sixty seven days before

"I brought you a snack." Takumi said, dropping an oatmeal cream into Pudge's book.

"And he brought you a me." Austin said, taking a seat.

"Very nutritious." Pudge replied, referring to the cookie. "And very thoughtful." He said, referring to Austin.

"Yeah, well, you can't keep her. And, you've got your oats. You've got your meal. You've got your cream. It's a fuckin' food pyramid."

"Hell yeah it is." Pudge replied. Austin just smiled.

It was silent for a while. Austin didn't know how to talk to Miles, really. She tried, but she wasn't sure how to get him, ya know? Alaska got him.

"I can't believe those guys flooded Alaska's room." Miles said suddenly.

"Yes, you can." Austin replied.

"Yeah, they had their reasons. You have to understand that with like everybody, even the Weekday Warriors, Alaska is famous for pranking. I mean, last year, we put a Volkswagen Beetle in the library. So if they have a reason to try and one-up her, they'll try. And that's pretty ingenious, to divert water from the gutter to her room. I mean, I don't want to admire it..." Takumi said.

Miles laughed. "Yeah. That will be tough to top."

Austin smirked. "Maybe."

"She'll think of something." Takumi said. "Pudge. Hmm. Pudge, you need a cigarette. Let's go for a walk."

They made their way to the Smoking Hole before Takumi stopped. "Not sure the Hole is safe."

They followed him through the thick brush, weaving through pine trees and threatening, chest-high brambly bushes. After a while, he just sat down and Austin sat beside him.

Pudge lit a cigarette.

"Alaska ratted out Marya." Takumi said. Austin froze. What the fuck was he doing? "So the Eagle might know about the Hole, too. I don't know. I've never seen him down that way, but who knows what she told him."

"Wait, how do you know?" Pudge asked.

Austin looked up at Pudge, sending him a 'duh' look.

"Well, for one, I figured it out. Plus, Alaska admitted it. And Austin told me. She told me at least part of the truth, that right at the end of school last year, she tried to sneak off campus one night after lights out to go visit Jake and then got busted. She said she was careful- no headlights or anything- but the Eagle still caught her, and she had a bottle of wine in her car, so she was fucked. And the Eagle took her into his house and gave her the same offer he gives everyone when they get busted. 'Either tell me everything you know or go to your room and pack your stuff'. So Alaska broke and told him that Marya and Paul were drunk and in her room right then. And then she told him God knows what else. And so the Eagle let her go, because he needs rats to do his job. She was smart, really, to rat on one of her friends. That's why the Colonel is so sure it was Kevin and his boys. I didn't believe it could be Alaska, either, until I figured out that she was the only person on campus who could've known what Marya was doing. When I asked Austin, it was really the only confirmation I needed but I wanted to hear Alaska admit it. I suspected Paul's roommate, Longwell- one of the guys who pulled the armless-mermaid bit on you. Turns out he was at home that night. His aunt had died. I checked the obit in the paper. Hollis Burnis Chase- hell of a name for a woman." Takumi said.

"So the Colonel doesn't know?" Pudge asked.

"No, and he can't know, because he'll go crazy and get her expelled. The Colonel takes all this honor and loyalty shit pretty seriously, if you haven't noticed. That's the only reason Austin kept it from me. I'm shocked you were successful." Takumi answered.

"Me too." The girl whispered.

"I've noticed." Pudge replied to Takumi.

Takumi shook his head, his hands pushing aside leaves to dig into the still-wet dirt. "I just don't get why she'd be so afraid of getting expelled. I'd hate to get expelled, but you have to take your lumps. I don't get it."

Austin froze up at this. Next topic, please.

"Well, she obviously doesn't like home." Pudge said. "Austin?"

Austin nodded. "You could say that."

"They only go home Christmas and the summer, when Jake is there. But whatever. I don't like home, either. But I'd never give the Eagle the satisfaction." Takumi picked up a twig and dug it into the soft red dirt. "Listen, Pudge. I don't know what kind of prank Alaska and the Colonel are going to come up with to end this, but I'm sure the three of us will be involved. I'm telling you this so you can know what you're getting into, because if you get caught, you'd better take it."

Pudge seemed to be thinking for a second. "I swear to God I won't rat."

Takumi looked over at Austin, shaking his head at her. He'd been pissed at her, but he understood. She'd had what Alaska lacked. A sense of loyalty, even if it had proved to be to the wrong person.

How do you stop sticking up for your own sister? Your own twin?