You gotta take some risks.. to lose your shirt

Phillip and Chloe walked up the steps of Jason's front porch. "See you in about an hour" Phillip shouted .

"Oh you must be Jason's tutor. Come on in. Would you like some iced tea?" Mrs. Huntingdon said as she opened the door. She was staring. "I'm sorry. You look familiar. You're Mrs. Wesley's daughter, aren't you?." Her pleasant voice turned cool. "Jason's in the living room.

The house was sunny and light; the furniture not too old or too new, no weighty antiques or modernistic chairs for people who didn't actually want to sit down. Jason pointed to a soft, comfortable looking sofa. There was a chemistry textbook on the coffee table which Chloe took as a good sign.

"Your mom seems really nice." she said kindly though the note of surprise seemed to have offended Jason. Chloe looked around the room. The windows had little chintz curtains, definitely mom's touch .

"Can we just get on with this? I've got things to do..."

"You've got some nerve."

"What are you so pissed off about? It's your fault I..."

"Failed? Oh you can say it Jas."

Jason looked so much like his mother, fair skinned, golden brown hair, gentle blue eyes ...until he spoke. "Would you just shut up already so we can get this over with?"

"Shut up. Okay but it'll be tough asking answering questions that way but then human communication was never your strong point. Let's see...."

"Hey cut the intro..."

"My aren't we anxious? " she said "Okay...first we have to work out a schedule..."

"Schedule? You're not going to be here that long."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Here." he took out some papers that had been folded inside the chemistry book. "This one's due next week and the rest are here." he said handing her some papers in a binder.

"What are these?"

"The assignment sheets. The final is in three weeks. Here's the study guide."

"And what do you expect me to do with these?"

Jason looked at Chloe like she'd told him she recently arrived from the planet Neptune. "What do you think?"

"Oh and I should take the test for you too?"

Jason flashed a nasty smirk.

"You think they might get suspicious when I walk in with your ID? Maybe the brown hair might give me away." Chloe said.

"There are ways." he said. "Here just take these for now and we'll figure out the rest later. Oh" he said moving in a little too close "and thanks."

"You seriously think I'd help you cheat? I am not doing your work for you. See if I do, how will you ever learn?" She spoke slowly and deliberately as though she was teaching someone who spoke no English.

Just then a little girl of about seven came flying through the door, her blond braids bouncing against her shoulders. She jumped on Jason who tried to throw her off but every time he removed one hand from around his neck the other one clung tighter.

"Stephie, get away. I'm busy now." but the little girl just giggled until she fell back onto the couch almost taking Jason with her. "You said you'd help me with my Lego castle. You promised."

"Later."

"Is this your new girlfriend?" She asked covering her mouth with her hand and unsuccessfully holding back a fit of laughter.

"Steph, go away. I'm busy." he said angrily. Stephanie looked outraged for a split second before she merrily climbed off the couch. "Okay but then you have to help build the furniture too." and skipped out of the room.

Stephanie was still smiling but her mom was struggling to maintain what was left of her temper. At first Eleanor Huntingdon thought it was her husband's car she'd heard but she looked out the window and saw Nancy Wesley at her front door.

"How are you?" she said. "Please join me in the den. The kids are busy working."

"Oh yes. I thought I'd give Chloe a ride home."

"That's not necessary. I believe Phillip Kiriakis is going to pick her up. " She looked at her watch. "Actually they just got started. Another forty five minutes to go so..."

"A sixteen year old whose driver's license is still shrink wrapped driving my daughter home? I don't think so."

"I believe they're going to walk but if you'd like I can...."

"I don't mind waiting, if that's all right with you. We can chat, get to know each other a little better."

"Certainly." Eleanor said as she searched the room for some door or window she might have missed during their twenty years in the house. "Coffee? Would you like a snack?" Perfect, a nice slow trip to the kitchen.

"No, thank you. Speaking of food, the quality of the meat at the local market has really gone down. I'm looking for a new one. I was wondering if you could recommend someplace My husband will not tolerate chicken unless it's really fresh."

"Mrs. Wesley what are you getting at?" She's married to your husband's boss, Eleanor kept telling herself.

"Nothing. Just making conversation."

"Look, if you want to know anything about my son you're free to speak to him."

"Jason didn't tell you about the chicken blood incident at the dance involving my daughter?"

"I did hear about that but I understand it was Phillip Kiriakis and not your daughter..."

"But Chloe was the target..."

"If you're implying that my son..."

"Oh no. I just thought he might have some information. Teenagers are such gossips."

"Did you hear that? It's Mrs. Paulsen from next door. If you'll excuse me." Eleanor said as she rushed out of the house to the backyard and let out a very deep breath.

Jason waited till he was certain his sister was gone. "Chloe, Chloe...saying the word - cheat. Must make your lips burn. I wouldn't ask you that. I just need someone to organize my notes - you know like the ones you wouldn't give me - I'm a terrible typist - and maybe you could prepare a practice test with questions and answers..."

"On little pieces of paper, up your shirt sleeve?"

"Maybe."

"Go to hell." Chloe said getting up and gathering her things.

"You see Phillip and I have an understanding..."

"You and Phillip do not have an understanding....You don't have an understanding, period."

"Let me put it this way. Phillip will be very unhappy if you don't help me out."

"Are you threatening Phillip - last name Kiriakis? How gullible do you think I am?"

"You are not leaving this house." Jason said getting up and pointing his finger at Chloe. "You said you'd do this and you will."

"I wouldn't help you if you were the last neanderthal on earth. Wait I think you are....nope. I think they walked upright."

"You are not going anywhere." he said sharply as he moved towards Chloe. She turned to the door but he blocked her path. She inched back to the wall but Jason kept going "Look I am going to Stanford Medical School. Not the University of Chicago, not Northwestern...and I can't...I am not going to Grenada and I am not going to dental school. Stanford" he yelled.

"With a C average?" Chloe said shakily. Jason looked wild and he was beginning to frighten her.

"Look I don't need grades, I don't need 1500 SATS and I sure as hell don't need to study. My father went to Stanford. My grandfather, my great grandfather went to Stanford. But I can't fail chemistry. See that's where you come in."

"I'm leaving." she said trying to get away though he still stood in her path.

"Oh no you don't. Don't you dare." he shouted , his jaw clenched tight, arms reaching out, hands in the air, upper body lurching forward. Chloe used the one skill that had always served her well. She let out a piercing scream.

Jason stopped cold. "What the..." he looked around but nobody was coming. "What is the matter with you?" he said glaring at her. He put his hands on the wall, circling Chloe and making a sort of makeshift prison. "You thought I was going to hit you". His fists flew up but he stopped as he suddenly realized where they were. He looked down at his feet and backed up a few steps. "You actually thought I was going to hit you. What kind of a lowlife do you think I am? Huh"

"I don't...I" Chloe said her breath starting to return, her heartbeat steadying as she saw Jason gain control of himself.

"Get the hell out of my house. I'd go to podiatry school before I took notes from you."

Chloe walked towards the door as Jason remained standing several feet behind her. "You might try studying." Chloe said still dazed, her voice almost inaudible. "Or you afraid it won't make a difference?"

Jason flinched but didn't respond.

"Good night." she said and turned the door knob.

Jason followed her to the door. "You really thought I could hit you. And I'm a cheat too...but your precious Phillip, no...he couldn't hurt a fly. So honorable. Okay I did that chicken blood thing at the dance but Phillip would have gone in on it in a heartbeat if he'd had the chance. Noble, chivalrous Phillip Kiriakis. You think he's better than me? He's a hypocrite and a liar. What he did to you was ten times worse than anything I ever did.. ." Jason stopped mid sentence.

"What?" she said. "What about Phillip?" Chloe asked less because she wanted to than because it was the thing to say. She waited nervously for Jason to continue but he just stood there moving his mouth as if to say something but staying quiet.

He cleared his throat and continued "He...he was the worst of all of us. I mean he was the one who started the whole Ghoul Girl thing."

There was something about the way Jason's voice dropped that made Chloe wait for him to say more but he didn't. After a minute he shouted "Get out of here" and Chloe would have obliged had she not heard Nancy say "Not so fast."

Nancy stood at the back of the living room. " Nobody is going anywhere. Jason you and I need to talk"

"Fine I'm leaving." Chloe said as Nancy grabbed her by the shoulder.

"You are staying right here in this room young lady. Jason has something to say to us."

"Not to me he doesn't" and Chloe swept past Nancy. "I'll wait for you in the hall." she said on her way out.

"All right. You and me then." Nancy said to Jason. "So Phillip's a hypocrite and a liar?"

"He made fun of Chloe worse than anyone and now.. All that stuff, all the things he did to her and now..."

"Uh uh. You said 'What Phillip did'. That's not about stuff, not about things. That's about a thing. One specific thing. Now what is it?"

"I'm not telling you anything."

"Okay, then I tell your folks and Principal Cohen about the chicken blood incident." If Jason had any doubt as to how long Nancy had listened at the door, there was none now and he also had no doubt she would do exactly as she said.

Jason pictured it now. Him and Phillip and Shawn being marched out to the Wesley house to tell their story to Chloe at knife point but there was no way out now. "It all started with this video tournament..." he began slowly. "We made a bet..."

Nancy couldn't believe it. The date, the limo, the dance, her beautiful baby in that knockout of a red dress, her darling girl the booby prize in the most obnoxious bet ever wagered.. She immediately went chasing after Chloe and a moment later Chloe ran out of the den. She wasn't crying, or speaking, or for that matter, doing much of anything. She walked slowly and methodically towards the front door. Jason caught her eye as she passed him in the living room. Had she not known better she might almost have thought he was pleading with her. It didn't much matter. Jason was not long at the top of her thoughts.

Nancy found Mrs. Huntingdon still in the backyard and practically dragged her into the living room and pointed to Jason. "Your sweet innocent son here not only knew about that chicken blood incident at the dance, he was the mastermind (and I use the term loosely) behind the whole thing.. Oh and you needn't bother telling Principal Cohen. I'll take care of that. Good night."

On her way out, Nancy whispered into Jason's ear "So how does it feel to be used?" She then walked out and slammed the door behind her.

Phillip was waiting outside. "Hey Chloe..."

All Chloe said was "Damn you." .as she went by him on the way to Nancy's car.