For the next month Silver took the reins on her new duties given to her by Mr. Cannon, executing the stories and reports with a high degree of efficiency and creativity. Naomi had been extremely distant, she was finding it hard to keep up her normally confident exterior, and the fact that her best friend was working so close to the man who raped her, she felt trapped. She had no one to talk to. So she stayed home from school. It's not like there was anyone around to tell her to go. She'd lost all will to argue with her sister anymore, who was now gigantically pregnant (another thing Naomi still couldn't wrap her mind around). Retail therapy, was no longer an option since Jen had taken all her credit cards and Naomi wouldn't dare eat her feelings. She may be scarred and damaged but she was not going to be scarred, damaged and fat. Naomi laid on the couch staring blankly at the television, as it flashed images and clips of Shamwows and Chairlifts. Yes, her life had reduced to watching informercials. This is pathetic she thought to herself. But still, there she laid.

A knock on the front door caused the girl to jump and rolled off the couch walking slowly to the foyer. She glanced through the peephole and saw her best friend standing on the porch. Naomi breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door. "Hey."

Silver eyed Naomi. She looked exhausted, hurt, confused. Something was up. "Hey. Where've you been?" She asked carefully. "You haven't been at school in almost two weeks.."

Naomi leaned against the doorframe and shrugged, conjuring up a quick lie. "I had the most wicked cramps in my life last week and this week, I just needed some me time."

"Nay.."

"What?"

"You and I both know that's not what's going on.." Silver looked at her best friend. "Is it because of Liam?"

Naomi was taken aback and she shook her head quickly, scoffing. "God, no!" Although she wished it was. "No. I mean I miss him, but no."

"Then what is it Nay?" Silver shook her head, eyes narrowed in worry and confusion. "You don't come to school, you're distant. All summer you pretty well stayed in the house and yo-"

"Silver..."

Naomi rolled her eyes and listened as Silver continued to list the things Naomi did and didn't do. She sighed and finally snapped grabbing the girls shoulders firmly but gently. "Silver!"

"What?"

"Listen to me and listen close." She widened her eyes and spoke slowly. "I. Am. Fine! Capisce?"

Silver looked into Naomi's eyes, tilting her head to the side. Finally she sighed. "Okay." She nodded. "Okay, fine."

"Thank you." She let go of Silver's shoulders.

"But you have to promise me something.."

"What's that?"

"Promise me, you will tell me when you're not fine."

Naomi stared at Silver and simply nodded. She'd already broken the promise time and time again. "Promise." She said softly.

Silver leaned forward and embraced her friend. Naomi, bit down on her lip to keep from crying. It was the first time she'd felt safe in a very very long time.


"Miss Silver" Mr Cannon called out as the final bell rang.

Silver was instantly at his desk. "What's up?"

Mr Cannon strode from behind his desk and leaned against it, crossing his legs and folding his arms. "I have something I want you to do for me."

"Okay." She nodded and took out her notebook.

He placed a hand on her hand that was holding the notebook and pushed it down gently. "No, no. You won't be needing that."

Silver cautiously put her notebook back in her bag and folded her arms. "Uhm.. o-okay.. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if I could get you to edit my documentary. You know make sure the clips are where they're supposed to be, make sure the audio lines up. See if there's anything I should fix, change, add, get rid of."

"Uhm, well Navid's actually really good at the kinda stuff. I mean I'm sure he'd be able to do a way better job."

"Silver. If I wanted Navid to do it I would've asked him. Besides I think this needs a.." He paused and looked Silver up and down. "A woman's touch."

She took a step back, as her eyes darted around his face. Silver bit down on her lip. Why is he so creepy? "Okay.. Yeah, I guess I could do it."

"Great." He said clapping his hands together. "I'll bring over the video and audio discs tomorrow morning and you can get started."

Silver watched as Mr Cannon gathered up his belongings and made his way towards the door out into the empty halls of West Beverly. She couldn't understand why she was all of a sudden so uncomfortable around him. Maybe it was the way he touched her hand, or smooth 'women's touch." Whatever it was, she wasn't a fan. She shrugged it off, slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out of the Media Lab.

The next day Silver sat in the Media Lab, watching the video of Mr Cannon's documentary without sound first to make sure everything was smooth. When she confirmed the sound was ready to be dubbed in, she opened the CD book he'd given her that morning. She flipped through the book until she came to the only disc marked 'audio.' She slipped it out of it's protective sheet and loaded it into the computer. Silver plugged headphones in and pressed play on the window that popped up. But what she heard, she was certain wasn't for Cannon's documentary. What she heard...

was terrifying.