Shannon sat cross-legged on her bed reading the latest issue of a fashion magazine, hoping to get material for her newspaper column. The sun was nowhere to be found. Large, looming gray clouds foretold an upcoming Thanksgiving of rain. Yet everything was peaceful. On the other side of the room, Chloe was working on some geometry homework she needed to finish. The girls were quiet as they each continued working on their particular task. At that moment, they heard a knock on the door.

Shannon put her magazine down and got up. She went to the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Christian," Shannon heard a muffled voice from the other side of the door. She quickly opened the door.

"Christian!" the smile on her face packed up and ran when she saw the look on his face. Her eyes clouded with worry. "Are you OK?"

Chloe looked up. She recalled Christian's departing words. "Right now, though, I think I'm going to break the tension and find out exactly what's in store for my future. It's about time that I found out the truth."

His words rang in her ears. She looked at him with confused eyes. "Does this have anything to do with what you were talking about earlier?"

Christian entered the room and Shannon closed the door behind him. "Actually, it does."

"Christian, what's going on? I'm so in the dark about what you're talking about. Please let us know what's bothering you," Chloe pleaded, all thoughts of collinear points and obtuse angles being thrown into the wind.

Christian sighed as he plopped down on Shannon's bed. "Everything went wrong."

"Does it have to do with your parents?" Shannon asked softly, putting a sympathetic hand on his tensed shoulder.

"It has everything to do with my parents. They finally made a decision," Christian paused. When no one interjected or commented, he went on. "They're getting a divorce."

Chloe drew in a sharp breath. "A divorce? No! I'm so sorry, Christian."

Christian shook his head. "No, that's what I wanted to happen. What I'm upset about is what they said next."

"And that would be?"

"My mother told me that because she and Dad couldn't come to an agreement, they 'have no choice' but to enter into a custody battle over my sister Sandi and me. It looks like they're going to enter into a bitter and destructive fight over us. What I'm scared of is that there will be nothing left of me when my parents are through playing tug of war with me. I'm afraid they're going to destroy us all."

Kim ordered a club soda before settling down at the bar. Jax's was quite full at present, with many students taking their 5 o'clock homework break. She was alone for once, and had some serious thinking to do.

"How are you going to help Trace, Kim? You've got to come up with a plan of action, a plan that will ensure Trace's secret is never found out. As long as no one suspects..."

"Why, hello!" Kim's thoughts were sharply interrupted by the piercing voice of Randall Bentley. "What a surprise that I'd run into you here, Kim!"

"Hey, Randall," Kim greeted, trying her hardest to be polite. After a moment of uncomofortable silence, Kim said, "Would you like to join me?"

Randall pounced on that. "Don't mind if I do!" He quickly ordered iced tea before turning towards Kim. "In fact, I'm rather pleased that I did run into you. There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Oh?" Kim's eyebrows arched. "What would that be?"

Randall took his coke from the employee. He took a long sip, watching satisfactorily out of the corner of his eye an impatient Kim squirm in her seat. "I've been meaning to talk to you about the Miss Midway Contest."

Kim instantly tensed. Could he know? No, of course not! No one knew. How could anyone know? "Go ahead. Shoot."

Randall took another sip, smiling into his straw as he took in the liquid. "I've been hearing this awful rumor that someone actually tried to fix the Miss Midway Contest. Can you believe that? I didn't at first, but then they said that they had proof. People who didn't even exist were voting! I just came to ask you," he paused. He watched Kim shift uneasily. "I came to ask you if you knew anything about it."

They strolled down the paths of Lakeshore Park and it was already nearly dark. Brent talked endlessly of how angry he was of the switching of the district lines.

"I mean, think about it Evie. They want to steal our friends away and bring those snobs from Midway Academy! They are just going to ruin everything, I know it. I'll make sure this won't happen even if its the last thing I do! And also, who are they to say-"

"Brent, stop. I know how upset you are about this but I needed to talk to you about something else." She paused to garner up enough courage to proceed. "Brent, I know we've had this conversation before, but I can't take it any longer. Where were you when you were gone for so long?"

"Eve, I told you, I can't-"

"I'm so tired of hearing that, Brent! I've stood behind you through everything we've been through and we've always been honest with each other. Now, we are growing apart because of this and I can't stand it any longer. All of my boyfriends in the past had always kept something from me and ended up breaking my heart with it. I just... I just don't want that to happen again. If you are hiding something, tell me now. I am going to stand right here until you tell me what is going on, Brent Woodman." With that, she sat on the bench behind her and crossed her arms. "You can't know how worried I was when you were gone. I called every where I could think of that you might be and of course, they had no idea where you were. I thought I had lost you."

"Eve," he said while kneeling in front of her, "you know that if I could tell you, I would. But for your safety and mine, I just can't. Know this though: I would never, ever hurt you in any way. If there was any way possible I could have told you where I was at that point, I would have. You may choose to still be mad about this, and I don't blame you. But Eve, I have also been seeing we have been growing apart. I'm so sorry. So let me tell you right now, that from now on, I won't let that happen. Even if one of us ends up going to Midway Academy, I'll make sure you never feel second best again. I'll quit sports before I let you feel that you aren't important to me."

Eve laughed softly. "Liar."

"No, Eve, that's the truth. Don't worry about me disapeering again because I can guarantee you it won't happen. This is my promise to you."

Eve sat on the bench silently for a long time. She was beginning to understand why Brent was holding this from her, whatever it may be. She looked into his eyes and could see he was telling the truth. She couldn't think of words to say so she simply kissed him.

As they walked back to campus, they noticed a change. No longer did were they simply a couple. They were now the happiest couple at Midway Prep.

Kim nearly fell over. She grabbed at the counter. "Calm yourself down, Kim. Don't let him suspect."

"What's the matter, Kim? Was the news as unnerving to you as it was to me?" Randall toyed with Kim's feelings. He knew he had her in a vulnerable position.

"Yes...quite...unnerving," Kim's speech was choppy and shaky. "Choose your words carefully, Kim."

"I mean, to think that at least one of our very own students would stoop to fixing the ballots so that a person would win! Thankfully Francesca won instead. Who knows what would happen if the person that the ballots were fixed for would've won."

"Yeah," was all that Kim could croak out.

"Just think, though. If any of the faculty finds out who it was, they'll be sure to be thrown out of Midway Prep that very instant. They'll lose everything: their friends, their school, and possible their entire future."

"Their entire future?" Kim's voice was now barely audible.

"Oh, yes. Don't you realize it's a crime to fix an election. I mean, of course this wasn't the presidential election, but it was an election no less! It's unlawful to do such a thing," Randall knew that he was lying, but he didn't care. He only wanted to see them hurt.

"Oh God no!" Kim shrieked internally. Her world was falling out from under her. If they ever found out she was involved in the scandal, if they ever found out she was the cause of it...

Kim picked up her stuff and ran. Randall laughed as she bolted out the door and into the bleak gray world where drizzle was just beginning to fall. "I've got you, Kim, and you know it. Soon, I'll have you all. Soon, my loss will have been avenged!

"They what?!" Shannon cried out, nearly clawing into Christian's shoulder.

Christian yelped and jerked away from Shannon. "Yes, Shannon! They're planning on going to court to decide who gets us!"

"How horrible!" Chloe interjected. "They can't possibly be serious. It must be some sick joke, right?"

"When it comes to sick jokes my parents reign almighty, but in this case I hate to say that it isn't. They're serious about it, Chloe."

"Oh, Christian. I'm...I'm so sorry," Chloe whispered, her hand now covering her mouth.

"Why are they doing this to you?" Shannon ranted. "What right do they have? They're nothing but a bunch of cold-hearted, self-centered, power-hungry..."

"Yeah, yeah. I've already gone through the list of names a hundred times already," Christian broke in. "But name-calling doesn't change it. I just feel so...so helpless!"

Chloe moved closer to Christian. "Don't you worry, Chris. You have friends who are behind you all the way. I know I haven't known you that long, but you can count on me as well as Shannon to be there for you no matter what."

"You got that right! Don't ever worry about feeling alone, Christian. We're here for you, through thick and thin," Shannon smiled, her eyes strong and encouraging.

Despite everything, Christian smiled. "God gave me the best when he gave me friends like you two. I just hope that it'll be enough to get me through this. I hope it'll be enough to get me through without being torn apart by my own parents." Christian paused briefly, before looking up at Shannon with tears in his eyes. "My own parents."

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