"Done," Kai stated as we both turned around to the boy holding the red ring.

"Thanks," Liam replied, catching the ring as his friend tossed it towards him.

He then in turn turned to me and smirked, "Here."

He dropped the small object into my hand as I opened it up to receive it.

"How do I know you didn't just push back the time so that it'd explode when I get back to my room," I asked suspiciously, turning the ring around in my hand before deciding to just put it back on my finger.

Liam shrugged as he ran a hand through his now dried hair, his towel draped around his broad shoulders.

I sighed and eyed the clock on his bed table.

"Is Kai going to enroll in I.O., then," I asked, trying to get as much information out of the two while I still could.

Liam and Kai glanced at each other before smiling.

"I'll just pop up here and there," Kai popped, spinning in the rolling chair.

"Lucky you," I let out sincerely, "You don't have to follow a certain teen around all day and attend classes."

"You poor baby," Liam cooed teasingly, to which I glared at him before realizing he had to do the same.

Deciding it was time to go before the two changed their mind and attacked me, I got up off the bed and slowly walked to the door.

The boys silently watched me head out.

Upon reaching the cold knob and turning it, I let out one last comment with a smirk.

"Nice password."

_

I texted Axel everything that had happened the minute I had gotten back to my room.

I had stopped by the bathroom before that to get my sneakers before heading off to my dorm.

As I sat on my bed crisscrossed, I thought to myself, I actually have a reason to continue the mission.

After two long years, the people I had been waiting for were here.

I couldn't help but smile to myself as I plopped down on my bed and slept.

_

"Genius buddy!" Liam exclaimed, running over to me as he slung his arm around my small shoulders.

I glared at him as his back blocked off the rest of the class.

"You're drawing attention to me, Carter."

Liam's grin was replaced with a smug smirk as he patted me slightly with his hands before backing away.

I sighed silently as I reached my desk and fixed my glasses as it was sliding off the bridge of my nose.

A few minutes passed and the late bell rang. My body tensed when Allison didn't show up for class.

I looked around the whole room twice before glancing at Liam, who caught my attention and looked back at me.

Where is she, I tried to ask him, making as little face movements as possible.

Liam stared back at me and shook his head.

"I don't know," was his response as I saw his expression.

This was strange. I had thought if I didn't know where the girl went, Liam would know since he also had to follow her whereabouts- maybe he'd sent Kai after her this morning or something.

Was she sick?

As I glanced at her friends, who went on casually with their day, I saw Liam had done the same.

While talking to one of her friends, Kayla spotted Liam looking in her direction and she happily turned to face him, beginning a conversation with the boy.

I smirked to myself for the boy's misfortunes as he had to halt his search and pick up his fake act again.

Mrs. Reeling began passing back our papers from two days previous (the one where I gave false answers to the group of boys behind me).

Of course, I had perfect marks. The boys weren't so luck-

Poke.

My eyes twitched before I turned around to the same boy that had first dared to stab me with a writing utensil.

"Hey, lowlife," came his irritated voice.

Huh? What was this? Was he seriously going to... argue with me about his marks...?

"Y-yes?" I piped, becoming small.

"What did you get for #28?"

There the kid goes.

"A."

"Is that so," he continued, his eyebrows twitching, "I can see three digits written big on the top of your paper. You got a 100?"

I looked down at what he talked about, "Y-yes..."

"How is that possible if you got A for 28 then? Unless the teacher graded wrong," he growled, shoving the paper into my face.

I tilted back. Not because I was scared of him, but because I was scared of his paper.

Paper cuts hurt, okay.

"You nerds think you could mess with me just because you have high grades?"

Well, yes.

"N-no," I stammered, fixing my glasses.

The boy became angry and reached for my face.

I had to control myself as he grabbed aggressively for my glasses and threw it across the classroom floor.

I let out one big, startled breath as I eyed the direction that the glasses flew in.

Allison's group of friends found the glasses next to them and picked it up, examining it with a disgusted look planted on their faces.

They're just glasses, geez. They might be fake for me, but even then I don't find them weird.

"P-please," I started, turning back to the boy and looking somewhere around him and not directly in his eyes, "I c-can't see without my g-glasses."

The boy snickered and shrugged, turning to his group of friends for a reaction. They matched his face and all started cackling like chickens.

I caught a glance of Liam while I was turning back to the front, pretending to give up.

To my surprise, he was watching me with an unreadable expression on his face.

I still managed to do my work for the class, however. After all, my true eyesight was better than everyone in this room.

Sucks for them.

_

Class was ending and I was about to get up and leave when a big shadow fell upon me.

Looking up, I was face-to-face with Kayla and her followers.

"Can I help you," I asked timidly, making sure to look at all of them so that I could haunt their asses in the afterlife.

"Is this... yours," Kayla began, showcasing my broken glasses.

You betcha it is. Great. Time to repair some fake glasses.

"Y-yes," I answered, reaching to get it. Someone slapped my hand away and I had to restrain every muscle in my arms to not straight out punch the boy with my full strength.

As a sniper, the only thing close to humans near me were bullets whizzing pass my ears.

Other than that, I let the agents in the assault division handle the pests running around with pistols in their hands.

Kayla found amusement in twirling my spectacles a few harsh rounds before tossing it to me.

My weak self clumsily caught it and placed it back onto my face.

"You know, maybe breaking your glasses is a good thing," Kayla starts, "Now you can get rid of that ugly thing off your face. Might make it look better."

I mentally rolled my eyes at the girl. I couldn't even care about half of my looks as much as she does hers.

And I don't need anyone to look at me. If they did, it'd be the last thing they saw before I take my aim and bam, they're flat against the ground, a red stain overtaking their body and the area they occupy.

I just nodded quickly and looked back to my bag as I continued packing up my books.

Liam had already left as I headed out the door.

I mentally cursed at the boy as I walked down the hall. He didn't even feel pity? Couldn't even save me? I mean, whatever happened to us being 'buddies?'

At least, the pretend us.

The real us were ready to slit each other's throats if we were alone.

Fixing my glasses again, as it was now difficult to keep it on my face, I froze as a big hand grabbed my shoulders and spun me around.

Before I could even process the situation, I sensed a fist making its way to my head. Thomas's.

First, I noticed how no words were said to me as I was being directed to turn around, making me conclude it was about to be physical communication rather than a verbal one.

Second, if they were to talk to me, the hand would have kept me coming forward to the person I would have then faced as it would cause me to be closer with the intimidator and cower back.

Third, what actually happened was after they turned me around, their hand placed force on my shoulders to keep a certain distance.

Fourth, the reason is so that whatever they planned to do, it would have enough time to build up its speed and hit.

Fifth, in conclusion, I was about to be punched.

Can't help it if I was taught to be observant during training.

Forgetting my act for a split second, I dodged the attack by ducking.

I'm a little rusty on one-on-one fights, but that doesn't mean a few minutes of practice wouldn't bring out the majority of my skills.

Before I could turn around and do something unbelievable, someone stuck a gigantic, fat broom across the floor of the hallway, which made the area in front of me slippery and ultimately made whoever was out for me fall face-flat onto the hard ground.

Everyone turned to see the janitor in a hooded cloak, apologizing lightly before pushing his supply crate away, whistling under his breath.

I, for one, stared in awe at the well-hidden blonde-haired boy I knew was underneath that cloak.

Before the people around me could make sense of the situation, I hurriedly glanced at the scene and left for math class.

_

I scanned the cafeteria for Allison once I was there, but she wasn't present in there as well.

She must have been sick today. Either that or she was ditching class, which I doubt because all her friends are in class and what could she do by herself?

Girls like her were nobodies by themselves. All they could do was stay cool and give themself self-praise.

Going to the usual milk crate to pick up my strawberry milk, I was disappointed when all I saw was an empty crate.

No strawberry milk.

Slightly pouting to myself, I reached for a chocolate one instead and slowly trudged outside.

_

As I made my way up I thought, I've gone so many days without eating proper meals.

It's true, but I'd rather not eat with the rest of them back in the building if I could avoid it.

Cafeteria food wasn't that good anyway.

Reaching the roof, I found the weather today surprisingly nice and decided to make my usual round around the top.

I tossed my backpack down in the usual place along with my broken glasses and the two small bands that tied the ends of my braids.

I ruffled my hair out and let the air blow gusts of wind through the strands to straighten it out and match my natural curls.

I was able to relax when I found that neither Liam or Kai were on the roof.

A smile formed on my face as I stood there with my eyes closed for a minute or two. Sometimes, it felt good to just do nothing and rest for a bit.

Suddenly, a ring from my backpack made me open my eyes and turn to it, realizing after the first ring was over that someone was trying to call me.

"Jamie," Axel's voice came through my device.

"Well, hello to you too," I commented quietly, listening to the boy talk.

Axel continued, "So what now? You know about them and they know about you. How's this 'Allison Business' going to work?"

I replied, "Simple. I don't let them hurt her."

"You're outnumbered, Jamie," Axel stated, "No matter how good you are, there are now two grown men that can fight after you if you get in their way."

"Are you worried about me," I asked, a playful smile forming on my lips.

"No."

I rolled my eyes, "You, mister, are no fun."

Axel sighed, "Jamie, focus."

"I am," I pouted.

"Do you need backup?"

I frowned as my hand tightened around my phone.

"What backup? I don't have anyone."

Axel waited a moment before he said, "Jamie, two years doesn't erase her forever from your memory."

"It does."

"Jamie."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "I don't want her anywhere near me."

"You're still mad at her?"

"Excuse you?" I exclaimed, staring at my phone in disbelief, "I don't remember her saying sorry. After what she did she can stay the hell away from me. I went solo just for that reason."

"I understand. I dealt with Carlos already."

"Don't even speak his fucking name," I snapped lowly, the heat in my body rising, "I don't even care if he fell off of a building and died."

"You are one harsh woman."

"Thanks."

"I'll talk to the R.U. about it," Axel concluded shortly, "You need backup."

I glared at the phone, "Axel, I swear to god listen to me, don't you dare-"

He hung up.

At this moment, I just wanted to punch somebody. I wanted to destroy something.

Kill something.

My mind raced through my weapons that were hidden in my backpack and I had to restrain myself from reaching in there and take them out.

I never wanted to see those two again. Ever.

Carlos and Helene.

They can stay the fuck away from me.

I'll shoot them if they come.

_