I pull up in the closet parking spot I could find. My car wasn't uncommon in the sea of vehicles that littered Gates Bay Highschool. Everywhere you look you can see expensive sports cars and luxury cars. Every now and then you can see trucks or worn down family cars lended down from one another. Gates Bay didn't have a specific price tag students needed to achieve. Anyone can afford it.

I dash out, locking the car before jogging as fast as I could to the front. Principal Stein hated late people. The students of Gates Bay made way for me, probably scared I'd give them a detention. I was quite famous for that. As Stein's "birdie", I had to follow the rules of the school very seriously. Apparently that made me the good boy who's just a little too good.

I finally approach Principal Stein, who's arms are crossed and forehead creased in a fuming anger. She was wearing her favorite dress suit and her hair was let loose in a amber flame instead of a fire waterfall. I noticed her glasses were sitting on top of her head, probably pulled off in frustration. Her brown eyes were heated in a bubbly fury.

"Thank god you're here Callum." Principal Stein frowned, her lips permanently in an upside down 'u'. I looked over her shoulder and stared in shock at the big graffiti behind her.

It was a bird painted in beautiful vibrant colors. The strokes from the paint cans were smooth, fading into the grey concrete. The fledgling was in brilliant shades of blue, pink, and black. I stared at it a little more closer, wondering why some person would paint such a sad thing. The paint dripped off the wall and spilled in tiny puddles on the ground, adding more to the sad aura of the fledgling. This whole painting was gloomy, yet, there was something missing. . .

"This person will get a week of suspension for vandalizing property! I will make this person scrub it off with a toothbrush!" Principal Stein continued shrieking punishments, scaring the student body that now formed a big circle around us. I apologetically smile at all of them, making sure to make a note in my head to write an apology for the disruption.

I gazed down back at the bird, my eyebrows furrowed. The bird was familiar, but really, it was any other bird. The messy signature in black at the corner was unreadable and that didn't really help.

"Whoever did this must confess! I will give you a full month to confess or else I'll take away electives one by one! I mean sports too!" She shrieked to the top of her lungs, the whole school bursting into an angry chatter. I put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down before she can get a heart attack. This threat was as worse as the ones she's given.

Whoever the artist was, must confess.

"Come on guys, let's get a move on." I hear my partner in crime shout, urging the crowds away with help from other prefects. He finally shows up now apparently.

"Hey Prissy," Vincent approached me, a smirk on his face with sticky crumbs attached to it, "I finally was the knight to your distressed prissy-ness." He bowed, fumbling to get back up. I roll my eyes, hoping Stein wouldn't have heard the silly nickname.

"Mister Vasquez, I want all prefects to be on guard. I will inform you of the extra payment." Stein adjusted her glasses back to her face, composing herself with her breathing technics.

"Yes, I'll go do that. Can my payment be a box of donuts every morning when I walk in—"

"Shut up and do your job. I'll consider it." Stein shooed him away with a wave of her hand, clearly not interested in Vincent's interest in food. She called him a glutinous chicken behind his back, demanding someone to offer him Weight Watchers.

"Now you," She turned to face me, her lips pressed together tightly, "I want you to find the person. Ditch all of your duties and find them as soon as possible. I trust you Callum."

"Y-yeah, I mean, yes. I'll do it." Finding the mystery artist was just as better as being he hall monitor that gives out detentions like candy.

"Good. Now excuse me, I'll be taking off the baking club after a favor." She walked across the campus, muttering to herself loudly through the clatter of her too tall heels.

I sigh, dropping my perfect posture (Stein fixed it for me) and letting myself take it all in. How was I going to find them?

▔▔▔▔▔

The day went by miraculously fast by the time I stepped out of last period. I had the whole after school to search for the delinquent instead of sitting in The Lounge, waiting for the security camera monitors to ring me up.

I had no idea where to start. I only have the painting to work with and the messy signature.

"Looks like someone's down in the dumps." I jerk around to see Elijah, walking towards me with his hands in his leather jacket pockets.

"What're you doing here?" My eyebrows furrow as he approached me, his smile wide. He's a first year down at the community college—not a high schooler.

"I had to pick up something for Mom in the office," He shrugged, his hair covering his eyes, "Then I saw you looking like an angry munchkin that lost its pointy-toed shoes." My older brother snickered. I could only just glare at him, not wanting to engage in his teasing.

"I have to work after school to find some vandalizing lunatic." I grumble, avoiding his eyes. I always shrunk into a ball when Elijah eyed me. Every time those stormy eyes look at me, I just want to disappear to anywhere but in his presence.

"Oh. Only Stein would trust her bird." He chuckled dryly. I looked down at my feet, knowing it was true and denying it was a complete lie.

"You best be off now little brother. Stein expects much." Elijah singsonged, walking past me and off to the parking lot. I growl at him, rolling my eyes and getting out of there as fast as I could.

Once I was out of Elijah's sight, I walked back to the graffiti, staring at it, trying to find any clues. Analyzing things was my forte—nothing can go past me without me figuring it out. Well, it sort of depends if I actually want to look into it.

It was just a sad fledgeling on a sad concrete wall. I had no clue who would have done it. I walk closer to it, touching the strokes with a finger now that it was dry. I tried to remember anyone who'd paint this as I know everyone in the premises.

"If only you'd just show up." I mutter, standing back, searching for anything I was missing.

When I was sure to give up, I turned away from the painting, shoving my hands in my pockets as I carried on the two hour shift. I took a brief sigh, aimlessly walking in circles around the graffiti. How does Stein expect me to find them in a day or two?

Then the sound of a dropped item took my attention. I snapped around my head at the direction of the sound, staring wide eyed at the black figure. From where I was standing, I could see them, but not identify their name.

Them was a she. A she with really long, brown hair and dark brown, almost black eyes.  And that she was wearing all black except for her eye pleasing green shirt. I couldn't miss the paint stains on her palms that were wide open.

"Hey! You!" I shout at her, running up towards the girl who's starting to back away.

Then she ran. For god sake she ran.

I of course followed her, trying to use my time as a track runner (that was back in sixth grade) to catch up to her. Elijah wasn't kidding—I was out of shape. I continued pumping my legs to get her, a piercing pain in my side from lack of endurance hurt me good. I had to catch her or else she'd wreck havoc on Gates Bay.

We turned a corner, and as I was about to catch up, she stopped. I crashed right into her and we fell. Somehow she'd turn around some point in the collision and when I opened my eyes, there she was. She had a weirded out look on her face, not able to move because of my weight.

Then, I realized. My chin is right in between her breasts.