Amber smiled as she spotted Francesca in the lounge area. She rearranged her purse strap on her shoulder before gliding into the room and walking towards Francesca.

Francesca's serene expression melted away as she saw Amber walking towards her. In its place came a hard, threatening look that gave Amber all of the warnings it could to stay away.

Amber ignored all of the signs. "Hello, Amber. What a pleasant surprise that I should run into you tonight!"

"I guess you would call it that," was all that Francesca replied with. She turned her attention to the big-screen television on the wall.

"Actually I suppose it is good that I've run into you. I've been wanting to talk to you about something."

"And what would that be?"

"I need to discuss with you some information I've uncovered unexpectedly. It was terribly disturbing, and I thought I might share it with you before I jumped to any conclusions," Amber answered sweetly.

"Of course! I'm sure I'm at the top of your important-things-to-discuss list. Come on, Amber. What do you really want? The Miss America Pageant is on and I want to see it."

"So you can gain more tips on how to steal something that you don't deserve?" Amber snapped. Then she followed up sweetly, "Oh, please excuse me. I don't know what came over me. But seriously, let's talk." Amber sat down next to Francesca.

Francesca grumbled before turning around to face Amber. "Then spill it, Amber. Make it quick."

"Well, you see, I've found this terrible bit of information about someone. It's really quite disturbing if you ask me."

"So you've said. Who's this someone?"

"Actually, it's you, Francesca. It's about you and your dirty little secret," Amber's eyes narrowed as the sharp attitude returned. She smiled with satisfaction as she noticed Francesca's face turn pale.

Meredith & Sharon walked blithely down the dorm hallway. The two had just been in the library researching for an English project, but now the two were homework-free.

"No more late night parties and late-morning awakenings," Sharon sighed.

"Who says?" Meredith laughed. "We're going to have all of the parties and late-risings that we've had during the summer. We'll find away around school, trust me."

"Since when have you become Miss Daring?" Sharon mock scolded. "I have to get to bed at ten tonight...after I write Mom and Dad."

Meredith noticed the faraway look entering Sharon's face. She put a sympathetic hand on Sharon's back. "I know it's hard, Sharon. We all have to go through it."

"Yes, but things weren't as bad for everyone else as they were for me. My little sister was killed, and then I up and leave?" Sharon's voice began to shake as tears entered her eyes. She quickly brushed them away and smiled. "But never mind about that. Let's think of better things before we head to bed."

"Like Mark," Meredith giggled. "I think I'll go surprise him. He said he'll be down at Lobster Cove getting dinner, so I thought I might go and keep him company. How's it sound?"

"Go for it," Sharon said, but her tone was far from enthusiastic.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'm not going over this again with you. I'll see you later," Meredith walked out of the dorm and began making her way down the sidewalk.

"I wonder if Mark will be surprised when he sees me."

Carrie stormed down the hallway. She was infuriated, frightened, and confused all at the same time. "This is no time to panic, Carrie," she told herself. "Just focus on what you came here to do."

Carrie almost bumped into Melanie as she entered the waiting room. "Hey, watch where you're- Melanie!"

Melanie's eyes lit up. "Carrie! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Jessica. I had to see how she was doing before I went to bed tonight."

The light went out of Melanie's eyes. "Carrie, please. Leave Jessica alone. Don't make things worse for you than they already are."

"Look, you don't need to worry about what I'm doing with Jessica!" Carrie snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry. I was just saying..."

Carrie stopped and took her hands off her hips. "I'm sorry, Melanie. I don't know what's getting into me. I'm just really worried. No one can find out what happened!"

"I know, you've said it about a hundred times," Melanie sighed. "Just be warned that you're taking the risk of making things worse instead of better. Have you already seen her?"

"No. This new doctor won't let me see her," Carrie grumbled angrily. "Can you believe the nerve?"

"What happened to Dr. Gonzales? I thought she was Jessica's doctor."

"It looks like Dr. Gonzales is out and he's in. But no matter what he says, I'm not leaving here tonight until I find out if Jessica's going to stay the way she is: silent and untelling!"

Meredith almost skipped down the sidewalk as she made her way to the Lobster Cove. She was almost there when a disturbance in a dark alley caught her attention. She stopped for a moment and looked down the alley.

"I'm not going to stand for her disrupting our groove. I'm not going to take the chance that she'll find out and give us away, which would be all on your shoulders. Either you get rid of the girl or we'll get rid of you," a sharp voice said in the alley.

"Look, man, I'll take care of it. The girl won't be a problem. I'll make sure she never even finds out about our group," Mark's voice responded hastily.

Meredith was confused. What girl? What group? "Mark? Is that you down there?"

She could see a figure turn around sharply and start running towards her. Meredith, terrified, began running in the opposite direction.

"Meredith! Wait!" Mark called breathlessly after her.

Meredith slowed down and turned around. "What's going on, Mark? I felt like I was intruding on an important conversation, and I didn't like what I was hearing."

"Meredith, you must have misunderstood. We weren't talking about you. We were practicing our lines," Mark said when he finally caught his breath.

"'Our?' Who else?"

"My friend Frederick and I. We're having theatre auditions tomorrow in theatre arts, and we only have a few hours to practice," Mark explained. He wouldn't look Meredith in the eyes because he knew he'd give himself away. Instead, he shoved his hands into his jean pockets and looked past her.

"In a dark alley? Mark, I don't think you're telling me the whole truth," Meredith remained leary. She didn't want to believe what Sharon had said was true, but the evidence was pretty convincing at the moment.

"Remember before how I told you I like to get into a situation to be able to act it out successfully? Frederick and I thought that practicing in a dark alley would give us the feeling of being criminals. I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression."

Meredith laughed. "No, it's just me. My silly insecurities and I. But let's forget about it and have a bite to eat now. Whadya say?"

"I say it's a smashing idea!" Mark returned the laugh. He wrapped his arm through Meredith's and began walking towards the Lobster Cove. He breathed a sigh of relief. The situation had been tight, but he believed he'd manuevered out of it successfully...for now anyways.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Francesca's voice was barely audible. It was everything she could do to keep from running out of the room crying.

"Oh but I think you do," Amber pressed on, undaunted by Francesca's intensely scared look. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. It looks like I wasn't so far off when I called you for the sl** that you are."

"You have no right to speak to me like that," Francesca said, but her voice was far from firm. She clutched her stomach as if she would vomit. "I've got to go. I've homework to do."

Amber quickly got up and stood in front of Francesca. "You aren't going anywhere, Miss Francesca. Not until you do what I told you to weeks ago."

"I won't do it," Francesca said, despite the situation. "I'm not going to let you do this to me."

"Then I guess everyone is going to have to know about Francesca's secret in Spain, won't they?" Amber threatened. Her plan was working perfectly. She knew that she had Francesca cornered.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Amber."

"I know perfectly well what I'm talking about! You're nothing but a lying, manipulative serpent trying to take everything from everyone that you know you should never get!" Tears came to Amber's eyes as she went on. "God, you do not realize what you did to me when you stole the Miss Midway title away from me. You will never understand the pain, the horror, and the betrayal that I felt when they announced your name. I have worked so hard to find something that my family can be proud of me for. I found that thing in the Miss Midway Contest and you took it away from me! I had never done anything to you, Francesca, never! But that just shows what a cold-hearted bi*** that you are. I will get back what belongs to me if it is the last thing I do, Francesca. And if I have to go down, then I'm going to drag your behind down with me!"

"What about me, Amber?!" Francesca screamed through tears. "What about the things that I've never had, that I've never gotten. No, I'm only the daughter of Ken George, businessman extrordinaire. Do you know what it's like to try and make something for yourself without having your father's influence and popularity ruining everything? No! The Miss Midway Contest has been the only thing that I've done and won without having to do anything with my father! Amber, I don't care if you tell the entire world about my secret, but I'm not going to give up my place as Miss Midway because of a jealous witch like you!" Francesca rushed out of the room before she broke down entirely.

Amber looked after Francesca with eyes that were almost sorrowful. But that was quickly replaced with a cold, hard look. "I don't care what excuse you come up with, Francesca. It's just too bad that you didn't realize that you've just become your own downfall. What a clever idea it was to bluff it all. Now my efforts won't be in vain. I will find out what Francesca's hiding it, and I will take back my place."

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