A/N: Song featured is "Secret" by The Pierces.

To the average student body of McKinley, Walt Devlin cruised down the hallway toward the cafeteria in much the same manner as he did every day: cool, confident, checking out every half-decent looking girl he passed. In his loose charcoal trousers and New York skyline graphic tee, he was the guy that the world knew, and even Nikki Hardy and the Sesame Street Sleuths couldn't seem to take that away (or maybe didn't want to just yet).

But as he strode through the doors and made his way to the table where Dalton, Coby, Roxie, and Everett sat together—well, he really wasn't feeling like the tool that everyone saw. God help him, he was actually glancing from table to table, overlooking fantastic curves and sexy ensembles and suggestive expressions; looking for a very specific face, a set of mannerisms that made a super-hot body and a mischievous grin stick out from a crowd.

"Hey guys," the Caesar-cut brunette greeted, barely able to even take a moment to glance appreciatively at his friend's girlfriend's figure tightly encased in a lime-green mini skirt and rose-art tee that he took a seat next to. "Still no Dr. Doolittle?"

"I think he's still hiding out in the Ag Room," Dalton replied quietly. "They might be the only clique in this school that are considerate enough to not say anything to his face."
"Well he deserves far worse," a scornful voice piped from behind them, and Walt's head snapped up as he watched the little Harrison pull a seat to their table and sit. "He led poor Emma on all this time—pretending to love her while being a complete and utter cad."

"Michelle," Everett chided.

"No, really Hiccup," the tiny Cheerio insisted. "It's disgusting. No one who actually cared about the person they said they did should be able to even look at another person, much less sleep with them."

"Well, that's not true," Walt argued. "I mean, sometimes expectations just get the best of you. You could care about someone and just not realize how much until later. And by then you've already screwed up, so the best you can do is pretend it wasn't a big deal, but the whole time you're just thinking about how you've totally blown your shot because now she's just going to think you're a complete tool even though the two of you have spent enough time together that surely she's got to know that, flawed as you may be, there's way more to you than that." The sophomore quit his rambling as he realized everyone was staring at him dumbfounded, and he quickly rectified, "I mean, for Ash. He loves Emma—he's spent his entire life worshipping her. Maybe we should cut him some slack."

The young girl scoffed, and Coby glanced at her suspiciously. "Chelle, what are you even doing over here?" he asked.

The Cheerio's face tinged pink as she fumbled, "Oh; well, I'm keeping an eye on my brother, what with everything that's happening, and—" she glanced around at the dubious faces watching her. "And the others say I make them uncomfortable." Michelle sighed unhappily. "The information was leaked from my party, by my black-mailed best friend, and even though they say they believe I didn't talk, they don't like that I forgave Lindsay."

The group looked at each other in silent communication, and the tiny girl's face crumpled. "You guys aren't going to kick me out too, are you?" she pleaded pitifully.

"Of course not," Walt spoke up before anyone else could. He offered the girl a soothing smile. "We're friends after all, right?"

Gratitude and relief morphed the chatterbox's expression. "Right," she agreed, smiling happily as she settled back into her seat.

"But in this group we're not attacking teammates, Michelle," Dalton told her sternly. "There's more than one side to any story, and we aren't here to judge our own friends."

"Fine." The tiny girl replied in concession, glancing around the cafeteria as she shifted in her seat so the newly arrived Nina could sit beside her. "So, has anyone heard anything about Stassi? She's been keeping a miraculously low-profile lately." Her eyebrow arched as she saw Roxie and Dalton meet eyes before the freshman nodded cautiously. "And?"

Dalton glanced over at his girlfriend. "Stase has pretty much gone completely turtle—I think Rox here is the only one she hangs out with."

"Do you think that's the product of guilt or survival?" Everett wondered.

"At this point, I'm not sure there's any way to tell," the Bulgarian offered as she stabbed her salad contemplatively. "This whole year Stassi's been pulling so many different strings, I don't think I could honestly say who she really is anymore."

"And you could before?" Michelle asked curiously, eyebrows arching as the Cheerio shrugged. "Wait—did you know about her and Hayley?"

Nina scoffed, "Of course not, but we hooked up once at a party in freshman year." The table gawked at the brunette. "I said hooked up, not dated. Anyways," she continued, refocusing on her plate, "she wasn't so complicated then. Just a girl with a gift for strategy and honesty that wanted to be on top."

"A gift for honesty?" her friend repeated incredulously.

"Actually, you'd be surprised how non-evil the girl was before Medusa made her bid for Captain," Coby reflected. "I mean, she wasn't an open book by any means—I sure as hell didn't know we played on the same team—but she pretty straight-laced."
"But then—" Michelle became distracted as she caught sight of a quick-paced pair of white converses attached to a panicked expression slipped into the hall. "I'll be right back," she said vaguely, pushing out her chair to stand.

"Do you need help?" Walt asked in concern, but the busybody waved him off, quickly following the converses out the door.

The sophomore turned back to the group, brow still furrowed, but his expression morphed to suspicion as he regarded his team watching him. "What?"

The group shrugged and all looked off in different directions as Walt turned back toward the door the young girl had just exited.

"So," Coby finally spoke up. "Is anyone following through on Schue's assignment and confessing a secret before it comes out in the Muckraker?"

The group looked around reluctantly to each other and stayed silent.

"Come on guys," the husky boy encouraged. "I did it."

"It's not the same, Chubs," Walt told him. "Your secret doesn't affect your school life. Most people's skeletons could reign havoc on their lives if they came out to play."

"I personally believe that opening yourself up before people rip into you is kind of liberating," the Jock argued. "And it may allow others to realize we're not all that different."

The sophomore scoffed, "Or it may make a complete mockery of us."

As the two continued back and forth, Dalton glanced over at Roxie, who was now fidgeting nervously with her shirt. "You don't have to say anything," he whispered. "It'll be fine."

She looked at him sadly. "Maybe," she replied, thinking about the state she'd seen Stassi in lately: the girl had taken to hiding constantly to keep from dealing with the school, and the sting of the loss she felt still read plainly on her face when she wasn't making a committed effort to mask it. She couldn't help but wonder if being exposed wouldn't hurt ten times more than if she simply revealed herself to the others. But she'd spent so long trying to keep it from everyone—how could she?

Annie paced back and forth in the bathroom, staring into a half-open stall worriedly.

The door opened and a blonde senior appeared. "Get out!" the Cheerio screamed, causing the older (but smaller) girl's eyes to widen in terror before she scurried back into the hallway. Annie's eyes followed her trail half-apologetically, but the rapid beating of her chest made her turn back into the restroom and back toward the stall she'd been staring at.

The door opened again and Annie's eyes narrowed. "I thought I said—"

Her voice died in her throat as she recognized Michelle's form in the doorway. The sophomore gulped uneasily and greeted the freshman, "Hey Chele. What's up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the tiny gossip told her, stepping further into the bathroom and closing the door firmly behind her. "I recognized your feet of frenzy back in the cafeteria. Are you okay?"

Annie forced a sheepish smile onto her face. "Um, cramps," she lied, holding up a small package in her hand. "I tried to grab some peanut butter crackers for lunch, but they're just really bad right now."

"Do you want me to get you something?" her friend asked, and the older girl shook her head quickly and opened her mouth to motivate Michelle to leave, but just then a timer went off. Michelle's face turned quizzical. "Why did you set a timer?" she asked, and Annie's eyes shifted toward the half-open stall.

The perceptive brunette didn't miss the look. "Annie, what's going on?" she asked as she walked toward the other girl. Annie's protests made no impact as Michelle forced her way into the stall where she gasped as she saw a flat plastic stick peeking out of a paper cup.

The tiny Harrison's jaw dropped. "Oh my God," she breathed, and Annie grabbed the girl's shoulders and wrenched her backward. "Are you-?"

"Shhh!" she hissed. "I don't know yet—that's what the timer is for." The statuesque brunette reached over to grab the container and pulled the stick up to eye level.

The sophomore frowned intensely. "Stupid lines—I can't tell." She pushed the stick at her friend. "Do you think that's one line or two?"

Michelle wrinkled her nose at the test, but dutifully looked. "I don't know," she replied uncertainly. "That one's really faint."

"Can you have one and a half lines?" Annie asked distractedly.

The younger girl rolled her eyes. "Yes—congrats Annie; you're having half a baby." She widened her eyes as she seemed to take in her surroundings. "What do you think you're doing here at school taking a pregnancy test?" she hissed.

"It was either that or risk having my mom find it," Annie replied in a whisper, still trying to decipher the test.

Michelle huffed and grabbed the plastic, throwing it in the garbage. "If you want accuracy this early in the game, you'll have to buy better quality," she admonished. "Is this from the party?" Annie pressed her lips together. "How late are you?"

"Well, I'm not, yet," the sophomore replied. "But I've been feeling really nauseous lately, and I've been really sore and…I just have a feeling, okay? I'm worried."

Michelle scrutinized the other Cheerio, but as her friend tried to stifle a sniffle the freshman finally softened her expression and pulled her in for a hug. "It'll be okay Annie," she promised. "But we've got to get away from here. With everything going on this could spread around the school like wildfire if we're not careful, and I'm guessing you'd rather talk to Hayden yourself?"

The youngest Hudson looked over in panic, "You can't say anything Michelle!" she whispered with a distinct crack in her tone and Michelle wounded.

"Of course not," she reassured the older girl. "But let's leave before someone else does." Annie nodded unhappily and the two quickly slipped out of the bathroom.

Roxie glanced around the cafeteria warily, Got a secret, can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save?
Better lock it in your pocket
Takin' this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said
'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead

Annie made her way down the school's halls, glancing nervously left and right as she watched students glancing around and whispering into each other's ears. Why do you smile like you have told a secret?

Now you're telling lies 'cause you have sworn to keep it
But no one keeps a secret
No one keeps a secret

Walt bit his lip as he watched a group of Cheerios glance at him flirtatiously, fully aware of his reputation as they eyed him from afar. Why when we do our darkest deeds do we tell? he sang.

They burn in our brains, become a living Hell
'Cause everybody tells
Everybody tells

Roxie stood up and began slowly striding toward the door, Got a secret, can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save?
Better lock it in your pocket
Takin' this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said
'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead

Walt watched Michelle walk down the hallway, completely ignorant of him as she laughed with her friends. He berated himself, You swore you'd never tell

Annie stared straight ahead in the classroom, completely oblivious to whatever the teacher was talking about, You swore you'd never tell

Their chant harmonized as they repeated, You swore you'd never tell
You swore you'd never tell
The three overlapped their voices as they sang the chorus, Got a secret, can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save?
Better lock it in your pocket
Takin' this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said
'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead
Got a secret, can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save?
Better lock it in your pocket
Takin' this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said
'Cause two can keep a secret if one of us is dead

At The Lima Bean, Addie let her gaze linger indulgently on the blonde adding sweetener to her mochaccino. Rhi was definitely her own person, and she had this amazing presence that Addie couldn't get enough of. Her eyes shifted upwards as the junior turned back around and walked to their table.

"So," came the flirty opening as the slender girl sat down with a smile. "This is nice." She chuckled, "I don't think I've ever been on a coffee date."

Addie raise an eyebrow, "Seriously? Caffeine is always a perfect mood maker."

Rhi gave a sultry smile and leaned forward toward the curvy sophomore. "A stimulator? I can see how that would set a distinctive tone," she replied suggestively.

Her date blushed, using her free hand to fidget with the blue streak in her hair. "So, um," she stuttered, trying to focus. "Do you think maybe we should talk about Hayley first? You know," she said, inhaling deeply to concentrate on her subject, "just get it out of the way?"

Rhi let out a dry laugh. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked. "She's out—it's up to her to decide what to do with it."

Addie frowned. "Well, I mean, we can help her. I've been trying to convince her to come to PFLAG, but she's still in denial—"

"I don't think she's in denial Adds," the junior rebutted with a skeptical tilt of her head. "I think she just may not want to draw so much attention to herself."

"What, and end up like Stassi?" the other argued. "That girl's a suicide story in the making. Staying in the closet for years under Nikki Hardy's thumb? If she'd ever just talked to someone she could see she's not alone—that she can be proud of who she is—"

"Stassi isn't ashamed of her lesbianism, Addison," Rhi told the younger girl sternly. "She's private. With the exception of her weird fling with Dalton, I've never seen her openly affectionate with anyone. And more than Nikki knew about her preferences—we just always knew not to talk about it. It's her choice how she wants to live, and Stassi Moran's choice has always been to be alone in the public eye."

Addie looked at the girl in disbelief. "I don't believe that's what she's doing. If she's not ashamed, why wouldn't she tell people—her parents, her friends?"

"They know," Rhi replied insistently. "You're just surprised that she managed to keep it quiet from the general population. Maybe Hayley wants the same thing—we won't know until she makes that choice."

"You're telling me you honestly believe it's better to be hiding in the margins? You think you'd be happier if you'd cut yourself off from being honest with yourself in public? Your family?"

Rhi bit her lip awkwardly, glancing sideways before settling back on her date. "Addie, my parents don't know," she confessed.

"What?"

The photographer shrugged. "My dad…he's an officer. Marines. It's a different world—more black and white. I can't suddenly inject shades of gray in there. It's one thing for him to think I'm some floozy, I just don't think he'd be able to handle that I love both sides."

Addie frowned at the girl. "He's your dad, Rhi," she assured the other blonde. "I'm sure he'd love you regardless." Her face lit up with an idea. "I bet if you took him to a meeting, then—"

"No, Addie," Rhi interjected harshly. "Look, I'm sure you're right and he'll love me regardless. But I'm going to wait until I'm out from under their roof to take that chance." She shook her head and morphed her expression into a lighter one. "Let's just forget about all of this for a while and enjoy ourselves, alright?"

Addie felt disappointed, but she shrugged and attempted to smile as well. "Okay," she agreed, bringing her coffee up in a toast as she tried to put the thought from her mind and enjoy the rest of her date.