Trey looked over at Shawn typing away at his computer.

Shawn could tell that Trey was watching him. Again. They’d been playing this game for two hours now. The game where one would look at the other and pretend not to notice while doing everything they could to bother the other.

It was what had become an unconventional defense mechanism for Shawn. Because simply refusing to speak to Trey wasn’t enough. There had to be more.

But Trey wasn’t going to be one to be outwitted. He had his own tricks up his sleeve. Things that he knew bothered Shawn that he wasn’t afraid to do anymore.

They were once again at a return to the beginning of the school year when all was war and they hated each other, each thinking of ways to annoy the other more.

Trey was in the process of deciding exactly what he could do to annoy Shawn before his cell phone, which was on his desk a few feet away from him, started ringing.

It rang once while both Shawn and Trey looked at it. It rang again before they each looked at each other. It rang one more time before Trey hopped up and opened it without checking to see who it was.

As he said ‘hello’, Shawn promptly turned his music up as loud as it could go. Trey struggled to hear who was on the phone before noticing a distinct clicking sound and realizing that he’d been hung up on.

Once Shawn realized it as well, he turned his music down as Trey threw his phone atop his bed.

"Shawn! That could’ve been my mom!" Trey shouted.

"Well if you’d stop being a little chicken shit and went and talked to her face to face you wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not she calls you," Shawn replied.

"A chicken shit? Really?" Trey asked.

Shawn shrugged before turning back to his computer.

Trey sighed before walking over and unplugging Shawn’s computer to which Shawn jumped up.

"Hey!"

"You have your own outlet...somewhere over there. If you ever cleaned up you could find it," Trey replied.

Shawn crossed his arms and locked eyes with Trey.

"What’s your problem?" Shawn asked.

"Why do I have to be the one with the problem? Maybe it’s you?"

"No I’m pretty sure it’s just you and your jealousy issues over me and Collin."

"Jealousy issues? Wouldn’t there have to be something for me to be jealous over first? Collin doesn’t count."

"Oh yeah? Then why do you always find an excuse to leave whenever he shows up?"

Trey walked past Shawn and over towards the sink, Shawn turning around to watch him.

"You’re making stuff up now."

"Trey, come on. You know I’m not."

"That’s one thing you think you know."

"One thing?"

Trey looked over himself in the mirror not really knowing how next to respond.

He knew that Shawn was right. He was jealous of Collin. The thing that was getting to him so much was the fact that he didn’t know why. He had long ago decided that he was going to refrain from seeing anyone else while he did his best to become as emotionally available for Noah as possible. And he still wanted very much for that to happen. So more than anything it bothered him that he was jealous of Collin for being with Shawn. They had already decided that they weren’t going to be together so he was mostly just confused and frustrated and felt perfectly content with taking it out on Shawn.

"Look, Trey, if it makes you uncomfortable to see us together then I’ll just tell Collin to meet at his place," Shawn said, hoping to end the fighting.

The idea of Shawn going off to spend time alone with Collin somewhere that he didn’t know about made Trey feel even worse than before. At least with Collin coming over to their room he knew where Shawn was.

"The only thing it makes me is sick. Sick of having him around constantly. Sick of you being gone all the time and ditching us just like before-"

"Ditching you? Trey, I don’t ditch you guys-"

"You know what, this whole thing was a mistake. They gave us the option of switching roommates before we moved back in together and I should’ve taken them up on it."

Trey moved past Shawn and over to his bed, sitting atop it while he started to put on his shoes.

"Trey-"

"You may be my roommate and I might be stuck with you until the end of the year but that doesn’t mean I have to force myself to be stuck with you when I don’t have to."

Shawn watched as Trey grabbed his keys and headed out of the room, leaving Shawn feeling even more upset with Trey than before.

* * *

"You know for a guy in rehab you sure do come with a lot of literal baggage," Jesse said as he watched David gather together the last of his things.

"What do you expect? I’ve been here three months," David replied.

"I bet you’re completely stoked to be leaving," Seth said, jumping back onto his bed as he watched David pack.

"You know, I spent so much time hating this place and wanting to leave that it feels weird that when I actually get to, I almost don’t want to," David replied.

"Okay, now I believe you. Aliens do abduct and replace people," Seth joked.

"I’m serious," David chuckled. "Back home, I wasn’t exactly...I mean....I don’t know if you guys noticed but I’m not exactly the most...normal guy in the world."

"No we noticed and braced ourselves accordingly," Jesse replied.

"Just, I never really had any friends and you guys are completely beyond what I could’ve hoped for in any. Who would’ve thought my first friends would be rich famous people."

"Finally, someone who realizes the power of the celebrity when they behold it," Jesse mumbled.

David sat down at the table in the center of the room, looking over at his friends.

"I’m pretty sure the GHB someone spiked the punch with at the party is still someone in my blood stream," he said. "I could make them make me take a drug test and fail so I can stay."

"You know about the drugs?" Jesse asked.

"Was him trying to give Dr. Walker a lap dance when she came back not clue enough for you?" Seth asked.

"I was just thrilled she decided not to do anything about the party. Anything else was an afterthought," Jesse replied.

"Look, Little D, man, we like you and all but we all knew we’d have to say goodbye to each other eventually," Seth said.

"Yes, rehab is what people aspire to eventually exit from not warmly embrace staying in," Jesse said.

David sighed.

"I know but I’m gonna go back to my old home and my old life and everything is gonna be exactly the same as it was before. Me eating lunch alone in the bathroom because people think I’m too weird to get to know."

"You’re still weird," Jesse said.

Seth nudged Jesse who sighed and shrugged.

"I don’t know, you’ve learned things. You’ve grown," Jesse said. "You’re still the same you from before only now you’re the new and improved version thanks in large part to myself and, begrudgingly, Seth."

David smiled looking over his two friends.

"You’re gonna remember what I told you about the windows at night right?" he asked.

"Yes that if we ever see Oprah Winfrey in person we’re to board them and prepare for the alien invasion," Jesse droned.

"Because she’s the queen of an entire alien race and that she’s building trust on Earth before striking," Seth added, also in a drone like voice.

"You guys don’t sound like you believe me," David said.

"Little D, I think maybe you should lay off some of the aliens are coming stuff when you go back home," Seth said. "You’re cool now. You think cool people care about aliens?"

"You’re gonna come visit me?" David asked, hopefully.

"Absolutely," Seth replied. "Dude you’re like the little brother I never realized I wanted. Besides someone has to check in every once in a while and make sure you’re scoring with the ladies."

David looked over at Jesse, expectantly.

Jesse agreed with Seth. He had a brother and yet felt closer to a guy he’d known only two months. David pretty much was family to him, a new concept entirely to him. He was worth visiting and spending time with if only to explore what it meant to have people he cared about in his life.

"Only if you promise to keep in touch," Jesse replied. "We all know what kind of hell on earth rehab is. You need to keep me sane so I don’t end up in another kind of treatment center."

"Well, you still have Seth," David said.

"Only if you consider that fact to be a plus," Jesse mumbled. "Which I do not."

"Don’t worry about us, Little D," Seth spoke, putting an arm around Jesse’s shoulders. "Jesse’s gonna be in good hands. We all know I’m all kinds of fun."

"Yes, about as fun as contracting VD," Jesse replied, bitter that David was leaving.

"You two aren’t gonna fight again are you?" David asked.

"What and miss out on you being around to break it up?" Seth asked. "I think the great rehab brawls are over and done with."

"Yay us," Jesse mumbled. "You were probably the only good thing about this wretched place and now you’re leaving and I can’t. If there was ever a reason to turn back to drugs I’d say today most definitely qualifies."

David and Seth watched as Jesse got up and exited the room, neither of them knowing quite what to say at that moment.

"He’s mad at me," David said.

"He’s Jesse Yorkshire. He’s mad at everyone," Seth said.

"True," David replied. "You think I should go talk to him?"

"He’ll come back. Where else is he gonna go?"

* * *

"I’m just saying, him having to stay another week might mean he might not be as well off as we thought," Grace said as she and everyone else talked over dinner.

Trey looked across the table at Shawn with an angry scowl on his face, Shawn returning the scowl before both of them returned their attention to their plates.

"Well I hope a week is all it is," Sierra said. "He’s gonna miss finals if he stays gone any longer. No roll call means you can miss as many normal classes as you want but when it comes to finals..."

"Yeah, we get it," Zoey said, sprinkling salt over her French fries.

Grace looked between Shawn and Trey, glaring at each other before shaking her head and sighing.

"Boy, what’s wrong with your friend?" she asked.

Ben, mouth full of food, stopped chewing and looked over at her before shrugging and beginning to chew again.

"Maybe they’re doing it," Sierra suggested. "The hottest couples have the worst fights."

"I feel the chill all the way over here," Dylan added.

"You’re still here? I thought when I couldn’t see your head over the table you left," Sierra said.

"How many times do I have to tell you? No, you can’t fuck me," Dylan replied to Sierra holding up a middle finger at him in response.

"Well whatever it is, ya’ll need to squash it. Like now," Grace said. "Ya’ll need to be in happy moods if you’re gonna show this school off."

"I’m sorry, you do go here right? What branch of logic do you subscribe to that would give you the idea this is the school of anyone’s dreams?" Sierra asked.

"The one that says if you say something else to me I don’t like I’ma put foot up yo ass, bitch. Shit," Grace replied. "Anyway, I need ya’ll to be like some Stepford people. You’re representing the Pink Panthers."

"Aren’t we always?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah but this weekend is Incoming Freshman weekend," Grace replied.

"What’s that?" Dylan asked.

"It’s the two days the poor idiots that are going here next semester get to come up here and pretend like they go here now or something while the rest of us get to sit back and laugh at how they remind us of us when we were that stupid," Sierra replied, happily.

"I said say something else, didn’t I?" Grace started, beginning to get into an argument with Sierra.

Trey meanwhile looked back over at Shawn. He’d gone on the latest of a long string of silence strikes he’d been going on in the past week. Ever since Shawn decided to be an asshole about what he thought were jealousy issues all while protecting his precious boyfriend Collin. It made Trey sick to think that Shawn was willing to revert back to his old self and get on his nerves just so long as Collin was happy because God forbid Collin wasn’t happy. Because then no one would want Shawn and he’d be worse off than before.

It made Trey sick.

Shawn meanwhile couldn’t believe that Trey was behaving so immaturely. For a large part of the year he had spent his time trying to win Trey’s affections, being either strung along or shot down entirely every time. Finally when Shawn found someone that was perfect enough to help him get over Trey did Trey want to act like some spoiled brat that wasn’t getting the cake he was used to having and eating at the same time. The fact that Noah was gone probably didn’t change the fact that Trey was just a jealous person who needed to get over himself.

Trey was getting on his nerves.

"Oh, like orientation? Dude I so bailed on that. I heard there was something called a Super Sunday," Dylan said.

"I guess it’s like orientation. And because so many people are busy stressing about finals and graduation and a bunch of other shit, the school was running short on volunteers. So I volunteered the Pink Panthers," Grace said.

"And the school went for that? A gay student group leading the charge for the setting the perfect example show they want put on for these kids?" Zoey asked.

"Well since Chad put all that money into the club fund, more than any other on campus, they taking us seriously now. We got a voice and I wasn’t afraid to put it to use," Grace replied. "Besides, I pointed out that not every Pink Panther member was gay and that we don’t have an agenda in volunteering."

"Unless some of these kids are hot," Sierra said. "Then we should try getting them into the club."

"Okay thanks jailbait much," Zoey said.

Shawn and Trey hadn’t heard one word of the entire conversation and had been too busy trying to intimidate the other through their stares.

"So you’re telling me that there’s gonna be three days where the school is flooded with fresh new high school girl ass?" Ben asked, probably the most interested in the conversation. "Where do I sign up?"

"Since when are you into high school girls?" Shawn asked, finally ending his stare down session with Trey.

"Bro are you kidding? High school chicks dig older guys. It’s a fact," Ben replied.

"And you’re there to offer your overused shoulder to lean and cry on. Poor them," Sierra said.

"Hey anytime you wanna go at it? I’m always ready," Ben replied.

"Because I hear you have performance issues," Sierra said.

"Wha...who told you that?" Ben asked, sounding panicked.

"Okay, moving on," Grace started. "I need ya’ll ready for this. These kids can’t come up here and have us acting like some fools. And I definitely don’t want them thinking that just cuz we got problems up the ying yang that it’s what college is all about."

"What is college all about, exactly?" Dylan asked.

"Not that," Grace replied.

"Grace, do we have to?" Trey asked.

"Aww, got something more important to do? Like crying over Noah?" Shawn asked.

"Why Noah when I can cry over you, right? Oh wait, no I’ll be too busy planning Collin’s demise," Trey replied.

"Asshole," Shawn mumbled.

"Jackass," Trey replied.

Everyone stared in silence at their friends glaring at each other before Amber appeared at their table.

"Hey guys," she greeted, happily.

"Oh great. Ladies and gentlemen let’s please all welcome stupid into the conversation," Sierra mumbled.

"What conversation? I think we pretty much hit a wall," Zoey replied. "Have a seat Amber."

"Since when are you two friends?" Sierra asked, shifting her body towards the table as Amber took a seat next to her.

"You know what, ya’ll need to get over your little issues okay. Don’t you get tired of fighting over nothing all the damn time?" Grace asked.

"Grace-"

"Ah, no. And ya’ll need to end it fast too. You’re doing the IFW thing together," Grace replied.

"What?" Trey and Shawn asked simultaneously.

"Ooh, drama," Sierra said, leaning forward.

"What’d I miss?" Amber asked.

"About eighteen years common sense training," Sierra chuckled, hoping someone would agree with her but looking around the table only noticed scowls.

"Okay please tell me you’re kidding Grace," Trey said.

"Yeah, I have a lot of stuff to do...I’m busy you know-"

"Since when are you busy?" Ben jabbed at Shawn.

"Grace, I can’t-"

"You’re roommates and more importantly friends. Get over it," Grace replied.

Trey looked over at Shawn and sighed while Shawn rolled his eyes and crossed his arms like a pouting four year old.

Neither one of them was happy with what they were going to have to do and it definitely showed on their faces.

"Whatever," Shawn sighed like a teenager that had just lost a fight with his mother. "I have shit to do. Call me when it’s time to do this thing."

Trey didn’t really want to just accept it. He wanted to argue about it with Shawn some more. But Shawn was up and gone before he could get a word out edgewise.

Trey sighed angrily and sat back with his arms crossed like a pissed off child before looking over at Grace across the table.

"What?" he asked.

"Noah’s supposed to come back to you like this?" Grace asked.

Truthfully, Trey was starting to think less and less about Noah every day. The fact that Grace had brought him up only made him feel guilty about that.

"He started it," Trey mumbled.

"Okay, are you seriously hearing yo ass right now?" Grace asked. "I mean, are you almost 19 years old or what?"

Trey didn’t care how he looked to anyone. Shawn was being a jackass and as far he was concerned that was the end of the story.

"By the way Zoey, girl you doing the project with me and I got ya’ll two together," Grace said pointing over at Sierra and Grace.

"Just cuz we’re both blonde huh?" Amber asked, obviously unhappy as she pouted. "That’s so racist."

Sierra scoffed.

"Seriously, who decided it would be a good idea for you to graduate high school?" she replied before turning to Grace. "And I can’t work with her. Unless you want these kids thinking she’s what they have to look forward to when they start new in the fall."

"What is with everyone and they baby ass attitudes? I don’t have time for this mess today," Grace said as she gathered her belongings and stood up. "Ya’ll figure it out."

"I’m busy too you know!" Sierra called after Grace. "I have lots of things going on in my life!"

"And yet, here you are," Zoey mumbled to which Amber giggled before the two of them began talking in voices only loud enough for them to hear each other.

Trey sat thinking about how miserable he was going to be if working with Shawn on anything came to fruition. As if spending more time with the guy was exactly what he wanted to be doing right now.

"You gonna eat that?" Ben asked, looking over Trey’s plate.

* * *

"Alright everyone, as I’m sure most of you already know, some of you will be leaving and this will be your last group share session," Dr. Walker started.

"Hopefully," Seth mumbled.

Jesse looked around the room at everyone sitting in the circle before finally resting his gaze on Dylan. A moment later Dylan looked eyes with him going from looking happy and cheery to unsure and apologetic.

Jesse simply rolled his eyes and looked away, crossing his arms with a sigh.

"I feel that it’s important that we talk about the benefits of therapy and the necessary changes that those who are leaving have made in their lives in order to start their lives outside these walls with a renewed sense of being and belonging," Dr. Walker continued.

"Well that’s simple," Jesse said. "No drugs. Other than the ones you give us."

No one said anything as Dr. Walker looked over in Jesse’s direction.

"Jesse, those supplements-"

"Are made by a pharmaceutical company same as any other ‘take two with food and water’," Jesse replied. "Hope we all haven’t been paying for the weak stuff."

The silence in the room, if at all possible, grew even more deafening as Dr. Walker stared Jesse down.

"Jesse, if this...acting out-"

"Acting out?-"

"Has anything to do with your extended stay here, now is not the proper time to discuss that," Dr. Walker said as calmly and evenly as possibly.

Jesse looked around at everyone and then over at David.

"You’re right," he said. "Let’s talk about whatever it is you wanted to talk about."

Dr. Walker, suspicious that Jesse may have been up to something, faltered a moment before regaining her composure and continuing.

"Alright, uh, David, why don’t you start us off," she began. "Why don’t you tell us what you feel is different about you now than before you came here."

Everyone turned their attention to David, who seemed not to like being put on the spot as he shuffled in his seat a bit.

"Um, well," he started, not really sure where to start. "I don’t know. I don’t sell drugs here?"

"Not that you could anyway, right?" Seth chuckled before catching Dr. Walkers cold stare and silencing himself.

"Besides not having access, what do you think has changed as far as desire?" Dr. Walker asked. "Do you feel like you’ll want to return to the using and selling of-"

"He never used," Jesse spoke sharply before looking back at the ground.

Dr. Walker stared at Jesse for a moment before turning her attention back to David.

"Okay, well how about you just tell me how you feel, in your own words David."

David looked over at Jesse before settling in his seat.

"You know, when I first got here I thought it was exactly like what I was used to," he started. "High school sucked for me. People didn’t talk to me unless they were buying drugs from me and even those people couldn’t even remember the name of the guy they were buying drugs from."

"And I got here and I couldn’t see a difference. No one talked to me. Everybody treated me like the weird crazy freak that even Bjork wouldn’t talk to. I was alone, just like always."

It seemed like with this revelation, everyone all of a sudden felt too ashamed to look David in the eyes as he continued to speak.

"I thought this place was just gonna be the lesser of two evils, a placeholder until I had to go back to....that place," David continued. "And I kept thinking that up until about two months ago when this guy...this guy came."

Everyone looked over at Jesse, who in turn looked up and over at David.

"He may not have wanted to end up here but I’m glad he did," David said. "Because for the first time in my life, I know for sure that someone actually cares enough about me not to treat me I don’t belong. And that’s important for me because...well, it’s not like my parents are ever going to. And now I don’t need to care about that because he, and Seth, have both shown me that I am capable of having friends and a life, even outside these walls. And I don’t have to worry about leaving this place and going back because I’m not gonna let myself be taken advantage of anymore."

"Awesome," Seth cheered.

Dr. Walker sat back.

"Yes, that was very motivating," Dr. Walker said. "Jesse? Anything you want to say to that?"

Everyone looked over at Jesse as Jesse pondered over in his minds the words that had just entered it from David’s mouth. It was true that Jesse had come to feel like David was the brother he actually wanted and he did care a great deal about him. But all David leaving was doing for him was to make him feel worse about having to stay, especially without him.

"It was a nice speech but let’s be frank, that’s not the way the real world works," Jesse replied.

"I’m sorry?" Dr. Walker asked.

"Yes, you are but back to what I was talking about," Jesse replied. "You think anyone is going to take you seriously with this talk of warmth and love you’ve spouted about? Let me tell you exactly what is going to happen. You’re going to go back to that school and everything is going to be just like it was before you came here. Only instead of no one remembering your name they’ll have given you a new one: The Kid That Went to Rehab."

No one knew what to say to Jesse’s comments.

"You think this place is helping any of you? They’re babysitting us! Of course were going to all clean up our acts and stay off drugs when we can’t get any. But the moment you all step foot outside these doors you’ll go back to being the unwashed nobodies you all were before you came here. And no one is ever going to take any of us seriously ever again. We’re jokes and failures. Is that enough ‘group share’ for you Dr. Walker?"

* * *

"Tell her you have better things to do," Collin said as the both of them lay atop Shawn’s bed in the dimly lit dorm room.

Shawn was in Collin’s arms being stroked lightly by Collin as they talked.

"You haven’t know Grace for that long so I’ll just tell you straight up, you don’t tell her what to do, she tells you," Shawn replied.

"Wow. That sounds really one sided," Collin replied.

"Maybe but Grace is my friend, one of my best friends and I don’t wanna look like a dick and let her and the school down just because I’m having problems with my roommate for the billionth time this year."

Collin sighed.

"You know, it baffles the mind that you decided to be roommates again after all the stress you gave each other last semester."

"Yeah well last semester I was in love with Trey. And I thought I was this semester at first too, which is why I didn’t move out. What’s his excuse?"

"Other than being in love with you?"

Shawn sat up.

"What?" Collin asked.

"Collin, Trey is NOT in love with me."

Collin sat up and stared at Shawn to see if he was being serious before deciding he didn’t want to take the conversation into territory he didn’t want it venturing into.

"Okay," he replied.

"What, no, Collin, I would have known if Trey was ever in love with me. Okay. He had chances. Plenty of chances to be with me, and every time he picked Noah. That’s not the kind of thing you do to someone you’re supposed to love."

"And I said okay. Can we not talk about your roommate for once?"

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Shawn scoffed.

Collin sighed wishing they weren’t actually having this conversation right now.

"Just that without even trying you seem to relate everything that happens to you to Trey."

Shawn’s mouth dropped for a moment.

"You know, just because you don’t like him-"

"Babe, this has nothing to do with my not liking a guy that obviously has feelings for you and as far as I can tell, vice versa-"

"Collin-

"And more to do with the fact that we’re now arguing about a guy that I don’t want to waste my time arguing about."

Shawn sighed, feeling slightly ashamed to be putting his boyfriend through the same thing that Trey constantly put him through when he was with Noah.

"The guy lost his boyfriend. As much as I want to judge him for his part in that, everyone deals with stuff differently so it’s probably gonna take him some time to realize that just because his boyfriend is gone doesn’t mean he suddenly gets to have you when it’s convenient for him."

Shawn agreed with one thing. He really didn’t feel much like getting into an argument about Trey either. Trey had made his decision a long time ago and Collin was right. He didn’t get to have him just because Noah wasn’t in the picture anymore.

Collin made him happy and Trey should have been happy for him but he could understand that he wasn’t. Shawn knew that he himself wasn’t exactly the most patient and understanding guy before their current situation.

"You know, one of my roommates was kicked out of our apartment awhile ago for something. None of us really know why but we have a free room. You technically could stay with me if you wanted," Collin said after a brief silence between the two of them.

Shawn looked over at Collin.

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" he asked.

"Well not me exactly. There’s still two more people living in that apartment but....I don’t know, it’s just an option you have. If you want it, I mean."

Shawn laid back down, thinking it over. It was tempting, he couldn’t deny that. But at the same time, even though he and Trey were having problems at the moment he didn’t want to just give up on him and leave him to himself. If he had to be honest, Shawn felt like a lot of the tension between the two of them was his fault and he wasn’t sure what Trey would do if he abandoned him.

"I hate packing," Shawn decided to reply, making sure to say it with a smile. "Besides, I don’t want you getting tired of seeing my face."

Collin held on to Shawn tighter.

"You know that’s not gonna happen right?"

"Yeah."

As the two of them sat together in comfortable silence, a few moments later this was disturbed when Trey arrived in the room, a disgusted snort escaping from his mouth at the sight of Shawn and Collin together.

Both Shawn and Collin sat up.

Trey stood at the door as Collin stood up, looking between Trey and Shawn.

"Well I guess that’s my cue to leave right?" he said.

Shawn stood up.

"What no kiss goodbye?" Shawn asked.

Collin, for whatever reason, looked back over at Trey before heading over to Shawn for the kiss. Trey meanwhile, let the door slam behind him, stopping the kiss from going on any longer.

"I think I saw a girl get kidnapped outside," Trey mumbled as Collin headed for the door. "Drive safe."

Collin stared at Trey’s fake smile for a few moments before sighing and looking back at Shawn.

"I’ll see you tomorrow," he said.

Shawn watched as Collin exited before turning his attention to Trey.

"Asshole much?"

"That’s a safety deal," Trey replied, taking off his jacket. "I was concerned."

"Bullshit," Shawn said. "And you better not fucking pull this shit tomorrow with that Incoming Freshman thing Grace is making us do."

"Why? Afraid I’ll look like the bigger-"

"Dick? No, just I don’t wanna have to make one of those high school kids take you to the clinic when I kick your ass. They might miss something important."

Trey said nothing as he walked over to their sink while Shawn toppled onto his bed. Trey watched Shawn staring up at the ceiling from the mirror for a few moments before opening the medicine cabinet and pulling out his face cream.

"What happened to us?" Shawn found himself mumbling aloud. "I mean how did we go from friends to...whatever this is?"

Trey turned around.

"You say that like the friends thing was something we’ve always been."

When in truth, as Trey realized but would never admit to Shawn, they had spent more time not being civil and friendly than actually being so.

"Well, I’m willing to forgive you."

"For what?"

Shawn sat up.

"What do you mean for what? You’re the one that accused MY boyfriend of-"

"Oh so now I’m suddenly stupid and can’t remember what I say to people?"

Shawn sighed.

"No, Trey, that’s not what I’m saying-"

"I know what you’re saying. You think that because I’m the one that’s finally single and you’re the one in the relationship that I’m all of a sudden interested in you."

Shawn figured it would at least explain the jealousy issues regarding Collin.

"Reality check? You have always been a prick so the fact that you somehow managed to find someone who happens to be an even bigger one than you does not in any way make me wax nostalgic for your lost lovelorn.

Shawn could tell that as long as Trey wanted to be like this he was going to be and there was not going to be anything he could do to change his mind.

Trey talking down to and being angry with him he could take. He was used to it by now. Trey badmouthing Collin had gone from simply being annoying and straight to being something that was pissing him off greatly.

"Fine, you know what?" Shawn said. "You stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours."

"Were doing that thing tomorrow remember?" Trey said.

"You know what I mean," Shawn replied, plopping back down on his bed.

"Yeah, whatever," Trey snorted, turning on the faucet at the sink.

* * *

Jesse sat staring at David’s packed bags as he slowly tried to come to terms with the current state that was his reality.

His entire life had been about one thing: survival. His father had never paid him more than two seconds worth of attention. His mother treated him like something she only got to have once a year and after that he was old again. His brother was....Nicholas.

Everything he had ever done had been at the sole benefit of himself. He taught himself right from wrong. He taught himself that the world was nothing more than a bunch of half-truths and whole lies strung together by people who turned things into rules.

And now those same people with those same rules were telling them that as soon as he happened to have found a way to deal it was all going back to the way it was before because he was stuck here while everyone, people like David and Seth, were getting to leave.

Apparently the saying ‘life isn’t fair’ was true after all.

"So I may be a little fuzzy on the specifics, but I’m pretty sure therapy is supposed to help people," Seth said, upon entering the room.

Jesse looked up at him leaning against the doorframe before turning over on his back on his bed and looking up at the ceiling.

"I suppose that depends on who’s giving it," he said.

"You know he had to leave sometime, Jesse," Seth said.

"And you’re going on about what now, exactly?"

Seth shut the door and entered the room, taking a seat at the table in the center of the room facing Jesse.

"You think you’re helping him being like this?" he asked.

Jesse rolled over.

"What?"

"Did you listen to anything he said earlier? The guy looks up to you. You’re more than a friend to him and you acting like some kind of...dumb idiot-"

"Yes, let’s choose this very way to express ourselves right now-"

"You knew he was going to leave. Just like I’m going to leave, that guy that steals peoples shoes to jack off in is gonna leave and cocksucking Sally next door is gonna leave. You don’t stay here forever."

"I know that!"

"Then WHAT is your problem?"

Jesse sighed, crossing his arms before flipping back on his back.

"I like this. I didn’t think that I would but I do. I loathe my parents and could care less for my brother. You two are...I don’t know...and now you’re leaving and everything is going to go back to exactly the same way it was."

Seth sighed, sitting back.

"So that little rant in therapy earlier was about you then?"

Jesse didn’t respond.

"Sooner or later you’re probably gonna wanna talk about your issues. Cuz you know, talking about it them makes them not issues anymore."

"Not with that beast of a woman. I refuse. Besides, I’ve already decided the world is a cold bitter place with a bunch of dead ends where opportunities should be. You must get with the program at some point."

"Dude, you aren’t getting laid with that attitude," Seth said as David entered the room a moment later.

Seth and Jesse looked over at him a silence in the room that none of them quite knew how to break. Jesse looked away while Seth watched as David walked over to his bags and attempting to lift them before stopping altogether.

Seth, puzzled looked back at Jesse before looking over at David once again.

"You know, the shoving drugs up your ass so you could stay thing was just a suggestion you know," he said. "Please tell me you didn’t take me seriously."

"What?" David asked, his attention now focused on Seth. "No, they didn’t catch me with drugs."

David looked over at Jesse who he could tell was doing everything possible to avoid looking at him.

"So you’re not even gonna say goodbye to me then?" he asked.

"And make the process official?" Jesse asked. "Go grab a pen, stab that in my eye while you’re at it."

"I’m not going off to war. I’m not donating organs to Seattle Grace. I’m not...you’ll see me again, Jesse," David tried.

"Who says I want to see you again?" Jesse asked, still not looking over at David.

Seth looked over at David who to him looked utterly defeated before deciding he needed to fix things before they got so bad he couldn’t.

"Okay get up," he said, forcing Jesse up.

"Are you mad, lunatic? Get off of me!"

"WE are going to talk this out, like adults, because once were outside these walls again we have to be the people the world expects us to be and I’m not sure any of us are gonna be capable of being adults when that happens," Seth said sitting in between David and Jesse.

"What a wonderfully comforting boost to my morale that was. Care to color in a bit more insult to that injury?" Jesse asked.

"What I mean is, we all know what our lives are gonna be like. Just because were different doesn’t mean everyone else is gonna be," Seth replied. "We’re all we’ve got."

"I think I’ve managed to do a perfectly acceptable job all on my own thus far," Jesse argued.

"Yeah, your stint in rehab is your proof," Seth replied. "Face it, you like us."

"Absolutely not," Jesse replied. "I can’t like anyone that wants to leave."

"I think you’re looking at it the wrong way Jesse," David spoke up, hoping to urge Jesse into not feeling so much hatred towards the both of them.

Jesse, who thus far had been avoiding looking at David, turned and looked in his direction.

"I don’t want to leave, I have to leave. I came here for a reason," David said. "Even though I wasn’t using drugs I still needed help. I didn’t realize it but I did. And now I have you guys for best friends and now that I have you, it’s okay for me to leave because things WILL be different when I leave. I’m not gonna let them stay the same."

Jesse stared at David. Deep down inside he knew that about David now. As much of a weirdo loser he thought David was upon first arriving in rehab nearly two months earlier he had more than become someone that Jesse could actually see himself calling a true friend. And he had never had that before. Not with anyone.

"He’s right you know," Seth chided.

Jesse relented.

"I know," he sighed.

"So I guess no more Prison Breaks for us then," David said.

"Not unless you wanna come spring me out of here once you go," Jesse replied.

"I’m gonna visit," David said.

"No," Jesse replied. "Don’t. Because when I get out of here, I’m gonna come visit you and tell everyone you know why you’re the best possible person to have in their lives."

"And I’m just-"

"Exactly," Jesse replied for Seth. "A fill in the blank."

Jesse knew that he was going to miss David and even Seth but at least accepting that they were leaving him was the first step to whatever recovery he was trying to make. Talking with Dr. Walker was probably going to happen after all, he figured.

* * *

"How exactly do you know they’re gonna be in a bus again?" Trey asked.

He, Shawn, Grace, Sierra, Dylan, Amber, Zoey and Ben were all standing at the curb of the street corner that was the home of the final stop for all the campus bus routes. Or first stop depending on how one wanted to look at it.

It was bright and early on Saturday morning and the sun had been beaming straight into everyone’s faces for nearly an hour as they waited for what they assumed would be a yellow school bus full of horny high school kids.

"What you think I ain’t got my info straight?" Grace asked. "This is where they’ll be when they get here."

"Which, you know, could be any time today apparently," Sierra replied.

"It’s 9:30 in the morning. What did you expect, drill sergeants?" Zoey asked.

"How about breakfast?" Dylan yawned, plopping himself down on the curb and tucking his knees up to his chest. "I don’t have weekend classes for a reason you know."

"Ya’ll not about to start with the whining and bitching again are you?" Grace asked. "Cool with me if you do cuz I won’t be the one looking like a high school freshman to a bunch of high school seniors."

"We’re halfway there already," Ben said. "We look like a bunch of gay tools in these matching pink shirts."

"I’m pretty sure you always look like a tool sans pink gay shirt," Dylan said.

"Shut up loser," Ben threatened.

"I don’t know, they’re kind of cute," Amber said admiring her own shirt as everyone stared over at her. "Ooooooh. Pink for Pink Panthers. I just got that."

Sierra, decided it was too early in the morning to comment on that particular statement, deciding the she would get the next one.

Trey looked over at Shawn. It had been a particularly rough night for him last night with Shawn deciding his preparation for showing off the school to other people would be staying up all night listening to music and watching movies. Then, the moment Trey was awake after finally managing to fall asleep, he hogged the shower, sink and pretty much made getting ready for today an all around nightmare.

Not that it had surprised Trey. Shawn pretty much was an asshole, through and through.

"You know, I’m kinda like a wild beast when I don’t get fed," Amber said. "I say and do all kinds of crazy things."

Sierra looked over at Amber.

"I’m sorry, did you say when you DON’T get fed?"

"Oh look, that’s them ya’ll," Grace said, straightening herself up. "Ya’ll look alive. Put some pep in your step."

"Hooray," Dylan yawned said heartedly, standing up.

Everyone watched as a Hope county bus pulled around the corner, stopping just short of missing where they were all standing.

"Ooh, I’m so excited ya’ll," Grace said.

"That makes one of us," Dylan mumbled as everyone walked over to the bus.

It took several moments of nervous uncertainty before anything at all happened. While they were all expecting the students to start filing off of the bus, the only person that got off at all was a large white lady with shaggy red hair and food stains on her clothing.

Everyone backed up just a little as she marched over to them in a fast huff.

"You the one’s?" she asked, sounding out of breath just from the walk over to them alone.

Grace spoke up.

"We’re the Pink Panther’s, the school designated-"

"Yeah, look here’s the deal, these aren’t the kids you thought you were getting," the woman started.

Grace flashed the woman a puzzled look.

"Come again?"

"Your kids are touring with someone else. These kids are touring with you as part of court mandated community service hours they need to complete," the woman replied. "You say you’re in charge?"

Grace looked over at Trey briefly before responding.

"Yeah...uh, I’m confused. They don’t wanna be here?" Grace asked.

"I’m sure some of them do," the woman replied. "It’s not like they’re a bunch of murderers and rapists. In fact, a few of them are from some fancy schmancy east side communities. Go figure they’re the ones here for shoplifting and public drunkenness."

Grace wanted to say something but felt too overwhelmed to work up any words.

"They have bags and they know the deal. Here is a list of all the possible contact numbers you might need should any of them decide to take off in the middle of the night like the little delinquents they are. I’ll be back for them on Sunday evening. Make sure you have someone from the registrars office sign off on their time sheets today and tomorrow. Other than that have fun."

"What....wait-"

"Alright you thieves and lowlifes, off the bus!" the woman shouted.

"Should we be afraid now?" Amber asked no one in particular as everyone waited for the kids to get off of the bus.

Everyone stood next to each other as they waited apprehensively as they waited for what they hoped wouldn’t be the worst high school kids in America to get off of the bus.

The first and second people off of the bus were two girls, one with blond hair the other with red. Both were very overdressed and looked more at home in Los Angeles than Texas.

The next two people off of the bus were two guys. The first was a tall, well-built jock with bright green eyes and an American Eagle shirt that fit so tight you could clearly see the outline of the pecs the other guys probably wished they had. The guy behind him was smaller and almost seemed to fit in his shadow. While he was smaller and seemed to be afraid just to even show his face between the two guys he was probably the better looking.

After them were about a dozen more students, all of them looking less than thrilled to be spending their Saturday morning touring a college they probably had no intention of actually going to. Their looks of boredom were matched with the looks of people who were itching to get into some kind of trouble.

"You left your wallet in the room right?" Ben said so that only Shawn could hear.

Everyone stood looking each other over. After a few moments of silence, Zoey decided to nudge Grace once the students’ bus leaving made it clear that this was actually happening.

"Right, uh, hi ya’ll. How you doing?" Grace started, sounding less than sure with herself.

"Isn’t this college?" the blonde between the pair of rich girls spoke up, removing her sunglasses. "Where are all the people?"

"We’re people," Grace replied.

"I meant hot college frat guys," the girl clarified.

Ben cleared his throat and lifted his shoulders in an effort to attract their attention to him.

"That’s more like it," the girl replied. "I’m Lauren. That’s Jasmine."

"Ben."

"Right. Are you my group leader?" Lauren asked in a more than overtly sexual tone.

Grace moved in between Lauren and Ben, crossing her arms.

"Uh, no babies on this adventure, little girl," she said. "You in they group."

Lauren looked over at Sierra and Amber standing next to each other.

"The fake blonde old bitches?" she asked. "What are they, 25?"

"Uh, I’m 19 you-"

"Girl, be quiet!" Grace cut Amber off. "Look, take them and two more and start touring the campus."

Grace moved past the girls and over to Trey.

"Take the first two and two more," she said. "And please try to be the adult you are and not fight with Shawn’s ass today."

Trey scoffed.

"Fine," he replied. "I just won’t talk to him."

"Boy, I said be an adult not act like a three year old," Grace replied. "Me and Zoey will take the rest. I can’t believe these people giving me some random ass kids from nowhere. What cause we a gay group we can’t handle real kids?"

"They’re real kids," Zoey said. "Just with sticky fingers and criminal tendencies."

"Well regardless we gon need to pay attention to them the whole time if we wanna come out of this not smelling like shit," Grace replied before letting out a deep smile and forcing a big fake smile. "Today is gonna be a happy day."

Trey looked over at Shawn who was busy talking with Ben. All he could think about in that moment was about how much today was not going to be a happy day for him.

* * *

"And this is the library, the place where I spend a lot of my time, being on the Dean’s List and all," Sierra said as she, Amber and their group of high school kids stopped in front of the library.

"Dean’s List? Really?" Jasmine asked. "Is it really hard to get onto?"

"Who cares? Where do they throw all the good parties?" Lauren asked, looking around.

"What?" Sierra asked, annoyed.

"My dad knows people at Yale that can get me in but I don’t really care about grades and studying because I’m rich and I won’t ever have to work," Lauren replied. "I just wanna have a good time and I heard this school has all the killer parties."

Amber tossed her hair behind her shoulder before crossing her arms.

"Well in that case, this is the whore you wanna talk to," she said. "She knows places like that based on all the toilets she pukes in."

"Coming from the girl in the sorority," Sierra said.

"You’re in a sorority?" Lauren asked. "Which one? Is it the Lamda Gamma’s? That’s the one I’d join if I went here."

"No she’s in the one nobody really cares about. Shall we move on?" Sierra said beginning to walk.

Amber caught up to her and joined her at her side.

"Why are you trying to make look bad in front of these kids?" she asked.

"Believe me, that’s gonna happen on it’s own," Sierra replied.

"You know, just because Grace and her friends like me better than you-"

"Really? You wanna tread down that path? Because I’ll go there with you, I really will-"

"Yeah, let’s go there, bitch!"

Sierra stopped, both her and Amber completely tuning out the group of kids they were supposed to be showing around campus.

"Okay, let’s start with how you keep trying to stop Jesse from being with me," Sierra replied. "Because you know that’s what he wants."

"Yeah, Jesse definitely wants the fat whore that tries to trick people into marrying them for their money!"

"Oh please, that was just to see if I could. I wouldn’t have actually taken ALL of Chad’s money. And besides, it was all I could do to keep myself sane after YOU got Jesse hooked on aspirin!"

"Me? You’re the one who stole MY letter that I was gonna give to Jesse!"

"And I can only imagine how that went. Dear Jesse, can you please buy me a clue!"

"You know what," Amber started, rolling up the sleeves on her white undershirt. "I think you’re just jealous of me."

"Jealous? Seriously?"

"Yeah. Because you know that at the end of the day, if Jesse had to choose one of us it would be me. Why else do you think he lived with ME for two months?"

"Uh, because your retarded ass told him that it was okay for a GUY to live in a sorority," Sierra replied. "Evidence of why it’s a good thing Jesse isn’t with you. Otherwise he’d get you pregnant and we’d have another one of you running around out there and the apocalypse myth would become reality."

"Newsflash skank, he already slept with me!" Amber replied. "And he liked it!"

Sierra gasped.

"He, did, NOT!"

"Yeah. Prepare for the apocalypse because the next time, and there will be a next time, I’m gonna-"

"Wait, stop," Sierra said, looking around. "Where did they go?"

Amber looked around as well to notice that their entire group had gonna off and was nowhere to be seen.

"Did we seriously just lose a bunch of criminals?" Sierra asked.

"Wanna blame me for that too?" Amber asked as she and Sierra began looking for their group.

* * *

"That’s our dorm hall across the street there," Shawn spoke, pointing to Ark Hall. "It actually partially burned down last year and just re opened after renovation."

"What kind of fucking place is this, buildings catch on fire?" the built guy from earlier, whose name had been revealed to be Mitchell, said.

"Uh, same as any other place," Shawn replied. "I mean this school obviously isn’t perfect. Shit happens."

"Yeah, if you wanna die tomorrow, this is the school for me right?" Mitchell said swinging his arms out into the air. "Actually, who gives a shit? We all gotta die someday right?"

"That’s not a great attitude to have, Mitchell," the smaller, shyer one from earlier whose name had been revealed to be Garret, spoke.

Shawn looked over at Garret and then back at Mitchell who had begun to speak.

"Whatever dude, don’t talk to me," he replied.

"Tension?" Shawn asked.

"More like I don’t wanna catch what he has," Mitchell replied, clearly not open to discussing the matter further.

Shawn looked over at Garret and then Trey briefly before speaking up.

"Okay, let’s keep moving then," he said as the group began to walk.

Trey made sure that Shawn was a good enough distance away from him before he started walking, not even noticing that everyone but Garret had started walking with Shawn. Trey started to catch up to the group, stopping when he barely noticed Garret behind him.

He turned around.

"You know if you’re sick-"

"I’m sick, but it’s not contagious," Garret replied. "At least, I don’t think it is."

Trey, really not sure what to say, said the only thing he could think of in response.

"Oh."

"I bet Mitchell thinks I’m contagious," Garret replied. "He’s my best friend, or at least he was until..."

Noticing the look that Trey was giving him, Garret elaborated.

"I know, hard to believe right? Mitchell’s the most popular guy in our school. We’ve lived next door to each other our entire lives. We know everything about each other...now."

Trey was curiously fascinated by the words coming out of Garret’s mouth but also knew that he didn’t want to come off as a pushy weirdo fishing for information when he had only met the guy an hour earlier. So he decided to just walk in silence, allowing Garret to speak up if he wanted to.

"I don’t even know what I did wrong," Garret replied after a couple minutes of no speaking between them. "If you knew the kind of stuff that I know about Mitchell. The kinds of things that he’s done."

The two of them were quite a bit behind the rest of the group so Trey was hoping that Garret would feel comfortable enough explaining to him. However, just when Trey felt that Garret was going to expound on the matter did Shawn suddenly stop the entire group, forcing the two of them to do nothing else other than catch up with everyone.

"Is he trying to turn you too?" Mitchell asked.

"Mitch, stop, please-"

Mitchells sudden fit of laughter as if being so hooked on something that was hilariously funny in that moment threw everyone off guard, including Shawn.

"Something going on here I should know about?" he asked.

"That you should know about? No," Trey replied. "Why don’t you handle your people and I’ll handle mine."

"Oh," Mitchell spoke up. "So you’re one of them too. One of the fags of the universe, trying to convert the world one straight guy at a time."

"What?" Trey asked.

"Mitchell!" Garret spoke.

"It’s not gonna work you know. You can’t turn everybody gay all of a sudden like you did."

"Mitch, I didn’t just turn gay. You of all people should know that!"

"What did you say to me you little-"

"Okay!" Shawn said, quickly getting in between Mitchell and Garret. "Let’s pick a new subject. Sports. How much of a fan of football are either of you?"

"They have issues Shawn," Trey said, annoyed. "Maybe they wanna work it out."

"Now’s not the time, Trey," Shawn replied, placing extra emphasis on the Trey part.

"Says who?" Trey asked.

"Me dumbass. Now just shut up and come on. Everyone just shut up and come on!"

Trey sighed staring over at Shawn who seemed to be getting unnecessarily worked up over nothing. He knew perfectly well why that was. This situation was hitting a little too close to home for him. It wasn’t that long ago that Ben had found out about Shawn being gay and reacted much in the same way that Mitchell was.

Not to mention Mitchell reminded Shawn a lot of himself. For what it was worth, Garret reminded Trey a lot of himself. These were two people at odds over something he had only just come to terms with himself. If anyone could understand what they were going through it should have been Shawn and Trey.

"You want me to tell everybody, Mitchell?" Garret asked. "Because seriously, at this point, what else do I have to lose?"

"You keep your fucking mouth shut you fucking little-"

"Whoa, whoa, you might THINK you’re a tough guy but I promise you I’ll get a few good hits in myself if you force my to go there with you dude," Shawn spoke. "So just back off."

"Have you seen me? My left arm is bigger than your head," Mitchell replied. "I don’t give a fuck about you. It’s him I want to keep his goddamn mouth shut."

"Good idea," Trey said hoping to keep the conflict to a minimum. "Let’s go look at the frat houses."

Trey was hoping the very mention of the frat houses would capture Mitchell’s attention enough to forget about what was going on currently.

"Which ones?" Mitchell asked.

And he was right.

Shawn looked back at Trey who nodded over to Garret. Shawn headed back to Garret while Trey headed up and stood next to Mitchell.

"I was thinking the good ones first," Trey replied. "We know a guy in the best one here. Maybe we could introduce you."

"Good. Anything to get me out of that dorm I signed up for," Mitchell mumbled as the group began walking again.

"Oh...you have a dorm already?" Trey asked.

"I was gonna stay with Garret, before I found out he probably wants to suck my fucking cock," Mitchell replied. "Frat guys don’t do that right? Please say no."

Trey looked back briefly at Shawn before responding.

"We’ll ask," he replied.

* * *

"Disaster," Sierra sighed, slouching into her seat.

Currently everyone was gathering in the cafeteria doing their best to enjoy their dinner despite the fact that they were beyond exhausted from the days activities.

"Those two bitches are the worst little brats I’ve ever met," Amber said. "Seriously."

"Oh, I think I know two bigger ones," Dylan replied.

"Really? You’ve met the Olsen twins?" Amber asked, completely serious.

"Well," Zoey started. "I know we had a hard day but you gotta remember, there’s still tomorrow."

"Oh no there ain’t," Grace said. "I called that fat bitch that dropped em off here to begin with after this little dumbass fool in my group tried to set my hair on fire. She’ll be here in an hour. There’s a reason didn’t nobody wanna look after they asses. They CRAZY!"

"Too bad because Shawn and I were having the time of our lives with our group," Trey said briefly looking over at Shawn.

"What kind of stuff did they put you two through?" Zoey asked, crunching into her salad.

Everyone looked over at Shawn and Trey genuinely interested in how it seemed the two hadn’t murdered each other.

In response, Trey and Shawn seemed to study each other for the appropriate answer to give everyone before Trey decided.

"They were great, they learned a lot," he replied.

"Seriously?" Amber asked.

"Yeah, no running off and hiding in the deans office to try to expel people they hated?" Sierra asked.

"Or trying to hook you up with a seventeen year old girl. Seriously, why does that lesbian thing keep coming up?" Zoey said.

"Or tricking you into setting off the proximity alarms in the parking garage and getting the cops called on you?" Dylan asked. "By the way we’re gonna need to pick Ben up from the campus police in an hour."

"Seriously? They were perfect little angels? All day?" Grace asked.

Trey thought about his answer before responding.

"I just...I think there’s a reason why we’re the ones that got them when no one else wanted them," Trey replied. "And I don’t think any of us could really be happy with dumping them off on somebody else."

After a moment of a silence washed over the entire group Amber spoke up.

"I could," she said.

"Nobody asked you girl," Grace replied. "Trey’s right ya’ll. I would feel bad. I already sorta do."

"Me too, actually," Sierra replied. "Bitches as they may be, they remind me of me."

"Why cuz one of them is fat?" Amber asked.

Sierra looked over at Amber.

"Your babies are gonna come out retarded one day," she said simply.

Grace sat up, moving back in her seat.

"Well, I guess I’ll go call that bitch back," Grace replied. "We stuck with em for another day."

"I’ll come with you," Zoey replied. "That girl they kept trying to set me up with keeps staring over here at me and it’s freaking me out."

"Me three!" Amber said jumping up.

The three of them got up and left, Dylan, Sierra, Trey and Shawn being the only ones remaining.

"Shouldn’t somebody pick up your friend?" Sierra asked. "He’s single right?"

"Ben? Uh...yeah," Shawn replied. "Why?"

"No reason," Sierra replied. "Come on nano Smurf."

Dylan scoffed. "Go with you? Are you crazy?"

Sierra raised an eyebrow at Dylan before looking over at Shawn.

"Shawn, Dylan is the reason-"

"Okay, let’s uh...let’s go pick up Ben who is in jail at the hands of those terrible high schoolers and for no other reason than that," Dylan spoke, grabbing Sierra’s arm and rushing her away.

Shawn and Trey who were sitting across the table from each other and had been doing their best to avoid even acknowledging the other was there realized that with everyone gone they now had no choice but to do so.

Trey crossed his arms after pushing his finished food away from him.

"It’s cuz of that kid right? Garret," Shawn said.

"What?" Trey asked.

"He’s nice. His friend is cool too, just scared and confused," Shawn replied. "I talked to him. Found out some things. Found out about the things they used to do."

Trey figured there had to be a reason why Mitchell was more than upset that Garret had come out to him so it wasn’t surprising to him to hear this new information.

"And what you think they need your help or something?" Trey asked, not quite willing to let go of his hostility towards Shawn.

"Isn’t that what you thought?" Shawn asked.

Truthfully that was exactly what Trey was thinking. He may have only had a day to do it but he’d had an entire year worth of experience to pull from. If anything he was hoping to get the two of them talking peacefully long enough to try to hash out some of their issues.

Because he needed hope. Hope that if a couple of high school guys could behave maturely long enough to get over their issues that he could come to do the same with Shawn, despite how difficult it seemed.

"Shawn, I think there’s something I should tell you," Trey started after taking in a deep breath. Now was as good a time as any, he figured.

Shawn straightened up in his seat, hopeful although he wasn’t really sure what he was hoping for. To be friends he was sure would come eventually, they always worked things out. But he felt different. Like maybe he should be hoping for something else. Something more than friends.

"Yeah?" Shawn asked.

Trey looked down at the table, feeling unable to look at Shawn in those moments before taking in another deep breath and deciding to just go for it.

"I think that I........Nick?"

Shawn raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Shawn asked.

"My old best mate!" Jesse’s brother Nick spoke with a huge smile on his face and about a half dozen girls around his arms. "How are things?"

(it’s a new day and the start of Incoming Freshman weekend. We’ll spend a few scenes here. Sierra and Amber are being outsmarted by a pair of Gossip Girl like rich girls who have chosen the school for partying. One of the girls is having some trouble with her boyfriend. The other one is just a bitch.)