After the bell signaling the end of 6th period, Greg started to walk down the hallway full of frantic kids wanting to leave as soon as humanly possible.

As he removed his things from the locker, Greg briefly considered sneaking around back to go to his destination, but decided against it.

'She already knows where we're going,' he thought, seeing Terra waiting for him in front of the school.

"Hey, stranger!" she called out, running up to him.

"I'm running a little late, so we should hurry," Greg said, avoiding much eye contact as he lead the way down the sidewalk.

On the long walk home, Terra talked about her favorite movies, shows, books, and anime. As they passed the gas station, they heard the familiar obnoxious voice of Chad Wilson.

"Hey, sexy! What happened to the school girl outfit?" he cooed rudely, smirking at Terra before his eyes travelled to Greg beside her.

"Oooh, the freaks found love?" he mocked over his shoulder to his group of friends who were approaching too, but none of them had the courage to do anything in broad daylight. "I'll deal with you later."

Not wanting to stick around longer than they had to, Greg immediately led Terra away, putting her in front of him to pretend that he actually cared about this and didn't see this all as just a huge inconvenience.

"Does he wait for you every day?" he asked her, keeping his eyes forward as they walked.

"We'll I've only gone to school twice, but he's been there for both," she chuckled weakly.

"You should tell somebody."

"Nobody would believe me, but even if they did, they can't do much if he's not on private property. It's not like they can tell him not to walk on a common path that kids take home from school..." she replied back with a roll of her eyes.

As they finally reached the parking lot of Greg's family store, the big sign with the name The Markdown greeted them and when they stepped inside, his mom almost instantly swooped on them as well.

"Hello, son! Hello, Terra! It's nice to see you again!" she exclaimed while walking passed them on her way out.

"Yeah she...wanted to help me run the store until Dad came by," Greg said, though he wasn't asked

"The more the merrier," Brenda shrugged, closing the door on her way out.

"I'll get to straighting the shelves and you get to studying," Greg said, turning to Terra and pointing to a small table behind the front counter.

"I have plenty of time to study, I'll dust the antiques!" she countered and pulled a duster out of nowhere, prancing off before Greg could protest.

They both worked in silence for a while until they heard the door chime ring, and when they peered over, they watched as the same intoxicated man stumbled in and leaned against the counter.

"Ey wanna sell muh bike," he slurred heavily, obviously not remembering how this scene played out last time.

"Thirty bucks!" he exclaimed, reaching out towards Terra who had retreated behind the counter.

"Sir, we don't do business with intoxicated people. I'm going to have to ask that you leave," Greg said, stepping between Terra and the man at the counter who was armed with a beer bottle this time.

In his drunken state, it was so easy to see the man prepare to attack, that even Terra watched in horror, but, not needing to pretend to be helpless, Greg just as easily blocked it and twisted the man's hand behind his back.

"We don't much like to be sucker punched," he hissed into the man's ear before commanding Terra to open the door where he quite literally threw the man out.

"Shouldn't we call the cops?" Terra asked with a tremble in her voice as she watched Greg nonchalantly toss the beer bottle away and pocket the man's driver's license.

"No, he won't come back again," Greg replied without much more to it.

"Because you took his ID?" she asked skeptically, but loosened her grip on the feather duster she had brandished as a weapon.

"Yep."

"I wish I could do that," Terra sighed, finally giving in a sitting back to finally crack open her math book.

"The wrist lock? It's not that hard, Nick could probably show you," Greg commented and sat down to read, too, as if nothing had just happened.

"No, not that. I mean act without any emotion," she said softly, giving him a look of both accusation and curiosity. "I always seem to attract trouble and it always overwhelms me, but I can't do anything about it."

Greg didn't really answer, nor did he even look over at her long before staring back at his book.

'This seems like one of those times people want to just vent and be listened to,' he thought, hoping that was the correct conclusion. He didn't care much about her problems, but he didn't want to cause any new ones either.

"No matter where I go, what I say, how I dress, people always target me..."

"People will do anything when they feel they can get away with it. They are primitive, ruthless animals, and the world would be a better place without them," Greg finally spoke, flicking his gaze towards her.

Terra just stared back silently with a weird expression, one Greg couldn't read.

"Yeah, but there are good people, too," she blinked, quickly looking back down at her book. "Like your mom and dad, the Robinsons, Nick, you, and my brother..."

"Your parents and uncle didn't make the list," Greg commented, clearly disinterested as he turned a page.

"Oh... They're good people, they just--"

Suddenly the sound of Jack's truck pulling up stopped Terra in her tracks, both her and Greg gathering up their stuff and going outside without another word to each other.

The silence inside the truck was a bit awkward until Jack broke the ice.

"So, how far are you from here Terra?"

"A few blocks that way and then turn left," she said quietly, sneaking a glance towards Greg who was absentmindedly peering out the window. "Thank you for helping me with my math homework, Greg."

"It's no problem. I'm sorry we didn't get much done."

"You know..." Jack started, looking sideways at his son. "Your mother has the store under control tomorrow, so why don't you two do some studying at the house?"

"Th-That would be great!" Terra exclaimed instantly, her cheeks a bright pink.

'We don't need this! Any day now, Mr. Grand Wizard will be vulnerable for a brief moment and we can't miss our chance!' Greg sighed in his mind as they pulled up to Terra's shack-like home.

He didn't even react when Terra planted a kiss on his cheek from the back seat before hopping out and running inside.

Leaving her behind without so much as a goodbye, Jack once again broke the silence, offering Greg a smile.

"Glad to see you two worked things out. That's how us Matthews men work with women. They hate us until they don't."