When the sun set on the Vargas house that Friday night, Curt’s white Ferrari made its second appearance of the day. He awkwardly got out and moved to just as awkwardly open the trunk. He once again cursed that arm of his while glaring up at the house where the boy who had magically broken it two weeks earlier and his lover, who also seemed to will the very air out of Curt’s lungs earlier that day, were inside. He then allowed the thought that they were also likely doing more of what he witnessed them doing even earlier in the day. And that thought caused further anger, disgust, and some other emotions he didn’t want to admit to.

He then reached into the trunk to retrieve the gas can that he had brought along that night. Just as he began to lift if from the trunk as best he could in his current physical capacity, he heard the chirp of a siren as Detective Calvert’s unmarked car pulled in next to him. He dropped the can back into the trunk as he glared back at her and her partner as they got out of the car, hands on their guns.

“Got a call from Mr. Vargas earlier tonight. Seems he thought you might show up at his house, again” Calvert told him coolly. “And here you are” she added sarcastically, “I’m sure you know you’re not supposed to be paying your victims visits, now don’t you, Curt?”

Curt continued to glare as he bit back, “well, maybe you should be hassling those freaks’ dad. He pulled a gun on me earlier!” he complained.

She shook her head as her partner continued to eye the seventeen year old, “so, he pulled a gun on the boy who raped his son, then showed up at his house, threatening to do worse to his daughter? Is that your complaint? Should I file it for you?” she bit back pointedly.

Though before Curt could pose any more flimsy arguments, she took a step closer to look at his still open trunk. She then nodded to her partner, who also moved to look at the gas can he had been reaching for. They then both glared back at him, their hands never leaving their guns for an instant of the conversation.

“And what were you planning on doing with that?” Calvert asked.

Curt took a moment to mentally scramble for some answer, “not my fault this is where I ran outta gas” he settled on.

That was when her partner moved to the driver’s side window and took a look inside. “I guess you not only slept through the class where they taught you what no means, but also the one where they taught you how to read a gas gauge.”

“Fuck you” Curt bit back.

Calvert just rolled her eyes at that response before she replied, “what a strong defense. I’m sure it’ll work just as well in court” and with that they moved to guide Curt into the backseat of their car.

It was nearing midnight when the teens got to the end of the latest episode of the program they were binge watching that night. As Sky paused the TV to push himself to his feet for a bathroom break, Star scowled down at her phone. “Almost pill time” she mumbled as Sky had given her scowl a questioning look as he stood.

Star then stood as well, both Crista and Kole standing with her. “We’ll help” Crista offered with a little grin.

“Help me take my pill?” Star returned wryly.

“Or something” Crista teased back.

Star just shook her head at the younger girl. She then turned to Kole, “you feeling helpful too then?”

“I was just plannin on getting started on that agreement, or nine, I have to fulfill” he told her in the same teasing tone as she and Crista snickered and Sky just gave Kole another questioning look then as well after pausing his steps near the door of the downstairs bathroom.

“Then, I guess I’ll be upstairs in a minute, too” Sky told them with another curious look.

Then Kole replied, “good, cause nine’s a lot. I may need a hand from you... or other parts” he smirked as he let his eyes move over Sky pointedly, causing the girls to give him another wry grin.

Sky just shook his head and bit back a smile as he stepped into the bathroom to heed nature’s call. A few moments later, he returned to the living room, sighing at the snacks and empty soda cans on the stand in front of the TV. He then moved to begin cleaning up after their night in front of the TV, when his phone buzzed.

His breath caught a moment considering the hour and the fact that almost everyone he even socialized with at all was already in the house with him. He gave the unfamiliar number another wary look before making himself answer the call with a hoarse hello.

“Sky?” a woman’s voice greeted him, “sorry for the hour, but this is Detective Calvert at Richmond PD.”

“What happened?” was Sky’s first panicked response. The traumas of his still rather short life made him almost always immediately jump to the worst possible conclusions in just about any situation; especially considering the very situation his life was in at that moment.

“Well, being one of his victims, among other factors, I wanted to let you and your family know that we arrested Curt again tonight” she told him with a bit of hope in her voice.

Sky took a ragged breath, trying to process the two distinct emotions that information caused in him. “Well, that’s great and all. But what did he do this time? Who did he hurt?” he added in a near whisper.

Her voice dropped as well at how easily Sky did jump to those worst case scenarios, though she could easily understand why. She then offered her answer, “well, we think we actually stopped him from hurting a few people tonight” she assured.

Sky just shook his head, not overly comforted by that, still, “so what did he try to do tonight, then? What did you end up arresting him for?”

“Trespassing and attempted arson” Calvert told him with a deep breath of her own.

“Arson?” Sky swallowed, not exactly having expected that to be her answer.

“Attempted” she corrected, though quietly.

“What the hell did he try to burn down?” Sky had to ask.

Calvert took another breath, trying to figure out how to best field that question, “he was caught outside one of his victim’s houses, getting a can of gas out of his trunk, obviously agitated; the tank on his car nearly full” she stated, though still offered even that much information with obvious wariness.

Sky closed his eyes as he bit back that approaching anxiety attack and tried to make himself remember to breathe and form words. They finally left his throat in a hoarse whisper, “it was our house, wasn’t it?” he choked as his eyes moved to the stairs, then his parents’ bedroom door, then his own front door, just imagining what state the house and all those he loved inside it could possibly be in at that very moment.

“We stopped him, Sky. We arrested him” Calvert attempted to assure further at the sound of the panic in his voice.

“Yeah, well I seem to recall you arresting him before. Less than two weeks ago!” he told her, the panic turning into anger easily.

“Listen, Sky, I know it’s terrifying, what he tried to do tonight. But this is actually a good thing; a very good thing” Calvert stressed,

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he bit back.

“Listen” she repeated, trying to calm him long enough to explain, “the reason this was allowed to happen is because the judge allowed him out on bail. But now he’s been arrested again, less than two weeks later. And what that proves is that ‘the accused poses a reasonable threat to the community’” she told him pointedly, then smiled as she added, “he won’t get bail this time.”

Sky took another moment to try and process that information. He finally swallowed hard, and just had to make sure he was understanding what she was telling him, “you mean they’ll actually keep his ass locked up this time?” he whispered, not daring to let much hope into his tone just yet, still.

“Well, yes, and no” Calvert answered quietly.

“What?” Sky bit out.

“It’s a much lesser charge, but he was already out on bail for several more serious charges, so they will take that into account. However, he is technically a minor, for at least another eighteen days, so they’ll likely put him in a juvenile facility, at least until his eighteenth birthday.”

“In less than three weeks?” Sky repeated coldly.

“Yes, that is an unfortunate factor of the justice system. They have to release juveniles, even if they are detained there this close to their eighteenth birthday” she admitted sadly.

“So he’s still going to be free again? In less than three fucking weeks? Released only eight days after he was supposed to come back to school anyway?” Sky asked more loudly, “how can you actually try to tell me this is good?”

“That isn’t a guarantee Sky. When he turns eighteen they’ll have another hearing to determine if he should actually be released or moved into a regular prison for the remainder of the time before his trial in December. He could still very likely just be moved from juvenile to adult detention” she informed him firmly.

“Could?” Sky retorted sarcastically.

“Listen Sky,” she repeated once more, “in light of his actions tonight, we’ll easily get restraining orders keeping him away from your house as well as all the other victims’ homes, and work places, and schools” she stressed. “This is why I said it ultimately was a good thing. He made his bed with the crap he pulled tonight. Even if they don’t keep him detained til trial, there’s no way any sane judge will ever let him return to the same school as five of his victims now. You won’t ever have to see him again, unless you decide to come to the trial. This is a good thing, Sky” she assured him once more.

Sky was quiet a long moment, as he took a deep breath, “so, if you’re right... if” he repeated, “we may not have to go to school with him again. Great” he then quickly continued, “but if they don’t actually keep him locked away til December, he’ll still be free til his trial, even if he’s not sitting in school with us. And he already tried to kill me and all my friends and family tonight. Sorry if I’m not really seeing a lotta ‘good’ here” he finished coldly as he ended the call, and slumped back to the couch again, running his fingers through those long pretty locks once more.

Sky took a few more minutes before going to tap at his parents’ bedroom door and recount this new information to them. He then took a breath and moved to head up the stairs to also share it with the others. When he finally arrived back in his room, the three of them were already cuddled close together atop his mattress. Each girl took turns offering Kole playful kisses in anticipation of their next trip to that silver room.

Kole broke off his latest kiss with Star to look up at Sky as he entered the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. “If you took much longer, we were gonna have to start without you” he teased.

“Got a call” Sky mumbled as he moved to his dresser and began ridding himself of a few of the numerous pieces of jewelry that he had worn that day.

“At this hour?” Star asked with a bit of concern.

“That detective, Calvert” Sky answered as he continued ridding himself of the jewelry most likely to get caught up on the hair or clothes of his companions at inopportune moments.

“God, what happened now?” Star asked, as all three of Sky’s lovers adopted more serious expressions then.

Sky let out another breath as he finally turned back to them, “what do you want first? The minutely good news or the could be good but probably will end up really bad anyway news?”