Silent Knife

4)Lying is a teenage pastime

"Count me out" Lily said once the full plan was announced. She couldn't follow through with it even if she wanted to.

Reese double takes, his eyes going wide as he watched Lily. "You can't not do it - everyone needs to be on board with this project" he said, the disappointment obvious in both his tone and facial expression. Lily couldn't tell whether his sudden disappointment was due to a member of his film club saying no to going through with this idea after everyone agreed to it, or, whether it was because Lily in general was saying no.

"He's right" Chewie nodded, picking up his blue beanie to stuff back on his shaggy black hair. "If we have someone not participating, Mr. Edwards will claim we didn't do a team effort-"

"-My parents are overprotective - how the heck am I supposed to explain away that I'd be sleeping Friday and Saturday night at someone's house??" Lily asked, already knowing she couldn't possibly follow through with this crazy plan.

To Reese, his plan was simple. He planned on everyone bringing a backpack with a blanket and a change of clothes on Friday, and they would hide the bags and snacks everyone was supposed to bring in the basement during the school hours. After that, they would be spending Friday night and all of Saturday to research. On Sunday, they would all go through their evidence they collected to present on Monday to Mr. Edwards. Everyone seemed somewhat excited over this plan as stupid as it was - Reese made sure to cover his bases. He went through the school code of conduct to make sure expulsion or suspension weren't mentioned anywhere in regards to spending the night inside the school. He made a point - every other club, sport, or elective was allowed to spend the night, so why not them? His biggest issue with not just going to Principal Moore and asking for Filmtastic to spend the night was lack of time. There would need to be a chaperone involved, along with permission slips. It would all be such a lengthy process they wouldn't be able to do it by tomorrow.

For Lily, being able to spend the night would be impossible. Her parents were the type of protective people where they always wanted to know where Lily and her brother were to make sure they were safe.
Lily once thought it was distrust for her, but, it seemed to stem from her parents safety concerns in general. She was certain that's why she was homeschooled nearly all of her academic career - her parents seemed to have a constant fear that life would provide some sort of unsafe proverbial ledge for either her or Thomas to slip off of - a black abyss of just one wrong move, kaboom, no more safety.

For sleepovers when Lily was even fifteen, her parents made sure to drop her off and speak with the parents of the girl whose house she was staying at beforehand. That was only for one night. Two nights? How would she possibly get away with fabricating a reason she'd be at someone's house for two nights? It didn't matter that she was nearly an adult capable of going to college on her own. Lily didn't lie to her parents because she respected their irrational fears.

"Just say you're gonna be at someone's house, you spaz" JP answered in his usual obnoxious this-should-be-obvious voice. "Easy."

"Well apparently unlike you, her parents actually care about where she'll be" Evie snorted, sparing Lily a sympathetic shrug.

Suddenly, Abby snapped her fingers, a slick smile crossing her lipstick stained lips. "I got it - Cara, we all say us girls our having a two day slumber party to go through the film project. Technically, it wouldn't even be a lie. We'd just not be saying where we actually are so no one's parents freak."

"I don't even need to worry about rents" Cara bragged with a toss of her golden blonde hair. "My parents are in New York for the next week."