's pencil broke in his hands.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Astronominov?" The history teacher asked with some surprise. He never had to directly address the raven before.

"No sir, nothing." (2) Mandark responded in his usual nasally tone. "I just gripped the pencil a little too tightly, that's all." Drummble seemed satisfied with the halfway truthful answer and settled his large frame back behind his desk, motioning for the students to start working on their assignment.

Mandark was seething. All day teachers had given Dexter pitying looks they thought were appropriate for his situation. Didn't they know they were only causing more pain since the redhead knew they could care less about him besides? (Admittedly though, Miss Garrett seemed more sincere about her feelings on Dexter's past few days.) And besides, what Dexter most likely wanted most from the school was to blend in and be normal to everyone else. Mandark knew Dexter's strong and independent personality probably did not get any pleasure from the pity he currently received from everyone he passed.

'Shit, this could seriously mess with my plans for Dexter.' There was another emotion besides fear and anger that gnawed at Mandark, but he did not care to take the time to identify that one.

Drummble sent Dexter another look. This time, the act was so unbearable the little college wet dream finally stood up. "I'm going to sit in the nurse's office." He muttered, gathering his stuff quickly and quietly as to not disturb the class any more than he had to. The big-bodied teacher frowned and Mandark guessed he was the only one to see the pleased glimmer in Drummble's eyes as Dexter left the classroom.

The raven Hippie-son knew the tiny genius walked off to the nurse so his new safe haven would save him from prying and "crying" eyes. Mandark felt left out of Dexter's friendship as he sat in a seemingly vast sea of loneliness...

"Hello Dexter, how are you today?" The scientist's eyes shifted upwards to meet the gaze of Mr. Sabutaso as the other came down the hall to greet him.

"Hello, Mr. Sabutaso."

As the other drew closer to Dexter, his smile grew. "How are you doing lately?"

Dexter tried to keep his voice light hoping that, in turn, his principal would limit their conversation to a mere superficial greeting only meant to acknowledge another person for your own well-being. "I am doing just fine." He knew the prime minister of the school (for the school board was Parliament) was an extremely busy man. However, that trait seemed to be lacking in Mr. Sabutaso's schedule today, the irony bringing a colour of anger and fear to Dexter's face.

"I'm so proud of your sister. She got into Yardmore, (3) didn't she?" Dexter would have been blinded if not for the barely brushed teeth bared in an unwanted smile.

"Yes, she is visiting us on holiday at the moment. But she is here only for another week or so. The school keeps her very busy." Dexter added hurriedly, hoping the man would not get the idea of dropping by to visit DeeDee. It worked—Mr. Sabustaso's shoulders slumped a slight fraction.

"Well," he sighed, "I should only expect that from the best fine arts university in the nation."

"Yes, it is a fine school."

"How does she like it so far? I mean, it's only her freshman year there, but..."

"I have not spoken to her about it." Dexter's tone was growing more clipped with every sentence he forced. His mask would slip soon and knowing Sabutaso as an avid fine arts and athletics supporter, the conversation would not end for a while. Mr. Sabutaso blinked. He was more surprised by the return of Dexter's eastern accent (knowing that occurred when the boy was upset) than the fact that Dexter just snapped at him rather rudely.

"What's wrong, Dexter?"

That one question had Dexter's façade officially broken.

"It is my father," he blurted. He could care less about showing weakness in front of the school's faculty and students now.

The principal's eyebrows rose in more shock. "I thought your mother said—"

"He nearly died last night!" Dexter cried. "They said he made it through, but...but his vital signs are still unstable." His voice cracked under the weight of pent-up frustration, fear, and childish anger and confusion. Mr. Sabutaso looked around the hallway. He knew the classes would dismiss soon and the kids would flood out. He also figured Dexter did not want to be a sideshow attraction.

"Hey, why don't you sit in my office for the rest of the day? I'll pick up any homework you have in your classes for you."

Dexter's small, yet grateful smile was enough to make Mr. Sabutaso's grin make a full comeback.

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~

Brring!

Finally—finally—he final dismissal bell rang, derailing the Astronominov's train of thoughts about possible ways to get Dexter to trust him enough to go out with him. Mandark shot out of his AP Physics seat into the crowded throng of idiotic, future has-beens. He looked around desperately for Dexter, wanting to walk the boy home and ask him how his father—and DeeDee—were doing. He could not have his plans fall apart or his crush...well, crushed.

He went through the classes Dexter had missed that afternoon—AP Chemistry, AP Psychology, and AP Physics. However, by the time he got to the first two classrooms, they were both dark and the doors were locked. Jogging back to AP Physics, he stopped Dr. Johnson before the teacher could fully close the door for the meeting the science teachers were holding after school.

"Hey, Dr. Johnson, do you know where Dexter is? Have you seen him?"

Dr. Johnson was a large man with a full head of messy raven hair and one shocking streak of white that framed his left temple, and a soft voice that always seemed annoyed. Now he glanced longingly into his classroom, wanting to be protected by discussion with his fellow scientists. "Mr. McPherson?" He inquired, directing his ice-blue gaze back to Mandark.

Mandark raised his eyebrows in hope. Perhaps he could finally talk to Dexter now...

"You just missed him."

The teen's jaw went quite unflatteringly slack. "What? Are you serious?" The teacher tried to shut the door but, once again, the younger male stopped him. "What do you mean I 'just missed him?' " He growled, glowering at the idea of being too little too late again.

Dr. Johnson sighed. "He was here with Mr. Sabutaso to pick up his homework, and then he was quickly escorted to the front of the building so that on the way, other students wouldn't bother him. He left maybe...a minute ago." Mandark knew the teacher was talking more about himself than the small redhead they were supposed to be discussing. However, he could not bring himself to care as he ran toward the front doors of the school.

His darkly coloured eyes searched the grounds for his rival, but it appeared Dexter was already gone. Further confirmation came in the image of Douglas looking around as well before he caught Mandark's eye. He shook his head sadly in response to the Astronominov's unspoken question. Mandark slumped against the brick wall beside the glass entrance doors. He tilted his head back to rest against the red as well as he let out a long sigh.

He briefly thought about visiting Dexter at the boy's home, but instantly decided against it. He felt as though Dexter were desperate to avoid him and Douglas and for the sake of the raven's sanity, he hoped Dexter would tell him why soon.

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~

At home, Mandark went through his normal routine (homework; working in his lab; eating dinner with his—truly annoying—family; his chore of washing the dishes, the stove, and the counters; finally going back into the laboratory before going off to bed) completely on autopilot.

As he was lying in bed, the fog in Mandark's brain finally lifted and he had a chance to think about that day he should have gone to the hospital. Of course, his dad either maliciously or unintentionally "forgot" to tell Mandark his decision, instead leaving the boy at the house as he took the only car. At the same time, however, he felt another emotion. He was not accustomed to experiencing it, so it took a couple of minutes to come up with a name for it.

Guilt.

Guilt over having a perfectly healthy father that he did not appreciate, while Dexter was worried sick about his dad's fluctuating health. Or, at least, that was what Mandark hoped was wrong, rather than the other alternative that could have caused Dexter's mood today... But he did not want to even consider that possibility.

He lay in his bed for a while longer, locked in a cage of internal debate. Several minutes later (actually, it was seven minutes and twenty-six seconds later—Mandark counted), then he made up his mind. He carefully pulled the covers down, as if he wanted his actions to be carried out in a specific way. He sat up and swung his legs over the bed, silently padding down the hall. Mandark felt possessed by another person's brain as he opened his parents' bedroom door. All three persons stared at each other for 186 awkward ticks of the Jesus clock crucified onto the adjacent wall. Finally—finally—their son spoke to them after his long silence.

"Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad."

The parents exchanged worried glances. OceanBird cleared her throat. "Um, Susan? Is something wrong, sweetie?" To the adults' further surprise, Mandark's mouth lifted a bit awkwardly at the corners. "Nothing, just want you both to know..." he blushed and suddenly found he could not look the Hippies, "...that I, you know, I...love you." Before he could see or hear their shocked yet affectionate responses, Mandark hid his parents and their reactions behind the (now closed) bedroom door. He went back to his own bed and silently lifted a slender finger to his mouth. He traced his lips, shocked at being only half-surprised for the twist of lips he found there.

What exactly was Dexter doing to him...?

...And why did it make him smile?

A/N: Well, I died from homework overload. Luckily for me, I get (somewhat of) a break from my studies for Spring Break, at least enough time to upload a few chapters of my stories. Also, sorry that this chapter is so short, I just wanted it to end there. I hope it wasn't too rushed…. Please accept the preview as a token of my apologies. But first, explanations galore! XD

(1) Something my AP History teacher had us do. Basically it's a set of two-column notes, with the first column as a series of one-sentence summaries of the paragraphs read for the homework. The second column is a series of your opinions and/or connections to those one-sentence main ideas.

(2) HARRY POTTER RULES! : P

(3) DeeDee's ivy-league dance-focused college (I know, who'd've thunk?). A combination of the names Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth.

Preview!

"I think this relationship is going to benefit him in the long run. Don't you think, Susan?" He flinched slightly at the name, but nevertheless smiled at his parents in reply. They both grinned in delight before talking again about Mandark's potential relationship, and Olga was the only one who had caught the malicious gleam in Mandark's wolfish smile.

She sat back into her chair and pouted in confusion. Why was Mandark grinning evilly about the idea of going out with Dexter? She did not like that she did not know the answer to that question. 'Secrets, secrets are no fun, Susan….' She thought to herself.

Lalavava decided then and there that she would find out what her stupid older brother was up to.

Thanks for following the story so far, it really means a lot to me! XD

~theflawintheplan