It was Friday, he decided he wasn't going to go to school today. Last night, this early morning was insane. The two girls he cared and loved were in danger, he had never seen them so frighten since the day ….

He wished he could have done something more to be there for them. There's a knock on his door "Hey, I made you breakfast" Karen comes in with a tray.

"I thought you left to work" Danny questiongly asks.

"Yes but after the whole thing last night, I thought you might need company" his mom sits next to him in his bed. Danny looks down. "I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but I'm here for you, I will always be" she hugs him, he hugs her back. "Now c'mon eat your breakfast, it came out good this time, promise" Karen jokes around with her son. 'You can go to work, trust me I'll be alright …. I was in juvy" Danny genuinely smiles and picks up his orange juice.

As Karen walks out if his room, the house door bell rings. He hears a familiar voice inside his home. He makes his way downstairs.

"Just the person I wanted to speak to" Judy says firmly looking at him, "Stay away from my daughter Danny, all of this she's going through is your fault, and it's enough!"

"Judy, how dare you come in to my home and scream at my son!" Karen snaps.

"Your home? You call this your home? Where your son murdered his own aunt on these floors! Please don't be pathetic Karen, ….. look a place in my heart wanted to believe your innocence *looks at Danny* but …. Regina was Lacey's best friend, and since you've came back this town has had to go through a lot, and I don't want my daughter hurting" Judy continues firmly but sincere.

"Mrs. Port- …. (Danny remembers she's divorced) All I've done is to try to get my friends back, Jo and Lacey, I care for them, I won't let anyone hurt them" Danny looks into Judy's eyes.

Lacey's mom looks at him and shakes her head "Stay away from her Danny, I personally came here because her father was going to do a restriction order against you, and the last thing I need is more drama in my daughter's life, so … that's all I have to say" Judy heads towards the door "Don't come around …. Or up … Clara already told me she saw you sneaking up her window" she shuts the door.

Karen crosses her arm and looks at Danny "I should had told her lovely innocent daughter spend the night here, while her best friend was getting murdered…. *She stops herself and continues* ..I'm sick of these women, I'm sick of this town".

Danny looks down on his floor. Lacey's dad was going to put a restriction order, no no no, he needs Lacey by his side, he wishes they can... … he wants ...

She didn't know what in the world she got in her chemistry exam, and at this point she really didn't care, and wasn't planning to go to any of her other periods, she was feeling overwhelmed. As she makes her way to her car she sees Rico pacing back and forth by her car.

"Rico?" Lacey says.

"La- Hey Lacey .. Hi" he responds and stops pacing.

"Hi, ….. What?" she's confused.

"Oh um um, I have a note for you" Rico gives her the note , she opens it "Meeting at the fort after school" .

She looks up at Rico "Where's Jo?"

"Jo?" Rico asks. "Yes Jo, she gave you this note right?" she asks

"Oh Jo, no no, Jo, why would she give me the note? I mean, me and Jo really don't talk anymore or … why did she tell you something, cus I …." he asks nervously.

"What?!" God why was he always this confusing … and weird. Either way she continues "Who gave you this?"

"Danny" he finally answers right. "But, I thought he didn't come to school today …. Well I mean I haven't seen him so .."

"He didn't, he actually handed it over to me so I can give it you" Rico explains.

Why didn't he text her instead she thinks.

"Hey so what exactly happened at Jo's house ... Danny really couldn't explain ... you know cus he was rushing and stuff" Rico asks curiously doing some weird tick with his head.

Lacey perks her lips, looks down and back at Rico "Um, Someone ... or someone(s) came into Jo's house late and pretty much destroyed the downstairs, wrote crazy thing on the walls, ... Tess's pottery and vases were broken, thrown on the floor, mostly everything was shattered"

"Woah" Rico was shocked.

"Suppose ably it was a message for Jo's dad, since he's investigating Regina's murder" Lacey nods her head "Alrighthy … I'll see you later" She says opening the door to her car.

"Wait what where you doing? Are you skipping school? " Rico asks curiously.

"Something like that …" She responds.

"But you can get in trouble!" He whispers. "Not if anyone sees me, bye Rico" She closes the door to her car. Was this guy always this nervous? Anyways, she had to get to Danny's house, she wasn't going to wait until school was over to meet him on the fort, she wonders if Jo got his message as well, they had to figure out Regina's murder. The only thing she has thought about since last night was that tape …. The tape of her friend begging for her life. She takes a deep breath.

With all the thoughts on her mind in no second she is at Danny's house, she rings the doorbell, and waits, she looks back, and on the street she sees a familiar car, that black car that stunned her with the head lights at Jo's house last night. Her legs start feeling weak, she squints her eyes to see inside the car, a woman.

"Lacey!" She jumps and turns back around facing the door.

Motor engines starts running, Lacey looks back and the car wasn't there anymore. She looks back at Danny, "What's going on?" he asks.

"Can I come in?" Lacey asks. "Yeah" he responds. Lacey walks in and sits down on the couch. "I got your note" she looks at him.

"Apparently you didn't read it because your in my living room at 11 in the morning and not at the fort after school" he says sarcastically doing some movement with his hands.

"Yeah, well I decided not to go to my other classes …" she answers truthfully looking at him

"Wow Lacey Porter skipping school!" he doesn't stop the sarcasm..

Lacey looks at him "Obviously I came at a wrong time!" she says getting up.

"No no, I'm kidding" he holds her. Her heart starts beating fast, his touch. She steps back and crosses her arms. "I need to tell you something" he says.

Lacey shrugs "Okay" and licks her lips.

"Your mom came by today" he continues. She frowns her eyebrows. "She told me I couldn't see you anymore, to stay away."

"What?!" She's shocked. "She said her dad was going to put a restriction order against me, so I wouldn't be able to see you" Danny says.

Lacey shakes her head "He can't do that, how does he even know we hang out, I don't -" ….

Danny looks at her. "There's so much mystery on Regina's case, and we need to figure it out, I mean.. they murdered her Danny!" she's feeling frantic.

"I know I know… I know this is all very hard for you" he says. Danny steps closer "All I know is that I can't ever stay away from you…."

Lacey feels her blood heating up, her heart beating fast like never before. "But I finally know you don't feel the same way about me" He says stepping back.

"What?" She asks lowly.

"I saw Chris come out of your house the other day, and don't deny it Lacey" he says so sure

Lacey looks at him "Me and Chris? ….. There's nothing between Chris and I, Danny"

He lifts his arms "Then why was he at your house Lacey, why did he get so close to you! … he told me, he told me you always had a crush on him" he looks at her intensely,

Lacey rolls her eyes "He was just pist that I rejected him, that was all, he's cocky and -" she tells the truth "You know I care for you Danny …".

Danny smirks sarcastically and steps close again "Oh yeah? AND in what way is that?... You like it right? You take pleasure in picking when you want me and when you don't!"

"Danny, stop that's not true!" Lacey pleads.

"You know I desire you" he steps closer "You know my whole body aches for your" he pulls her in close "then why push me away huh?" their lips almost touching.

They look into each other's eyes, he slowly kisses her, so gently, she passionately goes in for more.

They need each other more than ever.