Jeff pushed the door open and led her into the lab. Emily smiled; this was familiar. The science lab, the equipment charts. Jeff plopped down in a chair at a lab table, Emily sat down and Clint on the other side. The class slowly filled up with kids. She noticed the brown haired kid from the auditorium sitting in the back.

"Who's that kid? He was with the football guys."

Jeff looked up and twisted around.

"Oh. That's Thomas. Assistant captain, class clown, he's smart, but also clueless. It's weird. He always looks lost, asks a klunk tone of questions, but stupid smart. He's also Minho's best friend, you hardly see them apart."

Emily frowned. Just as she was turning back to the front Minho himself strutted into the class. Every female head twisted to watch him walk in. He either had a smirk plastered on his face or stone cold nothing.

"He's in this class?" Emily asked shocked.

"Yep." Clint nodded.

"This the twilight zone? There are smart jocks?"

Jeff snorted, and choked in his coffee. Making Emily chuckle for the first time. He didn't get to respond, the teacher walked in and plunked her bag and coffee mug down onto the front table. The class went quiet, the quiet sounds of pencils drumming on the table behind her were the only sounds.

"Well, good morning class. Your last year here. Well I hope your last year!"

There were a few snickers. The teacher smiled kindly at them. She pulled the class list up on her computer and started going through the attendance. It seemed she had taught these guys before. Her eyes flicked around the class asking a few questions about their summer.

"Ahh we have a new student!" She smiled, "a Miss Emily Fitz." Her kind eyes fell on Emily.

"Yeah...here." she raised her hand. She hated these awkward interactions.

"Moved over the summer?"

Emily just nodded.

"What brought you where to the Advanced Program?"

"Nursing." Emily said quietly.

Miss Mary nodded with a smile. "Well looking at your previous grades from your old school, you won't have a problem. Might need to do some extra reading to catch up, but I don't see it as a problem."

Emily sat up straighter, she felt her face going pink. "Umm those textbooks on your desk, those ones?"

Mary nodded.

"I umm...I have them at home and have read them."

The class all looked around at her. She heard Jeff chuckle. Mary smiled even bigger.

"Well then, excellent! Welcome to Biology Emily."

The class was just a typical beginner, welcome to the class, this is what we'll be doing, Mary handed out the syllabus with the reading outline for the year, the projects, texts dates and exam dates. The last half an hour was when they finally cracked open the text book and started the first unit.

Emily really enjoyed the class. The students there actually wanted to be there, wanted to learn and do well. Teresa wasn't in the class constantly making snide jabs. She relaxed a little. She even raised her hand and answered a question, and got high praise for it. The bell rang and Miss Mary dismissed them. The class packed up.

"Oh, Thomas, Minho a word please. Also Emily."

Emily looked up sharply. Her eyes wide in a panic for a moment.

"We'll wait for you in the hall." Jeff said.

He hefted his bag and him and Clint left. Emily waited for the class to file out. Minho was leaning on a desk, his ankles crossed and thumbs hooked in his straps. Thomas beside him was spinning a pen in his fingers.

"So. They were right."

Emily looked up. Minho was watching her.

"Who was right about what?" She asked hesitantly.

"Newt was right. You're quite smart."

"You sound surprised." Emily frowned.

"Nah, I make my own opinions based on my observations."

"My, isn't that mature of you." Emily frowned.

Thomas sniggered. Minho smirked even bigger. Mary waved them over. Emily turned on her heel and came over to the front desk. The boys right behind.

"Boys. We'll have to figure out that one rest time, I've been informed by your coach that's the play offs and you will most likely be on the road traveling."

The boys nodded.

"Well, when you get the rest of your course outlines, we will have to sit down and figure something out."

Minho nodded. 'Good that, Miss Mary." She nodded and they started to leave when Mary turned to Emily.

"I don't know if you knew this class requires some nursing equipment, because of some of the units. Here is the supply requirements."

She handed Emily a paper with a shirt list and the prices. Emily's eyes dropped. It was all really expensive, and she knew Ava wouldn't pay for it.

"Shuck it." She muttered.

Miss Mary also handed her another paper, "this is a permission form to be signed by your parent or guardian. We take a few field trips to the hospital."

Emily smiled, Jorge could sign this. She hoped.

"Any questions?"

"When do we need this equipment by?"

"As soon as possible."

"Oh." Emily squeaked.

"Problem?"

"I'll get it as soon as I can...is there any places I can umm...get it second hand?"

"Oh yes!" She answered immediately, "here I'll give you an email or two of some kids who have graduated. They might sell them!"

"Oh, that would be great. Thank you Miss Mary."

With a forced smile she thanked her and left. Her happy bubble burst. Money for things was always a problem. She had trust funds set up by her father, but she couldn't use the money until she was 18. So everything else she had to work for money to buy what she needed. Jorge helped when he could and when he found out what she needed. She got a lot of hand-me-downs from Teresa. She sighed and slid the papers into her backpack.

She shook her head and saw Newt, Sonya and Jeff standing by her locker. She smiled when they all grinned and waved at her.

"So Love, how was your first mornin'?"

"Good. I found my people. Well, most of them." She grinned.

"Oh yeah, somehow those two football heads managed to get into the program." Sonya chuckled, and nodded her head down the hall. Minho, Thomas, Ben and some other guy who was huge, stood leaning on the lockers, and a group of admirers flocked around them. She saw Brenda and Teresa front and centre. Minho had his eyes locked onto Teresa. She had very purposely wore a low cut top and short school girl skirt. Emily rolled her eyes and closed her locker.

"So, where do we eat? I'm starving."

"Ahhh a girl with an appetite. Excellent!" Sonya looped her arm again and pulled her back down the hall, and stairs and out the doors into the front lawn.

Newt, Jeff and Clint followed. Sonya led them to a picnic table and plunked down. She pulled Emily down. Emily pulled out her lunch and agenda and coloured pens highlighters and sticky notes. As she ate she started filling in all the dates and high lighting things.

"Hey, Son, looks like someone is just as buggen' ocd as you!" Newt chuckled.

"You said brilliant wrong!" Sonya waved a hand.

"Shuck sakes girl, do you bloody sleep?"

"Nope, I'm a vampire. I don't require sleep." Emily responded and wrote something else in. Her phone vibrated and she pulled it out.

Squirt!

I got my schedule! I'll be around for your birthday!

Also every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday afternoon I can be at the gym with ya! Except when it's training before a match, which I'm still waiting for.

Emily smiled. At least she'd get to see Alby, and train a bit with him.

Good that!
When are your fights?

...

Not sure yet. TBA

👍

See at 4!

Newt had leaned over.

"Who ya bloody meetin at 4?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Dude! Personal space! Whatcha doing reading over my shoulder for?"

Newt rolled his eyes. "It's the biggest bloody smile I've seen your face today."

"Does the mystery Emily have a boyfriend?" Jeff chuckled.

"Ha! No. He's...like an annoying big brother. We grew up together."

"What gym?"

"Man you guys are nosey!" Emily rolled her eyes and tossed her phone into her bag.

"Just trying to figure you out."

"I wouldn't bother." A voice cut in behind them.

Emily deflated, she knew this couldn't last. Sonya and Newt both turned to look at Teresa with raised eyebrows.

"She just stays in her room and if she's not there she's at the dingy place her father called a business." She wrinkled her nose.

"She's pretty boring, she doesn't do anything. I wouldn't bother. Also, if you heard the things about her...you wouldn't want to be around her."

"I'm sorry, I don't speak bloody tramp." Sonya frowned.

"Ha. Call me a tramp...ask her what happened at the last school and see if I'm the tramp!" Teresa sauntered away with a smirk.

Emily sat with her head down, trying to hide behind her long hair. Tears stung her eyes.

"Man. I swear this place is getting stupider by the bloody year." Sonya rolled her eyes.

"You never answered my question Love. What gym?" Newt asked, taking a bite if his sandwich.

Emily looked up, her eyes wide. She looked at the guys at the table.

"You... you don't wanna drill me with questions?"

"Shuck no. She seems like quite the slint head." Jeff shook his head.

"Sorry you have to call her family." Clint nodded.

"We all saw how she was this morning. We ain't buggen' stupid, Love. She's either tryin' to stir trouble or lying or both. And whatever she's talkin' about is your business." Newt shrugged.

"More people in the buggen' world need to be fluent in Silence." Sonya muttered with an eye roll.

Emily smiled. Maybe these guys would be friends.

~•~

Emily was standing on the field with Newt and Sonya. They had so many credits of gym they all had to get to graduate. So they were lined up with a bunch of other grade twelve students. Track and field. Something Emily was good at.

The gym teacher came marching out towards them, Minho walked beside him along with the huge ox of a boy, they were both in deep conversation with him.

"Seriously, this shank is everywhere!" Emily muttered.

Sonya smirked at her and leaned over, "it's a good thing he's hot, hey Emy?"

Emily snorted and rolled her eyes, but felt her cheeks flush. To her annoyance Teresa and Brenda flounced up. Teresa caught her and she smirked. The coach and the guys came to the group. Teresa flounced over and slithered up to Minho.

Emily heard Sonya growl. "Man she really is your evil wicked witch."

"Yeah well...he's aragant and a huge ego. Same with her, they deserve each other." She paused. Leaned over to Newt, "too bad you got your eye on a certain brunette."

Newt raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh please." She whispered even quieter. "I can see you trying to undress him with your eyes."

His cheeks flushed. "All the nice ones are taken or are gay."

"True, Love." He grinned and winked at Emily, "but if I swung that way I'd absolutely pick ya. Pretty, smart and apparently quite athletic."

"Alright listen up!" The coach yelled, blowing his whistle.

~•~

Emily was running the track, she was always a good runner. To her surprise, Newt and Sonya were quite fast. Not to her surprise, Thomas, Minho and Ben were fast. They had to run 8 full laps of the track. As a kick boxer her endurance was great. She was short but she could run. It took her mind off things, it was just her and her body. She felt her heart pumping blood through her body, she focused on steadying her breathing. In and out. In and out. Her long blond hair swishing behind her. Sonya had dropped back just a bit. It was Minho and Thomas and then slightly behind was Newt and Emily.

She had pulled her head phones out, coach didn't care as long as they did their laps. She had them in, music took her away, and the steady rhythmic of her lungs and blood pumping. The slap of her feet in the track she lost herself.

She ran. She vaguely registered that she had passed Newt. Around the next bend she went on the inside and over took Thomas and Ben. Minho was the only one in front of her. She watched his back, his large arms pumping back and forth, his feet hitting the pavement rhythmic. He had pulled his shirt off, it was tucked in the back of his shorts. She could see all his muscles flexing and rolling. A little glisten of sweat on his skin.

Emily had to shake her head focus on the running. Not the beautiful specimen of a human in front of her. She put her head down and ran faster. She was now beside him. Trying to ignore him and pass him so she had nothing to distract her.

She felt free. Running and boxing kept her mind free. If she didn't have the outlet she would have snapped and gone crazy. She hated her home life. And she pushed herself so hard in her studies, and everything else she had a stressful life.

She had two more laps. She smirked to herself. Teresa was far behind. Sure she was a cheerleader and she was fit and strong, but she was no runner. And it felt good to be good at something her step sister couldn't take away from her.

She came to the end of the laps. The coach had a stop watch. And was looking down and back up at her. He waved her over.

"Ever thought of joining the track team?" He asked, "I haven't seen a time like this in a long time."

Breathing hard, she smiled at him. And shook her head.

"No, I'm okay coach."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "can't fit it into my schedule."

"Too bad. Well if you ever change your mind, there is always a spot open for you!"

She saw Newt and Sonya cross the finish line, she made her way over.

"Man Love. Your speedy!" Newt grinned, breathing hard.

"I'm quite mysterious, I thought we established that?"

Sonya laughed through her panting. The rest of the class trickled across the finish line and started to gather in clumps. She felt eyes on her, but kept her back to them. Laughing with Sonya and Newt. Sonya's eyes narrowed and she growled. Ben had come sauntering over.

"So, Greenie. Your pretty fast."

Emily froze, she didn't like this guys attention. Her eyes flicked to Newt and Sonya, asking for help.

"What do bloody want Ben?" Newt asked.

"Just wanted to ask how Greenie was so quick."

"I just am." Emily turned to face him.

His eyes trailed over her. And a smirk appeared on his face.

"I bet ya are sweatheart."

She nodded her head once and turned back to Sonya and Newt, clearly I dictating the conversation was over. She felt a hands on her shoulders and he leaned into her and tried to whisper something but she pulled away. Well tried to. One hand let go anyways, and she felt it brush her backside. She yelled spun around and before she could think her fist slammed into his jaw.

There was instant uproar. Kids were chanting fight fight fight. The coach came pushing through the crowd.

"What is going on?" He called over the noise if the crowd. Ben slowly picked himself up.

"She just hit me! I can over to congratulate her on beating a good half of the football team and she just punched me!"

Emily sputtered. "What? No! He grabbed my ass!"

"I did not! Coach! Why would I do that to a girl? She's clearly making things up!"

Tears sprung into Emily's eyes. She felt her face heating up in humiliation. Not only did he touch her but now he was gaslighting her.

"Emily detention. We don't use our fists to settle matters!" The coach growled.

"Ya? And what about him? He grabbed my ass!"

"I didn't! She's making it up!"

The coach looked from Ben to Emily. "Can you prove it?" He asked, rubbing a hand down his face.

"How the hell do I do that?" Emily cried.

"I'm sorry, detention. Go meet me in my office."

"Bullshit. Only 'cause he's on the damn football team." Emily cried, tears in her eyes. She was very aware of every eye from the class on her.

With her face burning in humiliation and anger she stormed from the field and back into the chamge room. By the time she was changed and storming out of the changing room the rest of the class was just just heading in.

She sat in the coaches office.

I'm going to be late, sorry Al.

What's up Squirt?

Long shucken story. But I got dintention.

Who the shuck do I have to punch?

I already did.

Good.
Did he drop?

You shucken know it.

Emily smirked a bit. Alby always knew how to make her feel a bit better. She had only dropped her fists a few times, and this was a valid time to do it.

What happened?

He touched my 🍑 I punched his stupid face.

Shuck slint head! No one touches my sis. 😡🤬 Squirt. What the hell?!

I dropped him hard. And it's just detention. I'll see ya 430.

Fine. It happens again I'm seriously going to take him up the mountain and dropping him off the shucken cliff!

I believe you.

Be safe. I'll see you later.

The office door clicked open and Coach walked in.