welcome to crvboy - The Living Years

Everyone was playing what had started out as a friendly game of tennis. What it ended up turning into was a competition of the girls including Grace, Zoey Sierra and Amber versus the guys including Noah, Trey, Chad and Dylan. So far the girls had been kicking the guys’ asses, despite the fact that Chad had proven to everyone that he was quite good at the sport.

"Chad, you’re not letting them win are you?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, if we lose to a bunch of females we’ll never live it down," Dylan said. "We’ll have to hear about it over and over until we die."

"I don’t think it’s that major, Dylan," Noah replied.

"Yeah well Chad is the one we should be complaining to," Dylan said. "I thought you were some tennis pro, dog. You’re fucking us up."

"I can’t beat my girlfriend, can I? I mean I’m fine with them beating us just as long as I don’t have to hear Sierra’s mouth about us beating them," Chad replied.

"Girlfriend?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, since when?" Dylan asked.

Chad wasn’t really sure. It wasn’t like anything was official between them. They hadn’t exactly told each other that they were now boyfriend and girlfriend. He just kind of assumed that with all the time they’d been spending together and how close they were that that made them a couple. It was better to assume that than to assume anything else, despite how he may have felt about certain other people.

"I don’t know. It just kinda is," Chad replied.

"Well, you’re up," Dylan said, handing the racquet to Dylan. "Don’t screw this up or Noah’ll kick your ass."

"Me? Why me?" Noah asked.

"Because you’re the biggest," Dylan replied. "And good luck!"

Trey and Dylan moved to the bench on the side of the court taking a seat next to Grace and Zoey as they all prepared to watch Chad and Noah square off against Sierra and Amber.

"Um, ya’ll suck," Grace spoke, wiping the sweat off her arms. "Ain’t ya’ll supposed to be the men?"

"I bet you we’re gonna win this game," Dylan said.

"Care to put some money on that little boy?" Grace spoke.

"Guys, they’re starting," Zoey spoke.

Chad wouldn’t admit it to anyone but he was feeling quite nervous. He was actually playing against the girl he’d come to care about with everything riding on this game. If he and Noah managed to win, they’d tie the girls and they’d be able to play a tiebreaker match. If they lost, they lost for good and he’d never live it down with the boys. There were his boys and then there was his girl.

It was time for him to make a choice.

"Let’s go baby!" Sierra called out from across the court.

Chad looked over at Noah.

"Go ahead man," Noah spoke, offering Chad a reassuring smile. "It’s just a game."

Chad smiled back even though he still felt nervous before turning and facing the girls. He threw the tennis ball in his hand into the air and served it up, beginning the game.

"See, he has good form," Dylan said.

"How would yo ass know? You don’t play tennis," Grace spoke.

"That doesn’t stop my parents from making me and my younger brother play every summer at the country club," Dylan replied.

"So you play tennis every summer and play the worst out of all of us?" Zoey asked.

"I never said I progressed any," Dylan replied.

Already the score was tied, 15-15. Chad and Noah switched sides as Chad served once again. After a few hits back and forward the girls managed to score on the guys.

"Oh yeah, that’s what I call a power shot!" Sierra called out.

"Next time move your fat ass out the way so I can hit the ball for once," Amber spoke, sounding out of breath even though Sierra had pretty much been doing all of the work for their team.

"Why would I let you hit the ball when hitting balls isn’t your specialty?" Sierra asked, getting ready for Chad to serve again.

After Chad has hit the ball and Sierra had returned it, Amber rushed over and nudged Sierra out the way preparing to hit the ball back. She swung in an earnest effort, completely missing and doing a complete 360 spin in the process.

"Is it over? Did I hit it?" Amber asked.

"No you retarded fetus reject," Sierra spoke, getting back on court. "They just scored!"

"Oh. Well I keep saying I need to be on THAT side over there. How else am I supposed to see with the sun in my eyes?"

"It’s okay, babe!" Chad called out.

"Yo, what are you doing?" Dylan called out from the bench.

Chad just shrugged as he and Noah switched sides once again ready to serve.

"Let’s go man! Just two more!" Dylan spoke, putting the pressure on Chad.

"Don’t push me again," Sierra replied. "Unless you want to lose."

"If we lose it’s your fault," Amber replied.

"If either side loses it’s YOUR fault."

Amber scoffed, stomping her feet firmly in place as she waved her racquet high into the air, completely unaware that she’d hit the ball Chad had served to them in the process.

"I’m not the one flirting with the sexy amnesia boy the whole time am I?" she asked.

"Amber, girl you did it!" Grace called out from the bench.

"What?" Amber asked, spinning around.

Somehow without even trying Amber had managed to hit a shot so awkward that it had been unable to be returned by either Chad or Noah, which promptly tied the two sides at 30-30.

"Let’s go team guy, let’s go!" Dylan chanted.

"Oh, so now you a cheerleader, huh?" Grace asked.

"If it helps us win," Dylan replied.

Chad and Noah switched sides once again and Chad served, managing to score on the girls once again.

"Yes, yes! One more!" Dylan called out.

"Boy sit yo ass down," Grace spoke, bitter her side was losing.

Chad definitely felt the pressure. He let out a deep breath as he prepared to serve. He tossed the ball up ready to hit it but found himself completely missing when someone had run up from the gate behind him, hugging him from behind.

"I can tell that ass apart from a lineup anywhere!"

"We win, we win!" Amber cheered, jumping up and down.

"No we don’t you twit, that’s deuce," Sierra said.

"No, sorry, I don’t speak Japanese," Amber retorted.

"What the hell!" Chad spoke, spinning around to see who’d hugged him.

"Whoa, whoa, man...back off," Noah spoke.

"What you don’t recognize me?" the guy asked.

Chad was surprised. A guy had come from out of the blue, hugged him and mentioned his ass. He was sure it was supposed to be weird but he was actually excited at the prospect of someone knowing who he really was. There was that and the fact that the guy was actually very attractive.

Slicked back black hair, extremely clean shaven face, clear blue eyes and a nice spring appropriate ensemble to show him off to the world. Any guy or girl would be lucky to be associated with him based on looks alone.

"It’s me, Oliver!"

Chad just stared at him.

"I know. Have amnesia. One of the hospitals I went to searching for you told me they admitted a guy with amnesia. They showed me a picture. I knew you had to be close. I’ve been looking for weeks. Have you been here the whole time?"

"Uh...yes?" Chad replied.

"You really don’t recognize me do you, Nate?"

"Yeah, it’s your name. Nathaniel Eliot Carter," Oliver replied.

Chad just continued staring at Oliver as did Noah who was too dumbfounded by the situation to say anything at all.

Oliver seemed to think for a moment before pulling something out of his pocket and putting it into his hand.

"Recognize that?" Oliver asked. "You should. It’s your wedding ring."

"What?" Noah asked, finally able to speak.

"Here, stay right here. I’m gonna go to my car and get a picture of us together," Oliver spoke, sounding completely overjoyed as he quickly ran off the retrieve said photo.

Everyone headed over to Noah and Chad, looking them over.

"Um, who was that?" Grace asked.

"Yeah, he was really cute," Amber replied.

Chad looked down at the shinny circular piece of metal in his hand that was supposed to be his wedding ring. He knew what weddings were. He knew what having a wedding ring meant.

"What’s wrong, Chad?" Sierra asked, placing a hand on Chad’s back. "Who was that guy?"

Chad let out a sigh before looking straight ahead at nothing in particular.

"Apparently that guy is my husband," he replied much to everyone’s surprise.

The place worked on a schedule, that much Jesse had come to realize for sure. He’d also come to realize that was going to work to his advantage, especially when he and David went through with their plans to escape.

"Pill time, is it?" Jesse asked as Dr. Walker entered his and David’s room with an orderly.

"Jesse, you shouldn’t call it that," Dr. Walker replied. "These multivitamins are what’s keeping the cravings down."

"So essentially what you’re telling me is that I don’t need any of the group talk sessions, special arts and craft days or other random and completely unnecessary so called ‘therapy’ you’re dolling out as long as I take this cocktail of assorted....vitamins?"

"Don’t be snide, it won’t get you far here or in life," Dr. Walker replied.

"Yes because NOT being snide has done wonders for me already," Jesse replied. "I AM here after all."

"And that was your own doing, Jesse. Nobody else’s," Dr. Walker replied. "And I actually have news for the both of you."

"We can leave?" David asked, sitting up excitedly.

"My parents have learned I’m here and are suing you all for all you’re worth?" Jesse asked, also excited with the thought.

"No and no. Remind me we need to talk about those seriously...interesting responses in therapy later," Dr. Walker replied. "Actually, I’m here to inform you that you’re getting a roommate."

"What in here? This place is barely big enough for one of us and now you want to add to the crowding-upon?" Jesse asked.

"This place is plenty big enough for the two of you and we don’t crowd upon here. We help as many people that want help without asking questions."

"What a right laugh that is," Jesse replied. "I’d be so much better off here if you all DIDN’T ask any questions."

"Yes well the two of you are going to need to stay in the activity center for a couple of hours while the staff reorganizes your room. We need to get a bunk bed in here and a few other things," Dr. Walker said.

"A renovation that we’re all paying for, no doubt," Jesse mumbled before taking his multivitamins. David did the same as they both opened to show they’d taken them before a satisfied Dr. Walker smiled.

"I’ll be back in a few minutes to collect you," she spoke. "Please be ready."

"Okay," Jesse replied as sarcastically as possible.

As soon as Dr. Walker and the orderly had left did both Jesse and David spit their untaken vitamins out, putting them in the same place they’d been putting them for the past three weeks.

"I didn’t believe it a first but that woman is sheer and pure vile," Jesse spoke. "I wouldn’t put it past her or any of them to be trying to off us."

"Just be glad we know better," David replied.

"So, what do you feel about this bollocks news of a roommate?" Jesse asked.

David shrugged as he placed his pillow back at the head of his bed.

"I don’t know. I hope he isn’t a crazy lunatic. That’s the last thing I want," he replied.

"Yes," Jesse replied, fondly recalling many of the insane moments that David had been a part of. "We don’t need that."

"Still, it’s gonna put a crimp in our escape plans," David replied. "If we get some snitch that’s eating all of Dr. Walker’s shit we won’t be able to get out of here anytime soon."

"And if that happens we’re better off just staying," Jesse replied, realizing what kind of position getting a new roommate was putting them in.

He still wasn’t even entirely sure he liked the roommate he did have and didn’t really want to take a chance on trying to get to know another one. Plus if experience had taught him anything it was that he didn’t do quite so well with roommates.

"Well, we just have to make sure we know what we’re doing and when," David replied. "If we fuck this up they’re gonna separate us and put people outside our doors 24/7."

"Like an actual prison," Jesse replied, shuddering at the thought.

"Okay boys, time to get going," Dr. Walker spoke, poking her head into the door.

The two of them exchange glances before standing and heading out the door.

"I don’t understand. Why didn’t you report him missing at all?" Grace asked.

She and everyone else had gone back to Jesse’s apartment to talk about the latest revelation in all of their lives-Chad’s mysterious husband.

"Well I didn’t want people to worry," Oliver replied. "When we have fights, Nate likes to go off and be by himself. Sometimes he stays gone for days."

"Chad...Nate’s, been here with us for a month," Grace replied. "You didn’t think he was dead?"

Oliver looked everyone over before shifting in his seat and looking down.

"I didn’t want to think he was dead," he replied. "It was hard enough realizing that Nate was gone and no one could find him. That’s why I looked for him myself. I knew in my heart he was okay."

"Yeah and you found him," Grace replied. "Question is, what now?"

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, looking across the room at her sitting on the other couch.

"I mean, do we just give him to you? You, some guy who came out of nowhere-"

"I have those pictures-"

"Claiming to be his husband-"

"When Chad ain’t even gay. He dating Sierra you know. How’s a straight guy married to a gay one?"

"How’s a guy married to any guy here in Texas?" Zoey asked.

"Uh, we’re not from here," Oliver replied. "We’re Canadian. It’s legal there, mostly."

"Uh, huh," Grace responded still nowhere near convinced.

Truthfully no one really knew what to think. When they’d all first found Chad, or rather when he’d first found them, he’d been someone that they all wanted to help. But his likeable personality and enjoyable presence had prompted them all to become sidetracked at trying to figure out who he used to be and enjoying who he actually was as they knew him.

Now that someone who really knew who he was had come back into his life, they weren’t really sure they were willing to let go of the guy they’d come to know.

"Drinks?" Chuck asked, coming from the kitchen with a tray full of glasses filled with iced tea.

"Thanks," Oliver said, taking one from the tray. "Yeah, we’re newlyweds actually."

"You’re newlyweds and you fight all the time?" Noah asked.

"We don’t fight all the time. But when we do, the way Nate chooses to deal with it is by taking time to cool off by himself," Oliver replied.

"What was he doing here in the states if you’re from Canada? What are YOU doing here in the states if you’re from there? I mean, wouldn’t you assume he wandered off somewhere in Canada?" Noah asked.

Oliver seemed to be a bit bothered by the question for a moment before offering a confident smile after taking a sip of his tea.

"We’re honeymooning here," Oliver replied. "Nate’s always wanted to visit the U.S. My parents actually live down here as well. We’ve been staying with them."

"Ew, who honeymoons with their parents," Amber commented.

"Girl, be quiet," Grace spoke. "Chad-"

"I don’t know that," Grace replied. "Chad, boy look, is any of this familiar to you? Do you remember this guy at all?"

Chad looked over at Oliver for a moment before looking away from everyone.

"I...I don’t know," he replied. "I don’t know what I remember."

"Nate, come on...it’s me, you have to remember. The pictures..."

"I saw them," Chad replied, a bit disappointed there was actual proof they at least knew each other. He knew that with a wedding ring, pictures and a real name that all of this was starting to look more and more likely. That he was gay, married and Canadian.

Thinking about all of this, he stood up and walked away from everyone thinking to himself.

"That’s exactly what I’m talking about," Oliver said. "He likes to think to himself when there’s a problem. I’m sure he’ll remember sooner or later."

"Yeah, maybe," Noah replied, also convinced that Oliver may not have been who he said he was.

"I should go talk to him," Oliver spoke standing up. "I don’t want him to be alone with all of this right now."

Everyone just watched as Oliver headed back to talk to Chad while all of them sat looking around at each other.

"He can’t be serious can he?" Noah asked. "I mean, Chad doesn’t even seem like he could be gay and married."

"Neither do you, but you is," Grace replied.

"Grace, come on, I’m not married," Noah said.

"Yes ya’ll is, unofficially anyway," Grace replied.

Both Trey and Noah grew uncomfortable with that statement. While they were both happy with each other, neither of them were idiots when they came to the issues their relationship faced, mainly with Shawn. Plus Noah had yet to tell Trey that he loved him. At least not seriously anyway.

"You know what? I think I’m gonna start back up with the research," Grace spoke, standing up. "We can’t just let this guy take Chad away from us without knowing if he’s telling the truth."

Zoey stood up as well.

"There’s a computer in Jesse’s room," Chuck said. "Let’s start there."

"Okay," Grace replied.

"Wait, I’m coming too," Noah said. "Something about this guy just doesn’t seem right."

Not wanting to be left alone with Amber and Sierra stood up as well to follow everyone back into Jesse’s room.

Amber looked over at Sierra, who seemed to be deep in thought, biting her nails.

"You’ve been creepily silent this whole time," she said. "What do you know?"

"What? Huh?" Sierra asked, snapping back into reality. "Who says I know anything? Maybe I’m just as surprised by all this as everyone."

"Yeah, turns out your boyfriend is gay," Amber replied. "Maybe you’re like my friend Stacy. She turns guys gay too."

"Okay, Nate’s NOT gay," Sierra replied.

"Nate?" Amber asked.

"You just called him Nate? You believe Oliver?"

Sierra didn’t respond. This Oliver guy was definitely telling the truth about Chad regarding his real name and where he was from. She had no idea that he was gay and married but she figured if this guy knew his real name and where he was from than he had to know everything else. And that was seriously going to ruin her plan.

"Well, I need to get going," Sierra started, standing up. "Got some research of my own to do actually."

"Really?" Amber asked skeptically.

"Yes, really. This IS a place of learning," Sierra replied before realizing who she was speaking to. "For most of us, anyway."

Amber watched as Sierra silently made her way out of the apartment before making up her mind that whatever it was that Sierra knew about Chad was just too juicy to pass up and that it was something she definitely wanted to know too.

Everyone else meanwhile had all gathered around Jesse’s computer, Grace sitting in the chair navigating as they all tried to figure out where they could look Chad up.

"You think Nathaniel is his real name?" Noah asked.

"Maybe. We should probably stick with Chad for now though. It’s not like he came up with that name off the back of a t-shirt or something," Grace replied.

"Maybe it’s a combination of both names," Zoey spoke.

"Yeah, try that," Noah added.

Trey realized that his cellphone was vibrating and took it out of his pocket. He was expecting it to be one of the producers from MTV’s College Life and answered it.

"Is this Trey Jackson?" came the female voice on the other end.

"Hi, I’m with the Housing and Residence Life Association here on campus. I was just calling to inform you that your dorm room in Ark Hall in now available for you to return to at your earliest convenience. You can pick up your new key at the front desk of your building."

"Um, okay...thanks," Trey replied, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him.

That hadn’t been what he was expecting at all to say the least. And if it was time for him to move back in that only meant one thing: it was time for Shawn to move back in as well.

Jesse and David had been oddly silent, as noted by Dr. Walker during their team trust exercises as they both had a lot on their minds.

Having a new roommate could prove to be the most damaging thing to their plans to escape yet and as a result had both been lost in thoughts of what could happen if things went wrong because of it. Needless to say they were both on pins and needles with anticipation regarding their new roommate.

Now their trust exercises over, the time had come for the real test of trust as they entered their room with trepidation.

No doubt about it, things were different. From the color of the walls to the carpeting on the floor, interiorly their room had received a total makeover. There was also now a bunk-bed on the side of the room that had once held David’s single twin bed.

There were all the changes and the new bed but from what they could tell, no new roommate.

"Maybe he’s not here yet," David spoke as they entered the room, shutting the door behind them.

"Or maybe our lovely resident bitch doctor was just screwing with us and he’s not actually coming at all," Jesse said, taking a seat on his bed.

"You think she’d do that?" David asked.

"You think she’s poisoning us with those vitamins we all take," Jesse pointed out. "Besides, I wouldn’t put it past her. She seems quite diabolical."

"Yeah well that just means we really need to start thinking about how we’re gonna get out of this place and when," David replied.

"What do you mean how? I thought you said-"

"Yeah well that’s the rough version," David snapped. "The truth is we don’t really know how we’re gonna pull the distraction part off do we?"

The truth was that Jesse knew that his part would cover the distraction but didn’t have the slightest idea how he’d pull off something grand enough to mask the commotion of breaking a fire alarm cover and keeping people from realizing David was off on his own.

"If they’d just let us throw a party for ourselves to celebrate being the drug dependent follies we are, THEN I could see-"

"Come on Jesse you gotta really think about it. It has to be good. If we got caught that’s it. I don’t know what they do to people that try to escape but it can’t be pretty and I wanna keep all my teeth."

"And which urban legend would you referring to there, David? The one about the tooth fairy kicking people’s asses?"

"No, we’re going to figure this out and we’re going to figure this out logically without folding under pressure. I’m sure we’re not the only two people that have ever planned to escape from rehab."

"Maybe, maybe not. Most people can actually leave rehab when they want to."

"How would you know? Have you been in rehab before?"

Before the fight could escalate any further the door to their room opened, surprising them both when in walked a freshly showered, freshly new face.

"Oh, hey, how’s it going? I’m Seth," he said, big smile on his face.

His hair, Jesse noticed, was wet and there was a towel around his neck and flip flops on his feet.

Both Jesse and David exchanged glances with each other.

"I guess I’m gonna be your new roommate," Seth said, rubbing his hair with the towel as he walked further into the room. "Hope it’s not putting you out too much."

Once again David and Jesse exchanged glances, neither of them saying anything for awhile as they watched Seth.

Eventually David let out a sigh and reached back on his bed for his pillow case.

"Whatever," he spoke. "You stay out of our way and we’ll stay out of yours. Best way to get along."

Jesse agreed but chose not to comment.

"Okay then," was Seth’s oddly perky response as he continued drying his hair.

David reached inside his pillow case and panicked.

"It’s gone," he spoke feeling winded all of a sudden.

"What?" Jesse asked.

"All of it. The pills. The dumbbell. The money for life out on the-"

"Calm yourself down, David. No need to panic over something so trivial," Jesse interrupted, looking at David with a look he hoped would convey what he was trying to do just then.

David still looked panicked but had been smart enough to at least shut his mouth.

"Are you guys missing something?" Seth asked.

"No, it’s fine. Don’t bother yourself with-"

"Like the stuff I found in that pillow and hid for insurance?"

Both Jesse and David looked over at Seth with shock plastered firmly all over their faces. Before they got a chance to respond, Dr. Walker had entered their room, looking quite happy to see them all.

"Hey, wow, I see you two have met Seth," she said.

"Why yes....we have," Jesse responded when David didn’t.

"I hope you’ve been treating him well, he is a guest here," Dr. Walker spoke.

"Guest here? What do you mean he’s a guest here? He’s just as much a prisoner as the rest of us!" Jesse responded.

"Jesse, what did we say about being snide?" Dr. Walker said. "Besides, you’re all guests here just like Seth Foster."

"Foster? As in Foster Industries, owner of every other major magazine publication in North America?" Jesse asked.

He recognized the name combination right away. Gordon Foster was his father’s biggest rival. The only thing stopping his father from bringing the business to the US was Gordon Foster. He’d once met Seth during a birthday party when they were each five. His father had been trying to talk Gordon into a partnership deal as he’d later found out. All he remembered from that day was Seth allowing him to blow out the candles on his birthday cake only to slam his face into it and failing to open on purpose the wonderful present he’d hand-picked just for Seth.

Seth was a rude little brat back then and Jesse was almost certain nothing had changed.

"Yes well he does come from a well off background," Dr. Walker replied.

Hence the complete room change overhaul. Jesse hadn’t really understood at the time when David mentioned it to him but shortly after he’d moved into the room did David talk about the room changing then too.

Apparently they did what they could to roll out all the stops for ‘the money’ as long as the money was good to them. Jesse had been far from pleasant to anyone since arriving, thus the complete lack of great treatment that he was used to from people.

"Help him to feel welcome and at home please. I know you three will get along just nicely," Dr. Walker spoke before leaving them all alone.

"Let me guess," Jesse started. "You found out I was here when you got here and asked to be put in here."

"Oh but Jesse, that would be admitting that I think about you at all," Seth replied. "I barely remember my fifth birthday."

Now all of a sudden Jesse was starting to remember that day as if it were just yesterday.

"You guys know each other?" David asked, confused.

"No," both Seth and Jesse lied, simultaneously.

Jesse sighed angrily, looking away from Seth who moved to position himself in the center of the room so that he was facing both Jesse and David.

"Now, I don’t know what kind of shit you two are planning but something tells me it beats the hell out of staying here for the next two months of my life-"

"DUI that kind of escalated, you know how it goes. I can’t tell dad either, he’ll kill me."

"Yeah, I know," Jesse replied, the two of them briefly bonding over something before going back to realizing that they hated each other. "I want in or all that stuff goes straight to Dr. Walker."

David and Jesse exchanged glances, each realizing that Seth’s involvement in their plans was either going to be a blessing or a curse.

"And that’s the last of it," Noah spoke, setting a box of Trey’s stuff atop his new bed.

The school had replaced literally everything he could remember had been in the room that belonged to him before it burned down but had been holding a lot of it in storage until the building was finished.

Noah and Dylan had helped Trey move in while Ben and Collin had helped Shawn earlier.

The room itself was the same size as it had been before and looked almost the same as it had before, albeit everything being completely new and unused. There were however a few changes that none of the other freshman dorm halls had.

For starters there was the new speaker system, which allowed people who might have stopped by the room when no one was around to leave a message to say that they’d stopped by. It was the same system that now controlled the lighting system in the room. There was one light on Trey’s side and one on Shawn’s with a motorized pull down sheet in the middle of the room, that could also be time controlled to let down at a certain time along with the lights which could be set to turn off at a certain time. Now neither of them would have to worry about the other keeping them up at night.

Besides that the shower system was new with different programmable settings and there was now a small rectangular window a few feet above Trey’s bed that allowed him to look out into the halls without allowing those in the halls to look directly into the room.

As they’d been told, the changes would cost them nothing extra, as they were more or less test subjects but that come next semester there would be an increase in dorm fees for incoming and transferring freshman.

All of that meant nothing to Trey. The only thing he knew about the entire situation was that after spending over two months not being Shawn’s roommate and pretty much not even hanging out with or talking to him, he was now going to have to see him every day, much more than he had before.

He hadn’t even been with Noah for all that long before the fire. It was going to be completely different this time around and Trey was more than a little on edge.

"It’s gonna be fun, babe," Noah spoke, grasping Trey’s hand and attempting to look Trey in the eyes who was busy looking down at the ground with worry. "I know its Shawn and everything but you were rooming with the guy just fine before the fire."

"Just fine? Noah, come on! Why can’t they let all of us stay where we are?"

"Probably has something to do with the school needing more money from you all," Dylan replied. "Three months paid rent only goes so far."

"Yeah well their stupid obviously not flame retardant building caught fire and burned up all my stuff," Trey retorted.

"Which they replaced. Trey come on, it’s not the end of the world," Noah said, doing his best to reassure Trey. "I know it seems like it because of who your roommate is but it could be worse. You could be roommates with some gay basher or psychotic freak."

"True that," Dylan replied, playing with the room splitter mechanism on the wall.

Trey sighed and looked around. He almost didn’t want to unpack. Not if it meant living with Shawn. He figured that the success of his relationship with Noah had come from spending so much time together. They were sleeping in the same bed during Christmas break. The fire happened only a few days after break ended and they’d been sleeping in the same bed since. Besides that they were always with each other when not in class.

Now it was like all of that was going away and he was returning to the times when he was stuck with Shawn and his mood swings and his loud music and his being a pig and his watching him get dressed in the mornings. The thought alone was a nightmare to him.

"Can’t you just stay with me? Just for tonight?" Trey pleaded.

"Trey, we talked about this. I can’t. You’re not gonna learn to sleep alone if were always sleeping together. Besides we were together almost 24/7 for months. I think the few hours apart each day are gonna be a good thing for us. So we don’t get tired of each other."

"Because it was bound to probably happen...oh cool, it controls the sink too!" Dylan cheered with glee.

Trey sighed, still not convinced. He felt almost like a child that had to go off to summer camp away from his parents. Noah was safety for him. Noah was what he wanted to wake up to and be with everyday, not Shawn.

It could never be Shawn.

"And anyway doesn’t he have his own guy now?" Dylan asked. "I doubt he’s even gonna care about you let alone be here much."

"See, sometimes Dylan CAN be useful," Noah chuckled before Dylan walked over to Shawn’s side of the room to look behind the room splitter wall.

"Trey, it’s gonna be fine. You still have all of us to turn to if any problems come up," Noah spoke. "And if he tries anything tell us and I’m sure one of us’ll kick his ass for you."

"Not me. His best friend scares me!" Dylan called from behind the wall.

"And anyway, I love you," Noah found himself saying, hoping it came across as serious yet casual as possible.

Trey stood looking at Noah for a moment before looking away, unable to say anything at all.

"Trey, did you hear me...I just told you I love you," Noah replied, chuckling nervously.

"Um, yeah," Trey replied. "Thank you?"

Trey hadn’t intended to say that but it had been all he could come up with to say in an effort not to say anything at all.

"Thank you?" Noah asked, feeling completely humiliated, upset and agitated with Trey. "Yeah, I’m thinking the response to that statement definitely isn’t ‘thank you’."

Trey wasn’t sure how to respond but apparently wasn’t going to get the chance to say anything because Noah left without saying anything else at all, leaving him alone with Dylan who appeared from behind the wall, walking slowly towards the door.

"Yeah....uh....love the new room," he spoke. "See ya."

And with that he was gone, Trey now completely alone.

He hadn’t been back in his old room one hour and already it was starting to affect his relationship with Noah. And that was without Shawn’s help.

If this was any indication as to what they could look forward two between them, he had a feeling there would be no ‘them’ by the time the end of the school year rolled around.

He fell atop his bed, sitting at the edge, hoping to not think about the shit currently bothering him about his life at the moment. He had only been thinking to himself for a few minutes when the door to his room opened and Shawn walked in, Collin at the doorway.

"What you’re not coming in?" Shawn asked.

"No, I think I need to be on my best behavior for the time being," Collin replied. "Besides, you have company."

Shawn hadn’t noticed but had looked over to where Collin had nodded and saw Trey sitting on his bed. He cleared his throat, the smile on his face fading away before looking back over at Collin.

"I’ll see you later," Collin said, giving Shawn a brief kiss before leaving.

Shawn stood at the door, with it open in his hand for a moment before letting it shut slowly and walking a few steps.

"Best new feature about the room, the doors don’t slam shut anymore," Trey spoke.

Again, he wasn’t sure why he was saying what he was saying but it was better than nothing at all.

"Uh, yeah," Shawn said, looking over at Trey. "Guess so. Course, this is nice too...this...wall thing."

"Yeah, Dylan did that," Trey replied. "Here let me let it back up."

Trey stood up and leaned over his bed, reaching for the controls that operated the wall and pressed the button. When nothing happened he pressed it again and held it. He tried it a few more times and still nothing.

"What’s wrong?" Shawn asked.

"I think it’s jammed or something," Trey replied.

"Something being Dylan broke it," Shawn responded. "Awesome. Here, you wanna help me..."

"Oh, yeah," Trey spoke, walking over to the wall.

"On three push up," Shawn said. "One, two, three!"

Both Shawn and Trey struggled to lift the wall. It wasn’t that it was so heavy that the two of them could manage. It was that it was a motorized wall that had been jammed down and was now trying to be forced up, taking extra effort from the both of them.

"Almost..." Shawn spoke through gritted teeth.

Trey continued pushing up. The two of them almost had it up before Shawn’s hand accidentally let go. It started to come down quickly but Shawn pushed Trey aside, tripping and accidentally landing on top of him.

Shawn and Trey stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, neither of them daring to move. It was Shawn who made the first move, standing himself up when it looked almost like Trey was moving in...

"We should tell them about this thing soon before they think we broke it and they overcharge us to get it fixed," Shawn spoke, feeling tense and awkward.

"Yeah," Trey sighed, still on the ground. "We should."

Trey watched from the floor as Shawn started setting up his computer feeling like he was the worst boyfriend on the planet. He failed to tell Noah that he loved him back and instead had tried to kiss Shawn for some reason unknown to him. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him but he hoped it was temporary only. The last thing he wanted was to doubt his relationship with Noah.

"Well, well, well," Amber spoke, surprising Sierra. "That looks like our good friend Chad on that computer screen. Or shall I say, Nathaniel?"

"Okay stalker is going so above and beyond the range that is your kind of crazy," Sierra spoke.

Amber took a seat next to a horrified Sierra, who minimized her browser.

Sierra had been trying to research whether or not Chad was actually married and so far hadn’t been able to come up with anything. Knowing who he was however had helped her to learn more about who she already found him to be, including the reason why he seemed to think he knew Jesse.

"Oh yeah, I’ve stalked you all the way to the public school library," Amber said sarcastically. "Maybe now I’ll knock you out and drag you down to the basement so I can skin you and drink your blood like a vampire."

Sierra just stared at Amber.

"If you’d just stopped at the first part, you so would’ve actually NOT been YOU just then," she replied.

"Oh whatever, whore. Why is Chad on your screen? I thought no one could figure out who he was?" Amber asked, tossing her purse aside.

"Yeah well we know who he is now, remember? His husband saw to that."

"Chad gay, who would’ve saw that coming?" Amber replied before looking at Sierra’s slightly suspicious look. "Unless of course he’s not actually gay and that guy’s a fake?"

"Oh my gosh, you think so?" Sierra spoke, trying to play along.

"I don’t know, you tell me."

Sierra stared at Amber for a moment before turning away. She realized that in order to keep the upper hand she was going to have to remain calm and keep her composure lest she start to come apart to Amber of all people.

"Well, I think I know Chad in his current state better than anyone and I have to say, he wasn’t all that gay when he was trying to finger me in bed the other night."

"Yeah," Sierra continued with her game. "I think maybe you’re right about this guy being a fake. But we have to prove it, somehow."

"Well show me what you’re looking at. Maybe we could look at it together and-"

"OR, or, we could talk to Oliver and get HIM to tell us he’s a fake," Sierra replied.

"And how exactly are we gonna do that? I mean we don’t even know where he’s staying."

"Leave that to me," Sierra spoke, a gleam in her eye.

"You two are so good to me," Chad said as Grace tucked Chad firmly into Jesse’s bed. "I don’t know what I’d do without either of you in my life."

"Oh, stop, we’re your friends," Grace spoke. "Of course we wanna help you out."

"I feel bad. I mean, I didn’t want to unload on you guys like that about my hus...about Oliver, after he left," Chad replied.

It was true. After spending the rest of day talking with Oliver and still not remembering anything, Chad had felt completely overwhelmed. He needed someone to talk to and Grace and Zoey had been there for him. Now they were even tucking him in.

"Anything you need, we’re here for you," Grace said.

"Yeah, absolutely," Zoey added.

Chad looked both of them over before flashing a sheepish smile.

"Well, in that case, you think one of you could bring me a glass of milk? Oliver says it helps me fall asleep faster and I want to see if he’s right."

Grace and Zoey exchanged glances before Grace spoke up.

"Sure, honey," Grace replied. "Zoey. Kitchen?"

"Okay," Zoey said following Chad out of the room and shutting the door behind them.

Grace walked a few feet into the living room, Zoey following behind before completely stopping and turning around.

"How much do we believe that fool Oliver’s stories?" Grace asked.

"I don’t know. He had an answer for everything and they didn’t seem like things people can just make up on the spot without stumbling or not looking people in the eye."

"Yeah, I noticed," Grace replied. "I was ready to call him my boo before he left."

"I think all of us were. He’s good at persuading people and really charming too," Zoey replied. "I wonder if he’s a lawyer or something."

"Forget about that girl, we have to deal with the obvious here," Grace said. "If Oliver really is Chad’s husband then that means that Chad really is gay."

"Yeah, IF Oliver really is Chad’s husband," Zoey replied. "We couldn’t even figure out if any of the stuff he was telling us was true or not when we did all that research earlier. We’d have an easier time proving whether or not he’s gay."

"So....why don’t we?" Grace asked.

"I know you don’t want some stranger taking Chad away from us when he’s not even gay. If we can prove Chad’s ass ain’t gay then we can prove that fool is a fake and send his ass to the curb."

"Yeah and how are we gonna do that, Grace?"

Grace seemed to think for a moment before heading into the kitchen and pouring up the glass of milk Chad had asked for.

"Follow me," she spoke when she was finished.

Zoey wasn’t really sure what grace was up to but was willing to play along for Chad’s sake.

Both girls entered the room, walking in to notice Chad looking over the photos of himself and Oliver smiling and happy in Vegas, Seattle and Florida.

"I just don’t understand it," Chad started. "I look at these pictures and can’t remember at all taking them with him. But he does and that’s the part that sucks. He has this life with me that he was happy with and I can’t even remember it."

"Yeah, well I’m sure you will eventually," Grace started setting the milk down on the table next to the bed. "In the meantime, there’s your milk. But you know what’s even better than milk helping you fall asleep?"

Chad looked over at Grace, feeling confused with how she’d sounded just then.

"Two warm bodies," Grace spoke with seductive grin while looking over at Zoey who hesitated for a moment before playing along when she noticed Chad looking over at her.

"Oh yeah," Zoey started. "Milk is one thing but having the two of us at your side, well, I’d say that’s better than anything."

Chad felt confused for a moment but then started to chuckle.

"Come on guys, we’ve slept in the same bed before," he said.

"Yeah, well this time," Grace said, taking off her shirt to reveal nothing but her bra. "Maybe we won’t just be sleeping."

Zoey followed suit and took off her shirt as well and both girls started crawling seductively up from the edge of the bed, one on each side of Chad.

"Ever had a threesome fantasy?" Grace asked.

Chad looked between both girls.

"Maybe, I can’t really remember-"

"Well that’s okay because we’re about to make your fantasies come true," Zoey said.

Both girls began touching Chad’s chest, rubbing it seductively before leaning over him and going in to kiss each other, stopping when Grace started to laugh.

"Ooh, I’m sorry girl but we gon have to figure this shit out another way," she replied.

"I completely agree," Zoey replied. "I mean, it’s not like I can see much anyway without my glasses on. What kind of hot threesome would that have been?"

"Wait, you guys weren’t-"

"Trying to see if you was really gay or not? Hell yeah, but only cuz we love you fine ass so much," Grace replied.

Realizing what was going on Chad started laughing, feeling completely relieved and surprised with the lengths his friends were willing to go to help him.

"You really don’t want me to leave do you?" Chad asked.

"Not if you don’t have to, no," Grace replied.

"Well ladies, I promise you, even if Oliver and I are really married I definitely won’t ever not be a part of your lives. I owe you both way too much to just forget about. Besides now I know if I ever wanna have threesome with someone, you two are down."

"Shut up boy," Grace spoke. "And drink this damn milk I dun brought yo ass."

"Will do," Chad spoke, standing in the bed and hoping to the floor. "But I’m gonna hit the toilet first. Having a near threesome really makes a guy have to take a piss. Who knew?"

Both Grace and Zoey laughed as Chad headed off to do his business.

David and Jesse were sitting next to each other. David was drawing something. Jesse was writing one of the daily letters he’d been sending to the people he knew back at school while Seth seeming to be writing some kind of novel length letter of some sort. All of them were busy but all of them were also well aware of their surroundings and each other and any minute now they were going to have to put their faith in one another as they put into action their plans to escape their rehab facility.

"Okay everyone, I thank you all for participating in tonight’s reflection period and for making out latest guest Seth feel so at home," Dr. Walker spoke.

As everyone stood up to leave, Jesse and Seth waited a few moments for the crowd of people in the room to become more mixed before they each started.

"So he gets a near standing ovation for just breathing while I get treated like proverbial shit for having more money than the rest of you and just as much as him? I don’t understand this madness!" Jesse exclaimed.

Everyone stopped, standing where they were.

"I’m sorry Jesse, I don’t believe I follow your logic," Dr. Walker said.

"Oh please," Jesse started. "You all have had it in for me since the moment I was forced through the front door. But please, continue playing dumb at my expense. It only adds fuel to the fire."

"People, people, let’s not pay this guy any attention," Seth said, reassuringly. "He’s just jealous that there’s someone here that has everything he has and more."

"Oh yes, I was only taking a few aspirin here and there. At least I knew better than to get in a car and drive around more intoxicated than an entire Irish pub on a Thursday night!"

"Jesse, you slapped a woman in the face and caused her boyfriend to chip his tooth on the cement," Dr. Walker spoke, speaking of just two of several infractions Jesse had managed to rake up while high on aspirin.

Jesse and Seth had intended to cause a commotion and while they hadn’t been entirely sure of how they were going to go about it, the truth of the matter was that their argument was starting to become more and more heated with each passing second.

"Just admit you’ve been jealous of me since we were kids," Seth said.

"Oh, so you both know each other then," Dr. Walker said.

"Didn’t you find it the least bit curious at all that someone actually requested to be sent here?" Jesse asked.

"Please, get over yourself asshole. I wanted to come some place the press and family wouldn’t think to look, no offense Dr. Walker."

"None taken," Dr. Walker replied, obviously just as enthralled with the fight as everyone else.

Realizing that they needed to create a bigger and much louder commotion, Jesse threw a punch the connected with the left side of Seth’s face. A bit shocked, but only momentarily so, Seth recovered and slammed into Jesse, the two of them falling to the ground.

As Dr. Walker called out for security everyone watching began shouting and cheering, mostly for Seth, as the fight escalated.

"Rich bastard!" Seth shouted, punching Jesse again.

"Richer bastard!" Jesse shouted, returning the punch

Things continued at this pace growing more and more worse with every moment past before everyone either screamed, jumped or fell to the ground when the fire alarms began to go off.

Realizing their plan had worked, both boys quickly jumped up.

"Okay everyone, no need to be alarmed. Just everyone proceed directly out the front doors in a calm and orderly fashion," Dr. Walker spoke.

"Let’s go," Seth said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

"What about David?" Jesse asked, catching his breath.

"What about him? We don’t need him anymore," Seth replied.

"We can’t just leave him," Jesse replied, feeling oddly loyal to someone he’d only known three weeks, and barely at that.

"Fine," Seth sighed, obviously annoyed. "Come on."

Seth and Jesse headed out with everyone else to the front. Once everybody had evacuated the building and orderlies and security had surrounded most of the junkies, Jesse started looking around.

"I don’t see him," he said.

"Oh well, we tried," Seth replied.

At that moment, Jesse heard what sounded like someone calling his name in a high pitched whisper. He looked all around before noticing David behind a trashcan in the alley next to the building, waving him over.

Jesse nudged Seth and nodded over to where David was.

"How do we get out of here?" Seth asked.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Dr. Walker spoke at the head of everyone looking down at her clipboard. "I’m going to do a quick roll call."

Jesse turned around, surveying his surroundings. While there were quite a few orderlies and security people, many of them were either too buff or overweight to outrun any of them should the try running. The security guard behind him, however, was a different story and needed to be dealt with.

"Hey, what’s that?" Seth asked, pointing behind the security guard.

"Nice try kid, you think I’m gonna fall for-"

Was all he was able to get out before Jesse used one of his karate moves on the guy, a blow to the neck that had rendered him unconscious.

"Run for it!" Seth shouted.

Both he and Jesse took off, joining David in the alley. None of them stopped to see whether or not they were being followed as they ran. They ran for a good five minutes before David stopped, out of breath. Jesse stopped followed by Seth.

"We lost them," David said, panting heavily.

"Brilliant," Jesse said before looking over at Seth. "You could have avoided harming my gorgeous face, you know?"

"Hey, you started it," Seth replied.

"Guys, now what?" David asked.

Jesse looked around. All he knew was that he was downtown. He’d only been downtown twice and that was the good part of town. Where they were now was reminiscent of the slums in London or worse yet, Bristol.

Now what indeed was all that he could think in that moment.

"I can’t believe your dad is like some top secret government agent," Amber spoke as the two of them approached an apartment building that Sierra knew well.

"He’s head of the FBI here. Where do you get ‘top secret’ and ‘agent’ out of that?" Sierra asked.

Amber had moved on entirely to surveying the surroundings around her that were beginning to look oddly familiar to her.

"Hey isn’t this one of the student apartment complexes?" she asked.

"It is indeed," Sierra replied.

University Inn was more or less themed after a standard motel, complete with outside room entries and seedy, run down standards of living. Both girls felt mostly disgusted to be there but for Sierra she felt an odd and calming sense of satisfaction as well. Satisfaction that she knew what Oliver’s game was and that she was about to put an end to it so she could get back on track with her own plans for Chad.

"I thought Oliver said he and Chad were staying with his parents?" Amber said, obviously believing every word Oliver had told them all.

"This look like a place someone’s parents would stay to you?" Sierra asked.

"Maybe Grace’s or-"

Amber had stopped when Sierra’s earlier knocking on the door they were standing in front of had been answered, Oliver appearing before it.

"You two...here...how...uh, how-"

"Save it Oliver...or should I say Reed Alibasher?" Sierra spoke crossing her arms.

"Who’s that?" Amber asked.

"You’re looking at him," Sierra responded before pushing her way past Reed standing at the front door and into his small space. "Well at least you have taste enough to have your own roommate-free place. Amber what are you doing?"

"I wasn’t invited inside," Amber replied.

"Amber, get in here!" Sierra shouted before Amber tepidly moved past Reed and into the apartment.

"So, you found out I where I stay when I’m not when my parents," Reed chuckled, nervously.

"Yeah, nice try. This is one of the student apartment complexes that you can’t rent out unless you’re a student at the school," Sierra said.

Reed just swallowed.

"Which means you don’t live in Canada, for starters," Sierra spoke, playing everything coolly.

Reed stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and moving towards his kitchen.

"Sorry I’m being such a bad guest. Would either of you like something to drink?" he asked.

"I’ll take a sparkling water with ice," Amber spoke.

Sierra flashed Amber an annoyed look as Amber took a seat on the sofa while Sierra looked around. The place itself was small being a student apartment. Besides that it was decorated quite poorly, in her opinion, for someone who claimed to be gay.

"Here you go," Reed said, handing Amber a glass of tap water.

"So, where are all the pictures, Reed?" Sierra asked.

"I’m sorry?" Reed asked.

"Of you and Chad. You live together, where are the pictures of you two?"

"I showed them to you already," Reed replied. "Nate isn’t really a huge picture taking kind of guy."

"That’s funny because Amber and I found his pictures all over the internet once we found out who he was," Sierra replied.

"We did? Who is he?" Amber asked.

"Amber just shut up," Sierra spoke, through gritted teeth wishing to God she hadn’t brought her along.

Reed took a seat on the recliner across from the sofa and folded his hands in his lap.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about," he said.

"Really? So I don’t know that you lied to us and told us your name was Oliver? Or that you aren’t living in Canada? Oh and let’s not forget not really married to Chad."

"Okay so I admit, I may have fudged a bit on the details, but I’m telling you the truth. Nate and I really are married. Marriage certificate and all."

"Probably a fake just like those pictures you showed us," Sierra replied.

"No, Sierra. How are you gonna make a fake picture. Come on!" Amber spoke.

Sierra picked up the remote to Reed’s television and flipped the channel to MTV.

"Look Amber the Real World is on!" she said before tossing the remote into a corner that Amber jumped into to catch and watch the tv. "Moving on."

"Look, I don’t think I like what you’re trying to say here," Reed said. "It sounds maybe like you’re trying to call me some kind of fake."

Sierra took a seat across from Reed, still keeping calm and collected.

"Here’s what I know," she started. "Your name is Reed Alibasher. You were born in Atlanta and moved down to Louisiana when you were five. After you and your family lost your home in hurricane Katrina you all relocated to here. You have one brother, older, Darren and one younger sister, Lauren. Lauren is a freshman here at this school. I think she might even be in Amber there’s sorority. And you, you’re a graduate student studying law here."

Reed just stared at Sierra stone faced but obviously well aware that they both knew everything Sierra had just said was true.

"What I don’t know is why a good looking, obviously straight law student would claim to be the husband of a guy who I’m pretty sure you don’t even know."

Realizing there was no point in denying the easily provable truth, Reed decided it was time to talk.

"It was an accident, okay," he started.

"Claiming to be Nathaniel’s husband was an accident?"

"No I mean...what happened to him...his, amnesia, all of it," Reed replied.

This was the stuff that Sierra didn’t know and while it was surprising her she was still trying her best to remain relatively calm.

"I was supposed to be taking my sister up to our parent’s for the weekend. The day it happened it was raining, really badly," Reed started.

Sierra remembered the day they’d all found Chad it had been extremely rainy.

"I was frustrated and had a lot on my mind and...I didn’t see him. He came out of nowhere and I freaked so I just drove off. I figured if he was dead, no one would know it was me if I didn’t stop and if he wasn’t then it was just an accident and life would go on for him."

Sierra was mostly disgusted but part of her could so the logic in Reed’s thinking.

"And you know I’m studying law. I didn’t wanna risk being sued. Besides the fact that I can barely afford law school being sued would force me to drop out of school and I’d probably never be able to be a lawyer."

"Defending yourself in court would’ve made good practice," Sierra said. "Still, why’d you come back if you know you’re the reason he had amnesia?"

Reed looked away from Sierra before standing up and walking a few feet away from here, his back to her before turning partially towards her.

"I saw his face, before...before I hit him," he started. "I shrugged the nightmares off. Figured they’d go away. Eventually. But then...I saw him again. Here. Walking around and alive. So I did some research. Found out who he was."

"And you figured you’d make him your meal ticket?" Sierra asked, sounding disgusted still.

"It’s so much harder to sue someone you’re married to without a bunch of proof," Reed replied. "And as long as he had amnesia, he never would. And if he ever remembered, well...we’d be married."

"So let me get this straight," Sierra started, standing up. "You pretended to be his husband just so that he wouldn’t sue you?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Reed replied. "Plus, I mean...you know how much money he’s worth right?"

"Oh yeah, pretending to be gay and married to the guy you hit with your car and caused to have amnesia in the first place just so that he couldn’t sue you and would pay for your law school fees...what a great plan!"

"Wrong! You have got to be the most demented person I have ever met which is saying SO much considering the people I know," Sierra spoke, pointing over to Amber.

"No, no here’s what’s gonna happen," Sierra started, taking out her cell phone. "You’re gonna forget you ever hit Chad or ever saw him. You’re gonna forget you came up with your hair brained little plan or ever came into his life. You’re not ever going to talk to him or any of us for the rest of your miserable and pathetic little life."

"Or," Sierra started, pressing the ‘ok’ button on her phone which started to playback the entire conversation they just had. "The police get this. Probably won’t be too hard to do a voice analysis. You’re a shitty lawyer, you should at least know that much."

Reed was shocked that someone he thought he was so much smarter than had completely figured him out and outsmarted him. He was impressed and a little turned on as well.

"That’s too bad," he said. "Maybe you and I could’ve-"

"Sorry but I find you revolting," Sierra spoke. "Besides, now that Chad isn’t married to you it turns out he might be getting married to someone else."

"And who would that be?" Reed asked.

"Me," Sierra replied, calmly. "You said it yourself, you know how much he’s worth."

Reed stared hard at the woman he was now completely in love with.

"Come on Amber, we’re leaving," Sierra spoke, putting her cell phone back into her purse.

"They’re showing the casting auditions to Trey’s show," Amber spoke. "Ew, is my ass really that big?"

"Now, Amber!" Sierra exclaimed. "It’s been...enlightening, but I think I need to go comfort my future husband now. You understand how that works."

Sierra was completely thrilled that once again she was now completely in control of how and when Chad regained his memory. All she hoped was that she had a nice five karat diamond on her finger before it happened.