Phoebe

We -- Joey, Dava, Lisa, Kara, Sara, and myself -- were all seated around the dining room table in Kara's home. It was a bit awkward having to explain what I wanted to do.

"So -- what do you think? Should we bring about Kevin Royce's downfall? or not?"

Lisa was the first to speak -- or more like exclaim. "Oh yeah! We should! Like totally!"

I glanced at Dava who I knew would be seething at Lisa's outburst. Sure enough, Dava looked like she wanted to take one of the forks preset on the table and stab Lisa a few times.

Sara -- a girl with curly strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes -- nodded softly.

I think she's a bit shy because we're talking so frankly about something that hurt her so.

"That bastard needs to fall in a hole somewhere. Instead of John Tucker Must Die, how about Kevin Royce?"

Or not.

"So what should we do?" I sighed.

"You mean you don't know?" interjected Kara. "I thought you had everything planned out to a T. Maps and blueprints included."

I never got that phrase "to a T." What the Hades does that mean?!

"Geez, Phoebe, you're slipping," teased Joey.

"I was a bit preoccupied with getting a hold of Sara to worry myself with the details."

Kara laughed. "Yeah, you were a bit busy singing about Yankees."

"I wasn't singing anything. I whistled 'Yankee Doodle.' There's a difference."

Eventually we all sort of got down to business and came up with a plan. I wasn't sure that everything was going to work, but I was pretty optimistic about most of the ideas.

I had dragged Joey along with me to the meeting and we had taken my car. The planning had lasted longer than I had expected -- how long does it take to plan a demise? -- and the sun was just starting to set when I entered the parking lot of the school.

I pulled into the space next to Joey's simple red car and turned to say goodbye. I stopped mid-word. Joey was staring intently at me, his eyes searching my face for something -- something I think he couldn't find. He sighed.

"Why exactly do you care so much, Phoebe?" he whispered.

"What?"

He looked away and out the window. "I need to know why you care so much about Kevin."

"About Kevin?! No, not Kevin at all. It's all for my sister -- all for her."

He started fiddling with his blue jeans. "But why? From your account she wounded you deeply."

I sighed. "True. True, but she did not mean it.

"You do not know it, Joey, but Ivy just came back. She was kicked out of Grammy's for some reason -- a reason I do not even know -- and was told to come to Laurel. Ivy did obviously; we hadn't seen each other in roughly seven years. Ivy wanted to stay still and we -- my father and I -- were moving so much that she wouldn't get what she wanted unless she stayed with Grandma. And if we had settled somewhere, I'm sure Alfie -- my dad -- wouldn't have ever been happy. He was -- or maybe still is -- looking for our mother.

"So I am deeply attached to Ivy now. And if I have to swallow my hatred of stupidity, it will only happen for her. I told you once that I didn't need anybody but I was referring to romantic love. I think there is something deeply personal that comes from being a twin -- from being a sister -- and I cannot deny that I need her.

"And that is why I care about Kevin. Ivy's being brainless because of him -- because she believes she loves him. Love to me is much deeper than superficiality. Beauty is nice, but it's like Ron White once said -- or still says. 'You can't fix stupid.' What do you think will happen if she eventually marries him? A passel of brats she can't -- won't -- love because she will be so busy worrying what's keeping Kevin away from home. -- Is he having an affair? Does he love me? -- I'd rather save her now than later."

Joey had glanced back at me while I was speaking. He was gazing at me now, his green eyes ablaze with some emotion I could not place. I knew that I had said too much but there was nothing I could do to take back my words now.

"And you think being Kevin's downfall will help Ivy?"

"Yes."

"But what if Ivy realized he is an ass on her own?"

I paused. Life is based so much on timing. So very very much. But life is also based on relationships. You can do something about relationships, but time will keep on going, endlessly forever.

"Her heart would still be aching. I don't want her to suffer," I said softly.

Joey was fiddling with his jeans again. "But her source of torment would pass and she would be stronger for it."

"What about you then?" I snapped. "You seemed so content to stay away from me once I mentioned Kevin's name. You obviously have something against the guy as well. What made you face your fear?"

Joey opened the door and got out. He leaned back in and said one syllable, one word. In one single second everything froze. Then all my thoughts were redirected. I couldn't think but I was thinking too much.

"You," he had said.