That was dumb. He shouldn't have said anything at all.

The shame burns across his face as he looks down at the ground. His hair shifts so that it slips over his cheekbones and covers parts of his vision, but that does nothing to hide Tobias from the looks Rachel and Jake had given him.

Their eyes had been wide, and the grin had fallen from Rachel's face as she stared at him like she couldn't even believe the weird stuff he just spewed out of his mouth.

He was an idiot. He shouldn't have said anything at all about that dream, even if that short, dark girl had said that she...she saw him. In her dream, she admitted that.

"What kind of dream?" Jake's voice cuts into Tobias. His tone sounds hard, like a guy who is not okay with the weird new kid having dreams about his friends. Tobias winces, preparing for...Well, Jake's not the kind of guy who'd punch him, but Tobias knows that he's about to be chased off.

Except, when he glances up at Jake, the frowning, taller boy is pale instead of flushed red with anger.

He's scared. Jake's scared, and it's not because of Tobias being weird but of what he just said.

"It..." The words gum up inside his mouth, and Tobias can't, he can't. It's going to sound dumb, he can't.

"There was a bird last night." He shoves the words out. "It was big, like some kind of hawk. And it...it talked to me, Jake. It told me to walk home with you. To walk home with you through the construction site."

Confusion furrows Jake's brow as Tobias waits for the inevitable. For the way that he can never keep his mouth shut to chase off any friends again. Then, the short girl whimpers. Her breathes come out in soft, short hiccups as she shivers.

Rachel rushes over to the girl's side. Her hands clenching the other girl's shoulders as she stares only at her.

"Cassie, breathe. It's okay, just breathe." Her voice is somehow steady.

BRRIIINNNGGG

Tobias yelps as the noise of the school bell slams into him. He swears Jake shouts too, but Rachel barely flinches as Cassie looks away from her and at the tall, red wall behind her.

Out of the two boys, Jake recovers first.

"Okay. Lunch. We are talking about this at lunch. Right now, we need to get to class."

At that, Rachel glares over her shoulder. "Jake, this is way more important than any stupid class."

Indecision flickers through Jake's eyes before it settles. "I know, but this is too weird. Marco should be around for this, and I can't just pull him out of class and run off."

Rachel doesn't say anything as she scowls; but, that must mean something to Jake because he's off and around the corner without another word.

"Rachel," Cassie whispers, her gaze back on her friend, "I'm fine now. Let's just...go. Ms. Hana's going to notice that we're late."

At first, Tobias doubts that. She hardly ever glances away from the blackboard whenever he stumbles in late and bruised. But, then again, that's just him. The history teacher probably would care if a popular kid came in messed up and late.

Rachel's sharp blue eyes focus on him, freezing the breath in his throat.

"Come on. You're in the same first period as us." Rachel bites out.

Before Tobias can comprehend it, her hand latches onto his wrist. Her other arm is tucked around Cassie's shoulders as she guides both of them around the corner and quickly into the building.

Rachel marches them right past the rows and rows of lockers. Even though their textbooks are locked inside one of those many metal doors, Rachel doesn't slow down. She has a mission to get them to class, and nothing is going to stop her from carrying it out.

He's being dragged too far behind to get a good look at her face, but Tobias can almost see it, that determined glare in her eyes as they burst right through the open classroom door.

Ms. Hana is right there, no doubt about to close the door and start the day's lesson. But she staggers back away from the force of Rachel passing by her. Tobias cranes his neck to get a look at the shocked teacher.

She stares back at them for just a moment, but then seems to shake off the surprise of the trio rushing past her before Tobias can think of some excuse to give her.

"Well then, now that we're all here and on time." Ms. Hana look lingers for a second on Tobias before she turns to the class at large. Her next words slip past Tobias's notice. She was paying attention. Every time he showed up late, she noticed it. She just didn't care enough even to give him detention or declare him tardy or do anything about it.

The realization flees his attention when Rachel's grip vanishes. Tobias stumbles to a stop. The giggles of some of the other students barely register when he sees Rachel helping Cassie sit down. Tobias spins around to the seat behind him, but a short, waif-like girl stares up at him with grey eyes.

She doesn't say anything or even so much as twitch when Tobias jerks away and quickly zips over to the empty seat diagonal from Rachel's spot.

The spot that she isn't even sitting in yet. She's still leaning down next to Cassie. Her hand grasps the other girl's shoulder as Cassie sways. She looks tired, like a kid who's about to fall asleep right at their desk.

"Rachel, is she okay?" The girl, the one that stared at Tobias when it looked like he was going to take her seat, half-whispers. Soft concern has overridden the hard stare she gave before.

"I, I don't know, Melissa. She's—Cassie!"

Cassie slips out of her chair. Her weight pulling her out of Rachel's unprepared grip and sending the taller girl scrambling over the chair to stop her fall.

Cassie manages to take the force of the fall with her forearm, but she looks dazed and unsure. Even with the jarring force of the fall that should have jolted the tiredness right out of her, Cassie still looks like she's about to lean over and fall asleep right there on the floor.

"Cassie! Cassie!"

"What's going on over there?"

"Whoa, did you see that? Rachel's buddy nearly faceplanted."

The words wash over Tobias as the world almost seems to spin. But it doesn't because he's not like Cassie. He's not tired or falling over. Or reacting with fear at the suggestion to walk through the construction site tonight. Suggestion? No, they have to walk through that place. Whatever is happening to Cassie right now just proves how important it is to follow what his dream said to do. What that red-tailed said to do.

Tobias blinks, because sure the bird was reddish, but was that really what it's called? How...How would he even know that?

"Ms. Berenson. You will be staying here."

Tobias jolts out of his inner thoughts. Ms. Hana has her hands clasped on Cassie's arms as the short girl leans against her half-aware. Rachel stands in front of them, glaring right at the teacher as though she can make her change her decision with just the force of her will.

"Ms. Hana, I'm coming with. Cassie's my friend, I'm not leaving her alone."

In the hushed room, Ms. Hana does not look intimidated at all. Her gaze...is cold and unimpressed, as if an angry girl means very little to her.

"You will only be in the nurse's way. You will wait here, and I will take your friend to the nurse's office."

Ms. Hana guides Cassie away, and Rachel follows. Detentions and other threats mean nothing to her. She cares too much about what really matters to let some teacher tell her to stay put.

Those thoughts warm Tobias, but then a boy in the second row stands up and moves towards Rachel. Two girls from the back of the class get up to follow as they all make their way forward.

"Do you need help, Ms. Hana? We can make sure that everyone stays put for you." The boy says politely. The girls say nothing while they move to stand on either side of him.

The hairs on the back of Tobias's neck rise up when Ms. Hana smiles at the boy.

"That would be very helpful, Jonathon, thank you." Her eyes are still cold even as her voice comes out warm.

Jonathon smiles back before moving in front of the door as the teacher takes Cassie through. He looks straight at Rachel with eyes that aren't cold like the teacher's but still unnervingly flat. Even though they are all shorter and less fit than Rachel, none of the three students look that concerned when she glares right at them. Arms clenched at her sides like she's about to sock the boy blocking her from going, Rachel doesn't pick up through her anger how unnerving this is.

Tobias is at her side, pulling on her upper arm. "Rachel, lets—" Her muscles tense under his hand, and he prepares for her to swing around.

"Rachel," the waif-like girl appears on Rachel's other side. Her voice wavers as she rests her hand on Rachel's other arm. "let's go sit down. I'm sure Cassie will be okay." Tobias glances at the girl and she glances back. Dread shines in her eyes, and he knows then that she's picking up on the creepiness too.

Tobias doubts those words are going to convince Rachel of backing down from this, but then a shudder goes through his hand. As if realizing how weird this is, she steps back and away. Not saying anything at all as she glares at those students while letting Tobias and the other girl, Melissa, pull her back towards her chair.

The whole time in that quiet, quiet room, the other three students just emotionlessly watch them back away. It isn't until Tobias and the two girls are standing by their seats, too keyed-up to actually sit down, that the boy Jonathon speaks.

"I'm sure Cassie's going to be fine, Rachel. Ms. Hana will take good care of her."