Skylar had awoken that morning with one intention: avoid Mr. Collins. He'd taken to reminding her of their little arrangement anytime he caught her wandering the halls between classes. It was both nauseating and pathetic.

She quickly realized within her first two periods, that the school was buzzing with rumors. Rumors, she found out, were of her.

Dana had told as many as she could about her and Bear's rooftop dinner. That had stirred the rumor mill enough to create at least a dozen different scenarios as to why Berach Cruor would bother with a high school nobody. None of which were very flattering to her character.

By the end of the day, she was ready to hide in her room and avoid her abnormally attentive parents' raining questions. Since their schedules had been flipped, they had more time to meddle and pry into their daughter's life. Something Skylar never thought she'd have to worry about. It was suffocating.

Charlie and Teresa were supportive; telling her not to listen and that they were all jealous. It hasn't really bothered her until Bear didn't show at his office for her last two days before the weekend. Manny had given a flimsy excuse that he was taking his meetings in the lab and neither of them had access to it.

She wished he would have at least came to say goodnight, but he stayed away.

She ended up taking the bus and walking two blocks to get to Mr. Collins house in the upper north of Roman Ridge. A location, she noted, was where the perfectly manicured lawns and trimmed hedges marked where the well-off planted their roots.

His house was a particularly well kept robin's egg blue two story with white shutters around every window. The side yards were narrow and fenced off, but the moment she was welcomed in by a glamorous woman in a champagne dress, and ushered to the backyard, she saw how large it really was.

A pool, a tree with a tire swing, and an enormous deck complete with a bubbling hot tub. "Donny is just cleaning the grill. Makes it feel like summer in fall," she explained happily.

God, she was stunning. The rumors about Mr. Collins and underage girls had to be ludicrous when one considered his wife. The epitome of femininity.

"Hey, Skylar!" He waved from the deck. "You made it!"

"Yeah, sorry I'm a little late. I missed the first bus and had to walk to the next stop or wait another hour."

His wife put a hand to her chest in horror. "You don't have a car?" Skylar shook her head, fingering the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "Well that's just awful. Roman Ridge is full of too many idiots that would take advantage of a pretty young woman like you. Right, Donny?"

"Absolutely, babe. Hey," he snapped his fingers and set down the spatula, "I'll drive you home."

Skylar's eyes went wide. "Oh no, that's not necessary," she blurted pleadingly.

"Nonsense," his wife beamed, "Donny has a board meeting right after. It's no trouble at all. Shoot," she glanced at her phone, "I have to go. I'll see you tonight."

She strode to Mr. Collins and kissed his cheek. "Drive safe," he called to her.

"Oh," she spun in the doorway, "so nice to meet you Skylar. I hear good things about your academic achievements." Skylar waved at her back as she disappeared into the house.

"My daughter is upstairs," he said once they were alone. "You can put your things in the kitchen and I'll get her. You hungry?" Skylar didn't pretend to be polite. She kept her features impassive and he chortled. He swaggered forward, arrogance and misplaced confidence.

"I'm here to tutor. I ate first." She spun on her heel and sat at the granite bar that bordered the dining room. Setting her math books down and pulling put her notes. She didn't so much as glance up with he strut by on his way up the stairs.

She only took her eyes off the counter when she heard multiple footsteps descending the carpeted stairs. "This is Skylar, she'll be tutoring you in math for a while. Skylar, this is my daughter, Tera."

Skylar smiled politely at the middle schooler. Her messy turquoise hair was piled atop her head with a neon purple scrunchy. From neck to ankle she was dressed in black. Her arms were crossed over her ripped shirt. "Hi," Skylar greeted.

"I don't need a tutor." She didn't budge from the bottom step. She watched as Mr. Collins leaned close and whispered something in her ear. Tera stilled, her gaze shifting to Skylar before walking to the stool beside her.

"Two, Skylar," he reminded and went back to his grill.

Tera blew out a breath and rested her head lazily on her arm. "We have to do this until two?" She groaned into her elbow.

Skylar checked the time. It was nearly a quarter to one. She'd been over thirty minutes late, but she didn't care. "Listen," she began but Tera stopped her.

"Can't I just give you my homework and you can write answers on a sticky note?" The girl didn't face her, and Skylar took the opportunity to really look at her. Her aged shirt looked like it had seen better days. The sleeves were rolled up and unevenly cut. Just below the hem she could make out a green bruise, standing apart from all the black.

"That's not how tutoring works," Skylar said quietly.

"A long as it keeps Donny off my back," she said the name with sarcasm, "then I'll play nice."

"You call your dad by his name?" She couldn't even imagine calling her dad by anything other than his fatherly title.

Tera snorted. "Stepdad."

Skylar raised her brows. "That sucks," she commented before her brain could stop her. Her eyes widened, but Tera laughed.

"Don't I know it," she giggled. "How much is he paying you to babysit me while he hits on the neighbor?"

"Oh, I don't think he's hitting on your neighbor. He's cleaning the grill."

Tera cackled, "Naive and cute. Just what he likes. How much?"

Skylar tried not to balk. "N-nothing," she stuttered.

"Hmm," she hummed knowingly. "Grades and college recommendations then?" Skylar's face burned. "I thought so."

-------

"How did you girls get along?" Mr. Collins asked when he'd started the car.

"Good," Skylar said shortly. He stared at her for a moment before fiddling with the radio. "Can we go? I have to go over to Teresa's to study."

"Got to warm her up first," he muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"The car," he clarified. "Has to warm up for at least five minutes before I drive it or it'll stutter."

Skylar curled her lip. "Then why didn't you start it earlier?" She bit her tongue to keep from saying more. "I'm just going to take the bus." She reached for her buckle but his hand clamped down on her upper arm and squeezed. She inhaled sharply at the tight grip and glared at him.

"You will do no such thing, young lady." His words were dripping poison. "I said I would give you a ride home."

She went to move back, but he dug his fingers into her arm. Skylar winced as his nails scraped her skin. "You're hurting me," she hissed. He only stared, eyes darting from her chest to her lips and back again.

"No I'm not," he growled.

"Mr. Collins," Skylar gritted out, "let go of me. Let go!" He shoved her arm back and adjusted himself in his pants. She watched in horror as the bulge in his pants was shifted up into his waistband.

"You girls," he clicked his tongue at her, "always so emotional--easily riled." She swallowed. "Same time next week?" he queried, demeanor changing.

She said nothing as he pulled out of his garage and drove her the seven miles home.