I wanted to cut in, I did, but I couldn't. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to act. I nearly wet my pants when Heather grabbed me by the arm abruptly and walked us out to our bench.

"What are you doing back here, silly?" Laughing, she unwittingly shoved me into the fray.

"I uh, I-" Stumped. I was stumped on words.

"Hey, guys. What're you two talking about?" Heather asked, leaving her question to me unanswered. If Breck and Heather had anything in common, it was ADD.

"Nothing." Breck said quickly. I looked over and Aster was relaxing back against the bench, picking at some of her lunch. The weather wasn't too bad given that it was New York City. Sometimes we would eat against the lockers when the weather was particularly terrible, but most of the time, the bench was our place. No one liked to eat outside much less on the more deserted side of the school. It was our little alcove. Our little freezing alcove.

Sitting down, I sighed and pulled out my lunch. I could feel Aster's eyes on me as I did so. Her gaze was accentuating my every move.

"Oh, Breck! Shoot. I forgot. You have to come with me. Espazio wants to talk to us about the play." Heather jumped up in her excited way and grabbed Breck before any of us, even Breck, had a chance to object. She dragged him out without another word, leaving me and Aster alone, completely alone with one another. I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss Heather for this or strangle her with my bare hands.

"And then there were two." I muttered to myself as I took a bite of my sandwich. I looked over when I heard Aster chuckle. She'd heard my comment, obviously.

"What's the matter, Viv? I make you nervous?" I studied Aster a little more closely. There was something different. It was different from the way she looked at me when we first locked eyes. Her posture was stiff, like it was composed, put on somehow. She was the one who seemed nervous. I shrugged in response, dismissing the subject entirely.

"So what brings you to our lovely school?" I asked casually, with a mouth full of sandwich. Responsible and Polite were two different things.