I'd Lie

Chapter One: "Know Your Enemy And All That."

A/N: New fic. Tell me what ya think.

~ Jane

Guy/OC

High School Fic

Gwyndolyn Chantry walked through the halls of Nottingham High School with her books pulled tightly against her chest, begging the Powers That Be not to let Vice Principal John Prince be in a bad mood today. Whatever the reason he had called her to his office, it couldn't be good. It was never good when one of the outcasts, better known as The Outlaws, were called to the acerbic and possibly insane, vice principal's office. As Gwyn walked up to the front desk, Vice Principal Prince's secretary looked up and gave her a cold glare, as the woman no doubt gave all The Outlaws.

"You can wait in that chair until Principal Prince is ready for you," the tubby woman said, gesturing to a chair behind Gwyn against the dull beige walls. Gwyn's eyes grew just as cold as the secretary's.

"I'll be more than happy to wait there until Vice Principal Prince is ready for me," Gwyn said pointedly. The older woman huffed a bit before going back to her work and pretending Gwyn wasn't there. Gwyn smirked ever so slightly as she took a seat, but a frown soon replaced her sense of triumph. Everyone was getting just a little too comfortable calling that man the principal, if you asked Gwyn. Principal Richard King had been gone for over a year on temporary leave since his wife had died of breast cancer, and he still hadn't returned. There were loud rumors of the school board getting rid of King and replacing him with Prince. It was a chilling thought really – the idea of that man as their principal. Prince allowed his favorites – mostly the futbol team, The Knights – to run the school in the hierarchy they saw fit. Eventually, all the favored ones were just called The Knights and the disfavored outcasts, The Outlaws. Most of the Knights were bullies, Vaysey Sheriff and his sister Davina being the worst.

And then there was Guy. Guy Gisborne was supposedly Vaysey's lackey – at least in Vaysey's deluded mind – but the truth of it was that Guy was the most popular male at school, and easily the best looking. Nottingham High had its lookers, don't get that wrong, but Guy was the best. And because he was the best, he had to have the best. His longing for Marian Fitzwalter was anything but secret, but for the most part, she eluded him. A few dates here, a kiss there, but nothing substantial, let alone permanent. Gwyn had watched the entire group for three years now and still remained as disgusted as ever with their foolish games and childish play. She supposed that might have had a small something to do with Gwyn being labeled an Outlaw, but she suspected it had more to do with the fact that she had skipped a grade and was the smartest girl in school. Gwyn was the golden girl of geekiness, much as Guy was the golden boy of popularity. They were polar opposites really. They lived and breathed in different worlds, though she couldn't understand why she was thinking about it. Probably the proximity to Knight supporters was getting to her head.

The door to VP Prince's office opened. Vaysey Sheriff walked out, a malicious gin on his ugly, chubby face. Prince walked out behind him, patting the boy's shoulders in a conspiratorial way. Probably plotting against The Outlaws again, Gwyn thought bitterly.

When Vaysey walked by her, he shot her a disgusted look. When he was gone, Gwyn saw that Prince had finally taken notice of her. A dark frown on his face, he stepped back from the door, gesturing for her to come in. Adjusting her back pack, which had been smashed up against the wall, Gwyn rose and walked into the frigid office. As she looked around, she could recall how different it was when King was principal at Nottingham High. Even the cherry wood antique desk had been replaced with a stark silver-finished metal one. The walls, once a warm beige color, now were stark white. No pictures of students in Art class or Debate littered the walls as they once had. Instead, team pictures and trophies that The Knights had won cluttered modern glass cases against the walls. The chair Prince gestured for her to sit in was high-backed, metal, and very uncomfortable. Once seated, the meeting began and Prince wasted no time getting down to business. He picked up a file from his desk and opened it, sifting through the papers.

"According to these progress reports," he began, gesturing to the papers in his hand. "You have the highest grades out of the entire Senior class this year, and even skipped a grade in middle school. Is this correct?" He looked directly at her, his eyes daring her to contradict him.

"If the progress reports say it's so, then it must be." Gwyn knew by the look of triumph on his face that he hadn't caught the lacing of sarcasm in her remark.

"Good. Then you won't mind sharing your knowledge with a fellow student, will you? You are to tutor Guy Gisborne, no extra credit will be given for the assignment as no one but you, Guy Gisborne, and myself are to know. Is that clear?"

Gwyn looked at him in shock. How could she do this? She had to clean the house, buy groceries, cook dinner, drag her mother's drunk body to bed every night, go to her job at Riley's Music Spot on nights and weekends, and on top of that she had her own studies to worry about. This was insane! Fortunately, Gwyn knew better than to say so. Instead she tried another route.

"But I thought Gisborne was doing great in class. The teachers are always praising his work," Gwyn said incredulously. Prince looked speculative for a moment as if determining whether he should tell her or not. Eventually he sighed as though he were being greatly put out of his way.

"Well, if you must know, Mrs. Gisborne, who had a few years ago divorced Mr. Gisborne, has recently passed on. Guy has been under no end of stress since then and his grades are suffering… greatly. It is absolutely vital that he be able to play this futbol season, which of course he can't very well do if he's been suspended from the team because he's failing his classes, now can he?" Prince looked at her with that insane glint in his eye that The Outlaws knew only too well, obviously expecting an answer.

"Well… I suppose not," Gwyn said hesitantly. Prince seemed appeased for the moment.

"How often am I supposed to tutor him anyway?"

"Every day after school for as long as it takes."

"What!? But I can't! I have way too much to do!" Gwyn said, panicking. She'd never be able to get everything done and tutor that retarded hulk of useless muscle every single night of the week!

Prince raised a well-groomed eyebrow at her, quelling her protests. If Gwyn had any hope of graduating, she had best just do as the tyrant demanded. She sighed quietly. She knew she was doomed.

***

Gwyn walked into the lunchroom felling dejected and hopeless. Her life was ruined. The house would go to hell, Gwyn's grades wouldn't be far behind, and her mother would either starve or drown in her own vomit, and Gwyn still hadn't even thought about what she was going to tell Riley. She knew he'd understand, but she would have to figure out if she could get weekends off of tutoring to work. She had to have the money for bills and all the other little things that the government didn't take care of with stamps. Welfare paid for groceries with food stamps but with her mom always spending the cash on booze, they couldn't pay rent or utilities without Gwyn having a job.
Gwyn shook her head dismally as she took her customary seat with her friends, The Outlaws. Her best friend, Djaq, asked if she was alright and as always, Gwyn forced a smile and said 'yes.' Djaq smiled back brightly and continued her conversation with her crush, Will Scarlett. Djaq didn't have a clue – none of Gwyn's friends did when it came to her home life. Gwyn refused to allow their good intentions to land her in The System… again. Those were the worst months of her life and she was never going back. The things that happened to her in that place were worse than anything her pedophilic father had done to her when he was still living with Gwyn and her mom, and that man was one of the most evil she had ever met with. The System was evil. Period. End of story, and Gwyn would suffer nearly anything before going back there again.
Gwyn shook the dark thoughts that cluttered her mind away, and focused on her food. It was just a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it was certainly better than nothing, something that Gwyn was well accustomed to by now: having nothing.

Gwyn ate her lunch slowly and silently as she listened to her friends' happy chatter. It was only a few minutes after she had sat down that Guy Gisborne walked into the lunchroom, immediately heading over to Marian Fitzwalter's table. Gwyn watched Guy make an awkward pass that didn't seem to impress the young woman on its receiving end in the least. Gwyn couldn't have told anyone why she had take an interest in Guy's affairs and flirtations except that perhaps now that she would have to be spending time with the young man, some part of her felt curious as to what he was like outside of school. Know your enemy, and all that. Besides, she desperately needed to brace herself to deal with him on his own arrogant, bullying level, and the best way to learn how to do that was to watch him interact with others. If his reaching out to Marian was anything to judge by, Gwyn would have to say that Guy was flat out lonely. The hurt and disappointment on his face when Marian brushed him off touched Gwyn. She too knew what it felt like to be surrounded by people and still feel as though you're an island – as though you're completely and totally alone in the world. It was as Guy walked back to The Knights' table with a forced smile on his face that Gwyn decided that she would be the friend he didn't have – that she would use their study sessions to heal him as much as she could, the way that no one had ever done for her. She couldn't heal her own loneliness but she just might be able to heal his, despite himself.