"What's with you? You're like a zombie," Aimee asked her as they got in line for the bus.

"Nothing." Melissa knew better than to be surprised over this sudden burst of public friendship. Aimee and Erika had gotten into a fight over Eric Lysander.

It had happened during yesterday's morning recess, or break, as people were starting to call it. There was a rumor that some of the boys were asking some of the girls to sit with them on the field trip bus.

Every year the entire sixth grade at Edwards went on an all day field trip to some historical point in the area that coincided with their study of American History. Melissa's sixth grade field trip was to George Washington's home, Mount Vernon.

Some of the boys and girls were pairing up for the long bus trip. Melissa thought the whole thing was stupid, and she suspected that Aimee did too, even though she acted like it was a great idea around Erika and her friends.

So Shane and Joey had been daring Eric to ask Aimee all morning long. There was much whispering and people were looking back in Aimee and Melissa's direction all day, only this time at Aimee instead of Melissa.

"God," Aimee groused in GT that morning, "it's like you can't even go on a field trip without dates."

Melissa shrugged. "I heard Joey and Shane tell him to ask you at morning break." Not that she really cared one way on other, but she hadn't anything interesting to watch since before Brian's restriction.

"Why does he have to do everything Joey and Shane say?" Aimee said.

"I don't know," Melissa said, shrugging again, much to Aimee's apparent disgust.

"What do you know about it anyway?" she snapped.

Morning break came and it seemed that the whole class had immediate business right around where Eric's group of friends was standing just yards away from Aimee, who was trying to hold a conversation with Erika and her friends, who kept looking past her at Eric.

Then Eric came up. "Hey Aimee, you want to sit together on the field trip bus?" he blurted out before she turned around. At that point he didn't even look or sound like Eric, but like he was trying to be like Joey and Shane.

Aimee turned then blurted, "With you?"

A burst of laughter erupted from the boys, but suddenly the old Eric appeared as he stammered, "Well...yeah."

"I don't know, I guess, I just don't see the point in all of this stuff, it's just a field trip."

More laughter from the boys, and now some surprised gasps and talking behind hands from the girls. Eric looked surprised and hurt. Something was definitely wrong. Even Melissa quit pretending to read.

"I didn't mean..." Aimee started to say, but Eric cut her off.

"Forget it, go sit with Baby Snitch then if you want."

Melissa frowned as Eric walked off, ignoring the boys' congratulations at his comeback.

Why was she still being made fun of when she had nothing to do with this stupid field trip date thing anyway? She hated this class.

Eric, cheeks red, stalked back into the school building. Melissa was glad Aimee said no.

"God Aimee, be mean why don't you?" Erika Biswan said suddenly.

Melissa went back to her book, bored with another girl fight. She assumed that Aimee and Erika would make up and Eric would be hunted down and soothed and everyone would be talking about Aimee and Eric as one of the Mount Vernon couples before lunch.

But apparently not. As Mrs. Hopkins' class waited to board the bus, Erika and her friends stood in a little cluster apart from Aimee, whispering. Eric walked right past her.

"Well, something must be wrong with you, you haven't told anybody to shutup today," Aimee said.

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Very funny," she said, and got on the bus. She found a seat and sat down. She looked up and saw Aimee standing at the front of the bus, uncertain. Erika and her friends were snickering and Joey and Shane called out, "Aimee, back here!" It seemed that even with all the talking about dates, most people were still sitting by themselves on with their normal friends. Melissa saw that neither Erika nor her friends were sitting with any boys either.

I'm not going to feel sorry for her, Melissa thought to herself as she watched Aimee look for somewhere to sit. That was stupid, why should she? Because of Aimee the sixth grade had been the worst grade ever. But she knew exactly how Aimee felt standing there and besides, she didn't want to see Eric Lysander happy. So with a reluctant sigh, Melissa slid over in her seat. After a minute, Aimee slid into the seat next to her.

Eventually the noise on the bus died down and Aimee peeked over at Melissa's research book. "So what's going on? Is that why you look sad?"

Melissa told her about what happened the over the Christmas break.

Ever since her brothers and sisters got in trouble, no one was talking in the house. Dinners were quiet, then everyone went up to their rooms and didn't speak. Not even Troy and Yolanda. And to top it off, all the other kids were mad that Melissa because she had gotten no punishment. Brian and Pat had gotten the most, but even Troy and Yolanda were on restriction until school started. Apparently, their Aunt Julia was mad with everyone, even their parents.

"So now everyone's all mad," Melissa told Aimee. "And Brian and Pat can't go out, use the phone or have people over for a month."

Aimee nodded. "Well, that's good for you."

"What?" Melissa said.

"Yeah, Brian has to be home all the time, easier for you to watch him."

"Well, I guess," Melissa said. She hadn't thought of it that way. But of course, "but what if the whole thing makes him more depressed?"

"Yeah, of course, but you might be there to stop him, Melissa!"

"Yeah, I guess I don't go anywhere anyway, but what if he sees me watching him and catches on?"

Aimee pulled one of Melissa's books over to her and began flipping through it. "I doubt it, they're too wrapped up in their own problems."

"Who, the people who commit suicide?"

Aimee looked up. "Na uh, teenagers."

"Well, that's no different from any other time," Melissa said. She and Aimee shared a little laugh over that.

"Look at Aimee and her date, Baby Snitch," Melissa heard Erika say.

Melissa saw Aimee's cheeks go red, but they pretended not to notice the other people on the bus. Aimee pulled out a sheet of paper.

"I'll make a list of stuff you have to keep away from him, like knives, medicine, stuff like that."

"I know about that stuff," Melissa said.

"You can't remember everything Melissa, believe me, I know," Aimee said. "It's up to you, Melissa."

Melissa had to admit to herself that it all sounded terribly important. They concentrated on their list as Mrs. Hopkins' class buzzed around them.