Echo laughed playfully, managing to make it sound sincere as she looked at Lewis teasingly. "Me, close friends with Rythian? This is the same Rythian we are talking about, right?" she teased as Duncan looked unsure of himself. Lewis narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, it is Echo. We were there in science, remember? We heard Zylus's comment and you both went red!" Lewis accused as Duncan looked between them thoughtfully. Echo rolled her eyes.

"Okay... You got me..." She said slowly as Lewis looked surprised. She looked at Duncan, speaking in a mocking tone of defeat.

"Rythian and I are such good friends we were doing each other's hair at the back... We then went on to talk about shopping and clothes before we painted each other's nails; didn't you see his nails when we walked out?" She asked, her words laced with sarcasm as Duncan laughed. Lewis paused, confused.

"But... He was playing with..." He began as Echo tutted at him.

"I had some powder in my hair, which he pointed to. I didn't understand what he meant so he brushed it off for me. That was it and it was kind of embarrassing, thanks for mentioning it..." She said dryly as Lewis nodded, still looking unconvinced.

"So he hasn't spoken to you at all in the last few weeks at all?" He asked doubtfully as Echo looked at him, sighing.

"Of course he's spoken to me, he just hasn't mentioned anything of interest. He only ever mentions Kim or Duncan if he's referring to you, and just asks how you guys are. That's it, honest." She widened her eyes as Lewis finally looked convinced. Duncan spoke up, curious.

"And is he still a jerk about us being 'misled'? Ross told me the other day how he told you that... Why didn't you mention it?" Duncan asked as Echo was temporarily thrown off her acting. Duncan continued when she failed to say anything.

"Seems like something you would have told all of us, not just Ross and Kim..." He added, looking at Echo. Echo put on a surprised expression.

"I assumed Ross had already told you..." She replied, tilting her head slightly as she looked puzzled, glancing from Lewis to Duncan. Lewis laughed slightly as he leant back against his bag.

"Sounds like something Ross would forget to mention. Oh, can I see your phone by the way?" He asked Echo, holding out his hand. Echo paused before slowly handing it to him... The group chat was on her laptop anyway and she didn't have any details of Rythian on it but...

"Why?" She asked as Lewis flicked through her contacts, giving a small smile as he typed quickly.

"Well, it occurred to me that you don't have any of our numbers..." Lewis mumbled as he quickly labelled the groups numbers on her phone. Echo smiled in relief as the bell rang, signalling the start of lunch. She wanted to escape as soon as possible to the shops before anyone else cornered her.

"Oh right, thanks!" She said gratefully as Lewis showed the list to Duncan, who nodded at the screen.

"Seems like everyone... Wait, you've put in Rythian's number..." Duncan pointed out as Lewis shrugged.

"Oops. Habit, I guess" he said causally as he handed Echo her phone back. Echo looked at them, confused, before they both smiled widely at her.

"Right... Well, I'm going off to the shop now, do you guys want anything?" She enquired as they shook their heads, waving behind her as Zoey and Hannah made their way towards them.

"Hey Echo! I feel like I haven't spoken to you enough lately... We should arrange a get together" Hannah suggested as Zoey squeaked and clapped her hands together, Kim walking behind them through the doors and giving Echo a look which clearly stated they needed to talk about something.

"Ooh, yes, that would be great! I'll host it if no one else wants to, although, um, well I kind of have a weird thing in my garden Echo..." She looked at Echo worryingly as Echo laughed.

"What, the Mushroom Fort?" Echo asked as Zoey and the others looked stunned. Kim, who had just arrived, looked at Echo warningly as Echo realised her mistake.

"How did you know about that?" Zoey asked in bewilderment as Echo mentally cursed herself. Of course, only Zoey's close friends would know, and Zoey hadn't mentioned it to her. Everyone looked at Echo in confusion.

"Teep mentioned it in passing..." Echo said hastily as Zoey looked at her, relieved. Kim nodded subtly as she turned to smile at Duncan, who was looking at Kim suspiciously.

"Oh, okay..." Zoey said, looking at Echo strangely. Echo realised she would need to have a better reason for Teep to just mention something so personal causally.

"Well, I was talking to Teep about how amazing it would be if there was a society for mushroom lovers, you know, like people who get together to eat chocolate who really like chocolate? But they get together and eat mushrooms instead..." Echo began to waffle as everyone gave her a strange look, Kim included. Zoey however positively beamed as she started jumping up and down.

"That's a great idea! Alright, we shall have a mushroom gathering in a few weeks! Everyone in the group is invited!" Zoey said happily as people cheered, Echo barely keeping her relief from displaying on her face.

"Oh, and everyone had to write down their favourite mushrooms or something they want to eat, so I know everyone will have something they like!" She twirled happily as Teep made his way over from the fire exit, signing at her in confusion.

"I've throwing a mushroom party! Everyone is going to write down their favourite food or mushroom and give it to me so I can gather stuff! But everyone else has to bring their own drinks..." She added as people made noises of agreement. Teep signed something as Zoey laughed again.

"Yes, everyone will be writing their food down, no exceptions! Or I'll be sad." Zoey's face turned serious and everyone hastened to agree with her until she smiled again.

"Perfect! Alright, everyone has to have their favourite food in my locker by this time in two weeks! Well, not the food, but the word of the food..." She said, frowning to herself as Kim grabbed Echo by the arm.

"Echo and I were planning to go to the shops now; want any mushrooms?" She asked everyone jokingly as they all shook their heads. Teep signed something as Zoey looked bewildered.

"You never go to the shops Teep..." She said, astonished as Teep shrugged and signed something else whilst Zoey rolled her eyes.

"You don't need to but fair enough!" Everyone turned questioningly to Lewis, who sighed.

"Teep want to walk to get fit... Or in shape. Not sure..." Lewis admitted as Teep nodded as Kim and a Echo started to walk off, waving, as someone asked Lewis about what happened in science. Teep quickly followed them, motioning for pencil and paper.

"Can it wait for till the shop Teep? My bag is really full and I'd rather not spill anything..." Echo said guilty as Teep nodded, smiling. As they made their way down, Echo turned to Kim questioningly.

"Did you want to say something to me?" She asked as Kim nodded, looking at Echo both mockingly and seriously as they reached the traffic lights, waiting for the light to turn red.

"Yes... Do you want to explain to Teep and I why Rythian was apparently playing with your hair in science?" Teep made an odd noise which sounded like laughter as Echo felt herself go pink.

"Seriously, that happened about ten minutes ago and it's got to you already?" She complained as Kim giggled.

"So Rythian really was playing with your hair in science then?" She laughed as Teep suddenly paused, coughing loudly.

"Well, that's interesting." A voice behind them commented humourlessly as Kim and Echo spun around as Teep stopped coughing. Alex and Chris were behind them, Chris looking slightly awkward as Alex looked directly at Echo, unsmiling.