Dying is Your Latest Fashion

By: Beccatdemon13

© 2010

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except for Maxine Helena Garwin as well as anyone you don't immediately recognize. Please don't sue. You'd only be getting a hell of a lot of textbooks. What? Don't look at me like that College isn't a paying gig you know. But god I wished it was. Beccatdemon13 now will go off to fantasize about the lack of tuition payments that being paid would bring. Oh, right, the story! On we go…

Synopsis: Maxine Garwin holds a terrible weight on her shoulders. She isn't supposed to even exist, let alone have the abilities that have passed through the Garwin line for hundreds of years. Maxine is an anomaly that only happens every other generation.

Author's Note: This takes place in the time frame of the movie but Sarah and Caleb don't hook up. Italics are thoughts, flashbacks, and quotes. For Auras that Maxine sees the colors are: purple is spiritual thoughts, Blue is a balanced existence, sustaining life. People with this aura are born survivors; Turquoise is a of symbol highly energized personality, green is restful, yellow is joy and freedom, red is materialistic thoughts, pink is love. All of those are the positive auras for negative auras there are: brown: unsettling, distracting or negating spirituality, gray is dark thoughts, dark yellow is pain and anger, and white is disease or drug use. Character concepts are on my profile.

Chapter One: The Prologue

No one really knows how The Power came to be.

Not even the Book of Shadows recorded its beginnings.

But those who mastered it have always been hunted.

In the middle of the 17th century, many escaped the brutal Witch-hunting in England and France by coming to America.

As the brutal persecution of those with The Power spread throughout Massachusetts, the families of Ipswich formed a Covenant of Silence.

And for three hundred years, it has kept them safe, until now…

The stiflingly hot uniform that everyone at Spenser Academy of Ipswich Massachusetts were required to wear was one of the most hated garments that I owned. We had to wear the uniform including wear the navy blue blazer at all times. Skirts at their shortest, had to be two inches above your knee. Plain white knee high socks had to be worn correctly. A plain white oxford shirt buttoned up all the way up, with the blue and white tie worn in a correct Windsor knot.

Spenser Academy had an appearance to keep up and expected its students to maintain the level of decorum expected from a Spenser Academy student. Reality was that the majority of students worthy enough of Spenser Academy had bought their way in. Ipswich was full of 'Old Money' families, to be a scholarship student was a fate worse than death in the eyes of Spenser's population.

Personally, I thought it was ridiculous, then again I was at the top of the ladder and maybe that was the only way I could make judgments like this. I wasn't at the top of Spenser's food chain because of which I was, or what kind of person I was. My family's lineage secured both a place for me at Spenser as well as undeserved spot in the so called A crowd.

My name is Maxine Helena Garwin and I'm sixteen years old. I had long blonde hair and was five feet six inches, I was the first girl born into my family in four generations and that didn't exactly make my parents happy. My family along with three other families: Simms, Danvers, and Parry, form a covenant of silence. For as long as anyone could remember our families had unique abilities that could've gotten all of us killed. There was supposed to be one male born to each family carrying down the line. The boys would come into their powers at thirteen and fully ascend on their eighteenth birthday. In addition to our abilities each family was descended straight from the founders of the Ipswich colonies, which was part of the reason why my brothers and I were so popular.

As I said there were four other boys within the covenant. Caleb Danvers was seventeen years old and was six foot even. He was the oldest in our generation and would be the first to ascend, which put a strain on the already strained relationship with my brother, Reid Garwin. Reid was the second oldest member of this generation; he was also seventeen years old with shaggy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was six foot one. Reid and Caleb's relationship was never that healthy. Caleb was our leader, an authority figure for the most part, and Reid never reacted well with anyone who had any kind of authority of him. Then there was Christopher 'Pogue' Parry. Pogue had long dirty blond hair and six foot four. He was bulkier than both Reid, who was a bit on the lanky side and Caleb. Pogue was the calmest one out of all my 'brothers'. There were only a few times where I had ever seen Pogue fly off the handle and that was when his long time girlfriend and my best friend, Kate Tunney was threatened.

The youngest of the covenant aside from me was Tyler Simms. He was six foot two with bright blue eyes and dark brown, almost black hair. He was sixteen years old like me. Because Tyler was born a full year after Caleb, Pogue, and Reid, which was how he earned the nickname Baby Boy.

At least Tyler wasn't the one that was a surprise that would be me. Because my father, Joseph assured my mother, Meredith that they could only have one child they didn't use measures to prevent pregnancy. Luckily, they must've wanted me on some level because nine months later I was born.

Unlike the boys I don't ascend when I turn eighteen and I don't come into any powers either. Instead, I was born with them in the way that Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler weren't. I was a telepathic, an empath, and a telekinetic. Those were the only abilities I had the boys had untold power. They could do whatever they wanted except using their powers could get them addicted and if you were addicted once you ascended you were as good as dead. Because when you ascend the powers become your life, if you use it too much, you'll die. That was another reason why Caleb and Reid didn't get along. Caleb for the most part refused to use his abilities because it had killed his father. Reid, on the other hand used to a point that was verging on excessive.

"Maxie, where the hell is your brother?" Caleb demanded.

My green eyes rolled at that as I shot a glower at Caleb. Just because Reid and I had been living at home before the start of the school year didn't mean that we kept tabs on one another. Or at least Reid didn't ever let me keep tabs on him but he had to know where I was at nearly all times. For as reckless as Reid could be he was a good brother, although he was a little protective all the boys were.

"Didn't you see him at boot camp?" I asked.

Even though school wasn't starting until tomorrow, people had been moving in all day. And for the past week all athletics and music problems had what people affectionately called boot camp. Most of the time it was from eight in the morning to at least four in the afternoon with an hour for lunch. It was hard but Spenser had some of the best sports team in the entire state. And as I mentioned previously Spenser cared a lot about appearances.

The boys were starters on the swim team with Caleb and a girl named Emily were captains. I, on the other hand was a co-caption of the soccer team, with Kate as the other captain. My muscles ached with exhaustion but there was no way I was missing the last party of the summer. Even though there was always a lot of drama, and police almost always broke it up, it was nice to dance and spend some time with my friends.

"That was four hours ago," Tyler frowned.

"Hey fellas!" Reid shouted coming up from behind us. Where we were currently over looking the party. Any sane person normally avoided the cliffs but for us it was soothing. That and the boys enjoyed jumping all the way down. I looked over my shoulder as Reid continued walking until he was standing in between Tyler and I as he kicked a few rocks off the ledge.

"Where were you?" Tyler asked. "I stopped by to give you a lift."

"Had things to do," Reid shrugged. "How's the party?"

"Don't know," Pogue replied. "Just got here."

Reid smirked at that and once again I felt compelled to roll my eyes, "Well, hell, boys," Reid laughed before he grabbed hold of my wrist pulling me into his side, "Let's drop in!"

Before I could even protest Reid had his arms around my waist seconds before he jumped off the cliff free falling to the ground. I heard Caleb's angry shout. We hit the ground completely unscathed as I shoved Reid away.

"You're such an ass," I grumbled as Reid laughed. "How about a little warning next time, huh?"

"Sorry Maxie," Reid grinned as the others joined us on the ground.

I shot Reid another glare as I fell into step with the others as we began to walk to the party. I really should've gotten use to it, Reid always ended up pulling me off that cliff but it always scared the crap out of me, which amused Reid to no end. Tyler threw his arm over my shoulder. Just like Reid, Caleb, and Pogue insisted on calling Tyler Baby Boy; the guys insisted on calling me Maxie. It was a childhood nickname that just never died. It was normally either Maxie or Baby Girl, depending on the situation.

"Hey Caleb!" Some guy shouted.

Caleb nodded at him everyone else got varying degrees of welcome until Pogue was nearly tackled by Kate.

"Hey baby," Kate exclaimed, "you're late!"

"Sorry," Pogue said. "I had a thing with the family."

Kate and Pogue kissed again before she disengaged choosing to lean against Pogue's side, "Hey Max."

"Hey Kate," I grinned. "You certainly look more awake than you did at the end of practice."

"I don't know why you enjoy sprints so much," Kate laughed.

"It weeds out the undesirables," I snickered remembering how after the second set of sprints some freshmen girls had thrown in the towel.

"You're ruthless," Kate smiled.

"She just likes winning," Reid responded.

"Oh, I know. Come on, Max, let's get some drinks," Kate stated, grabbing my arm and pulling me to where a huge table was assembled with various drinks, most of them alcoholic.

I grabbed two solo cups of beer handing one to Kate while taking a gulp of the other one. We then walked close to the bonfire as we began to dance. The guys were on the other side and from the looks of things the party was going well. At least until I saw Aaron Abbott approaching where Caleb and the others were hanging out. I then noticed that Kira was facing Caleb.

Aaron Abbott was on the other side of the A list. Unlike most other people he hated Caleb and the rest of the guys and me by association. His girlfriend, the resident slut, Kira Snider, hated me and I her. We once got suspended for two weeks for fighting. I had given her a black eye. She returned the favor by scratching the hell out of my arm. Unfortunately for me, she was on the soccer team and in most of my classes. But she seemed to learn to just leave me alone. Aaron, however, hadn't learned that lesson yet.

"Shit," I muttered.

"What?" Kate questioned.

"Aaron Abbott," I replied.

"Should we head over?" Kate asked.

"Maxie, stay with Kate," Caleb thought glancing at me for a second before glaring at Aaron. "He's just starting shit."

"No," I replied. "They can sort it out."

"Okay," Kate shrugged starting to dance again.

As I danced with my best friend I kept an eye on the fight from across the way. Just when it looked like it was about to escalate to physical blows a boy with short cropped brown hair and a leather jacket jumped right into it.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"I don't know," Kate shrugged. "I think he's taken, though. Look at the blonde girl."

My gaze changed from the new guy to the new girl. She had blonde hair and big blue eyes. She seemed like a nice innocent girl or at least that's what I thought until he gaze hit mine. I gasped as my knees buckled. Because of my abilities, crowds like this use to be a little too much. With al the thoughts and emotions it was way too much to deal with. When I was younger I had frequent nervous breakdowns and panic attacks before Gorman, the Danvers innkeeper of their colony house along with the person who helped pass down memories of the covenant. With his help I put up some pretty solid shields enabling me to act like I had a universal remote. Everyone's thoughts and feelings were on mute unless I focused on them.

The moment I met the blonde girl's eye my shields fell in a way they hadn't in years. The surge of thoughts and feeling exploded in my head and collapsed to the ground.

"Max!" Kate yelped trying to catch me on the way down. "Max? What's going on? Reid! Pogue! You guys!"

It felt like my brain was about to explode as all the inane thoughts rushed through my mind. Ugh do you see what that bitch is wearing? Oh, she is not wearing the same top as me! What is going on with Max? Caleb looks hot tonight. They all look hot tonight. This is going to be too easy. The children of Ipswich will never expect what's coming. I am so getting laid tonight Kira is looking good.

"Wait, what's coming? I shouted. "What's coming? Who are you?"

What's going on with that Max Garwin? I always knew she was a raving psycho. I don't know why the others even both tolerating her.

"Max?" Reid asked lifting me slightly off the sand as he maneuvered my body so I as leaning against his chest.

"Oh, no," Caleb hissed.

My glazed over eyes scanned over the party where people were starting to stare. I already had a reputation for being the weird one. People telling me in no uncertain terms that if I wasn't one of the Children of Ipswich I would be on the lowest rung. Aren't people sweet?

As people's auras washed over me, most of them were yellow mixed with a few oranges, which was something that was normally comforting to see. Then, I saw hazel eyes watching me. They weren't surprised it was almost like he wasn't surprised this was happening, wasn't alarmed at all even though the fire was nearly out of control. A sense of evil settled on my chest and I was left gasping for air and clawing at my throat trying anything to breathe freely. Hands grabbed my wrists before I could do any damage to my throat as Reid whispered nonsensical things in my ear, trying to calm me down.

"Maxie, take it easy," Reid whispered.

But it was too late and I was to far gone to be even remotely horrified that the bonfire suddenly surged up and out, startling nearly anyone close to the fire. The DJ booth feel silent as someone snatched the mike, "Yo, Dylan saw three cop cars heading this way on Old Dell Road!"

If anyone thought the fire suddenly sparked was really weird, they forgot about in seconds as people began to run to the woods where everyone's cars were parked. Chaos was all around me as people's panicked thoughts bombarded me. I didn't understand why my shield wasn't flying back into place.

"Shit if the police catch me, my parents will never let me hear the end of it. Damn it, stupid police always ruining the best parties. Man, if someone gets one scratch on this car, I'm going to freak."

"We gotta go," Caleb ordered. "Guys, we can't get caught here."

"You wanna tell Maxie where to have her goddamn panic attacks, man?" Reid retorted sharply. I saw Reid's aura turn from green to dark yellow as he glared up at Caleb, his grip on my arms tightening fractionally.

Caleb didn't respond as he leaned and picked me up, cradling me to his chest as we all began to rush off to the woods before the cops came.

"I thought me and that guy were about to go at it." Some voice I hadn't heard before laughed as he ran along with the guys, "That kids puking certainly came at the opportune time."

"Didn't it, though?" Reid laughed,

"You need a ride?" Pogue asked

"No I drove here," Kate answered.

"Sarah and I could use a ride." Chase stated.

"You can ride with me." Kate said.

"Thank you," A girl's voice replied. Sarah, I guessed.

As soon as we approached Tyler's hummer Caleb gently set me in the back before climbing in beside me as Pogue came around the other side. Reid grabbed shotgun while Tyler slid into the driver's seat.

The sound of sirens became deafening as one lone police came through the woods. Tyler seemed at a loss and Reid smacked him in the shoulder telling him to move over and after a scuffle Reid took the wheel pressing down hard on the accelerator jolting the car forward. Reid was only driving for a couple seconds when a police car came into view. In reply, Reid sped up swerving between trees as the police car got closer and closer.

"We gotta pull over." Caleb sighed.

"Pull over?" Reid scoffed, "You actually wanna stop? That'll impress Harvard."

"Oh what the hell?" Caleb smirked, "Lose 'em. Cut across Marblehead let's have some fun while we're at it."

"Hell yeah!" Reid whooped.

The hummer started to go faster as we came through the last batch of trees. As we neared the edge of the cliff the police car started to honk more and more warning us of the danger ahead. But then again we had something they didn't.

"You guys ready?" Reid asked, not slowing the car down at all.

"Come on, Caleb." Pogue said, "This is gonna take all of us."

The entire car began to thrum with the power we began to tap into. Reid deciding to make more of a statement floored it for those last couple feet shouting, "Harry Potter can kiss my ass!"

Using our powers we allowed the car to fall of the edge of the cliff. It began to plummet slightly before it soared upward. We floated it back towards a safe distance and dropped the car back down right behind the police car. The police officers had gotten out to see what had happened whirled around disbelief written across their faces. Deciding not to press our luck we laughed a little before turning back around and driving towards the school. As the hummer was parked back in the student parking lot I attempted to get out of the hummer nearly falling face first to the pavement before Reid caught me.

"What the hell, Maxie?" Reid growled.

"Dude, don't yell at her," Tyler reproached.

It was only Reid, Tyler and I in the parking lot. We had dropped off Pogue and Caleb at Caleb's house. Unlike the rest of us Caleb stayed at home to watch over his mother who was a little bit of an alcoholic. And Pogue had an off campus apartment that Kate frequently stayed at leaving me without a roommate half the time. Tyler, Reid, and I, however, lived at Spenser when school was in full swing, only going home when we had to.

Both Reid and Tyler each grabbed one of my arms and slid it over their shoulders supporting my weight as we made our way into the dormitory. Our rooms were on the third floor and it seemed as though I was the first one pack in my room as I handed Reid the key. He opened up the door, swinging it open as Tyler helped me over to my bed. I sat down, grimacing, as my shields seemed to snap back into place with a jolt sending an already painful headache into a pain of unbearable proportions.

Tyler's hands grabbed my hand and suddenly the pain was gone. Tyler had always been the healer out of all of us. God knows how many times he had healed random scrapes and Reid's black eyes from hen Aaron got in a lucky blow or two.

"What happened?" Tyler questioned.

I rested against my headboard as Tyler sat down looking at me as Reid grabbed my desk chair spinning it around before straddling it. He looked at me expectantly and I realized that they weren't going anywhere until I answered their questions. The problem was that I had no idea what had happened.

My shields had been in place for nearly ten years. They didn't just fall especially when they had been around long enough that half the time I didn't even remember it was there. There had only been two other times it slipped between when Gorman taught me how to shield and now. Both those times left me weak and hysterical for days. Most people couldn't handle that kind of stimuli and I was no exception. If I had never strengthened my shield then I probably would've been driven insane.

Apparently, most women who are born into the covenant share the same abilities and nearly every one of them including Tyler's great, great grandmother had been driven to insanity. It wasn't really a good track record to live up to. I hoped that I would be the one who could.

Reid, Tyler, Caleb, Pogue, Kate, and I were a tight knit group. We didn't really associate outside of our circle. It wasn't because we were snobs but because we didn't trust anyone else. In a town like this, every one was in everyone else's business it was simply too dangerous. We did hang out with a lot of people. I hung out with the other girls on the soccer team and the boys hung out with the other swimmers but other than that we kept to ourselves.

"Maxie?" Reid huffed putting his hand on my arm trying to jog me out of my reverie.

"I don't know what happened," I shrugged.

"Max, you haven't lost control of you abilities in years," Reid replied. "So, there has to be something that triggered it. You told me you didn't even need to think about it anymore, the shields were always there."

"Reid, I do not know what happened," I repeated. "All I know is my eyes connected with Sarah's, or whatever the new girls name is, and everything went to shit."

"The bonfire exploded," Reid stated. "I would say everything going to shit would be the understatement of the century."

"My panic attacks have always caused some sort of damages," I muttered.

"It's not your fault, Maxie," Tyler said.

"Thanks, Ty," I frowned. "But someone could've gotten killed tonight and it would've been all my fault."

"Maxie," Both Reid and Tyler reproached.

I shook my head getting off of the bed and going into my closet. I came back out two seconds later with one of Reid's old swim team sweatshirts and a pair of shorts.

"Guys, I'll see you in the morning okay?" I asked. "I'll see you both in the morning."

"Okay, night, baby girl," Reid replied.

"Bye, Max," Tyler grinned, kissing me on the cheek.

I smiled at them as they left the room closing the door and locking it behind me. I walked back to my bed crawling under the covers and quickly falling asleep. Sleep came in fleeting bursts until finally it was late enough to stop pretending that I would be getting a decent nights rest.

I took off my sweatshirt and shorts before wrapping my body in a towel. I grabbed my shower caddy, noticing that Kate was in her bed still sound asleep. I shrugged, knowing that Kate could be quiet especially if she thought I was sleeping. I carefully slipped out the door padding quietly towards the girl's washroom. When I got there it was completely empty. Not that I was surprised, it was around six thirty in the morning classes wouldn't start for another hour and a half.

I went into the last stall, knowing that this was one of the only stalls with decent water pressure. I twisted the knob until the water was nearly boiling with heat before stepping under the spray. I yawned as I washed my body and hair before drying off.

"Maxine," A voice hissed.

I stilled in my movements unsure of what just happened. There was no one in here and even if there was no one called me Maxine. That sounded like the same voice from last night, the one who said that the Children of Ipswich would never see what was happening. I shook my head figuring that I just was imaging things, after all Spenser's dorms were creepy, especially when you were the only one in them.

I wrapped my towel back around myself as I stepped out of the stall. I shook my head as I took a quick glance around. There wasn't anyone in there and I frowned in annoyance, almost positive that I had heard someone. I walked back into the room and shut the door behind me as I made my way into my closet. I grabbed my uniform and threw it on the bed slipping on white boy shorts and a white tank top. I slid on my skirt, quickly followed by the regulation oxford shirt. I buttoned up the buttons. After that I slid on my tie and socks before I sat down on my desk.

"Max?" Kate yawned and I turned around.

"What are you doing up?" I asked.

"It's the first day," Kate shrugged. "I can never sleep well and it seems that you can't either."

"What do you mean?" I wondered, running a brush through my hair.

"You kept crying out," Kate sighed. "You don't remember? One time you woke up screaming. What were you dreaming about?"

"I don't remember," I answered.

"Uh-huh," Kate scoffed.

"I'm serious," I smiled.

"Okay, but whatever it was you seem okay now," Kate relented.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Hey, you have Benson for AP Lit, right?

"Yup," Kate nodded. "I'll see you in there."

"Yeah, I'm gonna get some breakfast," I mumbled.

I slid into my shoes and blue blazer before leaving the room. It was still quiet as I walked across the quad separating the residential from the academic. I opened the main dining hall doors inhaling the scent of eggs, bacon, and coffee. I made my way through the line grabbing a mug of coffee and a bowl of cereal before claiming one of the window spots.

"Well, you look well rested," Someone scoffed kicking the chair across from away from the table before dropping down in it.

"Nice to see you too, Reid," I teased.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Reid asked.

Most people who knew Reid would know that he was never ever serious. He had a reputation for being a bad boy, class clown, and an overall rebel. But, Tyler and I, as well as the rest of the guys could tell you that while it is a rarity, Reid can be serious.

"I'm fine," I answered after a moment.

"Really?" Reid retorted with one of his eyebrows raised. You didn't need to be a mind reader to know that he didn't believe me.

"Yes," I said. "Besides, what are you doing up? You normally stumble into first period fifteen minutes late from oversleeping."

"Aw, Maxie, I'm touched," Reid snarked. "If you must know I had a weird dream last night."

"Oh?" I questioned.

"Yeah," Reid hedged.

"What as it about?" I asked.

"Not here, Max," Reid muttered taking a sip of his coffee.

Suddenly the dining hall's doors slammed opened banging against the wall as one irate Caleb Danvers came through the door. He spotted us and his already steely gaze became stony, lit with anger.

"Uh, this isn't gonna be good," I sighed.

"What?" Reid asked.

Before I could be answer Caleb had slammed his hands down on the table glaring at Reid.

"Where the hell do you get off sending me a darkling?" Caleb hissed. "Do you have any idea how much you used last night?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Reid retorted with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Oh?" Caleb hissed. "You're honestly telling me that you didn't send a darkling of the dead kid they found at the dells last night?"

"Wait?" I backtracked. "What dead kid?"

Both Reid and Caleb adverted their attention for a split second before turning back to each other angrily.

"We miss something?" Pogue asked coming through the side door with Tyler right on his heels.

"Yeah, apparently Reid sent Caleb a darkling," I shrugged at Reid's dark glare I amended my answer, "Or at least that's what Caleb assumed."

"You're commentary is not necessary, Maxine," Caleb warned.

"He didn't use last night, Caleb," Tyler protested.

"Well someone was," Caleb growled. "They were using it enough to wake me out of a dead sleep."

"Same here," Pogue, Reid, and Tyler said the same thing.

"You guys were having trouble sleeping too?" Kate asked, sitting in the chair beside mine and across from Pogue, "That's so weird. Max had problems sleeping last night too."

"And when were you going to mention that?" Reid demanded.

After Kate I exchanged glances I looked at my brother who was glaring at me.

"I didn't think it was that important," I muttered not even bothering to look up to know that there were irritated glowers adorning Caleb, Tyler, Reid, and Pogue's faces.

"Maxie," Caleb began. His voice dipping into his deeper-full-on-lecture-mode.

"No," I shook my head. "I'm going to head to class I'll see you guys later. Kate?"

"I'll see you in class, baby," Kate chirped kissing Pogue before running to catch up with me.

I knew that it was sort of useless to go to class since most of my classes had at least one I not all the guys in there. I had been thrown up into my brother's class, despite being a full year younger because my parents along with the other parents in the Covenant wanted to keep us all together, which was how Tyler and I were seniors too.

"Trouble in siblinghood?" Kate asked.

"Nothing different," I replied climbing the stadium seating making sure that I was sitting in the middle of one of the higher rows.

Kate sat down beside me as she looked at me suspiciously, "Why did Caleb and Reid look so angry?"

"They were arguing," I sighed. "Nothing new."

Ten minutes later every one began to go into the lecture hall. Once everyone was seated with Reid on my other side, with Tyler sitting next to him as Caleb and Pogue sat down in the row in front of us There as idle chatter echoing around the lecture hall as people waited for the Professor.

The door slammed shut seconds later with a severe looking woman with harshly cut short hair. She had perused lips and ferocious, glinting silver eyes. Her gaze swept the classroom as she ushered in two more students.

"This is Advanced Placement English Literature," Marie Benson's voice boomed, surprisingly loud for such a small woman. "There are no easy As in my class. You will read the literature, write your papers and take my exams. As long as you follow my rules there is no reason why you shouldn't succeed and hopefully you'll be ready to take the AP exam by May. Standing with me are two new students to Spenser. Introduce yourselves, please."

"My name is Chase Collins," The boy with spiky brown hair and hazel green eyes.

"My name is Sarah Wenham," The blonde girl replied. "We're both from Boston."

"Good," Professor Benson nodded. "Please find any available seats."

As soon as Sarah and Chase sat down Professor Benson pulled out two huge boxes of boxes dropping both on either side of the front room with the simple order of to take one and pass it back. Once we all got the book I looked at it and sighed. It figured that the first book we'd be reading for the semester was one that I had already read. The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Judging by my classmate's reactions the book was not being very well received.

It seemed that the complaints were enough for Professor Benson who slammed down a book startling everyone into silence, "Enough," She growled. "A synopsis along with your thoughts on the first one hundred pages are due on my desk tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

There was a lot more muttering as people gathered their belongings walking back into the hallway. One class was over and there were seven more to go. So far it hadn't really been that bad.

"What the hell is that bitch playing at?" Reid whined. "We gotta do all that work for tomorrow morning?"

"Detention, Mr. Garwin," Deputy Provost Whitman snapped walking in the opposite direction, which was how he missed my brother flipping him off behind his back.

The deputy provost might has well have been a ghost for how stealthily he crept through the halls, catching students all the time breaking the rules. He tended to give out demerits, which would eventually led to a detention. But, Reid and he had a special hate-hate relationship. That might've been part of the reason why Reid got some many detentions through the course of the year. My parents hated that Reid got into trouble so much but they were pouring so much money into the school that it didn't matter what Reid's permanent record said, he'd be getting into Ivy's just like the rest of us.

"Nice, Reid," I snickered. "We're not even in school an hour and you have detention."

"Shut up," Reid pouted.

"I'll see you guys in gym," I frowned. "I have Honors Chemistry next."

Everyone muttered their goodbyes ignoring Reid's pouting as Tyler and I veered off from the group going in the direction of the science wing.

"Thank you so much for taking Chemistry with me, Ty," I grinned.

"It's no problem, Maxie," Tyler shrugged. "Hell, it looks good on college applications at least."

"Yeah," I mumbled.

"You're serious?" Tyler gaped. "You're actually serious about not going to college next year?"

"What's the big deal?" I grumbled.

"Maxie, you're a Garwin, your entire family has always gone to college," Tyler replied. "Hell, you're a fucking legacy at every Ivy league school I've ever heard of. Why wouldn't you apply?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "It's not like it matters right now. I mean there are a little more pressing matters on hand. Speaking of which some kid died last night?"

"Yeah, it was some transfer student from Boston, actually," Tyler said. "They don't know what happened to him but cops assume it's an overdose."

"Why would an overdose victim be a darkling?" I questioned. "Besides Reid can barely tie his shoes let alone summon a fucking darkling. That's hardcore black magic like the shit Putnam and his family use to do."

"I know," Tyler sighed. "Caleb always think that when someone is using it's Reid."

"But, you've never been able to feel each other using, I thought," I replied.

"We can if someone's using a lot," Tyler corrected. "And yesterday someone as using and it woke Reid and I out of a dead sleep."

"That ever happened before?" I asked.

"No, it hasn't, Maxie," Tyler murmured as we sat down at one of the lab tables in the back.

I leaned on the black counter top as I waited for the Chemistry professor. I knew that something weird was going on if my shields slip hours before someone using wakes the guys up. I looked around noticing that Chase and Sarah were in this class as well. Chase turned around looking at Tyler and us before smiling. It seemed like a friendly enough smile but it sent chills racing up my spine. I shifted away and locked eyes with the Professor who was kind enough to both collect the summer work that nearly one third of the class hadn't completed, as well as give us a test. It wasn't pop anything and it also would be the second grade of the semester.

Sometimes my abilities came in handy, especially when I wasn't expecting an exam. I wasn't stupid enough to get an A on the first test of the year. The Professor figured that no one was going to get above a C+ so that's exactly what I did. I made sure that enough answers were correct before I started bullshitting the rest of my answers.

I was one of the first people to hand in the test, gathering my stuff before leaving the room heading towards the library. I slipped into the library without the head Librarian realizing. For some reason the library was off limits to students during the day. Spenser refused to grant us study halls, saying they were a waste of time.

If a professor brought us there that were another story because we'd be doing work but they didn't trust their students enough to do homework during the school day. It was a ghost town in here and I was risking detention if I were to be caught but it was better to be caught in the library than wandering the halls.

Detention, as my brother knew very well, was held in the library from 2:30 to 3:30 everyday and most of the time, Reid was there. Other students were allowed to meet in the library for projects and study groups as long as we didn't associate with the delinquents.

Not that I hadn't landed in detention at one time or another. I was a Garwin after all, and we were all well known for our tempers. Reid and I had been thrown into detention a couple of times for fighting with each other. Although, the administration learned very quickly that if that occurs to not have us in the same building as another fight would break out in seconds. If there was one thing Reid and I were good at it was getting under one another's skin. I was sitting down in one of the carrels in the way back of the library in an area that most people didn't even know about, which was why I was shocked when a hand landed on my shoulder.

I gasped whipping around as the hand on my shoulder fell away and I was face to face with Chase Collins.

"May I help you?" I asked.

"I thought students weren't allowed in here," Chase questioned.

"So?" I asked. "Obviously you're not one for rules if you're in here as well."

"You know that brother of yours told me you were shy," Chase stated.

"Reid doesn't know when to stop talking," I replied.

"I don't believe we've been formerly introduced," Chase said. "We met last night but my name is Chase Collins, I just moved here."

"It's nice to meet you," I responded putting a little more distance between us. "My name's Max Garwin."

"Nice to meet you," Chase grinned and I fought back the wave of revulsion there was something off about this guy and I was going to find it out.

"I'll see you around, Chase," I said as I climbed off the study carols desk as I maneuvered by body out the front door, closing it softly behind me and once again successfully avoiding the Liberians.

The bell rang seconds before the library door opened once more. Chase was looking to where I had went but I disappeared into the crowd, anxious to finish the day so that I could focus my energy on finding out why I didn't like Chase. He seemed nice enough but sometimes things are just off, which was never good.