Music Lover's Alert: I have a bunch for this one because it is a very pivotal chapter. Here's the list:

"Somebody Told Me" by The Killers

"Little Dreams" by Ellie Goulding

"Can't Stop The Rain" by Cascada

"Can You Stop The Rain" by Peabo Bryson

"Here Is Gone" by Goo Goo Dolls (For Trevor's perspective)

Oh, and I've been trying to fit in "Monster" by Paramore somewhere, but it seems like every time I try, there are more appropriate songs for the chapter and whenever I write a chapter in which I can't think of a song, "Monster" doesn't fit. Oh well. Enjoy!

Chapter 9 Technology Team

Joan, Penguin, Pretty Pictures, Sean, and Tulip sat around the great oak table discussing how to execute their plan to bring shame on Pattel Corporation. A strange tension hung in the air, but nobody commented on it. Instead, they blatantly ignored it and pushed their discussion forward with forced words.

"We have plenty of possible options, but we need someone to test them. Unfortunately, most of my guys aren't up to the task of conducting practical tests," Tulip said.

"In other words, we need to assemble another team," Joan said, eyeing one of the empty circles at the table.

"There's a kid on my team named Jamie who likes to build obstacle course equipment. He is very dedicated to what he does, but he has trouble keeping up with the rest of the group during training sessions," Sean offered.

Joan nodded. "Sounds good. Do any of you have people you can spare?" she asked, looking around the table.

"Well, there are a couple of boys on my team who just aren't happy unless they are fidgeting with something at all times. They would probably have a lot more fun on the new team than they are having with us," Pretty Pictures said.

Penguin let out a small cough as if to warn her girlfriend not to say too much. Pretty Pictures tossed her long, black curls and shot Penguin and indignant stare.

Oblivious to the innuendo, Joan said, "Great idea. Let's put them all together on a project tomorrow and see how it goes. Um… It's been a long day. Let's break for the evening."

The team leaders all split, with everyone going their separate ways. Joan rubbed the back of her neck as she walked to her room. Something was definitely wrong with her people, but she could not place her finger on what it was. Rather, she simply would not let herself face the problem head-on. Every time she tried, haunting images of her ex-boyfriend came flooding back to her. She was so sure with him that she felt she could never be sure of anything else in her life as long as she lived.

Sometimes it felt like only yesterday, but sometimes it felt like a distant eternity ago when she held his hand, strolling through campus at night. Now, she wasn't sure if he was even real. If Timothy even existed in the first place, was he an actual human or some sort of angel?

She sometimes saw him in dreams, but he would always be just out of reach. The more she reached for him, the more he slipped away. When he appeared in her dreams these days, she would just freeze and wait for him. Sometimes he would touch her shoulder or gaze into her gold-speckled blue eyes with his electric ones, but he would never come any closer than that. On such occasions, she would lay in bed for as long as possible, just waiting to see if anything else would happen. Her bed had become a blessing and a curse at the same time. Whenever she thought she needed him the most he would never appear, and just when she least expected him, he would come back to haunt her.

Joan opened the door to her room to find a boy with soft black hair and weary emerald green eyes sitting on the edge of her bed. A single 14-watt fluorescent lamp lit the simple room. "Trevor!?" Joan said in disbelief, "What's wrong?"

"Everything. Do you have time to listen?" Trevor asked.

Joan rubbed the back of her neck harder as she tried to think of what to say.

"I can help you with that," Trevor offered.

"All right, fine," Joan said at last. She went inside her room and closed the door behind her. Then, she sat down on the bed beside Trevor and let him grip her shoulders firmly.

As Trevor rubbed her neck and shoulders, he started to spill his woes. "My sister Jessica is acting really cranky these days. It's like she never wants to be around me outside of creativity team meetings. Well, the other day I overheard her arguing with Penguin about some guy."

"A guy?"

"It gets worse. There's this rumor going around that my sister is straight or bi or something, so now all these guys are treating her like some sort of slut."

"What does Jessica's sexuality even matter? Everyone knows I won't tolerate that kind of behavior!"

"They're doing it anyway. You can't stop them."

Joan's body tensed under Trevor's grip. "Oh yes I can! Tell me who it is and I'll put a stop to it."

"Joan, listen to me! The problem is bigger than that. All the guys around here are so horny, they get one whiff that a girl is putting out and they go nuts! It's not just Jessica that's getting all the attention, either."

"Who else is it?" Joan inquired.

"I'm not going to say. Look, there are secret relationships going on all over the place. People can't admit to anyone else that they're seeing someone, so they have no excuse not to get it on with the hotties who come knocking at their doors. It's a nightmare of lies and games. People cover their tracks pretty well, but sometimes…"

"Sometimes what?"

"Sometimes I see things I shouldn't see, and people fall over backwards to get me to keep quiet or drag me into it so that I become as guilty as they are. I mean, I like a good blowjob as much as the next guy, but…"

"But you're still complaining," Joan noted absently. The massage was finally starting to make her relax.

"Yeah! I mean, there are a couple of girls I like, but the others… It's weird because I can't turn them away."

"Who do you like?"

Trevor took a deep breath. It was now or never. He spoke very slowly, choosing his words carefully, "I'm not going to name names, but there's on girl from Action, another from Information, and then there's you."

"Me!?"

"Yeah, and if it was just the three of you then it would be fine, but I'm just not at liberty to say 'no' to the other five."

Joan, lulled by the release of tension in her muscles, said, "Hmm… Yeah, that is weird. What do you want me to do about it?"

Trevor stopped massaging her and turned to face her. He looked directly into her gold-specked blue eyes and said, "Lift the ban on dating."

She had to admit that his proposition was tempting. Although Trevor's facial features were very plain and his nose was a little big, there was a certain sincerity about him that made him undeniably attractive. Joan felt herself melting under his emerald green eyes and firm yet gentle hands. Her mouth moved towards his as if by instinct. A voice in her head told her to stop, but another voice urged her to continue. Just one taste. It can't hurt anything. Nobody will know. The gap between them closed, and for several moments the two of them shared absolute bliss.

It was the first time in years Joan could honestly say she forgot about Timothy, but once she realized it, memories of him came flooding back. It wasn't as if he was telling her to stop. It was more as if he was encouraging her to move on. However, the phantom possibility that he might come back some day made her stop. If she let herself get involved with Trevor and Timothy suddenly walked back into her life, there was no way she could refuse him. That would mean hurting Trevor. Knowing what heartbreak was like, she couldn't stand the possibility of inflicting that on someone else.

Joan drew away from Trevor with panic flashing through the gold flecks in her eyes. "Wait! That was a mistake! We can't do this!"

Trevor sighed, and then repeated a line that he had heard countless times over the past month, "Don't worry. This will be just between us."

Joan's startled expression did not fade. "I don't want to lie to people. I mean, this really can't continue. I… I need to be the strong one here."

Trevor looked down at his shoelaces and contemplated them. "I see," he said heavily, "but sometimes the mark of a great leader is her ability to admit she was wrong."

This touched a nerve in Joan, and she exploded with a fiery rant. "You haven't been through what I've been through! If you want to get burned, then by all means go out and get burned. Just don't drag any of the people here down with you. Do it on your own time and then come back!"

Trevor shook his head. "I'm not leaving, nor is anyone else for that matter. What you need to do is stop trying to control what has already gone out of control. Just…" Trevor stopped talking when he realized that Joan had gone rigid again. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and said, "just think about it," then got up and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Joan threw herself face-down on her bead and reached under her pillow where she found her rosary waiting for her. She tangled her fingers in the prayer beads as best she could so that they would stay in contact with her skin all night long. Too weary to pray properly, she simply let her mind wander. Lord, guide me through this. Forgive me for whatever it is I have done to deserve this. Please give me a sign. Please… please… pl… ease… ease…zzz.

Closing Note: Please review! It means a lot to me :)

Oh, and I have a new oneshot! It is based on a dream I had and it centers around Serenity. It is called "Lesson in Lube."