"It isn't what you think." Tyler was the first one to talk when we joined Jared at his car. But Jared was still frowning.

"We need to get her inside the car and out of here now," Tyler instructed quietly but firmly so none of the students around would hear.

Jared had a questioning look on his face but he complied with Tyler's instruction. He opened the driver side of his car and climbed in. Tyler walked with me to the passenger side and helped me into the car. Once inside I tucked my arm under my own shirt. Tyler closed the passenger door and Jared started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"What's going on?" Jared asked with an edge of anger. He threw me a side glance before turning his concentration back to the road ahead.

I wet my lips nervously with my tongue as I tried to figure out the best way to tell him. Although at this point there didn't seem to be a 'best' way.

"Can we wait till we get to the house and I'll explain," I answered, trying to delay it a bit.

I didn't want to have this heavy and in depth conversation in the car. Besides I didn't know how he would react when he saw my hand and he needed to concentrate on getting us home safely. He pressed his lips together but I could see his jaw tense as he drove us home.

As soon as we pulled up to his house he jumped out of the driver side and walked around to my side. He helped me out of the car. It wasn't so easy trying to get out of the car with my school bag in one hand and the other hand tightly tucked into the front of my shirt.

"What's wrong with your hand?" he asked when he saw my hand hidden into the front of my shirt. Surprisingly enough neither of us could see the light through the thin material of my shirt.

"Let's get inside and I'll show you," I insisted.

A slam of the car door and a few steps and we were both through his front door, safe and sound in his house. As soon as the front door closed he turned to me expectantly.

"What's going on?" he asked. His forehead creased in a frown. It was time to tell him.

"Well."

"Cut the bullshit and spit it out," he demanded, his eyes darkening with anger which wasn't a good sign.

I pulled my right hand out from under my shirt and revealed what I'd been hiding. Blue energy was still sporadically running across my hand.

A look of disbelief and bewilderment settled on his face. Slowly he reached out and gently touched the skin of my hand. I held my breath slightly waiting for something to happen but nothing did. It didn't hurt him at all.

"When did it happen?" he asked still watching my hand intently.

"Yesterday was the first time it happened." I told the truth even though there was a good chance it was going to land me up in more trouble.

"Yesterday!" he exploded as his eyes shot to mine. I took a step back taken aback at the intensity of his anger for me. I swallowed hard.

"When?' he asked angrily, his jaw clenched.

I hesitated for a moment.

"Yesterday after school finished I went to the bathroom and I felt a jolt. There was a flame of blue energy in my hand. It had been so small I'd questioned I'd even seen it correctly or that it had even happened," I tried to explain but it did nothing to soften the hardness in his eyes.

Nothing I seemed to say was going to ease the anger he was projecting.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he questioned angrily as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I-," I tried to explain before he cut me off.

"-how could you keep something like this from me?" he continued. He was shaking his head at me.

I'd had my reason for doing what I had but under the intensity of his anger none of those reasons seemed good enough as an excuse for my actions.

Instead of trying to answer him I bit my lip trying to swallow the tightness in my throat.

"You don't look surprised to see this," he noted nodding at my disco hand. His eyes narrowed and on me.

If I was going to come clean, I had to admit everything although I knew it would just make him angrier.

"It happened this morning," I told him murmured committed to be honest even though I knew it would assure another wave of anger in my direction.

"Why didn't you tell me this morning?" he asked with a raised voice. He ran his hand through his hair. It was a sign he was agitated.

"I'd missed so much school already this week and I knew if I told you about my arm you wouldn't let me go to school."

He looked at the ceiling like he was trying to keep a lid on his building anger while he listened to my pathetic explanation. I watched him close his eyes and take a deep breath before looking at me again. I was prepared for the next wave of anger and I didn't have to wait long.

"It never once occurred to you that by you keeping this from me and going to school you put us all at risk. Luckily Tyler was around but what if he hadn't been there? Or what would have happened if it had happened right in the middle of a class? If anyone had seen anything we would have been exposed," he yelled, "You put all of our lives at risk!"

I had no answers. I dropped my gaze to the floor as guilt began to overwhelm me. Tears stung my eyes and the tightness in my throat increased but I refused to give in and cry. I hadn't thought of any of it. I'd been selfish. I hadn't thought of the fact that it could happen at school and I'd definitely not thought of the repercussions had someone seen it.

"You need to be honest with me!" he continued to yell. He was still so angry. "How can I help you if you continue to keep things from me?"

I bit my lip because I didn't know what to say. He was right of course I should have told him as soon as it had happened. The tears burned but I gritted my teeth to keep them at bay.

There was a knock at the door breaking the onslaught. Jared turned to open the door. It was Tyler and Neve.

"Holy crap!" Neve said when her gaze found my hand as she entered the house behind her brother.

"We're so lucky no one at school saw it," Tyler told Neve with his eyes also fixed on my hand.

Jared rubbed his face but instead of directing his anger to me again he stalked off into the kitchen leaving me behind with Tyler and Neve standing in the hallway.

"What's up with him?" Tyler asked with a crease in his forehead.

"He's angry with me."

"Why?" he asked sounding more confused.

"This...happened this morning before I went to school," I whispered as I lifted my hand slightly in his direction.. I was sure Tyler would be angry with me too and at the moment I had enough anger directed to me.

"This happened before?" Tyler asked with a deepening frown as he processed what I'd just told him.

I nodded. When he looked at me with an incredulous expression I dropped my gaze to the floor, waiting for him to yell me.

"How could you be so stupid?" Tyler said angrily, his voice raised. Just what I needed, another angry Archaic but I had no one to blame but myself.

"I wanted to be sure before I told anyone," I tried to explain but there wasn't any explanation good enough for the fact that I'd kept it a secret and put them at risk.

"Calm down," Neve said to Tyler as she grabbed his arm pulling him slightly away from me.

"Go into the kitchen and calm down," she suggested before she pushed him toward the kitchen. He didn't look at me as he stalked in the same direction as Jared had minutes earlier.