Newt dropped Emily off at the door with a wave. She saw Sonya at the back of the class. It was still early, and not many kids were here yet. This class was an extra credit class, it wasn't a mandatory core class, but according to the school secretary yesterday she still needed one extra credit to graduate. Emily was hoping that all the work she dose at the gym with Jorge it would be an easy class to help boost my GPA. So far the second day of school hadn't bee too bad, but it was still early. There was still room to shuck it up. And Teresa had been awfully quiet today, considering she left early this morning, Teresa didn't like when Emily felt happy or smiled smiling with friends at school of all places.

The bell rang and the kids started to file in. Emily had pulled her agenda out and writing something down when Sonya nudged Emily in the ribs. 

"The Crank is here." 

She sat straight up, eyes wide, looking around. Sure enough, Teresa and Brenda came flouncing into the class. Followed by what looked like half of the football team and cheer team. The minute she saw Emily, she grinned and snacked her arm around Minho and batted her eyelashes up at him. The group was loud annoying and obnoxious. They sank down into the seats at the back. 

Emily groaned. "Is it too late to switch classes?" 

"Ha. I wish." 

"I can always learn to play the trumpet..." She whined to Sonya who snorted.

This was going to be a miserable semester with this group. 

"Seriously, with all the classes that are offered, I swear that guy is stalking me!" 

"Who?"

"That puffed up QB." Sonya raised her eyebrows, "Seriously, he's in like every one of my classes! The only one is ELA. But just my luck he skipped and is actually in the class." 

Sonya just snorted, "Well...I got nothing Love." 

The teacher tried to get the class to settle, it took a few minutes. The teacher was half way through the attendance when the door swung open and Ben of all people came sauntering into class.

"Shuck my luck." I muttered. 

"Dude...your luck sucks. You need a fairy godmother!" Sonya whispered.

"Ben! You're late!" 

"Clearly." 

The teacher pointed to an empty chair, "Sit." 

Sonya nudged Emily again, she looked over at her, and Sonya had a huge smirk. She raised a questioning eyebrow. 

"Look at his jaw." 

Emily's eyes slid past her to Ben, and on his jaw there was a huge black, blue and purple bruise spreading up onto his cheek. Emily couldn't help but smirk a bit. She wished she could take a picture and send it to Alby and Jorge. They would be so proud, she could just picture both their proud smirks. 

Emily turned back to the teacher. He was handing out he course outline and dates of everything. Quickly scanning the outline she saw that 75% of the final mark was a huge presentation and project the class had to do with a partner. Wouldn't be so bad. The project was to pick a business and follow the owner or someone higher up, figure how they run their business; the history of it, how it benefits the community, what has worked and what hasn't worked in the passed, interview the owner and how they got the business up and running, and come up with their own business proposal. 

"This is gonna be a shucken walk in the park!" Emily whispered with a smile, "I've been helping Jorge for years!" 

The teach finished handing out the pages and was back at the front and was going over the source material for the class, and went into more detail about the project. Didn't sound too bad, Emily had taken out her notebook and started taking notes about what was expected. 

"Now, before you get all excited, I have already placed you in partners. No whining no complaining. You're almost adults, and in the business world, in the real world you will have to learn how to get along with others." 

There was an instant groaning and muttering. Emily included. She heard Sonya curse. The teacher started going through the list, of partners. 

"...Sonya and Harriet..." 

"Nice, I can work with that." She sighed. 

"...Nick and Gally..."

"...Brenda and Ben..."

"Well at least I'm not with creepazoid!" Emily muttered. 

"...Teresa and Thomas..."

Panic bubbled up inside her, there was only three other people in the class and knowing her luck she was going to be stuck with the only other person she was hoping to avoid. 

"...Minho and Emily..."

She felt her stomach drop and her heart sped up. She wasn't sure if her face was beat red or white as a ghost. She looked down at the desk top, trying to get her wild reaction under control. Teresa was going to have a hayday with this. 

"Man, Emy, your luck really sucks." 

"We have established that already." Emily groaned. 

"All right class, everyone get into your partners and start brainstorming. I want which business your going to use by the end of next week!" The teacher called. 

Sonya gave Emily a sympathetic look as she got up and went over to sit down at the table with Harriet. Reluctantly, she started packing up only to have a hand slam down on her notebook. Looking up Emily's soft brown eyes came face to face with angry bright blue eyes. 

"Don't you even dare!" 

"Dare to do what Tes? I did NOT choose this, you know that!" 

She growled and narrowed her eyes. They flashed dangerously. "I'm always watching! He's mine, you filthy little gym rat!" 

Emily didn't say anything. Teresa kept staring, her intense angry blue eyes kept Emily frozen in place. Teresa could fly off the rails sometimes, and now it seemed like she was close. And when she did, she always lashed out at Emily. If she protested or did anything she would go to her mother and it always ended with a slap to the face and locked in her room with extra chores and so much more. The last time Jorge had to threaten to call Child protective services. Emily kept her head down and her mouth closed, blinking as fast as she could to keep the tears in. 

Minho had come over with his stuff and plunked it down. 

"Everything okay here?" He asked, his face was impassive. 

"Yes darling, everything is great!" She reached up and kissed his cheek, he smirked down at her. "I was just talking to my dear sister about something." She cooed, batting her eyelashes at him. She stepped closer and ran a hand over his chest, as she walked away she looked back and gave Emily a sharp warning look. 

Minho dropped down into the chair Sonya left, "So Rocky, were partners." 

"Yep." I said quietly, not even bothering to look up. I knew Teresa had her eyes glued to me, despite talking with Thomas. 

"So...any ideas for this business?" He asked, leaning back in his chair, tipping it back onto two legs. 

"My godfather has one we can use. It'd be easy to get access whenever we need."  

"Awesome!" 

"Yep." 

It was awkward and quiet for a moment. Emily kept her head down, twirling the end of her long braid around her finger.

"So...I guess we'll need to meet at the place." 

"Oh yeah.. well what's your schedule like?" 

Emily pulled her agenda out and pen. She flipped to this week. 

"Holly shuck! Do you sleep? What is everything scheduled for?" 

He had glanced at her colour coded agenda, with times booked for studying each subject and when she had time to do all the extra chores for Ava and Alby's schedule so she could meet him at they gym. 

"No. I don't require sleep. I'm a vampire." 

Minho snorted. "You'd have to be with all this!" He shook his head and then ran a hand through his hair. 

"Well I have goals, so...I push myself." 

"Nice. I understand goals. What kinda goals?" 

"To get this project finished. When are you free?" 

"Well football is life right now. But I'm free Sunday afternoons." He shrugged. 

"Your girlfriend is going to be okay with that?" 

"It's a school project, why wouldn't she be?" 

Emily couldn't help but snort. Minho looked up and raised an eyebrow, he lowered his chair and dropped his hands from behind his head. Emily's face went pink and shook her head. 

"Never mind." She whispered, lowing her eyes. 

"What does that mean? She's your sister isn't she?" 

"Step sister." 

"I see." His voice had dropped and he crossed his large arms, frowning at her. 

The bell thankfully rang. Before she left she scribbled down her phone number, and the address of the Gym and gave it to him. 

"I'll be at there all Sunday afternoon. Come when you can." 

Emily grabbed her bag and rushed out of the room as fast as she could. She needed outside. She needed a quiet place. She pulled her phone out as she hurried down the hall. She sent a group text to Newt, Sonya, Jeff and Clint.

Hey. I'll meet you outside. Track field.

She slid her phone back into her bag, pushing through the crowded hall and out the door. The sun hit her face and she felt a little better. She rounded the school and dumped her stuff on the bleachers and took off. She didn't have a punching bag or speed bag, but there was a track. She took off and ran. 

She hated her life. She couldn't even do a school project without Teresa making it as difficult as possible. Teresa had made her life a living hell for so long. Now there was something about this year that seemed to have escalated. In one day. Was it because she had made friends? Or because she knew Emily was leaving next year and she wouldn't have someone to bully? Who the shuck knows. 

Emily ran. She ran the laps, pushing herself hard, her chest was heaving and her heart was slamming into her rib cage. She probably should have changed, but whatever. It was lunch, she cool off and then she had a free period and then Math. She ran until she saw Sonya waving her over. She finished the lap in a hard sprint and then slowly jogged over. And grabbed her water. Sonya, Jeff, Newt and Clint all plopped down on the grass or bleachers. 

"So I take it your buggen' class didn't go so good?" Newt asked. 

Emily snorted in derision. She flopped onto the grass, the sun was warm, t he air was chilly, but it felt good on her sweaty skin. She filled them in on what happened. She left out some of the details with Teresa, but still how awkward it was going to be to do this project that was worth more than half the final grade. 

"Well...at least you have a business to use." Sonya grumbled, "You could do this project alone and have it done in a week!" 

"True. And I just might do that. Do it myself and just add his stupid name to the bottom, so I don't have to deal with him and Teresa." 

"It couldn't be that bad!" Jeff found.  

Emily picked her head and looked at Jeff, and raised her eyebrow. Sonya smacked him upside the head. 

"Dude. She lives with the Wicked Witch of the West and The Crank. Of course its awful!" 

"Guys...you don't even know the half of it." Emily said quietly, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out. "You know Cinderella...and you must have read Harry Potter growing up? Pretty sure she read them to get inspiration." 

"Dang girl!" Sonya whispered, her eyes wide. 

Emily shook her head, and pushed up to her elbows. "After dad died she sold everything that belonged to him, I managed to grab some stuff, like a few t shirts, pictures, a few of his favorite books and stuff like that...but she sold everything. Ava found out that dad gave me my moms wedding ring, she tried to get her hands on it, but I had given it to Jorge to hold onto, and it was in his will. She also tried taking the necklace he gave me, it was also my moms." She had sat up and crossed her legs. All their eyes were wide and mouths open in horrified shock.

"What the actual bloody shuck?" Newt gasped. 

Emily looked down at her lap. 

"It's why I don't tell anyone anything. Why I don't have friends. They don't really let me. They leave the gym alone now...that was nasty for a while. My dad left the gym to me. I actually... technically own it. The building and the business. It's just held in trust until I'm 18." 

"What?!" Sonya cried. Emily just nodded.

"Ava tried to get her hands on it, but it was too well taken care of by the lawyers before Dad passed away." 

"Well shuck." Clint muttered. 

"I've never actually told anyone that.." 

"Well, I feel bloody honored Love!" Newt gave her a genuine smile that made his brown eyes light up. 

"When do you turn 18?" Sonya asked. 

Emily sighed. "Next year. I only turn 17 in November." 

"Shuck. Well, soon enough. And we'll help as much as we buggen' can!" Sonya said, sitting up straight. 

"Absa-shucken-lutly! You can count on us Love." Newt said solemnly, laying a hand on her knee, and giving it a squeeze. 

"Count me in!" Jeff said with a nod. 

"Yep!" Clint nodded. 

"Guys...I can't ask you to do that! It's too much, you hardly know me!" 

"You didn't ask, dumb dumb. We volunteered." Sonya rolled her eyes. 

"Good thing you sat beside me yesterday. You are now one of us!" 

"We gotta come up with a group name!" Sonya grinned. 

"What is it with you and names?" Jeff groaned. 

Sonya shrugged. The rest of lunch was spent just laughing and Emily getting to know her first group of friends. She could deal with Teresa and Ava, if she had people in her corner; Jorge, Alby, Sonya, Newt, Jeff and Clint.