Sweetie's was just as busy tonight as it had been on their first visit, but they were lucky enough to show up when a car was pulling out. Nicky stole the spot with a triumphant pump of his fist and the five headed inside together. There were two groups ahead of them waiting for a table. Kevin gave their name to the hostess. Andrew looked at Neil.

"We need a number for crackers. Are you in or out?"

"Do I really have a choice this time?" Neil asked.

"From now on you do," Andrew said.

Neil didn't believe him, but he shook his head. Andrew pointed at Neil's bag and walked off to the salad bar to collect cracker packets. Neil looked for a bathroom sign, but Nicky tapped him on the shoulder and led the way. Neil followed him into the bathroom and dumped the bag out on the counter.

"This is new," Neil said.

"It'd be tacky to wear the same thing twice, wouldn't it?" Nicky asked.

"Don't buy me things."

"Sure, next time Andrew says to outfit you, I'll just tell him no. I can see that going over marvelously." Nicky rolled his eyes.

"Then let me pay you back."

"How to say this?" Nicky thought it over for a second, then gave up on tact. "You could obviously use the money more than he could right now. Let Andrew give you things if he wants to. He's not normally the gifting type, so it's kind of fun."

"I have my own money," Neil said. "I don't need handouts."

"Really?" Nicky asked, sending Neil's clothes a meaningful look.

Neil stared at him. He knew Andrew hadn't told the others about his fluency in German, but he hadn't realized Andrew kept quiet about his money, too. That meant Andrew had kept all of Neil's secrets save one: the truth about his eyes. According to Nicky it hadn't been much of a secret. But Andrew had found Neil's money before their truce in Wymack's living room. He hadn't had a reason to protect Neil then, so why had he stayed quiet?

"Really," Neil said at last. "I saved some up before I moved here."

"Good," Nicky said. "Then we should go shopping tomorrow and buy you new clothes. Coach is pretty mad we haven't done it yet. He's as sick as we are of seeing you in the same things over and over."

"There's nothing wrong with my clothes."

"That's what you think. Now that you're ours, we've got to take care of you. First order of business is fixing your miserable wardrobe." Nicky's grin faded a bit at the look on Neil's face. "Okay, no. What's with the blank stare? You do know what you're doing out with us tonight, right? Andrew squeezed some sort of explanation into his usual crazy nonsense?"

"Sort of," Neil said. "He said he'd have answers for me later."