CJ was stuffing her face full of food, literally. The food tasted good, but the company was unwanted. Besides, being paranoid from Gainor's stare, she was still uneasy about Brenda. She figured if she ate fast enough, she would stay upstairs, away from everyone, she said no words.

"It's all very delicious, Brenda." Gainor complimented

"Thank you, Sergeant." She replied.

"Tastes like the same recipe from, seventeen years ago." He said

"It is! You can't go wrong with a classic! At least that's what Patrice thought." She said

CJ started choking on her food.

[What?] She thought, and drank some water.

"Yes, that's what she said when you both became friends with Malcolm." Gainor said

[WHAT?] She choked again, this time on her water and started coughing. Everyone stared.

"I gotta..." she pointed upstairs. "Yeah." she retreated upstairs.

She paced in her room. Brenda had been a good friend to her mother, she was around before: her marriage, her parents dating, before her birth.

[First mom's death, then Will, and the car accident, and now mom's LIFE!? What the hell?!"] She thought.

   She was getting frustrated. CJ had questions and someone, had her answers. Her dad was first, so she went down halfway and, sat on a stair. She was quiet, enough to get information.

"So, Cicely is exactly like Patrice, Malcolm." Gainor said

"Yes, she is." Malcolm laughed at his statement

[What? He's...laughing?] She'd never even heard him chuckle.

"But, she's also Radikal and lacks discipline.I think... that you should enlist her." Gainor said, CJ shook her head roughly.

[I don't daydream! I fantasize.] She thought.

"But--that would mean taking away her Choice. You can't just do that, Timothy!" Brenda said, CJ nodded in agreement, it was nice and weird to know that she was on her side.

"Well, obviously she can't make responsible decisions, by herself. What do you think, Malcolm?" He asked, CJ waited for her father's response

"I think, that we should see how she progresses 'til graduation. That will tell me everything that I need to know." Was all he said.

"I'm okay with that." Brenda expressed

"I suppose that will do." The Sergeant commented

They had finished dinner in an hour. Everyone rose from the table; it was getting late. Sergeant Gainor collected himself and CJ appeared sad. She grabbed her shoes and went up to her room.

"I went to the Vice Principal's Office...about CJ." Brenda said

"Alright, what did he say?" he pressed

"Well..." she began to tell him everything.