Celeste POV

"Celeste, was it Melvin Purvis or Charles Winstead that took down Dillinger?" Kate asks, twirling her pen in between her fingers.

"Winstead but he never got full credit for it. Something happened with his chief, I think..." I say and chew on my straw.

"Thank you." She drawls out and scribbles something down in her notes.

"What class?" I ask, leaning back in my chair.

"Rochester." She responds with a sigh. I suck air in through my teeth. Kate nods without looking up from her paper.

"I know, 2 weeks in and he's already given us a research paper."

"You know," another voice comes from behind me, "If you want to get along easy with that then you should just do J. Hoover. There's a ton of info on him." Preston plops down in the chair next to Kate and sets a mug of coffee down in front of her. Kate mutters her thanks and takes a sip. "Everyone is going to do Hoover though. I want to be different."

"You would be different because your paper would be the best one, guaranteed." Preston flashes her a grin with pearly whites. I catch Kate smiling as well. She sits up and plants a kiss on his cheek. I watch them for a few seconds before cutting a section out of my cinnamon roll and stuffing it in my mouth.

"Didn't they enforce a rule about no PDA in the mess hall?" I say. Preston's eyes dart towards mine.

"Says you," he crosses his arms, "Don't think I haven't seen you sneaking off behind a building with that trainer."

"Well he isn't just a trainer to me." I shoot back. Kate puts her pen down and looks over my shoulder.

"Speak of the devil." She grins. I glance behind me and catch a shock of blonde hair in the doorway. Half the eyes in the room turn to look at the latest addition to the BPA staff. Some tense, some sigh, others just chew their food.

Joe's eyes land on mine and he makes his way across the room. He pulls a chair up next to mine and sets a folded piece of paper on the table. Preston reaches for it and I slap his hand away. He chuckles and leans back.

I must say that it has been odd having Joe around twenty-four-seven, and that he's now considered one of my teachers. Lockharte hired him as the new Physical Defense trainer after we lost Coach in the attack back in April. I'll catch some of the other professors giving him odd looks from time to time.

Everyone knows where he came from.

"You're not supposed to be in here." I say quietly and try to conceal a grin.

"Oh what are they gonna do? Fire me?" Joe mutters.

"You never know."

"Your granddad loves me."

"What proof do you of have of that?"

He glances at me out of the corner of his eyes and runs his eyes down my form, and back up again to meet my eyes. I slap him on the shoulder.

"PDA." Preston whispers from across the table. We both shoot him a look that could kill.

"Anyways, I came by to drop that off," Joe motions to the paper. "I gotta head to first period."

"All right." I say. He stands and plants a kiss on my forehead, then he is gone. I catch at least four girls staring at him as he disappears out the door.

"So what was that thing I was saying about you guys sneaking behind buildings all the time...?" Preston taunts.

"Shut up." I say and point a finger at him. He's about to bite back when Kate lets out a frustrated grunt and crumples up the notebook paper she was scribbling on.

"I swear to God that over the summer I have forgotten everything that I've ever learned." she says and adjusts her glasses. She then frowns and takes them off and starts to rub them on her shirt. Preston snatches them out of her hands and does it himself.

"You haven't forgotten everything," I say to her, "You're just a little rusty. It'll all come rushing back to you here in a few days."

"Easy for you to say. You've been here the entire summer."

She's not wrong. After junior year ended, I moved in with Headmaster Lockharte, having found out that he is my only living family. We live on the outer edge of town in what is possibly the largest house in Chesterfield. Lockhart is paid a heavy amount for his service to the Academy. He insisted on making a bedroom for me even though I would only be living there full-time during the summer. I still want to be on Academy grounds nine months out of the year.

I have spent the last three months training and getting stronger. Joe has taught me some of his personal defense moves and has gotten me back into shape. I need it if I'm going to survive senior year.

Kate returned home to Georgia with her Dad. We would book the occasional break to see each other, but it still isn't the same as being roommates. Whenever I would visit her, I would notice that her southern accent was slightly more prominent than before. Preston had no choice but to go to Washington D.C. with his dad since losing his mother. He hasn't told me much, other than it will take time for him to get used to it. There's a thin cord that connects him and his father together. Seeing Kate for the first time as soon as the year started was definitely the best way to end his summer.

Then there was Joe, who I haven't gotten enough of since he officially moved to Chesterfield. Lockharte has been generous, giving him a small but comfortable home not far from the Academy. He left everything behind, except for his car. Joe could never give up his Viper.

I helped him move into the house over the summer and I can't recall another point in time where he smiled so much. I glance at the folded paper on the table and take in my hands. I catch Kate and Preston watching me curiously. I unfold it and skim my eyes over the uniform handwriting.

Meet me at overlook after classes. I have news.

I blink twice then gently fold the paper back up. I look up and Kate and Preston are both staring at me with the same question in their eyes. "None of your business." I say like I'm speaking to children. Preston imitates my words and shoots me a dirty look. Kate merely grins.

"Celeste will you come with me back to the dorms? I have to grab my Computer Ethics book." Kate says to me. Standing up from the table, I nod my head and push my chair back in.

I follow her as she weaves through the tables towards the doors and out into the August air. We follow the brick sidewalk all the way to the dorms. I steal a glance to my left, where the library is being rebuilt. A marble memorial stands not thirty yards away that has one name printed onto it in bold letters. The color red flashes through my mind before I forget her face again.

We reach the dorms and head up the wooden staircase and down the hallway. "I'll only be a minute," Kate says and pushes her way into the room. I lean against the wall outside and stare at the painting across from me. A sudden image enters my brain as I stare at the bodies that occupy the picture.

    I see bloody floors. Soft hands. Gunshots and screams. Jasper. Joe. I feel the weight a gun in my hands. Seth is on the ground. I see dark eyes and lifeless corpses.

"Got it... You good?" Kate appears out of the doorway and looks at me, the smile falling from her face. Her eyes scan my face with a worried expression. I know she can tell when my mind starts to travel back. She never fails to notice.

"Yeah. I'm all good." I tell her, pasting a smile on my face. She doesn't buy it.

"Where did you go?" She asks me again. Those were the exact words she used to say to me last year when I had my flashbacks to Jasper's base. That's what she would say when she got worried about what I saw and where my mind went.

"The Gala." I tell her dismissively. She nods and looks away. She wishes she could forget it all too.

We walk out of the dorms and head towards the school building to catch our afternoon classes. Kate has Advanced Tech Lab, so she takes a sharp right turn towards the doors. "See you after class," she says to me, waving as I turn to walk towards the field. I get there to see a few students arriving with me. I'm a couple minutes early. I slide into the women's locker room to dress out quickly before class. I pull on a pair of black shorts and a tank top with the BPA owl on the chest. I tie my hair up into a high ponytail and slide on my black tennis shoes. The locker room slowly starts to fill up with other girls. I stuff my bag in my locker and head out to the field.

Joe is standing on the mats with his arms crossed, watching students file out onto the field. He hasn't changed his normal outfit: a tight-fitted black shirt and jeans. We all form a circle around him and wait to find out what type of torture he'll force us through today. He catches my eye and I can practically see the smirk in his irises.

Preston comes to stand beside me, dressed in black shorts and a gray t-shirt. Once the last student's file onto the field, Joe straightens his shoulders and starts the class. "You've spent the last two weeks conditioning and getting back into shape, for those of you who didn't train over the summer. Now it's time to evaluate and see where we are at in terms of combat skills," he tells us, making eye contact with several of the other students, "You are all seniors this year, which means you are expected to remember your last three years of training and excel in this course. Having three months off is no excuse for forgetting basic defense. Failure will result in running after the period is over."

Preston leans in close to me and whispers in my ear. "I think your boyfriend forgot that we have other classes to get to."

Joe's head whips in our direction. "Haynesworth."

Preston straightens up and grins back. "Yes sir?" he drawls out. I see the tip of Joe's mouth twitch up.

"Why don't you help out with the demonstration."

I press my lips together as Preston curses under his breath and makes his way to the center of the mat. The two take their starting positions opposite of each other. I stare at Joe's figure as he gazes at his opponent. He looks like a cat ready to pounce.

Preston takes the first strike, lurching forward and throwing his fist towards Joe's chest, who ducks and spins out of reach faster than lightning. Preston whirls around and raises his fists again, unfazed. Both boys are highly experienced fighters.

    Joe charges the second time. He brings his leg up and catches Preston in the side, who tries to parry the blow but is too late. Preston stumbles to the side and hurries to regain his balance. Joe stands and addresses the students, who all stand watch with wide eyes. "Rule number one: Always be on the defensive. Your opponent won't always--"

He is cut off when Preston attacks again, this time catching Joe off guard. Joe doesn't have time to defend himself as Preston takes his forearm and performs a move that sends him down to the ground. There are a few seconds of grunt before Joe rolls on the mat and spins, bringing his leg around to knock Preston off his feet. Another few seconds pass and he has Preston held in a lock under his arm. "Rule number two: Never assume your opponent doesn't know the moves that you know." Joe says while Preston fights his way out of the hold, cursing all the while. Joe lets him loose and Preston rolls to his feet.

Both of them assume their defensive positions again. They both are breathing hard but grin at the same time. The third time, they charge at each other. Both take swings towards each other and dodge, ducking and facing each other again. A split second is all it takes for them to lock onto each other and wrestle with their strength. My eyes dark down and catch Preston's leg kick Joe in the ankle, sending him down to the ground. Joe lands on the ground and grins up at the sky as Preston turns away. He then bows.

There wasn't any way he would've seen or heard Joe coming up behind him. In one second exactly, Preston is on the ground again flat on his back, Joe standing above him. He cocks and eyebrows and grins down at his friend, who mouths a vulgar phrase back. "Last thing: Never turn your back on your enemy." Joe leans down and offers Preston a hand, which he takes. "Well done. Now I need everyone to partner up. I'll be going around to see your progress. What I'm looking for is to see that you have all your past experience packed into one fight." He tells us, raising his chin. "Pair off with someone who you think is about your skill level. I'll be watching."

I start to turn away to pair up with someone, but a hand lands on my shoulder. I glance back and meet Joe's eyes. "You're with me."

I start to complain before he cuts me off and leads me the middle of the mat. I catch several glances as we pass by. Preston catcalls us from where he stands with his partner. We square up on the mat facing each other. Joe watches my every move with a grin.

God help me.

He takes a swing left and I duck to avoid it. I strike towards his stomach and he grabs my wrist and twists it backward. He pins me against his chest and I kick my foot back and it slams into his shin. Joe instantly releases my arms and I take several steps forward. I fake right and swing my legs under. It's a move that should've taken down any regular opponent... which Joe, unfortunately, is not.

He jumps back and I stumble to my feet before he can take advantage. I don't have my balance back before I feel him sweep my ankles out from under me, reciprocating the move I just tried to pull. The wind is knocked out of me as I land flat on my back. I feel Joe's weight land on me, pinning me down to the ground. He has one leg on either side of my body and his hands have my wrists pinned to the ground. He isn't even breathing that hard. I sigh and roll my eyes as he smirks above me. "Didn't you listen to anything I just said?" He asks.

"I guess I'm still convinced my tactics are better." I say, trying to suck air into my lungs. Joe grins and clears a stray strand of hair out of my face. He then stands and offers me a hand, just as he did Preston. I make like I'm going to take it, then reach for his forearm and yank him down on the ground.

He grunts and lands beside me, giving me enough time to roll on top of him and raise my fist above his face.

I expect to see surprise on his face, but instead there is nothing but amusement and maybe a little bit of pride. He grins up at me and then assesses the position we're in. "Maybe you need to teach me about these 'tactics' sometime."

My eyes widen and I feel my cheeks turn red as I scramble to my feet and brush myself off. Joe stands and gives me a look before strolling off the observe the other pairs sparring. God forbid the reason my heart was pounding wasn't because of the fight.

**********

"The surgery is scheduled for September 16th. I talked to the surgeon and he said that it's not a treatment that needs to be performed immediately." Joe leans against the trunk of a tree and looks out at the mountains spread out before us. I stand opposite of him.

"That's a good thing right? No immediate treatment is a good thing." I ask.

Joe nods his head. "I only have to deal with headaches at this point. He told me no medication." His eyes dart over to mine and I see a flash of guilt.

"That wasn't medication anyways. It wasn't even legal, was it?"

He looks back at the mountains. "It kept me alive."

"For a limited amount of time," I cross to him and take his hand, "You said to me it would lose it's effect if used too much. Getting surgical treatment is better than an illegal substance that you don't even really know the components of--"

"I know, Celeste," he cuts me off, "I know."

The conversation dissolves into silence. He won't look at me and I know it's because he's afraid, whether he chooses to admit that or not. "What takes place during the surgery? What do they have to do?"

A muscle works in his jaw. "Depends on the severity. In my case, I've been able to deal with it until now. Since it's getting worse, They're not going to hesitate. The surgeon told me Craniotomy--"

"What is that?"

He pauses. "It's not that bad--"

"What is it?"

"They have to remove a part of the skull to drain the blood clot. It's not--"

"So they're gonna drill a hole in your skull?! Joe that's dangerous!"

"Thousands of people have been operated on with the same procedure and they come out fine. So will I. Lockharte hired this guy because he's one of the best."

"The most experienced people can make mistakes, Joe. Just because he's good doesn't mean he's perfect."

He is silent. "It'll be fine," he pauses and finally looks at me, "We'll be fine."

I close my eyes and lean my head against his chest. "I hope you're right."

"I do have one problem with this deal." He says after a few seconds. I open my eyes and glance up at him.

"What?"

"They have to shave part of my head."

I gasp. "What?! Nooooo! I love your hair!" I run my fingers through it and frown. He only smiles down at me.

"You don't think I can pull off bald?"

"Not at all."

"Not even a buzz cut?"

"God no... wait, maybe."

    "I think Duke will like it."

    "Duke won't even know who you are. He'll bark at you until you leave the house."

    Joe adopted a golden retriever back towards the beginning of summer. He named him Duke, and all that dog does is sleep on the couch and slobber everywhere. I remember the day when Joe brought him home...

I carefully load the glasses in the cupboard and straighten them. The front door opens and closes as I fit the last one in the cabinet and make my way into the living room. "Joe did you pick up the--"

I gasp when a blob of golden fur charges through the door and leaps up on my legs. I blink down at the dog drooling all over my shorts and then glance at Joe, and stands grinning in the foyer. "Explain."

"There was an adoption going outside of the grocery store. I couldn't just leave him--"

"I sent you to the hardware store. To get nails."

"The hardware store was right next door. No time was wasted," Joe looks at the dog, which is now sitting at my feet licking my ankles. "His name is Duke."

I roll my eyes and crouch down. I rub the top of the animal's head and crinkly my nose up. "Fine. But Duke needs a bath."

I smile as the memory fades away. "That dog has already screwed up that leather couch, I guarantee it."

Joe sighs and stands up with a smile. "Come on, let's head to dinner."