A/N: Hey, here with part 2 of episode 7. I don't own Rise. Belongs to NBC. If I did, well we would've gotten a season 2. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and I have some news in the bottom author's note.

Love is Not a Lie Part 2

At the next rehearsal, the scene that was working, well…

"They're not even holding hands." Michael whispers.

"What the hell happened?" Maashous saw Mr. Mazzu whispering to Ms. Wolfe. "We had one scene that was working…"

It was true. They had. Maashous saw what happened, or what was happening. The performance had gone from excellent to a bare bones reading without the scripts within a span of 24 hours.

"Alright, alright, get things together for Blue Wind/Don't Do Sadness." Mrs. Wolfe says.

Michael leaves to prepare, and Maashous prepares the lights, but he can't take his eyes off of the tension between Jeremy and Simon. Something had happened.

"Take five guys." Mr. Mazzu said after they ran the number.

As Mr. Mazzu gives notes to Michael and Gwen, Maashous steps down from his post and heads to the auditorium seats where Jeremy was seated in the second row. Simon was in the corner talking to Lilette.

"Hey," Maashous takes a seat next to Jeremy. They weren't exactly friends, but they weren't exactly not. They'd talked before just not as much as Maashous had with Michael. They had algebra together.

The other boy blinks. "Oh hey, um...what's up?"

"I could be asking you," Maashous raises his eyebrows. "You're making Mr. Mazzu blow his top."

"Well," Jeremy sighs. "I am the newest one next to Robbie, Michael and Lilette. I'm not used to the whole acting thing."

"You seemed pretty used to it yesterday." Maashous says. "What happened?"

"Um...I'm not sure I should…"

"Dude," Maashous sighs. "I'm the lighting guy, not Jolene. And no one gossips with the lighting guy."

"You're saying you can keep a secret?"

Maashous throws Jeremy an obviously look. This whole theatre was full of secrets. Maashous could fill a book with the stuff he found out. Tech folks were invisible in a room full of people yearning for a spotlight.

"Alright then," The teenager took a breath. "I...sort of asked Simon not to touch me during our scene."

Maashous pulled a face. He tries to cover it up, but it's already out in the open.

"What's that?" Jeremy frowns.

"N...nothing, it just well it's a love scene."

The two boys sit in silence for a while, Maashous waiting to hear Jeremy's reply.

"That's the problem…" Maashous strains to hear Jeremy's response.

"You and Simon are great scene partners." He replies. "You're probably the best we've got to be honest. Robbie could use some serious coaching actually you should coach him.." He frowns slightly as the joke falls flat. "Is this because…"

"Simon slept with Annabelle. After…" Jeremy trails off shaking his head hard. Maashous can hear the bitterness in the other teen's voice.

Maashous didn't know Simon that well, but he knew, they all knew about Simon almost being pulled from Stanton permanently because of his role as Hanschen. The whole troupe could see the tension between their Hanschen and Ernst. "I'm not sure exactly what happened." Maashous says. "But Simon's going through a lot." He knew that to be true, even if he didn't exactly know all of the relationship drama. "Just...maybe just try being there as best you can. Talk to him then maybe you can at least do the scene if not necessarily…" He made a vague motion with his hands. "All I can say man, is you guys better work it out and fast because Mazzu doesn't seem like he has much more patience." He glances over to where Mazzu and Robbie were exchanging some heated words.

"Maashous, we need to set the lights!"

Jeremy winces. "Yeah….I see what you mean. Thanks." Jeremy holds out a hand

Maashous nods. "Sure." He shakes Jeremy's hand running it through his hair before running back to his seat to work the lights.

After school, Maashous is packing a backpack. He'd made his decision after yesterday, and he'd talked to Michael about crashing at his place. It would be better than imposing on the Mazzuchellis any longer than necessary. He studied the playbill that Mazzu had given him: True West before going to place it in the bag. He hears a knock, and startles.

"Maashous, what are you doing?" Mrs. Mazzuchelli stood in front of him glancing down at him curiously.

"Um...Mr. Mazzu gave it to me. Said I reminded him of the play." He holds up the playbill assuming, no pretending that that's what he thinks Mrs. Mazzuchelli is referring to. "My friend Michael said I could crash at his place until…" Maashous realizes what he's about to say, closes his mouth shut with a snap.

"Until what?"

"Nothing." A quick shake of the head. "I'm sorry about the dryer."

"Maashous, you're not leaving….because of the stupid dryer are you?" Mrs. Mazzuchelli asks. The disbelief in her tone, Maashous can't understand why it's hard to believe. He just continues packing more intently. There is silence for a long while… and then. "I...I'm sorry if I got angry."

"You said in this house we don't lie to each other." Maashous says not making eye contact.

"That doesn't mean I'm throwing you out of the house."

"I've been kicked out for a lot less." Maashous deadpans.

"Maashous," Mrs. Mazzuchelli is troubled by this fact. Maashous can tell by the way she stares at him. And then she is sitting next to him on the small bed. "Listen to me, that is not what I meant. You could break a thousand dryers and I might get angry, but we're still gonna wake up in the morning and have breakfast together. And I'm not gonna stop caring about you because of that okay? Or anything else. You're a part of this family Maashous."

A part of this family. A part of this family. Those words ring in his head, stun him even as Mrs. Mazzuchelli pulls him in for a hug. She tells him to unpack, put his stuff away. He's not leaving. And all Maashous can do is nod. His reply is soft. He hears himself reply the affirmative, but he can't move. Mrs. Mazzuchelli leaves the room smiling gently. He glances down to his bag then back at the door Mrs. Mazzuchelli just left out of, and finally, finally he moves. He unpacks as if in a dream. He lays back on the bed, shuts his eyes almost believing that when he opens them...when he opens them, he's still in the small room. The conversation still feels real. And just for a while, he lets himself be lulled in the security of that fact. A part of this family. He is a part of the Mazzuchellis lives and for however long that lasts, well, he'll take it.

Mr. Mazzu finds him a while later, still half-stunned.

"Hey, Gail told me I might find you here."

"Um...yeah…" Maashous didn't speak for a while. His hand absently began running over the tip of his shoelace. "Is there something...about the lighting cues or…?" He reaches backwards and begins rummaging for his notes.

The older man stopped short of saying something by the abruptness of the teen's inquiry, wears a puzzled expression. "No, no." He shook his head. "Maashous, no this isn't about the show." He puts a hand on the boy's arm.

"Then…?" He raises his eyebrows a fraction of an inch.

"Did you really think Gail would make you leave because of the dryer?"

Maashous shrugs.

"That would never happen. Let's get that clear." Mr. Mazzu claps a hand on Maashous' shoulder. "Okay?"

Maashous nods.

"Good. Don't forget that."

"I won't Mr. Mazzu."

"Alright, so now let's take a look at the lights."

Maashous can't help but smile as he grabs his notebook. Seamless transition as always. But he guesses that's how things will work now, and he can't say he objects.

A/N: So, news, I mentioned news right? Well... Hell Week will be getting a full length sequel...well sort of a sequel! I decided to take on the task of writing a version of a possible season 2, so there's that to look forward to. It will be called Hell's Frozen Over (But the Ice is Thin) I will post a brief sneaky peek at the end of this story. But before that happens, this story will be wrapping up with the remaining episodes in mind. Next up, the Petition, and Maashous dealing with the trip to Eagleton to see his mother.