WEDNESDAY MORNING:

"And she didn't eat anything this morning," Brenda explains to Laura as she wipes the kitchen table off. She walks over to the sink and washes her hands.

"I'm really concerned about her, Laura. I mean, with Esther's condition, she can't afford to miss a meal. And she skipped both supper and breakfast."

"She won't eat anything?" Laura asks, getting up from the table and walks up behind Brenda, who shuts off the faucet and turns around.

"No, she won't," Brenda replies softly. "The sad thing is that this incident may not only hurt her emotionally, but physically as well in the end."

Suddenly, the door slams open and Diana comes on to the bus smiling. Both Brenda and Laura turn their backs on her and instantly, her smile fades.

"Are you two still mad at me?" She asks, hands on hips. Waiting for an answer, but not getting one, she breaks the silence.

"I apologized I don't know how many times, but I can't feel 100% sorry. Esther knew we both wanted Brian, and when he started to hang out with her more after our break-up, you can only imagine how I felt. I still have feelings for Brian. I can't help the fact that he still has feelings for me, too. So, either you hate me forever or you accept it."

"Diana," Laura speaks up. "It's not you we're really mad at. It's Brian." Laura and Brenda turn around to face her. "Granted, we're still upset how you hurt Esther the way you did."

"That I can't help, I already told you." Diana puts point-blank. "I agree I got a bit carried away last night but..." She lets her voice trail off.

"Well, I guess we can walk neutral ground amongst ourselves again." Brenda says as they gather in a group hug.

"Now, if Esther's ready to forgive and forget.." She adds when they all look at each other and shake their heads.

Both wanting to escape the claustrophobia-induced atmosphere of the travel bus, the two hopped into Laura's rental car and came downtown to get some lunch.

Once the orders are placed, Kevin turns to Laura and asks, "How's Esther coming along?"

"Well, she's getting stronger, I assume," Laura replies. "Brenda told me earlier that she didn't eat breakfast, but that, unlike last night, she was talking today, so..." She let her voice trail off.

"Yeah, well..." Kevin starts but is interrupted by the arrival of their lunch. They get their lunch and pay the cashier.

"Like I was saying," he begins again, pulling out of the drive-thru. "You gotta feel for Brian too. I mean, two girls and he likes them both. That kinda puts him between a rock and a hard place."

"Yeah," Laura replies softly, looking down.

"I just hope that no one else gets hurt," Kevin sighs, staring straight at Laura with his piercing eyes.

He sounds so sincere at the moment, that Laura's heart melts, and she suddenly realizes that there is more to this soft-spoken guy than she had originally suspected.

And she likes that...

"It urks me, though," Brenda complains, frustration showing in her voice. She looks up at Nick and AJ over by the refrigerator.

"You have to have a better grasp on the situation," Nick explains sitting down by Brenda at the table. He pops the top of his Coke, takes a few gulps, and continues.

"See, our friend, Brian, well, he's weighing the options. That's all." He gives Brenda a satisfactory look.

"Yeah, but the stunt he pulled last night pretty much tipped the scales as far as I see it." Brenda spits, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"It's funny how all those magazines and interviews make him out to be such a nice guy, when in reality, he's scum."

"Give the guy a break!" Nick defends his best friend.

"A break?" Brenda shrieks. "I'll give the guy a break! I'll break his neck!"

"You have no heart," Nick says, getting up from the table. He looks for AJ who apparently ducked out in the middle of his and Brenda's conversation.

"And you have no brain, defending some pimp like Brian!" Brenda yells as she gets up from her spot at the table and comes up behind Nick.

With her hand, she grabs Nick's shoulder and turns him to face her. "What do you say to that?" She says, a scowl etched across her face.

"Nothing!" Nick growls as he heads for the bus door.

"Oh no!" Brenda warns as she reaches and grabs Nick's shoulders again to wheel him back around. "We ain't done talkin' yet!" Nick shifts his weight to one foot and impatiently glares at Brenda.

"Say it was you in Brian's position." She starts circling him, tauntingly. "And it was Laura and I after you. What wold you do? Huh, Nick?!" Brenda gives him a shove toward the table. "What's that? Speak up, Nick! I can't hear you. What is it, Nick? Tell me!" She taunts and shoves him up against the table. "Huh, Nick? What would you do?"

"This!" Nick exclaims as he grabs Brenda, pushes her up against the table and gives her a loud, smacking kiss. "That's what I'd do, Brenda." And with that, wearing a triumphant smile on his face, Nick exits the bus, leaving Brenda in a state of shock.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT:

"Esther? It's Chinese.." Laura coaxes, waving a box of Chinese food under her nose. Esther resists and turns her head. Laura still pushes her. "Esther, you gotta eat something."

"Brian doesn't like me!" Esther whines, tears brimming in her eyes. "He used me! So I find no point in living!"

"But Esther," Laura continues. "It's still hot. And look..." Laura picks up the chop sticks inside the box and attempts to pick up a noodle, without much success. Finally, she manages to grasp it.

"See?" Laura says. "Mmm, good."

But as she says this, the noodle slips out. She tries to save it with her hand, which is still holding the box. She ends up knocking the box out of her hand instead, and it hits the floor with a splat and its contents empty onto the floor. Laura looks up and gives Esther a nervous smile.

"Uh," she stammers, "how about a ham sandwich instead?"