Previous Chapter Recap: Kyle has been absent from school since Jenny's party.
Toni told Robin everything about how she stole the Central Parkers' weed and how they've been stalking her. Robin decides to admit their mother into a hospital and that Toni is going to move in with him.
Saige and Connie drag Max along to the Metro Diner. Max still doesn't like Connie but Saige convinces him to let her into their business because of how good she is at digging up gossip.
Melanie returns home to find a postcard addressed to her from Henry.

It was Friday afternoon and not a soul had the decency to shut up when Mrs. Mitchell had left the classroom to go get some papers from the printer in the teacher's room. Or maybe that was an excuse to go out with her pack of camels. Jenny thought that it probably was.
Nearly everyone in the classroom had started chattering as soon as Mrs. Mitchell left and the door had flung shut.
Jenny threw her pencil on the checkered sheets of her notebook and walked over to Natalie's bench, where she was happily doing some quadratic equations. Or whatever they were called. Jenny had skipped over that part in their math book, frankly.
"Natalie!" Jenny said and sat down on the surface of Natalie's table. "Got any plans today?"
"No," Natalie replied. "Did you hear about any new parties? I haven't heard anything."
"Yeah, actually," Mason said who was sitting right next to Natalie. Jenny hadn't even seen him there, hiding behind his red glasses. "Pretty dead on that front since your last party, cousin."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked him with her tone now sharp and to the point.
"I wasn't there, but is Kyle doing okay?" Mason said.
"He has a cold," Jenny cut him off and turned her head to Natalie. She was so sick of people asking that. "So Natalie, I was thinking we could go dress shopping today. There's a sale at Top Shop."
"I'd love to–"
"He has a cold, seriously?" Mason interrupted from his seat. "Are you not going to tell me anything? He's my friend too."
"There's nothing to tell," Jenny said. Because there really wasn't, she thought – she didn't want to go around gossiping about Kyle's mental state. "Ask him yourself. Natalie, there's this restaurant in Central Park that we have to try–"
"Jenny," Mason interrupted again. "He won't answer my messages or calls. Can't you tell him to call me back? Or can we go to his place together? Do you know if he's coming to school on Monday?"
"Oh my god, Mason!" Jenny shouted at him. A few curious people turned their heads to see what was going on and Jenny cursed under her breath. A little more silent this time, she added: "You're asking too much. I don't know. Just leave him alone, please. Do you think he wants this much attention?"
"But when was the last time you talked to him?" Mason asked. "Yesterday," she said. They'd been chatting online late in the evening and Kyle had sent her a funny YouTube clip. He seemed fine. "I'm sure you'll see him on Monday."
"Are you really sure?" Natalie asked her, and Jenny could spot the worry in her face.
The fact of the matter was that Jenny didn't know what was going on with Kyle either. Of course she had noticed that something had been off for a few months – it had started with Kyle not texting her goodnight anymore and then he had stopped calling her sweetie. Jenny didn't want to mention it because she didn't want to be such a nitpicking girlfriend, but it hurt all the same to be stripped of those tiny things that made her love Kyle so much.
"Whatever," Jenny said to Natalie and smiled. "We're going dress shopping today."

School was out for the week and Toni had snuck off to the park across the school to smoke. She hadn't even picked up her pack since her talk with Robin – it felt like he'd know immediately and scold her for smoking. Maybe forbid her from doing it which was just absurd. Okay, maybe not completely absurd. Toni wasn't an idiot. She'd been trying to quit, but once she realized that was nearly impossible she had decided to cut down her smokes to one cigarette per day. Even that was a challenge.
Toni leaned against the fence in the park and watched the people emerge from the school entrance. She knew all of their names, except the new freshmen that she didn't really care about. They all had someplace to go and someplace to be. Why wouldn't they, on a Friday afternoon?
The people started to clear out and soon it was just Toni, the street, and the blowing wind left. It was so peaceful swaying alone with the tree branches. But then, Toni thought she noticed something blurry by the entrance. Something green moving down the stairs. No, wait... It was a birds nest.
"Victoria!" Toni shouted at the figure and quickly stubbed out the cigarette on the nearby trunk of the tree. Victoria stopped to stare at her, which made Toni realize that Victoria might've forgotten who she was. They hadn't talked for days after all.
"Toni?" Victoria said. Toni felt a sense of relief pulse through her. So Victoria did remember her name. "Hi."
"Hi," Toni echoed. It sounded dumb, so Toni cleared her throat and tried shifting her voice to not sound so desperate. "How funny that we should run into each other."
"How so?" Victoria wondered and cocked an eyebrow.
"Um..." Toni said just to buy some more time. Think, Toni, think! "I was going to this place and since you're here I was just wondering if you wanted to tag along. To that place." "What place?" Victoria said. This time she did smile though, and that made Toni a whole lot calmer. She didn't even realize that she'd gotten so nervous.
"Ben & Jerry's?" Toni said. She hadn't actually planned on going there, but the weather was so hot that she wouldn't mind some ice cream right about now. "It's close, just a couple minutes away."
"I thought you were more of a Ray's kind-of girl," Victoria said.
"Oh," Toni said with a stiff laugh. "Yeah. But Ray won't mind. So you coming?"
"Um... Okay, just for a while," she said and paused for a second. "By the way, I'm sorry I didn't come to the party. I got busy."
"Huh?" Toni said. Was Victoria still stressing over that? "It's fine, that was like two weeks ago. Wasn't even a fun party. Everybody were just traumatized when it ended."
"Dare I ask what happened?"
"No," Toni replied and shook her head. She smiled at Victoria. "You dare not."
"Then I dare not," Victoria said and started walking, leaving Toni by the school entrance.
"Let's go. Wherever this place is." "Hey, wait up!" Toni shouted after her and picked up her pace to catch up with Victoria.

Finding decent souvenirs at any place in New York except around Times Square was trickier than Melanie thought. She had just assumed that she'd stumble upon a gift shop after just wandering around for a little while, but all she saw were bodegas, delis, cafés, and then even more bodegas. Melanie had even started thinking that maybe a map would've helped in this situation even though she was entirely anti-maps. Staring at a map while crossing the street would be a one-way ticket to death anyway.
Melanie had tried asking the passerby's if they knew of any gift shops in the area, but they all just ignored her. Even the Californians were nicer, and that was saying something.
Luckily Melanie had walked into this bodega where Amsterdam Avenue met west 103rd street, and the kind Mexican shop owner had directed her to the small stand with postcards on the counter. They weren't really as fancy as Melanie would've hoped, but she didn't care as long as she had something to send to Henry instead of just a piece of paper.
She picked a card with the Statue of Liberty on it and the skyline in the back. Henry would probably appreciate that, if she even had the guts to send out the card.
"That will be 50 cents," the shop owner said and Melanie placed one of the dollar bills she'd gotten from her mom on the counter. Just one of many – she still had tons saved up.
"Thank you," Melanie said and grabbed the little plastic bag that he'd put the card in. She shoved it in her backpack and made her way out of the store.
Once she got out, Melanie looked at the pulsing traffic and all the taxis that flashed by her. She wondered if she was going home now or if she should stay and do something fun in town. It was kind of depressing that she would spend her fourth weekend in New York just staying at home again, but Melanie would have no idea where to start.
Although, after walking further down 103rd street for a minute or so, she noted that it might be fun to spend some of her money at the Starbucks by the Broadway crossing. A coffee house in New York, how fitting.

Robin was in their storage unit with the rest of the band as they rehearsed for their next gig.
"It's in this bar next Saturday," Robin had told them after Tommy had arrived ten minutes late like he usually did. "It's us and a few other bands. We'll do two songs or something like that."
"Just two?" Tommy said.
"Yeah, that's better," Spike said. Robin had only known him for a few months and he still doubted if that was honestly his real name. "Less rehearsing. It's boring."
"Is that why you're so bloody bad at drumming?" Tommy asked.
"Anyway," Robin interrupted with a shaky and abrupt laugh. "Indigo Essence are going to be there."
"Indigo Essence?" Spencer asked.
"They're the band that Floyd moved to," Robin explained. "He used to be in our band. Really good singer."
"I get why he switched," Tommy said. "Our name sucks."
"What's wrong with 'Bad Apple'?" Spike asked from behind the drum set where he was sitting. Robin felt kind of bad for him since Spike had been the one to come up with the name and everything.
"It's weird," Tommy said and shrugged. "Shouldn't it be 'Bad Egg'?"
"I'm not naming the band after a fucking egg," Spike said. "We'll keep the name."
"Good," Robin agreed. "We need to pick our songs. I'm thinking we do something upbeat and then a slower song."
"Am I singing a sodding ballad?" Tommy asked. "Fuck that."
"What do you want us to sing, then?" the other band mate, Seth, said. "Sex Pistols?"
"I don't know, maybe," Tommy said. "At least not something soppy and girly."
"The Sex Pistols suck," Seth continued. "Did you know that none of them could even play their instruments before they started? Not to mention that none of their songs were original."
"You think you can do a better job than they did?" Tommy asked mockingly.
"Actually, I do–"
"Okay, guys?" Robin interrupted.
"Teamwork, please. How about Satisfaction?"
"No, you'll butcher a good classic," Tommy said. "Besides, I bet that at least one other band is planning on singing that."
"I got one," Spencer said. He'd mostly just been standing quiet in the corner staying out of the conversation, because things were still weird and on edge with Tommy since their fight. Thankfully his nose had healed almost completely since then. "You shook me all night long."
Tommy blinked at him for a few seconds. Tommy's stare was always unnerving because Spencer could never tell what he was thinking behind that expressionless face. Robin, Spike, and Seth didn't dare say anything to break the silence either.
"Okay," Tommy said. His expression didn't change one bit.
"That's cool," Robin said. Spencer could tell that even he had gotten nervous – maybe he was scared that Tommy would lash out again. "We'll do that song."
They rehearsed it for another hour and as usual Tommy was perfectly in sync while Spencer sometimes had trouble keeping up. Robin didn't push him and told him to relax, but he could tell that the others were becoming ticked off and obviously so.
When it was about six they had called it a day and gone home. Spencer hung around until they had disappeared so he could talk to Robin.
"Hey, Robin?" he said to him while Robin was busy putting the guitar in its case.
"Yeah," he said. "What's up?"
"Look, about the storage rent...," Spencer began and trailed off silently. "I don't think I can afford it. I don't even have a part-time job."
"Then you should get one," Robin suggested like it was the easiest thing in the world. Of course it would be for him, with his charisma and people skills.
"Um, that's... I can't. Nobody wants to hire me anyway."
"Can you pour stuff into other stuff?" Robin asked him.
"I guess?" Spencer said. Or maybe he couldn't. He had awful butterfingers just like Toni.
"Good," Robin said. "I'll try to get you something at Starbucks."
"What? No, you don't need to–"
"Look, Spence," Robin said and looked straight into Spencer's eyes. "It's not a problem. I want you to stay in the band, you just need to take it easy. I actually think you're better than Tommy."
"I'm not."
"He's cocky and arrogant," Robin said. "And he messed up your nose. Are you still going to blame me for liking you better?"
"Well, when you put it like that I guess not," Spencer said. He smiled weakly at Robin. "I have to go now or I'll miss the subway. Later."

The sun was starting to go down the horizon. It was in that nice orange and pink shade that Toni loved to look at from the roof of her apartment.
"Sorry about the ice cream," Toni said while the smoke from the newly lit cigarette swirled around her in spirals. Her feet dangled over the edge of the building. "I'll pay you back."
"It's not a problem," Victoria said beside her. "The ice cream was worth it."
"Just wait until I take you to Ray's," Toni said and dropped some smoky ash from the cigarette into the ashtray on her lap. She always kept it up on the roof.
"Oh, right! I should probably mention that I'm allergic to tomatoes."
"Ah, shit," Toni said. "Then my favorite pizza is off the menu. Seriously, I've never heard of anyone being allergic to a tomato."
"It's what makes me so special," Victoria said sarcastically.
"But a New York-style pizza without tomato sauce would just be cheese and dough," Toni said. "If you take away any of the ingredients it's just not the same."
"I guess you could use tomato-free marinara sauce," Victoria suggested. "Or is that just not the same?"
"It's just not the same," Toni sighed and puffed out another smoke cloud.
Victoria didn't say anything and the conversation was on its way to die out, but Toni didn't mind it this time. She was already so peaceful to be sitting on her roof with a friend next to her. She'd never actually smoked there with anyone else, so bringing Victoria up there would be a first.
Toni had made sure to avoid showing Victoria her apartment downstairs, though. She hadn't cleaned it yet. And her mother was going to be taken to the hospital on Monday, so Toni would be moving out this weekend. It hadn't really sunk in yet. She'd been living in her apartment her whole life and suddenly she was just leaving it. But Toni thought that her mother was probably feeling worse even if she didn't really show it. She probably hated Toni. Despised her.
"I had fun today," Victoria said out of the blue.
"Are you leaving?" Toni asked. She regretted it immediately – geez, why did she always sound so desperate? "I mean. Your parents might be worried."
"No, I texted them," Victoria said. "And besides, they wouldn't notice anyway."
"Why?"
"I have four siblings and I'm one of the middle children," Victoria explained. "It's easy to become invisible then."
"I'd love to have four siblings," Toni admitted. She'd have one little brother and sister, Robin, and then an older sister that she could borrow stuff from. It sounded like heaven.
"No, you wouldn't," Victoria said. "I'd rather be an only child."
"Without any siblings? That sounds so lonely."
"Maybe," Victoria said. "But I like being alone."
"Loneliness and being alone isn't the same thing," Toni said.
"How so?"
"Well, we're alone now," Toni said and bumped her shoulder to Victoria's lightly.
"But we're not lonely because we have each other."
Victoria didn't reply and she just stared at the skyline from the roof. Toni so badly wanted to know what Victoria was thinking in that moment – if she agreed with her, if she thought Toni was being silly, or if she was just admiring the view. It was a pretty nice view, actually.
Toni's cigarette was nearly finished and she crushed it in the ashtray. She was only supposed to have one today, but one extra wouldn't make too much of a difference anyway.
They both sat in silence for a few more minutes. It was starting to get cold and Toni was just about to ask if they should head inside, when Victoria pulled the green beret off her head. She had such poofy Janis Joplin hair and Toni had never seen it without the hat. It looked even more mesmerizing under the sunset.
"What time is it?" Victoria asked.
"Uh," Toni said and quickly fetched the cellphone from her pocket. Victoria had probably seen her staring. "6:28 PM."
"I missed the bus," Victoria noted and looked down on the traffic.
"Take the subway," Toni suggested. "It's close."
"No, I'll just wait for the next bus," Victoria said. "It should come soon, so I should probably go."
"Oh," Toni said. The thing she had said about being alone together seemed so stupid now.
"See you on Monday?"
"If you can find me," Victoria said and moved her feet up from the edge. She grabbed the strap of her bag and looked at the ground for a moment deciding what to say next. She lifted her head and cleared her throat. "Thank you. Toni."
"It's nothing," Toni said and waved it off even though she was a little touched. "Rory."
"Rory?" Victoria repeated. She was confused, but Toni quite liked the sound of it.
"Yes," Toni said. "Can I call you that?"
"Rory," Victoria said again, trying it out on her tongue. She smiled. "Okay."

Song: AC/DC - You shook me all night long (1980)

A/N - This is the shortest chapter I've written so far, and I hope it wasn't too bad. I'm still struggling a little with making the storylines interesting and different, and with making all the characters distinctive enough. I appreciate it if you've read this far, though! Down below is a picture of Victoria Winters. ❤