Jack hadn't moved from his seat since I returned with the donuts. He hadn't even changed into the gym shorts and sweatshirt I'd procured from Parker's gym bag. He gripped his cup of coffee, staring into the brown depths as if the answers to the universe were at the bottom.

Anton was with his sister in her hospital room. Lilly had just finished with the police, but she and Maddy were too young to drive. The lady from Child Protective Services had taken them anyhow, reassuring them that their brother would be joining them later.

All of our phones were ringing off the hook. Jack suggested we turn them off before he went back with the officers to give a more formal statement. As much as I didn't want to blow off the confusion my friends were facing with the mess we'd left at the theater and having no idea where their director and two leads were, I knew that talking to the police with Jack was the only way we were getting out of this.

I felt like I'd told the police what I'd seen when I arrived with my mother at the theater for the umpteenth time when they finally decided that I could go. I was more than an hour late to rehearsal, and since Anton and Jack were still speaking to doctors, police, and social workers, I decided a hot cup of coffee and a donut could put enough pep in my step to head back to the theater.

Choosing to text Jules since they were the least likely to freak out, I let them know I was coming. Then I drove Jack's jeep to the theater, and I called my brother Parker on the way. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Peanut," Parker said, panting. "Off to rehearsal?"

"Sure," I said. "You out for a run?"

"Um, yeah," Parker said. "A tradition as old as time. Like you calling me when you're driving and have something on your mind."

"I just left the hospital," I said.

Parker paused. "Mom not come home for movies last night?"

"There was an accident," I said. "Anton called Mom, and she insisted we take Mary to a hospital."

"Wait, Mary?" Parker sounded like he had stopped in his tracks. "Mary Garrison, Jack's little sister?"

"Yeah," I said. "We've been there since three in the morning. I was just about to tell the cast."

Parker cursed. "Peanut, are you okay?"

"Been better," I admitted. "Please don't freak out."

"I'm coming home right now," he said.

"Parker, you'll miss practice," I said.

My brother grunted. "This qualifies as a family emergency. Besides, I got the coach's permission to have dinner with Dad tonight. I'll just head in your direction. Give me two hours, peanut. I'll drive straight to the hospital, or do you have a rehearsal?"

"Anton gave me the keys to lock up the theater," I said. "I'm okay, Parker, honest."

"You're calling me," Parker said. "Which means you aren't fine. I love you, peanut. I promise I'll always be there for you."

He hung up as I pulled into the theater parking lot. After I parked, I took a deep breath and walked into the building.

Everyone was in the lobby, including a strange woman. I was barely able to apologize for being late before I found myself bombarded by such a surge of questions that I couldn't even think where to start.

"Calm down," I said. "You're crowding me."

Everyone backed up, and I took a deep breath. I'd been awake since yesterday and was dressed in ratty leggings and my least favorite cheer sweatshirt. It had been what I could find in Parker's old gym bag when I drove to get my car from the theater on the way to get donuts. My hair was bunched in a bun and frizzy beyond reason. Seeing everyone here was overwhelming.

"Please stop phoning Jack and Anton," I said. "Mary is in the hospital, and they've been dealing with the police all morning."

"Police?" Kai frowned.

"Did Jack get arrested too?" Juan asked.

"That doesn't sound right," Hugh said.

Rita looked at me, hoping for some sort of explanation. "Don't jump to conclusions."

"Jack is there to testify," I said. "Mr. Garrison was arrested."

The looks on their faces varied. Carson looked like he was trying to piece a puzzle in his mind. Hugh and Kai looked shocked. Novah frowned. Juan had a smug smile on his face. Rita looked worried, and Jules remained impassive.

"We saw the news report," Kai said.

"I don't believe it," Samantha shrugged it all off. "My daddy plays golf with Mr. Garrison."

She sounded so sure of herself, but a strange shattering look crossed her face like I'd ruined the image in her mind forever of Jack Garrison.

"Mr. Garrison was arrested, and the charges depend on how much Jack decides to tell the police," I said, trying to stick to the facts. "Anton is at the hospital with the other girls and Jack's mother."

The strange woman covered her mouth. "Dear Lord..."

It was at that moment that it dawned on me. I recognized her from movies. She was the friend Anton liked to talk about.

"Y-You're..." I gasped. "Jamie Skylar."

The timing couldn't have been worse, yet here she was in our theater. I'd have to remember to get her autograph later.

"I'm Ton... I mean Anton's friend," she said, and I got the feeling the others had acted the same way when they met her. "I came to surprise him."

"Oh..." I trailed off without anything left to say.

Jamie stiffened. "He needs my support."

Rita cleared her throat. "We need to give Anton a little space, Jamie. Can I call you Jamie? It feels weird calling you Jamie."

"You're probably right," Jamie smiled. "I'll see him tomorrow. I need to check into my hotel anyway."

With that, she walked out of the theater. Once she'd pulled out of the parking lot, I turned back to my castmates.

"Can you believe Anton knows Jamie Skylar?" Samantha smiled. "That's so cool. She's like his girlfriend."

"Not the time, Sam," Carson said through gritted teeth.

Hugh finally asked the important question. "What about the play, Shayna?"

I sighed. "We'll start rehearsals back up when Anton is ready."

It was the best we could do for now. Until Anton got everything sorted, we didn't have a director, and if Jack dropped out, we didn't have anyone to play Orlando either.

"I can't imagine what Anton's going through," Rita said. "His brother-in-law is behind bars, his nephew is being questioned, and his niece is in the hospital."

"So, we can leave?" Juan asked.

"Did you not hear anything Shayna just said?" Carson demanded. "Jack's family..."

"I heard," Juan rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean I have to care. Football wonder will sort it all out."

Kai took a step toward Juan. "You're jealous of him, aren't you."

I knew that to be true. Juan considered Jack like poison ruining everything he touched. He probably didn't care that his sister was hurt. I'd seen the blood and bandaged Jack's bullet wound.

"He's golden boy," Juan said. "I've always been second best at school. So, don't blame me for not having sympathy when things don't go golden boy's way."

Rage filled Carson's face. "You don't know what I know, then."

Juan laughed. "Oh wait, you are golden boy's next-door neighbor. Makes sense. You keep the quarterback's secrets."

"You're an ass, Juan," Hugh said.

I'd never heard Hugh speak to anyone that way. He was always so quiet. Now, he was glaring at Juan over his spectacles and standing up straight.

"I heard a loud noise near my house last night," Carson said. "I thought with the storm it was thunder. It could have been a gunshot, though."

Jules broke their silence. "And you didn't mention it before?"

"That is an odd detail to leave out, Carson," Samantha's tone was accusing.

Carson held up his hands. "I thought it was thunder."

"Who fired the gun?" Rita asked. "Jack or Mr. Garrison?"

"Mr. Garrison," I said.

Juan scoffed. "What did Jack do? He obviously provoked his dad."

My voice was quiet. "Jack didn't do anything."

All of Juan's wrath and rage turned on me. "Oh, you're defending golden boy now? I thought you hated the almighty quarterback."

How had I ever fallen for someone who could be so blind to suffering? Jack was currently in an interrogation room while his sister was in the hospital, and Juan couldn't muster enough empathy even to care.

"This is stupid," Rita seemed to understand. "Anton is in the hospital with a sixth-grader, and you can't even see the facts, Juan."

"Well, side with the golden boy then," Juan said. "I'm going home, and until I have concrete proof none of you are making up this sob story, I'm not coming back to the theater."

"Fine," I said.

Juan sneered back his last final parting shot. "Fine."

He walked straight out the door with Samantha on his heels, begging him to stop. I couldn't imagine what she saw in him, probably what I had seen and chosen to look over.

"Good riddance," Kai said.

"He'll come around eventually," Carson said. "Juan isn't a bad guy. He's jealous."

There was nothing for him to be jealous about. I didn't belong to Juan or Jack. I was perfectly capable of making my own decisions.

I shook my head. "Just because I helped Jack out does not make us an item."

"Why did you help Jack if you hate him so much?" Rita asked.

I paused. "You weren't there. He was bleeding and broken. I did what any of us would."

Jack was a shell of himself, and I wasn't sure that I'd ever see him the same again, even if he managed to put himself together again.

"How did you find out about it at all?" Kai asked. "The first people Anton always messages are Hugh and Jack. Then they tell the rest of us."

"Shayna, isn't your mom a doctor?" Hugh asked.

At least I didn't have to explain it. "Guilty as charged. When my mom got a late call, I volunteered to drive. She was too tired and emotional to do it herself. I didn't question her. When we drove up to the theater, I was confused, but I knew what happened when I saw the look on Jack's face. I helped the best I could and then drove Jack and his sisters to the hospital after the ambulance."

Hugh nodded. "That all checks out except for one thing. How did you know what happened as soon as you saw Jack?"

"I knew Mr. Garrison had a drinking problem because I'm the next-door neighbor," Carson said. "Jack never said anything about the rest."

I winced. "He told me his father hurt him. I think it just slipped out a while back."

Here, I was guilty. I should have believed him and told someone. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened.

"Well, I understand why Jack would attack Juan over that black eye now," Rita said.

It was pretty obvious. Anton had known the moment he heard about the conversation before the fight. Juan was making jabs about Jack's cushioned life when he'd come to rehearsal more bruised than a peach you dropped at the supermarket.

"His one chink in all that armor," Jules shook their head.

"His kryptonite," Kai agreed.

Novah just shuddered. "How horrible."

I took Anton's keys to the theater out of my pocket. "Anton told me to tell all of you to head home and asked me to lock up the theater."

"Is rehearsal on for tomorrow?" Hugh asked.

"Let's give Anton some time to sort this out," I said. "Plan for a Wednesday rehearsal."

"Isn't Jamie coming to rehearsal Friday?" Kai asked.

I'd forgotten about that. Jamie was supposed to come to view our rehearsal. I doubted we'd be able to perform without Jack.

Rita answered for me. "Anton needs time, like Shayna said. Keep running lines, and we can use Drama Society meetings to practice during lunch the rest of this week."

"What about Jack?" Carson asked.

I sighed. "After the police finish with him... there's Child Protective Services. His sisters...

"What about his mom?" Rita asked. "Can't she help?"

"She can't exactly do anything from a hospital bed," Kai said.

Sarah Anne Garrison hadn't been around much in the past few years. I didn't remember the last time I'd seen her at school. Maybe a year ago.

"Her brain cancer is terminal," I said, remembering Anton's devastated face after he'd spoken to her doctors earlier. "She doesn't have much time left."

"So, what's going to happen to the kids?" Hugh asked.

"Options aren't great," I said. "I'm sure CPS will do their job."

"What about Anton?" Rita asked.

"Depends," I tried to smile. "But I have the keys to the building, so I can lock up for him."

Even without Anton's keys in my pocket, Jack's keychain had a spare key to the theater marked with green duct tape.

"Then we'll get out of here," Hugh said, seeming to understand.

They all filed out of the theater. Jules, Novah, and Rita went to Jules's car, and Hugh and Kai got in his truck. Carson was the last to go.

"See you tomorrow," he said.

"I'll lock up behind you," I said.

Once they were gone, I went into the theater to get bleach and a mop from a supply closet. Someone had to clean up the mess, and I wasn't going to leave it for Anton.

When I was done, I locked the theater door and walked to my car. I checked my phone and saw five messages from Parker.