Lexie had always hated that narcissistic idiot called Kurt Austin. She didn't know what everyone liked about him so much – he wasn't smart, he wasn't interesting, he dressed like a wannabe fashion designer and he flashed those huge teeth of his everywhere. Lexie wasn't sure what was worse – his annoying voice or his mindless words.

So it wasn't a surprise that she jumped him when he made a retort about how awful she looked – it had been the last straw. He'd left the school with a bloody nose, cut lower lip and a swelling eye. There had been a lot of noise and now Lexie was in the principal's office, waiting for him to turn up and tell her what her punishment is.

Her knuckles were perfectly fine, just as they ever were, even after she's beat her hand in the wall for hours. She never seemed to get hurt when she was being violent. It was a quality that she always used in her own advantage – whenever she beat someone up and they accused her, she'd say that she's never touched them in her life; then they would inspect her hands and when they didn't see any redness, swelling or cuts, they'd let her go.

When the principal came in he was keeping his anger in. It wasn't the first time Lexie had been here. It wasn't the second either. Or the third… Principal Ryanson had grown tired of having her in his office.

"Look, Alexandra," he started when he got to his seat. "Which time is it?"

"What do you mean?" Lexie asked, pretending to be completely clueless, it was something she exceeded at.

"Don't you play dumb with me, child!" the principal said. He sounded exhausted. Apparently he'd developed immunity to her Innocence. "You were here, in my office last week! What happened this time? A fight again?"

"Oh, no. I just punched that Kurt Austin idiot. How was I to know he was so fragile?" she said in defense. It was easy talking to Principal Ryanson – he always seemed to understand. But now there was nothing he could to but suspend her. Lexie sat quietly, waiting for her verdict, cracking her fingers.

"I'm going to have to suspend you, you know that. But if his parents want decide on it, they can have you transferred to another school."

"Well, a new school doesn't sound so bad…"

"Hey, do you even understand the position you are in?"

"Yes, sir." Lexie was getting bored. Good thing that the principal wasn't one of those people who'd start lecturing you for the 100th time on things that you heard again and again, and again.

"Good." He said and nodded. "I'll have to call Judith now. Off you go."

Lexie frowned and stood up. "Oh, come on, Mr. Ryanson… you know she doesn't care! She probably won't even pick up the stupid phone…"

"Language, Alexandra. Now out of my office. I'll be expecting you here next week, eight o'clock sharp. Understood?"

"Understood," Lexie said quietly and left the room.

Judith was probably going to yell at her when she got back. But then she'd go into the kitchen to finish preparing the dinner and forget all about it in the process. She was an interesting kind of human. Lexie was okay with her but sometimes she really got on her nerves. She decided she'd go home in the evening and spend the time until then with her friends. Or whatever those people were to her. Her pack was the best description.

"Hey, Rager," Caleb said. He was pack leader. He was 18, tall, strong, and handsome and he was the reason Lexie had decided to join the gang. For her he was dark and mysterious, and extremely interesting. He barely told anyone anything personal but before she joined, they'd had a moment of openness. "Who'd you beat up this time?" he asked her and she grunted.

"That idiot Kurt Austin." The pack exchanged amused glances and Johnny laughed.

Johnny was the witty one. He cracked jokes all the time and always seemed to be able to lighten the mood, even at its darkest. He had a weakness for weed and alcohol and he loved growing all kinds of plants in his backyard (he lived in his grandmother's house just out of town after he'd escaped from his mom and her new husband). He was 15 but he didn't look like it with his messy, curly, reddish black hair and his mesmerizing hazel eyes – if you looked long enough you could see the traces of past hardships.

Rubens was the one with the brains and he was just as mysterious as Caleb but he was two years younger than him, Lexie's age. It was one thing in common that he and Lexie had but Lexie never paid him much thought because he'd always stay in the background. On the other hand, he did have the strange ability to unnerve her. It was his eyes, Lexie was certain of it – those big, striking grey eyes that seemed like they could see into your soul… His wispy hair was light brown but enough time under the summer sun made it blonde. He was attractive and secretive and Lexie loved to fight with him just for the sport.

Buchwas another member of the pack but Lexie actually had no idea why he was there. As she'd understood, he was an old friend of Caleb's. Other than that, she had no idea – he wasn't smart, he wasn't as strong as the rest of them (please, even Barry could take him on), there seemed to be something wrong with his legs because he was limping when he walked but he ran just fine (only slowly). So Buchwas yet another mystery to Lexie. He was just a year older than she was and he wasn't as athletic and active (or hyperactive in some cases) as the rest of them; he had very pale skin and very curly, very messy ginger hair but his eyes… they were greener than grass in May, the only thing that showed how alive he really was.

Barry was a thin, elusive, smartass that Lexie loved like a brother. He was so slick and tactical that he could steal anything he set his eyes on (he'd tried once with a brand new Toyota but Buch had ruined the operation); he was a fast runner and an amazing liar. Sometimes he made Lexie wonder but then she would shake it away and somehow see through his words. So far he'd managed to lie to everyone in the pack at least once, except for Lexie. She wanted keep it that way. He was a kleptomaniac, there was no doubt about that and he loved girls. Apparently girls loved him back, even though Lexie couldn't see anything different than the wish to have fun beneath his short brown hair, pierced ears, blazing blue eyes, crazy but contagious smile and annoyingly resistant enthusiasm.

And that was their pack. Six stray teenagers, that came together to go against the system and protect their freedom. Later on, they would realize, also their lives.

"Hey, Caleb," Lexie asked him after the group had headed to the abandoned warehouse at the docks that they used as a hideout. "Why us?"

Caleb was quiet for a moment but then he smiled. "One can't choose his family, but he can choose his friends, right?"

Lexie nodded. "Sure but if it wasn't for the gang I don't think I would ever have become friends with these guys." Caleb was quiet. Lexie was sure there was something he was keeping from her.

"I'm not so sure," he said carelessly.

Something was wrong and Lexie had been closing her eyes for the past couple of months, but now the urge to know was getting annoying. She wasn't going to leave it alone, no matter what Caleb told her.