Author's note: Sorry for the wait! Here's some more Evea/Roddy, kind of. The introduction of Evea's friends! Hooray!

Also, anonymous reviewer, yes. I post these on deviantart too. They aren't in order there, though.

"Hey, girlfriend!" Sarah Jane called from the picnic table on the front lawn. "How's my baby girl?"

"Ugh," I groaned, half awake. "So sleepy."

"Me too," Mary-Ann agreed, nodding. "I was up all night reading Mansfield Park for the millionth time. I got maybe two hours of sleep."

"I slept soundly," Lydia announced happily. We all made faces at her.

"You're a star, Lyd," Sarah Jane said sarcastically. Lydia beamed at her.

"Oh, look. Roddy Geiger's back in school," Mary-Ann said, pointing to him. He was walking across the parking lot.

Why don't I say hello? I thought, putting my backpack down by my friends and walking toward him.

"Hey, Evy? Where are you going?" Sarah Jane asked, watching my go.

I ignored her, trying to catch Roddy's eye. He looked over and I waved, smiling invitingly. "Hey, Roddy," I said as he walked toward me. I could hear the surprised whispers and less-than-whispers from the peanut gallery.

"Hey," he replied, smiling back at me.

"Is your dad back home?" I asked.

"Yeah. He got home a couple days ago. Thanks, by the way."

"Oh, I'm so glad. Is it weird being back?"

"Not as weird as I thought, actually," he said, giving an look appraising around.

I laughed, and the bell rang. "Well, I'll see you around, okay?"

"See you," he agreed, waving as we parted ways.

My friends were staring with wide eyes and open mouths. "Evea? Do you have something you want to talk to us about?" Lydia asked, putting a hand on my shoulder as I grabbed my backpack.

I feigned a thoughtful moment of introspection. "No," I said, shaking my head. "I don't think so."

"You little shit," Sarah Jane said, shaking her head at me as she followed me into the building.

"You do know that he was a suspect in the investigation of Dr. Lawson, right?" Mary-Ann asked with concern.

I looked at her incredulously. "Beyla works in the morgue; she examined his body. Yeah, I know."

"Hey, Mary-Ann, he didn't do it," Lydia added. "It was Carter and his friends; you know that."

"Still," Sarah Jane said, her eyes slitted as we all took our seats in Psychology. "He's a suspicious character."

"Very suspicious," Mary-Ann agreed, nodding.

"It does look bad," Lydia conceded.

"Guys!" I finally yelled, throwing up my hands. "He's a human being! Stop talking about him like he's not. He's not a bad guy, either. I'm going to keep talking to him, whether you guys like it or not. Hell, whether this school likes it or not."

The class was quiet and staring at my outburst. I swallowed hard but kept my expression resolute. "Wow," Mary-Ann said, her large, blue eyes staring at me in what I thought was admiration.

"You really like him," Sarah Jane said in amazement.

I felt my face get hot, remembering what Beyla had said. "What? I-" I was cut off when the bell rang, and our teacher began class.