A/N: This chapter will switch POV between Blaire and Killian a couple times so watch for the markers.  Enjoy guys! <3 

Blaire

I slipped into Home economics a couple minutes after the bell rang, I didn't think Mary-Margaret would be too terribly upset about me being late, there would be questions about why I was held back for a minute in Mr. Jones' class later though, I was sure of it.
"Blaire. I was a little worried." Mary-Margaret said from the front of the room as I took the empty seat beside Ruby.
"Sorry. Mr. Jones kept me for a minute." I said.
"Its alright." She nodded. "As long as you're here." She smiled and began to drone on about what we would be doing in her class this year. Home Ec was not my cup of tea for obvious reasons so I was glad it was the second to last class of the day.

I thought about what I now knew about Cranky motorcycle man...well cranky history teacher man now, I guess. Surely the right thing to do, would be to tell him what I had heard from his wife on my first night in town but I didn't know him, and he didn't know me. The last thing I wanted was for him to have another reason to pick on me in class and if by the off chance that I had completely misunderstood what Milah was saying in the bathroom at Granny's that night I didn't want to cause tension in a happy marriage. I mean.. Who in their right mind would cheat on that? Mr. Jones may have been the bane of my existence but he was a piece of artwork delivered to this world from Jesus Christ himself.

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"Hey, you okay? You were kinda spacey in Home Ec." Ruby asked as she walked up beside me.
"Yeah, fine." I nodded.
"Did Jones hand you a death sentence when we left or something?" She pressed.
"Not really Ruby." I sighed. I really just wanted her out of my face.
"Oh. You just look-"
"It's just my face!" I shouted, stopping in the middle of the hallway. I felt eyes on us everywhere. I glanced to my left at Mr. Jones standing outside his door greeting students as they came into class. His eyes were on me as well as...was that a smirk?
Oh fuck you.. Apparently, my eyes said what I was thinking and he raised his eyebrows at me.
"Is there a problem over there ladies?" He asked. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Ruby.
"Okay.. sheesh. Calm down." Ruby said. "Emma said you had a lot going on..I'm sorry I pressed."
"What I have going on is no ones business but mine, and Emma has no business telling anyone anything." I scoffed and started walking to my last class, which happened to be the only class I got to choose for my schedule. Art.
"Well she didn't really say anything! She just said you had a lot going on and that you may not be the friendliest person right now but you still deserved a chance."
"To be honest Ruby, I wasn't a friendly person before I had a lot of shit going on. It's just how I am. I'm not here to make friends. I'm probably not even going to be here the whole year so friends are just a waste of time right now."
"It's never a waste of time to have people who actually care about you Blaire." Ruby said. I sighed and stopped in front of the art room.
"Do yourself a favor Ruby, don't care so much." I said and turned away and walked into the art room.

"Blaire Nolan!"
I looked up and saw Will in the back of the class with his boots kicked up on his desk and his chair tipped back. I shook my head and rolled my eyes but walked over to the empty seat beside him and took it.
"You like art?" I asked.
"Nope. It was just the only do nothing class left to pick from." He shrugged.
"I highly doubt it's a do nothing class, but you do you." I said shaking my head and pulling out my sketchbook and pencil set.
"Oh, you came prepared." Will chuckled.
"Will you shut up before I go sit over there?" I asked and pointed to another empty spot beside a girl who looked like she'd at least be quiet. She looked to be the shy type. She just kept her head down on what she was working on.
"I am much better company than Wendy Darling." Will snorted.
"I'm sure. But she looks quieter and after the day I've had.. I really just need quiet." I said and looked at him, a little more sincerely.
Will put his feet down and scooted his chair in.
"You alright Blaire?" He asked.
"I'm fine... I just get scattered when there's too much noise sometimes." I said. "Everyone's been in my face all damn day."
"Okay.. noted. I'll simmer down." Will said. "Didn't mean to bug ya."
"It's not you Will.. honestly of everyone I've come into contact with today, you are a welcome face." I sighed and opened my sketchbook to work on a drawing I'd been working on since I bought the sketchbook before the Teacher came in.
"Whoa.." Will said. I glanced at him, he was looking at my sketchbook. It was a drawing of a gargoyle.
"Its just a doodle." I shrugged.
"That is anything but a doodle love. That looks bloody amazing."
"Don't call me love." I sighed.

The door to the room swung open and in sashayed a tall, curvy woman. She was dark skinned, and an absolute beauty to look at. She commanded the attention of everyone in the room without even saying a word. She looked young, but she also looked like she held all the wisdom in the world. She leaned against the front of the desk in the room and flashed a warm smile as her eyes scanned the room.
"Welcome back guys!" She spoke finally and then her eyes landed on me.
No no no no and NO
She glided across the floor to me and I shut my sketchbook. I did not want to be the center of attention.
"A new face." She smiled at me. "Who might you be?"
"Blaire Nolan." I said quietly. I was getting really tired of introducing myself today.
"Nice to meet you Blaire, my name is Calliope."
Well of course it is.
"I don't require all that formal nonsense with my students. My class may as well be in a separate realm from the rest of this school; their rules are not mine. My class is a safe haven." She chuckled and put her hand on my sketchbook. "May I?" She asked but didn't wait for an answer before she picked it up and opened it.
I just wanted to hide under my desk. Calliope peered down at my sketch and tapped her chin in thought before taking it back to her desk with her.
Please..don't.

Calliope sat on her desk and turned the sketchbook around for the whole class to see. There was a mixture of whispers, a couple of gasps, and a few giggles. I looked down at my hands feeling angry tears welling up. This was not what I wanted at all.
"Don't be put off by the reactions of your peers Blaire. Art makes us all feel something different. One person may look at a painting and feel sorrow where another feels joy. Art takes us back deep in our subconscious and triggers certain memories. A Gargoyle, like you've drawn here can mean many different things to people. It's not just dark and spooky. It has a deeper meaning obviously to you especially." Calliope lectured and continued to hold up the drawing. I looked around the room and noticed that the other students who I thought were just laughing at the spooky new girl drawing something scary were actually looking deep into the drawing, they were feeling something.
"One of my favorite things to do, is guess what the artist may have been trying to portray when working on a certain piece." Calliope said. "Who has any thoughts on what Blaire might have been trying to portray by drawing a Gargoyle?" She asked. Everyone was quiet. Until the most unlikely of all spoke up.
"She's guarding something." A quiet voice spoke. I looked across the room at the shy girl who kept her eyes down for the first 15 minutes of class. She was now looking at me. "Gargoyles..guard things" She added quietly and looked down.
"Great! Thank you Wendy." Calliope looked to me, for confirmation, and I too just looked back down at my hands.

Calliope closed the sketchbook and walked over to my desk and placed it back down gently.
"We don't hide our talents in my class honey. You have a true talent and I expect you to show it." I could feel she was smiling, but I kept my eyes down. I nodded and pulled my sketchbook towards my chest and wiped a tear that fell out of my eye.
Calliope turned to Will.
"Nice to have you back Will, maybe Blaire can get you to actually participate this year." She said.
"Not likely, but we'll see." Will said. Calliope returned to her desk to finish her lecture.
"So..what are you guarding then?" Will whispered to me.
Everything.
It was only day one and I already wanted the year to be over with.

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That evening, we were having Granny's for dinner. Apparently it was a back to school tradition. Though honestly I think these people would celebrate anything at this point. Thankfully I had time to get out of this itchy uniform and wash away the day. It was super hot today even for the evening, so I decided to actually wear my black shorts that were frayed and torn in random spots at the risk of blinding any one who happened to take a glance at my pale legs that put the beacons of gondor to shame. I also cast aside my usual black tee shirts, for a white one with a Bon Jovi logo on it. It was cropped at the bottom so it showed my toned stomach just a bitI put my still semi damp hair up in a ponytail and didn't even bother with make up figuring if anyone looked at my legs they wouldn't be able to see the atrocity that was my bare face. I slipped on my conserve and tied the purple strings before walking down the stairs.

"Damn!" Emma said and nudged me with a grin as she looked me over.
"What?" I asked.
"Well its just you usually hide everything and now I have no idea why. If I looked half as fit as you I'd never wear pants again." She said. "Seriously..what is your secret?"
"I..don't have one?" I shrugged. Of course, that wasn't exactly true, back in Oregon I was at the gym twice sometimes three times a week to keep in shape for boxing.
"You don't get abs like that, and not have a secret." Emma said.

David and Mary-Margaret came into the den to see if we were ready.
"Those...are... shorts." David said and looked at me with the identical look my dad would give me anytime he did not agree with my outfit choice. My dad also hated these shorts and I rarely ever made it out of the house with them.
"Yeah.. well if you haven't noticed we're competing with hell today as far as the weather goes. I died all day at school in that uniform. I thought this state was supposed to be cold." I said and crossed my arms.
"Oh. Don't worry about that, the colds coming." Mary-Margaret smiled. "I think you look fine."
I wasn't really asking for all of these opinions, but okay..
"As long as you're comfortable." David nodded.

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If there was ever a place to be on a monday night, apparently it was Granny's. The place was packed. I sat on the outside of the booth this time, so I could easily run to the bathroom in case I just needed to get away for a minute.
"So what happened in Mr. Jones' class today?" Mary-Margaret asked. "Why'd he ask you to stay back?"
"I had my headphones on other teachers were okay with it.. I didn't think he'd mind, he also wasn't in the classroom when I first put them on." I shrugged. "He took them, and he asked me to see him after class."
"He also hated your shoes." Emma chuckled. "I told you some teachers take a dress code violation as if you personally insulted them. He's one of them."
"I don't understand why. Its just a stupid pair of shoes. Those flats killed my feet..and the sweater vest was too hot." I grumbled.
"I understand sweetie, Most teachers understand the sweater vests get a little hot. Mr. Jones usually doesn't mind it so much before the cold weather kicks in, but he probably just saw a new face and wanted to make sure you knew how he works. He runs his classroom like a Captain and he can be a little..." Mary-Margaret tried to find the right word.
"He was an asshole.." I muttered. Emma almost choked on her drink while she tried to hide a laugh.
"Hey..watch it." David sighed. I glanced up at him.
"Whoops. It slipped." I said flatly.
"If your shoes are uncomfortable I can try to go to Mrs Mills about it. I'm sure an exception could be made."
"In what world would Mrs. Mills ever make an exception?" Emma snorted. "She doesn't even let Regina get away with things and she's her daughter."
"It's fine." I said. "I'll live."

I looked up, to look around the busy diner, and in the far corner of the restaurant I noticed Mr. Jones sitting alone with the most miserable look on his face as he scrolled through his phone with an open beer beside him.
Tough day Jones?
He must have felt someone looking as he looked up and his blue eyes looked directly into mine. Even from across the room, his stare was slightly intimidating and yet somehow I couldn't look away. Why did he look so miserable?
I watched as his wife walked out of the bathroom next to their booth with her phone in her hands and join him at the table.
That's probably why. I'd look like that if I was married to that awful bitch too.
He turned his gaze from me to his wife, and smiled at her and tried to say something to her, but she continued typing on her phone. His smile turned to a frown rather quickly and he took a long pull from his beer. I actually felt a little bad for the guy, especially knowing what I knew about his wife.
"Blaire? You okay?" David asked, stealing my attention.
"Yeah. Fine." I nodded and sipped at my coke.

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Killian

My alarm went off and I glanced at the clock and scoffed before I hit the button to shut it off. I hadn't slept a wink last night. After dinner at Granny's Milah went out with some of her girlfriends, and it was 5 in the morning and she still wasn't back. Sometime after 2am she stopped answering my texts and honestly I just gave up. Sometimes lately it just felt like it wasn't worth the effort to hold together what was left of our marriage.

I rolled out of bed, and dragged myself to the shower trying to remember the last time Milah actually looked at me...really looked at me as if she was interested. It wasn't always like this. There was a time, when I felt truly in love with her but perhaps my brother was right, maybe we got married too soon.

Once I got out of the shower and dressed for the day, I walked down stairs to make some coffee to see Milah making breakfast. She turned and looked at me. I walked past her to the coffee maker.
"We're quiet this morning." She sighed. "You sleep?"
"No." I said and flipped the switch on the coffee maker.
"I made you some eggs." Milah said and glanced at me again, the go to hell look on my face must have been incredibly obvious this morning as she quickly looked back down that the pan.
"Where were you last night?" I asked.
"Me and the girls got some drinks, I got a little too tipsy and couldn't drive so I stayed with Sarah." Milah shrugged. "I didn't think it was that much of a problem." She added defensively.
"How do you not think its a problem to ignore my texts all bloody night and not come home until almost 6 in the morning Milah?" I exploded.
"Killian, I don't want to fight today. Can we just give it a rest?" Milah asked.
"Fine. Whatever." I said and reached up in the cupboards for a thermos to put my coffee in. I'd be leaving early this morning.
"Don't you want breakfast?" Milah asked.
"I don't have time. I have to go, have a meeting this morning." I lied and poured my coffee, closed the thermos and walked out of the kitchen. I grabbed my coat at the door and glanced back at Milah over my shoulder. She was sitting at the table with her head in her hands. I sighed heavily and walked back into the kitchen.
"Hey.."
She looked up at me.
"Love you." I said.
"Yeah. you too," She nodded. I turned around and started walking to the door wondering why I even bothered. she couldn't even say the words I love you anymore.

"You look like shit little brother." Liam said as he sat at the table with me in the teachers lounge.
"Younger brother." I mumbled.
"What's up?" He asked. I didn't want to tell him Milah and I were having troubles again. I didn't want the I told you sos and I definitely didn't want to admit that he might have been right from the start.
"Just not looking forward to dealing with these miscreants today." I sighed.
Liam chuckled.
"Miscreants? Is that what we're calling them now?"
"Aye. You should have seen what I had to deal with yesterday. That new girl.." I sighed. "She's going to be a bloody problem."
"Blaire Nolan?" Liam asked.
"That would be the one." I grumbled.
"We can't be talking about the same girl. There wasn't a peep out of her in my class yesterday."
"Well then you're lucky. She tried to make a bloody mockery out of me in front of my whole class. First off, she had her headphones on, She wasn't even in dress code, and then she back sassed me when I reprimanded her."
"Oh no not the back sass." Liam gasped.
I glared at him. 

"You may get along well being the teacher everyone loves, but I have a reputation to uphold here. Everyone thinks because I'm so young, that I'm a pushover. I like to prove them wrong.
"You finally get one student who isn't going to put up with your shit and you can't handle it." Liam chuckled, clearly amused. "Give the lass a break, she isn't exactly here by choice and from what Mills said, it wasn't a very good situation that brought her here to begin with."
"How would you know?" I asked.

"It was in the staff meeting yesterday morning, did you sleep through it? Mills wanted us to be somewhat aware of the new student's situation in case something should come up."
My mind was honestly elsewhere yesterday morning, Milah and I had started the day with another fight so I must of missed it.
"What kind of situation are we dealing with here?"
"Well, she didn't get too into details, its this whole legal issue right now not much is allowed to be said only that the lass is going through a really rough time and to just expect emotions to be a little high. She wasn't a problem at all in my class, but I'm her first class of the day she probably wasn't even awake. All I'm saying is maybe don't be such an arse." Liam said.
I rolled my eyes and stood up.
"You run your classroom your way, and I'll run mine, my way." I said.
"Good start." Liam sighed. "Go home on lunch and take a bloody nap you grump."

With that, I walked out of the lounge and into the hallway. Students were gathering in the halls waiting for the bell. I watched as some of my freshmen class were already lining up at the door. No one liked to be late for my class but I didn't feel like talking to any of them just yet so I walked around. I wasn't exactly looking where I was going, and almost tripped over someones legs. I caught my coffee before I dropped it and whipped my head around to glare at whoever was sitting on the floor.
Of course it's her.
Blaire was sitting on the floor against a wall with her legs out and a sketchbook in her lap, and of course those bloody headphones. She was oblivious to the world around her. I sighed and nudged her foot with mine. She looked up at me for a second and then looked back down at her drawing.

I grumbled and nudged her foot again. She looked up, again and pulled her headphones down.
"What?" She asked.
"I almost tripped over you." I said.
"So... watch where you're going?" She boldly suggested.
"Watch the sass Nolan." I warned. She blinked at me and shook her head before looking back to her sketch. I took a glance at her drawing but she quickly shut her sketchbook noticing I was looking. It had been a long while, and I was incredibly out of practice but there was a time way back when I used to draw. It was how I met Milah, actually we both took the same art course in college.
Blaire sighed and stood up and grabbed her backpack before walking away from me. She turned her head looking at me over her shoulder, and just like in the diner last night she looked like she had something to say but didn't want to say it.

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There just didn't seem to be enough coffee for this day. I was exhausted by the time 5th period rolled around. I didn't take Liam's advice and go home, because I knew Milah would be there and I didn't want to deal with that on my lunch. I sat at my desk rubbing my temples as students began filing in. I looked up and did a quick head count. Once you have the same students every year you know their names and faces and you don't really have to call roll, but there appeared to be someone missing. Blaire.

"Miss Nolan, where is that cousin of yours?" I asked.
"Mr. Booth kept her back a minute for texting in class." Emma said.
Figures.
The tardy bell rang and I stood up.
"Well. we'll just have to begin without her." I said and walked to the front of the class. "Textbooks out guys, I gave you a break yesterday its time to get started!" I barked. There was a mixture of groans and sighs and I'd heard enough of it all day so my temper was rising fast.
"Well I suppose you all just know everything you need to pass my class this year then." I said.
"Its history, it already happened." Graham grumbled.
"Mr. Humbert, I'll be seeing you in detention after school congratulations." I snapped and looked up as the door opened and Blaire quite literally stumbled into my classroom, tripping over her untied purple shoe strings.
"Ah!" She cried as she fell straight into the floor. The entire classroom erupted with laughter and Emma left her seat to hurry over to help her cousin.
Blaire Nolan was a hot mess if I'd ever seen one today.
"You okay?" Emma asked. Blaire nodded. Her face was red from embarrassment.
"Perhaps if you were wearing the proper shoes that wouldn't have happened." I said. "You'll be joining Mr. Humbert in detention today."
"Over my shoes??" She practically shrieked.
"Well considering you are not only late you've violated the dress code two days in a row, You'll have detention tomorrow as well, and for that little explosion, we'll just add a third day. We could keep going or you could take your seat."
Blaire looked like she actually might cry before she sat down in her chair. That was a new look. She pulled her textbook from her bag and opened it refusing to look at me.

About 20 minutes into my lesson, someone's phone went off, blaring Def Leppard in my classroom.  I didn't mind a little Def Leppard...but now was really not the time. 
I sighed heavily.
"Honestly guys this is ridiculous for the second day of school, You're seniors I expect better from you!" I barked and scanned the room to find the culprit.
Of bloody course.
Blaire was staring at her phone wide eyed. I strode over to her desk and held my hand out.
"I..I really have to take this." She said.
"Absolutely not, you can call them back after school hours Miss Nolan."
"But I can't. You don't understand this is really important!" She begged. Her gray blue eyes were spilling over with tears.
"Please.. Mr. Jones let her answer it." Emma spoke up. I glared in Emma's direction and then looked back at Blaire who was practically a sobbing mess. This..I couldn't handle, I didn't mean to make the lass cry like this. Maybe Liam was right. I gave Blaire a quick nod and she answered her phone and practically flew from her seat mouthing Thank you to Emma before hurrying to the hallway.

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Blaire

"Hello? Blaire?" I heard over the phone as I made my way into the hallway.
"Hey Daddy." I said trying to regain composure.
"Are you crying sweetheart?" My dad asked.
"No." I sniffed.
"Blaire, even over the phone you can't get away with lying to me." He chuckled. "Whats wrong?"
"I'm at school and my teacher almost didn't let me answer the phone." I sighed.
"Oh, sorry. I forget about the time differences." Dad sighed.
"Why didn't you call me three weeks ago Dad?" I asked. "You promised."
"I know sweetheart. I'm really sorry. I got into some trouble and lost phone privileges. You know my temper."
"I know.. But.. maybe try to stay out of trouble.. For me?" I asked.
"I will. How are you holding up?"

I sat down on the floor trying not to cry again.
"I want to come home." I choked out.
"I know." He said in that soothing tone, he used when he tried to calm me down. "Hopefully soon we can make that happen."
"Why do they think you have something to do with it Daddy? You wouldn't hurt mom."
"You watch enough ID Channel with Kass to know they always blame the husband first. My lawyers are working on getting me out of here. They don't have any evidence Blaire, but you know how the justice system works." Dad said.
"Yeah.." I sighed.

"I'm really sorry about all of this Blaire. You don't deserve to have your whole life uprooted. Hows your uncle Dave treating you?"
"Fine, he's really nice...too nice." I sighed. "These people like to talk about everything."
"I Know. They like feelings. Gross right?" Dad chuckled. "How are you liking Storybrooke?" He asked.
"Its okay... You know David said that we lived here right after I was born. Why didn't you ever tell me?" I asked.
"He told you that did he?" Dad asked, suddenly he sounded nervous.
"Daddy? Whats wrong?" I asked.
"Its nothing sweetheart. Hey..I'm sorry to cut this short but I have to go."
"But we just started talking." I said.
"I know.. But you need to get back to class."
"No, fuck these classes I've been waiting to talk to you for three weeks!" I snapped.
"Blaire.." Dad said in that warning tone I hated.
"Sorry.. I just.."
"I know, you're upset. Sounds like you need to get to the gym and blow off some of that steam." He said.
"Maybe." I sighed.
"I have to go Blaire. I love you...miss you kiddo."
"I love and miss you too Dad." I said, feeling the tears coming all over again.

The call disconnected and I pulled the phone away from my ear. I tried to keep myself from curling up into a damn ball on the floor and crying. I really hated all of this. I wiped my eyes and glanced over to my left to see Mr. Jones standing there with his hands in his pockets and a somewhat apologetic look on his face and I suddenly felt extremely vulnerable.
How much of that did you hear Jones?