I look at my phone. Yep, Natalie had told me the the news of school being back in session tomorrow.

I'm with Megan. There's no way on planet earth I am going tomorrow.

I'm still a wreck of emotions and I don't have the strength to tell Natalie what happened right now. I set my phone on the desk and bury my head in my hands.

"Bridget?"

I look up quickly to see Liam standing in my doorway, his thumb in his mouth and his eyes wide.

"Hey bud."

"Where's Lacy?," he asks, melting my heart all over again.

I look back down at my hands. Why do I have to be the one to tell him?

"Come here, Bud," I say, patting my lap.

"We're not going to be seeing her for a long time..." I start, choking on my words.

Liam doesn't  even ask any questions after that. He simply lays his little head on my chest and lets his tears fall freely. I stroke his his hair and don't even bother to try to hold my own tears in.

"I had a dream about her last night..." he starts.

"Really, Bud?" I ask, curious.

"Yeah. She was in the clouds in this nice man's lap."

My heart skips a beat.

"Who was the man?" I ask trying to keep my voice calm.

I think I feel Liam stiffen a little and all he replies is,

"I can't be sure."

     _______________________

Michelle had decided early the next morning that she was going to go school.

"It'll keep my mind off things," she had insisted, rather angrily before walking out and slamming the front door behind her.

I knew nothing good could come of her going to school now, after everything that had happened.

My theory is  currently being proven true. It's ten o' clock and Michelle is already back home, arms crossed over her chest and tears drying on her face.

"He's the one that should be suspended for a week," Michelle grumbles.

Michelle had gotten into a fight with some jerk at school. She'd snapped at him, just cause he had been his annoying self. Mistake number one.

"What on earth did he do to make you punch him square in the face?" Megan asks exasperated.

Michelle's face softens a bit. She nervously runs a hand through her hair.

"I.... He...." Michelle stammers.

Megan rises her eyebrows, waiting.

"He overheard the news about Lacy when I told my friend- Sydney- this morning... So after I told him off for being rude to this girl, he called me moody and asked if I was on my period," Michelle starts rolling her eyes.

"I told him I was going through more than he knows and he gave me this stupid grin saying 'Oh I've heard...' And he told me I should be glad we won't have any more medical bills to pay."

Megan and my jaws drop simultaneously.

"That is a new low even for him," Megan mutters.

I just stare at them for a second, feeling anger rise in me.

"Well, did you tell Principal Danton that?" I demand.

Michelle scoffs.

"Like she cares. After I admitted to punching him she said she didn't want to hear my excuses. She thinks that stupid kid's an angel."

She then proceeds to call the staff and the kid every derogatory name under the sun.

"Well congrats, Michelle," Megan remarks sarcastically, looking at her phone like it's a cow's liver.

"Everyone's heard about the incident, and now the whole school knows about Lacy."

Michelle groans and falls, face first into her pillow.

I warily pull out my own phone and much to my dismay, find that to be true. Natalie has called literally twenty times and sent over fifty texts, asking if I was okay, what happened, and why I hadn't told her.

I let out a moan of my own and shut my phone off completely. I'll talk to her soon but... Not now.

Megan looks like she feels bad for making Michelle feel guilty.

"Hey, Mich, don't worry about it. I would've punched him too," she says rubbing her back.

"As if," Michelle mutters into the pillow.

Then she flips herself over and says,

"Meg you wouldn't punch a guy if he cut off your leg."

"Maybe not, but if he's talking crap like that about my sister I would," she insists.

Michelle lets herself smile but only because she doesn't know how else to answer that. Then she sits up and grabs Megan and I and tenderly pulls us into herself.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. Michelle was rarely this gentle. I have to admit it feels kinda nice to just let her hold me.

She lets us go, too soon and sighs deeply. Her phone beeps and she takes it out of her pocket, though she looks hesitant. Chuckling under her breath she says,

"Sydney's gonna start a protest or something."

"What do you mean?" Megan asks, resting her head on Michelle's shoulder and reading her texts.

"As we've already established, the entirety of the student body knows the whole story but somehow our principal is in the dark and thinks I just felt like giving him a good whack," she proclaims, rolling her eyes.

"They're all want to start a 'Michelle's not guilty' protest but I better tell them to not to bother before all my friends are suspended along with me."

Megan shakes her head and pats Michelle on the back.

I'm about to say that it could be fun to be suspended with your friends when Ben's voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Bridget! There's someone her to see you."

Megan and Michelle give me funny looks and I shrug, although I'm pretty sure I know who it is.

I rush down the stairs, and sure enough there's Genevieve!

I thank Ben for letting me know she's here and then greet her. She does a little wave back.

She's standing there looking like she can't decide if it's ok to appear happy.

"What are you hiding?" I ask skeptically.

She bites her lip and grabs my hand, pulling me off to God knows where while I call over my shoulder to my confused brother that I'll be back soon.