Chapter 44

I woke to a movement over my neck.  I tried letting my tiredness take me back under; after all, I need a lot of energy to go to school with Ramper tomorrow.  I wanted sleep.  Yet, that movement over my neck wasn't a fuzzy haze in my head anymore.  I realized it must really be happening....  Putting that against my body's want to go under, I wont lie, it was a tough choice. 

I figured it was Luke after a moment of conscious thought filtered through my head.  But as I laid there, and wake slightly more from the movement, I felt the details of the feeling.  It lapped at my neck and my chin, over and over, licking me.  And conscious enough at this point, I can tell you this relationship is going to take a hard turn if Luke thinks I would be fond of him slobbering all over my neck.  Of course, when I opened my eyes to a fuzzy vision, I started to figure out that this wasn't Luke.  Thank god.

Blinking slightly, waking up a little more, I noticed that with me laying on my side, I could perfectly see down to my little friend next to me.  Licking at my neck.  In the dark, I could see Jack's outline - along with the movement of his playful wagging tail.  Groaning at now realizing it was Jack, I moved my head back and tried burying it away from him in my pillows.  "No, Jack," I groaned.  Only a second later, he inched up more to my pillow until I couldn't get away from his licking.  His moist little tongue at it again, I felt my agitation rise in me because I was tired.  "Jack," I hissed. "Stop it." 

When he finally did though, and moved back down to lay next to me, it was too late.  I was up, even if just barely.  But I was awake enough to be able to take in my surroundings - at least a little bit.  And one thing I realized as my eyes looked over to the other side of the bed was that Luke was gone.

Sitting up in bed, blinking the sleep out of my eyes even more, I focused on where he would be and to make sure my blurry eyes weren't betraying me in the dark, I reached over only to feel the ruffled sheets and covers, not him. I figured he went to the bathroom or something and would be back.  Of course, after a few minutes, I became curious.  Glancing over to the clock, I noticed it was 4:00.  Great.  In a few hours, I'm going to have to get up for school.  Ugh.  Why me...?  Of course, I got up.

By the time I opened the door quietly, not wanting to even think about waking Clare up, I started slowly down the hall.  I started down the stairs quietly, figuring he was down here.  And as I moved down the steps, I became a little more worried.  Was he okay?  What was he doing up?  Yawning slightly under my breath, my eyes were now adjusted to the darkness besides the few night lights around the house.  Of course, even though it was this early in the morning, the sky in the winter held enough snowy light to still illuminate slightly through the windows - which I saw when I came into the living room.  The couches, the table, TV... all scattered shadows to me.  I could see the floor light up from the reflecting light on the window.  And that dim light in the darkness also offered enough light in to cast upon a man who was standing in front of the front window, looking outside almost mindlessly.   

He didn't even realize I was standing there at the end of the staircase behind him a couple yards.  It was surprising because usually, he would be able to feel it or hear someone in the room, sense it in a way.  But he didn't move.  I took him in at an angle.  Most of his back facing me, I also took in his side.  With one hand slack at his side and with the other furthest from me resting against his forehead.  He was leaning forward, resting his head into his arm propped on the side of the window.  I saw his eyes just enough with his almost slack looking body leaning against the wall and looking out the window.  They peered outside, staring into the light grey sky and the snow that was slowly falling from it.  His gaze... seemed distant.  Lost, from what I could see.  And with a shadow caressing his neck, I just saw enough of his face to see his lips flat with his eyebrows dipped in conflict.

I didn't say anything for a long moment, just taking him in.  His tired looking body, dead eyes moving with busy thoughts, his frustrated and sad expression... I could see he was tense leaning against the side of the window and looking out.  I could tell, even through his baggy tee-shirt and short.  And that's what made the sight of him really eat at me.  I couldn't look at him like this anymore. 

"Luke?" I asked, breaking the silence stretching in the quiet air.  And when my voice broke out and revealed me to him, I saw him turn around from where he was looking out the window.  Standing, supporting himself, and fully looking at me.  I took in his expression... and the thing was it didn't change really.  He looked just as disturbed and unhappy and he couldn't keep it off his face.  Only now his mind was on this moment and not whatever it was he was pondering over a moment ago.

He didn't say anything as I watched him, confused by all this.  By what he was doing up and what was clearly upsetting him.  However, he didn't say a word.  His legs just moved... and he walked over to me.  And with his tired but sure steps, I took him in more and clear pain radiated from his eyes.  When he reached me, he didn't pause.  He wrapped his arms around my back the moment he was in range too and he pulled me against him slowly and softly, hugging me to him.

My eyebrows dipped, I didn't know what to make of any of this.  However, I did know that he needed this hug, for whatever reason.  And I gladly returned it to him after a moment of him taking me in, wrapping my arms around him too... just wondering what was wrong.  Pressing the side of my cheek hesitantly against his chest, unsure of all of this, I instantly felt myself relax a little. With him hugging me, I felt he unlocked his tense body too.  As if he just needed this.  He sighed the moment he was holding me to him and rested his head against mine. Against him, I felt him take a deep breath and his arms seemed to tighten at the relief of just me. 

He held me like that for a long moment.  We just... stood there, with me enveloped in his arms.  Not a word said.  Until I felt the lightest slack in his muscles around me and I took that chance to crane my neck up.  I rested my chin against his chest and stared up into his eyes and his stared down in mine.  His expression was blank for the most part.  His eyes caressed my face as one of his hands moved up and stroked my hair as I stared up into his eyes against him.  So worried... and just wanting to understand.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

His hair bent down with his head, brushing along his eyes, I noticed a little glint of sadness reach them more.  He pursed his lips for a long second until he finally spoke.  "Nothing important," he said, smiling to me softly.  "I'm just thinking is all."

"Last time I checked that matters," I said to him, watching him carefully.  He knew better than that to play the dumb card with me.

I saw him swallow slightly.  He shook his head, as if trying to let it go, but when I caught his eyes and wouldn't let go, he sighed and told me.  Nodding, he said, as if ashamed, "I had a dream...."

At this point, I felt old instincts jump in, wanting to call him a sissy or something for being bothered over that.  But of course, with those instincts, I was a hypocrite because I had terrifying dreams that still haunted me.  I was instantly worried for him and could only imagine how bad it was if it woke him and left him in pain and a restless state.  I felt my arms around him tighten. "Of what?" I asked, almost frightened to hear.

"It's... It's... just a dream."

"Yeah, and so were all those dreams I had that woke me up and left me shook up.  So start talking," I said, giving him my attention.  My eyes and my ears clear and open for him to give me what he needed to tell me.

His hand that was stroking in my hair as I stared up at him slowed and eventually stopped when he spoke in almost a tight and dead voice. His eyes finally left mine, looking down at the ground as he spoke.  "It was... of you.  But I mean I don't want to talk about it fo--"

"Why, because you think it would remind me of something I don't want to hear?" I cut in, already seeing where that was going.  Because when he told me it was of me, I had a feeling it was something that wouldn't bring a state of peace in my mind.  It would remind me of stuff I try to force away.  But that didn't matter.

He told me the truth, looking back up in my eyes and nodded as his answer.  And to that, I told him the truth.  "You don't need to hide away all the things that scar me.  I face them slowly, a day at a time, and want to hear what you dreamed of."

"You died," he spoke in a quiet scared voice.  His arm around my back tightened.  His eyes begged mine... begged me for something I wasn't sure I knew.  He spoke in a curt voice, in anger, and frustration, and the sorrowful feeling in his voice was what made it crack.

"How?" I asked, curious.

He sighed, closing his eyes for a minute.  "In the mental hospital... you were trapped in a room.  You were trapped in a room with all these doctors... ready to-to open you up and use your body for who knows why.  They were going to tear you apart... alive," his voice broke and his eyes opened, begging in mine again.  And I took it all in... not phased but rather disturbed he went through that in his head. 

I searched his eyes as he continued, having a hard time remembering and telling me about his nightmare.  "And... and... I wasn't there.  I wasn't there.  You screamed for me," he said slowly, as if still taken by this dream.  "You screamed my name out, for me to come and help you and I didn't!  I wasn't there to stop them and they did it.  They... killed you.  Because I didn't come for you as you called my name."

I swallowed myself, seeing how terrible this really was for him.  I wont lie, it did hurt to hear it but I was glad he did.  He needed to tell me this and now that he did, I saw the extent of his pain at the moment.  The frustration.  I felt I needed to calm him down, do something to make him feel better.  Maybe that's how he felt when I woke from nightmares. 

A stretch of silence grew before us as I took in his words, and as he stared down into my eyes.  Against each other and holding me to him still, I was lost.  I wanted to know where this dream came from.  I knew he was still having a hard time accepting all that has happened.  It was a lot in very little time after all.  But... that just didn't seem right to me.  Because the fact was he got me out.  He didn't need to save me from that dream.

"But you did come," I said in a quiet voice, trying to reassure him.  "You came, you got me out, and I am okay."

"I know that," he nodded, glancing off to the side for a moment, blushing slightly, embarrassed.

I shook my head not understanding.  "Then why did you have that dream?  What is still bothering you?" I asked, putting emphasis on that last question.

"Well," he breathed.  "I got you out.  But that doesn't make up from what happened to you before that."

It started to come together after he said that, letting it register in my head.  I knew how bothered he was when Clare put me in there.  What was still eating at him... was what actually happened while there.  He told me he wanted me to talk to him about it.  And he is so wonderful because he didn't push me to talk about it, even though he really wanted to know.  Even though it hurt him not knowing.  I had the answers he wanted... he just wanted me to be ready to tell him. 

I didn't realize until now how much he wanted to know.  And though he wasn't pushing me because he knew the toll it took on me, I felt I needed to tell him.  This nightmare he had made me ready to tell him what happened.

"Come with me," I said, moving back and away from his body, breaking the embrace.  Instead, I took his hand in mine and began to guide him towards the stairs. 

"Why?" he asked slightly confused.

"Because you need to know," I said simply as we headed up to my room.  And where I needed to tell him what happened.  No matter how much it hurt him like I knew it would, it hurt him more not knowing and being anxious over it the whole time. 

***

We were sitting up in my bed, shoulder to shoulder as I told him everything.  And to my shock, it didn't bother me to let those terrible memories come back; it actually felt nice to talk about them to him.  It was a type of relief I didn't feel to often.  But where my calmness of the matter was strong, my worry for him made me feel a little sick.  Because I knew how much he hated to hear about me suffering.  Luke couldn't stand the thought of someone abusing me.  Now, he was learning all this new information.  This abuse he didn't hear about before.

I stared small with him.  With that not so bad stuff.  But to be honest... that didn't last to long; all of it was really bad when you relate it to Luke.  Before I even began to tell him about anything, I sternly told him that he can't worry about it anymore. It was done and what I was going to tell him was only meant to inform him.  There was nothing he could do about it and it was over with.  It took him a while to agree and come to grasp with what he might hear.  And when he did, I was still a little reluctant to tell him.

But I eventually did tell him everything in the early hours of that morning. Everything.  About the sick owner of the place that made me undress in front of him for pleasure, about my doctor who told me he had 'plans' for me in the morning, about the pills they made me take.  About the conditions of the place, their poor treatment to me, even the weird and oblivious lady that evaluated me.  About how I tried to fight back too and it didn't go to well.  I told him everything... letting it seep out eventually with seeing how he was taking it.

With each step taken down the path of what happened, I observed him carefully as I spoke.  With his back against the headboard with mine, I noticed sometimes his eyes were at attention on me, searching and paranoid in my eyes when I told him.  Then sometimes when I spoke, his eyes were lost in the bed sheets.  Wherever his eyes were though didn't effect his heavy breathing; that occurred the whole time, those heavy and shaky breaths.  The blankness and clear hurt was a constant on his face too.  He looked so... so hurt and disturbed - especially during the part where I told him the owner made me undress in front of him for his own pleasure of watching me. 

Yet, during all this, he just sat there, even if fidgety, and listened. I had to check a few times if he was okay.  He looked ready to break open in tears at one point.  At another point, he looked ready to break someone in half. He was trying to handle everything he was taking in and I could see how hard it was for him to do.  Luke even was brave enough to ask me some questions I knew he was scared to hear the answer of.  He was very supportive through the whole thing in having me talk and I was supportive of him when I saw he didn't look like he could take much more.  I continuously asked him if he wanted to know because it would hurt him.  But he was eager for more.  He needed to know, even if it hurt.

By the time I was finished telling him everything, I felt my own need to hug him.  Like he did me earlier.  I wrapped my arms up and around him without another word and drew him to lay down with me on the bed.  He was hurt, having learned all that.  And all I wanted for him, and all I could do for him, was give him my arms.

I moved down flat to my back and led him to rest against me.  He had his head buried in my neck and shoulder, holding me silently.  And with his face hidden, I could still feel his jagged breaths against my neck and his tense body.  My arms wrapped around him as he laid against me, I ran my fingers through his hair. 

"I'm so sorry," I heard him muffle against me in a deep voice, wrapping his arms around me too.  And for some reason, after all that I told him, this was digging at my heart.  At seeing him show me how much he trusted me.  With my arms, my words... he trusted me, he cared for me, and he was sharing my sorrow with me.

I shook my head, sighing.  "No.  You didn't do anything wrong.  If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be here.  Mentally and physically."

"No... I'm sorry I let it happen in the first place.  I should have been able to stop it.  After all, we knew Clare wanted to do it.  I just didn't think she would....  It's my fault."

I moved my hands to down towards his cheeks that were pressed into me and I lifted his head up to meet his eyes.  And in them... was shame and hurt.  I couldn't stand it; I didn't want him feeling this way when there was no reason too.  When it was all over now.  "Luke, it's not your fault.  It's over and I'm alive thanks to you.  Stop worrying about what could have been done when we need to focus on what to do now."

He sighed, his lips pursing as he stared into my eyes with where he was against me, slightly over me.  My eyes traced his jaw line, which finally untightened and the tension in him began to face.  His eyes in mine turned a brighter, loving green when he spoke, nodding slightly.  "You're right," he said, getting my words through his head.  Because he knew that's what had to happen.  Focus on the present and getting through everything else.  Even when I knew he wanted to hurt over what happened.  He said, with more confidence and a small smile to me, "You're right."

After that, we just continued to lay there silently, as he ran his fingers over my back, holding me.  There was little time left to sleep anyway now since school would be starting soon and Ramper would be here to get me.  I felt my eyes close at his touch though several times... before it was time to get up.  Another day of school with Ramper or lay in bed with Luke... I'd go with the later if I could; but I couldn't.

Just as I knew it was time to get ready, as I started to get up, Luke's arm around me stayed strong and he kept me laying there with him over him.  I looked up into his eyes, a greener much lighter than before when he was bothered and worried.  He gave me a sweet smile, gripping me tight to him and not letting me go.

"Are you pushing me, copper?  This early in the morning?" I asked, teasing.

He gave a throaty chuckle.  "No.  I just want to tell you something before you get going."

I smiled and raised an eyebrow.  "What?  That your ass and the couch are going on a date?" I smirked.

His smile grew to a shinny grin, smiling down to me.  He shook his head slowly, eyes lighting up in mine.  "No.  But we are...."

I sat up more, his arm no longer resisting as I sat up in bed, looking down to him smiling.  I didn't really understand at first but with the look on his face, I think I knew what he meant by that.  And I wasn't sure what to think.  "What?" I grinned, pushing my hair back as I stared down at him.

"You heard me.  I'm picking you up this Saturday.  We are going on a fucking date.  So deal with it," he said, raising and lowering his eyebrows. 

I smiled, shaking my head, not believing my ears. A date?  Honestly, I didn't even think about the day coming.  Of course, I loved him and all.  With everything going on though, it was just something I didn't expect happening.  But hell, I'm not complaining.  Just imagining such a time with him was giving me chills of excitement and wonder in my heart.  If it gets to the point where I start swooning, my pride surely will be gone. He was never done filling me up with these girly feelings.  

I liked his snarky tone and his teasing expression.  What made me chuckle though lied in his words.  "You are picking me up...?  We live in the same house moron."

He ignored what I said.  "I'll pick you up at... about 6:00.  Does that sound good?" he asked, smirking.

I chuckled, blushing slightly at my own excitement over the matter.  "That sounds good," I chuckled. 

"Good," he said and spanked the side of my lower hip.  "Now get ready for school, sexy," he smiled as I chuckled, moving off the bed and away from where I noticed he tried to slap me again, this time on my ass.  I gave him the finger in return, laughing as I stood up and moved towards the door to go to the bathroom.  Getting ready for school... for hell... for when Ramper picks me up.  Couldn't I just skip this week to our date?  That's all I was looking forward to now. 

***

My mood plummeted the second I saw his ugly face.  It didn't get better throughout the day

I could barely stand going to first hour with him.  It was shit.  How am I suppose to do this... for who knows how long.  I guess the one up side is it motivates me ever more to finish this shit with the gang so this will end.  But when you hear his voice, when you have to gain the energy just to look at him... I felt that it would take forever.

We were already at our bickering.  I enjoyed some of it, to be honest.  It got some stress out, to verbally bash him.  Of course, he was doing the same thing to me and it was getting annoying.  I wanted to know what the hell made him do this job.  And when I even asked him - politely too guys - he said it was punishment for prior sins.  What a dramatic baby.  I take back what I said about him getting laid.  He shouldn't get laid, even though he needs to.  He should suffer the starvation of the dick.

By the time third hour came around, and more whispers were oh so obviously circulating and came at me, I just wanted to quit.  I wanted to drop out of school.  Then punch Ramper in the face (in that order).  I got he didn't like me.  But god, when he hears the kids saying shit to my face and doesn't do anything, it pissed me off.  No wonder Luke had to talk to him... he was so stubborn and immature.  Of course, so was I though too. 

However, when a surprise came at me today, he finally gave me a surprising reaction I wasn't expecting.

"Higgins," I heard from up near the front of the classroom, coming from Mr. Harris's deep voice. My head snapped up and to attention at his voice, already going through the things he could be calling my name for... not paying attention?  Slacking?  That I was a good example of insane people in history?

As it turned out, when I looked up to his, he was calling my name just as he hung up the classroom phone I hadn't even noticed rang to begin with.  At seeing that though... my first thoughts were Clare.  That she was here to get me again.  That telling Luke about what happened at the mental hospital only cursed me to have it happen all over again.... But I was being paranoid.  Staring at him from where I was sitting, now at attention at my desk, I met his eyes when he called my name.

"The principal wants to see you," he said, looking down as he hung the phone up and his eyes went over to the rest of the class.  "Anyway class, the important thing to remember about the effects..." he went on with class.  As I just sat there for a moment, wondering what the principal could want with me.  First thoughts were what had happened in the past when he called me down: a rumor about me reached him and he needed to question me about it.  The good thing though that has been happening with that is that he is slowly catching on after the same pattern of dumb and obvious rumors.  This was most likely just to check and make sure it was BS, whatever it was.

However, by the time Ramper and I entered his office, I was feeling a little unsure.  I had a bad feeling in me about this, for whatever reason.  It turned out... that my gut was right.

"Hello, Albany," Mr. Heilding spoke in his too friendly voice.  Moving into his crowded office with Ramper, we both took a seat in front of his desk as he motioned for us to do.  Looking at him across the wooden surface of his desk, the principal took interest in the asshole next to me, who he smiled his thinly lips for.  "And it's nice to see you again, Officer Ramper," he said nicely to him, in which I saw Ramper give him a nod from where he was sitting next to me. 

This would be interesting....  It was all I knew at the moment; everything else seemed unsure as I watched his dull and grey eyes closely from where he was sitting across from us.  When they came back to mine again, I noticed his eyebrows dipped in more finely as he took me in with a strange look of... accusation? 

He gave a sigh, and ran a hand back through his grey hair as he spoke to me.  "Albany, I called you in here today to discuss your reoccurring absences in this school."

I narrowed my eyes on him, already seeing where this was going.  He's going to blame me for skipping school, for doing drugs or some shit even when I have been properly excused anyway.  I mean, he was smart enough to know the differences in what is a rumor and not.  But that didn't mean I was his favorite kid around here either.  "What about it?" I murmured in warning.

"I don't appreciate that tone," he said in a lower voice and I only nodded, remembering how I needed to act.  A moment later, he got to it.  "You see... you have missed so many days here that you will ultimately be dropped from your classes if you miss more than a couple more days."

"Excuse me?" I asked, not really sure what that was suppose to me.  "You're telling me," I said, sitting forward and stressing my eyes in his.  "That I'm getting kicked out of this school if I miss any more days?" I asked. 

He nodded simply, face blank.  "Yes.  You can manage to miss a few but not many.  It happens to every student who misses as much school as you have this years thus far."

I understood that.  Understood that if you don't come to school, they have a right to kick you out.  or if you miss so many days like I did, you aren't allowed here anymore.  However, I figured my case would be more than an exception. 

"Dude, that is absolute BS!" I said, kind of without thinking. I at least should have address him as 'sir'. 

"You want to rephrase that, Miss. Higgins?" he asked sharply right after, his jaw tightening and he offered up a scowl and sat forward more.

I sigh.  "Fine, sorry.  I just mean that I don't think that is right for the reasons I have missed to begin with."

He nodded slowly, taking in my words and it was clear on his face there was no fighting it.  "I underst--"

"I mean, you know why I have been gone right?" I asked, jumping ahead at seeing... that maybe he just didn't.  I don't think he understood what has been going on, even with the news always right in front of him.  After I asked Heilding that though, and nothing but silence followed, I realized he just didn't care.  He didn't know why I was gone enough to the point of 'understanding' and he just really didn't look as if he cared either.

"What," I said, my voice getting louder and I moved to the edge of my seat even more, leaning forward, my voice seeming to take me.  "You think I'm skipping?  Smoking dope with friends I don't have?  Do you have any idea what is going on?!" I said, my voice loud enough that I was nearly or at least close to shouting.

"Albany, if you plan to stay at this school for the rest of today, I suggest you sit back and lower your voice when you speak to me!" he hissed, scowling, eyebrows low and angry as he stared at me.  I had no choice but to tighten my mouth and keep it shut, sit back in my seat, and take a deep breath.  Complete shit... Jesus.  I was ready to walk out.  Because if anything pisses me off more than people teasing me and bullying me, it's them denying what's really going on because they are so ignorant.

I tried getting my voice to steady enough to speak.  To my utter shock though, I wasn't the only one here defending my position on the matter.  After a couple seconds or silence, and noticing from my side Ramper glance between us, he spoke up.  "Sir," he said, his voice raw and on it's own.  I raised an eyebrow and watched him.  "I highly respect you, your position, but I must say I think you are making a mistake."

What?  He was actually on my side... and voicing his opinion on it.  I felt my jaw literally drop open to as I turned my head to him where he was sitting next to me.  Because even before, with the uniform and all, I never took him seriously until now.  I mean... I did not expect this from him.  If he was going to defend me, I figured it would be from something worse like what my bitch face chemistry teacher said.  Not this.  But hey, I wont complain.

"In what way, officer?" he said back to him, looking irritated too. 

"I don't think you understand what is going on in her life right now.  Therefore, why I am here to begin with.  The entire reasons she is missing school is because people are trying to kill her.  She needs a break from all this and to be honestly good sir, getting dropped from school is the last thing she needs."  Good sir? 

I smiled, loving what he said.  I glanced over to Heilding, seeing him register it and sigh.  "I'm sorry but that doesn't change the rules."  Watching the principal's face carefully, I noticed his eyes didn't want to meet mine any longer and he started to look uncomfortable.  Maybe he didn't know I the details like Ramper just told him....

"Fine, whatever," Ramper said, his vocabulary not making his case anymore impressive as an officer.  Of course, he didn't just call him 'dude' like I did....  "But I should remind you that if she's gone... the media will be all over you and the school will not look good, even if she is insane."

I sighed, knowing there would be an insult somewhere but it was very minor.  And he was helping me really.  Because I knew for a fact that I would have to miss some more days for whatever reasons.  With Clare and the gang, school wasn't a main priority so it was a for sure thing I'd have to miss some school.  I just hoped it wouldn't be at another school.  I didn't want to go through that again and it wouldn't look good for me to begin with.

Heilding took note of his words for a moment and nodded.  And finally, after trying to avoid my eyes, he came to meet mine with his.  He glanced between us both.  "Look, I'm sorry about what is happening in your life at the moment," he said, resting his eyes on mine.

"I don't want sympathy," I said lightly.  "Just understand where I'm coming from."

"I do.  But even if I wanted to keep you in school longer, it's the rules and by the board, it can't happen.  I'm sorry," he said in a fanal note, his irritation still there.  And it became clear that there was no stopping it if I missed much more school.  Just one more thing to deal with.  But I can try to avoid it as long as possible.

After a reluct acceptance from me, and another scolding at my word use, Ramper and I finally left and headed back to class.  Though I was upset about what the principal told me, my mind was wrapped up in something else as we walked through the empty halls back to the classroom. 

"Why did you stick up for me?" I asked him, looking up at his blank face.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he muttered, glaring down at me in hate again.  Just like I figured he would.  We finished the day as quickly as we could, not being able to stand each other.  Of course, that moment with the principal still lingered and I smiled, happy to see the first sign of him giving in. 

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Sorry I had no time to edit again - but this time I didn't even have to read or skim and edit so I will do it later today because I can't right now.  So I apologize for those mistakes