3.9 Love is Blind

Apollo's eyes were fixed on the rearview mirror. More and more his memories began to fade...slowly, until he could no longer see the University building at all. The further he got away from it, the more he realized that there were no traces of the place he had just spent the last few months in. It was like, out of that small town, that little university meant nothing. It was just a stepping stone, easily forgotten. He felt the hole in his heart grow bigger and bigger until he felt like he was being swallowed whole by the darkness. Why did it mean so much to him? Was he afraid of having to adjust back to his home life for the next few months or was it the thought of finding something and losing it again? Apollo didn't notice that he began to hyperventilate. Things would never be the same again and he couldn't handle it.

"Are you alright?" Noah pulled the car to the side of the highway and eyed his son. In the last few minutes, Apollo had quickened his breathing and became unresponsive to Noah's many attempts to catch his attention. He had no choice but to pull over.

Apollo blinked as if nothing were wrong, because he wasn't aware that there was anything even slightly off about him. He was in his own little sanctuary in his mind, one nobody could shatter."I'm fine. Why did you pull over?"

Noah peered over at the eighteen year old. "Apollo, please tell me that you're not high..." He understood the temptation. If Apollo was anything like he was in college, he'd be swamped with work and beyond stressed. hell, he couldn't blame him. The reason Noah went to jail was because he allowed himself to give in to alcohol for one night. He examined Apollo's seated figure for any visible signs but found none.

"Why would I be high?" He raised his brow. He didn't hesitate with his answer or even get defensive. Noah had no reason not to believe his son, but if he wasn't high then what was the cause of his episode?

"I called your name at least six times. You didn't answer me. When I shook you, you began to hyperventilate. Is something wrong?"

"I didn't even know that something was happening. I was just so lost in thought. Was I really hyperventilating?" He began to shift in his seat uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with his father. He was suddenly embarrassed to be talking about this. He had let his thoughts take over and it couldn't happen again. He needed to keep a hard exterior for everyone he cared about.

Noah gave him a slight nod before continuing his interrogation. "What were you thinking about?"

Apollo let out a nervous sigh. "Just how much I already miss college."

"That's it?"

"Mhmm," He mumbled before looking out of the window. "Can we start driving again?"

"Uh...yeah." Noah said quietly before turning the key in the ignition.

"Apollo!" His ears were met by a loud shriek upon entering the house.

"Come on mom, it's only been a few months," Ambrose groaned.

"Only a few months, only a few months!? A mother will always miss her son, no matter how long the absence."

"Mom, I can't breath," Apollo joked.

"How was your first semester, Sweetheart?" She let go of her deathly hold on him and let her eyes wander from his head to his toes. He was still the boy she had raised...her sweet little boy, still intact.

"It was great. I had a blast, I met new people, ran into some old ones, stressed over exams and stayed up way later than I should have. You know, the typical college experience." When he said it out loud, it sounded like he had been in some sort of sitcom. He inwardly laughed, thinking of how funny it would be to have Lynette, Tommy, Katherine, Damian and Mason on a television show together. It'd be insane.

She smiled warmly at her eldest son. "Good, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Alright, my turn mom, stop hogging him." Ambrose wiggled his way in between Leia and Apollo.

"Fine! Just come into the dining room when you're done alright? I've got a surprise for you,"

"How hot are the chicks in college?" Ambrose's eyes lit up.

Apollo shifted his weight. "Uh...pretty hot I guess?" It wouldn't have normally been an uncomfortable question for Apollo. He had noticed several attractive girls on campus, Lynette being one of them. But thinking someone was attractive and being attracted to someone were two different things and  knowing the difference put him just a little on edge. He couldn't help think back to Tommy's story about his cousin. Would they get beat up?

"Pretty AND hot in the same sentence? Fantastic. I can't wait to visit you on campus one day. So we talking tens or sixes?"

"You like girls now?" Apollo tried to swerve the conversation away from the girls in his university. He didn't know when it would ever be a good time to come clean. What if he was being premature in his declaration? Was it possible to change your mind? Apollo was desperately confused.

"Hey, are you calling me gay?" Ambrose hit his arm defensively. "Not you too! I've always liked girls!"

"What the heck...who's calling you gay?" Apollo had no doubt in his little brother's attraction to women. He had always been fascinated with their looks. His problem was focusing on their beauty, but it had nothing to do with him being gay. What was wrong with being gay anyway. Nothing right? He was normal like everyone else...right!? "I just meant that you're old enough to like girls now."

"Oh...well you know that kid Kiwi Hale?" Apollo nodded. "Well, I gave him a makeover for our first day of high school. I thought we'd take over the whole damn place but we're at the bottom of the food chain. They keep calling us the gay Batman and Robin. I can't believe it." He slapped his hand across his forehead.

"That "kid" Kiwi Hale? You mean your friend?"

"Thats what I meant," He mumbled quickly before ushering Apollo into the kitchen. "Your surprise is waiting for you. Just go in there!" Apollo was expecting a, "Hey! I missed you!" from his brother, not this bombardment. He couldn't stop thinking about Tommy. Ambrose  felt such a disdain from being called gay and Apollo had been slightly offended. He didn't like the term, especially now that he thought he identified with it. He could only imagine the pain that Tommy had to go through with his father.

"Apollo, son...you're looking as good as ever," Levi smiled brightly. He held on to Apollo's arm as he waltzed into the kitchen.

"You're my surprise?" Apollo felt a surge of joy pulse through him. His grandfather was always a kind and compassionate gentleman, offering whatever he could to the boys to make them happy and comfortable.

"And me!" Kayden popped his head out from behind his father.

"Uncle Twin," Apollo smirked. The name didn't fit anymore. His mother had told him about how shocked they all were when he was born with black hair. He resembled Kayden by the color of hair only. Now, standing side by side his father, there was no resemblance to Apollo but to Levi. They were the real lookalikes. Apollo wondered if he'd closely resemble his father when he got older.

"How's school buddy?" He asked.

"Good, I'm studying hard." He was beginning to dread this question. It brought him back to the friends he was detaching from now. He couldn't stop thinking about Lynette, Tommy and Damian. It was slowly killing him inside and yet it had only been a few hours since their departure.

Apollo tried to push that thought out of his head and began to joke around with his relatives.

Leia giggled as she plopped next to Noah in their home sauna. He was reading a book! Even she had to admit though, it had been a stressful day. She had been running around, cooking, calling family members and cleaning just to get this day perfect for Apollo. She wanted him to know that they missed him deeply and were proud of him. He seemed ecstatic enough but something was off.

"Honey, did you notice anything different about Apollo today?" It was as if he read her mind. She turned to him and placed her hand on his forearm. He had long since closed his book and watched her intently for a response.

"I did, he seemed kind of, I don't know...sad? I figured it was because he was missing his friends but then I thought about it, how could he be so upset after a few hours only?" She placed her thin finger on her lips as if deep in thought. "I don't know what's wrong."

"I noticed it too. On the car ride home, he was actually hyperventilating. He was oblivious to what I was calling out to him. I think I figured it out."

"Hyperventilating?" Worry spread over her face. "I don't get it. He's always been, so...I don't like this word, but normal?"

Noah nodded his head. "I know what you mean. It's hard to find the right word to explain it. I think that he has separation anxiety and his experience in university was enough to trigger it. I don't know what happened, but it must have been emotionally tough." He began to explain to Leia how he had come up with this deduction. Apollo had left his home and moved to a new place. Though it was only for a few months, he had began to become absorbed in the university lifestyle. It was different from something like getting a job. You didn't have to live at your workplace for the most part. You returned home at the end of the day. In university, your whole lifestyle had to change for the semester. From the hesitance he sensed in Apollo, Noah realized that his son was attached to this lifestyle more than an average student would be. Noah was positive that he was the reason for all of this. Apollo had always been accepting of Noah's sudden return into his life. Apollo accepted him without any doubts, unlike Ambrose who handled it as Noah would expect an adolescent to. Apollo lacked the curiosity, he didn't question Noah's whereabouts, he didn't question his mother, he just accepted it. Noah couldn't delve into the depths of his son's mind, he had a degree in medicine not psychology. Yet he knew for sure his absence was the cause of all of this. Apollo's anxieties had laid dormant and something triggered it.

Leia listened to his story intently. When he was finished talking she placed her head in her hands and cried. "I....I can' t believe it...were we so enraptured with Ambrose's rebellion to you that we failed to realize how Apollo was coping? What kind of parents are we Noah? This wasn't I pictured when we got married...everything was supposed to be different!"

"I shouldn't have gone to jail." He soothingly rubbed her back. "It's my fault our son is like this. I was just trying to protect you guys but I ended up causing more damage."

"Shut up, Noah. You're an amazing father to our boys. We're both to blame for this but there's no reason to dwell on it now. What can we do for him?"

"I think it'd be best if he saw a therapist. Maybe it'd help for him to talk to someone impartial in his life." Leia nodded and placed her head against his chest. What if they were just overreacting? If Noah was so adamant about it, then she knew something was seriously wrong.

Apollo dragged his feet across the corridor. He was tired. He had worn his smile proudly until his grandfather and uncle left. He didn't want to worry them with his sorrow.

"Apollo, where are you going?" Ambrose called out from the couch.

Apollo had his hand on the doorknob to what he thought was his room. "To bed. I'm exhausted."

"That's not your room anymore. I'm staying in there, mom turned Caleb's old room into a guest room and got rid of the outdated nursery in the guest house and moved you in there. She figured you'd want some space now that you're an adult."

"My own room?" He pondered the thought. He had never not shared a room with someone, it could be nice being on his own for a few hours.

"Yepp, it's practically like your own apartment except you don't have a kitchen in there, or a TV. It's nice, I picked out the decorations." Ambrose picked up another controller and held it out to Apollo. "I know you're tired, but do you have enough energy for a game? It's been boring playing on my own."

"I guess I do." Apollo missed this time spent with his little brother. He hadn't had much time to call him or video chat. He'd sometimes sneak in a text here or there during classes but it wasn't much.

"About earlier..." Ambrose bit his lip. "I made it sound like I didn't want to be friends with Kiwi because people thought we were gay. I was just angry. Kiwi is my best friend, even if he does have a weird name. I'm not giving him up for some stupid stereotypes, it'd be stupid."

Apollo smiled. He couldn't be more proud of his little brother in this moment. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with being gay, right?"

"Of course not." Ambrose shook his head. "Who am I to stop two people from loving each other? Love is blind. It doesn't see age, gender or race."

Apollo shut his eyes and leaned back against the sofa. What was wrong with him? He spent his entire day trying to rationalize his feelings for Tommy, but Ambrose was right. Love was blind.

_____________________________________
Just a quick note, I may have dramatized separation anxiety a bit for Apollo's case. [Not all cases!] I haven't done much research on the condition but the reason I made it such a big deal for Apollo will hopefully become clear in the next chapter. Thank you for reading!

3.8 Kiss Me Goodbye

Apollo knelt by his bed, packing the last of his belongings. The end of the semester came quickly. Everyone was returning home for the holidays. He would be back here in just a few months to finish his freshman year. He had come out feeling like a different person. He didn't know he could change so drastically in such a short time. It wasn't a change for the better. He came into university feeling excited, nervous and fearful. He was leaving with a hole in his heart. It had only been a few months, but life had a funny way of throwing punches. Tommy had been avoiding Apollo. At least until last night. Apollo was amazed that it was even possible considering they lived in the same building. Lynette had been spending most of her time with Mason, despite Apollo's warning. Apollo went out of his way to avoid Katherine. She had caused him enough pain, he didn't want to have to look her in the eyes again. That left Damian. Damian had offered quite a few more words to Apollo. They would even occasionally have full on conversations. Damian was weird, there was no doubt about that, but thats what gave him his charm. Apollo would actually miss his strange behavior. Upon placing his last item in his suitcase, Apollo shrank down to the floor. He tried to do as much as he could to avoid thinking of what happened last night with Tommy. His mind was in shambles and his heart beat fast whenever he thought about it. When he was alone with his thoughts, it was torture.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the familiar face who sat down next to him.

"What's with the long face? Are you going to miss university that much?" Lynette asked.

Apollo looked up at her and shook his head. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? We've lived in the same building for three months straight. We've practically spent everyday together, don't tell me it's nothing. What's on your mind?" Apollo contemplated telling her what was on his mind, but he was terrified. What would she think? He didn't even know what to think. "Did Tommy tell you that we were moving?" She frowned.

He shot a look in her direction. "What? You guys are moving?"

"Oh, oops. Nevermind. Forget I said that."

"Lyn, you guys are moving where?" Apollo's sadness grew with every word.

"To Twinbrook. Our dad got a new job and he's relocating. The move is costing the family a lot of money. Tommy's got a scholarship here, but it's still not enough to cover the full year and our parents can't afford tuition for both me and him. I thought about taking out a student loan but why bother for some stupid arts degree? Tommy wants to join the military and my mother knows someone who works in an art studio there so I should be covered." 

"Some stupid arts degree?" Apollo frowned. "How could you say that?" Even more though, he was upset that Tommy decided to join the military and not tell him.

"I don't need a degree to be an artist. It's my passion and talent that will decide that for me. Are you confused about whether or not you're doing the right thing with your degree?"

Apollo shook his head. "I...I'm thinking about....Tommy." 

"He's still mad at you?" She frowned.

"I...I don't think so..."

"Why are you so hesitant?" Lynette asked. "What happened?"

Apollo bit his lip and stared at her nervously. He didn't want to hold this in all to himself, but he didn't want to upset Tommy by telling his step sister either. Apollo took a deep breath and let his heart pour out to Lynette. He told her everything from the beginning.

He started with the call he got from Tommy around 10 PM.

"Hello?" Apollo asked almost too excitedly.

"Apollo? Can you meet me by the lake in an hour?" Apollo thought about it. Should he? It seemed kind of suspicious to him, but he wrote it off. He had to see Tommy and tell him he was being stupid for starting a fight over something so small. Mason was winning right now, 2-0 a game Apollo shouldn't have been aware he was playing.

"What's wrong? Your voice... have you been crying?"

"Just meet me at the lake," Tommy pleaded before hanging up.

The area was dark. Nobody was around. They had all either been packing up their belongings, scrambling to hand in their last minute reports or trying to cram in one last party before they returned home. It wasn't long before Apollo spotted Tommy. He was hunched over on a bench, visibly upset. Apollo approached him cautiously.

"Is everything alright?" He asked softly.

Tommy looked up and wiped the last bit of tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry I look so pathetic." 

"Don't apologize. You're human." Apollo sat down next to his friend. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tommy nodded solemnly. "But first I want to apologize again. I shouldn't have been such a jerk to you, you didn't even do anything wrong at all. I just got overworked for no reason."

The tough exterior seemed to all be stripped away. Tommy sat with such pain on his face. Apollo wanted nothing more than to make his pain go away. "Don't apologize. You're human." Apollo repeated.

"Shut up dude, you sound like a robot." They both laughed. "You're probably wondering why I called you out here so late right?" Apollo nodded. There obviously was a good reason if Tommy was so upset. "My cousin, he got beat up pretty bad last night. The hospital called, he listed me as a contact on his record." Apollo wondered why he wouldn't list someone older. It didn't matter that much, did it?

"I'm so sorry." Apollo placed a hand on his shoulder which made him squirm and scoot further from Apollo. He didn't think anything of it though.

"It's alright. He's got a few broken bones, but he isn't dead. Do you know why they beat him up?" Tommy didn't even look up at Apollo. His eyes stayed on the dark ground. "Some guys were harassing his boyfriend. They didn't like the idea of gay guys invading their club. My cousin stood up to those drunken bastards and they beat the crap out of him. All because he is in love with a man and not a woman." Apollo tried to process the information. It was a lot to take in. How could people be so cruel? Wasn't love blind? Why was it ok for someone to dictate how you were supposed to live your life? Tommy continued, "He lives all the way in Apaloosa Plains. I remember when I was ten years old, he came and visited us. He was so excited to surprise us with the news that he was engaged. My father was so proud because he practically raised him, that was until he found out that he was marrying another man. My dad flipped out and told him never to talk to this family again. I remember crying so hard and my cousin Drew came over to me and told me that it was ok, he knew that we cared about him. He thought that my dad would change his mind. It's been eight years and he hasn't changed his mind. I'm not even supposed to talk to my cousin because he's gay. Like it's contagious or something. I have to call him in secret and I'm not even supposed to be telling anyone this at all. My dad would be so pissed."

"Tommy, that's...terrible." Was all that Apollo could muster. What was one supposed to say to that? He couldn't formulate the right words even if he tried. His heart was heavy for the burden that Tommy had been holding his entire life.

Tommy got up and stood by the lake. He stared into the water as if it would have all of his answers. Apollo quietly slipped next to him, as if the scene was glass and the slightest movement would shatter everything around him.

Tommy let out a long sigh. "I lived my whole life thinking that being gay was unnatural. I was taught to look down on those that were. How could I spit at my own cousin that just a few months ago I was laughing and joking with? I couldn't do it. He was still my cousin. his sexual orientation did nothing to change him. If anything, his love for his boyfriend made him even more of a compassionate and considerate person." Apollo could do nothing but listen in silence. He was terrified of the vulnerability being shown. It wasn't something he was used to. He remembered being the one always complaining about not having his father around yet the entire time Tommy was facing this even bigger inner battle. He couldn't imagine a father denying his son contact with his own cousin. "Apollo," Tommy looked directly at him, trying to analyze his expression. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"A little bit, but I want to be here, for you."

"Thank you." He stayed silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "I'd be lying if I said that was all I wanted to tell you." 

"There's more? I don't know if I can handle it." Apollo joked.

Tommy cracked a smile. "I just want to let you know why I was so mad at you before."

"Mason was probably twisting the story around. Damian warned me that he does that."

"No, it's not that at all." He shook his head. "I was jealous and so I took out my anger, fear and anxiety on you."

"What was there to be jealous of?" He asked himself more than he was asking Tommy.

Tommy diverted Apollo's attention with another story. "I never really loved Katherine. Growing up, society shoved down my throat that I was supposed to date a girl. I didn't care much in middle school, but in high school it became everything. I was the cool kid, I had an image to protect. I just got a girlfriend to shut my friends up. I didn't really care at all. That was until one day. I started to think about this guy. I was so afraid, I cried myself to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about this guy. He was everywhere in my mind. I saw him in school and I couldn't even look at him. I was so afraid people would say something to me and accuse me of being gay. I didn't want that. My parents would hate me and my friends would abandon me. Even Katherine would leave. She only dated me because I was popular. I knew from the beginning that she had a wandering eye. She was in love with you from the beginning and she still is. That's why I was jealous."

Apollo let out the breath that he didn't know he was holding. Tommy had just admitted that he was gay. It shouldn't have been a big deal, it really shouldn't have. But Apollo couldn't stop his head from swimming. He felt even more sorrow in his heart for his friend who was being taught to look down upon a group of people that he was a part of. The weight on his shoulders must have been immense. Apollo stared at him with a baffled expression.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Apollo felt the ground shift as Tommy came closer to him. "I was jealous because I thought you were in love with her too. That would just kill me. The boy I watched stroll the hallways in secret was you. It was always you. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I joined all of these stupid clubs to busy my mind, but still the thought of you trumped them all."

Apollo felt his heart beat faster and he didn't know why. He was afraid to let himself go into the moment. He could preach all he wanted about how love was blind but what about when it came down to him? Was it still blind? Was this feeling in his gut natural? Tommy was always his favorite in the group, whether it be romantic or not. He had always preferred to be around Tommy. Could he let himself love Tommy Bryson?

"I love you, Apollo Gray." Apollo felt Tommy's breath on his lips and could only squeeze his eyes shut in anticipation of the kiss that was about to come. The contact of Tommy's lips just felt right. He forgot that the one who was holding him in their arms was a man. In that moment it didn't matter. He savored the sweet taste of his lips until both had to pull away for air.

"Tommy..." he began. He was confused at the terrified look on Tommy's face. Apollo had felt something so surreal. It was something that you made fun of those people in the moves for admitting, but now he understood. How knew Tommy felt the same thing from how tightly he had held Apollo. As if realizing something, Tommy violently shoved Apollo from his arms and began to run.

"Tommy wait!" Apollo called out but it only caused him to run faster. Apollo kept shouting for his attention until he couldn't see him any longer.

"Damn it!" Apollo hit the tree next to him. The only thing he could think about was the sensation of Tommy's lips on his. It wasn't until the next day when he was alone with his thoughts, packing up his stuff, that his mind began to wander towards the opinions of others. He tried to convince himself that last night was just a fluke and that he really wasn't in love with a guy. Could he really be gay?

"What's the problem then, Apollo?" Lynette asked after his story was over.

"I'm not supposed to be gay..." He bit his lip nervously once again. "I don't even know if I am..."

She scooted closer to him and held his arm comfortingly. "I've never heard you talk about how hot a girl was, but I haven't heard you talk about how hot a guy was either...hmm. How did it feel when Tommy kissed you yesterday?"

"Like magic." He blushed the minute he said it. He felt so stupid saying it out loud.

"Then what's the problem?" She repeated.

"I...how can I be gay?" He asked.

Within seconds, Apollo felt himself being pinned to the ground. He tried to prop himself up on his elbows as Lynette clutched his jacket tightly. She moved her lips closer to his until they were just hovering above his. "How do you feel?" She whispered.

"I...I don't know," He whispered back.

She violently pushed him towards the ground and kissed him with all of her force. Lynette felt his heart beating under the force of her body. When she pulled away she looked at him straight in the eyes. "Whose lips felt better, mine or Tommy's?"

"Tommy's..." Apollo whispered without thought.

She rolled off of him and took her seat again. "Apollo, you're gay."

"Holy shit, you're right. I'm gay." Apollo's eyes widened.

"It's not a bad thing," She grinned. "I may say that my step brother is a jerk, but he can't be that bad if you like him so much." She got up and started to dust her clothes off.

"Where are you going?"

"To break up with Mason. Your story just made me realize that there isn't a spark between us. I want someone that'll love me like you love Tommy. You can tell it's real between you guys. Just by the way you told me that story."

"Don't mention any of this to Tommy!" He called out as she was leaving.

A playful smirk played on her lips, "Not even the kiss? I'm going to miss you Apollo. Please keep in touch, even if I'm all the way in Twinbrook. Remember, I am Tommy's sister."

"I will Lyn. I'll miss you like hell."

Apollo tried to contact Tommy, but he had been avoiding Apollo yet again. Lynette advised him that he might need some space. The last person he had to say his goodbyes to was Damian. "Please tell me you're coming back to Uni next semester. Tommy and Lynette are leaving."

"And you can't bare to be with Katherine and Mason on your own?" he smirked.

"Exactly!"

"I might be back."

"Might?" Damian just nodded in response. "Thanks for everything Damian. I had a surprisingly good semester because of you. I hope we cross paths again."

"We will." They continued their conversation and bid each other goodbye. "Watch out for Mason." Was his last response which Apollo promised he would. It was a strange sentiment but Apollo figured he wouldn't ignore it. Damian had yet to be wrong. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but Apollo left his dormitory and walked into the arms of his father who had been waiting for him outfront.

"Was your first semester everything you thought it would be?" Noah asked.

"Not really, but that's what made it such a great experience." He smiled to his father. Despite the fights, Apollo enjoyed every moment of his first semester. It definitely wouldn't be he same next semester, but life had a funny way of working out.

_________________________________________________________________________________
What do you guys think of Apollo and Tommy? This was definitely a hard chapter for me to write. I wanted to try something different with this generation and do something unpredictable. I hope I conveyed enough emotion into this chapter. Thanks for reading as always :)

3.7 Everyone's Enemy

"Erm..Tommy? Is everything ok?" Apollo asked, looking up from his book.

"I'm fine." His eyes never left the textbook in front of him.

"Well, when you asked me to come and study with you, I thought you know, we'd actually study together."

"Well, sometimes we say things that we don't mean, right?" Tommy slammed the book shut and looked at Apollo.

"Uhm....?" Apollo was confused. He tried to rack his brain for a reason why Tommy was acting this way. Tommy and Katherine had both been avoiding him for a few days. He thought that it was better for them to cool off after everything that happened this past week. He was sure Katherine was mad at him for telling Tommy, but why Tommy was upset was a mystery to him.

"You know, when you say that you care about someone, you should mean it right?"

"Are you implying something? I don't get it."

"Of course you don't, because you think I'm an idiot. You think that you can just lie to me, and tell me what I want to hear. I'm tired of that crap Apollo. I hated when people said things that they thought would make me happy. They say ignorance is bliss, but how happy can you be if you're living a lie?"

"Who's lying to you, Tommy? What are you saying?"

"I know all about you and Katherine. She never loved me Apollo! She's in love with you and always has been! You guys kissed before we even came here and you knew she was dating me! Why wouldn't you tell me ahead of time, if you really cared about me? Was it all just a sick joke to you? If you tell me that you're my friend, do you think it'll be easier to get with Katherine?"

"Tommy..." Apollo felt his stomach drop. Why did he think that he could get away with not telling Tommy? He wanted to, he really did but when was the right time? He should have been more considerate to his friend's feelings. "I...Katherine and I did kiss, I was just talking to her about it when I confronted her about Damian. She said it was to make me feel better because my grandmother had just died, which even I felt was a load of crap. If Katherine has loved me all this time, I didn't know about it. She's always said she loved you, and I would never ever do anything to jeopardize our friendship. I already lost you once..."

"Shut up!" Tommy shouted. "You're so good at lying. You expect me to believe that you just looked the other way when I was with Katherine? You knew she loved you because she kissed you. You're a freaking man, you don't think that I don't know you guys didn't do anything? You could take full advantage!"

"You know what? You're right. I could take advantage, but I didn't! Why would I do that? You think some sort of physical pleasure means more to me than my friendships? All I had for ten years was my mom and my friends! Nobody knows how important those bonds are more than me."

"You're such a tool Apollo. I don't want to hear it. You should have told me if I meant that much to you. I thought we were bros." Apollo felt a pang of guilt as he watched Tommy walk off. Would their relationship ever recover?

"Damnit!" Apollo cursed under his breath. "What did I do?"

Apollo knew that Tommy wouldn't speak to him, at least not today. He took his time returning to the dorm to avoid any hostile situations. Tommy wasn't a violent person, but he was seething, and anger made people crazy.

"You're back pretty late," A deep voice said.

"You're never here at this time, how would you know?" Apollo muttered to Damian. Damian ignored Apollo's rhetorical question. Apollo sluggishly dragged his feet across the floor and tossed his bag across the room to his bed. "If she was flirting with you, why is he mad at me?" Apollo asked angrily. He didn't even mean to confront Damian, he just needed a way to get his feelings out in the open.

"Is Tommy mad at you?" Damian furrowed his brow.

"Yes, he's furious because I never told him that Katherine and I kissed before we came to university. I don't have feelings for Katherine in any way, yet he insists I was trying to get with her while they were dating or something. I don't know why Katherine would even tell him about us in the first place, while he was already upset about everything!"

"It wasn't Katherine," Damian said sullenly. "There's someone in this dormitory trying to exploit all of  us, well...exploit you really and he's going to do that by targeting everyone you care about."

"Please just tell me what you mean," Apollo sat on the floor by Damian. "I can't take any more riddles today."

"Let's just say that your family is really important to the future. How do you stop the future from enhancing? You destroy the person who makes it happen and it's someone in your bloodline. By screwing up the timeline now, there will be no chance of a utopian future."

"Future? Timelines? Why are you talking like that, as if you can see the future?"

Damian was about to say something but he quickly shut his mouth. He couldn't reveal anymore than he already had to Apollo, it would expose him for who he truly was and that would give Mason the upper hand. "Forget all that. It's just something I was theorizing on. Fantasy. The person who told Tommy about you and Katherine was Mason. You need to watch out for him. For whatever reason, you're his target and he won't hesitate to strike those around you. That includes Tommy, Katherine and Lynette."

"Mason, what would he have against me?" Apollo frowned. "Why do I have a target on my head? I've been a good person all of my life." He sighed."Thank you for telling me about all of this. I'm just going to pretend like you and Katherine aren't a thing though because it's kind of weird."

"We aren't."

"I'm not even going to ask." Apollo leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes. Tommy, Katherine and Mason were all mad at him. At least he could count on his roommate, no matter how strange he was.

The dorms were empty for the next few days. It was strange but maybe it was better that way. Everyone was on edge. Apollo had other things to worry about, like constructing his final project. He was a business major and he had to present his class with a five point plan. He had been neglecting it because of everything going on, but he put his foot down last night and pulled an all-nighter. He only got a few hours of sleep but his teacher loved his project. That was one less thing for him to worry about.

"Apollo, I really think you'll make a fantastic worker in the business field. You should really think about an internship this summer. I know it's months away, but it would be a great experience for you. Just think about it." His teacher smiled at him.

"Thank you, I'll definitely look into it."

Despite the praise, Apollo still didn't feel so good. His heart hurt. He longed for friendships and acceptance. It seemed like people were always leaving and coming back into his life. Why couldn't they just stay for good?

Apollo trudged his feet into the dormitory not expecting to see anyone. It was still pretty dead. it made sense, it was a Friday night and everyone was out partying, something Apollo could not find himself getting into at all.

"Hey, long time no see." A familiar voice reached his ears.

"Oh, hey Lyn. Whats up?"

"Something the matter?" She frowned at him.

"Kind of. Do you have a minute to talk?"

"I have an entire night if that's what will get you smiling again.Whats wrong?" She asked.

"Tommy and I got into a huge fight. He broke up with Katherine and --"

"Hold on," Lynette cut him off. "I think you should tell me about your relationship to them from the beginning. I think it'll be better for me to understand."

"Right," Apollo nodded, remembering his promise to her. He explained everything from the time they first met until what had happened just a few days ago. He felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. He was happy to have finally told someone how he really felt.

"I think that Tommy needs some time. I don't know him too well, you know I'm only his step-sister, but any human being would be hurt or offended by being lied to, even you."

"I know, but it still hurts my pride and just in general. I feel like I keep losing people, they come back eventually, but what about the time in between?"

"I think Tommy got so mad because he cares. When someone cares they get upset when they think someone betrayed their trust. It's hard for people to trust one another especially if they've gone through something like Tommy has."

"I guess you're right. Maybe it's best to keep my distance for now." He let out a long sigh. "How about you? I don't mean to drag you down with my problems. How have you been?"

"Hmm, I don't know if I can top your emotional story but, I did get asked out by this cute graduate student. The reason I've been out of the dormitory a lot is because we've been going on dates. He's really sweet."

"Oh, that's cool. Do I know him?"

Her face lit up. "It's Mason! Do you remember orientation? We connected from the beginning. Now we're seeing each other. I think he's going to ask me to be his girlfriend can you believe it?" 

Apollo thought back to what Damian had told him the other night. Mason was out to get him and in order to do that he'd take out everyone close to him. At first he thought Damian was a bit strange, but it suddenly started to make sense. Mason told Tommy about Apollo's kiss with Katherine and now he was asking Lynette out. This meant bad news. He didn't know the validity of Damian's claims but he didn't want to take any chances. Not now. "I don't think that's a good idea, Lynette."

"Why not?" She leaned towards him.

"He's so much older than you. Not all guys are on your side you know?" Apollo tried to choose his words carefully.

"I appreciate your concern Apollo, I really do, but I'm an adult so I think I can make my own decisions about who I see. I'll talk to you in the morning, I'm heading to bed." She got up to leave and began to walk away.

"Lyn, wait!" He called after her.

"Goodnight Apollo."

3.6 Plan B

Lynette was doing her nails when she heard a knock on her door. It was probably Katherine. She had been spending most of her nights at the library. Finals weren't for another few weeks but Lynette didn't mind so much, she was enjoying the alone time.

"Mason?" Lynette blushed furiously. She was only in her pjs! Of course she walked around the house in her pjs quite often, but somehow being in her room alone with the older male made it feel even more intimate. 

"Hey, I'm really sorry to bother you so late but I kind of had something on my mind and I couldn't sleep, thinking about it."

"Oh..." Lynette said softly. He thought coming to her was the right thing to do? "What can I do for you? Do you want advice?"

"Not exactly. I'd like an answer." Lynette stared at him dumbfounded. What was going on? "Let me explain before you say anything. I thought you were cute the moment I met you at orientation. Your bubbly personality is infectious. I want to be around you all the time. My schedule is preventing me from seeing you as much as I'd like to. I want to have an actual conversation with you. A hello isn't enough for me. I want to know more about you, and I want you to know more about me. I know I'm older and this may be a little inappropriate but I can't go to bed unless I know if you'd like to go on a date with me or not."

"A date?" She began to stutter. Yes, she was a college student, but that didn't change the fact that she was an eighteen year old girl. She still got giddy when the cute senior noticed her. A date would be harmless, right? "I'd love to meet up one day. I've actually been disappointed that we don't really see each other that often."

The conversation was broken up by a sluggish Katherine entering the room and collapsing onto the bed. "I think I better go now, I'll stop by your room tomorrow and we can choose a place to go." Mason kissed her hand before leaving.

"Are you dating that student teacher guy?" Katherine yawned.

"No! But we might be, soon. He asked me on a date!" Lynette gushed.

"I don't know, he seems like bad news. You guys have never had a real conversation passed the first day of school and it's been a month already. Tommy is his roommate, and he says that guy is never in the room. Like ever."

"I think you're the last person to talk about someone else. I may think my step brother is a jerk, but it doesn't give you a right to step all over him."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. I'm going to bed."

At the breakfast table, Apollo was quieter than usual.

"Hey, something the matter?" Tommy asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Apollo let out a sigh.

"Kinda. you've always been like this when you were upset. Remember that time we were playing soldiers over the internet and Johnny's character fell off the cliff? It was so funny and Johnny and I were in tears from laughing do hard. You were silent. You were upset about your little brother, remember?"

Apollo nodded. "Those were the best days. There was nothing for me to worry about. When I was with you, Johnny and Katherine I felt invincible. You guys made me forget that my father wasn't around for ten years. You guys got me through everything. Now, I miss that dynamic."

"It's still like that. Well for me and you at least, right? I know Johnny is over in Twinbrook and Katherine..." Tommy's voice trailed off. He didn't know if he should continue or not.

"Katherine is another story altogether. I know she's your girlfriend, but I think I won't feel better until I tell you everything I feel about her..." Apollo bit his lip.

"Wait, let me go first," Tommy said. "I think what we're going to say will sound a bit similar. You've noticed something different about Katherine lately right?" Apollo nodded. "I remember when she first came up to me, mascara running down her cheeks. It was the first time she decided to wear makeup, the start of her transformation. I couldn't stand to see one of my best friends upset. We talked and she told me all about how she kissed you and you totally freaked out. I was so mad at you, because I had the biggest crush on Katherine ever, and she never noticed. Yet, you had her affection and you didn't want it. I promised her that I would always be there for her. I took her to the freshman fling, and then when I asked her to be my girlfriend she said yes. I was so happy. We completely took over high school. Then my parents began to fight and tensions were always high in the house. The only thing I looked forward to was how in control of everyone I was in high school. I was the star baseball player, all I had to do was tell someone jump and they would. Katherine loved the attention from everyone too. I started to lose myself, and you, Johnny and the old Katherine. Katherine and I were the power couple but when we came here, none of it mattered. Nobody knew us. I was lucky that you were here to snap me out of it all. I began to realize that I missed what we had. Katherine, no matter how hard I try, won't go back to how she was before. Now it's makeup and fashion, not video games and sports like it used to be. I loved her anyway and I put up with it because I thought it was all I had. Now, I know that I'm not who I was in high school and I don't want the new Katherine. I fell in love with the old one. I'm going to break up with her."

"What?" Apollo asked in shock. It was a lot to take in. Tommy wasn't the villain Apollo originally made him out to be, and it became more and more clear with each conversation they had. Tommy felt helpless and clinged to the attention he was getting from everyone in school. Now, he was aware that that guy wasn't him. If only Katherine would notice that too. Tommy deserved so much better.

"Am I making a mistake?" Tommy asked frantically. He really had no idea what to do. Apollo could sense the helplessness in his voice.

"Actually, what I wanted to tell you might help you make that decision," Apollo began. Tommy looked up at him hopefully. "I didn't know how to tell you this, but I saw Katherine flirting with Damian."

"Huh? You're joking right? Damian would never...I mean besides his personality being you know, kinda strange. He's my friend...he wouldn't let her flirt with him and not tell me." Apollo swallowed hard, remembering how Katherine had kissed him the summer before university. Would Tommy be upset? He decided not to tell him, it wouldn't hurt him not to know, would it?

"It happened, I saw it with my own eyes. She stopped me on my way out of class to try to explain it. She said something about not being in control of her body or something. I don't know, but I told her that she shouldn't be leading you on like that, it isn't right," Apollo said sincerely.

"You're sure thats what you saw? You aren't making things up?"

"I'm not making it up. I don't have any reason to. I care about you man. I don't want to see you get hurt. Honestly, I hated the thought of you all throughout high school, but seeing you here again made me realize that I really missed having you in my life. We were young and stupid, but now I know better than to let the people I care about slip right through my fingers."

Tommy beamed at him. "Thank you."

Tommy knew what he had to do. Hearing Apollo's words had reassured him that what he originally thought about doing was the right thing. There was one thing bothering him, how long had she been cheating on him? It wasn't like he hadn't thought of other people. In fact he had done this, often while he was with her. He couldn't get this one person out of his mind and he felt bad about it because he was committed to Katherine. He hadn't acted on his feelings like Katherine did though. When he entered the dormitory after class, he was greeted by Katherine's smiling face.

"Hey babe, how are you feeling? You looked really upset this morning." She placed her hand lovingly on his arm.

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you for asking. Actually, I need to talk to you, it's important."

She leaned up and kissed him full on the lips. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I love you."

"Katherine, can we take this to the next room, please?" He asked nervously. People were beginning to pile into the dorm one by one. He didn't want to embarrass her.

"Please be honest with me, how do you feel about Damian?" Tommy asked.

"What...where is this coming from?" She asked innocently.

"Please don't play games with me. I wasn't born yesterday. Words gotten around that you were caught flirting with Damian."

"Apollo told you didn't he?" She asked in annoyance.

"It doesn't matter who did! Is it true or not?"

"Kind of...well, I mean it was me, but I wasn't in control of my body. It was like I was in some kind of trance! I love you, I don't mean to hurt you in any way. You have to believe me."

Tommy looked at her in disgust. "I don't understand why you can't be upfront with me. I have been with you haven't I? I think we both know that there isn't any love in our relationship anymore. We both clinged to each other because we were both going through some messed up stuff. You wanted to be accepted and I needed someone to tell me they cared. We can't keep pretending that what we had in the beginning is still there. We both need to move on."

"Are you breaking up with me?" She asked in shock. She had noticed a change in Tommy's personality recently. He had no longer been her prince. She knew she had strung him on for too long. She loved the idea of Tommy but her heart was somewhere else.

"I'm sorry."

She looked up at him with tears brimming her eyes. "There's somebody else isn't there? It's ok. There's been somebody else for me too, but it isn't Damian. I promise you that."

Tommy looked at her and frowned. How had she seen right through him. They had both realized that they were in a loveless relationship but instead of ending things, they both began to put their attention elsewhere. He only wondered who this other person was.

With a heavy heart Tommy made his way into the common room. He had been expecting a much more rewarding feeling. It was over, yet he already felt like crap. Where was the feeling of a burden being lifted from his shoulders? He wouldn't feel any better until he told the other person how he felt, and there was no way he was going to do that any time soon. There was just too many complications. He felt himself drifting off into a deep sleep until he heard some footsteps.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Mason asked softly. "I was just trying to find a place to relax. Our room feels a bit stuffy."

"Tell me about it." Tommy groaned. "I feel like the room is closing in on me up there. I hate it."

"You don't look like you're feeling too well. Want to talk about it?"

"Not really, it's just a breakup. No big deal."

"You and Katherine finally broke up huh?"

"Finally?" Tommy frowned.

"Yeah, I mean she was cheating on you right? At least thats what the rumors said."

"Seems like everyone knew she was flirting with Damian except for me," Tommy shut his eyes.

"Damian? Oh, nevermind then." Tommy didn't see the sinister smirk that played on Mason's lips.

"What are you saying?" Tommy asked impatiently. Did Mason know about the other guy?

"It's Apollo dude. Katherine kissed him right before you guys came here to Sims University. Didn't you know that?? She's been thinking of him every time she was with you."

"That's bullshit. Apollo would have told me about that!" Tommy said angrily. "Besides, how would you even know that?"

Mason began to laugh. "I know about everyone's secrets in this dorm. I know Damian's secret, Lynette's secret, hell I just told you about Katherine and Apollo's not so little secret. I'm especially interested in your secret though. The person you're in love with is really-"

"Shut up!" Tommy shouted. "I don't want to hear anymore! You're freakin despicable!"

"Alright alright. Say what you want, but Katherine is in love with Apollo and Apollo didn't tell you anything. That's the truth. Why don't you go and ask them?" Mason smirked as he left an infuriated Tommy on the couch. Tommy held his hand over his heart. He didn't know how much Mason really knew about them but if the guy really knew his secret, he was in for a surprise. He couldn't let his little secret out, not before he told this person how he really felt himself.

3.5 Losing Control

Apollo ran down the stairs and saw the dormitory kitchen ablaze.

"Katherine!" Apollo shouted. Why was she just standing there? She'd be burned if the fire spread. "Move back!" She stood frozen in fear, unable to move. Apollo did some quick thinking and pushed her backwards. He looked around the kitchen, cursing under his breath when he didn't see the fire extinguisher.

"It's in the Cabinet." Apollo turned around to see Damian calmly pointing to the cabinet behind where Katherine once stood. He was thankful Damian was there, otherwise he might not have caught the fire on time.

The fire was spreading quickly from the stove to the counters next to it. Apollo didn't even know he knew how to use a fire extinguisher. It was one of those things that was always there yet he never touched. His hands moved on their own, Whether it be to save Katherine or himself, he didn't know. He wasn't thinking. Before he was even aware of what was happening, the fire was extinguished.

"Quick thinking," Damian said.

"Me? You arrived just on time! I would have never found the fire extinguisher," Apollo admitted.
Damian shrugged, but a small smirk played on his lips. He waved the two off and left the kitchen, as if he was only there to prevent any harm to the two college students. "Katherine are you okay?" Apollo turned to her. She was shaking.

She grabbed onto his arm and clutched his chest tightly. "Apollo!"

"Are you alright?" He was taken aback. He wasn't Katherine's biggest fan, yet he wasn't completely heartless either.

"It was so close...the fire! We could have all died because I was too scared to move!" She cried.

"Hey, don't worry about stuff like that! I was there for a reason. At least you screamed right? There's eight of us in this dormitory, someone was bound to have heard you."

"And what if no one did? What if everyone was asleep or something?" She looked up into his eyes.

"That didn't happen. I was awake. You just have to find your voice next time, and you'll be fine. I'm not going to let anything happen to you while I'm here. Not to anyone."

"Thank you." She wiped her eyes and stepped back from Apollo's comforting embrace.

"I need to get to class now, but please be more careful okay?" She nodded and Apollo left for class. He had definitely seen a different side of Katherine today.

Apollo was ecstatic to hear his teacher had been sick. Well, he felt bad that she had been sick, but he was thankful for the day off. There was supposed to be a huge test and thanks to the incident this morning, his head wasn't fully in it. His professor calling in sick was a miracle. He had decided to come home early, and take a much needed nap. Upon entering the house, he was promptly greeted with a shocking sight, There was Katherine and Damian...flirting? He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Damian didn't seem like the kind to flirt, and Katherine, well he somehow thought she was faithful to Tommy now. He stood there for a moment contemplating his next move when Katherine broke him from his thoughts.

"Apollo? I swear, it's not what it looks like!" Katherine cried, quickly distancing herself from Damian, who seemed unphased by being caught.

"Then what is it?"

She looked away. "I don't know," She mumbled. Damian was a man of few words as always.

"Listen, none of this is my business so, I'll leave it to you. I just want to take a nap." Apollo pushed passed Katherine who was trying to block his way to the stairs. "Tommy doesn't deserve this."

"Apollo wait! Please don't tell him! I can explain if you let me!"

"I don't care Katherine." Apollo shook his head. He thought he was beginning to see a different side of her, but now that was destroyed.

Apollo was conflicted. Should he tell Tommy? It was the right thing to do, he'd want Tommy to tell him if it was the other way around. What if Tommy didn't believe him? The hatred he had felt towards Katherine and Tommy in the beginning of the term had simmered down. He realized that Tommy was truly going through a hard time in high school and thus clinged to the established social order. Little by little Tommy opened up to Apollo and told him about his parent's sudden split and how fast his father got remarried. Tommy was eighteen and allowed to live with whatever parent he wanted, but really there was no choice. His mother had fled Sunlit Tides with all of his father's money. Without the support of his stepmother, also Lynette's birth mother, and his baseball scholarship, he'd have not been able to study physical education at Sims University. It was a rough time for him and countless times he thought about telling Tommy about what had happened between himself and Katherine but he didn't have the heart. Tommy looked like Katherine was the only thing keeping him sane but you wouldn't know from his bubbly exterior. Apollo was afraid that if he told Tommy, he'd lose his friendship and he didn't want that. He'd hope some sleep would help him decide what to do in the morning.

Apollo ended up waking up late. He was so preoccupied last night that he forgot to set his alarm. He quickly apologized to Lynette for not being able to have breakfast with her as he always did and ran out of the dorm to make it to class in time. The lecture was boring as usual, but it didn't stop him from taking notes. His finals were in a couple of weeks and he had to ace them. He walked out of the classroom, shaking his hand, trying to get the feeling back.

"Wrote too much?" 

Apollo was startled to see Katherine in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"I have class in room 205, my professor let me out early," She said.

"I'm running late for my next class so if you'll excuse me..."

"Stop avoiding me! We need to talk about what you saw yesterday. It wasn't what you think."

"I told you that I didn't care."

"But, I care!" She exclaimed. "I don't want you to think that I'm stringing three guys along!"

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, you're cheating on Tommy. You kissed me while you were dating Tommy, and then I caught you flirting with Damian, of all people. What the hell. Tommy treats you like a queen."

"I know he does, but I'm not cheating on him! I kissed you because you looked so sad at your grandmother's funeral, I wanted to make you feel better! But I wasn't flirting with Damian, at least not intentionally. It was like I was in a trance when I looked into his eyes. I don't know what came over me, I didn't even realize I was doing it. I swear. I know it sounds crazy but --"

"It sounds ridiculous! You expect me to believe that Damian casted some sort of spell on you to make you infatuated with him? Is that what you're implying?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I swear I wasn't in control of my body!" Katherine cried.

"Oh come on, that's the craziest thing you've ever said. I know better than anyone that Damian is a bit different, he's my roommate, but he's not some supernatural. They aren't real." 

Apollo had heard enough of her nonsense and began to walk away. He was sure what he had to do. He needed to talk to Tommy as soon as he could, and Katherine couldn't be anywhere near them. She was deluded and she let all of the attention she was recieving get to her head. She wasn't happy with just Tommy who gave her all of his attention, she needed Damian and Apollo himself. Who was next? Tommy's roommate Mason?

"Apollo wait! I'm not done talking to you!" She began to chase after him.

"I'm going to be late to my next class sorry!" Apollo lied. He began to sprint faster and faster until he was sure he was out of her site. It wasn't like he was afraid she was going to hurt him or anything. It was the exact opposite. Katherine thought she was in control, but he didn't want to hurt her by slamming her dynamic. it wasn't in his nature to be so rude and he's been known to act his worst in front of Katherine. He headed home to talk to Tommy.

"Damian Woods." Mason smirked. "Nice seeing you again."

"Pleasure is not mine at all." Damian continued to type on the computer.

"That's rude. You're not going to even acknowledge your old friend. After all these years!" Mason feigned shock.

"Friend? Stop playing games Moon. What the hell do you want?" Damian spun his chair around to look at Mason.

"Do you remember what we promised years ago in Moonlight falls? That we were going to fight against the guardians? What happened to that? Are you on their side now?"

"Yeah right, I hate those guys who think they can just change everything."

"If that's the case, then why are you interfering in my plans?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." It was now Damian's turn to smirk.

"Leave Apollo and that girl alone! We need their timelines to intertwine if we're going to stop the guardians!"

"I work alone. I have my own plan in effect and it doesn't involve intertwining anyone's timeline." Damian told the now furious Mason.

"Oh, you think you're so slick trying to undo my work. You've made a huge mistake buddy. You better watch your back. You don't know what I'd do to protect MY future." He glared at Damian before stomping out of the room. He was afraid of this. He knew seeing Damian on campus meant bad news. He was supposed to still be in Moonlight Falls. This wouldn't stop Mason. He was about to enact plan B.

3.4 Stressed Out

University life wasn't as exciting as Apollo thought it would be. He woke up in the morning, went to class, quickly scarfed down some sort of lunch, headed to his next class and then went back to the dormitory. From there he could either sleep, study or do his homework. There wasn't nearly enough time to do everything he wanted to. He was so stressed out from everything.

That was when Tommy though it was time for an intervention. Surprisingly, Damian fit very well into their group, and no one knew why. For some reason, Damian's quiet and stoic demeanor was the perfect glue to keep Lynette and Tommy from bickering.

"Morning Damian," Katherine smiled brightly at him. Damian nodded in response. "How's it going?"

"Fine."

"That's good!" 

"Hey y'all how's it hanging!?" Tommy slapped Damian on the back and squeezed Katherine's shoulder lovingly before sitting down for breakfast.

"You're too hyper this morning!" Katherine giggled, hitting his arm.

"Alright, alright. I'll tone it down a notch. Have you guys noticed Apollo recently?" Katherine still tensed at the sound of his name. The two had been able to interact with each other like nothing happened but they both knew their friendship would never be the same. Lynette and Tommy were oblivious to it.

"He's stressed," Damian said.

"Poor guy is overworking himself. Apparently the business major is one of the most intense offered at Sims University. Plus I think he's taking some honor courses as well. No wonder he's stressed out," Katherine said.

"I think he needs to have some fun, what about you guys?" Both Damian and Katherine nodded their heads. "Let's invite him to go bowling tonight. You'll be there right, Damian?" Damian shook his head, but didn't give a reason. They were used to his mysterious ways at this point.

With a plan in mind, Tommy happily made his way over to Lynette and Apollo who seemed to be deep in conversation about art.

"I don't know who's doing it, but there's a street artist leaving graffiti and murals all over campus. The campus maintenance is cleaning it up but the artist keeps repainting them. Nobody know who's doing it, it's pretty awesome." Lynette told Apollo.

"Do you mean those whale things I've been seeing painted all over the student union building?"Apollo asked.

"Yeah, it's some sort of statement, but nobody knows what it could be."

"Apollo, do you have plans tonight?" Tommy inserted himself into the conversation. Lynette looked up at him with a glare.

"We were having a conversation here!" Lynette crossed her arms over her chest.

Apollo laughed at her seriousness. "It's not a big deal Lyn." She pouted in response, knowing  that he was right. this was a daily thing with them. It had already been a full month at Sims University.

"Me and Kath are going to Bowlarama tonight, you can come if you want."

"Sounds like a great time, but I need to catch up on some sleep before I crash. I don't know how long this caffeine will last me," Apollo said.

"What I meant to say was, you are totally coming with us and we're not taking no for an answer.You've been locked up in your room for like a month. All you ever do is go to class and then come home and study. College is about finding yourself, having fun, meeting new people. You're not going to do that this way." 

"I need to get good grades.... I have to pass all of my classes--" Apollo began.

"Apollo, I actually agree with the meathead jock over here. You're overworking yourself. You're just going to burn out eventually. You need to relax once and awhile." She was right. He had felt himself slowly losing touch with reality. He was originally so excited to come here but now he dreaded it. There wasn't a moment he ever had to himself to just relax. Even when he was talking to his friends he was worrying about when he would have time to write that next big term paper. Stressed was an understatement. He was all for a night out, just not with Tommy and Katherine...well, just not with Katherine. When Apollo was with Tommy, it was as if things never changed between the two. Tommy went out of his way to rekindle their friendship. It was Katherine who Apollo could not decipher. He had no desire to be around the two love birds, it would just stress him out even more.

He knew he wouldn't get off the hook that easily though so he agreed to it. "Fine, I'll come tonight. Are we meeting there at 7?"

"Uh-huh! This is awesome, you'll have a blast. I'll see you tonight!" He patted his back and walked over to Katherine to tell her the news. She probably wouldn't be too thrilled about it.

Apollo turned around to talk to Lynette and saw her walking away. "Hey, Lyn...wait up!"

"What's up? I need to go get dressed for class, so make it quick."

"You heard all of that right?" He asked. She nodded. "I need you to come with me tonight."

She chuckled. "Why,are the love birds going to be too much for you to handle on your own?"
"Yes, exactly. The three of us kind of have a history. Since you're new to Tommy's family I didn't know if he told you or not but we were good friends that split apart in high school. It's a long story, but now it's kind of awkward to be around both of them together."

"Ok, I'll come, but on one condition, you have to tell me the story of you three one day. I feel like such a black sheep around you guys sometimes, it'd be nice to be let in n the secret once and a while." 

Apollo nodded. "I can do that, but it's a really long story. You'd have to brace yourself. One of these days I'll let you know."

"Well, I'm off to go get changed, so I'll see you around 7ish. Keep a lookout for those murals on campus. Maybe your stroke of genius can find out their hidden meaning."

"Why do you always invite my step sister?" Tommy groaned.

Katherine hit his arm. "You invited her right in front of Apollo. If you didn't want her to come you should have asked him discretely."

"Nice to know my own roommate is tired of seeing me too," Lynette lowered her eyes.

"That isn't what I meant, Lyn."

"Don't call me that. Only my friends can call me that."

"So, only Apollo? What do you even see in her. She can't even be tame enough to be civil to my girlfriend, our best friend."

Our best friend. Apollo shook his head. It wasn't like that at all. At least not anymore. At one time he would have agreed with Tommy, but right now he couldn't be any more wrong. "Lynette is my friend and I invited her. I'm not tossing her aside for Katherine."  Apollo didn't notice the small smile forming on Lynette's lips. She couldn't believe he was actually sticking up for her. She knew from the moment she met him that he was something special.

"Let's just bowl! Me and Lynette versus you and Apollo. That way Apollo can bowl against Lynette and I can bowl against you!" Katherine proposed quickly. She didn't know what Apollo would say next and she was terrified that her little secret would get out.

"You're so going down," Lynette taunted.

"Am I?" Apollo smirked at her. They both aimed their balls and swung at the very same time. Lynette seemed to have put too much force into her throw and ended up sliding a few inches up with the ball before she could let go of the finger holes. Apollo could hear Katherine's gasp of shock and Tommy's stifled laugh. Apollo rushed to her side to help her up. "Are you alright?"

She looked away in embarrassment. "I'm fine," She mumbled.

"Wow, nice one!" Tommy laughed.

"Shut up!" She snapped.

"Please Tommy, don't do this!" Katherine pleaded. Tommy was such a nice guy until he was around Lynette. They had their own problems to work out and neither Apollo nor Katherine could do anything about it. It had to do with their families and only they could work it out amongst themselves.

Apollo turned to them sharply. "Are you serious right now? I thought this was supposed to be fun, to help me relieve stress. I'm just feeling more stressed right now!"

"Hey, I was just kidding!" Tommy said nervously. "It's our turn babe, let's go."

"I want to go back to the dorms, is that going to be a problem?" Lynette asked Apollo. Tommy and Katherine seemed pretty into their game and didn't notice the conversation.

"Not really. I was thinking the same thing. They're both too much and I feel so much more stressed than I would be if I was studying. Let's head back."

"What? Already?" Tommy asked. He had finished his turn and was about to let Apollo know it was his.

"I'm sorry Tommy but right now you're being so rude to Lynette. It isn't cool. I invited her, so you shouldn't treat her like that." He could see Katherine slowly nodding in agreement.

"I was just joking, can't she take a joke? Besides when did you two become so buddy buddy, are you trying to get lucky or something?" Tommy said irritably.

"Who do you think he is, you?" Lynette spat.

"Unlike you two, I value my friendships. For people trying to draw me back into relationships with them, you're doing a terrible job. Maybe it's because everyone is so tense right now, I think we should all part ways and take some space right now," Apollo said.

"Tommy, I think he's right. Maybe we should just part ways for now. I apologize Lynette, Apollo. We were being really rude."

"Kath, don't apologize to them!" Tommy said sharply.

"Whatever. I don't want to do this right now. Come on Lyn, we'll take a taxi back to the dorms."

Apollo woke up the next morning, dreading the scene he would behold at the breakfast table. Last night hadn't gone exactly as planned. Apollo felt like he was dealing with high schoolers all over again. Was the transition to university worthless? He thought that the responsibility of living on your own would have made even the most unsightly kid grow up. It didn't feel different to him. He had felt himself become more mature, but the others around him...they didn't know what they wanted. He sighed, looking up at the painting Ambrose had given him. He had often stared at it, trying to figure it out. He'd asked Ambrose what it meant, but he told Apollo that it meant something else to everyone, all art did. It looked like there was a waterfall, next to a small village with the stars shining brightly. What did that all mean? Peace? Harmony? Serenity? Whatever it was, it made him feel relaxed. When he thought about it, everything seemed to make sense, until he was transported back into the real world. He was broken from his thoughts by a loud shriek. He threw on his jacket and ran down the stairs to see what was happening.