It's Wednesday my dudes (Ahhhhh!) Thank you, as always, for reading. Never forget that I love you, okay? And be nice to yourself because you're prefect just as you are. 

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Playlist:

Rose Colored Boy by Paramore

A Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker (I like this version better but the Beatles are the original)

Where Is My Mind by the Pixies

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I have a tough time sleeping, drifting in and out of a dreamless, almost trance-like sleep. My body reacts with a jerk to myself out of it, to make sure I'm not under whatever spell I was put under. When I give up, I get out of bed at dawn. Still exhausted, even though I spent the better part of 24 hours under Nya's trance, I head down the stairs to make the family breakfast. I try to keep it quiet as I get out the pancake mix, the one thing my brothers have been complaining about since the first day of school.

"Someone is in a good mood this morning." My dad beams at me when he comes down the stairs, ready for work.

Rushing, my mom grabs a piece of toast right behind him. "I got to run, but it looks delicious."

"Sydney, it tastes delicious too," my dad declares, shoving pancakes into his mouth. "You can cook dinner from now on."

"No, thank you, Dad." I go to the stairs. "Come on, get your food or it goes in the trash."

When I turn back, my mom and dad are looking at me. "You okay hun? You have plenty of time."

"Peachy." I force a smile. "You'll be late, Mom."

She looks at her watch and cuss, without another word, she's out the door.

Caleb comes down first. "Hell yeah, pancakes. Finally."

"We don't say that word, Caleb." My dad boasts in a stern voice.

"Hell yeah, flat cakes." My mom would have gone off on him, but my dad relaxes and laughs.

"Hell yeah, pancakes." Aaron exclaims entering the kitchen.

"No, flat cakes, we don't say pancakes."

"Flat cakes are lame. Roadkill cakes."

"I lost my appetite." I push my plate I haven't even started on away from me and stand up. "I need to do my hair."

"Dibs!" my brothers yell at the same time as I headed towards the stairs.

I go up to my bathroom and spend extra time meticulously styling my hair and applying makeup, hoping to enhance my appearance. Despite the chill in the air this morning, I pull on a sundress that is at the length I would not get a talking to for wearing. Boys are with Dad by the front door when I reach stairs.

"You look nice." He smiles, then he narrows his eyes. "Wait, isn't that boy coming back to school today?"

"Come on, we'll be late for the bus." I push them out the door and blow a kiss to my dad. "Bye Dad, see you tonight."

He steps out onto the porch right after us to glare at me as we head down the road toward the bus stop.

"Why do you look like that?" Aaron asks, looking disgusted.

Caleb, while scrolling on his phone says without looking up. "Her boyfriend is coming back to school, stupid."

"I'm not stupid, you're stupid."

Caleb now pockets his phone excitedly. "Well, if I'm stupid and we were the same egg, then..."

"We're both stupid." They boom out at the same time.

"This must be a huge milestone for you." I shake my head at them. "Go wait at the bus stop."

They run off together, getting the attention of a few other boys waiting for the bus. They pull some sort of trading cards out of their backpacks and start passing them around the three of them. Some other kids show up, and two of them I recognize join my brothers, Lazarus, and Samson Woodman. Aaron broke off from the group he was with going up to Samson.

This could be bad.

I glance behind me and notice Lois' disgusted expression fixed on me. She walks by without waiting for a response, and then Elon walks by reading a book. And caring the rear, I see Abe walking up. He spots me looking, and his half-smile lights up his face, and Aaron is out of my mind.

Because, Abe's face is unmarked.

No black eye, no bruising around the neck, and not even a cut on his lip. He looks normal, as he had the first day I met him a week ago, without a hint of abuse. He comes up to me, and right away I reach up and touch his eye. "You look..."

"Good?" He says slyly. His finger finds the ring of one of my curls, letting it wrap around. "So do you, Vidal."

"Abe." I step back from him, his hand dropped from my hair. "How?"

He looks at his siblings, and then down. All of them couldn't care less except Lois, who is glaring at him, giving him some sort of warning.

"Nothing happened." He finds my eyes, pleading for me to drop it. "I'm good now, and that's what matters."

The bus for our siblings pulls up, one by one they all pile in, I think maybe he will tell me now, but I guess the subject has been dropped.

He leans against a tree, flashing that half smile at me. "How was your weekend?"

Oh, I was kidnapped by some supernatural creatures that I'm still not convinced are real. I sigh, trying to select the truth that wouldn't make me sound absolutely insane. "Not a lot happened."

"Charlie hounded me, she said you missed that art class. Was that my fault?"

I greet him with a warm smile. "No, it was my fault. Don't you worry your pretty little head, Woods."

"You think I'm pretty?" He touches his cheek. "Shucks, I didn't even do my makeup today." I roll my eyes with a laugh; his face slowly drops more serious. Tentatively, as if he is doubting himself, he reaches out to touch my cheek, I let him, covering his hand with mine, and I smile up at him. "I'm really, really sorry you had to see that. If I had an inkling he would have been home, I wouldn't have let you be there. I don't want to put you in that kind of situation. I need to be more cautious when it comes to people coming over, don't get me wrong, I was happy to see you, but he's such an asshole."

"I don't want you to be in that situation either." I lower his hand off my cheek, keeping my hand in his.

"That was nothing." He waves with his free hand. "There's been worse and probably will be worse in the future. I don't know if you notice, but I can be sort of a smart ass." He smiles, flashing his teeth.

"Woods."

"Nothing we can do, not now, anyway." He releases my hand. "I'm sorry you were there; I hope we can stay friends."

I open my mouth with my direction on what to say, then close it, nodding. I need to figure out how to help him. "It's okay, and of course we're friends. That won't change it for me."

"It's not any better at school. At least for this year."

"Oh yeah," I turn to him. "What is up with you and Austin?"

He stiffens a little but shrugs it off. "He thinks I'm weird and I think he's an ass."

"It seems intense, what happened last year?"

"I kicked his and his lame friends' asses, four against one, and I still got them."

"How?"

The bus pulls up. He pushes himself off the tree, winking at me as he passes by. "I got an ace up my sleeve."

We hop on the bus and grab a seat. "Mind sharing your secret?" I tease.

He waves his hand. "A master of his own skills never gives away secrets."

"That's not true, they take on an apprentice to pass on their knowledge."

"Oh, so, you want a master-apprentice type thing." He grins. "I can get on board with that."

"You're so funny, you know that?" I roll my eyes.

"I insist on you call me master." He goes into his backpack and pulls out a toaster treat, pulls one out, and drops the other in my lap. "Then may I'll be on my best behavior."

I smile at him. "You're going to give me diabetes."

"If you don't want it, then I'll eat it."

"No," I wave his hand away. "No, I'll eat it, but you're paying for the insulin."

"Deal." He says biting into his. "Bet your parents are thrilled your friends with me." I swallow hard thinking of my mom's warning, he notices, but he laughs. "Figures. Burke probably told them about me."

I gaze downwards at my treat, breaking it up into crumbs. "My mom is a victim's advocate; she knows people from the police department."

I feel him stiffen up a little. "Ah. So, the worst of the worst."

"She's not a cop, her job it to advocate for the ones that are victimized. The horror stories she has told me." I got to take another bite, but I catch him looking down at his untouched treat. "Do... do you want to talk to her?"

"Me? No." He releases a forced laugh, but that solemn appearance on his face lingers. "I, I don't know, I might know something who could benefit from it."

My appetite left, he was sad it was clear as day, but somehow, he is the one getting in trouble when it was a clear cry for help. Reaching over, I take the hand that rested on his lap, his fingers curling over mine. "When you're ready, if you're ever ready, you can talk to me, and I will do what I can. I won't curl up in fear again, I'll be stronger. For you."

"Are you a super woman now?" He smiles, but it never reaches his eyes.

"Damn straight." I beam. "Enemies beware."

A soft chuckle escapes him, causing his shoulders to shake subtly. "I would love to see you kicks ass."

With a slight squeeze, I tighten my fingers around his. "I would too, for you."

He puts the back of my hand to his lips, and a tide wave of nerves, excitement, confusion hit me at once. But he releases my hand, and smiles a true one, and I think he may kiss me, butterflies swirling in my stomach. But no, he just says in a low voice: "Thank you, Thea."

"Didn't make it to class Friday." Charlie slyly says, taking an open seat in front of us, Harper is one seat ahead of her. "I'm assuming she was with you?"

"I'm a lady and a lady doesn't kiss and tell." Abe looks offended.

"Woods." I roll my eyes at him. "I was at home, I had a bad day, I was a little homesick."

She looks between us, trying to decide who she should trust, and, of course, nods at me. "I'm sorry you should have called; I would have come over or something."

"It's okay," I smile appreciatively. "Next time I'll think of you."

"I hate Mondays." Harper moans, the kid next to her glares up.

"Okay, Garfield." Abe says with a mouth full of toaster pastry.

"Are you coming to class tonight?" Charlie asks, trying to ignore everyone. "I know Nya is a little out there at times, but she's really nice, too."

I smile up at her, but I wasn't certain how badly I want to see any of them after this weekend. Figuring it's probably best to go and find out what happened after I left, I nod. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"How was your weekend?" Harper calls back.

"Do you mind?" The guy next to her nearly yells.

"Shut up, Jeremy, or I'll tell the story of when you peed yourself on the field trip to Salem Town Forest."

"Oh crap, that was last year." Abe laughs.

Jeremy looks back down, his ears turning red. Chatting continues until we arrive at the school. As a group, we disembark the bus and head into the building, still talking. Charlie and I go one way, while the other two go a different way.