Time seemed to slow down as Allie rose higher and higher, her jump taking her to just the right point. Her hand raised to make the spike, moving through the air as though through syrup. As she contacted the volleyball, time returned to normal and surrendered the whoosh-spang sound of another perfect delivery.

The coach's whistle tweeted and she shouted, "Great! Just like that tonight, girls! Remember, tonight's our last game and the tryouts for both Basketball and Cheerleaders are Friday! Get showered, get dressed, and get outta here!"

The scattered giggles as the practice ended was normal, and the girls moved toward the locker room.

"Wilson! Hold up a second..." asked the coach. Allie waited a moment while Coach Byers tossed the last of the balls back across the court.

"So, I still don't have your sister's physical. No luck convincing her to try out for the squad?"

Allie bit her lip and sheepishly looked up at the coach as she responded, "She doesn't think she has the ability. I'll still try out though --"

Coach Byers waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, and you'll make it, but do you realize what kind of routines we could do this year with a set of twins like you? Look, I know she has the ability, I've seen her playing around with you and your friends before practices. I'm actually kind of offended that she didn't come out for volleyball. As a personal favor for me, c'mon. It's Monday, get your sister into the doctor for that physical this week. I wanna see both of you here on Friday."

Allie glanced quickly over to the bleachers where Annie sat chatting with a couple of their friends.

"I'll try. I will, really. But I can't promise anything. Annie's kind of... shy, y'know? Look, I gotta shower. Last time I came home smelling like sweat, Mom nearly had a seizure and I got a lecture on how 'unladylike' even playing a sport is. See you tonight, Coach," she once again made the excuse for Annie and ran off to shower.

Over on the bleachers, Mary (the tall, blonde girl), asked the others, "When they get out here, you all up for showing the guys up over at the Skate Park?"

Suzy and Jenni murmured assent, and Annie looked guilty.

She brushed her dark auburn hair back behind her ear and asked, "If we do, will there be time after? I mean I gotta change and then get home so I can get to the game with our parents..."

Jenni (the other blonde), mock-smacked her forehead, "Oh! The game tonight. Yeah, how about we just grab some cones in the courtyard, then? Plenty of time that way, and Bridgette, Allie, and Lisa can get back for the game easy enough."

Nods went around the circle as a latina girl you could only describe as 'lanky' joined them from the locker room, followed by a girl-faced freckle with bright red hair. Bridgette and Lisa were filled in on the plans as the foursome of practice spectators packed away their homework. When they finished and Allie still wasn't out yet, Brigette mumbled under her breath in Spanish as she trotted back to the locker room looking for her.

Annie looked at her friends and meekly reminded them, "You know, none of you should let me stop you from hitting the Skate Park. I can make it home alone. There's no reason you should have to give up fun stuff just because of me."

"Martyr much?" came Allie's voice as she and Bridgette returned.

"I wouldn't be able to hit the Skate Park anyway -- Coach is letting me start tonight," she added while beaming proudly.

The quiet catcalls and giggles traveled out the door as the seven moved around the school to the front where there was still an ice cream kiosk set up in the student courtyard. They got their cones, and moved down the street to a public restroom on the edge of one of the city's parks.

The seven filed into the restroom, hair was fussed with, backpacks re-shouldered, and after being sure they were the only ones inside, six filed back out and casually blocked access inside. About ten minutes later there was a light tapping from inside. They glanced around and assured themselves that no one was watching and knocked on the door in response.

As the door opened and the slight figure slipped out to join them, Allie nodded in approval and they moved again, this time along the sidewalk toward the Wilson home a few blocks away. Anyone looking at the group now would see a young boy walking with his sister and her friends. Allie reached up and ruffled her brother's hair, now tied back in a ponytail.

They were always quiet between the Change House (as they'd come to refer to the public restroom) and Allie and Andy's house, and today was no exception.

About a block short, the six girls stopped and Allie gave her brother a hug.

"We've gotta figure something out, sis. I almost asked you if I could borrow your blue tights last night at dinner," she said, "And Coach severely wants us both on the Cheer Squad."

Andy had a sad look in his eyes as he returned the hug, "I know... And sure, by the way, you can borrow them. They're in your dresser, after all," he tried to quip to brighten the mood.

All the girls felt like one of their best friends had to die every night.

"I'll see you at the game, in about an hour. I've got to think of a reason to give Dad for how I 'forgot' to turn in the JROTC application last week. They published the new members in the paper today," he told them as he shouldered his backpack and walked toward home.

After a few steps correcting his walk into one a bit less 'girly' than Annie's, he kept his eyes on the ground in front of his feet.

The remaining six girls turned as one and walked back toward the school, but it was several minutes later when Allie finally broke the silence and spoke.

"Alright, girls. Here's our new project. We have to figure a way to get Annie a girls' thumbs-up physical so she can tryout for Cheerleading on Friday. We have three days. Any ideas?"

She looked at them all and was exceedingly happy they had deigned to befriend her and Annie over the Summer.

"I'm hooooooome!" shouted Andy as he opened the door and sidestepped Random, the family's over-sized puppy, as he galumphed out the door in a near-miss tackle.

"Ooph! We so shoulda named you Hobbes, shouldn't we, boy?" laughed Andy from under the happy pet.

He picked himself up, and spent a few moments ruffling the big dog's fur both ways. They'd been offered a lot of money for Random before, but none of the five of them wanted to even think about giving him up. He was a long-haired mix... half-Chow, half-White German Shepherd. He had a beautiful cream gradient that was darker around his head-mane and faded as it went both back and down. He weighed about 110 pounds, but was trim. When he stood on his hind legs and put his paws on Andy's shoulders, his nose was even with Andy's forehead.

With a last scritch behind the ears, Andy left Random outside to romp a bit while he went inside. As soon as he opened the door, Evan said, "Dad's gonna be home in ten, Mom's already noticed you weren't on the list. Just a warning," without looking away from concentrating on the XBox.

"Yeah, I know. It was a mistake. But c'mon, Ev, you know there's no way I'd survive that JROTC crap," Andy replied sheepishly as he headed for the stairs.

As his foot hit the bottom step, his mother's voice came from the kitchen, though.

"Andrew? Your father'll be here soon. You know he'll want to talk to you about this. May as well wait in here."

She swung the door between the living room and the kitchen open and tossed a dishtowel at him, saying, "May as well make yourself useful while you stew in your own juices," and she smiled.

Well, at least she wasn't angry.

He nodded and told her he'd be right there, before he went upstairs with his backpack... just to be safe. Couldn't have them accidentally looking through it. He tossed it into the closetspace shared by his room and Allie's, then used the back stairs down into the kitchen. He pulled the dishtowel off his shoulder and started drying.

"Wanna tell me what you're gonna tell your father?" asked his mother as she was scrubbing the last of the pans.

For a moment, Andy just continued to dry and put away dishes, then he sighed and said, "Mom, they'd kill me. I have no interest at all in JROTC. Why doesn't Ev join, he plans on being in the real thing in college next year, anyway?" and gave her what he hoped was a pleading look.

"What's wrong with your eyebrows? Stop doing that and making that face. I don't know, Andrew. Evan looks at JROTC as playing pretend. Your father just thought it would help you make friends of your own instead of being alone all the time. We're just worried about you in the new town, the new school. Allison found that wonderful group of girlfriends, but we never see or even hear about any friends of yours."

"Ah, Ma, just because I don't talk about my friends, doesn't mean I don't have 'em."

"I know, Andy, but we'd like to meet them."

"They're, uh, shy."

She quirked an eyebrow up at him.

He gave her his best Don Adams impression, "Would you believe infectious?"

She smirked and shook her head.

He continued in the tradition of Agent 86, "How about dying?"

She sighed and mumbled under her breath (it couldn't have been all bad, she was smilingk still) before going on as though his protests never happened, "I think your father will be fine if you just join a club — any club(!) — at school. Future Haughty-type Folks, Young Political Snotlings, Those-Who-Raise-Cows-In-Pens, How-To-Be-A-Bully-Target, Junior Make-Things-Go-BOOM... what else've they got here?"

Despite his mood, Andy grinned. He often thought his mother would implode from lack of air when she did that never-take-a-breath thing. I mean, okay, so she was a singer, and so she totally had the whole breathing control thing going on, but still... I know, right?

"I've hung out with Allie and her friends some. Did homework today with the ones that aren't on the volleyball team while we waited. They got some ice cream after practice and I headed home. See? There I am being all companionable," he grinned at her while putting the last of the plates away, and before grabbing the first bowl, and hoped she'd buy it.

With a shrug and another patented early-teenager-does-it-best sigh, he answered her last question, "But really... I dunno. I mean, this school is not only a different place, it's a different type of school completely. It's high school, Mom. They have all the preppy clubs like FFA and FBLA and FTA. I mean, I like to sing with you, I could join Choir, but that'd get me beaten up if the jocks -— and oh yeah, the JROTC no-necks -— were to find out. That's the problem."

He paused, thinking about what he was going to say and cocked his head before he continued, "If I wanna be in an activity, I want it to not only be something I'll enjoy, but I want it to be something that won't get me squashed like a bug. Does that make sense?"

At that moment, the back door swung open and Roger 'Wilco' Wilson came dancing in like every night, huge smile on his face. "Evie! Lovely as usual, m'dear..." he stopped to kiss her and she slapped his hand away from her bottom.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. But when you're lucky enough to have such a wondrously beauteous wife who's given you the perfect family, and then you land your dream job? Every day is better than the last one. Ah, youngest child of mine... how was school today?"

Andy couldn't help but grin at his goofy father as he tried to change the topic, "It was alright, nothing stand-out. How was work?"

"Work? What's that? Oh! The fun thing I get to do that they actually pay me for... it was a blast — as usual. They told me today that they picked up three more sponsors for my show... apparently, I'm popular as well as good-looking. Yep. Face just made for radio," the grin never leaving his features as he plopped into the hammock-chair in the corner of the kitchen

Well, it was supposed to be the corner for a breakfast nook, but why worry about having two tables to keep clutter free? That corner had the best evening light for reading a paper and the hammock-chair fit so nicely. Evie brought him a root beer and the paper. He had his favorite creature comforts.

She looked over at Andy as he finished drying dishes and motioned him to sit at the table with her head. Roger would be discovering any moment that Andy hadn't applied for JROTC.

With a shake of the paper as he folded it, Roger looked over the top of the paper and fixed Andy with a look. He smiled and said, "Well. At least we've taught you to own up to things you've done and not be afraid of being in trouble. For that, I'm proud of you. But," of course, that was the word that usually preceded all the bad stuff, "now you've gotta explain."

Ah, the doom of parents. Making a kid explain the why of it when she or he has done something wrong. Diabolical.

Roger settled back into the comfy chair and waited. Evie let out a whoosh of breath and kissed Andy on the forehead before exiting to the living room through the swinging door.

Andy slumped and told his father pretty much what he had told his mother, before looking up at his father and smiling, "I'm not in too much trouble, am I?"

Roger tried to look stern, but couldn't hide the grin that was much more comfortable on his face.

"No, I wouldn't force you to do it if you feel that strongly about it. But we do need to get you involved in something. Do they have a campus radio station? Maybe you can be the high school version of your old man? Hey, maybe I could do a guest appearance for you."

Andy responded before he really thought about what he was saying, "Hey! Yah! They announced this morning that they were looking for freshmen staff, and... ah wait, I'm not sure that would be such a good id—"

Too late.

"Great! Then it's settled. Tomorrow you go and see what you can do about getting into the Radio workings there at school. Oh, and, go and pick up your room before we head to your sister's game. Know if she's gonna get to play tonight?" came the response and query from his father before Andy could finish his backpedaling objection.

"You haven't even been up to my room, how would you know if it was --"

Roger grinned and held up a single finger, "The old man knows, young one."

A bit at a loss at the sudden shift, he replied to the question about the game, "Um, yes," then shook himself and got excited for Allie, "she's going to get to start tonight! So, of course, they're gonna win, right?"

Roger laughed and answered, "Of course! Go get your room picked up and I'll round up your mother and brother. Car in ten minutes!"

They filed into the gymnasium, the collapsible bleachers already pulled out, and Andy fought the urge to wave at his friends. That would draw attention from everyone in the place, the girls were popular-ish and well-known. He pulled the baseball cap down over his eyes a bit more as they sat in the upper bleachers, the only place where there were any seats left.

The commentator announced the starters for both teams, and that this was the last game of the season for the Lady Wildcats. The students and parents applauded and the referee got the show underway.

It was close, and everyone in the crowd was glued to each movement of the ball. Allie was taken out about halfway through. She sat on the bench for awhile, catching her breath and re-hydrating, nursing her ankle a bit from a poor landing that gave it a bit of a slight twist. With less than a minute left on the clock, she could have headed for the showers, but the score was tied at 20 each. No sane person would have left at that moment.

After they won, Coach Byers ran over and took the microphone from the commentator, and announced that the players on both teams were invited for pizza at Mama Alex's, on her.

As the Wilsons were headed to their car, Mary followed by Suzy and Jenni caught up to them.

"Hey, Ann...dy," called Suzy, "we need your help with some of our Algebra and you're kinda the best student in the class. Allie, Lisa, and Bridgette will be at that pizza party and we've got nothing else to do anyway... what do you say?"

The elder two Wilsons turned and grinned at the three girls, while they tried to convince the younger of the two boys to come with them instead of climbing in the car.

Evan, already in the vehicle, leaned over and whispered, "Three hot girls are begging you for help. If you don't go, I'll never respect you. Not that I will anyway, but don't even delude yourself that there's ever a chance if you say, 'No,' for real."

Andy blushed, and looked at his parents, "Go ahead, Andrew," his mother said while his dad just grinned all goofy-like as per normal.

"We'll see you back at home, be there before ten -- there's school tomorrow," he warned Andy.

Andy nodded and closed the car door as Evan gave him a thumbs up through the back window. They watched his parents drive off and then Jenni reached over and thwapped Suzy in the back of the head.

"Watch yourself, genius. Don't blow Annie's secret."

Suzy just grinned and rubbed the back of her head as the group started to walk away from the parking lot. As they moved through the cars, the rubber band came out of Andy's hair, and the ball cap was deposited in a purse. His walk became more feminine, and suddenly there were four girls.

"Sorry 'bout that, Annie," murmured Suzy when it was clear that her friend was firmly herself.

At least firmly enough herself for the darkened sidewalk.

"S'okay, Suzy. Omigawd, I feel weird without a bra and boobies," she joked in a horrible 'valley girl' accent.

They all giggled and she finally asked, "Okay, whose house are we going to do the homework at, then?"

Mary laughed, "How many of us are in your Algebra class, smart girl?"

"Brigette and... oh. Thanks," Annie said, once again grateful for such wonderful girlfriends.

"Quite the rescue, there... whose idea was it?" she asked, folding her arms and grinning at her friends with mock-severity and a scoldingly arched eyebrow.

"Bridgette's, actually. On the way back to school earlier. We figured you'd have enough 'Andy time' to fill your quota for the night by the time the game was over. Thank her tomorrow," replied Jenni.

"So!" exclaimed Suzy dramatically as she struck a pose, "Annie Wilson, this is your night!"

"You need some de-stressing, Allie told us," explained Mary amid all the giggling at Suzy, "Okay. The Skate Park is well-lit. We have an extra board and a bra with some gym socks stashed at the Change House under the sinks. Okay, so it's not as good as the foamy inserts you usually use, but... game to show the boys up with us for a few hours?"

"Really?" asked Annie, and her voice caught for a moment.

"You are all so great. You know, I never really had friends before? Even as Andy? Let's show those walking egos that anything they can do, we can do better. Race ya to the Change House!" and she was off.

The Skate Park had a name, but it wasn't important because anyone that used the place didn't use the name. It had a series of a dozen quarter-pipes, four half-pipes of varying sizes, and two dry swimming pools. There was a shop that sold every manner of gear, snacks, and you could order parts for decks there, too. There were always five 'wheelguards' on duty to make sure everyone was following safety rules. There was a nurse and paramedic that sometimes volunteered there, too. All in all, a parent could feel perfectly fine about letting their teens and preteens hang out at the Skate Park. Almost nobody ever bought their gear from anywhere else, so that meant that admission was free. Another bonus.

The four girls arrived to find there was an impromptu stunt tourney underway. Not wanting to interrupt, they made their way over to an area not currently in use by the participants. As usual, Suzy was the first one on the fly. Helmet and pads strapped on before walking in, she took three steps and leapt into the air above the larger of the two empty pools. Moments later, all four were flying and sailing around the thing at high speed, laughing and whooping the way only a group of friends having a great time can do.

Now, the seven Sk8r Grrls were sort of the Queens of the place. Anytime even one of them were there, they would draw a crowd -- which was something Heather "Heathen" Olinski loved about them. They were great for her business. Sort of like having local celebrities around for endorsement. If any of them bought a certain brand chin strap for their helmet, she had to order more immediately or risk running completely out in the next week. It was an entrepreneurial dream. Growing up, she had been the only girl interested in the least in skateboards at all. Now, she sold more skateboard gear and parts than any store within 100 miles, easy, despite Constitution being considered kind of a backwater.

Her mother had first called her 'Heathen' her days at Washington High to shame her into giving up her 'boyish' pasttime, but now she wore the moniker like a badge. These girls were good. They were very good, in fact... maybe she could get the big dawgs to come in and get a look at them. Maybe she could even be their manageress/agent... She shook herself out of daydreaming and watched as they chained a grind around the edge of the pool.

Annie went first, and when she was almost outta speed, from down below came Mary. Annie reached out and handed her onto the edge and Mary shot off at speed. Then she did the same for Jenni, and Suzy finished the circumference. They'd never done that before, way nifty.

Heathen flipped the sign on the counter to, 'Watching some thrash,' and stepped out onto the snack table deck to get a better look. "That was kickin', girls! Where'd you learn that?" she shouted when they finished a second time around the pool.

They all came to a stop on the top and grinned over at her, waving, and Jenni shouted, "Hey, Heathen! Close down for a bit and come play! We're three short tonight!"

The invite was really all the excuse she needed (and was waiting for), so she zipped back inside, popped her cash drawer and put it in the safe. She kicked her board up to her hands and headed outside. After about a half hour of improv with the fourteen year-olds, she realized... that 24 wasn't nearly as young as she needed it to be. She called out that she was breaking off, and slid to a stop.

That's when she noticed that the stunt tourney had no audience.

The boys who were competing had realized the lack of crowd, too. The stunt tourney was dead.

"Aw, c'mon! You chicks always get the crowd. It's just the novelty of girls on boards, I tell ya!" spouted the standard anti-girl-skater crap from Thomas Wexler, also known as 'The Train Wreck' by most of the skaters around. Not because he fell down a lot, but more because it was hard not to watch him when he was in action. His buddies with him grunted their agreement, of course.

"Oh, look!" said Annie, "It's the Train Wreck! We're so not worthy! Shall we swoon now, girls?" the sarcasm obvious even to Wexler.

"He's so dreamy!" added Suzy with a squeal, "Can I kiss his wheels?"

"Now girls, no need to make fun," scolded Jenni, "After all, you know we must be kind to those less able than we are."

"Stow it, freaks! We could take you anytime. So you're girls with custom decks and know how to kick it a bit. You're still only girls, and there's no way you could hold your own against us. We leave you alone and let you skate here just to keep from causing problems," erupted Walter Nguyen, Wexler's best crony.

"Shut up, Walt. Let 'em skate in peace. We all know I was winning the tourney anyway. Let the little girls have their fun. It's not like they could make it in a real tourney," was Wexler's response. He tapped the guys standing next to him on the shoulders and turned back to the half-pipes.

"Do you really believe that, Thomas?" asked Mary in that scary-quiet way she had about her.

He stopped and smirked at her, "If that's a challenge, name your terms."

"Threes. We choose ground, you choose goals, Heathen chooses participants. Saturday," her completely cool and calculated expression actually creeping out most of the onlookers.

He barked a laugh as he elbowed back through the crowd toward her.

"Done. And we play for boards. Me and my guys versus the little girls here and their friends. Let's get outta here, guys, get some burgers," and with that the snickering and oh-so-superior jerks left the Skate Park.

The crowd was already abuzz with excitement. Saturday was only five days away. This would be the biggest event ever at the Skate Park.

Heathen turned to the four girls and said, "Look. I love you all, but I don't want trouble here. He was outta line and if you want, I'll let him know next time he's here. Forget about Saturday."

"Forget about it? Heathen, he called us out. We can't let that pass!" said Jenni with exasperation, "...or... don't you think we can take 'em?"

"Oh, of course you can! I didn't mean that!" protested Heather, "But you know he'll try to say you cheated, or that I cheated for you!"

Suzy, though in general 'the quiet one' replied, "Then make sure the judges you get are beyond accusing. Simple."

Heathen eyed the girl in the braided pigtails, "Yeah. Simple. Okay, girls just... you know how well-off his folks are, don't do anything to get 'em angry at me or my place, promise?"

There was a chorus of, "... promise!" and they all looked satisfied.

"I don't feel much like skating anymore tonight, gang," said Annie, "Let's head over to Mama Alex's and see if we can catch the others and let them know what's going on this weekend."

Suzy and Mary mumbled their agreement and all four kicked up their boards as they headed out of the Skate Park. Heathen watched them go and sighed again, wishing she was ten years younger and could participate.

After the bright stadium-type lights of the Skate Park, the town outside seemed pitch black for a few moments until their eyes began to get adjusted to the early evening light. The moon was just rising and there weren't enough stars to add light of their own yet, so they held hands to make each other feel better.

The walk across town was, of course, filled with talk of Wexler and company. Angry talk.

"When exactly did we decide that boys didn't have cooties, anyway?" asked Jenni, "Weren't we screaming and running anytime a boy got near us just a couple years ago?"

Annie covered a laugh by coughing before adding her own observations.

"I may be a bit biased, but I'm pretty sure guys have terminal cootie-ness until they're about thirteen, then they just evolve into one of three subspecies, or a combination thereof: jocks, geeks, and creeps. Jocks are the sports nuts and the ones that play sports. Geeks are the ones that get that whole I-know-more-than-you-because-I'm-male vibe. Creeps are the ones that are completely unjustifiably impressed with themselves. Wexler's like a part of the mixed breed of a jock and a creep."

She paused a moment, then added, "Then there are the ones lucky enough to be without cooties at all and turn out to really be girls!"

She grinned and mock-fluttered her eyelashes at the other three, bringing all of them to a fit of giggles.

Mary's addition to the conversation was simply, "I think he's scared of me."

"Mary," replied Suzy in a careful-sounding tone, "everyone is afraid of you but us. You're like a mini-goth in training. Besides: creep, jock or whatever... Thomas Wexler is a hottie. Not that I'd ever let him know I think that."

"AUGH! I can't believe you let us know that!" laughed Jenni, "That's so... you totally have completely horrid taste!"

You could hear Annie's grin in her voice slightly as she began, "Now, B—"

"—illy Green!" the other three finished in a joint shout before dissolving again into giggles at Annie blushing brightly and her consternation.

"Whaa- what do you mean?" she asked in a hissed whisper as she kept her eyes on the ground.

"Oh come on, Annie," Suzy replied, "Anytime we bring up boys, you mention Billy Green. Anytime we ever see him, you very studiously look the other way. It's so obvious you have a crush, or at least you think he's cute. That's not a bad thing. It's even more evidence that you're one of us, girl!"

"I dunno..." said Annie quietly, "Um what if there's a girl I think is cute, too? Is that evidence that I'm NOT one of --"

"Of course not!" scoffed Mary, "Like my Dad'd say, we're at the age where we explore our sexuality. It's no big deal. Even if you turn out to like girls, it doesn't make you a boy. You're prolly the girliest of the Sk8r Grrls and we'll still accept you no matter how frou-frou you become!"

She laughed at the absolutely poisonous look Annie was now giving her.

"Just so you know, Annie," began Jenni seriously, "if I'm yer girl-crush... I'm not into it. And, Annie, about this weird doubting you're a girl..."

She cocked an eyebrow and tried (unsuccessfully) to bulge just the one eye with the arched eyebrow at Annie.

"Stoppit," Jenni ordered as she clasped her hands in front of herself and in a squeaky mocking voice said, "Oh, dearest Billy Green, come and take me away from all this! I love you and will -— OW!"

Annie glared at Jenni as the other girl rubbed her head. "ANYway... what are we gonna do about Wexler?"

Jenni's giggling and grinning caught up the rest of them as they walked.

"We win this Saturday, of course," finally answered Mary matter-of-factly, "I don't know about any of you, but I plan on adding another board to my collection this weekend. Dibs on Nguyen's for Lisa -— he has a shorter deck than the others, so it'll fit her better."

She looked around at the attempts to hold in giggles and rolled her eyes, "Oh for pity's sake. Get your minds out of the gutter!"

The conversation continued pretty much along those lines until they arrived at Mama Alex's and swung the door open. Jenni went in first and stopped short, making a strangled sound as Annie bumped into her from right behind, as she was walking a bit too close.

"What's wrong?" she asked, annoyed, as she stepped past her friend.

She frowned at Jenni and turned to see her parents sitting with Allie, Bridgette, and Lisa. She bolted back out the door and leaned against the wall outside panting as her heart tried to burst from her chest. The other three hastily beat a retreat as well.

Frantic, she dug in her pocket for the rubber band for her hair. Her mind raced as she tried to control her panic.

[They had their backs to the door,] she thought desperately, [Maybe they didn't see me. But Ev. He was sitting where he could see!] she forced the burgeoning panic back down and forcefully told herself, [He's a boy. He didn't notice anything. Calm down!]

She tied her hair back as Mary dug in her purse for the ball cap and very nearly ripping off her bra and the socks stuffing it, shoved it at Suzy with a hissed command to, "Hide it!"

Grabbing the ball cap and jamming it over her ears, she then started taking gasping lungfuls of air as she sank to the sidewalk.

"Andy?" came Evan's voice from the door, "We thought that was you four," then he saw the state of panic Annie was in and asked with concern, "You okay, li'l bro?"

The other three discreetly hid the Annie-maker items while Evan was distracted and waited for Annie to answer her brother as Andy.

"Um, yeah, just a bit winded from the walk, I think," he said.

Yep. Andy was back. He hated lying for any reason, but it was necessary this time.

"I'll be okay in a minute, you know I'm a wimp. You guys go on inside, I'll be there in a second," said the gasping young boy, the adrenaline draining from him now that the emergency was over.

"Really. I'm fine. Be right there," he tried to reassure the girls and his brother.

Evan shrugged and frowned, the kid needed looking after. He turned and went back inside, followed by the three girls.

Inside, Allie excused herself as Evan came back with the three girls reporting that Andy was winded and right outside.

"I'll go check on him, Dad... Mom."

She stepped out and immediately moved to hold Andy as sobs wracked his shoulders.

"Shh. It'll be okay, little sis, it will. We can plan this right, I know we can," she murmured to him, comforting as much as possible.

"Did they notice? That was way too close. I can't go in there! Your teammates know Annie, not me!" his voice was getting tight again.

"We're just about done in there anyway. I'll go and see if I can walk you home, okay?" she told him, not really asking, but reassuring.

He nodded as she got up and went to inform the parental units of the plans. The other five girls opted to join them, and the three volleyballers told Coach Byers across the dining room goodbye and thanks before heading out to the lot to meet up with Andy. The six took him over to a quiet and dim corner where there were a few vans so no one could see and in about five minutes, Annie was again with them. She was still pretty shaken up.

They began to walk and after about a block was between them and the pizza parlor, Annie seized Allie in a huge hug and just cried into her sister's hair. The other five remained silent and just stood in a loose circle around the twins while she got it out of her system.

After she had calmed down, she sniffled a few times and wiped her eyes, "Sorry about this... I was just... I mean... What if... And then Ev... Suddenly..." she paused and deliberately took a few deep breaths to get herself under control.

"Thank you. All of you. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have friends like you to watch out for me."

Annie steeled herself. She needed to do this. There was no way around the conclusion that beyond this door was a conversation she just couldn't look forward to having. For the third time in as many minutes she stepped to the door and put her hand against it to push open. For the third time she went weak in the knees and stepped away again without going through the door.

Why was this so difficult for her? She thought about her father's reaction. She shuddered and made a fourth attempt to go through the door, but with the same result as before. She had even considered having Allie do this for her this morning, but would that really help? She shook her head as she dismissed that possibility again, for the same reasons that she dismissed it right after waking up... Allie already was doing way too much for her on a daily basis, in Annie's estimation.

Trying to distract herself, she thought back to last night and coming home. They had all stopped by the Change House and Andy had come back, but not before the small group had stood in the park and comforted her after her statement about being nothing without them. Lisa had decided they all needed to take the, 'Oath of Sisterhood' that she had heard about at Girl Scout summer camp two years before.

Maybe Lisa made it all up. Or maybe she actually remembered some girls doing all those silly things. But, really, it didn't matter. The point of the whole thing had been to make Annie feel better about herself, and it had worked quite well. She knew all five of the other girls would be there for her, as certain as Allie would be.

When she -— sorry, he -— had arrived at home with Allie a short while later, he had nodded a greeting to Evan and then trekked up the stairs. Evan's only greeting had been a grunt of acknowledgment as he dueled with Darth Malak, his lightsaber flashing on the television screen. Andy announced, "I'm home, Mom'n'Dad. Going up to get ready for bed. Prob'ly read a bit before sleeping," toward the kitchen before his sojourn upstairs, and Random not far behind and licking at Andy's hand.

"G'night, Andy," said Allie as she looked at him sympathetically. She went into the kitchen for her customary graham cracker and banana snack before bedtime. There was some talking after that Andy couldn't quite make out in the kitchen, so he ignored it.

Anyway, this wasn't getting her task done. She shook herself back into the present and smoothed her skirt, took a deep breath, and pushed through the door.

"Um, hi," she said to the girl at the desk, "I'm Annie Wilson, I'd like to apply for the Freshman spot that's open?"