SOPHIE'S EYEBROWS PUCKERED with confusion. She'd never seen a member of the Night Class, let alone three, out and about on campus during the day. The whole point of being a member of the Night Class was to take Night Classes. There was a curfew. There were strict rules about things like this. 

And yet here Eli sat in the back of the classroom, flanked by a smaller group of guys whom she'd seen sitting next to him. A distinct row of empty desks separated them from the rest of the class as if the members of the Day Class were too scared to move any closer. 

Tabatha shifted around on her feet. Sophie used the small distraction to tear her gaze away from the anomaly sitting in front of her. She glanced over her shoulder at the teacher, who sat at her desk, gaze focused on something in front of her. 

Had she even noticed their presence? Her Art of Literature professor seemed oblivious. 

Eli cleared his throat. Sophie's gaze darted back to his face, and his lips stretched into a smile. He leaned forward and patted one of the empty desks beside him. "Come sit, Sophie." 

She scowled. Sophie shot another glance around the classroom, assessing the other students. Most had already filled the classroom --word about Eli being in one of the Day Classes seemed to have spread faster than the news of Sophie's new status. A group of girls crowded around the doorway, watching intently. Sophie steeled herself when she realized that the only open desks in the classroom were the ones in the measly row that separated Eli from the rest of the Day Class and the ones that were next to him and his friends. 

She didn't want to sit near any of them, but she wasn't sure she had much of a choice. 

Tabatha waited silently beside her, her gaze glued to Sophie's expression. Sophie glanced back at Eli, who beamed at her like her clothes had been replaced with a thin layer of chocolate. Her gaze narrowed. 

"That's alright," she said finally, and dumped her backpack into the seat that Eli had motioned for her to sit in. She couldn't allow him to gain any more control and completely ruin her life. It was bad enough she had to participate in the stupid games and deal with his little harem. "I think I'll just sit over here." 

She moved to the next row and sat beside one of his friends. Eli's eyebrows shot up through the roof, and one of the Night Class members snickered. A few of the other girls in the class gasped softly, and the glares that turned toward Sophie made her slide down a bit in her seat. She'd hoped that snubbing him would get them to leave her alone, to help them understand that she wasn't interested. It didn't seem to have worked. 

Tabatha was frozen for a few moments, still standing near the front of the classroom where Sophie had left her. Sophie eyed her warily and arched an eyebrow. Tabatha seemed to shake out of her daze and followed Sophie, claiming the seat in front of her. 

Eli pouted and settled back in his seat. 

"Poor Eli," one of his friends teased lightly. It was the one who sat next to Sophie. His amber colored gaze had been fixated on Eli when he'd spoken, but Sophie noticed him glance at her from the corners of his eyes when she looked over. 

Her gaze narrowed. She didn't trust him at all. 

He leaned closer to her and smiled. "Hi there. My name is Alex. It's nice to meet you, Sophie." 

She stared at him for a few moments. Eli scowled and turned around in his seat completely, gaze locked onto Alex. Sophie glanced at him. "Don't bother her Alex," Eli said. "She doesn't need to deal with your flirtatious advances. Remember, she's been nominated."

"How could I forget?" Alex asked. He grinned at Eli. "I have no romantic interest in her, Prince-y-Poo. Don't worry." 

Eli grumbled something incoherently beneath his breath. He settled back in his seat, and turned to face the front. Sophie watched him for a few moments. He reminded her of a disgruntled child. 

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but the bell rang, and the teacher stepped up to begin her lecture. Sophie used this opportunity to escape into the depths of her mind. She didn't even bother to take notes. 

She was disturbed by Eli's presence. 

She didn't understand it. He'd managed to convince his friends, and even the teacher, and joined one of her classes. Was it an attempt to gain more time with her or something? Was this a usual thing that happened with the prizes? She hadn't seen Evangeline wandering around anywhere, so she couldn't be sure. 

Sophie hoped that it had something to do with the game. It would be incredibly creepy if he actually changed his schedule just to be in the same class as her. 

She glanced at Eli and his group of friends from the corners of her eyes. None of them seemed to be tired. Either they'd each drowned several cups of coffee, or they were used to staying up after curfew. 

With a sigh, Sophie slid down into her seat even more. Tabatha scribbled fervently beside her, bent over her notebook like a troll protecting a diamond. The sight almost made Sophie laugh. One of the main things that Sophie had learned in the few days that she'd been here was that Tabatha was a very studious person; she was the type to strive for A's. It was good for someone like Sophie, because Sophie had never done too well in her classes. Tabatha was a good influence. 

Tabatha seemed to feel her gaze, and glanced up. Her lips pursed and her eyebrows furrowed together above her eyes. Sophie made a face and glanced sharply to her left, where the Night Class boys sat. 

Her gaze returned to Tabatha. The brunette shrugged her shoulders and smiled with uncertainty. 

Sophie frowned and stared at her desk. Even Tabatha didn't know what was going on. 

When the bell chimed, signalling the end of class, Sophie grabbed her backpack and slid her arms through the straps. Tabatha shoved her stuff into her own bag and stood. Eli was immediately on her feet. 

"Mind if I walk you to class?" he asked, smiling sweetly. 

Sophie stared at him for a few moments. "What are you doing?" she finally asked, wary. 

Eli didn't miss a beat. "Spending time with my future girlfriend, I hope." 

Her lips twisted into a scowl. "So the prizes don't just magically change classes in order to get to know the contestants better?" 

This time he paused. 

Sophie's gaze hardened. She'd caught him. "I don't need you to walk me to class," she smiled at him sweetly and glanced at his friends. They all seemed deeply amused, and refused to meet her gaze. "You should get to your classes on time. I don't want to make you late." 

Eli followed her. "I don't see how you could make me late, since we're going to the same class," he commented in an offhanded manner. 

"Excuse me?" Sophie stopped just outside the door in shock and turned to face Eli. Tabatha paused with her, her eyes wide. 

Eli wiggled a piece of paper in front of Sophie's face and grinned like a boy locked in a candy store. "I heard that the girls here were giving you trouble," he explained. "I convinced the Headmaster to let us change. Not only can we protect you, but it will also encourage other girls to try to participate in the games." 

"Like you don't have enough already." Sophie latched onto the first part of his small speech that her mind could comprehend. She glanced over his schedule. It matched hers almost perfectly, save for her first period with Mr. Wolfe. It even allowed him to attend the dinner with the rest of the Day Class. 

She was now thoroughly creeped out. 

"I'm not trying to be creepy," Eli muttered. Sophie took a small step back in shock; it was like he'd read her mind. He pouted and looked at the floor. "Should you win, we'll be spending quite a bit of time together. I wanted to get to know you better." 

Sophie blanched. "Why me?"

"You're the only female nomination so far," Tabatha supplied softy, absently. Sophie glanced over and the brunette seemed deep in thought. She didn't say anything more.

Alex, and the rest of Eli's friends, joined them then. "We should get going," Alex stated, his hands shoved into his pockets. "We'll be late." 

Sophie eyed them warily. "And why are you three here?" 

"Moral support," Alex answered swiftly with a cheeky grin. 

Sophie shook her head. She suddenly became deathly aware of the silence that had clutched hold of the hallway. The clink of a pen bouncing against the floor was equivalent to the sound of an explosion. She sucked in a sharp breath and turned toward her next class. 

"This is getting absolutely ridiculous," she muttered under her breath.