Sonya and Newt had headed back to their place late, with the promise of picking her up the next morning. Emily retreated to her room before Teresa came home to finish copying Jeff's notes. She had tried to still use the agenda, but it was beyond ruined. Newt had given her a sympathetic look. And immediately pulled his phone out.

The next morning Emily dragged herself out of bed, threw on some clothes and pulled her toque on, grabbing her bag she started her regular routine in the kitchen.

She heard the footsteps of Teresa again. Emily's heartbeat speed up and she felt warm again. She really hated that her body went into fight or flight mode. She could get into a boxing ring with strangers and knock them out...but her step sister walks into the kitchen and she shrinks and flinches. Emily kept her back to her. She knew Teresa was waiting for an opening to needle her.

"So, today is our next business class..." Teresa said. She said as blankly as possible, but Emily knew she was setting her up.

"Wonder how far you are on that project...you spent an awfully long time at the gym over the weekend."

"I did homework before anyone was there. And I trained." Emily answered quietly.

"Training for what exactly? It's not like you do competitions or fights anymore..."

Emily didn't say anything. She knew she was trying to get a reaction.

"I guess since you became mother's responsibility, she figured spending money on you was pointless. It's a lot of money for extra proper training...and your not that good. So it would be a waist."

Emily kept her head down and continued to try eat some breakfast. Jorge was the best trainer and coach in the town. Her throat felt tight. Teresa knew how to get her. Go after her father and godfather.

"Maybe if your father cared a bit more...he would have left you with some extra money.  But he left you poor. And your godfather isn't much better off. I mean...look at that notebook and agenda..."

Teresa pointed to the very ruined stack of books and laptop on the counter. Emily glanced at it quickly.

"Can't even afford a new notebook."

Emily swallowed and tried to keep the tears behind her lashes. Teresa came around the counter right up to Emily now. Her icy blue eyes staring daggers into her. Emily dropped her eyes.

"Keep up the lie of those scratches. Minho asked how you were doing. He seems to care about your well-being...I can't understand why, you worthless little gym rat. But hands, and eyes off. You sit too close during class and you'll have problems at home." Her voice was sweet, but Emily knew there was a threat. There was always a threat.

"He's all yours." Emily finally squeaked.

But Emily's heart felt a squeeze. He was quite kind the other day, he was genuinely worried about her...he seemed different away from school. More..relaxed and open. She really hated having to work with Teresa's boy toy. And she hated that her heart fluttered when she saw him. Teresa was just using him. And it hurt her.

There was a knock at the door. Teresa spun around with a frown. Emily released the breath she was holding. Teresa flung the door wide. Standing in the door way was Newt.

"Mornin'." He smiled kindly at Teresa, his eyes slid past her to Emily. She saw the flash of concern but didn't say anything about it.
"Ready to go, Love?"

"Who are you?"

Ava had come into the kitchen, dressed in a crisp clean white suit, heels and red lips, carrying a fancy overly priced brief case. Emily's stomach twisted. She paid probably a few hundred dollars for that bag, and they wouldn't end spend $15 on an agenda a few notebooks. Emily blinked the tears back.

"Good mornin' Ma'am. Names Newt. I'm a friend of Emily's from school."

He smiled at her and held a hand out to shake. Ava pursed her lips and ran her cold calculating eyes over him. He had his Jean's on, white t-shirt and a dark orange button up sweater. With a smile, the hand he had held out, he ran through his shaggy hair.

"My sister and I are here ta pick Emily up. We have an ELA project together, an' we were going to the library early."

"You're not from here."

"No ma'am. We moved from England, almost five years ago."

"English project?" Ava's questions were sharp and cold. She didn't really care about the answers, she was trying to find a reason to keep any sort of friend away.

"Yes ma'am. Were in the advanced program together."

"What's your last name?"

"Isaac. Newton Isaac, my twin sister is Sonya."

"Your father, his name is Sam, is it not?" Ava asked crisply.

Newt smiled again, a twinkle in his eye and he nodded.

"Yes ma'am. He's the head retaining Lawyer at WICKED."

Emily could tell this came as a shock to Ava. She saw her eyes dilating and then it was gone in a blink, covering her shock with a sharp nod.

"I work closely with the lawyers. He's good at his job."

Her voice was crisp, but Emily heard the slight waver in it. Newt had rattled her. She couldn't really say no now.

"Fine. Emily you may go."

Ava snapped and turned away towards the coffee. She filled up her mug while Emily quickly pulled her sneakers on.

"I will be home late again. I expect excellent behavior from the both of you. Emily, if I hear of another detention there will be consequences at home as well."

"Yes ma'am." Emily muttered.

"Come on Love. Nice to meet you Miss Paige. See ya at school Tessa." Newt smiled and linked his arm with Emily and pulled her from the house. She could see Teresa's face going red.

Newt opened the car door for her and she slid in with a thanks. Newt climbed into the back and he burst into laughter. Along with Emily. Sonya just looked at them funny.

"What did I bloody miss?"

"Newt took the Wicked Witch down a peg or two!" Emily gasped between laugher.

They explained what happened on the way to school. Sonya grinned from ear to ear.

"Ha! Now for sure your coming over this weekend! No excuses! I'll just have dad bring it up in conversation at work and she can't say no! Ha! Take that Wicked Witch!"

"Guys... seriously...your the best!" Emily grinned.

"Well duh." Sonya rolled her eyes.

Newt rolled his eyes at her and pulled his phone out. He smirked at something and then typed something and slid it back into his pocket.

"Shall we?"

They had to pass the football guys to get to the doors. They always seemed to be wherever Emily was. It was like they followed her. Sonya shoved her way through without a care in the world. Emily hung her head and tried to slide through unseen.

"Hey! Where you off to in a hurry?" Ben called. He slid in front on Emily, cutting off Sonya. Newt had disappeared in the crowd of guys.

"I need to get to class, move please."

"What are ya gonna do about it? Hit me?"

Emily stood quiet. Holding her books to her chest and her coffee tight in her hand.

"Ben, please movie."

"Hit me. Come on girl." He taunted. A few of the guys around turned to watch. "I know you want to. Or do I gotta touch you again to make you hit me?"

He stepped forward. Emily stepped back, her eyes downcast, watching the ground.

"Come on." He said, "get mad."

He smacked her coffee onto the ground, spilling it everywhere and smashing her travel mug. Emily flinched. Panic and fear flooded through her. Her heart was pounding and her face was bright red. Her breathing came in short shallow gasps, but she was trying to hold her breath, so they couldn't see her hyperventilating. She heard some sniggers and chuckles from around her, which only made her humiliation worse.

He stepped closer and knocked her books out of her hands. They landed in the spilt coffee.

"Enough."

A deep voice cut through the laughter. Her tear filled eyes glanced up. Minho and Newt came storming up steps. The crowd broke apart for Minho like he was some king. His dark eyes flashed dangerously, a muscltin his jaw was flexing. His shoulders were tense and the veins in his arms were popping out. His eyes drilled into Ben. Who had backed up.

"Just trying to find that right hook again."

"No, your being an ass."

Emily had dropped down and scrambled trying to pick up her stuff. Newt crouched down beside her and helped gathered her things.

"Back off Ben. I see klunk like this again and I'm talking to Coach. My team is not a bunch of thick skilled shuckfaces." He growled. He turned his eyes on the rest of the team around. "Extra shucken laps and Deadmans today at practices. And if you whine it'll double." He growled.

The crowd just stood and watched.

"Go!" Minho roared. "We got class."

Newt stood up beside Minho and together they growled and dispersed the crowd. Emily didn't want to move. She wanted to sink into the ground and disappear. Her second week and she was already the target of bullies.

Newt crouched down and took her good hand and helped her up.

"Sorry. Ben's always been a hot head." Minho said.

"Don't make bloody excuses for that slint head!" Sonya growled at him.

"I wasn't. He's on thin ice." Minho said, crossithis arms. His dark eyes turned to Emily.

"Are you alright Em? I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? Did you ruin the few books that weren't yet?" Emily asked, her fear and panic turned into anger.

"Because he's on the team, and I'm responsible for him."

Emily shook her head. Clutching her wet and ruined things to her chest she stepped around him and towards the door. Tears burning her eyes. Sonya was right behind her.

Trying to blink her tears away, she struggled to open her locker, her eyes too blurry to see. Sonya took putty on her and opened it for her.

"What the bloody shuck?" She looked up at Emily who frowned. Emily stepped up and let out a gasp.

Sitting on her locker shelf was a neat stack of new notebooks, an agenda and a laptop. And in a bag beside that was the equipment she needed for her biology class.

Emily stood frozen in shock and disbelief.

"Who...? How ...? What?" Emily sputtered. She looked to Sonya for answers. Sonya looked just as shocked. She turned her big brown eyes to Emily and then she grinned and started to laugh.

"Girl! You have a fairy godmother! Whoever it was just bibidy bopidy booed the things you needed into your locker!"

"But who?"

Sonya shrugged.

"Hey." Newt, Jeff and Clint came up. Emily turned to look at them.

"Did you guys do this?"

"Do what?" Jeff asked.

Emily could only point at the locker. They leaned around the door to see. All their mouths dropped open. Emily narrowed her eyes. Either they honestly had no clue or someone was a good lier!

"Fairy godmother for our real life Cinderella."

With a shaking hand Emily reached in picked up the agenda. Inside was a small note written in the corner in neat tidy writing:

Rocky,

When life knocks you down, stand the shuck up and say you hit like a Shuckface. And remember, education is importanter.

Emily gasped and dropped the book. Throwing her hands over her mouth. She turned her head and her eyes flicked down the hall. Standing in his group, with his arm around her step sisters shoulders, Minho caught her eye for the briefest of seconds, before he turned back to Thomas who was talking wildly. She didn't know what to think or do. Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach fluttered.

"What's wrong?" Sonya asked.

"Noth....nothing." she whispered. Bending down to pick up the agenda. She stared at the writing with a small smile on her blushing face.

"Uhhhh....Em?"

Emily realized she had frozen, staring at the note, her stomach exploding with little butterflies. She looked up, and pulled everything out of her locker and dumped her old ruined notebooks into the locker. Closing it she just smiled at the group who was looking at her wearily.

"I'm fine. Off to ELA, right Noodles?"

"Shuck sakes woman, do not use that buggen' name." He groaned while the group snickered.

"Whatever ya say. Nootie Patootie."

Sonya howled with laughter as she waved goodbye, which made Emily chuckle. Jeff and Clint went there way to their first class. Emily wrapped her arm around Newt's waist and he drapped an arm over her shoulders and together they went to class. As they passed the big rowdy group Newt kept glancing up and then back at the floor and then back up, his cheeks turning pink, until they passed.

Emily leaned in and whispered. "So you have more then one secret."

He raised an eyebrow at her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Who where you furiously texting yesterday and this morning? Where did you scurry off to this morning? All of a sudden you and Minho show up...your a pretty good actor."

"I have no bloody idea what your talking about."

"Just like you have no bloody idea how my stuff appeared in my locker? When only you and Sonya know my code?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nope. No buggen' clue."

"Uh huh. Yeah, real convincing. Also Tommy is pretty cute. Don't ya think?"

"Yeah he is, but- wait!" He yelped and pulled away to face her. Emily grinned. Newt's face went bright red.

"That was bloody mean." He pouted.

"Your secret is safe with me."

Newt frowned and folded his long arms. He narrowed his eyes at her. But then sighed and threw his hands in the air.

"Fine. Yes, I like him. Have for a while. And I heard he broke up with his boyfriend over the summer."

"Well shoot your shot man!"

"I can't!"

Emily frowned, they had made it to English.

"Why not?"

"Different buggen' social groups."

"Newt...I thought you floated around? Not part of one specific group?"

Newt sputtered a little bit and then hung his head.

"Isn't he best friends with Minho? And aren't you and Minho close? Find an excuse to hang out."

Newt picked his head up and looked at her curiously. A bit of light in his eyes.

"Ya know...that might buggen' work! Your quite the genius Emy!"

"I know."

She smiled, and pulled out one of the new notebooks. Her heart beat just a bit faster. It was just a simple notebook, but it made her emotional. People never did things like that for her. They never offered gifts. People never helped. Other than Jorge or Alby, she didn't know what to think or say. But Minho did it anonymously, and she appreciated it so much. Teresa had no way to point the blame on her. She would appreciate the fairy godmother's gift.