I'd planned on spending the whole evening with my parents, but I got a text in the middle of gumbo from Hugh calling an emergency meeting of the Crestview Drama Society. He picked me up at ten, and we headed to Carson's house.

When Hugh and I pulled up to his massive place, we found the garage open. Carson was inside riffing on his guitar while a girl with honey-colored hair streaked with pink packed an electric keyboard into a big hard case. A guy with long dark hair loaded drum cases into an orange van.

"Hey guys," Carson set his guitar on a stand. "Sorry about the mess. Band practice just ended, and we're still finalizing our set for the bonfire."

"No big deal," Hugh said. "Is Jules here? I thought I saw their car on the way in."

"Novah and Jules went up to the media room," Carson said. "I believe you know the way?"

Hugh nodded. The girl with honey and pink hair pouted her electric blue lips. Carson wrapped his arm around her.

"Rissa, you remember Hugh," he said. "And this is Rita. They're in the drama society with me."

"Hi," Rissa held out her hand for me to shake. "I'm Marissa Lopez, but most people call me Rissa. I'm Carson's girlfriend."

Her grip was hard, but her smile was genuine. "Nice to meet you."

The guy finished loading drum cases and lumbered over to grab the keyboard. Rissa gave him a nasty look.

"Ba careful Foster," she snapped.

"Why don't you help him, sweetie," Carson said. "I have my drama society meeting."

Rissa looked at her long acrylic nails. "Why can't Jack help? Isn't he in your drama club? I feel like I haven't seen him in forever."

Carson glanced out of the garage over the fence to the big white house next door. I could see Garrison painted on the mailbox at the driveway's edge. A few windows on the upper floor were lit, but it was quiet.

"Jack is busy," Carson said. "Besides, you'll see him at the bonfire."

"That's like a whole week away, and we'll be performing," Rissa sighed when Foster's arms drooped under the weight of the piano case. "Foster, careful."

She ran off after him. Carson sighed and adjusted his headphones around his neck. He pointed Hugh in the direction of the media room in the house.

"I'll join you once I get them on the road," Carson said. "Ten minutes tops."

Hugh led me through the garage, around a workbench, and into the house. We passed through a massive chrome-plated kitchen and a full dining room. Then we went through a vast formal living room with an eighty-inch television mounted on the wall and leather couches. At the far end, we found the staircase that led upstairs to the media room.

Jules was situated in front of a plasma screen about half the size of the one downstairs that seemed to be attached to every gaming consul imaginable. There were several beanbag chairs and a coffee table. Novah hung upside down with her numerous braids obscuring her face in one of those form-fitting gaming chairs.

"This television has sixty apps, and not one of them is Skype," Jules groaned. "We're lucky Carson has practically everything. I hooked up my tablet."

"Exactly why do we need Skype?" Hugh asked.

Jules groaned. "We aren't having a drama society meeting without Tasha. She's going to video in."

"I still don't see the point of this emergency meeting," Novah said, turning right side up.

"We need to figure out what to do about Jack and Shayna," Jules said. "Not to mention how we're supposed to keep going with Samantha wrecking everything."

"And this requires an emergency meeting?" I asked.

"It feels like an emergency, and Anton isn't doing anything about it," Jules said. "So the drama society needs to step in."

"Cause it worked out so well when we learned Juan was cheating on Shayna," Kai stood in the doorway. 

He was wearing a band shirt and sweatpants. His hair was messy, so it looked like he'd either been pulled from his bed or hadn't been bothered to brush it in days. 

"You do know meeting next door to Jack's house isn't exactly low-key," Kai made his way to the couch on the back wall. 

"Carson was the first to offer," Hugh said. "Besides, it's big and easy to find."

"Why, thank you," Carson entered the room and plopped down in one of the beanbag chairs.

Jules grinned. "I got it."

A video of Tasha appeared on the television. She was looking much better. Her dark hair was pulled back in a blue scrunchie, and she wore one of her usual striped shirts.

"Tasha, can you hear us?" Jules asked.

"Loud and clear," Tasha said. "So, what's the emergency?"

"Jack and Shayna," Kai said.

Tasha sighed. "They'll work it out. Just leave them be."

"That's what I said," Novah said. "Meeting adjourned." 

"Shayna stormed out of rehearsal after a conversation with Jack," Hugh said. "And she didn't come back."

"She probably needed to cool off," I said. "I talked with her today. She seems fine."

Kai ran a hand through his hair. "Jack has always set Shayna on edge. Even when we were kids, she always avoided him."

"I've known Jack since we were in diapers," Carson stretched his feet across an empty beanbag chair. "He means well, and he's had a big crush on her since forever."

"Regardless of his intentions, Shayna can't stand him," Hugh said. "Maybe we could convince Anton to swap a role or something."

"There's not enough time," Tasha said. "You guys have a week until your performance." 

She was right. I half wondered if maybe we should have invited Jack to stage an intervention rather than having another discussion behind his back. 

"We could rearrange the roles," Jules suggested. 

"Who could replace Jack or Shayna?" Tasha asked. "They are some of the strongest actors in the group, and when Shayna isn't losing it over Jack, their chemistry is believable."

We all sat there in silence because, unfortunately, Tasha was right. Jack and Shayna could make sparks fly when they weren't trying to tear each other's heads off. Maybe all those lovers in romantic comedies about enemies to lovers had something figured out. Or at least more than we did.

There were footsteps behind us. I didn't think anyone else was invited to the meeting, so I turned to see Carson's mother in the doorway.

"Carson, sweetie," she said. "I have some ice cream for your friends, but they should be heading home soon. It's late."

"Yeah, Mom," Carson turned red. "Sorry, guys."

"I thought your band rehearsal was over," Mrs. Terrell said.

Carson sighed. "These are my theater friends."

Mrs. Terrell handed Carson a box of ice cream sandwiches. "Oh, they're always welcome. However, it's late, and there's a storm blowing through. I just want them to all get home safely."

"We're finishing up," Tasha said over the video screen.

"All right then," Mrs. Terrell said. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."

She turned around and walked back down the stairs. Carson passed around the ice cream sandwiches. I tore into one with double chocolate chip cookies and mint ice cream.

"How's the band doing?" Tasha asked.

"Good," Carson said with his mouth full of ice cream.

Tasha smiled. "Any new songs?"

"Well, I've been working on something new, but I'm not sure we will perform it," Carson said. "It's kinda personal, and Rissa doesn't think it has the right groove."

"I'm sick of girls jamming out to 'Supersonic Nova' at school, so please put out something new," Novah said. 

"I know," Jules said. "Melony McCaffery got asked to homecoming a few weeks ago with the cheerleaders singing it, and now, for some reason, someone always seems to be screaming the lyrics like it's romantic."

That made Carson laugh. "'Supersonic Nova' was a little experimental. I'm trying to convince Foster to remix it if we want to use it on an album."

"Hey, I like the song," Novah said. "But that's because Dottie commissioned it for me. I just wish it wasn't so popular with people who have no idea what it's actually about."

"I'm still partial to 'Tapping at the Night,'" Tasha said. "That one is your best."

"Rissa wants that one gone," Carson said. "She's tired of glorifying her old breakup. I don't blame her, especially since she's now my girl, even if she doesn't understand why I've had to give up so much of my time to the play."

Hugh raised an eyebrow. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Nothing Rissa and I can't work through," Carson said.

"Is it that bad?" Jules asked. "You and Rissa always seem so perfect."

Carson sucked in his cheeks. "She'll come around. She'd understand if I could just get her to watch a rehearsal."

"You want her to see you dress up as a clown?" Kai asked.

Carson stiffened. "A harlequin is not a clown."

"I guarantee you, Rissa won't see the difference," Jules giggled.

"And the script totally says clown," Novah added. 

There was a rumble of thunder that came through the speakers. Tasha looked slightly embarrassed.

"That's coming from my end, guys," she said. "Sorry. It's gonna rain on this side of town. I should go."

"See you tomorrow," Jules said.

Tasha sighed. "See you guys whenever I get out of Mom's solitary confinement."

"Bye, Tash," Hugh said.

The Skype call cut off. The meeting of the Crestview Drama Society dissolved from there. Jules disconnected their tablet, and we all said our goodbyes.

Hugh drove me home. It didn't start raining until I entered my house. My father was sprawled across the living room couch with his head pillowed in my mother's lap.

"How was your meeting?" My mother asked.

"Fruitless, Momma," I said. "Did you ever have trouble with two people who just couldn't get along?"

My mother laughed. "Sounds like being a teenager. But yes, sometimes you have to let people sort things out themselves. We can't fix everyone's problems, hon."

"I'm not sure they can sort it out," I said. "My friends certainly don't think so."

"It's fate," my mother smiled. "Now I'm going to wake your father. Go on and hop to bed. You have that brunch with your friends in the morning."

I'd nearly forgotten about my plans tomorrow with Jules. Taking my mother's advice, I fell into my bed and let out one final plea to the universe to save our play before sinking off to sleep.

My sister Mary started taking a new art class in the evenings. Dad couldn't be bothered to pick her up, which left me driving in the rain across town as the sun set. 

Lilly had come with me since Dad was in one of his moods, where he locked the study. He'd likely come out drunk, so the two of us had lifted a sleeping Maddy from the couch and into the back of the Jeep. 

It would be better if we were all home together anyhow, and I didn't trust my father drunk around the girls. When we got home, I'd recommend they lock their rooms. 

I parked outside the city cultural art museum as the rain came down. Mary's class would be over soon, and we could go home. 

"Did Maddy tell you she told one of her friends about Dad's condition?" Lilly asked. 

I winced. "How many times have I told her not to do that?"

That was bad. I'd told Maddy not to tell anyone. We couldn't worry Mom because she was sick and her friends wouldn't understand. 

"She likes to have stories for her friends," Lilly replied. "She's only ten."

We knew the consequences our father might dish out. Lilly's cast was a reminder of that. I couldn't let him hurt the girls.

"She can't run her mouth," I said. "I'll get advice from Uncle Anton."

Our uncle was the only person who knew. Mom said that we could trust him. There were nights I wondered if it would be better to let the girls stay at his apartment. But then Dad would insist they come home.

"Dad'll be mad if you call Uncle Anton at home," Lilly said. "Call him now."

I wasn't sure if she wanted the reassurance that I'd make the call or what. I sighed. "Don't worry. I can deal with Dad."

Lilly grabbed my phone from the cupholder and shoved it in my hand. "Dad broke my arm. I'm fifteen, not stupid. Mom is dying. Dad's unhinged. Mary is scared. Maddy is clueless. I get it. Dad is a real problem. But if Maddy keeps running her mouth, someone will call CPS."

There it was: Lilly's worst fear. She didn't have nightmares about Dad. They were about child protective services tearing our family apart.

I took the phone from her. "I know. They won't separate us."

"So, call Uncle Anton," she replied. "He can help."

For Lilly, I turned on the speakerphone. The phone dialed, but my uncle didn't pick up. I looked at Lilly, and she sighed. 

"Hey, Uncle Anton, I know you have been busy, but I'm worried about Maddy spilling secrets to her friends," I said. "The last thing we want is for this to blow up at her school. Can you talk to her? I think she might listen to you."

I hung up. The door to the museum, and Mary walked out with her friends. She spotted my Jeep and smiled. That was so rare now. 

"She looks happy," Lilly said. 

"Let's try to keep it that way," I said just before Mary opened the door and climbed in the back beside her sleeping sister.

Because happiness was becoming increasingly scarce in our world, I had to convince Dad to get help. Maybe I'd finally break down and enlist Mom. He couldn't say no to her. But for now, I needed to keep that smile on my sister's face before we went home.

I had a perfect solution. "Who wants ice cream?"