Oh my goodness! Did that last chapter infuriate you all? Of course it did; you all told me all about it. Good. But hold on to that feeling because you're going to feel it ten-fold by the end of this story at least once. Not in this chapter though. This chapter is in Mikey's POV, and a few others.

Let's get on with the story, shall we?

Read On!

~*~Mikey's POV~*~

It's been a week since the high school went up in flames. You don't need to look inside to see the extent of the damage, just looking at the outside will tell you everything. It's a miracle that no one was hurt. Much to everyone's dismay, we still have to go to school while the repairs are getting done. We all just go to school in the evening at the elementary school, which is nostalgic in its own right.

I'm more upset that at the plays planned for this year are cancelled. All the props and costumes were lost in the fire, along with the scripts. So there goes that. It sort of makes me feel better that the sports teams can't practice, let alone have games against other teams. Not that I was hoping something bad would happen to them too, it just sort of feels good since they get a bigger budget, but the entire thing is tragic.

It didn't take any time at all for people to start blaming TJ for the fire, no time at all. Literally. I mean when everyone was trying to get out of the school I heard people blaming him before they got outside. It hasn't let up since, and I can sort of see why they're quick to blame him. He was charged for the fire at the elementary school (which by the way, doesn't look like it was ever set on fire, so brownie points of the repairmen). I think everyone is pinning this on him.

Except for me, and surprisingly enough, Spinelli. I think Ashley A. has her own suspicions too, but I'm not sure. She looks like she does. She's been quiet this past week, and she's usually one of the biggest loud mouths alone with her friends.

Gus and Vince are more on the side of 'he did it, we all should have seen it coming and we shouldn't be surprised.' Gretchen's more on the fence, not being on one side or the other.

"What do you think, Speedy?" I asked, picking up the little bunny TJ gave me. I didn't get a response other than a twitch of his nose. "Why would he set a fire, knowing that he would get caught and locked away again?" I put Speedy down on the floor and let him hop around. I need to focus on my homework, but this is really bugging me. There are too many reasons why he would NOT want to get in trouble.

His girlfriend for one. Some of us (by some I mean Spinelli) might not like (hate) Ashley A., but he's happier since they started dating.

And then there's his little brother. It doesn't take a genius to see that he loves Zack to death and would do anything to protect him. With that, him starting a fire makes no sense since he knows he would automatically get the blame.

But then there's that counterargument that always pops up in my head.

He said he had psychopathic tendencies and that he's a pyromaniac. That's reason enough to say that he did do it.

My head hurts…

~*~Spinelli's POV~*~

Finally! It took me over an hour, but I finally managed to get Zack to go to sleep! And after answering a million questions from him, all of which were about where TJ was and when he was coming back. Poor kid, he just wants his big brother back. Which brings up an important issue…..

I grabbed by bag and pulled out a medium sized unmarked black book. I found it outside when I was walking my dog. When I opened it out of curiosity I saw TJ's name written inside I say I was surprised would be an understatement. He guards this book like it has the cure for cancer inside, I found it on the ground like a piece of trash. Usually I would be afraid of reading it, but I think he would understand (and it helps that he's not here to take it way).

Everything in here tells me that TJ didn't set the school on fire. I thought so at first, just like everyone else, and could you blame me? He set the elementary school on fire, and he was lighting smaller fires down by the lake. I would've been crazy to not think that he started this one.

But after reading this book, I've changed my mind.

He talks so much about Zack and how he's going to teach him how to swim and to ride a bike, how he's going to take him to the amusement park, all the things you would expect a guy to do with his little brother. He talks about Ralphie too with plenty of hatred. Ralphie CAN be a little overbearing at times but not enough to talk about him like he's the devil incarnate.

Okay, so I don't think that he started the fire. Great. How am I supposed to help him get out of jail? Do I have any real proof that he didn't start the fire? All I have is this journal and I doubt the courts would take this seriously. They would laugh.

If I am going to find anything, it better hurry up. He's getting another trial next week.

"Spinelli?" I heard a small voice say. Oh boy, Zack's up. So much for that. I turned to see him standing in the door way, clutching his teddy bear and a familiar red hat on his head. Yet another reason why his brother should be here with him instead of me. We all know how much that hat means to TJ. He wouldn't give it just anyone. "I can't sleep…"

"Oh. Come here." He yawned as he walked over, and I picked him up and sat him down on the couch. "What's wrong?"

"When is TJ coming home?"

"I dunno, buddy. I hope it's soon."

"I miss him," he yawned. "I think the bunnies miss him too. Spinelli?"

"Yeah?"

"If you find TJ, can you tell him that I miss him?"

"…yeah. I'll tell him."

He yawned again and snuggled into me. He'll fall asleep soon enough.

~*~Ashley's POV~*~

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T GET HIM A LAWYER?!"

I've spent the last hour talking to my dad trying to convince him to stop trying to convince me that my boyfriend was a bad choice for me. It was bad enough after I found out I was pregnant. When I managed to get the two of them in the same room, dad ripped him a new one, and I can sort of understand that. Dad's usually get pissed at the guy who gets their teenage daughter pregnant. I get that. I totally get that.

But since the fire, Dad has kicked it up. Everyone thinks TJ lit the school on fire. I heard that soon after the fire, he was arrested, and that doesn't help any. I don't know about what his friends think, but I don't think he did it. It's kind of hard to think that your boyfriend who got you pregnant and, in supporting your decision to give the baby up for adoption, got a job to pay for medical bills set the school on fire.

But not everyone agrees with that, including my dad.

I'm seriously this close to getting one of those techno geeks at school to hack into the banks and transferring money from my parents account into mine. My boyfriend I going to need a lawyer and I'll be damned if he doesn't get the best one!

Those court appointed lawyers are complete shit.

"I am not doing anything that could possibly get that criminal out of jail! He's where he belongs, in jail and away from you!" Dad yelled. He's not going to budge, and I'm wasting my time arguing with him. Instead of continuing this argument that isn't going anywhere fast, I got up and left the room.

I wish I could go and visit TJ. I tried three times and every time I was told that he couldn't have any visitors. What a load of crap. I need to talk to him to ask if there's anything I can do to get him out. And it's not like I can call him. I don't think you can call, and they'll be like 'oh yeah, you can talk to him.' Yeah right.

I sat down on my bed, completely ignoring the open math book on the edge. I'll get it done later.

~*~Randall's POV~*~

"Come on, come on. There has to be something in one of these videos…."

I leaned back in my chair and watched the tenth video play on my computer. Next to my desk and my bed are stacks and stacks of cassettes and disks of recordings. What everyone (or mostly everyone) doesn't know is that I have cameras and recording devices planted all over the school. All of it gets saved on the recorders in my locker through Wi-Fi or some shit. I got the whole thing set up as a favor from some kid who I helped get out of trouble. Guy's a whiz at technology.

I only managed to get what I had in my locker before the fire broke out because I was next to it.

It's going to be hell paying for new equipment.

But back to why I'm bothering to look through all these videos. The fire started SOMEWHERE in the school. with all the cameras I have (or had, they're all probably melted into a clump of metal and wires), chances are, I caught the fire starting. If I caught it, then I know where it started. If I know where it started, then I can rewind back enough to see who started it. THAT'S what I'm looking for. Who started the fire.

'Cause I'm pretty damn sure Detweiler didn't do it. Call me crazy, but I'm skeptical.

I'm more suspicious of this Ralphie character. I've been digging deep for anything on this guy and I haven't found anything. If it was anyone else I would've found out their entire life story. Not this guy. Nope.

It hurts my self-esteem. I pride myself on this sort of thing. It's sort of my training before I work for the FBI.

Back to the subject. I'm more suspicious about those that I can't immediately find info on. I expect to find the basics; previous homes if they moved, academic records, health records, any brushes with the law. Couldn't find any of that.

Weird.

I can hear something moving behind me. I turned to see what it is, and saw my pet rabbit tugging at one on the tapes near the bottom at one of the piles.

"How did you get out of your cage….?" I asked. I paused the video and walked over to pick Espion up. I had to change her name. Espion, short for 'espionage', another word for spying. I think she likes it. She responds to that better than her last name, whatever it was. I swear, she's a little spy herself, always getting out of her cage without me noticing. Or maybe I'm too wrapped up in my work, I don't know.

I hate saying that. I don't know. Ew.

She hopped out of my hands and started tugging at the same tape, the pile threatening to tip over and hurt her.

"Stop that," I said, picking her up again. "You're going to hurt yourself." I looked at the pile again, and, just for the hell of it, I picked the tape out of the pile. I only have a minute left of the one I playing. Guess I'll watch this one next. It can't hurt.

I carried little Espion and sat back down in my chair. How long have I been watching this stuff? I remember it was light out, and it's midnight now. I should go to sleep.

'Should' being the key word.

There has to be something on one of these tapes.

~*~TJ's POV~*~

These people have been interrogating me for the last two weeks trying to get me to confess to lighting the school on fire. I didn't confess the first time I've been in this room and I'm not going to confess this time. Nope. Not going to happen.

Like it would make a difference. I didn't confess the last time but they still charged me and the rest is history. I swear they do this for their own satisfaction. Get me to confess to make them feel good about themselves.

Bullshit.

And where the hell is my one free phone call?

Who would I call? My parents. Nah. They already know I'm here, I don't see how that would help. Maybe Principal Prickly? Perhaps.

Even after all these years I still call him 'principal'.

JoJo? I could. I know Zack thinks he can take care of the rabbits by himself, but he's still just a three year old. He'll have trouble doing the hard work. JoJo'll take care of them. Still, I think I'll call Prickly.

Can you imagine the time I can get if (when) they find me guilty for this? I'm still serving time for the last fire that I didn't set. If I ever get my hands on that sick bastard Ralphie, I'll kill him.

No, not kill. Ruthlessly torture until he's begging for his life to end. Then I'll beat him some more and make his death slow and painful.

I still have 3 years left to serve! If they get me for anywhere near as much time for the last fire I can be in jail well into my 30's! This whole thing whomps. Heh. I haven't said that in a while.

I sure can use one of my 'plans' right about now.