I nibbled on toast Wednesday morning. Brian was moving around the kitchen, trying to make himself breakfast and coffee.

                "Look I'm- oh, shit, I spilled again- I'm going to be home late tonight. Dinner's on you. I'll pick up a pizza for Friday so you can eat that and save a few slices for Saturday. I'll probably grocery shop this weekend, so just write down whatever you need." He poured coffee into a travel mug, trying to hurriedly eat his breakfast.

                "Okay. I can do the shopping if you want," I offered.

                "Nah, I got it. I should be out that way this weekend," he said.

                He disappeared out of the kitchen and I heard the front door open and shut a few moments later. I finished my toast and got up, cleaning up Brian's mess as well as my own.

                I wanted to be helpful anyway I could while I was living with him. I knew I was lucky he'd even agreed to take me in while I attended Braxton. If he hadn't taken me in, I might not have been able to go to the school at all.

                And I needed to be at Braxton. Not necessarily because of the education, though it would certainly help me get into a good college.

                No, I needed to be in Braxton to get away from my old town. I needed to be away from my family and my friends and every horrible thing I associated with that place. There were too many reminders of things that were better left forgotten.

                I shook my head a little. Way too early in the morning to be getting so deep.

                I grabbed my bag when I was done cleaning and left the house. I drove myself down to the school, heading inside and grabbing what I needed from my locker.

                As I started heading towards first period, I noticed Drew and quickly ducked behind a small group of students. Drew and his friends passed by without noticing me, but they seemed to be in a serious conversation.

                That's what tipped me off that something was going on. As I walked to first period, I realized there was a tense air around the school, kids whispering to each other and the usual bullies leaving their targets alone for once. Teachers roamed the hallways with a watchful eye.

                Tyson's words came back to me and my eyes widened a little. He'd had a hunch that this revenge group was going to strike soon. Had they...?

                I took my seat in first period. Kids were whispering to each other, some excited and some with nervous expressions. Our teacher entered at the start of the period, clapping her hands together to get out attention.

                "Everyone, settle down," she commanded.

                The announcement system crackled to life overhead. "Students, your teachers will bring you down to the auditorium for an assembly. Please follow your teachers in orderly fashion and keep silent. We'd like to make this assembly as quick as possible so you can get back to your classes."

                Our teacher waited until the announcement ended before gesturing at as to line up. We did so, following her out into the hallway. Students were in lines, silent and curious.

                When we reached the auditorium, we were seated. Teachers were hushing any kids that tried to talk, and the principal was up on the stage. He watched as students filed in, occasionally mumbling something to the other faculty members on the stage with him. There were two policemen up there as well, which only raised my suspicions that this had to do with the revenge service.

                Once everyone was inside and seated, the principal stepped up to the microphone on stage. Kids watched anxiously.

                "Good morning, students," he said. "Unfortunately, there was another incident late last night. A student's home was broken into and they were reportedly harassed and blackmailed. We believe this is part of the rumored 'revenge service', though we're still unsure who is behind it. I've spoken with the police about the issue, and there are suspicions that the culprits might be students at the school."

                He stepped aside and one of the policemen moved forward. He adjusted the microphone a bit as the other cop moved next to him.

                "I'm officer Corr, and this is officer Fusaro. We'll be working with the school to catch whoever is responsible for these break-ins and harassments, and work to keep students here safe. If you have any information at all, please report either to your principal or to the local police department. We urge all students to make sure their doors and windows are locked, and to call the police if you notice any suspicious people or activities around you. The identity of anyone who gives us information will remain anonymous, so there's nothing to worry about if you have something to tell us," he said.

                So that was Farren's father? I leaned forward a little, my thoughts going wild now. There was a scratch of an idea at the back of my mind, absurd but growing more believable by the moment.

                "If the rumors of this revenge service are true, any students in involved will face punishment," Corr continued. "So if you are involved in this, now is a good time to step forward if you want leniency."

                The crowd of students seemed to be growing more restless. Corr stepped away to give the principal the microphone back.

                "The school will give the police our full cooperation, so if you're brought in for questioning today, please just answer any questions they have for you," the principal said. "Keep an eye out for any trouble, and always make sure to report anything you see. I apologize for taking you away from your classes, but this is a very important issue. Braxton takes the safety of its students very seriously."

                Except when its top students needed to blow off some steam by beating on other students. Then Braxton could turn a blind eye, for the sake of the test scores.

                He went on to talk about laws and the rules around the school, our duty to take care of each other and the standards Braxton held for its students. My thoughts distracted me from most of the speech, though. Maybe I was wrong, but something about this situation wasn't sitting right with me.

                We were sent back to class when the principal and the officers were done speaking. Teachers tried to go on like everything was normal, but kids were excited over the signs of this revenge service.

                I didn't hear the riddle mentioned at all during the day, but I did notice the amount of kids asking for bathroom passes was higher than usual. Maybe everyone was just keeping hydrated, or maybe they were searching for the place to submit their own revenge requests.

                By the end of the day, I'd thought this whole situation through and come to a conclusion that was probably going to make me a target. Still, I had the evidence backing up my wild ideas, and I needed to know if I was right.

                I went to the Social Action room, where the twins and Farren already were. Talon was lying across a row of desks, hands folded under his head and his eyes closed.

                "-just saying that we could ring the doorbell, I'll flash my abs, and we'll make tons of money," he said.

                "What is your obsession with taking your clothes off?" Farren said.

                "I'm not taking my clothes off. I'm pulling my shirt up. I have a very great body and customers will appreciate it," Talon said.

                "No one will appreciate it. Besides, quit acting all high and mighty. I'm faster than you," Nyssa said.

                Talon opened his eyes and glared at his sister. "You only beat me at rock wall climbing over the weekend because my foot slipped!"

                "It slipped every single time we raced?" Nyssa said.

                "Yes," Talon said indignantly. "I have a bad foot."

                "You do not," Nyssa said.

                "I stepped on a nail, and it permanently damaged my foot!" Talon said.

                "Oh, get over it. It was ten years ago that you stepped on that nail. Your foot is fine," Nyssa said. "Quit making excuses. You're just slower than me."

                "You stepped on a nail?" I asked, taking a seat and setting my bag down.

                Talon nodded, letting out a groan. "Our dad owns a company that fixes up houses. Mostly roof work, but other stuff too. We went with him to a job when we were seven and I stepped on a nail. Went right into my foot."

                "It was a little nail. Dad took him to the ER and they fixed him up. He was fine," Nyssa said.

                "I have the scar. Want to see?" He reached for his shoe.

                "Oh, god, no, absolutely not," I said in horror. "I'm squeamish. Keep your shoes on."

                "No one is taking their shoes off. I don't doubt that your feet all smell horrendous," Tyson said, entering the room with Connor following him. "Especially you, Talon."

                Talon hopped off the desks. "Don't be rude, Ty. My feet smell fantastic."

                "That might be the biggest lie you've ever told," Nyssa said, getting up to help her brother push the desks into a circle.

                Tyson and Connor sat down with us. Tyson took out two folders, opening one and looking through the papers.

                "Sorry, got a little held up," Bishopp said, coming into the room. "The whole faculty is in an uproar about this revenge thing."

                "I wish that got in that much of an uproar about the bullying problem here," Connor grumbled.

                "Enough about revenge services. We have work to discuss. Farren?" Tyson said.

                "I secured the chocolate bars, and got them at a deal," Farren said. "We'll sell door-to-door for a dollar and whatever is left we can sell around school and give our parents to sell at work."

                "Grandma will have the whole senior center buying out our stash," Talon said.

                "Only if your shirt stays on," Nyssa grumbled.

                "Shut up you two," Tyson said. "We'll go in pairs, like I said. Me and the outcast, the twins, and Farren and Connor. Connor, if you bring your damn rat, I'll let Farren run it over."

                "Threaten my dog again and I'll kill you in your sleep," Connor said.

                "Your backpack is squirming," Tyson said. "Moving on, who wants what route?"

                "I'll take the more difficult route. You know the one," Farren said.

                "All the bitchy people, got it," Tyson said, writing something down. "Twins, hit up you area. I'll take the outcast to the quieter neighborhoods. Bishopp, hound the staff to buy candy. We'll give you some."

                "You know, I do have a name," I said. "I prefer Nolan to outcast."

                "And I prefer silence to the sound of you speaking," Tyson said. "Did you speak to the community center, Farren?"

                "I did. They're going to advertise the sale. Friday afterschool might be a good time to go around. The community center has an event Thursday night that they're going to advertise at. I can get the candy bars by tomorrow," Farren said.

                "Good enough. I dropped off the paperwork to the office before I came here," Tyson said. "Any complaints about selling on Friday? No? Good. Connor, make posters to put around the school. Twins, show up early tomorrow and hang up those posters."

                "I'll arrange it so you guys can sell the leftovers during lunch periods next week," Bishopp said.

                "That's surprisingly useful of you, Bishopp. Let's make a habit of this," Tyson said, writing down more on his papers. He put them back in the folder and closed the folder. "We'll meet here Friday to distribute candy and routes. Make this a useful project, will you?"

                "These short meetings are killing me," Talon said. "This is time I could've spent napping at home."

                "Then have Nyssa drive and nap in the car. Your sleep schedule is not my problem," Tyson said. He shoved his folders back into his bag and fixed his tie. "Out of my sight, all of you."

                Bishopp checked his watch. "I've got to go speak with some of the staff. I'll get that lunch thing arranged for you guys." He got up and waved, heading out of the room.

                "Let's go," Talon said, tossing a set of car keys to Nyssa. "I'm taking Tyson's suggestion and napping the car ride away."

                "Don't be surprised if you wake up in Canada," Nyssa said, leaving the room.

                "What? What does that mean? Sis, you can't just abandon me in another country while I'm sleeping!" Talon said in alarm, hurrying after his sister.

                Connor picked his backpack up, peeking inside of it before securing it on his shoulders. He took his phone out of his pocket and looked to Tyson.

                "Watch what you say about my dog, asshole," he said before leaving the room.

                "I consider a Webkinz more of a real dog than Jonesy," Farren said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Come over tomorrow night to help me stack the candy into our cars."

                "Yea, whatever," Tyson said, shooing him away.

                Once Farren was out of the room, Tyson glanced up at me. I stood up and shut the door, sitting back down.

                "When I said to get out of my sight, I didn't give you a free pass to stay," he said.

                "It's you," I said.

                He leaned back in his seat. "What's me?"

                "The revenge service," I said. "That's how you knew they were striking soon. It's you. It's....it's this, isn't it? The Social Action Club is a cover."

                Tyson let out a whistle. "That's quite the accusation."

                "Officer Corr, that's Farren's dad. If he's on the investigation, Farren would know how to keep you guys away from the police," I said. "And you said you had a hunch the service would strike soon, and they did. That's not just a coincidence. You were testing me to see if I could figure it out. That's why none of you wanted me in the club. I threw off your system. You couldn't talk about your real purpose while I was here."

                Tyson looked amused. "Quite the story you've whipped up. Are you going to tell the tale to the cops? To the principal?"

                "No," I said. "I told you I'd show my usefulness to the club."

                Tyson leaned forward a bit. "You want to be a part of all of this, even after knowing the cops are involved?"

                I met his eyes. "You're the kind of person who meticulously plans things like this. You've been running this service for a long time and using every advantage you have to stay off the radar. You're not getting caught anytime soon. Just tell me one thing."

                "The cost," he said. "I knew you'd ask about it. It started out as a way to fund our little...service. You'll see."

                "Started?" I said.

                "Too many questions and you'll overwhelm yourself. I knew you were different. I knew you had a fire in you. I'm very good at reading people, you see. I wouldn't have risked letting that information slip to you if I had even the faintest sense you'd go running your mouth. You'll have to prove yourself, you know," Tyson said.

                "I will," I said, steeling myself. I'd see what this was all about. I'd help protect victims at this school.

                "You can't back out now. You know far too much," Tyson said, standing up and grabbing his bag. "Watch and learn this weekend, outcast. Pay enough attention and prove yourself, I just might use your name."

                I watched him leave the room, my heart beating far too fast. I'd told myself I'd be a good person, the kind who didn't judge others. But how could I just sit back while there was such a huge bullying problem going on? How could I do nothing when I knew kids were desperate enough to pay for help?

                The nice Nolan could stay a façade. But the true Nolan, the one I'd been so viciously hiding away from the world, could make a difference with this club.