Charlie was just lying in bed, watching television, going over his conversation with Violet and what she said about wanting more of him, to be more than friends. His parents came in, interrupting his thought.

"Charlie," his mom rushed to hug him.

"He's not on death's door, Jen. How're you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"Reggie, he was hit by a truck!"

"clipped… grazed," Charlie corrected.

"The girl you saved; isn't she one of your bully's," Reginald asked.

"She was. She was being bullied herself, the same girls that jumped Lucy went after her, they chased her out to the street- mom, dad, she was so scared. She narrowly missed one car, then there was the truck… I couldn't just let Violet die."

"Was she at least thankful," Jennifer asked.

"Well… not at first, but-"

"Excuse me‽ My son risk his life, and she wasn't thankful‽"

"It's not like that! She… Violet didn't think she deserved to be saved. Let's just say; her life choices caught up to her. Lucy and Patty cut her off, the whole school turned on her, Shermy broke up with her, her car along with Lucy's bike were vandalized. She didn't think her life was worth saving."

"You did the right thing, Charlie," Reginald said.

"That's right, even if she was a… bitch of a child… she doesn't deserve to die. Now hopefully she will learn to be a better person, like Lucy."

"I think that's her goal, mom. She's not doing very well, I think this pushed her over the edge, so to speak. I was told she cried more than Lucy and Patty, she begged for a friendship with me."

"It's all guilt," she said.

"Sounds like it. Would you be willing, do you think you can trust her," Reginald asked.

"I'm willing to give her a chance, I think Patty and Lucy will, too."

"Are you sure you're willing to take that risk, son?"

"So much has happened that I haven't told you. They say good things come in threes… "

Violet pulled into the pizza place parking lot and stared at the intersection.

"Violet… Violet," Patty tapped her shoulder.

"Who wants pizza," she whipped her head around.

"I think I'm good, Vee."

"You sure? I'm pretty hungry."

"But you've- never mind. What about you Pat?"

"No, I just wanna go home. Are you going to be okay, Vee?"

"After today… I think I will be… eventually. Maybe you two have the right idea; I don't want to be around here any longer than I need to be," she sighed.

"Do I need to follow you to make sure you get home?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? It's really no problem," Lucy looked concerned.

"I can make it, I promise."

"Okay… you… umm… let one of us know when you get home," she had uncertainty in her voice.

"I will, I promise."

"Good… good night Vee," Lucy got out.

"Please come back to school," Patty reached over and hugged her.

Violet watched Lucy drive away before leaving herself.

"We're really doing this, right? Giving Violet another chance?"

"Yeah… I know she means a lot to you, I like her too, but I know how much you were missing her, ya big baby."

"I can't help it, I'm sensitive! You miss her too."

Lucy sighed.

"Don't lie to me."

"If she makes you cry, I'm done with her. I miss her too, Pat and I'm worried about her, but I'll be damned if she hurts you like we did before."

"Okay big sister," Patty laughed.

"I'm serious! If it comes down to it; I'm picking you over her."

"Well I appreciate it. You know it's going to be hard, right? The three of us back together, both of you technically still not liked. I know Charlie asked us all to be nice to her… pretty sure that truce is over."

"So it'll be like it was to begin with. I'm comfortable with those who want me, I don't need anymore friends, or the stress of being popular."

"We got a nice lil group, huh?"

"Yeah."

Violet made it back home, went to make something to eat and to start her homework. Pop music playing, she was stuffing her face, barely home before her parents came in and walked in her room.

"Violet honey," James walked in.

"Yes daddy?"

"How was your trip?"

"My… trip…? Oh! Oooooo, nooooo," she realized what he was talking about.

"Yes, you know… the retreat you told Jennifer you were going to. She wanted to know how it was going."

"It wasn't as fun as I thought it was going to be."

"Uh-huh," he stepped in, "why the fuck have you not been in school‽"

"I've been doing the work."

"What have you been doing all day‽ Why the fuck are you not going to school‽"

"I… I… ," she was too scared to answer.

"Answer him," Heather walked in.

"You won't get it, you won't care."

"Try us," she snarled.

"Ev… everybody hates me, everybody bullies me."

"Why," he grew intrigued.

"It's… my… fault. I even pushed Lucy and Patty away; I let Lucy get jumped by herself, teased Patty over her broken heart."

"The hell do you do all day," Heather asked.

"Nothing. I sit around all day, homework, eat."

"What about today? The Cadillacs engine was still cooling down when we got here," James said.

"I was at the hospital."

He gave a keep going motion.

"Charlie… he was hit by a truck… because of me. I was running from the girls that beat up Lucy… ran out in the street," she started to cry, "he saved me from being hit by a truck."

Her parents looked at each other.

"It's true!"

"Is he okay," Heather asked.

"The doctor said he just had a concussion, and should be fine."

"Ah… well… that's nice he's okay. You seem to be okay," she replied.

"But it's no excuse for leaving school and you can't hide from your problems. You're going back to school starting tomorrow, you'll just need to reap what you've sown, whatever happens, happens- that should be punishment enough," James said sternly.

"You don't care what happens to me?"

"High school doesn't matter in the grand scheme of it all, you're still a child, you'll get over it, and if they all hate you, then there's nothing holding you back," James explained.

"But… I… wha," her voice trailed off.

"Then it's settled and done. Hopefully we won't need to revisit this… will we?"

She shook her head.

"Then we'll leave you," he shut the door after his wife.

"That was… cold, even for you."

Violet remembered to call the girls, and she called them on conference.

"Girls," she said with a hitch in her voice.

"You don't have to cry because you didn't let us know right away," Lucy said.

"It's not that."

"What is it, Violet," Patty asked.

"My parents came home right after me… they found out I wasn't going to school. Not only are they making me go, but… they don't care what happens to me."

"They were going to find out. Did you tell them what happened," Patty asked.

"I told them everything, they don't care. I really need you girls tomorrow, okay? I'm really scared."

"We got your back," Lucy said.

"We'll do what we can," Patty agreed.