Megan Landry

**Megan Landry** is a computer coder and honor student from a blue-collar family. Once Megan meets Isabella, she begins to live in the moment and embrace her true self. When events take a tragic turn, her long-held dreams are dashed, and she is left wondering who she can trust.

## Early History

Megan was born in Chatham, Washington, to a single mother. She is the older sister of Lily. As a child, Megan befriended local boy Luke Chambers, and they remained close their entire childhood and teen years. Megan, being gifted with numbers and computers, took up coding and hoped to use the skill to attend college and leave the small town. In the meantime, she waitressed at Shoreliner Café to help her financially irresponsible mother pay the bills at home.

## Biography

### Summer 1999

On July 16th, Megan is listening to music with her mom in their camper, which they are cleaning out to make room for Isabella. Megan doesn't want another close friend as she already has Luke. Lily believes female friendships are different, which might be sexist but is also true. She's worked hard and should enjoy her senior year instead of counting down the days until college. For all she knows, Isabella coming could be the best thing to ever happen to her.

Luke and Megan talk on the docks about her clearing out the air stream for the new arrival. Debbie is excited to import a new best friend for her, and Luke jokes it's his job to fill the mysterious best friend role. There's nothing mysterious about him, though. Maybe the import won't be too bad, but Megan thinks the only type of person who would spend time in a foreign country are boring people. She offers to hop in a boat and leave, but he doesn't think she'd last too long in the open seas. She would miss her computer too much, which she agrees with even though it's pathetic. Luke greets Freddy at the boat, excited to head out to the island with his friends. Megan decides not to go last minute, even though she's been dying too and it's the perfect day for snorkeling. Debby would kill her if she wasn't there for the big arrival. It's their last high school summer and the last time to be officially stupid. He doesn't want her to let Isabella ruin it, and Megan insists that he go without her. He wishes her luck, waving from the boat before they speed off.

Back at the Landry house, Debby sets out a vase of flowers that Megan knows costs a lot. She doesn't understand why Debbie's trying to impress the girl, but she's just giving her a warm welcome. Lily excitedly states that the girl is here and the two rush outside just as Isabella is stepping out of the car.

Debbie, Isabella, Lily, and Megan sit on the porch as they get to know their new guest. Isabella was born in New York but they left the States when she was six months old, so she's lived just about everywhere. India, Malaysia, England, Argentina, Japan, just everywhere since her parents are diplomats. Lily thinks she's incredible and Isabella encourages Debby to open the gift she brought, which is a glass vase. She gives Lily a bracelet and Megan reluctantly opens hers, which is a book titled “Grave Questions”, since she likes mysteries.

Later in the day, Megan hoses off the car as she listens to Debbie talking with Isabella. She heads into the air stream to snoop around. She finds a floppy disk in her bag titled “Summer 1998” and Isabella's passport. Isabella catches her, leading Megan to quickly leave.

Debbie encourages Megan to hang out with Isabella, though Megan doesn't think they'll have anything in common since Isabella was born cool. She isn't changing her schedule for Isabella and has errands to run before meeting Luke at the Bloom. She refuses her mom's suggestion that she take Isabella but eventually caves when the girl rounds the corner, ready to leave. They drive through the mountains while making small talk about what made Isabella choose Chatham. She never spent time in the US and her mom's letter was so nice, it made her feel welcome. She wanted to move to a small town so she could be part of a family, and a community, and to have that normal American high school experience. Megan warns her that nothing ever happens there, and everyone knows everyone.

Megan and Isabella walk into the Shoreliner Café, greeting the bartender behind the counter. Isabella recognizes the Manhattan he's drinking, as her dad likes to drink those. She steals the cherries after they've soaked up some of the whiskey, earning flirtatious banter in response. Megan rolls her eyes and then asks for her check. Kim will be taking her weekend shift, with Megan working Monday and Tuesday to make up for it. While he assures her it evens out in the end, Megan knows it doesn't because of the weekend rush. He only gives Kim the good shifts because she flirts with him, but he jibes back that it's not his fault that she finds him irresistible. He asks if they have a problem so she hesitates, then takes the check from him. Once outside, Isabella asks where she wants to go to college. She wants to attend the University of Washington as a computer major, which impresses Isabella since numbers aren't her thing. They've always come easily to Megan. Isabella isn't really into school, as she's more of a student of life.

She's is excited to be in one place for a change, though Megan insists she can see it all in one day as the city doesn't have much to discover. Her friend Luke's dad owns most of the businesses around here, so the only real future someone has is if they work for him. Otherwise, they're stuck waiting tables like she is. She wants to go to college and then to Silicon Valley to work for a big company or a start-up. The thing about this town is to keep her expectations low, though Isabella is all about living in the now. It's pretty liberating, suggesting that Megan try it.

Luke and Sheriff Myer get out of his car as they discuss Luke's dad. Myers assures him that this time is all about figuring out what he wants out of life, but Luke isn't sure his dad sees it that way. Myers tells him to keep trying and he'll come around. Megan runs up to him and Myers greets him. Her summer is complicated, but he's sure it's not anything she can't handle. He drives off and Luke assumes it's going well since Isabella isn't in the lake yet. They had an encounter earlier, with him joking about Megan being caught going through her stuff. Megan admits she did and wishes she was kidding too. Isabella walks up and Luke introduces himself. She asks if he just got arrested, but he didn't, he was doing a high school ride-along program. His dad thinks it builds character, and he admits that drunk tourists do have interesting stories. Having been one, Isabella agrees. Luke doesn't think there's anything wrong with the occasional vice, and Megan tries to join the light banter but makes it over serious. Luke asks if Megs gave her the 401 on Bloom that night, but she hadn't. Every July there's a bioluminescence in the water for a couple days. So of course, the town turned a cool natural wonder into an opportunity to sell snow cones and glow sticks. Isabella thinks it sounds fun, and she and Luke exchange a flirtatious look while Megan watches.

The trio walks down the street when they run into his friend group. He introduces her as a visitor from France, most recently. Brent gives a half-assed “bonjour” which isn't the worst accent Isabella's heard. Luke introduces the charmer as his brother Luke, the girl on his arm is Parker, then Kelly, and Amy. Isabella compliments Parker's shirt and she thanks her. One of the boys asks how to say “you're hot” in Isabella's language, which she remarks is English, unless he wants her to translate it into whatever it is he speaks. Jeff introduces himself while holding the camera and she compliments it. He's making cinéma vérité and remarks that she lucked out, as no one could ask for a better host than Megan. He turns the camera to her and she smiles.

That night, Isabella and Megan arrive at the lake and Isabella asks how long she and Luke have been dating. Megan insists they're just friends as he's like her brother. She thought there was a vibe, but there wasn't. They meet up with Luke and his friends and Isabella takes a drink, but Megan turns it down as she doesn't drink. Luke's tried to corrupt her many times, but she's too much of a control freak. Megan jabs back that his drunk ass loves having a designated driver, then laughs as Jeff records. The group laughs and passes around the drink.

Megan is getting a non-alcoholic drink when Luke runs up to her. He remarks that Isabella is doing fine by herself and is great, but Megan isn't so sure. He points out that she's not the best at letting people in. There's nothing objectively wrong with her, but she doesn't see them ever being friends. She walks away from Luke who opens his drink.

Isabella asks Megan again if she and Luke aren't a thing, and Megan insists they're not. Isabella asks if she would mind if she hooked up with him, then, so Megan tells her to go for it. Isabella's not sure if he's even interested or not, but walks off to find out. They end the night wrapped together and Megan watches as Freddy splashes some of the luminescent water on Luke. They laugh it off, though Isabella starts drying him off with her hands, starting at his chest to stomach. Megan watches solemnly.

The girls arrive back at the Landry house and Megan apologizes for snooping through her stuff. After a long pause, she says goodnight, and the girls head in opposite directions. Isabelle into the air stream and Megan into the house.

Two days later, Isabella goes into the Shoreliner and Megan greets her from behind the counter. She gives her the wallet she left at home. Megan asks if she was in her room, and Isabella smirks that she thought it was the Chatham way. Luke walks up in line to order food, greeting Isabella as he does. She was just leaving but asked about his plans for the day. He's going to swim and play video games. Megan warns him about cramping up, but he cites experts who say greasy food is key to a good backstroke. Isabella wants to test that theory and orders a dozen more subs on her since one won't feed an entire party. He invites Megan and she might stop by after her shift. Isabella doesn't want to pressure her, as Megan knows where to find them if she wants to.

After her shift, Megan heads to the Chambers house where she finds Isabella talking to Brent. She asks Isabella to store her bag behind the counter while asking if everything is cool. Brent warns Megan to be careful as Isabella has a knife, sulking away after. Isabella offers Megan non-alcoholic lemonade, then imparts that she should pay attention as details are everything. Megan doesn't seem to think Isabella misses much, then walks away with her cup.

By nightfall, Megan plays Marco-Polo in the water while Parker and Brent make out. The sound of fireworks exploding startles everyone at first but they go back to their activities. Isabella and Luke play with sparklers while Megan stares at Isabella. She gets out of the water and Luke hands Megan a sparkler. She's guessing it was all Isabella's idea since she loves the attention, but Luke insists it was a joint idea. He tells her to cut Isabella some slack as she's been in town for a minute and Megan's acting like she's radioactive. It wouldn't kill her to make a tiny bit of effort. Isabella watches them from a distance.

Megan lays in the hot tub when Isabella asks if she can join. Megan remarks it's her party so she can do what she wants, but Isabella knows the real party is in Megan's bag. She's guessing the squeaky clean girl has her share of dirt. She was trying to rescue her bag when she found her secret stash. Everyone around thinks they know her, but clearly, they don't. She doesn't judge as everyone has their thing. Megan insists they're for school so she can stay up late and study. She's doing what she has to to get what she wants. Isabella remarks that the real Megan Landry has entered the building. She knows it wasn't Megan's idea for her to come here, and there's no rule saying they have to get along. She proposes they find a way to be okay with each other. Isabella assures Megan that her advantage is safe with her, then leaves. As the night goes on, Megan watches Luke and Isabella kiss in the pool.

Luke and Isabella laugh together at the bar before Jeff tells them it's time for a photo. Megan is in the background, and he tells her to move, though Isabella insists she stays as she's meant to be in it. Luke puts one arm around each of the girl's shoulders, and Luke snaps the polaroid. Isabella asks to do another one and he does, printing out two versions of the Polaroid before the funny one.

On July 19th, Isabella packs a suitcase in the airstream, as Megan reminds her that they're only going one night. She wants to be prepared for any scenario. Megan isn't sure what Luke told her, but this isn't going to be a romantic getaway. It's 24 hours of immature boys running around with jockstraps on their heads competing to see who can fart the loudest. Luke would understand if she wanted to bail, but Isabella is sure she wants to go. It's usually guys only, though Isabella points out how Megan is the exception. She can handle a fart war or two and considers herself warned.

Luke and his guy friends play horseshoes at the Chambers cabin when one teasing that Luke's girlfriend is there. Isabella and Megan pull up in the latter's car, and Luke greets Isabella with a hug. His friends mock them from the game, and Luke assures Isabella that his friends will get used to having a girl around, then sends a “no offense” to Megan, who is getting the bags out of the car. Isabella assures him that Megan already warned her, and he's surprised Isabella still came. She doesn't scare that easily. Megan asks where Jeff is, and Luke finds him approaching them with a camera through a hockey mask while breathing creepily. Isabella playfully shrieks and curls into Luke, asking him to protect her from the killer. They tease Jeff and then walk off, so he helps Megan carry some of the bags. He brought a ton of scary movies - even Halloween, which excites her, and he knows it's one of her favorites. She notices Isabella and Luke hanging off one another as they walk into the cabin.

Freddy shoots a shotgun at targets while Brent, Parker, and the guys sit on a picnic table nearby. Brent makes a lame joke about sharpshooters and then wrestles with Freddy. Luke hands a gun to Isabella, who's never held one before, waving it around recklessly. He quickly stops her to give her the first lesson - never wave a loaded gun around, just keep it pointed at the gun until she's ready to shoot. She has diplomatic immunity so she could kill everyone and get away with it. He doesn't want to test that theory and helps her aim and fire. She misses all the targets, leading Luke to think she just needs more lessons. She can't wait and walks off. Luke goes up for his turn, but Megan takes it from him, teasing him if he's going to teach her how to do it too. She shoots the first can perfectly, asking if he and Isabella are together now. She knows labels are stupid but wanted to know what was going on since Megan is his best friend and Isabella's landlord. Isabella walks over with drinks, and Megan shoots a beer bottle. Isabella is impressed, reminding herself to stay on Megan's good side.

Megan is making a sandwich when Brent comes into the cabin, assuming it's for him. She smacks his hand away and calls him penis breath, which he approves of. She waves the knife around as she mentions learning from the best. He asks if Luke is going to close the deal with the import. She tells him not to call her that, then mentions that the “bros gone wild” act is getting old. She misses the semi-decent guy she used to know. He's just saying that if she wants Isabella gone, he's got her back. She appreciates it but has it handled. She hands him half the sandwich, telling him to get lost so they can have their lame overnight to themselves. He heads out of the cabin, shouting for Parker to get ready to leave.

Everyone sits around the fireplace and Isabella starts a game of two truths a lie so she can get dirt in case she ever needs to blackmail any of them. Luke decides to start: his mom was going to name him Xerxes but his dad said no, he's had a pen pal in San Diego since the third grade, and he's been to three of the seven wonders of the world. Megan tells him LegoLand doesn't count, and Megan asks if Xerxes is true, which it is. Jeff goes next; raw chicken legs freak him out, he dislocated his shoulder once and if he tries really hard he can do it again, and he was in a commercial as a kid. Isabella asks if the chicken legs are true, and Luke is sure the commercial is bogus because he would have mentioned it already. Megan can't believe he can dislocate his shoulder. Isabella decides to go next; she saw NSYNC at a tiny club in Brussels right before they got famous, she broke her leg in three places while skiing in the Swiss alps, and she has severe somnambulism - she sleepwalks like crazy. She does weird stuff, as a couple nights ago, Debbie found her in the backyard practically naked. She looks to Megan to back up her story, and Megan pauses and then supports it. Isabella winks at Megan from her chair.

Jeff talks about the *Blair Witch Project* that he's going to see, and Freddy calls him a freak. Megan calls him out for having eaten a bowl of dog food on a dare. It starts to rain so everyone hurries inside except for Megan, who looks up at the sky as the drops fall. Isabella joins her and thanks her for the assistance on the sleepwalking story. The rain doesn't bother her, as she and Lisa once spent the night in the ocean during a storm. She and Megan both love the sound of rain underwater. Isabella comments on Jeff's hard crush on Megan, but she doesn't believe the guys see her like that. Isabella calls her smart, fun, and hot, which is the crush trifecta. She was once one of the guys, but those days are over. The girls stand in the rain together in silence.

After a while, they run up to the window and watch the boys goofing off inside with underwear on their heads. Megan invites her to leave and sleep in actual beds. They drive as both girls are happy to escape the boys' antics. Isabella asks Megan how she got Brent to leave. Megan just knows how to handle him. He acts tough but is just a stunted child. She used to think he was really cool but that was a million years ago before his mom died. Isabella feels bad for him, but Megan adds that he still “totally sucks”.

They drive up to the Landry house to find Debbie making out with a man on the front lawn. Megan is angry at the sight and storms into the airstream. Isabella follows, confused, as Megan can't believe Debbie would do this to them. The guy is her dad. His name's Keith and he's a musician who plays guitar in an old rock band. She never really called him dad because they weren't married, and he was only around a lot when she was a kid. He dressed up as the Easter bunny one year. She apologizes as this must be boring for Isabella, but Isabella assures her that it's not. Megan remembers him having long hair and sleeping in late, making up funny songs about mundane things. He sounds cool. When her mom got pregnant with Lily they were fighting a lot and by the time she was born, he was never around. Most of the time, Megan forgets that he even exists. Isabella is sorry for her as that sucks. Megan used to catch her mom listening to his music but it's been years. She doesn't understand why Debbie would want to bring him back into their lives, as all he's done is hurt them. Isabella is supportive of her talking to Debbie or staying mad for several days.

They sit on the floor of the airstream eating foreign candies. Megan asks if Isabella is close with her dad, and they aren't. He's older, serious, and they don't really talk that much. He and her mom were obsessed with their jobs. They were like copilots who only cared about landing the plane while Isabella was just some passenger in the back. She was more of an inconvenience than anything, and they just threw money at her to hide their guilt. Megan is sure they love her, and Isabella isn't convinced. She adds that Debbie might have her problems, but at least she listens when Megan talks to her. She doesn't think her parents have heard a word she's said in five years. Megan is glad that Isabella is here, and so is Isabella. She then admits that the candy is awful and they laugh. Isabella wanted her to try something from Europe, which was a very nice thought, but it was still very bad.

On July 23rd, Megan complains to Isabella that there aren't surprises in Chatham, as they do the same thing every year. She wants to change it up but isn't sure how. She's tired of being the boring, responsible honor roll girl. Isabella thinks she wants to be a bad girl and Megan does, not committing crimes bad, but taking risks and going on adventures. Isabella doesn't need convincing as unpredictable is her brand.

Isabella and Megan sit on the beach while Luke and Jeff play frisbee. Megan wants to do something different and fun tonight. Isabella suggests a club and the closest thing they have is the Brownsville Pub, but that's a dive bar that cards. Luke knows Brent has a fake ID but he'd never let Luke use it. Jeff is good at Photoshop and offers to figure something out. He thinks Megan can help as the computer genius, though it is risky. She eagerly agrees to do it, which surprises Luke.

Jeff and Megan make fake IDs as they discuss colleges. He wants to go to NYU or USC like all the great directors before him. Filmmaking makes him happy - he can create his own little world. Her fake ID looks great, though it's missing the watermark, which is impossible to copy. She hacks into the Washington DOL database to steal the watermark. He calls her amazing. She gets an IM from CBABBAGE5 offering to show her shortcuts for C++ as he's a good teacher. She closes it and then gives Jeff the mouse so she can copy over the watermark. They both grin as he remarks on them making a good team.

Megan and Isabella get ready together in the air stream. Megan wishes she could go back to before she saw her mom kissing her dad. Isabella suggests putting it in the rearview and forgetting about it. It's worked for Isabella so far. Tonight is going to be amazing, adding that Megan and Jeff are cute. Megan feels like she can be herself around him, similar to how she can with Luke. Megan asks to borrow a dress and Isabella lets her.

Outside the bar, the group practices their fake IDs in front of Isabella who grills Jeff, Luke, and Megan about the lives they've created. The boys give in-depth answers while Megan sticks to the fact, which pleases Isabella. They head to the door eagerly. The bouncer lets Megan and Isabella into the bar. He asks Luke what his Zodiac sign is, but Luke doesn't know it. The bouncer makes both him and Jeff leave.

Megan and Isabella enter the bar, and Megan wonders if they should go back since the boys got busted. Isabella refuses and takes her to the bar as her friend gushes over the atmosphere. She orders drinks for both of them, telling Megan she doesn't have to drink it, just hold it to make herself look cool. Their drinks were bought by a guy across the bar. Megan exclaims he's 30 and they giggle, walking off to the dance floor. This was the first drink Isabella had with Lisa in Barcelona. They thought they were so sophisticated because Hemmingway drank them too. Megan thinks it should be her first too, with Isabella, and they toast to firsts. Isabella leads her to the dance floor where they hold hands and dance together.

They do shots in the bar as Isabella explains the body shots she used to do with her ex-boyfriend. Megan thinks it sounds sexy and heads to the bar for water. She sees Sheriff Myer enter the bar and go to a pool table, where he hands a man an envelope. She hurries to Isabella to warn her about the Sheriff, who is buying into a pool game and doesn't see the girls.

The girls run up to the van laughing. They tell Luke to floor it as Sheriff Myer is in there. Jeff asks Megan if she was drinking, and she was, which shocks Luke. He would have liked to see that, her first time. She insists there's plenty of time left for that.

The foursome reconvenes at the Chambers' house for beers. They toast to Isabella being the best cocktail sensei she could ask for her. Luke asks who Megan is and what she's done with his friend. She's still the same person she's just living in the now. Jeff asks her to go for a walk, and they head off. She teases him about not getting into the bar. He's happy someone else knows who Raymond Chandler is. She's bummed they didn't get to use his fake ID because it was perfect. It was perfect for him because he got to spend time with her. They kiss over the tennis court divider.

Back at the Landry house, Megan tells Isabella about Jeff's kiss. It wasn't exactly like she imagined, but she can't wait to do it again. She asks what happens next - if she should call him, or wait for him to call her. Isabella tells her to enjoy the moment, recapping the epic night. Megan doesn't want the night to end and invites Isabella to sleep over. She would love to, so long as Megan doesn't snore when she drinks. They take turns hitting each other with a pillow.

### Winter 1999

On December 15th, with fifteen days until 2000, Megan lies on the couch watching Countdown. Isabella comes in excited for a surprise and shows her a college envelope. Megan worries she didn't get in, but Isabella encourages her to open it. She got into the University of Washington for the class of 2004 and was awarded the Gate Scholarship for excellence in academics. She cheers, and squeals, and the girls hug. She's so happy Isabella is there with her right now, as her being there is the best thing to ever happen to her. Isabella agrees with the sentiment. They're going to get into so much trouble this Winter break. It's going to be the best two weeks of their lives. They dance to the music on the TV.

Megan runs through the yard holding Luke's hand. They kiss happily and he expresses his pride in her for crushing that scholarship. He hopes she'll remember all the little people when she's a famous coder. He's stoked for her as she deserves it. She's pinching herself to make sure she's not dreaming, but pinching is his territory. She notes that he's getting possessive, and he asks if it's too much, but it's not. They kiss again.

Once back home, Megan asks to borrow Isabella's red dress for Luke's dad's Christmas party, then starts doing her makeup. Isabella has never seen her this happy, with Megan attributing the happiness to finally getting the scholarship. There's one thing she's always wanted to do but never did, making them laugh over her always being a rule follower. She's lucky that Isabella came along and corrupted her. She wants to do it now, taking her hands.

Isabella and Megan trek up the cliffs, as Megan is no longer afraid of heights. Once at the top, she toasts to Isabella, the best friend she could ever ask for - her ultimate ride or die who helped her see things in herself she never believed were there. She never wants her to leave. They strip off their clothes, but it's really cold. That's the point because anyone can do it in the summer. They hold hands to repeat their “ride or die” sentiment, then leap off the cliff, smashing into the water below.

Megan hurries into the kitchen for water, where Debbie greets her Gate scholar. She is proud of her daughter for being the first Landry to go to college. She wishes she had her drive and focus. Megan notices the past due bills, assuring her mom that she'll still have a job and can help out while in college. Debbie tells her to enjoy college and take her foot off the gas for once. She starts to leave without her lunch, so Megan hands it off.

That night, Megan and Luke make out in the cabin and then fall onto the bed. He can't believe they're going to different colleges. She giggles as they'll only be an hour apart and will see each other every weekend. He doesn't know if he can wait that long, kissing her again. A gunshot scares both of them. They head outside to find a man shooting off his gun at a flock of birds. The freak was employee number 12 at Apple, basically coder royalty worth millions. Luke heard him going on at the hardware store about how the world is going to end on Y2K, wondering what he'll do when it comes and nothing happens. He wants to go back inside, but Megan lingers to stare at the shooter before heading inside.

During the Chambers party the next day, Megan and Luke laugh together happily. Jeff walks over to Luke, Isabella, and Megan with his video camera rolling. Isabella talks about the cool, hot bartender that goes to school in France so she scampers off. Megan knows she's irresistible when she wants something, and Luke remarks it sounds like someone he knows. As they kiss, Jeff walks away with his camera down.

Luke shakes hands with Principal Bowers, who heard from his dad how excited he is to be following in his and Brent's footsteps at Branson. Luke eyes his father when he says it's the Chambers way. Steve is sure Luke will love their great business program. Debbie interrupts to take Steven and Bowers away, so Megan and Luke walk a few paces. Every time he hears “business program” he wants to eat a gun. She asks if he's tried telling his dad that, but he's sure his dad's head would explode into a million pieces. If he ever wants to try, she's there for him. He loves her and she stops walking, and it takes him a few seconds to realize what he said. She smiles widely at him and then returns the sentiment. Isabella runs up as the bartender is the dumbest person she just met, but Megan asks if he's hot enough that she doesn't care, and he is. Luke calls them ice cold, but Megan knows guys are the same way - they're just honest about it. She loops an arm through each of theirs and they walk off.

Later on in the night, Megan and Isabella sing and dance together in front of Luke and their friends. Megan then watches Isabella and Luke laughing together, having fun. She keeps a loose smile.

Steve calls everyone's attention to thank them for coming. When he and his late wife Jane started throwing the parties, it was just a handful of friends with Brent and Luke as babies. Brent is now at Branson and Luke is following in his footsteps this fall, raising his glass as he expresses his pride. Megan rubs Luke's arm supportively. This year's Christmas movie is one of Jane's favorites and one that holds a special place in Steve's heart as well. The movie starts and Megan asks Luke if he wants to go inside, which relieves him. The sounds of gasps and moans distract them, pulling their attention to the screen where a sex tape is projected. It features a girl that everyone realizes is Isabella. The boy in the video isn't seen for a while, and Steve shouts to turn off the film while everyone murmurs. The boy in the video lifts his head, revealing himself as Luke. Megan looks at her boyfriend while Isabella raises her eyes. Steve shouts at Luke to turn it off and he runs over to the VCR, ejecting it. Megan rushes after him and then turns to stare at Isabella, while Kelly sneers to Isabella that she's some best friend.

Megan runs out of the house, crying, while Isabella and Luke chase after her. She grabs her hand, but Megan pulls away. Megan stares at both of them and then walks away, sobbing. Isabella glances back at Luke.

Two days after the party, Isabella brings Megan a tray of food. She's watching the rest of the sex tape and Isabella apologizes again. She knows already and pauses the video, shocking both of them to see Megan's face instead. She worries that Principal Bowers will find out it's her on the tape and she'll lose everything, including her scholarship. Isabella offers to keep it a secret, to make sure no one finds out the truth. She'll be gone in a few months anyway, so it doesn't matter if people think she slept with Luke. She can handle people calling her a slut. She's not going to let Megan, who is like a sister to her, lose her scholarship over this. Megan thinks it's too much of a sacrifice, but it's what best friends do - they take bullets, give kidneys - she's not going to let the tape ruin Megan's future. She loves her and wouldn't do it for anyone else. Ride or die isn't just words, because they actually mean it, and Megan agrees.

Out in the yard, Megan and Isabella pour gasoline on the sex tape, while Megan tries to make sure Isabella is okay with taking the blame. Chatham won't ever let her forget the tape, but she gets it, as Americans are prudish about sex. She promises not to regret this - as long as the truth stays between the three of them, no one will ever find out. Megan keeps trying to figure out who would do this. Isabella can think of one aspiring filmmaker with a grudge. Everyone talks about a woman scorned but men are even worse. Megan isn't convinced as it doesn't seem like his style. Isabella promises to find out who it was. She lights a match and sets the tape on fire.

They meet with Luke outside the sheriff station. The girls tell Luke their plan to let everyone think that it's Isabella on the tape. He's not sure he's okay with everyone thinking he cheated on Megan, including his dad, who is throwing a family meeting because of it. Brent will deny any involvement and his dad will buy whatever bullshit he's sold like always. Isabella still thinks Jeff made the tape, but Megan doesn't think so as Jeff's stuff looks more professional. Luke thinks it reeks of Brent. He just got a video camera for his birthday and is always bringing girls to the cabin. Megan isn't convinced he would play it at the party, not in front of Steve, leading Isabella to think it was a team effort. Jeff and Brent working together. But either way, they have to talk to both of them. Luke isn't convinced, agreeing to go along with whatever they want, but will handle his brother himself. Isabella doesn't think that will ever happen, and Megan cuts them off when she notices Deputy Hardwicke staring at the trio. Isabella thinks Luke owes Megan and threatens him if he doesn't make things right, angering him, as he's known Megan all her life. Isabella's known her for five minutes and is just a tourist. Megan separates them, but Hardwicke calls Luke over. He tells the girls to lay low until he talks to Brent. The last thing they need is to make things worse. When he walks off, Megan wants to go home and gives Isabella the keys. She'll drop her off but has something she wants to do.

That night, Isabella tells Megan about her adventures at the Chambers residence that afternoon, shocking Megan with the planter incident. It's a little crazy, but there's nothing Isabella wouldn't do for her girl. She knows Megan's scared but promises this is all going to work out. They hold hands and Isabella promises not to go anywhere because she's stuck with her. This will all blow over soon and everything will go back to normal.

Megan and Luke lay on her bed together. He lets out his frustrations about Brent getting away with everything while he's a constant disappointment. His dad might technically love him but doesn't like him very much. He's not a jock, has no interest in business, and was on a sex tape at Steve's big party. The only worse thing is that he, and everyone, thinks he cheated on Megan. Megan knows the truth and that's what matters. She kisses him and then asks if Brent knows it's her on the tape, but Luke assures her that he doesn't. He stopped watching when he saw Luke on it and still thinks it's Isabella. Brent might be a creep but he can't keep a secret. She rests her head on his chest. He's the most important person in the world to her, and she's not going to let anything, or anyone, get between them. Ride or die. Unbeknownst to either of them, Isabella eavesdrops from the top of the stairwell and leaves angrily.

The next morning, Megan runs into the airstream to confront Isabella for telling her mom that it was her on the sex tape and not Isabella. She's angry as there was no conversation or hesitation to blurt out the most humiliating secret that didn't even happen to Isabella. Debbie was looking at Isabella like a monster, and she couldn't handle Debbie thinking that Isabella would betray Megan like that. Megan feels betrayed now because it wasn't her secret to tell. She was the one who said no one would know outside the three of them. Isabella knows and is sorry, but Debbie has become like a second mom to her. Megan snaps that Debbie's not her mom, she's Megan's and this whole thing was Isabella's idea. Isabella would do it again because that's what ride or die means to her. But the way she's been leaning on Luke instead of Isabella these last few days has her wondering. If the tables were turned, Megan would even consider doing the same thing for Isabella. Megan remains silent.

Megan and Isabella are in the car outside the Shoreliner. Megan admits she would do the same for Isabella, ride or die. Taking the heat for the tape is a huge deal and she appreciates it more than Isabella knows. Isabella thanks her, and Megan gets why she told Debbie. She sort of hoped that Debbie never had to find out it was her on the tape so it could be like it never happened, something Isabella understands. Megan apologizes - she hates having Isabella mad at her and asks for forgiveness. Isabella already has, and Megan couldn't imagine going through this without her. Megan assures her she won't have to.

Later, Megan serves a customer his food and then sees Isabella sitting at a booth with Lily. Luke comes in and she pulls him aside, asking why he's there. He wants to see her and asks if she's okay. She feels like an animal in a zoo, and he kisses her. He tells her to let them talk as he took care of the tapes. Everything is going to be okay.

Megan serves Isabella and Lily at the Shoreliner Café when Jeff enters with Freddy. They make a snide comment about meeting up with Isabella later, with Jeff asking if Isabella's only into dudes with girlfriends. Megan yanks Jeff aside to scold him for talking about it in front of her sister. Freddy wants to get back at Luke by making a movie of their own, and Jeff offers to hold the camera. When Freddy is gone, Megan asks if this makes him feel better, and it does. She chose the wrong guy because he never would have done that to her. The tape cut out before they got a look at the heroine, but he knows that laugh anywhere. It used to be his favorite thing about her. She acts like she doesn't know what he's talking about so he walks away.

That night, Isabella and Megan lean against the car as a jeep pulls up. Jeff gets out to ask why they called him there. Isabella reminds him that whatever he thinks he saw on the tape, he can't prove it, but he acts like he can. Megan interjects that she can prove how he paid for all that fancy equipment. Unless he wants them spilling his dirty little secret, he's going to keep his mouth shut. Jeff steps to Megan, as she promised that she'd never tell. She doesn't want to as she had a great time with him last summer. She doesn't want to ruin that now by getting messy. He surmises this is blackmail, but it's more like mutual destruction. He can choose his own adventure, or not. The girls get back in the car.

On December 23rd, Megan is on her computer when Isabella comes up. Megan read an article about white hat hackers, and one of the guys went to the same program as her at U Dub. She could make good money in college by doing it. Isabella asks if Megan's going to see Luke later, but a loud clang from downstairs distracts them. They find Debbie in the kitchen under a burst pipe that's dripping everywhere. Megan goes to call the plumber.

The plumber leaves and Debbie tells Megan it's $6,000 in full upfront. Megan thinks they should tap the emergency fund, but it's empty because of the roof repairs last year and Lily's retainer. Megan is mad that her mom didn't tell her. She can't lean on Megan to pay for things and then keep her in the dark, wishing she would be the grown-up around there for once. She has $900 in her savings account, but Debbie knows that's for college. Debbie will talk to Steve, but Megan doesn't like it as he's her boss, they're dating, and Megan's dating Luke. Debbie doesn't know what else to do and Isabella walks in with an envelope full of money, $5,000, that her parents gave her to buy herself a Christmas present. Megan refuses to let her help even though Isabella insists they're family. Megan calls her family but they'll find a way. They can't stay there tonight, so Debbie tells the girls to pack a bag so they can stay at Steve's.

Megan packs a bag and laments to Debbie that she doesn't want to go. She doesn't want to be around Brent right now, not after the whole tape situation. Debbie is so sorry that happened to her. Sex is supposed to be private and not blasted in public for the whole town. Debbie wishes Megan would have told her they were having sex. Her first time is special, and Megan admits it was. She can't believe Debbie saw the tape. Debbie wishes she could make it all disappear. Megan thanks her for not making her feel worse about it.

The girls arrive at the Chambers' house. Megan and Isabella recap that they won't mention the tape or anything that happened, leaving them little to talk about it. Isabella tells Megan she should have taken the money, which upsets her. Isabella quickly says she was joking, but doesn't think it should be that complicated. Megan knows, but money always complicates things. Steve lets the girls inside and Debbie explains that Lily is at a sleepover. Luke slyly tells Megan to sneak into his room for a sleepover later. Steve calls for Brent to come down and greet their guests, but the boy doesn't show. The kids head upstairs while Debbie talks to Steve.

Megan, Isabella, and Luke head to the kitchen where the sliding glass door is already repaired. Luke warns the girls that Brent is on the warpath because Steve is making him work for the company next year instead of going to college. That excites Megan, and Luke grins that he promised he was going to handle it. She kisses him and then asks to use his shower and he lets her know where the towels are, and that Alma made up the guest bedroom. She also made the crispy potatoes that Isabella loves, which makes her smile, as she missed her.

Megan enters Luke's bathroom and picks up a towel. She finds a bikini hidden behind a towel and recognizes it as Isabella's.

Later, Megan joins Luke by the grill as she vents over Isabella just having five grand to hand out. It makes her feel like her family is a charity to Isabella. Luke knows that's the last thing Isabella intended because they talked about it. Megan accuses him of doing it behind her back, though he insists it's not like they and it's not a big deal. They talk sometimes about everything, not just Megan. They're friends and he asks her not to worry so much as it's all gonna work out. Megan accuses him of sounding like Isabella as she can't expect either of them to understand. She works her ass off all year and in a second that's gone when a piper bursts, and it's not even enough for the repair. He gets it but she doesn't see how when a window gets smashed at the Chambers's house and it gets fixed overnight. It's the same for Isabella - something goes wrong and someone writes a check. He asks what's going on and she tells him to forget it, stalking off.

Isabella searches Brent's drawers when Megan catches her. She claims she's seeing if Brent had any more tapes. She sees the bikini that Megan's holding and takes it, glad to have it back as she was wondering where it went. It must have gotten caught up in the laundry to end up in Luke's bathroom. She asks if Megan found anything else, but she didn't. Megan asks when she left it there, but Isabella isn't sure. She surmises it was sometime last summer. Megan grills her about the timing, though Isabella insists it was from before. Megan admits that if there was any overlap or if Isabella still has feelings for Luke, Isabella should tell her and Megan will deal. Isabella can't believe she's really asking that. She let the whole town call her a slut and a lousy friend. Everywhere she goes people whisper behind her back and now Megan is accusing her of sleeping around with Luke. Megan apologizes as the pipes have her stressed out, but Isabella doesn't care. She asks how far she has to go to prove her loyalty to Megan. After a moment, Isabella asks if she needs Isabella to kill for her then storms out of the room.

Brent, Luke, Isabella, and Megan talk before dinner about him being grounded because of his pitiful snitch of a brother. Luke calls him out for the pervy shit he did. As they argue over the table and he makes a crude remark to Isabella, Megan shouts that she used to make excuses for him. That he was just damaged but he went too far this time. He tells them to get over it as it's not that big of a deal. He accuses Isabella of being a slut and banging Luke behind Megan's back. Steve and Debbie enter the room and Steve shuts down the fighting, telling everyone to sit.

The awkward dinner continues in silence until Debbie admits to thinking Brent owes Isabella and Luke an apology. Steve instructs Brent to do that, and he does apologize for what he did. Megan urges him to keep going, though Steve cuts her off as he did apologize. Debbie thinks some genuine remorse would be great. Luke just wants to have a nice dinner, something Steve seconds. Megan refuses as she wants Brent to admit to filming those girls without telling them. Luke asks Megan if they have to do this now and Debbie realizes there was more than one tape. Megan tells him there is and that Steve must be so proud. Debbie is horrified to learn that Steve knew and tells Brent his mother would be so ashamed. She can't believe Steve isn't more upset. He admits Brent made a serious lapse in judgment but has been punished - end of story. She rebuttals that he filmed those kids without their knowledge without consent. That is more than a lapse in judgment that is criminal. Steve doesn't want her to critique his parenting in front of his kids. She accuses him of letting Brent coast for a few months, so Steve offers to talk privately. She refuses as the kids can handle this. Steve had Jack back off so it wouldn't go on his permanent record. Debbie thinks real lasting consequences might just be what he needs. Steve coldly asks when she became the morality police since Keith got her pregnant and she didn't marry him twice. Isabella stands up for Debbie, telling Steve not to talk to her like that. The trio bickers and Debbie accuses Steve of sweeping things under the rug to protect his social status. She knows reputation is everything to him, but this is what he gets when he prioritizes the Chambers name over his family, hoping it's worth it. She leaves the table as Megan smirks proudly.

Back in the Landry house, Debbie thinks about taking Isabella's offer as a loan. Megan doesn't want to since she already owes Isabella enough with the school stuff. The phone rings, and she answers it, only for a guy to call Isabella obscenities. It rings again, and another boy shouts vulgarities, so Megan unplugs the phone. Debbie knows this cover story is putting a lot of pressure on both of them, on their friendship. She asks if it's worth it. Megan hopes it is because it's her future. She asks if Debbie and Steve will be okay, but Debbie isn't sure. Love isn't always enough - you have to see the world in the same way.

In the morning, Megan comes downstairs to find plumbers working on the pipes. She assumes Debbie convinced the plumber, but she never talked to them. Steve sent them as his way of trying to apologize. Megan opens a letter from Chatham High School, in which she gets a C+ as her final grade in a class. Megan lies to Debbie that it's just junk mail. She heads back upstairs.

### Summer 2000

On July 16th, Megan sits in a chair on her computer coding with grunge music in her headphones. She hears a noise and gets up to check outside. She sees the sheriff arrive and quickly grabs her keys. She opens her bedroom window and sneaks out through the roof.

Once she comes home, she codes on her computer against an attack. She takes out a floppy disk, puts it in her jacket pocket, then leaves. She walks down an alley and into a building for rent. She confronts a man about who he's been talking to since the sheriff is asking questions. He swears he didn't tell anyone. She ups the price to double unless he doesn't want it. He pays her in cash and she leaves.

Lily asks Megan for money to go to the movies, and Debbie tells Megan to let her have some fun since they canceled the Ocean Bloom. Megan hands her money but wants her to change her shirt first, and gets called a “biatch” in response. Megan says she looks slutty, but Lily would rather look like a slut than have everyone think she's a freak. She takes the money in the end. Debbie doesn't want her to be so hard on Lily, but Megan insists she's just looking out for her and goes back to filling a pill container.

Megan pulls into the pier, walking until wailing police sirens stop her. She looks at the bulletin board where a missing persons flier is pinned, though the picture has been torn off. Parker notices and pauses, admitting that none of this would have happened if she hadn't come into town. Megan thinks about that all the time. They exchange a look before Megan keeps walking.

She picks up her mom's prescriptions from the pharmacy and overhears two customers talking about how the fisherman found a body in the lake, but they don't know who it is yet. They're bringing in the coast guard. She gets the prescriptions and then quickly leaves, driving hurriedly through the woods to a cabin. As she gets out of the car, she drops a California driver's license with Isabella's picture on it, but a new name is attached - Pat Highsmith. She tosses the license in the car and then hurries inside. She begins scrubbing blood off the wooden floors using a rag and bleach. She startles when the wind opens the door, then goes back to furiously scrubbing.

She drives down to the pier and beeps at a line of traffic heading in the same direction. An ambulance speeds past and a police boat is on the water. She gets out of the car and runs after the ambulance. She arrives at the lake and stares out at the water where the paramedics are moving the body, now in a bag, into an ambulance. Sheriff Myer oversees the event, and Megan breathes heavily before jogging to the crime scene tape to watch the officers escorting the body bag. She sees the male coder in the distance, then Steve arrives with Brent. Steve pushes past the crime scene tape despite Sheriff Myers trying to stop him. He unzips the bag, pausing before identifying Luke. Brent starts to get emotional as Debbie holds his arm. Megan looks over at them, out of breath, and the paramedics take the body away. Isabella stands next to Megan and they look at each other. Isabella tells her they have to get their stories straight, and Megan nods. Her ears ring loudly as tears form in her eyes.

Two days later, Isabella joins Megan on the front porch of the Landry house. They both said things they shouldn't have, but now that they found Luke's body people are going to ask questions. So Megan can't shut her out forever. Megan looks over at her and then stands, walking inside without a word.

Later in the day, Isabella and the Landry family drive up to a memorial for Luke. She knows he'll have a million new best friends soon enough, just like Princess Diana. People who never cared when she was alive suddenly started crying at her memorial, as they loved her. Debbie merely drives on while Isabella looks at the memorial, then Megan in the backseat. The group arrives at the Chambers house looking for Steve. Brent is there, telling them that Steve got called down to the station. Luke didn't just drown, they think he was murdered. The news scares Megan and Isabella.

Isabella and Parker arrive at the police station, where Freddy snidely asks if she killed Luke to have Megan all to herself, with Jeff commenting on the bizarre love triangle. Parker tells her to ignore them as their assholes, but Isabella knows they're just saying what everyone thinks. She sees Megan in the car and joins her. Megan tells her to get out, but Isabella needs to know what she plans to tell the sheriff. They have to stick to their story so it'll all be over. She's leaving on Tuesday which angers Megan. As happy as she'll be to never see Isabella again, she's not going anywhere until this is over. Not if she wants Megan to keep her mouth shut. She gets out of the car and stalks into the station.

On July 19th, Sheriff Myer pulls up to the Landry house and Megan sees him from her window. Isabella watches from the airstream as he knocks on the door, with Debbie answering. She asks if everything is alright and he's afraid not. She lets him inside. The ballistics came back from the gun that shot Luke. It's registered to Steve Chambers, and he's at the Landry's house because there were three pairs of prints on the gun - Luke's, Isabella's, and Megan's.

Megan is coding at Shoreliner when she notices a news report about Luke. The reporter talks about how narcotics were found in Luke's system at the time of his death, leading authorities to suspect foul play. A search in the Chambers cabin found a stray bullet in the wall, leading investigators to believe he died at the cabin. The woman next to Megan muses that she chose the wrong time to vacation in Chatham, and not just because the coffee is terrible. She asks if she and Luke grew up together, surprising Megan. The woman clarifies that she means Luke, the dead boy, then realizes they were dating. This confuses Megan until she sees the woman flash across the television, revealing herself as Jenna Rouse, a reporter. The world wants to hear Megan's side of the story, and she wants to help Megan share it. Megan stands up and agrees the coffee is terrible. She picks up Jenna's cup and pours it on her breakfast, then walks away.

That night, Steve visits Debbie with a casserole, amusing her, because she's pretty sure she's supposed to be the one giving him food. He could open a store with all the casseroles he has. He comes in and sets it on the table. He's holding up, but it's been a bit of a blur. The nights are worse and he doesn't think he'll sleep again until he finds out who killed Luke. Jack told him about the fingerprints on the gun. Debbie, incredulous, asks if he thinks the girls did it, but he knows they were up at the cabin with Luke last summer. They were probably playing around with the gun. There is one strange thing though. Jack said the cabin was cleaned lately, but he hasn't been there in months and neither has Brent. He wonders who did clean it. Megan eavesdrops from her bedroom.

The next morning, in the gazebo at the Landry house, Isabella tells Debbie to get a lawyer. Debbie is sure Sheriff Myer will sort it all out, but Isabella reminds her that he's not her friend anymore, but a cop. Megan accuses her of knowing a lot about the law, but Isabella ignores her. She tells Debbie to just get a lawyer - a really, really good one.

Megan's new lawyer, Tom, talks to her and Debbie at the kitchen table. The sex tape gives Isabella's team an angle they can sell, and Megan jokes about being a jilted lover. With the fingerprints and her being the last one to see Luke starts to tell a story. He answers the phone for jury selection and walks off. Debbie thinks he seems good, and Megan adds that he seems expensive too. She assumes the money came from Steve, then realizes she isn't telling her something. Debbie hasn't asked Megan's father for anything in 12 years, and Megan is taken aback by the answer. She shouts that Debbie said they didn't need him and wouldn't ask him for anything. Debbie knows, but won't let her pride get in the way of getting Megan the best possible defense. It is too important to her. Megan swears to pay him back every cent. The lawyer returns, needing to take them down to the station.

Tom, Debbie, and Megan arrive at the Sheriff's station. Megan sees Isabella in an office room with her lawyer and they lock eyes for a long time until a deputy shuts the door. Sheriff Myer asks Megan when she first learned Luke was missing. She learned the same day as everyone else, the day after the party. He asks why her fingerprints were on the gun; she used the gun last summer when a bunch of them went out to the cabin. He asks Megan if she was mad at Luke after the Christmas party, though Tom answers with no comment. Myer asks if Megan wanted revenge for him breaking her heart. The lawyer responds with no comment.

Megan talks about the last time she saw Luke for the tenth time. They left the party just after midnight, parked near the beach, and she dropped him off at home later. An eyewitness confirms seeing them leaving the party, but as far as her dropping him at home, Myer shows security footage from the Chambers home from midnight to seven AM. He fast forwards through the VHS, though Megan never appears, nor does Luke.

Late at night on July 23rd, Megan takes a bag of trash to the trash cans. She looks around to make sure no one saw her then heads back inside, unaware that Isabella is watching from the airstream. Isabella gets out of the airstream and jogs to the trash, removing the bag to find bloody clothing inside.

In the morning, Tom reminds Megan this is real life and not fiction. It doesn't look good for her and asks when the last time she saw Luke was. It was early that Saturday morning but claimed she hasn't been back to the cabin since then. Debbie listens from the kitchen. He asks if there's anything else she hasn't told him as they can't afford any more surprises. He needs to be prepared for whatever is coming. She insists that's it.

Megan and Tom enter the sheriff's station and she sees Jeff at the counter. Isabella and Rebecca leave as the duo are entering. In an interrogation room, Sheriff Myer shows Megan the letter that Luke left his dad. It says he's running away and seeing family in Virginia. They found Megan's fingerprints on it, though she always said she didn't know Luke was planning to leave. Megan admits he did tell her about him running away. Yet all the times Myer asked, she lied. She lied about dropping him off at home, lied about knowing he was leaving, and now about the letter. Megan insists it was to protect him. She didn't know why he ran away, just that he was scared, but she didn't know what. Myer snaps at her and Tom insists they're done. If he wants to question Megan more he'll have to place her under arrest. Megan stands and leaves with Tom, but not before glancing down at the letter first.

Megan listens to music on her bed when Debbie yanks them off. She's mad that Megan knew Luke was running away and didn't say anything. She let Steve suffer. Megan was trying to protect Luke. He was really freaked out and wouldn't tell her much, just that he had to get away for a while. Debbie wishes she would have told her. This is too much for Megan to handle on her own. Megan admits that Luke showed her the letter while they were at the cabin. She was supposed to put it in Steve's mailbox after she dropped him off at the train station. When she got back to the cabin after work, he wasn't there. For months after he left, every time the phone rang, she thought it would be him.

Sheriff Myer knocks on Debbie's front door with a warrant for Megan's computer, as it may contain evidence of fraud. She shouts after Deputy Hardwicke and runs upstairs, following them. The sheriff and deputy leave with Megan's computer as she watches them go. She looks over at Isabella, who is standing in the doorway of the air stream, watching them.

Once in her room, Megan talks to someone on the phone about taking precautions with her computer, as there's stuff on it. She's not sure she got the code right. Over at the station, Sheriff Myer instructs a deputy to open a file called Y2K\_Patches.dat as it might give them insight into what happened the day of Luke's murder. The file triggers a virus that scrambles the files.

Myer turns on a tape recorder in an interrogation room with Megan and Tom. He just received information that sheds new light on things. She's been playing fast and loose with the truth since Luke disappeared. He paints her a new picture. On January 1st, Luke disappeared without a trace, and Megan was the last person to see him alive. Megan insists he ran away, but Myer calls it her version of events. The letter backs her up, but Myer points out that it has her fingerprints on it. She was helping him, but he questions that or if it was just part of a cover-up. Tom asks if he has a point or if it's just a fairytale. Myer continues that Luke was the love of Megan's life. But by all accounts, their relationship was never the same after the sex tape. Too many secrets, too many lies, and it all got worse when she found out she was pregnant. Tom wants to talk to his client, but Myer presses that he believes Megan and Luke went to the cabin, and she told him he was pregnant. He rejected the idea of a baby with her, of a future with her. So she killed him.

## Personality

Megan is a brilliant coder with a passion for computers. Numbers come easily to the seventeen year old, who spends her days working to save money to help her mother and her nights studying hard in the hopes of gaining a scholarship for college. She dreams of escaping Chatham for a life bigger than the one she has. She has a fierce loyalty to her family and friends, especially her mother and Luke. The latter of whom she’s been friends with since they were children. Megan is also reserved, never takes risks, proceeds with caution, and listens to her sensible side.

With the addition of Isabella to her life, Megan becomes increasingly more outgoing and, once she lets Isabella past her rough exterior, embraces the things she never let herself have before. She starts a relationship with Luke, dances at parties, and becomes carefree. This is heightened after she gets her scholarship and acceptance to Washington University, which is when she and Isabella go cliff jumping for the first time.

## Physical Appearance

Megan is a seventeen-year-old girl with wavy blonde hair, a heart-shaped face, full lips, and almond-shaped brown eyes. She has a tall and slim physique. In the summer of 1999, she wears casual clothing such as overalls, t-shirts with shorts, flannels, and sneakers. She always has her dirty blonde hair in a ponytail and wears minimal makeup, enough to still appear natural. She always wears a small, sterling silver butterfly pendant necklace. By the winter, Megan is more confident in who she is and that reflects in her clothing and appearance. She branches out into classier clothing like long jackets, nicer jeans, blouses, and boots. She "lets her hair down" sporting beach-waved hair which cascades to her shoulders. It lacks some of the natural highlights from the summer. She also begins to wear makeup, such as black eyeliner, a nude lip, and styling her eyebrows. Megan is also seen "shopping Isabella's closet" and borrows Isabella's clothing more frequently. By the summer of 2000, Megan is nearly unrecognizable. Her dirty blonde hair is slicked back from her face, hanging in strands. She sports an eyebrow piercing, heavy earrings, thick black eyeliner, and a dark, smokey eyeshadow. Her clothing is edgier, darker, and heavier in both appearance and weight. On another note, over the three timelines, Megan's style and color pallate change. In Summer 1999, she tends to wear brighter colors (peach orange, light purple, baby blues, white) and by Winter 1999, she wears darker colors (forest greens, gold, navy blues, maroon, dark purple). By Summer 2000, Megan is wearing grunge-goth clothing, sporting dark colors, mainly black and heather/dark gray.

## Notes and Trivia

* Sadie Stanley's real-life beauty styling inspired Megan's Winter 1999 look.

## References

1. ↑ Megan uses this alias for her fake ID in 2.04 - "Springing a Leak".
2. ↑ Megan's instant message name is Shecodes82, referencing her birth year.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 2.01 "Welcome to Chatham"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 2.02 - "Ride or Die"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 2.03 - "Bloody Knuckles"
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 2.04 - "Springing a Leak"