Amelie tapped her weekly manicured nails on the mahogany lunch table. The indigo color gleamed from the sun that shined in through the windows. Why the hell was this firewall being so difficult? The academy had to make a new password because some idiot tried to hack into the main system. Not her, she could get in and out without a trace. The asshole who had the school boost the security was going to get a brand new asshole. That is, when she found out who it was.

Amelie's eyes lit up right then, the light bulb blinking on up above her head. She clicked across the keyboard, biting her lower lip with anticipation.

"El, get off that damn thing."

"Bite me, Aaron." Amelie sneered, not looking away from the screen as the powerful machine encrypted the new security system.

"You're going to get caught."

"I never get caught. Don't forget who keeps you and your idiot girlfriend's grades decent."

Amelie hissed harshly as her brother grabbed her wrist tightly. Slowly, the blood circulation ceased. He glared at her, his lips pursing together. She awaited his verbal assault knowing full well that whatever he said, she had a better retort for it.

"You should show a little respect, I'm your brother. I could destroy you here," He said.

"You say that at least once a day." Sometimes twice. Why did he think that worked?

Amelie ripped her wrist from his grasp with an added eye roll. It would bruise later. She had sensitive skin that way. She closed her laptop and put it in her tan canvas messenger bag. That thing was her life.

"I have my own reputation. I don't need yours," she said while she got up to leave as Kira sat down, "and you being my brother doesn't mean shit. It's just means that everyone else hates me because of you."

Amelie's spike bangles jingled as she lifted her bag and slipped the strap over her shoulder.

"El," she ignored his call like always, "I'm talking to you!"

"I'm ignoring you!" she snapped at him without looking back or stopping.

Her long ponytail streaked with bits of vibrant orange against the dark auburn swished with attitude behind her. People coming into the cafeteria moved out of her way automatically. She smirked to herself and then laughed quietly. Nobody ever stood in her way. They avoided her if they could help it. It was like she was a pariah. That was okay because each of them came to her with problems all folded up in a crisp white envelope and she could take care of them. A possible cheating boyfriend or girlfriend? SAT boost? Grade boost? Test answers? Winning class president? Yeah, she had that…for a price.

Nobody stood in her way, not even the teachers-the ones that knew anyway. She didn't use her brilliance for evil per say, just her own gain. Nobody looked out for her, except her. Having the IQ of 173 and a brother with an IQ of 107 only made Amelie feel that much better. She could outdo him in ways he couldn't think of. He was lucky that she kept his record clean and kept his grades decent. Yet every time he complained that she was the one who was ungrateful. She wasn't sure how that backwards psychology worked.

"Careful Amelie. You're getting ice on me from that cold soul of yours."

Tyler Simms. He always did have something to say to her whenever they crossed paths. He was just about the only one who ventured to speak to her outside of needing her services. He came to her last year because like everybody else, he wanted something only she could give. An A+ in art. She'd seen his work and he deeply needed it. Feeling sorry for him, she gave him the A+. He wasn't too demanding of it. He actually asked if he could have the A+ and it was kind.

"Don't stand to close then." She said not even bothering to notice his existence. Reid watched their nonchalant exchange silently, taking in her daily appearance. The unbuttoned prep jacket, loosened tie, unbuttoned white dress-up shirt with a black tank top underneath, black pumps. The black fingernail polish, black eyeliner, mascara. She was nothing like her brother. It was refreshing, especially since she was a hell of a lot smarter than him.

Caleb and Pogue had talked about her a few times, but only after Tyler had gone to talk with her. He expected tutoring or something within that area, but Amelie didn't do tutoring. It took long and she liked to think of herself as a non-people person. Plus, people were stupid. That's just the way it was.

Amelie worked too hard to sit around and socialize. Come this Spring, she was graduating alongside her brother at the age of sixteen. She got into high school at age twelve. The provost always expressed how smart and sweet she was whenever he saw her. She had to smile and play the character of tender, loving Amelie. Too innocent to do anything bad, and it worked like a charm every time.

Amelie settled into the back row of her next class and pulled her laptop out onto the desk.

"Miss Abbot, this isn't computer lab."

Others who were settling into their seat looked at her waiting for her reaction. Her brown eyes softened, her mouth parted and let out a small sigh.

"I'm taking notes though," she said, her voice holding a soft defense.

The professor stared at her. Reid and Tyler walked into the class, late as usual to see the exchange. Amelie's eyes softened even more, pleading.

"Okay, fine. No fooling around or else that shiny machine is mine and I'll give it to my eleven year old."

Amelie smiled widely and nodded. Her eyes dropped to the screen. The firewall went down. She smiled even wider, happy with herself. A chair slid out beside her breaking her out of her small euphoria.

"Hey, geek."

"Oh don't be jealous, Reid." Her voice was flat and uninterested in his presence. While almost all of the girls at Spenser fell at his feet, she felt nothing but repulsion.

She looked over to see that he hadn't sat down. He leaned against the desk, looking down at her. A cocky smirk spread across his face with a plan that she didn't know about yet. Whatever it was would never be followed through.

She was smarter than that and he knew it. She was sneaky, sly, and endearing. There was more, but she never showed her true colors unless somebody crossed her path in a bad way.

During her Sophomore year a Junior who had asked her out, it was a big ordeal since Aaron nearly killed him at the end of their date, and the guy basically disappeared. Rumors of what happened spread faster than fire. Amelie had come to school with a cut cheek surrounded by a bruise. She was the one to make him disappear, so the rumor went. The guy landed a twenty-five year sentence in jail and everyone knew that she did it. She hadn't dated anybody since.

It took the teacher ten extra minutes to get the class started since the rich kids of Spenser had all the leisure time in the world to get to class.

"I can't help that I'm smarter than you. It's just something I was born with." She snorted. "What were you born with?"

An ego bigger than your brain?

It was safer to finish that in thought. The man-child was harmless. No need to break his heart.

"Want to find out?"

He scooted closer to her, making a point to reinforce his sexual innuendo. Amelie huffed at his attempt to distract her. He was only succeeding in annoying her. Pushing her laptop back a bit, she stood and faced him. Over his shoulder, she saw her brother walk in. His icy eyes met hers. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face resembling that of the Cheshire cat. He was pissed. At who? Amelie or Reid?

You really do hate him don't you?

Reid and Aaron had battled since before middle school. The reason behind it was still a mystery. But any battle with Reid was a battle with all four Ipswich sons. Maybe it was because he wasn't born as one of the sons of Ipswich. Jealousy rang quite true with Aaron.

Placing her palm flat on the desktop close to Reid's hand and her other close enough that she brushed his navy jacket open, she leaned in close keeping her half-lidded eyes on her brother, watching his fists clench. Her lips almost touched Reid's ear. She could feel his anticipation.

"Go eat yourself," she whispered, softly.

Reid fought a shiver against the words that only enticed him to play harder. She was just about the only girl he hadn't had yet. Was there much to have? She was tiny, though graced with a body he definitely wanted a turn with. Though her breasts weren't porn star size, her legs went on for days, weeks even. And, her tongue was sharp. A conniving mind was completely arousing.

Amelie sat back down in her seat and typed away on her keyboard once more. He left her there and moved to sit with Tyler higher up in the auditorium. Aaron sat below Amelia. She ignored him just like she ignored the teacher's lesson. Stephen King, she'd already read Dreamcatcher. She preferred Misery or Carrie.

This is only the beginning so, there will be more to come between everyone.