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The Usual Suspects are joined today by Sheila who tells everyone that Matt called from Texas and said he was okay.

Greg is without his usual pile of notes and papers today, explaining that the script is drafted and being looked over by the head of the drama department, so he has a break.

Megan had decided to skip the lunchroom today.  Seeing as she needed a date for Friday night to keep herself away from the house long enough to narrow the window of time for the peeping photographer.  There were a few boys she had in mind, one or two Sophomores that were rather popular as well as a couple Freshman boys that were starting to gain that status as well.  So she was intent to see what she might be able to start to set up today for Friday night.

Samantha is busily working on yet another band fundraiser.  This time they are selling flowers, carnations dyed in the school colors, ordered to wear during the day for the Friday of Homecoming game weekend.  The flowers can be picked up in the band room on that day, or, if you want, for an extra charge they can be delivered with a note to your special someone during 2nd period.  The sales team is doing a brisk business by the main cafeteria entrance.

Donnie stops by the table and smiles at Sammy. "Hiya Sam! I'll order some for delivery, please."  He leans over and writes out a note in laborious calligraphy. The students behind him make annoyed noises, but he ignores them and finishes the note, handing it to Sammy after he blows it dry. "For Sylvia Avery-Vaugn."

He says in a low voice "You hear about that foreign guy and some thugs shooting up someone's house? Yeah, that was mine. Tell you about it later.."

Colin is very happy to see Sheila. He sits down next to her, and tells her what he learned from his talk with Ms. Kellogg. He keeps for himself the possibility that Rory wasn't the designated victim of the killer card. He feels this wouldn't help her. He tells her though that Logan likely isn't the mastermind behind what happened, but the police is checking every lead anyway.
"Have you noticed anything... strange in the last few days? Another memory lapse, or anything that happened and you couldn't tell who has done it?"


"Greg, Dave, I think I need your help. Between the two of you you know nearly everyone here at school, and well, I don't really know who I'm looking for."
He explains them his visions about the two cameras.
"Who do you think could have such hate for the sports team, or the sports in general, and for the popular kids? Who would bother about what the quarterback and the cheerleader do in private, and would want to punish them for... well you know?"

He thinks again for a moment.
"On an unrelated note, do you think there's someone around here who really hates Logan Darklighter's guts?"

SHEILA: "No.  I'm not really sleeping too well, but my doctor says it's normal.  He's thinking of prescribing me something to help me sleep."


Dave and Greg look at each other for a minute.  "I'll let you field this one."  Greg says, "You're more familiar with the disinfranchised."

Dave looks around the lunch room, "I can think of several.  Kids that got canned or stuffed in lockers in junior high, the guys that get picked on by the jocks for being smart.  I'll ask around and see what I can come up with."


Dave blurts out a suprised laugh.  "Other then me?"  he says with a grin.  "I don't know, boy wonder has a lot of friends and not too many enemies.  The only people that really don't like him are the EMO kids who think he's some kind of sell out."

It's not hard for Megan to line up a date for the evening in question.  With Cal out of the picture there has been a shift in the attitude of some of the boys at the school who felt she was spoken for.  Now she's seeing a tide of them shifting back in her direction.

Donnie sits down with his mates, in time to catch the last exchange. "You hate Logan Darklighter? What fer?" he asks Dave.

"He's a total facade.  I'm not sure there is a sincere bone in his entire body.  Ever since his acne cleared up and he filled out he's been like some kind of politician gone rock star or something.  I just get a bad vibe from the guy, that's all."

Greg pats Dave on the shoulder, "Yeah, and Logan used to be one of Dave's best buddies too.  But Logan is no longer disinfranchised and so he and Dave don't talk much anymore."

Donnie exchanges a look with Colin. "Was there aspecific point in which he changed? DId he suddenly get a new best friend or something?"

"No, it's not like what happened to Rob.  Over the course of a year or so his acne went away, he had surgery for his nose so he could sleep and he grew into his height.  Once his nose was fixed his voice stopped sounding like nails on a chalkboard so other people could stand to listen to him."

"Well."  Greg began, "He was bitter about life.  He'd been treated pretty badly by the non-geek crowd.  Now he's a geek celebrity and on the popular party list.  Walking proof life can turn around."

"People are so shallow," Sylvia grouses as she comes up to the table.  She plops herself down next to Donnie and slides what looks like a blank scrap of paper to him.  Only for him does its message appear.

Donnie's eyes brim with merriment for a few brief seconds, then he bursts out laughing. At Sylvia's confused look, he says "Sorry, sorry *giggle*. I was just imagining Mitsi *snort* knitting a nice one for me." He then collapses into laughter again.

Kel walks in, stretching lightly, and popping his joints as he sits down, "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Walking through the halls, Megan was pretty pleased with getting a date for Friday night with Cory Wells, a rather popular, and wealthy, Sophomore.  They did not have any set plans right now, but Megan was confident it would be a far better date than the one she had with Greg, no matter what they ended up doing.  With this date, and the after game party that the football team, most of the cheerleading squad and other popular students had after home games, she would be out of the house Friday night and most of Saturday night, narrowing down the time the peeping photographer could try for pictures of her. 

Tomorrow she needed to talk with Brendan and see how long he wanted her to stay out, though she figured later Friday night would work better in forcing the photographer to try Saturday.  She also needed to find out just what sort of pictures Brendan requested, so she knew what the guy would be trying to take, so she could delay things enough for Brendan to come up and catch him.  Setting up this trap to catch this jerk was an odd mixture of excitement and creepiness.

"We were just discussing why I don't like Logan Darklighter."  Dave says.

Flower sales are going very well.  Other band members come up to give the first sales bunch a chance to take a break and eat their lunches.  Sammy wanders over to the Suspects' table.

"Hi.  Can I sit with you guys?"  She doesn't wait for an answer and sits down in a randomly chosen open seat.  She pulls an insulated container out of her bag and opens it to reveal the warm food contents.  "Mmm... lasagna. "  It smells very good, and looks even better than it smells.

Sylvia gives him a sniffy look, pretending to be offended.  "Mitzi wasn't going to make one.  Carolyn knows this lady on her lacrosse team who makes things like that.  Out of leather," she adds.

"Hey Sammy."  Greg says, "Looks like the band is doing a pretty good trade in flowers, maybe you guys can afford to stay in business another semester."

Donnie's eyes light up. "Hmmm.. the one I have is quite old and beat up. I'll make sure there's nothing supernatural about it before discarding it. I think a new one would be awesome. Thank you."  He feels a blush coming on, so he concentrates on his food for a few minutes. "Hi Sammy. Pimping your wares for proper band hats going well, eh?"  

Remembering something, he turns back to Sylvia. "What did you mean by the 'people are so shallow' comment?"

"I overheard you guys talking about Logan as I came up to the table.  Take geek, subtract acne.  Suddenly he's cool.  It shouldn't work like that.  Mom says beauty is fleeting, and brilliance is erratic, but character stays with you your whole life."

Sammy smiles at the sales jokes.  "We're going to perform at Disneyworld in the spring.  Pimping stuff helps to pay for the trip.  This stupidity with jocks and superman has messed up the budget planning though.  I think the band director is trying to come up with some new gimmicks.  We'll be door to door pushing Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkin pies soon, Christmas pointsettias, wreaths, trees, oranges too if he has his way.  He picked up a bunch of fundraising ideas at the big midwest band and orchestra clinic last year.  Some guy named Harry Dinkle gave a seminar, and the director has been foaming at the mouth about it ever since."

She looks at Dave curiously, and says "Does Logan Darklighter treat you differently now?  Does he treat you the same way he treats everybody else, or meaner, or what?""

"I'm one of the few people he doesn't try to talk to anymore.  We drifted apart, mainly because he was working so hard to be friends with everyone else."

"Well, that's weird.  Maybe he's scared of you because you won't forget he used to be a geek?  I mean, the other guys are celebrating it but you aren't -- maybe he thinks you can somehow make him turn back into somebody he doesn't want to be anymore?  Maybe you remind him he's nothing but a big fake.  That wouldn't be any fun for him."