We all left Madeline's house before her dad came home from work, the four of us ending our reminiscent conversation with awkward goodbyes. It felt weird to think that all those crazy things had happened in such a short span of time. What was even crazier was the fact that the boy driving me home was officially my boyfriend, and despite the fact that he'd asked me just hours ago, my heart still managed to feel heavy thanks to the end of the competition.

"Maybe it's good we didn't win-- I bet a lot of people are gonna try to find out who The Five Capers are just so they can ask for a loan," Roy said, breaking the silence that had fallen over us since we got in the car. I laughed slightly, nodding in agreement.

"It feels weird," I admitted. "It was stressful and crazy, but I miss it already."

"Me too," he admitted, a small smile on his face.

I glanced out the window, unable to stop myself from wondering how things would be now. I liked being part of a group-- it felt like I belonged to something. And I liked Maddie and Ian-- they were the type of people I'd always imagined myself being friends with, but never found. Except now I had found them, and I had been friends with them, and I couldn't stop myself from worrying that the end of the competition meant the end of that, too.

My eyes shifted back to the boy next to me and more nerves somehow managed to find their way into my heart, even through all the affection. I liked Roy- I really liked him, and I knew that wasn't going to change. But the fact was, we didn't know what it was like to be together without the contest. Would things be different now that it was over?

Rutherford was filled with people who were clearly feeling exactly like me-- the school was quiet on Monday, most students sulking about the end of the competition. The staff seemed to finally be at ease, not even minding the hushed conversations being held during class, whispers of memories and guesses as to who might have won the money.

After weeks of it being at the forefront of everyone's mind, it was hard to believe, even among all the talk confirming it, that the competition had really ended. The entire school seemed to be in a haze, including me. It was like a dream had ended and I was slowly waking up, coming back to reality.

I coasted by until lunch, when I finally saw Roy. He was leaning against the wall outside of my fourth-period class, waiting for me. I smiled at him and walked over, surprised when he put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek in the crowded hallway. My face reddened but he just grinned, asking me how my day had been so far as the two of us headed for the cafeteria.

"It's been okay-- I'm readjusting to life without the competition. It's kind of amusing to see the teachers looking so relieved."

"Tell me about it," Roy said, pulling open the door for me. "Mr. Johnson was able to get the class under control for the first time in weeks. He looked like it was the happiest moment of his whole life."

"It's weird hearing people talk about us," I confessed. "I overheard a lot of people saying they were rooting for our group."

He nodded and agreed, but I almost didn't hear him as my eyes drifted across the cafeteria, spotting Ian and Maddie sitting at our usual lunch table. I'd assumed they'd have gone back to their old spots and groups of friends, but there they were, Madeline waving us over and Ian shooting a smile our way.

I followed Roy to the table, sitting in my usual spot and placing my lunch down. No one mentioned the fact that we were all still sitting together-- we didn't mention it the next day either, or any of the others that followed. It was just something that we kept doing, and before I knew it, a month had come and gone, the four of us spending even more time together than we had during the competition. We may not have been the Four of Clubs anymore, but to my elation, we were friends.

I watched as snow fell outside the tall cafeteria windows, my attention being brought back to the group when Maddie let out a loud laugh. She swatted at Ian as he whispered something in her ear, mumbling at him to shut up, her cheeks dusted with pink. I couldn't help but think to myself that they'd make a good match-- that was, if she'd ever let him take her on a date. Ian was patient but persistent, and the way my late-night talks with Maddie always seemed to drift to the topic of him gave me the feeling she was going to crack soon.

I looked over at Roy, who was sat beside me frowning at his math worksheet, a sandwich in one hand and pencil in the other. We'd both been busy catching up with schoolwork after the competition, trying to get our grades back in shape from when we'd been slacking. But all that meant was that we'd had a lot of study dates in the past month. Since he was at my house so often even my father was starting to warm up to Roy, which I knew would happen sooner or later.

"This is impossible," Roy complained, erasing something from his worksheet. Just as I leaned over to see if I could help him, my phone buzzed on the table. I heard the familiar ding of Roy's phone next, and before I could check mine, the whole cafeteria filled with the sounds of notifications, the usual chatter dying down as everyone looked on in confusion. Many people were already staring at their screens, covering their mouths as they read, excited voices quickly taking over the room once again.

I snatched my phone from the table, knowing who it had to be. My jaw dropped as I read the message, the poetry styled text sending a familiar feeling of nervous anticipation through me.

Attached to the message was a form with four slots, similar to the one we'd filled out only months ago. I glanced around at the others, the four of us looking at each other with wide eyes and open smiles. Roy grinned, holding up his phone.

"So," he said, laughing slightly before he spoke next, unable to wipe the grin from his face. "Whose name should I put first?"