"Alright class, if you look at page 394 you will see the exercises for this chapter. That is your homework - and yes Scarlett, you are expected to do all. Hand in your books on Wednesday. Class dismissed."

I stood up distractedly along with the rest of the students, my mind still on the weekend. I had called father and got the name of a "friend", who I gave Keegan Hood's particulars to. He explained that running it was like running the license plate of a car, except he had to do it less-than-legally. It would take three days, and then he would give me a list. As in a complete list of Keegan's daily activites - who were his friends, who did he knew, and what did he do at what time of the day. He would also be checking out for any recent activities Keegan did that deviated from the norm. 

Yesterday night Samson - the friend - called back. He said he hadn't gotten everything yet, but what he could tell me at the moment was that Keegan was married to a woman named Eliza, who worked in marketing, and they had one son named Kaylan. They were a typical rich family, and Kaylan was the typical image of boy gone bad to crave busy parents' attention. I texted father the simplified version of the information I had so far gained.  

It was Monday, and my mind was figuring out all the information I had gotten last night. Eric had only said unmarked third party involved, and didn't give me a number. The entire family of three could be in it together. The father was a criminal lawyer. The son had a high chance of being Storeroom Stalker. The mother was in marketing......maybe she sold Black and Tan merchandise? I could just imagine it now. T-shirts and cups with the design

As the class filed out the teacher called my name. "Miss Banner, can you wait for awhile please? And you too Mr Winston." 

I winced a little. I had a feeling I knew what the teacher was going to say. I stood next to the door as all the students walked past and out of the room. Another boy was hanging behind too, sitting at his desk, and I guessed correctly that this was Mr Winston. 

His brown hair was soft and curly, tousled in a way that managed to look neat at the same time. His glasses were square black frames, and he was wearing a blue-white plaid shirt. He had that constant frozen-deer-in-the-headlights look.

As he got up from his chair the hem of his shirt caught the table and he was jerked backwards, losing his balance and collapsing in a heap back on his seat, his books falling out of his arms. Hastily he made to lean down and get them but his hem was still stuck and he was tugged backwards again. He finally freed it and bend down to retrieve his books, only to knock his head when coming back up. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "By Zeus' thunderbolt".

I stifled a snort of laughter. All in all, your standard image of a nerdy klutz. He was the kind that went unnoticed, that blended into the background. One of the invisible ones. I would not have  noticed him too, if I weren't trained to remember faces.

He shuffled over to the teacher's desk, glanced at me once and looked away. Awkward silence commenced. The teacher closed the door behind the last student and sat down at his desk.

"Miss Banner," he began, "I've noticed that you're lagging quite a bit behind in your assignments. Are you facing difficulties with the syllabus?"

I gave a half-shrug and half-nod. "Well yes, I guess. Sometimes the questions get a little - uh, too hard for me."

"Did you not learn some of it at your previous school?"

"We uh - had a different syllabus. Very much different."

"I see." My Physics teacher gestured at the boy. "William here is a really bright pupil. Top of his class in all subjects I believe?" He directed the last question at William.

"Uh no." Even his speech pattern sounded nervous. "Not Maths unfortunately. Mathias is first in that class. I'm second."

"Right. Top of his class except Maths then. He would make a great tutor."

It took me a moment to get his meaning.  "Oh," I said. 

"Oh," William said. 

"Miss Banner, you could use some academic help. As for you William, remember the time you asked me how to get extra credits? Well here you go. Help Miss Banner, and if she gets at least a B grade for finals, I'll give you those extra credits. Win-win." The teacher leaned back in his chair.

"So the two of you. Deal?"

I thought. I did need the help. I didn't intend to stay here any second longer, but I've learned that kids with bad grades get called up to the school committee. Stay in the middle. Don't go the extremes. That probably applied to my grades as well.

"Deal," I said.

"Okay," William said. 

"Alright!" The teacher looked satisfied. "Shake on it, the two of you! You're now study buddies! Yay!"

I smiled back tolerantly and offered William a hand. For a moment he didn't look as if he would take it, but then he shook. His touch was tentative, unsure, and his smile awkward. 

We left the classroom together for our next period, Chemistry. He was in that class as well. It was a long uncomfortable pause as we walked down the hallway. I wondered if I should make some small talk. 

"William, you - " I began, at the same time he turned around and said, "So Hayley, do you - "

We paused and then broke out in embarrassed laughter.

"Why don't you go first," he said. 

"Me? Okay. So William. You read Percy Jackson?"

He nodded. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"You were using an exclamation from the book when you hit your head just now."

He ran his fingers through his hair, looking even more embarrassed than I would have thought possible. "Oh yeah. I did." He shot me a small smile. "So you're a book person too huh? Most of the people I know would have said Percy Jackson the movie."

I laughed, and decided not to tell him that I had never watched a movie in my life. When I was younger my mother managed to sneak me into the living room once in a while to watch morning cartoons, and when I was in my early teens I was able to watch Pretty Little Liars, but it all came to an abrupt stop when she died. 

Basically all the fun activities I had ever had in my early life ended when she left.  

Even now, the fact that I can toss out pop culture reference after pop culture reference

is because I'm telling the story right now, after everything's been resolved and done with. After exploring the Internet thoroughly and going on one too many movie dates with - 

Well. You'll see.

Back to the story. 

We entered the lab together only to find that Mrs Smith was in the middle of reorganizing the seating arrangements. She looked up from her list and snapped her fingers. "I was wondering why there were two less. Hayley and William, since you guys entered late and the rest of the class has been arranged, you two will be lab partners for the rest of the year. Take a seat, lovebirds."

The class laughed and William turned a shade of ripe tomato red. I ignored them and made my way to an empty table, William following behind.

"Woo-hoo, newbie's riding on two sailboats at the same time! Hudson Hood and Steamboat Willie!" came the inevitable yell, and the whole class erupted into ruckus.

Mrs Smith started telling us about the project we had to complete with our new lab partners. William took out his notebook and started scribbling, in point-form, what she was saying. I looked around. He seemed to be one of the few students doing so, and he certainly was the only one underlining what no doubt were key phrases. So this was how one scored in classes huh? I dug out a notebook and started writing too, sneaking a glance at William's book once in a while to copy down what I had missed. 

Halfway through William started to speak. "Hayley, do you - "

He was cut off by the lab door swinging open. Everyone looked. A male teacher was standing there and Mrs Smith walked over, where a short conversation ensued. The male teacher walked away and Mrs Smith faced us. 

"Well! It seems as if we have yet another new student here in our class! Hayley, you're officially upgraded from newbie status!" she joked. Half of the class cheered and the other half groaned.

"Is she hot?" someone asked. Cue wolf-whistles.

Mrs Smith rolled her eyes, but before she could answer the new student stepped inside the class, in full view for all to see, and replied the question.

"I am, but I don't think I'm your type though." The class laughed and some clapped to show admiration. The boy who had asked the question scratched his head in embarrassment.

As for me, the point of the pencil I had been using snapped as my entire pose went rigid.

Damian Blackcroft swept his eyes around the place until they landed on who he was searching for. That ever-so-familiar smirk sent the corners of his lips curving upwards. When he spoke he addressed the class, but looked right at me. 

"Hello. I'm the new student." 

His eyes drilled lasers into mine as he said his next words. 

"And you can call me Thomas."

*

Damian was walking to the cafeteria, his head low, almost frowning, looking over his class schedule. He looked nothing more than an average high-schooler, trying to get through his confusing first day at his new school. 

Until an arm snaked out from the nearby arts and crafts room, the very same one Storeroom Stalker and I had hid to avoid detection. Fingers grabbed him by the collar, dragging him viciously inside, before the door slammed shut. I pinned him to the wall, the blade of my knife at his throat.

He barely flicked an eyelid. "Hello tigress," he greeted pleasantly. "What a coincidence to see you here!"

"Don't give me that crap," I snarled. "Why are you here? How did you find me?"

"A question for a question." He crossed his arms. "Why are you here?"

"Answer mine first."

"Very well then. I'm here to bring you home. You?"

"I'm sure my father told you. I ran away."

His eyes glinted. "Did you? I'd have expected a runaway to travel much further away from the manor. Did you know the distance between the two is only twenty miles? Less than an hour's drive."

"I didn't have the money."

"Ah I see." He gestured around us. "And you decided to run away......to a school?"

"Maybe I wanted a normal life. Maybe I wanted to know what it feels like to be a normal teenager for once."

"Really? I didn't know normal teenagers learn four different types of martial arts and participate actively in combat. Because if I recall properly those are the things you love to do. Didn't you love them so much that you even risked your father's wrath to learn and practice them?"

The blade of the knife pressed deeper into his throat and he raised an arm in surrender. "Enough questions," I hissed. "My turn. How did you find me?"

Damian sighed. "It's Blackcroft. Did you seriously think you could hide from us forever?"

No, but I thought I could hide long enough. At least until I found the will. "Who else came with you?" I asked. 

For the briefest of seconds his eyes flickered, but I couldn't be sure if I had imagined it or nor. "No one," he said cheerfully. "It's just me and you, tigress."

I held the knife there for awhile longer before dropping it. "Don't call me that in front of my friends."

"Oh, do you have friends now? I see you're really making a life for yourself here."

"Yes Damian, I am. And I would appreciate if you didn't ruin it."

"I'll do that. But only" - and that smirk came back - "if you call me Thomas."

I slapped him.

He arched both his eyebrows, his head facing sideways to the closed door as he worked his jaw. I stepped close, my fists clenched, the anger coursing through my veins boiling and frothing like never before. This was the first time I had slapped him - had slapped anyone - and by the Lord, I was more than willing to do it again.

"There is a limit to my tolerance, Damian." I spat the last word.

He looked up, and I saw the dark aura settling on his face, his true nature slipping past his facade for a moment.

"And there is a limit to mine," he growled back.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

HA! I GOT YOU! HAYLEY, I GOT DAMIAN! 

*to Damian* Speak, you filthy encumbered toad! Who is the mysterious person that you have brought along and unleashed on Pambrooke?

Hayley : Wait, what? He told me he was alone! You lied?

How dare you lie! You will tell us the truth, or so help me God I will force it out of you!

Damian : Nevaaahhh! I will never tell you the truth!

Very well. You leave me no choice. I will impose upon you the greatest punishment......ONE HOUR OF NON-STOP

Damian : Gah! My eyes! I speaketh! I sweareth to speaketh the truth, and nothing but the truth! The person is - *passes out from too much of aforementioned torture*

~~~~~~~~~~~>  

Haha. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist....this chapter is dedicated to scarlet_shadowss, for being one of the book's earliest supporters! You know you changed your username recently and I panicked because I couldn't find you to make this dedication :) Thank you for all the amazing votes and comments!

To the rest of you, please vote and comment so I know who you guys are! I really want to show my appreciation to all of you for your support, so by voting and commenting I can find out who you are :) DEDICATIONS COMING YOUR WAY TO ALL THOSE WHO VOTE AND COMMENT!