Hey, my lovely readers! This is the start of my summer, so I plan on doing lots of writing. I even have ideas that I couldn't fit in here that'll go in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!

This chapter is dedicated to DannySamLover20, Dandy-ni, Anon (Guest), ShadowArcher013, NikkiGrace6113, and jadealexi29 of tumblr.

I do not own Radio Rebel

"I'm gonna make the safe bet and say she didn't tell you."

Barry looked up across the breakfast table at his brother. Safe bets were the only bets Larry made. "Who didn't tell me what?"

"Stacy's the reason Mareno decided to expel Radio Rebel." That information was withheld to ensure they both got a good night's sleep. Hearing it was a rude awakening. Barry's fork clanked down on his plate.

"I don't even know why I'm surprised."

Larry knew why. "You thought you were helping her." He said sympathetically.

"I don't know if I wanna help her anymore." She'd made progress, so Barry thought, but this seemed to cancel all that out.

"You shouldn't give up."

Barry's eyes were filled with confusion, and there was a sharpness to his tone. "She's not making it easy to believe in her."

"She never has." Larry agreed. "That's why it had to be you." His brother was still eying him strangely.

"...What?"

"I don't know if anyone else would care enough to try to change her. Kim's her best friend and she just let her be." Saying this, Larry looked ashamed of his own dare partner.

"That's what I feel like doing." Barry admitted. When he dropped his empty plate in the sink, that seemed to be his way of punctuating his sentence. He didn't notice, but he made his brother flinch. "Letting her be from a more than respectful distance."

"Then try that." Larry suggested. Which only confused-and angered-his brother more.

"Whose side are you on here?" Days ago, he'd said Stacy couldn't change. In that moment, he defended her as if she could.

"I'm not picking sides." Larry said, as he took his own plate to the sink. He spoke over the sound of the running faucet. "I'm saying you should… see if she bothers to make a difference when you're not around to make sure she does."

"That's your plan?" He hadn't meant to, but Barry asked this under a scoff. "That doesn't sound like a plan at all."

"It's not a plan." Larry agreed. "It's a hope."

His brother shook his head, but that did nothing to take away the confusion he felt. "But you… always have a plan. You always have to have a plan." Barry had one hand held out at his side. He watched his thumb twitch, but then his eyes met his brother.

Larry stood there silent for a second. Then, he said: "Not anymore."

"Who are you and what've you done with my twin?" Barry smiled as he asked this.

"I haven't gone anywhere." Larry assured. "I'm just…" His eyes settled on the ceiling for a second, as he thought his sentence through. "I'm glad this dare didn't turn out the way I thought it wouldd. I'm glad you did the crazy thing, and gave the least deserving person a chance."

Something about the way Larry said that told Barry he wasn't just talking about Stacy. Larry felt like saying the same to Kim. He found himself smiling wider when he answered. He was basically talking in code, knowing what was going on in the corner of his brother's mind. "I'm glad she took it."

"So, don't regret it." Larry told him after a pause. "Just make sure it's not wasted. See what she does with a warning."

To his surprise, the reply he got was: "This seams mean." Barry had gone about this whole thing without letting himself get pushed around. Why did he suddenly think he shouldn't put Stacy in her place?

Whatever the reason, Larry justified this plan that wasn't a plan in three words: "It's tough love."

Barry blinked. The shock he felt was around the same level of how he reacted to finding out what Stacy had done. "What?"

"You know what I mean. There are different kinds of love. Most of which don't scare me half to death." They both laughed.

"What am I gonna do while I'm out of a dare partner?"

Larry shrugged as he found the keys to the car. (Which wasn't difficult, since he always put them back in the same place.) "You can hang out with me and Kim if you want."

It was a nice offer, but Barry didn't know if it would go over well. "Won't Kim notice someone's missing?" He asked with the raise of an eyebrow.

"She is sharp!" Larry replied, wagging his pointer finger in the air for a second. He saw his brother nod in agreement-laughing silently-and added: "Sharper than most people think."

"Yeah." Barry responded, feeling bad about that.

"Sharper than she thinks." Larry revised in a low voice.

"Yeah…" Barry said under a sigh. That felt even worse to know.

"I don't think she'll mind not having Stacy around." Larry said. "I think she'll get it."

Barry didn't see how. "We're exiling her best friend."

"No," Larry's tone started out stiff, but it softened. That didn't make what he said any less important. "we're teaching her a lesson. Kim will get it." He reiterated.

"Are you sure about this?" Given Larry's cautious nature, he wasn't sure about much.

This, he knew. "Absolutely," He assured. Then he gave Barry his reason why. "because she's the one that told me."

"I meant to thank you." Tara told Gabe as they walked the halls of Lincoln Bay together.

He'd been quiet up until that point. Silenced by sorrow. It surfaced a bit in his speech. "What are you thanking me for?"

She almost stopped walking. Those words weren't casual. He sounded like he didn't think he deserved her thanks.

"What you said about me. In the video."

"I just wanted you to know that what you said stuck with me. I wanted other people to know, too." That was his first attempt at reaching. Minor as it was. "You don't have to thank me. It was your advice. It was good advice."

She appreciated that. She still had some thoughts on the video, though. "If you hadn't talked about me, do you think anybody would've noticed I was even there?" She said this like she had already brushed it off, but he didn't like the sound of it.

"Most of this was your idea. We aren't gonna let you go unnoticed. You aren't gonna let you go unnoticed." As Radio Rebel, she had quite a voice. He heard Tara loud and clear, too.

"Most days I do. I like it better like that."

"No you don't," Gabe replied, almost laughing. He couldn't manage a laugh after what he'd done. Not that she had any idea what he'd done. "you just feel safer that way."

"So you're only happy when you're living dangerously?" Tara asked, though she had a feeling that wasn't what he meant.

"I'm saying you know what you're risking every time you go on air. They can't see you, but they definitely hear you. For everything you are. You aren't invisible. You just… hide. And I don't think that anything you're doing in that booth is bad." He wasn't telling her to give up this gig. He had to make that clear. "I think you should just take that confidence with you when you leave it. People notice you." He said, and though she didn't realize, he stumbled through those words. "A lot more than you think. You shouldn't be afraid to let them."

Tara wished she had a better response than "I wish I wasn't."

"Well, I think you're working on it. You didn't have to be there."

"It was part of the deal," She countered. "and of course I was gonna come support you guys."

The bell rang, signaling that they had to go their separate ways. Gabe had one more thought to speak to Tara. In place of an apology she wouldn't understand. "I want all this attention that isn't even real. And you shy away from the attention that is."

Those words didn't exactly stick. They struck her. Her head was spinning. And Gabe walked away feeling worse than before.

Larry and Kim sat in the library, at the table where their deal was first struck. He had gone there to spend some time reading, but got distracted when he saw some books that hadn't been put back where they were found. She helped him put them back in their proper places, and now the two of them were talking quietly.

"You wouldn't mind if Barry hung out with us today, right?"

"Of course not." She answered. Exactly what he thought.

"Cool. Do you know if he talked to Stacy yet today?"

Kim shrugged. "I barely got to talk to her. She said she was planning something. Probably campaign stuff." She didn't sound disappointed. Which was nice to know.

"Good, then she'll have something to keep her occupied when he's not around."

"Yeah." She agreed. Though she felt that wasn't enough of a response. "Sorry I didn't tell you before. I didn't think about how you guys would feel."

"It's okay. I don't really know how I feel about it. Stacy never liked Radio Rebel, but I didn't think she would do something like that."

"I don't think she really wants her to get kicked outta school." Kim theorized. "I think she just got Mareno to put the threat out there so she'll stop broadcasting."

"That's not any better. And it's not gonna happen."

"I know," When she said this, she sounded defensive. Then her tone turned worried. "but what's gonna happen to Stacy?" Larry didn't see what she meant, so he asked. "Part of what made me take this dare was knowing I wouldn't be alone." Kim explained. "I didn't have to miss being her shadow. Now I don't miss being anyone's shadow." She sounded confident, but she meant this as reassurance. She didn't want Larry to worry that he was treating her the same way. I've got you. And she had Barry. Now she's got no one."

"We're still here for her." Larry argued. Though it took a moment for him to think of something to say. "We just wanna see what she does when no one's telling her what she should do."

"Like… trying to treat us all to pizza?" Neither of them knew what that had really been about.

"A little more serious than pizza." Larry said with a light laugh. "Like not trying to ruin someone's life just because she's jealous of them."

Kim bit her down turned lips. "Jealous?"

"Yeah," Larry said. "I know jealous when I see it." She was still digesting that information when she heard him repeat himself. Even lower the second time. "I know jealous when I see it." His brow furrowed, and he looked at Kim to see if she knew what he was thinking.

She didn't. "Yeah, I believe you." She told him, as if he needed convincing.

Larry looked at her, wide-eyed. "Do you think he was jealous?"

She looked back at Larry, suddenly lost. "Wait, who are we talking about now?"

"Gabe."

She didn't see how that could be. "How could he be jealous of his best friend?"

Yet again, Kim had Larry stumped. Then he thought about it. Even though he felt rude for saying so, he told her: "I kinda thought you were." Her focus on him got sharper in that moment. "Before we started hanging out." He didn't think that would lessen the blow any.

"And then a little bit after we started hanging out?" She asked, thinking back on their shopping trip.

He swallowed a sigh, but she saw his shoulders sag. "Sorry. I think I got kinda scared. But I was scared to tell you I was scared."

"What were you scared of?" That could be a long list.

Larry's hands clasped together, but this time that didn't happen so he could psych himself up. He was about to admit something he only realized in hindsight. "You know how I was so worried about you trying to be like Stacy?" She nodded, and he sighed silently. "That's because I was there."

Kim's eyebrows raised. "Okay, I doubt you mean you were trying to be like Stacy." This almost made him laugh. Then she caught onto what he meant. "Wait. You mean… Barry?"

Larry nodded as his eyes found the floor. It turns out, he was jealous of his own best friend. "I knew I wasn't like him. I didn't wanna be like him," He explained in a low voice. "I just wanted to be liked on the same level that he is." He watched as Kim's jaw dropped.

"You are!" A shush rang out from behind the circulation desk. "You are." Kim repeated quietly, to show she was listening and make sure she was heard.

"I realize that now," He assured. "it just took awhile to figure out." After a pause, he added: "And sometimes I forget." The whole truth was that sometimes he let himself forget, because-the way Larry looked at it, being less popular meant he had less to worry about. Less responsibility.

Kim knew the feeling, but she didn't say so. "I guess we'll just have to keep reminding you, then."

"I appreciate that," He told her. "but I hope I don't have to be reminded too often."

In the parking lot after school, Stacy recalled how Barry basically threw himself in front of her car to get her attention. Now it seemed she'd have to recreate the scenario just to get him to talk to her. She was an expert at avoiding people, but he went the extra mile when it came to that. If she hadn't seen him walking out to the car, she might've thought he was absent from school that day.

"Hey, where've you been all day?" There wasn't an ounce of anger in her tone. In fact, it stretched past curious and crossed over into concern.

"Staying out of trouble." He replied, without even turning around. He tossed his brother's keys in the air and caught them.

At this point, concern turned into confusion. "Why would you be in trouble?"

Finally, he looked at her. Disappointment clouded his eyes. Most of it was directed at her, but he also hated how cold he was being. "Have you ever heard the expression 'You are the company you keep'?"

Rather than a nod, she sent him an odd look. Asking for elaboration.

"Yeah, well, I thought you were shaping up to be good company."

"Wait," Stacy said this flatly, but then her voice rose. "I'm the trouble? How am I trouble?"

"By trying to get people in trouble." He could see she still wasn't understanding, so he clarified under a sigh. "Radio Rebel and everyone who listens to her."

Stacy blinked. "But you knew that when we started this-"

"I didn't know you were trying to-" Barry was so frustrated he not only interrupted her, he interrupted himself. "It's fine if you don't like her. Whatever, really." When he said 'whatever', he meant it in the way that she usually did. "But..." He held his hands up before he continued, showing he was exasperated while trying to stress his point. "This is someone's education that you're trying to jeopardize. This is someone's life. You're only gonna make it worse." She wanted to say something, but her tongue stayed still. "Some kids need her show," Barry went on. His tone was softer, but still somewhat sharp. "They rely on it. You know how you taught me about presentation?"

No, actually, she didn't. As evidenced in her shocked expression. "I taught you something?" Stacy asked.

"Sure." He said. "And I'm sure you taught me more," His voice got louder again. "but I'm too mad to think right now!" She wasn't sure if the sound that left his lips next was a scoff or a curbed sob. He had to take a breath before he spoke again, calmer this time. "You think it's gonna matter once this gets out? Stacy, I'm not that high up on the totem pole and I found out. The more people know, the less of a chance you have at being prom queen." He could tell that hit hard but he just kept going, making quite a scene for the cars they stood crammed in between in the otherwise empty parking lot. "If this gets back to Gavin and his fans," Barry went on, shaking his head slightly. "it's out of the question."

"But-" At first, she was going to protest. As far as the majority of the student body knew, having Radio Rebel expelled was Principal Mareno's idea. Bringing that up would only make Stacy look worse. She wasn't trying to make trouble. Not anymore. "I can't fix this unless you help me."

"This is how I help you. By leaving you alone."

But I don't wanna be alone. She thought, under the impression that he meant forever. She was saddened, but it all came out as anger. Especially because she didn't understand why she was so sad. "This was your idea. Okay, technically, it was Audrey's idea but you're the one who roped me into it."

"Well, I'm cutting the rope." He thought she'd be satisfied with this.

She wasn't. "It feels more like you're burning it." The way she said this, it was as if the metaphorical rope was still tied around her when he set fire to it.

"You'd probably prefer that over spending time with me." He mumbled, wondering if her distaste for him had ever really dissolved into tolerance. He was starting to doubt everything he'd done for the dare.

"C'mon," She shouted, behind gritted teeth. "I'm trying-"

"To weasel your way out of this." He matched her volume, but his voice lowered again when he realized she made no effort to talk over him. "Make it my job. It's not gonna work."

"No, I-" She stopped when she saw what looked like a prolonged blink from Barry. He had his eyes closed to calm himself down. He was over trying to fight, and he was over trying to fix her.

In that moment, doubt won. "I don't think it was ever gonna work."

"BARRY!" She didn't have to yell. She had his attention, but only for that moment because she'd lost his respect.

He showed this by holding up a hand and delivering a line Stacy tossed around whenever she got tired of listening. "No words."

There was no room for him to make a dramatic exit. He had to squeeze himself through the small space between Larry's car and the one parked next to it. (Either that, or he'd have to go around the other side and-even more awkwardly-make his way over the center console.) All while Stacy stood there staring at him in disbelief.

When he started the car, he looked in the rearview mirror to find her in the same spot.

She thought about staying there, knowing he'd stop. She'd done that back when she couldn't stand the sight of him. Barry would stay there as long as she did, but he wouldn't speak. After that, he'd run out of things to say.

Stacy tried to stomp away, but from where he sat it looked more like drifting.

"I gathered the troops. Or the… troupe." Audrey revised as she gave Tara and Gabe a smile. The two of them sat on Audrey's living room couch, the space she'd occupied between them still open after she got up.

Gavin's laugh came over the other line. "I like that." He told her, regarding the pun. Even though Gabe wouldn't be doing any acting. "Sorry I'm late."

"Don't be mad." Gabe told Audrey. Then, jokingly, he added: "His watch is broken." The joke would've been a total miss if Gavin wasn't on speakerphone.

"I'm not mad," Audrey assured. "And you're not late. They just got here first."

Actually, Gabe got there before Tara. She wanted to head over with him, but when she sent him a text to ask about that, she found out he was already there.

She found it strange. He was really only there for moral support. Tara and the others were the ones who had to rehearse. Maybe Gabe's watch was broken.

Or maybe he was avoiding another one-on-one conversation with Tara. The last one hadn't gone very well. She looked over at him as she mouthed her lines, but his eyes were on Audrey.

She had just hung up the phone. He'd never seen someone look so worn out over such a short conversation.

"Hey, Audrey," Tara said rather randomly. "do you think all the GGGG's true fans will start coming out of the woodwork now that the music video's up and the concerts happening soon?"

That question landed Gabe's attention on Tara, but only for a second. Then he looked back to Audrey, who didn't have to think about her answer.

"Depends what you mean by 'true fans'. Lincoln Bay is full of GGGG's fans."

"Well, yeah. Those kids actually know the guys." With that, Gabe saw the point she was trying to get at.

And Audrey said it aloud. "You don't have to know someone personally to be their fan. I mean, look at Radio Rebel. Even the people that know Radio Rebel don't know they know Radio Rebel."

Not only was this a good point, it made Tara and Gabe laugh.

"So the guys should embrace that attention? Even from fans they aren't friends with?"

Audrey nodded. "Gabe, you don't have a problem with that, do you?" She asked this as a joke, not knowing it was a serious issue for him.

"I'm trying not to." He answered.

"Oh." Audrey sounded disappointed in herself for not realizing this, but Tara gave her a look that told her she didn't have to be. She wasn't alone in that. "I guess Gavin's not the only one who needs to work on that."

"I think Gavin has a completely different problem." Gabe admitted. "It's like…" He thought of a way to express what he was thinking, but it didn't make much sense to him even as he said it. "It's like he doesn't wanna shine."

That made total sense to Tara.

Kim was off having fun somewhere with the twins. That's how it was for her. She didn't have to worry about as much because all eyes weren't on her. They were on Stacy, who was now tasked with fixing her own mistake. She really had no idea how to go about that. School was already out. Mareno wasn't around when Barry delivered his ultimatum.

Up until that point, it seemed he wouldn't ever grow tired of hearing Stacy talk. She felt this way seeing the timecode at the top of her call log. He was the last person she talked to. For 43 minutes and 11 seconds, apparently.

She couldn't really remember what they discussed, but it must've been interesting since he kept her attention that long. She was stuck by late-night inspiration. Something good for the campaign that she wished she could recall.

Although she didn't expect a response, she texted Kim for inspiration on what to do next. Since spontaneity was supposed to be her new strong suit. Unfortunately, Kim was fresh out of that. In Stacy's eyes, it had all been wasted on whatever she and the twins were up to.

Stacy read the response she got, surprised how quickly she received it. Not to mention she was surprised she heard back from Kim at all. Retrace your steps. What else can you do?

Without Barry, Stacy didn't have an answer for that.

Gabe had been the first to show up for rehearsal at Audrey's house, and he would be the last one to leave. "You guys did good." He told her.

"So did you." Audrey replied.

He gave her an odd look. "Yeah, it was a real challenge for me to sit down and shut up."

She laughed. "I imagine it would be for someone so used to being in the spotlight." He didn't take offense to this, but he didn't find it funny either. "That's not what I meant, though." Audrey said in a quieter tone.

He was lost. "What did you mean?"

"You just let them be," She said, sitting back down again. She'd been on her feet since before Gavin got there and after he and Tara left. With them gone, she could've chosen to sit on the opposite side of the couch. But she didn't, and that only seemed to emphasize the words she used to finish her thought. "and let them be close."

She watched as his hands clasped together. Unlike when Larry did this to psych himself up, the motion was slow and produced no sound. "I knew she liked him. It took seeing them rehearse for me to figure out it really is a mutual thing." He frowned, but Audrey didn't know the part he found most upsetting until he spoke next. "I don't wanna mess with that."

Audrey looked at Gabe. For a few long seconds, she said nothing in reply. He thought that was because his actions hadn't spoke for that. Until she admitted something that surprised even herself. "...Me neither."

It came as a shock to him because she'd been avoiding Gavin for that exact reason. She didn't see it that way because doing so had only made Gavin more curious about and concerned for her.

"It's not… all our fault." Gabe reasoned. His tone got a little edgy then. "You wanna talk about spotlights? We don't get to choose who we see in them." His clasped hands were now facing down.

"You're right." She said under a sigh.

"I think it's our job as their best friends to push them together." The way Gabe said this, she could tell the job still wasn't one he was happy to take on.

"I've pushed," Audrey said. "I think they just lost momentum."

He laughed. Then he gave it some thought. "This had to help, though."

"Rehearsal?" She didn't see how it could. "Why? Most of their interaction was scripted."

Gabe nodded. "But there's a lot in a script that… lines up with their lives." He explained. "So the more they say that stuff, the more they see it."

Audrey wanted to believe that. It would give her and Gabe a break if other things-maybe even other people-were pushing Tara and Gavin together. Something just didn't add up, though. "Can't be all that similar." Audrey said. "Tara's got nothing to hide."

Gabe's reply rolled right off his tongue. "Yeah, maybe, but that doesn't stop her. She's so sure of who she is, but not everybody gets to see that. That's why it's so ironic that I like her." He realized. What he didn't realize was that he was still talking. "I want the world to see who I am, but I don't even have that figured out."

Audrey's mouth dropped slightly. She didn't know what to say. The only response she had in mind was, naturally, a dramatic one. She didn't know if Gabe would allow that. She stood up again, with her arms reined in at her sides and reaching out. He looked at the palms of her hands. He could sense the sorrowful look in her eyes. That's when he caught on to how much he'd revealed, and the comfort she was offering for that revelation.

She looked like she could use a hug, even though she thought he was in need of one. At first, he felt he only accepted the offer to make her feel better. It ended up helping both of them. She wasn't sure when to let go, knowing he wasn't much for this kind of thing. So, she left that up to him.

It wasn't a record-breakingly long hug, but it was something they both didn't know they needed.

The first thing Stacy had done as Barry's dare partner was toss Barry's hat up in a tree. To retrace that step, she had to go back there. She'd let too much time go by to do anything else.

Stacy looked up at the branch above her head, that seemed to hang there mockingly. Barry's red cap still hung on. It was dirty now, and had some leaves caught in. A sorry sight.

Sorrier still was how she winced and whined. Stacy stood straight up and stretched. It was no use. She got close, but not close enough. With a sigh, she voiced the thought that crossed her mind. "I'm gonna have to climb."

It wasn't easy, especially considering how she was dressed, but she made it. Back on the ground, she shook the leaves out of the cap. Then she got back in her car and drove home.

The hat rested on the seat where Barry once sat. She wouldn't have him to guide her in her campaign as long as he was mad. She would have to find her own way if she wanted him to forgive her. There was an odd comfort in having something of his to hold onto until then.

"Just in time." Tara said in a relieved tone as Gabe strolled into SLAM. She was beginning to think he wasn't going to show up.

He'd made a promise to be there for her, and he didn't plan on breaking that promise. "Just in time." He echoed with a smirk.

Tara got back to getting ready, knowing she had mere minutes before she had to go on air.

Cami walked over to Gabe, with her arms crossed. She spoke in a whisper. "Keeping your distance?" She asked. That was all it took for her to know she was on to him.

He was only upset because he still felt guilty. Having Cami know why was actually reassuring. She could help keep him in check. "That's the smart thing, right?"

"Smart," She agreed with a nod. "nice… tough." That last one caught him off guard. As did what she said next. "Trust me." He wanted to respond, but in that moment he couldn't form words. She gestured to the room they stood in. "This isn't my hardest job. Being a friend can take a lot of sacrifice." Cami said, making sure Gabe didn't look away from her. "You have to decide what's worth more to you."

Kim watched as the clock in her living room stuck 7. "I'm interfering with your quest. Are you mad at me?"

"Do I look mad at you?" Barry asked with a smile, from his side of the fort. This one stood taller than the one of he made with pillows at Stacy's house. It had cushions and blankets, too.

"It's kinda hard to tell." Kim admitted. The blinds were drawn and all the lights were off in the living room, and the only light was the one built into her phone.

"I'm not mad." He clarified. Saying this, she could tell she wasn't the only one he spared his anger. He didn't even have the energy to still be mad at Stacy."We all needed this for something." He thought Audrey's idea was brilliant, but didn't get a chance to say so.

Larry returned from the kitchen carrying a plate of s'mores. "What we don't need is sugar, sugar and… more sugar. But we can indulge." He set the plate down and sat across from the others, listening to them laugh happily.

Kim took her pick, but before she ate she she said: "Y'know, as your hostess, I probably should've made these myself."

Larry shrugged that off. He didn't mind being the baker. "It was a fun mess."

Barry nearly choked hearing that. It was only shocking because Larry was the one to say it. "Fun mess, huh?" Barry's tone was a lot more calm than his expression. Those words weren't typical coming from his brother.

Larry had to smile as he nodded. "Like life…"

Thanks for reading, PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know if there are any spelling/grammar/phrasing mistakes, and if you have any ideas. I'll update ASAP! =]