When Max walked into his room after taking two pain pills, his first thought was to distract himself until he could learn more, thinking hard about what could possibly be down there under those tarps and behind that door that had been on the far side of the room. He guessed the best thing to do for now was to try to earn his answer, like his dad had told him. Though he would probably be able to think better once he gave up considering whether today's events had actually been real or just some twisted dream from eating too much too late last night. 

Usually a natural at beating his on-screen enemies, he eventually got tired of the snarky game-over lines from his opponents, knowing he couldn't focus with what was on his mind. So he quit his game and figured he'd better lie down and think things through instead of simply trying to distract himself.  As he walked across his room to his bed he noticed the pain pills had started to do their job on his knee. 

I just wish they'd wake me up from this weird dream too, Max thought, trying to slow his beating heart. How could he earn his answer? And what would happen if he tried to tell somebody? He clutched at his head as if he had a headache, which he probably would if he hadn't already taken something for his knee. 

"Hey, Maximus." 

Max jumped and quickly looked up to find his dad leaning against the doorpost of his room. He no longer wore the lab coat. "Oh...hey Dad. Didn't hear you come up." 

"Well if you'd like me to stomp up the stairs from now on, I guess I could."

Max blinked once. "That's not funny."

Clarence looked off to the side, then just shrugged and asked with a renewed twinkle in his eyes, "How did you even stumble up on the place?" He spoke about the secret room as if it were an entirely different world, not simply a hidden space above which they lived. 

Max looked up at him. "I just had a feeling you were hiding something." That much was true, but he didn't add that it was really some of his classmates that had brought it up. He didn't want to pull them into this. 

"And why is that?" 

"Because you spent so much time back there. I mean, you've spent time with me too, but you could have just shown that room to me a long time ago instead of keeping all these secrets and telling me I was 'drawing attention' when I just needed help with something."

"You may never believe this, but I did intend to tell you eventually. I guess this is late enough for me to open up about it, and I will...but not tonight." Max slumped. "Like I said, I need to be able to trust you."

"I need to be able to trust you too!" Max said, frustrated. 

"After a week, if you've been able to keep what knowledge you have to yourself, then I'll set your mind at ease," Clarence replied patiently. "Which reminds me, I don't think I'll send you to camp this year--I think I'll need you and a couple other participants for this project." 

Max nodded slowly, then asked in a near whisper, "I guess the part about the blood stains on the lab coat'll have to wait too, huh?"

"I'm afraid so. But it isn't at all what you think." For once he looked at his son seriously. 

Max sighed. "Good," was all he said. 

"But while we wait for this week to pass, you can pass some of your time by making sure everything in that garage is back the way you saw it, starting tomorrow. Everything was where it was for a reason."

"Okay..." He sighed, knowing his dad could easily do it himself but wanted to make sure Max stayed at the house for at least most of the day tomorrow. 

Clarence cracked his knuckles. "Well, unloading all that heavy stuff from the car has left me beat--and hungry. I think we'll just order in tonight."

"Lana? Wake up, Lana," Lana's mom's voice said, now gentle. It was early the next day, Saturday. 

She felt her mom stroking her hair. "Oh...hey." She smiled slightly at her mom, still being half asleep and not remembering yesterday. 

"I'm sorry if we were too harsh on you last night," her mom added. "Your dad and I talked about it while you were in your room."

Lana blinked wearily and with a sharp pang as she remembered Cassidy and the whole reason she and her parents had gotten into an argument. Lana snorted. "If?" But she smiled forgivingly. At least she was apologizing. 

Her mom smiled half-heartedly in response, then said, "Listen, your dad's taking me back to the doctor to check on my arm's progress. I'll need you to make April some breakfast, and then the floor needs some vacuuming."

"Okay." Lana turned over and curled up, one arm around her pillow. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep. Surely she didn't expect her to get up now. 

Her eyes flickered closed, but she didn't hear her mom leave the room. 

"Don't go back to sleep, okay?" her mom said with a hint of sympathy. "April will probably get up soon. You know what an early riser she is, even in the summer."

Lana's eyes gradually opened. "This is all I'm good for now, isn't it?" Lana whispered, half to her mom and half to herself. 

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Lana looked away. What she'd meant was that before Cassidy disappeared, she felt she actually had a purpose--someone to protect and share interests with. She's never had that connection with her family, but yet Cassidy had felt like family somehow, even though no one knew about their friendship except Mrs. Beaumont and some of the other students at the school. 

"We really are sorry for maybe making things worse, since we know how worried you are about Cassidy. But right now I just need you to do a few things that I would love to do myself, but simply can't." She paused. "I love you, Lana. We'll be back soon, I hope."

"Take your time," Lana muttered as soon as she was sure her mom was out of earshot and laid back down. She just needed one more hour or two away from reality. 

About an hour later, Lana once again sensed someone else in her room; she also heard purring. She opened her eyes just long enough to see it was April, who was holding Sweetmeat, but then quickly closed them back. 

"I know you're awake, Lana. You do too, don't you, Sweetmeat?"

"Go make your own breakfast."

"Look, I'm sure Cassidy'll be fine. They'll find her. But right now I'm hungry. And I'm not allowed to use the stove, you know." 

Lana rolled her eyes, but on the inside she really hoped her sister was right about Cassidy. I'll see if I can maybe visit her parents and try to help them, or give some officers what information I have about her, Lana thought, her spirits rising slightly. 

She pushed herself up and trudged to the kitchen, knowing it was their family tradition to always eat eggs, bacon and toast on the weekends rather than the instant stuff. Not having eaten anything since lunch yesterday, she had to admit she was pretty hungry by now. 

Unfortunately, her parents had different plans for her. She and April were at the table eating when they came in through the back door. "Lana, you and your dad will need to go to the store tonight."

"Why couldn't you two have done it while you were out?" Lana asked impatiently. 

"You didn't wait for her to finish," Mr. Walden said. "The doctor says she's doing too much already and that's why it's taking so long to heal."

"You could just let April go instead of making a slave out of me," Lana said matter-of-factly. "I really should be trying to help Cassidy."

"Trust me, darling, you and April have lived like princesses compared to how your mom and I grew up, so think about that before you start referring to yourself as a slave," Mr. Walden said, but then his face softened and he wrapped an arm around his daughter. Today he seemed more understanding. "I know you feel somewhat responsible for her, but we need you a lot more, especially right now. April can't go because your mom needs her here. Besides, it'll be kind of nice for us to spend a little time together." 

Lana smiled half-heartedly and nodded, and Mr. Walden patted her shoulder. "That's my girl."