Aisik smiled at the banter already starting around the table, only pulling a slight frown at Nick's unnecessary rudeness. This felt...nicer, than before; before when it was a bunch of spoiled or broken child stars having parties and getting smashed; before when he would slip out as soon as possible, ignoring the confused looks that the more outgoing cast members would send him. He knew that they never figured out the reason behind his leaving, assuming that it was simply his socially reserved nature; Make-up always did so well covering his cuts and bruises that-unlike his fellow stars who cleaned it off as soon as they could- he never took it off until he got home.

“-ook wonderful. I had wanted to catch up earlier, but things got a little crazy. How are you?” Emilia’s voice cut through his wandering thoughts; he'd been having quite a bit of the since coming back to America.

He turned and smiled at her. “I feel wonderful,” he laughed, going off context clues to figure out what she'd said before he tuned back in. “Yes, things always get crazy when there are more than a couple of us together, but I'm doing well. Trying to readjust to speaking English all the time, of course,” he said, forgetting for a moment that none of them- aside from Ashley, whom he had told about Israel a few hours earlier- knew that English wasn't his first language. He was one of many cast members with an accent, no matter how much he tried to hide it, but nobody could really peg it back in the day. And since he abstained from interviews as much as possible, the public mostly only knew him with Decky’s Boston accent. “How about yourself?”

“It’s surreal, being back here.” Emilia mused, “In Boston, on the sets… in Kaitlin’s head. It’s a strange feeling, being so happy to be back, while being sad about everything we’ve missed out on with each other. I’ve followed some of the live’s of the others but you… well, you’ve stayed well off the radar.”

Water had been placed at each place setting, as is customary for a restaurant of this class. Emilia took a moment to take a sip of hers, the cool liquid working to calm her nerves. It was that moment that her mind processed something said by Aisik, more of a slip than anything else, that she may have missed had she not been riveted by their reunion. Not wanting the moment to pass, Emilia raised a finger to keep Aisik from speaking and glossing over his possible slip.

“You’re adjusting to speaking English again?” she asked, her auburn locks falling subtly to one side as she cocked her head in question.

“Oh,” Aisik scratched the back of his head, realizing her confusion. “Yes, I, uh...well I went home, you see...after the shooting scene.” He took a sip of water, hoping his embarrassed blush wasn't that obvious on his tanned skin.

“That's why I...went off the radar, as you said; I went home to Israel.” He paused, giving her a nervous smile before powering on. “I know I still had my accent when we were teens, but going back to your first language for ten years...it makes it easy to slip up when you'd only had about seven years of experience with the English language in the first place.”

Because while it was true that they had moved to America just after his sixth birthday, and that he had stayed there until he was seventeen, Aisik and his brother had spent their first four years in America isolated from education, only learning what little English they could from some of the kinder- and there weren't many- elderly people in their broken down neighborhood. Aisik had finally, at the age of ten, convinced his mother that since they were obviously staying much longer than she had expected, he and his brother needed a proper education. It took a level of endurance he hadn't realized he had to wear her down, but he had entered fifth grade remedial classes with a bruised cheek- roughly in the shape of a hand, not that anyone mentioned it- and a determined grin.

By the time he had reached the Edenridge auditions four years later, he was as fluent as any Boston teen who never even bothered with starting highschool. After a few reading errors at initial rehearsals, however, the producers and director did hire him a private tutor and dialect coach-though most of the cast had a coach, having not been from boston and needing to peg the accent for the show- to make sure he'd be able to keep up with the scripts, which were advancing in complexity as the show gained traction.

Emilia paused to order food as the waiter approached, gladly taking the chance to think on everything Aisik had admitted her. She looked around the table idly, noting that everyone else was engrossed in their own side conversations. Curiosity often got the better of Emilia, but she was hesitant to push Aisik on the subject of his hasty retreat from not only the show, but America as well.

“Oh Aisik,” she said, placing her hand lightly on his arm. “I never would have guessed. You’re English was always so good-is so good. Even those in the cast who came from other countries would often slip into their native accents during takes. But never you. You my dear, I bet you would have a fascinating story, if you ever chose to tell. Until then, I think I’m going to enjoy getting to know you again.”

Sensing Aisik would indulge her in no more tales from his past, Emilia raised her water glass in cheers before turning her attention to the table as a whole.

Aisik found himself barely tensing as Emilia rested her hand on his arm, and mentally patted himself on the back for the accomplishment before smiling at her. He could remember a few times he'd slipped up on takes and fallen back into his accent, but it was usually the more intimate scenes with Bella, as they put a certain stress on him that other scenes never could. He wasn't going to correct Emilia, though; from her experience, she really had never heard him slip.

“Yeah…” he smiled. ’If I ever choose to tell…’ “Getting to know you and everyone else again will be great.”

And just like that, the two’s conversation ended as the table as a whole drew them in.

Logan Rivers

Logan stared at Kaitlin for just a few seconds too long and he could feel the awkward tension. What exactly do you say to someone with whom you were supposedly close with until they were shot by someone who was basically your brother, and then you also neglected to ever visit or talk to after they had been shot. He wondered if everybody’s adolescence was filled with this much melodrama or if Edenridge was just a magnet for it. He was surprised to see Kait in Edenridge, he’d heard that she left town as soon as she was on the mend and out of the hospital and he’d never had her pegged as the type to stay in the small town. He decided he was going to try and avoid bringing up her being in the hospital, fearing that would inevitably lead the conversation to how he never bothered to see her again. He’d thought about visiting but at the time getting drunk or high seemed like an easier way to deal with everything that had happened. He also felt it was better for him to stay away, it wasn’t like his presences had ever improved a person’s life or situation.

“Hey, Kaitlin, it’s good to see you well.” He said after the long moment of awkward silence. “And looking just as, no, even more beautiful than you did a decade ago.” He said with a slight grin, trying to keep the conversation superficial, he meant it, of course, but it wasn’t close to what he wanted to say. Logan wanted to apologize for all the shitty things he’d done as a teen, including but not limited to, letting her down in what was possibly the worst way you could let someone down, but it didn’t feel like the right time. His shift was starting soon and talking about feelings and such just made him uncomfortable. Plus, he doubted she’d spent the past ten years thinking about him and he didn’t want to open up old wounds just to relieve his guilt.

---

Lanie watched from the sidelines as her husband asked his brother the reason for his visit, but she was distracted by little Ingrid running straight towards her. The woman had just enough time to crouch down and open her arms to receive the little girl. The mother-daughter shared an embrace before Lanie stood back up, Ingrid now in her arms.

“Mommy, Uncle Francis brought me a gift!” Ingrid said excitedly, her chubby-cheeked face alight with happiness. “He brought me a pretty dolly with hair just like mine! Do you wanna see it?”

“In a moment, darling,” Lanie replied to her daughter, kissing her nose to focus back on the conversation.

Just then, Francis was greeting her with a smile, giving her a wave. With a smile of her own and Ingrid still in her arms, Lanie walked the short distance to her in-law’s porch and hugged her brother in law. “Francis, honey. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” She looked around . “Joaquin not here with you? Lanie asked, having missed that part of the conversation.

Francis Callahan coming out as gay was a huge deal in the town with such old sensibilities like the Ridge. He was a star of the football team, he had great grades and went to church every sunday and yet all of sudden, he became demonized because of his sexual preference. It took a while for the sleepy town to get over that one. ”Sadly not” Francis replied as they parted from their embrace. ”Hubby dearest is currently in Alaska doing one of his beloved survival documentaries” Joaquin Hernandez and Francis had met when they both went off to college. By the time they had gotten together, Edenridge had more or less come to accept that one of its favourite sons was a homosexual, so when Francis returned with his new boyfriend for visits, they were quite welcoming of Joaquin. The two had been together now for several years and married just over two. In Roddy’s eyes, Francis and Joaquin were goals. “Now let’s go inside. Dad’s making brisket and you know how good that man is in a kitchen”

Roddy watched as his brother and wife conversed and he felt a pang in his heart. Moments like this always transported him back to his childhood, especially when Francis was around. He was so loved, he had everything. Lanie was the same. Popular and beloved. Rod was just Rod. He was the nerdy son of the local butcher who ran into a school and got shot. He loved his wife and he loved his daughter more than anything in the world but sometimes he wondered, especially on days like today; what exactly had he accomplished in life?

In Lanie’s eyes, Francis coming out as gay wasn’t the big deal it was for the rest of the town. Having grown up in Los Angeles with parents that were never judgemental and friends who openly lived their sexualities had definitely given her an advantage in situations like this. In fact, Lanie had become one of Francis’ most fierce defenders, a long time before she and Roddy dated. Of course, this sparked rumors that she was probably a closeted lesbian or something of the sort, but as it happens with things like this the rumors died down eventually. When Francis eventually came back with his then-boyfriend Joaquin, Lanie had been the first to welcome them with open arms.

“Awwww, that’s too bad! I was really looking forward to catching up with him as well.” Lanie replied, visibly disappointed at Joaquin’s absence. She loved to hear all about his stories of his international trips, especially with that foreign accent of his. The feeling was short-lived, as Francis announced his father was busy in the kitchen making his famous plate. “Then, by all means, let’s get going then.” The blonde woman placed her daughter on the floor, who ran back to her grandparents’ house still clutching the doll her uncle had given her. Meanwhile, Lanie walked back to where her husband stood, took his hand and they both followed Francis to his parents’ house.

The Callahan house had barely changed at all since it was built. It was the quintessential white picket fenced, all American household. A mahogany dining room, a warm sitting room and a kitchen where Daddy Callahan spent most of his life thinking up new ways to tingle the tastebuds of family, friends, guests and customers. Holding onto his wife’s hand, Rod followed his brother into the family home and deeper into the mind numbing smell that was permeating the afternoon air. The smell of beautify prepared brisket lead the group into the kitchen where of course, Colin Callahan, father of the Callahan brothers and grandfather to little Ingrid stood cooking up a storm. “Well there is a sight for sore eyes” The greying blonde man’s beard hid a wry smile. “Your mother is in the pantry grabbing us some wine. Now if you boys want to help your mom, that’d be nice. Some of those boxes are heavy. Lanie, always lovely to have someone with manners in the house rather than those knuckleheads” Indeed he loved it when Lanie came round, not just for the fact she often brought his only grandchild but also because she had a soothing presence, one that kept Roddy out of his own head.

Colin was born and raised in Edenridge but never had any intention to stay. In fact he left for college just like Francis did and was set for great things until his father died and he had to return to take over the family business. Hindsight is 20/20 and Colin was glad he came back. He found his calling as the town butcher, he fell in love with his beautiful wife and he helped make two sons to be proud of. It wasn’t his plan but he wouldn’t change a thing. He watched as the boys headed off to help their mother and left him with his daughter in law and grandchild. “Now that the idiots have left” He dropped his knife and walked over to the girls, picking up Ingrid as he did so. The little girl let out a giggle and hugged her grandfather. “How are you, Lanie? I know today must be hard but you look a little off colour”

Although the troubled relationship she’d once shared with her parents was long since mended, Lanie had always loved the Callahan’s like a second set of parents. The couple had been nothing but kind and supportive when both her and Roddy were hospitalized, and had been thrilled with the news of them dating, their engagement and eventual marriage. The wait and arrival of Ingrid had only helped to make their relationship stronger. Lanie knew that she’d made the Callahan’s -including Francis and Joaquin, of course- extremely happy for the gift of their first daughter, granddaughter and niece. Hopefully soon enough another little one could be joining their ranks. God only knew her and Roddy were trying.

Truth be told, the minute the smell of the cooking brisket had reached her nose, Lanie had begun to feel unexpectedly sick. It was an odd reaction: after all, Colin Callahan’s brisket was one of Lanie’s favorite dishes. But for some unbeknownst reason, the scent was causing the woman to feel her mouth water… And not in the good way.

In an effort to suck it up, Lanie tried to ignore the nausea and instead focus on conversing with her father in law. Apparently, her feelings translated to her physical appearance, as Colin mentioned she was looking ‘a little off color.’ “Oh, you know, just the usual… Had a run-in with she-who-must-not-be-named, but nothing I could handle. Don’t get me wrong, I know you guys love her, but I’m not about to forget all the things this… person, put me through.”

At that moment, Colin chose to check on the brisket, sending a particularly intense waft of the smell in Lanie’s direction. The blonde woman was barely able to excuse herself before rushing off to the bathroom, locking the door behind her and vomiting the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl.

“Ashley,” Emilia said, turning to her long time friend. If someone had told Emilia at the start of filming all those years ago that she would find one of her best friends for life on set, she never would have believed it. Yet here she was, ten years later, sitting at a table with a young woman who had indeed come to mean so much to her.

“Have I told you yet how excited I am to be working with you again?” That of course was a trick question. Both women had texted or tweeted each other about million times to share their excitement with each other (and the world) about working on the Edenridge reboot.

Ashley turned excitedly to Emilia, a grin now settling back on her face. There were only a few people she really stayed in touch with all these years and Emilia was one of them. In fact, it took a few more films and shows before they were separated. “Counting all the texts and tweets-” She then counted on her fingers as if to show how many she could recall off the bat. “- yes! I am so glad to see you again Emmy!”

“I’d hug you right now, but I think I’ll leave that for later.” She said while rubbing the back of her head - a habit which seems to run in the family. Ashley placed her arms on the table and leaned on it and asked, “So, I know we’ve been in touch, but how have you been? And how was your first shoot?”

“Getting everything to come up here was a whirlwind. I’m glad I did it though. I had one on one scenes with Destiny and your brother today. Then a small group scene with Jude and Bella. The scenes are very different from ten years ago… for one thing, you were notably missing, care to explain?”

Emilia smiled over at her friend. The story of why her scenes for the day were postponed had circulated around set, and Emilia was more than curious to know about which bout of hyperactivity had sidelined Ashley for the day. Emilia had been looking forward to shooting with Ashley. Ten years ago, their characters had limited interactions. Now though, it seemed the writers would be bringing them together as friends.

“I read over my brother’s script - Mike and Kaitlin, best friends… never thought that would happen.” Ashley said. She remembered how there were little to no interaction between the two, save for that part where Kaitlin actually thought Mike would be a good target and was turned down pretty quickly by the male. The writers sure did twist things up a bit.

When the topic of her not appearing onset, she let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, you know…” She then took a deep breath. “Remember that small wall we used to sit around when we were kids? I kind of jumped it and I didn’t stick the landing. I kind of sprained my foot and the writers said that I wouldn’t act because Louis would be too prideful to show anyone that she was injured!” She ran a hand through her hair as she stopped. “I guess it is true though… it was a real shame. I was looking forward to acting with all of you.” Since ten years ago, a lot of things happened and everyone just got more mature and better at acting. It was too bad her scenes got postponed until a later date…

Emilia let out a good natured laugh at Ashley’s story. “Only you Ash…” she said while glancing around the table. “Heal up fast, cause I think we have a scene together later in the week.”

Most of the scripts were given out as an as needed basis, minimizing the risk of leaked plot lines. However, the call sheets with scene partners were handed out in advance so that the actors knew when and where they were expected. So far Emilia’s call sheet hadn’t changed, so she hoped that not too much would be affected by Ashley's injury.

At that moment, appetizers were delivered around the table. Emilia hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the smell of italian food wafted to her nose. Now she couldn’t wait to dig in.

“T’is but a sprain Emmy, I’ll be in tip top shape by tomorrow.” Ashley assured the other girl. She had acquired far worse injuries way back. Ah, the memories of her first broken leg… Huh, that happened onset if she remembered correctly. Something about a cat stuck in a tree and she decided to go up and bring it down.

And then she couldn’t get down properly so she decided to just jump down. All her injuries were related to her jumping from high places. She was mighty glad that her scenes from back then weren’t postponed mostly because she had no scenes for the time being. Those were good memories. Sweet, sweet memories.

“Mhm, I can’t wait to see what Louis’s reaction would be once she finds out that Kait has a son.” She mused. When the appetizers were delivered, her smile widened. She wasn’t as hungry as Emilia was, but she was still glad that the appetizers were here. Her eyes darted towards Emilia and then to the others, obviously not having the heart to take the first pick.

Emilia’s eyes widened as she shrugged at the mention of her character’s secret child. The addition of the child to the storyline was one of the most heavily guarded plot points to the show, and even Emilia didn’t know all the details yet. Ten years ago, the show ended before fans found out whether or not Kait had been able to have the child after the trauma she suffered from the shooting. Even know, Emilia’s social media was flooding with fans asking whether or not anything would be revealed about the birth or loss of the child, and how long they would have to wait. Emilia had already met the young actor playing her son, and knew they would have scenes together very early in the season, but did not know much more than that. The producers purposely had Kait starting off in Edenridge alone to build the suspense, as if ten years of waiting by the loyal viewers hadn’t been enough.

“I mean… if my friend had a child and kept it a secret all these years, I’d be pretty pissed. I guess they weren’t that close since Kait… you know… sucked at the whole being a friend thing. I’m interested in how they will have Louis react to finding out that Mike knew about it the whole time. Enough talk about work for now though, I’m starving.”

With those last words hanging between them, Emilia straightened in her seat to reach for a piece of buttery, roasted garlic bread, no longer able to resist the pull of the fresh baked carbs.



Of course of all the places to run into Logan, it would be a bar. As the seconds of awkward silence ticked by, Kait realized that he must be wondering how nothing had changed for her over the past ten years. Well, she was of legal age to drink the beer sitting in front of her, but other wise things must appear to be same old, same old. Throwing back beers to deal with whatever shit life had thrown her way. Awesome.

Eventually, Logan did break the silence, and Kait couldn't help the slight blush that formed across the tops of her cheeks. She blamed her porcelain Irish complexion, it showed everything. Couple that with her apparently complete loss of emotional control that seemed to snap into place the moment she passed the sign welcoming her to Edenridge and ta-da, inability to hide any sort of thought or feeling from the world. Awesome again.

Luckily for her, it seemed Logan was just as uncomfortable with the whole situation as she was. She could barely contain a wince when he called her Kaitlin rather than Kait. Even when he was mad at her, he had never really called her Kaitlin that she could remember, because even when they were mad at each other, they were always still friends and her friends call her Kait. The more formal use of her name served as a reminder that whatever they had been ten years ago, they weren't anymore. Could he possibly be mad at her for leaving town ten years ago without saying goodbye? No, this was worse than mad. Mad she could handle. This seemed more like apathy towards her, barely covered by the stock grin he would toss at pretty strangers.

“Thank you,” she said, bowing her head down momentarily in acknowledgment of the compliment. Twice in one day she had been rendered nearly speechless. Where was Elaine when she needed her? Kait always had things to say when the blond was around.

“I am well. You look well also. More grown up.” Kaitlin almost cringed at the clipped sentences coming out of her mouth. She needed her brain to work. It was just Logan, they had literally talked about everything in the past. Well, almost everything anyway. She finally found the resolve to form coherent sentences in the fact that no one could catch up on ten years worth of life in an impromptu bar conversation.

“You know what, I should get going. It's been an exhausting first day back and... nevermind. It was good to see you Logan, I really do wish you the best.”

Rising from her seat, Kaitlin placed a few bills on the bar top and turned to leave, wondering how the Hell she was going to stay in Edenridge if this was only day one.

---

Izabella listened to Nick take a jab at her last name, and chuckled when he made a comment about if she wanted to add an Emmy to her award collection. “Yeah, that’s right. But enough about me. What awards do you have below your belt, Nicky?” The man replied, and made a comment about his most famous movie that literally made Izabella laugh out loud. She clearly remembered hearing about the disaster that was Zombageddon, but then again when had Nick Donovan ever been serious about his career? If he’d found his niche in bad movies and managed to get paid doing them then Bella wouldn’t be the one to judge.

She didn’t have time to get back to him, because he started up a conversation with the newly arrived Tiny. So, looking around for anyone not entrapped in conversation already, Bella spotted Vincent. She’d learned that he’d continued his studies, going as far as to become a veterinarian, and set up a clinic in Asia. It was enough information to get a new conversation started with the raven-haired man.

“So, Vincent, I heard you spent a fair while in the Philippines? I’d love to hear some stories about your time there.” Bella said to Vince, taking a bite out of her appetizer salad that had just arrived.

Vincent, who had stayed silent after Ashley started talking with Emilia, was practically glaring at one of the cuisines. It may have been because he wasn’t much of a fan of Italian food. He was weighing in his mind that pros and cons of eating the unfamiliar dish. It didn’t help that he didn’t know the name either. He was about to disrupt Ashley and Emilia’s conversation to ask when someone else decided to speak with him and he turned to look at the person.

Unexpectedly, it was Izabella. He hadn’t spoken much with her when they were teens so he was surprised that she decided to speak to him. Then again, they were all still co-workers so he should have expected it. ”Well, you might have heard that I took up Vetmed and finished it. There really isn’t much to tell, to be honest…” He trailed off. He changed his gaze to the food, finding it uncomfortable to be the one speaking with a person he didn’t know very much while looking at them straight in the eye. ”I guess I can say that it’s a pretty great place, if you can ignore the poverty and the crimes. The tourist attractions were great to look at, you can have Emilia back that up for me.” He started to drum his fingers against the table, uninterested in the food for now. ”The animals though… most of the ones that came in were dogs that roam the streets. It was a far cry from the pets I’ve seen here in America or in the UK, but they were nice all the same.”

Noticing that he had started to blabber off, he let out a small chuckle with a light shake of his head and then looked back at Izabella. ”How about you? I’ve seen your movies and a hell load of posts in social media but… you know, how have you been?”

Izabella listened attentively to Vincent, smiling, nodding and grimacing at the right times. She was glad that he had done good for himself, and was about to take a bite of her freshly-arrived pasta plate when he asked about how she was doing.

“Well as you could probably imagine, I’ve been dead busy, dear.” she replied modestly, letting out a lighthearted laugh. “My schedule has been full ever since I left Edenridge, and after the Academy Award victory I get plenty of offers. I won’t complain, because, I’m happy that I’m not without employment. But if I’m relatively honest, there are days in which I want to leave everything behind and disappear for a little bit, you know? Get away for a while, clear my head, not preoccupy myself with anything other than relaxing.... But as it happens, being ‘famous’-” she used air quotes when saying that last word. “Means that everywhere I go there will always be paparazzi waiting to bring me back to reality, Definitely a price to pay to be successful in the entertainment industry.”

Vincent smiled at her. ”Sounds like a pain to deal with.” That was the first comment he made after she finished. The blonde woman nodded in agreement. “Then again, your passion does lie within the acting community so I guess you’re used to it.” He then picked up a glass of water and then sipped from it, all the while thinking of what to say next. A moment later, he placed it back on the table as an idea popped up on his mind. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or if Izabella even had the time in her schedule to actually go with it but she might appreciate the suggestion.

”Say, if you ever have the time, you could disguise yourself, maybe even dye your hair temporarily, and then head on to the Philippines and I’ll show you around. I’ll make sure no one recognizes you immediately so you can have a nice and relaxing stay. Maybe even just leave a note to your manager and escape. Knowing the routine of the media there and having a clever disguise would at least help her get away from the media for a while. And she’d be out of reach for a while because of the distance between here and there. No one would expect it too because the two were never close. To him, it was a brilliant idea. To her, however, he was not sure.

Bella could only smile at Vincent, genuinely surprised at his sweet gesture. Back in the original Edenridge, Vince and Bella had never really been close. The two had interacted briefly in and out of scenes, but never enough to be considered friends. This was why the offer was incredibly generous. “Oh, darling, that is incredibly sweet of you!” she said happily, taking his hand and lightly squeezing it as a sign of gratefulness. “I’m not sure when I will have the time available to travel, but I will make sure to do so sooner rather than later. I would love to visit your country. It would be an honor.”

When Izabella reacted positively, Vincent couldn’t help but grin. The act of her taking his hand had come by surprise but he supposed it was fine. ”Feel free to message me anytime. It would also be an honor for me to take around an award winning actress such as yourself.” He replied with a light chuckle. He was actually looking forward to this plan. Not only would he get to know her better, she would also finally enjoy some down time. Once she let go of his hand, he finally picked up a fork and tasted the Italian pasta that had been sitting in front of him for who knows how long.

---

Aisik contented himself with watching as the others conversed, all of them caught up in either each other or memories of the past. The meals had just come out and Aisik thanked the waiter as she set to food in front of him. She winked, causing him to blush and twist his ring around his finger nervously.

Having just finished her conversation with Vincent, Bella took a moment to take a sip of water before turning her attention to Aisik instead. Her eyes wandered the foreign features of her old crush: his dark hair, so different from Jude’s. His eyes, brown as luxurious pieces of chocolate. Skin tanned with a great complexion, muscled arms, and on the ring finger on his left hand…

Izabella gasped, placing her glass on the table. “Oh, Goodness!” she exclaimed, eyes locked on the golden band in Aisik’s hand. “Are you truly married, Aisik?”

His blush now held for a different reason, and he smiled at Bella good naturedly. “Yes, Neshema, it's true,” he revealed, taking his anxious fingers off the ring to better make it visible to her. Bella took the ring from his hand, smiling wide while she examined it before he returned it to his finger. “We've been together almost nine years now, romantically, and married for five, but known each other since just after I returned home.”

He thought back on meeting his husband; how the man's dark eyes melted his heart with one look as he helped him off the floor. It was in the true fashion of someone who acted in a Drama for three years that they met, in college, by Aisik colliding with him, books flying everywhere as he hit the ground, Alter having barely stayed standing.

Aisik had been literally swept off his feet by the other man, but had doubted that Alter felt the same way. So they became close friends, Aisik sharing secrets with the other man that he'd never told anyone else. About his attraction to guys, about his mother and the abuse. About Gavriel. He became content with just being friends, and suspected it would always be that way.

That is, until a year later, when Alter made his move on Aisik’s birthday. That kiss was the best present the young actor had ever gotten.

His smile turned softer as he lost himself in the memory for a second before returning his attention to Bella. “We actually had to go to Spain to get married and have the union recognized, but it was such a beautiful place to fulfill that part of our lives, you know?”

Izabella could only smile, her heart bursting with love by seeing her old friend so happy. “Well, then all that’s left from me is to wish you a very late congratulations.Your wife is a very lucky woman indeed.” Bella said with a laugh. It was then when his comment about Spain registered with her. “Why could you not have your union recognized in Israel? I would have though Spain was chosen merely as a destination for the ceremony to take place.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Aisik laughed nervously. “I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. Um...I'm married to a man.” His smile wavered for a second, worried about Bella’s response. “You cannot legally get married to someone of the same sex in Israel, but it recognizes all marriages from outside of it. Alter and I thought Spain would be a nice place to do it…”

A momentary expression of shock crossed Bella’s features. Aisik’s coming out was something she wouldn’t have imagined, if she was honest. But instead of being judgemental, Izabella’s expression was now beaming. She took hold of Aisik’s hand and gave it a squeeze, oblivious to his surprised flinch as her eyes teared up. Even in this time and age, she knew of all the struggles Aisik’s community went through on a daily basis. They were discriminated against, insulted, assaulted and even killed for simply loving who their heart desired. To see that Aisik had chosen to not care about anyone else, to follow his heart and was happy made Izabella’s heart swell with emotion.

“I am so happy for you, dear.” she began, a tear rolling down her cheek, but her smile still in place. “You both are so incredibly brave for choosing to live your lives and not hide your true selves. I wish everyone else would see that there is no crime or sin on simply loving another human being.”

“Thank you,” Aisik whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. “It means a lot that you're supportive.” He paused, wiping at his eyes before the tear could fall. “I know...I know I disappeared on you all and cut off contact, so the fact that you all welcomed me back so readily and have been so accepting...it means a lot.”

Bella squeezed his hand again. “Darling, I'm sure you had your reasons for doing so. Whatever they were, it is all in the past now. What matters now is that you are happy and well and back with all of us who care for you so. Just know that, no matter what happens, you can be absolutely sure you will always have me on your side. I care deeply about you, Aisik, and nothing will change that.”

Aisik felt his chest tighten at Bella’s words. Despite the love he got from Gavriel when they were kids, and the love he receives from Alter now, knowing that there are people out there that care for him in a true and strong way without any ultimatums, well, it was always an amazing feeling. One he didn't have much experience with.

He squeezed Bella’s hand in response before giving her a small nod in thanks. “You are, and always have been, a very special woman, Izabella Wellington.”

Logan Rivers

“Nice seeing you again.” Logan said without evening thinking. Shit that sounded so impersonal, like something you’d say to a distant cousin you couldn’t care less about and that was the furthest thing from what Kait had meant to him. It took most of the self-restraint he had not to go after her, but he didn’t want to try force himself back into her life. Anyhow it was clear she wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible and he couldn’t blame her. Here he was, almost thirty, basically broke, moving back to Edenridge to work part-time at a dive bar. He was sure he must look like quite the loser to people he knew from high school, but at least he wasn’t dead or in prison like most of the people he hung around with back then. After Kait was out of sight he headed to the employee room to change into his work shirt and get all his paperwork in order.

“Well,” Shane said as he slapped Logan on the back. “That looked painful and awkward, rough break up?” He asked as Logan emerged from the employee room after having changed into his uniform. He pinned the name tag to his chest and shrugged.

“We never really talked after the shooting.” Logan said, wishing he had gone after Kait as she left or maybe said something more than a cold ‘nice seeing you again’ before she left. Of all the people to run into on his first day back it had to be the one person from back then he really gave a damn about. He hated how he’d dealt with things back then and hated what she must think of him now.

“I remember you guys being pretty hot and heavy back in the day, you guys seemed cold now though.” Shane said as he poured a pitcher of cheap lager for a customer.

“Yeah, I guess ten years turns friends into strangers. She was kind of the last person I expected to see still hanging around the ridge.” Logan said.

“You know I think she’s new back in town. Man, you fucked up big time letting a catch like her get away.” Shane said shaking his head as he showed Logan the ins and outs of the bar. Logan had worked in a few bars and caught on quick.

“Yeah, typical me.” Logan said with a half-hearted chuckle, he had a knack for ruining it anytime he had something worth wile in his life. Doing well in sports: fuck it up with drugs, make some normal non-gang related friends: well also fuck that up with drugs, find a girl he actually cared about: royally screw that up by being a dick, join the army and almost get his life together: run from anything that gets too stable.

“Eh, I’m sure there’s plenty of townie’s willing to comfort a man fresh out of the service.” Shane said with a smirk, getting a laugh out of Logan.

“Well, yeah, it’s the only card this unfortunate looking motherfucker has to play.” Logan joked lightening up the mood. Logan relaxed a bit more, he and Shane got along pretty well he knew him from back in the day although Shane had been a couple years older than him. The job was what he expected and the night went by pretty quickly. After a while he managed to get his mind of Kait, with the help of a few shots of whiskey he and Shane took after the night stated to wind down some.

Kaitlin's feet hit the pavement in a rhythmic thrum, while Sia crooned about being Titanium through the buds in her ears. She didn't remember exactly when she took up running. One therapist along the line recommended it to get out excess energy and clear her head... something about running towards a physical goal rather than running from her problems. Whatever the psychobabble logic was, the running did help.

The miles she spent running gave her ample time to reflect on all of the events from yesterday. In hind site it wasn't too bad. Mike and Ashley were both in town, and they would always have her back. Mike especially always seemed to be by her side when she needed him. Somehow Roddy had ended up married to Lanie, but he didn't seem to let her opinion change his, so he was still going in the win column. Lanie and Decky... well, that is what it is. No use in dwelling on that. It was a small town, they would see each other... but they were adults now. Keisha and Logan, they were the unknowns. When she thought about them, all the times they had spent together, and all the times they missed, her heart hurt.

She ran through the streets of Edenridge. Past the diner and the fire station. Past the highschool and auto body shop. As she made her way through the town park, a poster on a telephone pole in the distance caught her eye. Looks like someone was posting a reward for their lost Pomeranian, and Kaitlin wondered absent mildledy if Lanie had decided to run away from home. With a laugh she shook her head, telling herself that starting right now, Pomeranian jokes were banned.

Eventually, her legs began to burn and her breaths became shallow and short, signifying to Kaitlin that it was time to head home. The morning was still only beginning, and the weather was beautiful. After a quick shower, she blow dried her hair, thankful that with a minimal amount of time and product, her long locks dried into soft auburn waves. In just a few more minutes, she was dressed in a knee length pale green dress, the three quarter length sleeves going to her elbows. A cream and tan scarf paired with tan boots completed the look, and she was out the door in moments, her bag dangling from her arm.

The drive to the coffee shop was short, as was the line. As soon as her drink was in hand, her phone buzzed, alerting her to a message. Nervous that it could be from her parents, Kaitlin dug through her bag. Her brow furrowed when she saw the number come up unknown, a video attached. Not thinking much of it, she played it. Regret tore through her as a voice she hadn't heard in ten years filled the speaker. Even after all this time, she could never forget the face or voice of the boy who had shot her.

While it played, Kaitlin was locked in place. Ten years had passed, but on screen, Charlie remained a teenager. He never got the chance to grow up. He had almost taken away hers. As soon as it ended, she tossed her phone in her bag and turned to run from the shop. Unfortunately, she didn't bother to look where she was going, and found herself colliding with an unsuspecting victim of her disregard.


“You must hate me” Emilia whined, laying on the ground while she clutched her stomach. She was physically fit, but running was not her first choice for physical activity. Matter of fact... she never did it.

“Emilia, you ran for like, 3 minutes.” the director said, standing over her. By the look on his face she couldn't tell if he was amused or wondering why he had bothered to ever miss working with her.

Slowly she got up, still panting. She really did need to increase her cardio, this was pathetic.

“You've got a few more scenes this morning Em, head on over to wardrobe.” came a voice to her side. It was one of the PA's. There were quite a few on set, keeping everyone organized and on time. It worked, Emilia picked up the pace, excited about the reminder of her scene later today. The cast would be getting a message from Charlie, and she was excited to see where it would go.

---

Decky lifted his head from the engine he was working on and cursed as his head hit the hood of the car. Just his luck that there were still some people around after hours to startle him. He turned a grumpy glare to the boy who called out his name and raised an eyebrow at his request.

“Don't remember you havin’ a car, Callahan; what happened to that bicycle you ride in on when Francis ain't here?” the sophomore asked as he grabbed an ice pack out of the dirty mini-fridge in the corner.

”Still have the bike, Boaz,” Roddy said matter of factly. ”I’m asking for a friend; Maddy Diller’s car is kaput and since I know you’re not a complete dick, you might offer to help. Either that, or let her walk through the Southside by herself at this time of night.” Rod hadn’t really warmed to Decky since his arrival. There was an aura to him, something dark and dangerous lingered just beneath the surface and Rod was worried about letting loose. On the flip side however, in the past few months of the school year, he has seen Decky show a different softer side, specifically when around the new teacher Mr Beau. The two held a rapport like no other.

”So what do you think? Gonna lend us a hand or not?”

Decky gave the other boy a long look, trying to discern just how much he wanted to let the other see about him. He'd never had an actual problem with Callahan; they hadn't run in the same circles since Decky's arrival as a late-admission sophomore, and so he never got a feel for the Butcher’s boy.

However, he'd come to Decky, knowing he'd be here in the autoshop this late, long after school had ended. He even claimed- rather bluntly, which gave him points in Decky's book- that he knew Decky wasn't as bad as his image portrayed. That had to mean something.

Curiosity piqued-and honest worry for anyone like Callahan and his friends going to the Southside alone- Decky sighed.

“Fine, I'll take a look at it,” He passed the taller boy, heading for the garage door to close up for the night. “But I'm not lettin’ nobody from the ‘good side of the tracks’ head Southside alone, so I'm comin’ with ya too.” He scratched his head, not even cringing at the thought of all the grease and oil that just went into his hair.

“I gotta pic my little bro up from the library, anyways.”

”Good man,” Roddy nodded as he followed Decky back towards the car park.

As they walked, Rod noted someone sitting on a nearby bench talking into a camera. The bleach blonde hair and old looking clothes meant only one thing; Charlie Decker. The two boys silently passed Charlie whom was muttering to himself about something or other. Rod didn’t know Decker well but he knew him enough. Edenridge was a small town, people knew things, important secrets but they would never tell; that was the code of the close knit community. In this particular instance, the kids of Edenridge knew something that the adults didn’t;

They knew that it was Charlie who supplied the drugs that killed head cheerleader Winona Davies. They knew he had given it a boost but had not anticipated the consequences being fatal. Charlie’s punishment was living with that and the children of Edenridge were more than happy to let him suffer for it.

”Maddy, Decky here is going to take a look at the car for us.”

Decky gave the girl a smirk, not even saying anything before he quickly popped the hood and began searching around inside. It was a good five minutes of silence on his part before he reemerged with a grin and a face streaked with even more grime.

“Well, Diller, it’s alive, so it looks like we're good to go,” He said proudly. “I don't know why y'all wanna go to the Southside, and I'm not gonna ask or judge, but I'm gonna have to request that you drop me off at the library after you're done.”

---

---

---

---

The sound of gunshots tore through a fitful sleep and caused Maddy to wake with a start, her upper body shooting up into a sitting position. Her hand clutched at her chest as she tried to even out her breathing. As she focused on her breathing, her eyes glanced around her dark bedroom. While she hadn't been a victim of the shooting, she was most definitely an eyewitness. That was enough for her to be plagued with nightmares. The introvert didn't have it that easy, though- the fear didn't only just come at night. Cars backfiring, fireworks, any loud noise in particular had the girl quickly thrown into hysteria.

Maddy thought she had had the panic under control. As the years went on, the panic and anxiety attacks had lessened. It only started to get worse when she received the invitation to the reunion. The very thought of once more being inside those walls...

She needed to clear her head. The walls of her room were quickly starting to close in on her. Hurrying to her feet, she pulled on a pair of jeans and shoved her hair up into a ponytail. Maddy grabbed her keys and headed out to her car. Surely there had to be something she could do at the office. Hurrying out to the car, she stopped and let out a breath. She would have to pass by the school in order to get to work. Shaking the thought away, she headed back into the house and started to clean. Busy work always seemed to clear her head.

Several hours passed by and the house was near perfect. Heading back into her room with a full basket of clean clothes, she started to fold when she heard her phone start to ring. Maddy raised a brow and grabbed her phone before glancing down at the unknown number. Could very well be someone who worked at the paper with her. She opened the message and froze at the face looking back at her. As he started to speak, tears quickly hit her cheeks and her hand clutched around the cell phone. She couldn't stop herself from breaking out into a complete sob and sitting down onto her bed. Pressing her freshly laundered clothes against her face, she dropped the phone onto the floor and wept as a panic attack seized her body.

---

---

---

---

"And cut!"

Brin quickly sobered up and focused on her breathing to calm her nerves. She knew she was going to have a hard time with today's script- she rarely enjoyed showing such emotion, much less having it be the center of attention. Grabbing the tissues that were offered to her, she gave a small smile and headed off to a bathroom. She splashed water on her face and stared at the woman looking back at her in the mirror. It was uncanny how she could so easily relate to Maddy. They were both introverts and both really felt alone, even ten years later.

Sure, everyone was nice to her. But, ten years later did little to quell her fear of feeling like the outcast. They were nice to her and treated her as though she truly did belong, but how much of it was just an act? They were all getting paid to be here. They all had a fan base that seemed to be constantly watching them. It was hard to tell who truly was genuine in their actions.

After having calmed herself down, she grabbed a sweater and pulled it over the tank top from her scene. She really didn't have anything planned for the day and wasn't really sure if she had any more scenes with Maddy. Brinlee quickly found a seat on set and sat down, watching everything and everyone around her.

.

---

The morning after the class reunion had been a tough one for Lanie. As if yesterday’s encounter with Kaitin Katastrophe hadn’t been enough, it looked like she had caught some sort of stomach bug as well. After her sudden wave of nausea last afternoon at her in-laws, the blonde had been feeling… Odd. That morning, Lanie was up with the sun as usual. She was already planning to make Ingrid pancakes to surprise her with as soon as she got up, but her body had different plans. As soon as she’d sat up, her head was spinning. Another overwhelming wave of nausea hit her, and as her darling husband slept soundly, Lanie was busy vomiting in their bathroom’s toilet.

It took her at least an hour until she felt herself strong enough to get up from the bathroom floor and slowly make her way to the kitchen. Once there, she began the preparations for her family’s breakfast while musing over her symptoms. When she stopped to really think about it, there had been some rather interesting symptoms going on way before this supposed stomach bug came rolling. There had been the swollen breasts (as noticed by Roddy a few days before), the mood swings (as seen during yesterday’s event), the sensitive sense of smell (as experienced that past afternoon), the nausea (as experienced that morning)... And the missed period.

Was it possible that maybe this ‘stomach bug’ could be more than that? Was it possible that maybe she could be...

Before her mind could even utter the word, Lanie felt hurrying footsteps approaching. She turned in the direction of the sound and found her lips moving up into a smile at the sight of her husband. The smile faded instantly as she saw the haunted look on Roddy’s handsome face.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” she asked him, a worried look on her face. She cupped his bearded face with one hand.

”Babe you need to see this”

Roddy was holding his phone. He pressed play by tapping on the screen and a video of a young man with dirty blonde hair, pale skin and red-rimmed eyes talking to a camera began playing. When her sluggish brain finally recognized the face on the screen and the voice coming out from her husband’s phone, the “World’s Best Mom” coffee mug she was holding slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. The sound of breaking china filled the kitchen, the spilled coffee making an expanding puddle that contrasted with the dark hardwood as her dark blue eyes opened wide. And just like she’d been doing since the beginning of the morning, Lanie turned around and violently vomited inside her kitchen sink.

---

---

“Aaaaaaaand CUT! That’s it for now, Bella. Take a few and we’ll resume soon.”

As the cleaning staff made their way to clean up the floors of the set kitchen, Lanie nodded to the director and made her way out the set. Her robe was stained with small droplets of coffee, and she left a small trail of it on her way out. Once out of the set, she was helped out of the robe and left sporting some pajamas. After all, her character had just been busy making breakfast during the scene.

“Excellent work, dear.” Bella called out to Jude, offering her TV husband a warm smile. “I can only imagine poor Roddy’s face when he starts putting two and two together.”

Still smiling, Bella turned around to give a quick look around the set. Her eyes ventured to the door and beyond it, where the crew were busy filming a scene with Emilia. The red-headed woman was running, wearing full-out gym gear. When her scene was finished, Izabella noticed that Emilia was panting. Noticing she was coming in her direction, Bella walked over to the refreshments table and picked up a water bottle.

“Emmy!” Bella called out, motioning for Emilia to come over. When she did, the smiling blonde handing over the water bottle. “Here you go, sweetheart. I figured you would be thirsty after all of that running.”

The apartment that made up the second floor of the Garage wasn't much; it wasn't even supposed to be an apartment, really. When Phil had first bought the Garage, the place had had an upper level with nothing but a manager's office, bathroom, and a little floor space. There had already been a perfectly usable manager's office and break room on the lower level, and Phil had decided 'why commute to the place if I can live here?'

It was still small, given that the second level was less than half the size of the first, but it was enough for Phil, and it seemed almost too much for Mordechai after all the dumps he lived in over the years.

He was up early, remembering Beau's promise to come by early. Checking the clock, he figured he had enough time to go get him and Beau some coffee before the man himself showed up. He jogged down the strip that made up Edenridge's main road; the Garage was near the end of it, all that was there after it was the scrap yard before the train tracks that separated Eden from South Ridge. The Pour House was near the Garage as well, but The coffee shop was closer to the 'safer' end, near the smoothie place and thrift store. It was about a five minute walk straight from the Garage, but it was like entering another world with the change in activity; where the Garage and bar were all but dead at this hour, the coffee shop and smoothie place had customers literally out the door. With a heavy sigh, he got in line and waited.

He had just gotten on the inside of the door and caught sight of red hair a couple people in front of him when his phone buzzed. Thinking it might be Beau, and that the man had come even earlier than expected, Mordechai stepped to the side to let people pass him and opened the text, frowning and thumbing the video link that came with the unknown number.

His heart seized and he wondered distantly if this is what Phil's heart attack felt like. Because staring back at him was one of the faces that haunt his nightmares almost every night. He heard an echo of the boy's words as his own video finished, and glanced up just as someone ran into his chest, causing him to drop his phone. He watched absently as the screen shattered on the ground, and found himself wishing that had happened before he'd gone to check it.

The red hair that swept over his hand as he steadied the shoulders of the person that had collided with him told him all he needed to know about who else had gotten that video.

"O'Con- um..." He swallowed that lump in his throat as he heard his voice crack, and pulled the woman outside, away from the prying eyes that were drawn by the commotion. "Ka-Kaitlin...are you...do you need..." He didn't know what to say. What the hell could he say? He knew that 'are you okay' and 'do you need something' meant nothing right now, but he also knew that if anyone from the alumni classes had seen that video, they shouldn't be alone.

"Beau's coming to the Garage...d-do you want to come with me to see him?"

Kaitlin O'Connor

Kaitlin stared up into a pair of chocolate colored eyes, barely registering who they belonged to. Everything seemed to blur around her, causing her to blink a few times to focus her vision. Decky, it was Decky Boaz who had steadied her. If she had been capable of feeling anything other than numb in this moment, she would have been surprised.

Slowly, things came back into focus for Kaitlin and she became aware that Decky was leading her from the coffee shop, that he had been speaking to her in the meantime.

“Your phone..” she muttered limply, realizing his phone still lay shattered on the ground. Damn, that was her fault.

Again green eyes met brown as Kaitlin looked up, some life coming back into her gaze. The pair were now standing outside, away from the windows and prying eyes of the busybodies around them. That's small town living for you. Despite the strange situation, she felt surprisingly...comforted by Decky's presence. Never in a million years did she ever expect that.

Her surroundings and thoughts still coming back slowly, Kaitlin was surprised to hear Decky ask if she wanted to go back to the garage with him. She furrowed her brow in confusion, both at the offer of company, and at the fact that she wanted to say yes.

That's when her mind slammed back into action. Kaitlin had only almost lost something that day 10 years ago. Decky had actually lost something.

“Yeah, actually.” Kaitin said, clearing her throat softly before continuing on. “That sounds really good right now. Th-thank you.”

Kaitlin gave a slight squeeze to the shoulder that she had been holding onto, meaning it to be an action of comfort before letting go of Decky. She wasn't sure why he had offered her that bit of comfort of company, God knows she didn't deserve it based on her actions ten years ago... but she certainly appreciated it.

Emilia Carter

“Thank you Bella” Emilia practically wheezed as she took the bottle of water from her friend's perfectly manicured hand. Despite the animosity the two girls perfected while in front of the camera, off camera they got along swimmingly. Paparazzi and tabloids had often tried to coax a feud out of the two beauties, eager to bring the drama into the real world headlines. However, even as teenagers the two girls had never taken the bait.

“You're a life saver. They made Kaitlin a runner. I think they are punishing me over everything I broke on set when I was younger. They say they aren't but...” Emilia let her sentence trail off, taking a sip of water instead.

“How are your scenes going?” She asked after swallowing, genuinely interested. Most of the story lines were kept quiet even from the stars to prevent leaks, but Lanie's was already heading in an interesting direction. “I have scenes with Aisik this episode. Cue all the people that still ship Lanie and Decky to be calling for my head on Twitter.” Emilia rolled her eyes playfully. She loved the Edenridge fans, she had a lot to thank them for, but man, could they hold a grudge.

As Decky worked on the car, Roddy leaned against a nearby sign, silently watching Charlie until he got up and left. Did the boy deserve the ostracisation he was receiving from the townspeople? It was obvious to anyone that his life wasn’t easy and he they all were, consciously making it worse. What type of people does that make them?

Pictures of Winona Davies were situated everywhere right now. Stuck to windows, cars, light posts and even drifting across the floor. The All American girl, head cheerleader dating a football player, 4.0 GPA, literally everything seemed to be perfect in her life. So what leads someone like that to head out into the night, snort a designer drug and die in the stall of a club bathroom.? Life was strange, Edenridge, MA was worse. The town had made Winona a martyr, ignoring the circumstances of her recent death and making her the poster child for damning the influence of the southside, the place where Roddy, Maddy and Decky would soon be heading. A place where Decky lives.

Once Decky had finished working, Rod snapped out of his daze and returned to the duo. ”Ready to go?”

She had been in a daze while Roddy went off in search of Decky to fix her car. The girl really should have seen it coming; the noble steed was getting old in its years. Her wrist continued to turn every thirty seconds to check on the time. Maddy’s mind started to count down her time as a free woman; after today, she would never be the same. Everything rested on her getting to the library.

As the boys came into her viewpoint, her body gave a jolt as she straightened her back against the seat. Her mother would absolutely have a heart attack if she knew her daughter was alone with two teenage boys. Shaking her head, she hurried out of the driver’s seat and pointed towards her car. It was a useless gesture as the boy got to work as soon as he reached her. Maddy’s eyes darted over to Roddy before standing back, not wanting to be in the way.

Didn’t take long for the car to be deemed alive, which caused a wide grin to spread across the girl’s face. It soon dissipated when Decky announced that he would be a passenger on their journey. She blinked in surprise before glancing between Roddy and Decky. With a quick shake of her head, she stammered. ”I, uh...I, well. We’re going to the library. But we have a deadline. And if I don’t make that deadline, then my entire world is going to break into chaos. So thank you for the car, and the, well...whatever you did to him. But, uh. We’ve got to go. We have to go. Roddy, let’s go.” With an exasperated sigh, she slid back into the driver’s seat.

Decky rolled his eyes as Diller’s stammering before narrowing them as she tried to leave him behind. He quickly slid into the back seat with a patronizing grin. Roddy quietly slid into the passenger seat.

“This is exactly why you need me, Diller; no one ever leaves any door but the Driver’s unlocked when parked Southside. You woulda been jacked the second you rolled over the tracks.”

He could see it now: the girl slowly bumping over the tracks to avoid damaging her car, someone taking advantage of her slowing down at the stop sign just a few hundred feet away. Next she knows her back door is flung open and a gun is held to her head. One to Roddy’s as well.

“‘Two ‘Ridge teens were found dead a hundred feet south of the tracks,’” Decky announced in his best newscaster voice, one hand to his ear and another holding an invisible mic. “‘The car registered in the female’s name is missing but the tire tracks found at the scene match that of her vehicle. Such a tragic loss. So easily avoidable if they'd just had a resident Southsider to show them how to stay safe.’”

With a dramatic slowness, he leaned over Diller and pushed down the lock button, grin in place.

He wasn't leaving.

Roddy shook his head as Decky explained to them the dangerous of the south side. Everybody knew just how rough that neighborhood was and Rod didn't need a lesson. Worst of all, Maddy who was already in a state didn't need her fear encouraged. ”Let’s get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back.” It was going to be a long afternoon that was for sure.

Why Maddy had rented a book from the South side library, Roddy was unsure. It didn't really make sense. A well to do girl like her, renting from the seediest part of town? It was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. ”So tell me, Maddy; why did you get your book from down here? Why not use the Ridge library?”

Hearing the back door open, she quickly turned in her seat and looked at Decky. Gee, he really had no problem invading a girl’s personal space. She shook her head and was about to comment when he made his statement. Her mouth quickly closed and her eyes widened. Would that really happen in the Southside? Sure, she had been there only once before- to get the book that was at the center of this dilemma- but that time had been fine. It was during the middle of the day and not after dark, but still...She hadn’t had a single problem other than a few people staring at her.

Maddy’s face paled as the boy continued to speak. Dead? Missing? She looked down at her library book and gulped. Maybe she hadn’t really thought this through...With another shake of her head, she looked back up and gasped as he leaned over her. His body was close enough to hers that she could feel his body heat, smell the grime of engine oil on his clothes. Flush the color of beets quickly appeared on her cheeks and she closed her eyes. He was just leaning over her to lock the door, for goodness sake. Why’d she have to be such a prude? Roddy’s voice broke the spell. Eyes opening quickly, she nodded and started her car.

As they pulled out of the lot, Roddy’s question weighed in her mind. She gave a small shrug of her shoulders as both hands gripped onto the steering wheel. ”I was doing research for an article and our library didn’t have this specific book. And it was going to take too long for it to be transferred to ours. It was silly to wait a week when I was able to drive to the library myself that same day.” Silly. Yeah, it was at the time. And now she was starting to regret that decision. Only slightly, though...The article had turned out pretty dang amazing.

“Risking health and life for a book, Diller? Props.” Decky spoke up before leaning back into his seat. Doing something stupid for the sake of a book seemed like something Danny would do. His brother actually liked school, and all the reading that came with it. It's why the kid was at the library tonight in the first place. Decky was pretty happy to be having a ride back instead of having to walk there in the dark like he normally would.

Didn't stop him from keeping the knife in his pocket for his and Danny’s walk home, though; god knows their parents wouldn't ever pick them up.

A few minutes later and they were nearing the tracks, and Decky found himself trying to subtly double check all the locks on the doors. “So, uh...what’s up with the worry and hurry over this?” he asked as he settled back in.

Crossing the tracks into South Eden was like a scene out of a movie. On one side, the trees were lush and green, the lights from nearby shops, houses and street lights kept the place illuminated and safe. Yet on the other side of the tracks, the plant life was dead or dying, it was dark and shadows sat perched like thieves in the night. Their quest had taken them to the outskirts of hell, though was the south side really as bad as people thought? At least if you lived there, people looked out for their own. North of the train tracks however, how many people would remember the name Winona Davies in a months time? Was the north just as bad? Maybe worse?

”Thin line between heaven and hell...”

Decky didn't even deign a response to that comment.

Her eyes strayed along the road as they continued the drive to the library. It was definitely a completely different scene at night. Even the foliage had a life of it’s own...didn’t anyone mow down here? With a shake of her head, she kept her eyes peeled to the road. She didn’t necessarily have the greatest vision in the dark.

Maddy couldn’t help a scoff at Decky’s question. ”The worry and hurry? My student record depends on getting this book back on time. Heck, even my own personal record...Can libraries do that? Can I go to jail for this? Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, my parents are going to kill me. I’m so going to jail if this book is late!” She pressed her foot harder against the gas peddle, her back hitting the seat as the car revved forward in protest.

“This is all about some late boo- Christ!” Decky gripped the oh-shit bar as she sped up. “Diller this is Southside, no one cares about a late book, including the library. Now slow down before you hit a Trip-S and get us all targeted for the rest of our short lives!” he bellowed.

There were members of the Trip-S gang on damn near every street. They weren't called the South Side Snakes for nothing; these guys could pop up anywhere and strike in seconds. They'd been trying to recruit Decky since he was twelve, and the boy really didn't want to give them anything to hold over him.

Something like being in the vehicle that runs over one of their own.

They pulled up to the library with a screech of the breaks and Decky let go of the seats in relief. Now all he had to do was meet one of his dealers inside and pick Danny up.

Then it was home sweet hole.

Logan Rivers

Logan slept in some but still woke up with a mild hangover from the night before. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to with his day, he didn’t have work until the evening, but figured some fresh air would be a good bet. He showered, changed, and headed into the tiny kitchen of his apartment. He set his phone on the counter and made himself a bowl of cereal. Logan wasn’t sure why he’d joined the whatsapp group for his fellow high school alums but he had. The thought of reconnecting with people from high school, especially those who had been affected by the shooting legitimately scared him. He hadn’t really planned on using it, but when his phone buzzed and notified him of the new message he was compelled to check it. He felt his heart drop, his stomach turn, and his skin go clammy. There was Charlie Decker; eyes bloodshot, his entire demeanor in a manic state, rambling about the poison of the town. There was his best friend in complete anguish and he’d never took it seriously, Logan had never really noticed enough to realize his friend needed help. Instead when Charlie had been depressed he’d pass him a bowl and tell him to light up and lighten up, don’t be such bummer, or you just need to get laid. Why would someone send this, and who would even have a video like this?

“Damn, that’s fucked up.” He said to himself.

“Your telling me, I mean that video makes me look crazy.” A familiar voice joked. Logan looked up and saw Charlie Decker, looking exactly as he remembered him, in his kitchen and nearly had a heart attack. “I mean I know I’m splitting hairs here but of all the videos of me to choose...” Charlie added shaking his head. “Relax man, I promise I didn’t slip you any psychedelics, this time.” He added with a laugh.

“It’s not funny, man. You killed people, and, you’re supposed to be dead.” Logan said, whispering for some reason, eve though he lived alone he was somehow wary that someone would see him talking to a ghost.

“Well if I am dead, and this is all just some fucked up manifestation of guilt, then I’m just your own subconscious messing with you, then you’re the one making bad jokes and I’m not real.” Charlie said with that same stupid look he got whenever he thought he’d outsmarted someone.

Logan shook his head and walked outside, video’s and visions of Charlie were way too much handle.

“What’s up man, aren’t you glad to see me? I mean shit Logan, I’m the one that’s dead and here you are looking like a ghost.” The Charlie apparition said as it followed him outside.

“Dammit, do not follow me.” Logan said raising his voice just outside his front door. An nearby elderly neighbor gave him the stink eye and shook his head. Logan kept walking and ignored the neighbor who probably thought he was nuts.

“Fine.” Charlie said, flipping him off before vanishing. Logan gave a small sigh of relief that the ghost Charlie, or whatever it was, was gone, at least for now. He needed something to stead his nerves and since he’d left his cigarettes back at his apartment, and he was not going back there right now to get them, he headed for the nearest gas station. He grabbed a fresh pack, lighter, and a cheap crappy cup of coffee and just wandered around the city for a bit as the caffeine and nicotine called his nerves.

---

---

Nick Donovan

Nick gave an overly enthusiastic high five to Dylan Martin. “Right on D, glad to have you back on set. Surprised you managed to tare yourself away from the exciting world of stocks and suits to hang out with us thespian types.”

“Huh, well I’d hardly call the stuff you’ve been in the work of a thespian.” Dylan shot back.

“I can only assume you’re referring to Zombageddon.” Nick joked.

“Actually, I was specifically thinking of Rhinoshark Vs Cat-Raptor.” Dylan replied. Nick was glad to have the guy back on set, if was nice to have someone to joke around with.

“So, tell me how does it feel to be Gordon Gekko.” Nick teased. Dylan let out a sharp laugh.

“Wanna see something hilarious?” Dylan asked handing Nick his smartphone. Nick took the phone and glanced at the screen and chuckled as he saw his IMDB page pulled up on Dylan’s phone.

“Fun fact though, they always have the best craft services for those movies.” Nick added handing him back his phone. He continued to catch with Dylan as they walked around the set.

"I'm sure seeing him will do us both some good," Mordechai spoke with a soft smile as he began to walk with her down the street. He shoved his shaky hands into his pockets, shoulders hunched slightly. "Y'know he somehow kept tabs on me all these years? 'Managed to keep tabs on you through my old contacts,' he said," With a laughed and a shake of his head, Mordechai continued, "Gotta admit; as a Southside kid, knowing an ex-cop used old contacts to keep up on me makes me a little nervous."

He was doing it on purpose, focusing on Beau and his antics; He made sure not to bring up the video. He wasn't going to mention ten years ago, or ask her how she's been doing since then. If he didn't want people asking him about Danny, he had a feeling she didn't want to relive having been shot and carted off to the hospital. Hell, who would?

They were still a minute away from the garage, but he couldn't help feeling better at the mere thought of being able to see Beau again. The man was an anchor for many of the kids- no, adults- of the 2006 Class. The juniors and seniors of that year had already been two of the smallest classes in Edenridge's history. After the shooting...well, the 'Ridge hadn't had such small graduating classes since its founding.

Beau took all those kids under his wing as though they were his own; he made it his duty to teach lessons not only in education, but in life. Mordechai didn't even want to think about what he'd be now without Beau's guidance and attention.

Probably as dead as his brother.