The first day of November swings around much too quickly for my liking. Getting out of bed is the worst chore of all. I almost have to drag myself to school because my mind is so boggled and unfocused. If it wasn't for the prospect of seeing April, I would play hooky and stay home.

     The reason I can't see passed my fingertips isn't just because of post-Halloween depression; it's also because of the mysterious party girl. As much as I promise myself that I will forget about her, I still can't get my mind off her. The way she moved and the twinkle in her eyes haunts my mind. She was so unearthly, so heavenly. I would get teased for saying that aloud, however, so I keep my thoughts to myself.

     At the end of the day, I rummage through my locker. But I don't register what I'm doing. I'm just shuffling through my book stacks as I picture those misty eyes and high cheekbones. My mind practically whirls in circles and begins to make me dizzy.

     I am so caught up in my daydreams that I don't even notice April coming up behind me. When her hand touches me I let out a yelp and spin around, crashing into my locker door. I grunt as pain shoots up my humerus.

     April's blue eyes are wide with surprise. "What's gotten into you, Jones? Drink too much coffee this morning?" she jokes.

     I am not amused. "No," I grumble as I close my locker. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

     It's true; I didn't sleep a wink. My mind was tampered with thought of Nyleve. Sleep seems insignificant when I could be thinking about her instead. I just wish I knew where to find her.

   I have been debating that for a long time now. I want to see her again, but I'm not sure where to look. I don't know anything about her and I regret not asking her about herself. Instead, I had wasted my time by causing mischief with her. Don't get me wrong, it was fun. For the first time in my life, however, I wish I had used my time more wisely.

     April crosses her arms and tuts knowingly. "Alright, what's going on with you? You've been out of it more than usual today. And don't say it's from post-Halloween depression, because you've already tried that lie once," she adds before I can even open my mouth.

     I study her for a minute. If I tell anyone else about my problems, they will judge me. However, April is my best friend. She's less likely to laugh in my face and walk away. Not totally unlikely, but less so than others.

     I decide to tell her everything.

     "Remember that girl from the party?" I ask cautiously.

     "You mean the one that I never saw?" April raises an eyebrow.

     "Yeah, her," I reply, oblivious to her suspicion. "I can't stop thinking about her. She was so different from other chicks that I've met. She was free and intriguing. She used huge words that somehow made her attractive instead of boring. Not to mention that she was hotter than New York pavement in the summer."

     April pursues her lips gently. "And?" she questions as if I'm not finished.

     I shuffle my feet, feeling embarrassing. Maybe I shouldn't have been so specific. "And nothing. That's it. I just can't get her off my mind. I don't know what to do, because the chances are that I'll never even see her again. She's, like, the one that got away or something."

     April wrinkles her forehead thoughtfully. She is silent for a while.

     "I never saw her, so I can't help you search for her," she finally responds. "But don't stress. If it's meant to be, then I'm sure your paths will cross again. Just give it time."

     "Ah, don't give me that mushy, gooey love stuff," I complain as I lean against my locker. "I know I'll never see her again. She's gone. I missed my chance. I just wish I could get over it like I do with other girls I come across," I sigh.

     "Like me?" April asks, and I have to look at her to realize she is teasing. "Listen," her tone changes to a serious one. "You need to find a distraction. There's no sense in moping over a girl that you probably had no chance with."

     I furrow my eyebrows in protest. "Casey Jones can get any girl he wants to!" I argue.

     April shakes her head slightly. "Whatever you say. Aren't you supposed to meet your tutor in a few minutes?" she tactically switches the subject.

     I groan in annoyance. "I was hoping to ditch the meeting. Anatomy is so boring, and having a tutor isn't going to make it any better," I mumble as I kick one of my hockey pucks down the hallway. It hits a boy square in the face and he backs into another guy. A domino effect is created in the hallway until half the students are on the ground, their stuff spilled everywhere.

     April sighs and hooks her arm with mine. "Let's go find the anatomy classroom," she announces, to which I am led against my will. Frankly, I want to escape the gazes of the angry victims in the hallway.

     As we walk into the classroom, I see my teacher speaking with a girl who is about as tall as I am. Her blonde bob is only long enough to curl under her chin. Her style is that of sophistication, something that a regular teenager shouldn't have. As she turns her stern blue gaze on me, I get the feeling she isn't as friendly as she first appears to be.

     "You're late," the blonde comments in an airy tone.

     Oh great, I think. She's one of those 'better to arrive twenty minutes early than five minutes late' people. I am in trouble.

     "Sorry, I was busy picking my teeth," I inform her in a smart aleck way.

     My teacher shoots me a glare that warns me to behave. "You wanted a tutor, so here she is. She's a senior and honor student of this very school. I expect you to treat her with the utmost respect, Mr. Jones." His tone suggests no room for jokes.

     I don't listen. "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty," I say as I give the girl an exaggerated bow.

     She overlooks my mockery, though I can't miss the flash of irritation in her creamy eyes. "How charming," she remarks sarcastically. "My name is Evelyn Violet," she adds in a more neutral voice.

     "Casey Jones," I reply with an uninterested shrug. I feel April nudge me with her elbow, telling me not to be so rude. But I don't care. "So, are we going to study or what?"

     Evelyn takes a visible deep breath. "Meet me at the park in an hour," she answers. "We'll begin our session there."

     "Fine." Without so much as a grateful glance, I turn and walk out of the room.

     I have a feeling that I won't like being around her.

~*~

     "What is a muscle fiber?"

     I yawn as Evelyn asks me yet another boring question. She is like a never-ending circle of revision. Does she ever do anything except study?

     The cold park air swirls around me, pulling me towards the trees. Their nude, brown branches are bright and happy, practically smiling at me. Exploring the dead forest sounds far better than studying for stupid anatomy.

     "I don't know," I tell Evelyn with an uninterested shrug. "Muscles you can eat?"

     Evelyn sighs and rubs her temples. "It's two words," she says. When I just stare blankly at her, she shakes her head and adds, "Muscle cell. It's that simple."

     I gaze out at our surroundings again. I have only been here for half an hour and I already want to go home.

     Suddenly, I get an idea.

     "Why are we sitting out here freezing our butts off?" I ask as I jump to my feet. "Let's head back to my house. We can eat and study there," I try to be persuasive, but the look on Evelyn's face tells me that I've failed.

     "Eating is a distraction," she says politely but firmly. "I am not going to be responsible for you failing anatomy. So please try and focus."

     Resigned, I sit back down on the bench and cross my arms in a pouting manner.

     "Right, now let's talk about neurons," Evelyn decides in a cheerful tone. Is she really that excited over anatomy? "Neurons are nerve cells. Motor neurons are specialized neurons that transmit messages from the brain and to the muscles. The messages, which are called action potential, tell the muscle when to contract and relax..."

     I zone out as she is speaking and look at the nearby city. Gazing at the rooftops reminds me of Tiger Claw and his minions at the dock the other night. I instantly get a twisted feeling in my abdomen. I want to stop whatever they're up to. No, I need to stop whatever plan they're brewing. It could determine the entire fate of New York.

     "Hello? Casey Jones?" Evelyn calls as she waves a hand in front of my face.

     I blink and drag myself out of my own mind. "What?" I ask irritably.

     Evelyn's blue eyes are in a struggle to hide her frustration. Her pale face looks almost scary with such a stern expression. I am grateful for the wind that keeps whipping her hair into her face so she doesn't look too threatening.

     "Are you even listening?" she asks exasperatedly.

     "'Course I am, Goldilocks!" I lie smoothly, deciding a nickname might be enough to distract her from my fib.

     Evelyn wrinkles her eyebrows. "Please don't call me that," she says in her usual, monotone voice.

     Glad to be off the hook, I smirk and lean back into my seat. "Is Goldie better for ya?" I push on.

     Evelyn ignores my question and looks down at her textbook. "Explain the process of a muscle contracting," she says without looking up.

   Silence takes me over for a moment. Then I stand up and remove a hockey puck from my pocket. Setting it down, I unsheathe my hockey stick and rear it back.

     "Well, I have to contract my elbows like this to hold my stick. Then if I relax my arms like this-" I lower my weapon closer to the puck- "then I'll send this baby flying into a nearby window!" With a devilish grin, I rear my stick back again to smack the puck. But before I can do anything, Evelyn jumps forward and snatches my weapon from me.

     "Don't you dare damage private property," she scolds me, her deep blue eyes finally full of anger. Score. She isn't just a robotic know-it-all.

     "Why not?" I tug my hockey stick out of her hands and smirk. "That's why it's there in the first place."

     Evelyn exhales deeply and hands my hockey stick back to me. She bends down and starts to pack up her books, notebook, and pencils.

     "Hey, what are you doing?" I ask, puzzled. I expected her to continue the argument like April does. I guess she's different.

     "I am going home," Evelyn says stiffly. She straightens up and faces me with a grim expression upon her face. She pulls her school bag close to her chest. "I will meet you here at the same time tomorrow."

     "But I haven't learned anything!" I protest as she starts to walk away.

     "I guess you should have thought about that when you were disregarding me," she replies over her shoulder.

     I glower at her as she continues on her way. Is she always so quick to walk away? Or is that just what she wants me to think? Is she trying to play some kind of angle?

     Yeah, I am certain that is it. She wants me to run after her and beg her to tutor me. Well, joke is on her, because I'm just going to go home.

     With a smug grin on my face, I put my hockey items away. I'm not going to beg to learn useless anatomy. If she doesn't want to teach me tonight, then fine. I don't have a problem with that. I'll just pick something up tomorrow night instead.

     As I turn my back on her, Tiger Claw worms his way back into my mind. If I'm going to find out what he is up to, I'm gonna need more brains to help me think. And since my study session is over early, I have a chance to find some.

     It's time I pay my turtle friends a visit.