Okay, let me start by saying I'm so so sorry it's taken me this long to post. And because of that, I'll try my best to post a few chapters within the next 24 hours, or maybe just even a few tonight. This has been my first night off of work in a while, and I'm milking it. I literally sat on the couch and read all afternoon, and I'm just getting to this now. Anywho, keep reviewing, keep asking good questions, keep following, keep giving good feedback, and most importantly, keep being awesome.

"I hate summer."

I check my watch. Ten minutes. Right on time. "You and me both," I reply. North looks up at me from behind the set of cards he's holding and waggles his eyebrows at me. Next to me, Bunny groans loudly.

"Would you two give it a rest already? How long are you going to keep up the complaints? It's only been summer for three weeks!"

"Aye, three weeks of hell," North answers seriously. "I hate the heat. The only thing summer is good for is being out of school and getting one season closer to winter again."

Bunny just shakes his head in exasperation, while I not in agreement. Like my freakishly athletic friend, I too prefer the cold to the heat. I look back down at my cards. Two clubs, three diamonds, and a spade. Luckily my partner has more trump cards than I do, or we'd lose our bid for this round. After the first week of summer, we were all sick of hearing North complain about being outside, so we decided as a group to spend today holed up in Kevin and Angie's basement playing cards…playing Pitch, to be exact, although I don't really care for the name of the game.

"Your turn, Sandy," I say. He nods at me and taps the side of his head.

"Don't rush him, Clara," Bunny says in a mock-stern voice, "decision making is a very delicate process."

I just laugh. Tooth finally convinced me to hang out with the guys when school ended, after I told her about my real life. I've really given up trying to push people out…or at least, people in Arendelle, the people in Burgess I still need to really stay away from.

While we wait for Sandy to make a decision, North looks over at me curiously. I raise an eyebrow at him and wait for the question that I know is coming.

"So…Clara? What do you think about Jack Frost?"

I knew it. Luckily, two and a half years of being Clara have increased my ability to maintain a poker face in awkward situations. "I honestly don't know much about him," I say, "but he seems like a good guy. I like him. Why?"

North shrugs and tries to play off my question. "Oh nothing, really. Tooth mentioned that you're working on a project with him."

"Yeah. It's pretty cool actually. We're gonna write a song together, or at least that's the plan." I let my answer hang in the air for a moment, and then jump back in before North starts talking again. "How do you know Jack?" I know the answer to this, since Tooth told me, but I don't mind hearing another version of the story.

"We're friends. Well, actually, he's more Bunny's friend than he is mine," North says sheepishly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…he's still afraid of me."

I laugh. "Afraid?"

"I might have possibly knocked him out during a football game. Literally."

I look over at Bunny, who's studying his cards with a fierce expression and trying to fight a smile. He looks up at me and winks quickly, then looks back down. It's always a good time when we can make North feel awkward, since it happens so rarely.

"You knocked him out?"

"Basically…yes."

"So if he's afraid of you how are you friends?"

"I caught him after the game, he was still a little out of it at this point, and apologized to him for giving him a concussion. He was cool with it, I suppose," North lets out a little chuckle. "Bunny offered to help him carry his stuff to the Burgess bus, and I guess they just became friends. God knows he needs more," he grins at Bunny, who glares at him.

"I was just trying to be nice, mate. The poor guy could barely walk in a straight line."

North says nothing, just looks down at his cards again with an expression of shame and amusement. After a few seconds of studying his cards industriously, during which Bunny and I try to contain our laughter, he looks over at Sandy for a distraction.

"Have you picked a card yet?"

Sandy's face is screwed up in concentration, and his only response is a small shrug. Bunny, on the other hand, lightly cuffs North's shoulder. "I told ya, don't rush my partner. My fate in this game relies on this guy."

As he finishes speaking, Sandy triumphantly picks a card out of his hand and deposits it on the table with an unnecessary flourish. The queen of diamonds, just the card needed to demolish my hopes or reaching my bid for this round. North groans dramatically, and Bunny's face lights up in happiness. "Good work, mate."

We play for a little while longer, until my phone buzzes. I answer quickly. "Hello?"

"El-Clara? You guys still at your house?" Since I told Tooth my real name, she's gotten into the habit of trying to call me both at once, which never ends up well.

"You bet," I say. "And you better come quick and rescue me and North. Sandy and Bunny are creaming us at this game."

She just laughs. "I'm on my way right now. I would've been over sooner, but they kept me a little longer than I thought they would." Unlike the rest of us, who are just planning to laze around for most of the summer, Tooth jumped on the ball and got an internship/volunteer position at the local dentist's office, which she is strangely excited about. I've never met anyone who has such an affinity for and interest in the contents of the human mouth than Tooth does.

I shrug, even though she can't see me. "It's no biggie. Just let me know when you're outside so I can let you in." Angie's one rule for letting me have friends over when both she and Kevin are at work is that I keep all the doors locked and the security system on, something that I would do religiously even if she didn't tell me to.

"I'm turning onto your block now. Just meet me at the door in, like, a minute."

"Cool. See you soon."

I toss the phone on the couch that's against the wall and look up at my three companions. "Tooth's here, I'm gonna run upstairs to get her real fast." I stand up and add in a stern voice, "Play nice until I get back."

Bunny slumps in his chair and intones in a purposely whiny voice, "But mom…"

I laugh and race up the stairs, just reaching the top when there's a small knock at the door. I glance quickly through the peephole just to verify that it is indeed Tooth, and there's no mistaking the colorful figure at the front door. I punch in the code to disable the system and unlock the bolted door.

"Hey, how was it?"

She's bouncing on the balls of her feet, which only happens when she's super excited. "It. Was. Awesome," she breathes. "I didn't realize how much I loved dentistry until I got to be around the actual work, you know?"

I nod, although I don't know, and don't really care to. Teeth hold no more fascination for me than carpet does. They serve a purpose, and you have to keep them clean, but that's where my interest in them ends. She smiles and changes the subject. "I could go on and on about this for years and still never get tired of talking about it. How's the card game going?"

"Ugh." I respond. "Why didn't you tell me that Sandy and Bunny were an unstoppable team?"

"I did. You're the one that said you could beat them."

"That's when I was young and foolish. Now I know better. Next time, we're splitting them up."

She nods sagely. "North is usually adamant about not letting them play as partners. Maybe he just wanted you to learn your lesson since you're new."

"Well, I've most certainly learned it."

Our conversation is interrupted by a call from the bottom of the stairs. "Clara? Your phone's buzzing again. And Tooth, come join the fun! We're totally owning these two!" Any other comment is cut short by the sound of someone getting tackled.

Tooth and I give each other a look of fake exasperation. "It's like taking care of children," she says while following me down the stairs. The scene we stumble upon in the basement only emphasizes her statement.

North has Bunny in a headlock while his captive flails his arms and legs furiously, but futilely. Sandy, who is usually just an innocent bystander or an appreciative audience during these scuffles, has taken on the role of an MC during a boxing match, as he counts the seconds that Bunny is firmly entrapped in North's terrifyingly strong grip.

"Guys," Tooth starts, but that's all she has time for as the shenanigans end abruptly.

"Tooth!" North exclaims loudly, releasing Bunny and moving quickly to his feet and over to where we're standing. You'd think he hadn't seen her in fifteen years, when really it's only been a few days since we hung out last as a group. "How was the dentist's office?" Bunny and Sandy quickly join the group, with the former ruefully rubbing his neck and shooting glances at the speaker every few seconds.

Tooth just smiles. "It was a lot of fun," she begins, and as she proceeds to tell them about her day in painstaking detail, I remember that Bunny had said my phone was going off. I retrieve it from the couch and check my messages. No new messages, but a voicemail that hadn't been there before.

"Guys, I'll be right back," I say and move back towards the stairs. From experience, I know to get some space between the others and myself before trying to talk on the phone. I sit down on a step right in the middle of the flight and push the necessary buttons to start the voicemail rolling.

Angie's voice on the line sounds a bit louder than usual, like she's talking over a significant amount of background noise. "Clara, honey, I need you to call me right away when you get this. Alright? Don't worry, nothing's wrong, but call me, okay?"

What in the world? I think to myself. Angie never calls me unless it's really important. I press the callback button and only have to wait for three rings before my guardian answers.

"Clara?"

"Hi," I start. "You said to call back right away, so…here I am. What's up?"

"I hope I didn't startle you, but I thought you'd like to know. Kevin just forwarded an email to me from Ms. March….apparently the date for the official meeting/camp thing for your Music Exchange has been moved up."

"Really? How much?" I'm a little confused; as much as I'm both excited and anxious to "meet" Jack in person, I don't really think this is something that merits a phone call. She could have told me tonight at supper or something. Besides, it can't have moved up much. Our camp is scheduled to happen the second week of July, and since it's only the first week of June, I have plenty of time to prepare myself.

"Well," she says, "due to some unforeseen issues with booking the event, it's going to start next Monday."

There's silence on the line. "Monday?" I manage to croak out.

"Now don't panic, you still have plenty of time. I mean, it's only Thursday, right? You have the whole weekend to prepare."

"Um…I'm…" I start, and then shut my mouth before something stupid comes out. I clear my throat once and try again. "I'm panicking just a little."

She laughs, and her laughter calms me down a little. "We'll talk more when I get home, all right? I just thought you should know as soon as possible."

"Thanks, I'll see you tonight." I say, and our brief conversation ends as quickly as it began. I shut the phone and just sit on the stairs with my hands in my lap, staring down at the carpet at the base of the stairs. I'm going to see Jack in less than a week. What am I gonna do?