Chapter 1

The Orphan

Maggie liked to think that she was no damsel in distress. She could take care of herself and prided herself in knowing that she was always down for a good fight. That and an unusually strong moral compass to do the right thing, set her apart from typical high school girls. Which is what led her to end up plowing into the path of Parker between classes on Thursday afternoon.

All around her lockers slammed, as her fellow class mates rushed to gather their notebooks and spare pens between classes. Lauren, her best friend stood next to her, as she dug out the giant tome that was her history book from under a pile of old tests.

"So, are you down with being my model and body guard Saturday night? I really want to check out that abandoned school and get some good photos, but I don't want to go by myself." Lauren wanted to know.

Maggie shot her a look. Lauren was obsessed with an old and abandoned reform school out in the middle of nowhere in the woods, a few miles from town.

"Lare, the place has been abandoned for nearly fifteen years. Just because you find an old blog with a few creepy pictures that says it's haunted, doesn't mean we need to go see it for ourselves." Maggie told her as she juggled her algebra book with her bag, before just dropping it onto the pile of trash that was at the bottom of her locker.

Lauren ignored Maggie as she peered into her small, hand-held compact, fussing with her overly exaggerated, swoopy-emo bangs and hipster glasses.

"Don't tell me Miss Martial Arts is afraid of a few old ghosts." Lare quipped.

"Don't even. My ass-kicking awesomeness aside, I just really don't want to be arrested for trespassing. Or contract tetanus. Plus, we were so almost caught at the last place you wanted to go exploring at. And that old mill had signs up too." She pointed out.

"Psht. Sounds like somebody is a big, fat chicken." Lare smirked.

"You know, I am going to eventually start charging you for my services right?" Maggie retorted. Lare snorted as she took out a pencil of black eyeliner and reapplied the dark coal to the rims of her eyes.

Lare thought it made her look cool and brooding. Maggie thought it made her look like a raccoon, but that was none of her business. Better a raccoon than the fake, orange Dorito's tan. Still, Lare could be really vane sometimes.

Lare finished with her eyes and put the lid back on the eyeliner before slipping it and the compact back into her messenger bag. Maggie slammed her locker shut and the pair turned to walk down the hall to the next class, their pleated uniform skirts swaying in unison.

Maggie was a head and a half taller and muscular compared to Lare, who was ridiculously short and thin. They were affectionately known as the hobbit and the amazon by their other friends.

Maggie remembered when they had met in sixth grade. Lare had been short a quirky, and definitely nerdy. Somewhere along the way she had morphed into the angsty, emo kid she was now. She would wear purposely distressed clothes outside of school, usually sporting heavy wild makeup, and was never seen without her beat up purple converses and Nikon.

Maggie was opposite of Lare. Where Lare had stopped growing in the eighth grade and had stayed slender, Maggie had continued to sprout. She was now pushing five foot nine, and much to Lare's chagrin, had developed the curvy body of a medieval bar maid. Maggie was by no means fat, but she was unable to share clothes with her best friend like normal teenagers, because Lare was worried Maggies boobs would stretch out her band t-shirts. Not to mention that on Maggie they looked like belly shirts. They didn't even bother with trading pants.

The further down the hallway they got, the more congested the traffic became. Students were getting pressed against one another as raucous shouting and laughter could be heard from the dense center of the packed crowd.

"What's going on? I can't see anything!" Lare complained from behind the broad shoulders of two football players.

Maggie had no problem pushing through the crowd with Lare in tow. Students were shouting now and the word FIGHT was being repeated among all of their classmates. She caught sight of two boys in the center of the throng, circling each other. One was a muscle-bound Neanderthal named Nathan, who played defense on the football team.

Maggie recognized the school's local trouble maker instantly. Parker's hair was tousled as was his uniform shirt, which had come untucked from his pants. His blazer and tie lay on the ground forgotten. Parker had been causing trouble since his first day in the school, determined to make a name for himself, other than being known as the poster child for teen adoptions.

Adrenaline raced through Maggie's veins, and her heart pounded at the thought of a fight, as she watched the boys assess one another, critiquing their stances in her mind. Both had their fists up, with eyes locked, circling each other in the tight clearing of students.

"You orphan's stick together, don't you?" Nathan sneered.

"I told you to keep your hands off him!" Parker growled. Around them the crowd was becoming more raucous by the second.

"Watcha gonna do about it orphan? Come on." Nathan taunted. Maggie's brow wrinkled as she watched the two, waiting with bated breath to see what would happen next. Parker irked her to no end with his constant disruptions, but she hated bullies more than she hated his antics. Nathan was a prick.

Finally, Nathan lunged at the other boy, who stepped out of the way lightly and shoved the bigger boy in the shoulders and into the lockers, laughing as Nathan nearly tripped and fell. Maggie let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding with some satisfaction at seeing Nathan plow into the metal lockers, but the victory was short lived.

Nathan may have been an idiot, but he was still an athlete with quick reflexes. His left arm shot out and caught the smaller boy in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. The smaller boy stumbled back into the wall of students, gasping clutching his stomach. The two team mates that had been blocking Lare's view earlier shoved the sagging Parker back into the makeshift arena. He was bent over with hands on knees, when Nathan came at him a second time, but the boy surprised Maggie by charging into Nathan. Beside her, Lare squeaked, covering her mouth with her hands.

The bigger boy was also caught by surprise but recovered enough to punch again, this time making contact with the slighter boy's jaw. He floundered on the floor for a moment, dazed from the strike. Nathan circled back around his eyes zeroed in on the teen, fists balled tight.

Maggie moved quickly, not even taking a moment to register in her mind what she was about to do. Her body was on auto-pilot as Nathan made a final pass at the kid on the floor. Stepping in front of him, she blocked the next blow with her right forearm, then gripped Nathan's wrist tightly with both hands and whipped it back in the opposite direction, twisting the tendon's and bones at the same time. Nathan was strong and he attempted to push her off, but she was trained and knew exactly what to do. She twisted her frame, throwing the power of her hips into the technique and twisted the wrist even tighter until he finally stopped and started howling that she was breaking his arm.

A fourth person entered the arena then, a boy that looked remarkably like Nathan, only slightly older. James, Nathan's older brother, and fellow senior.

"Maggie, let him go, I've got it from here." He said. Nathan looked furious, but Maggie didn't care. She released him with an irritated shove and turned to face Parker, who was slowly getting back to his feet, as James muttered something to Nathan that she didn't catch.

"Are you alright?" She asked Parker, extending a hand to help him up off the floor. He surprised her, by glaring at her, irritation written in the crease of his brow. Ignoring her offered hand, he shoved himself to his feet. Maggie dropped her hand, feeling embarrassed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Parker muttered to her.

"Excuse me, I am being nice. In case you didn't notice, he was about to rip your head off." Maggie snapped.

"I don't need your help." Parker retorted.

"Break it up! Back away from each other now!" Teachers swarmed in around the students then, separating them from each other, before Maggie could respond.

"What the hell is going on here?" Coach Taylor demanded of Nathan and James. Vice Principal Colson quickly followed, and unnecessarily pinned Parker up against the lockers. Maggie stood awkwardly in the center of the throng now, wringing her hands. The rational side of her mind was slowly catching up with what she had just done along with the arrival of the teachers. She was in trouble. Big trouble. Her parents were going to murder her.

"Were you fighting again, Mr. Price? That's it, I don't care how much money the Mayor throws at this school, I've had enough. You are out!" Maggie heard him hiss.

"Mr. Colson, Parker wasn't the one-" Maggie started, ready to set the record straight, despite Parker being a jerk.

"No one asked you, Ms. Dailey." Mr. Colson said jerkily.

"Coach, it was my bad. Parker didn't start it." James spoke up as he stepped forward, coming between Maggie and Mr. Colson.

"Oh, and who did?" Mr. Colson spat, craning his neck to look at Maggie over James broad shoulders.

"I did."

Maggie's mouth fell open at James' blatant lie. All around her, Maggie heard the hiss of her fellow students as they whispered to each other. Glancing through the throngs of her classmates she noticed that Nathan had disappeared into the crowd. Convenient, she thought. Overhead, the bell rang, signaling classes were to resume.

"All three of you in my office NOW! The rest of you back to class!" Mr. Colson shouted. Spittle flew from his mouth, and his face was the color of a ripe tomato, which couldn't have been good for his blood pressure. Maggie's classmates trickled off one by one, now that the drama had come to a close.

"Get a move on, Parker Price!" Colson had gripped Parker by his upper arm and was already dragging him towards the Principals office. Parker jerked his arm out of Principal Colson's grip, still glowering at everyone that was still loitering in the hall. James shuffled along behind the coach, his head hung in resignation.

Maggie brought up the rear of the procession, feeling trepidation starting to rush through her system. What had she done? She caught Lauren's wide eyes as she passed her friend, and waved regretfully before heading into the Principals office.

Mr. Colson snapped at his secretary to contact each of their parents, before gesturing that all three students should follow him into his private office. Maggie, Parker and James sat on the ugly floral printed stain covered couch that he pointed at, with Maggie squeezed between the two boys. Coach Taylor sat in the spare folding chair that barely upheld his massive frame, while Colson sat in his plush rolling office chair behind his desk. The only other furniture in the room was a massive, metal filing cabinet that was kept locked at all times.

Now that normal reasoning had returned to Maggie, her hands shook violently, and her stomach did back flips, at the thought of actually being in trouble, and having to go to the Principals office. She had never had to go to the principal's office in trouble before. Her heart raced as it pounded out a drum roll in her chest. She tried to squelch her nerves by hiding her hands under her thighs and sitting on them, but that only resulted in her looking even more spastic. Sweat trickled down her back and sides, and she knew for sure she was going to have massive pit stains later.

"You all three know I have a strict rule about violence in this school. What the hell happened out there?" Colson demanded.

Parker just crossed his arms and leaned back against the couch, looking completely unconcerned. However, his leg jiggled up and down with pent up energy and rubbed up against Maggie's, betraying that he was just as nervous as she was. She stared at the floor waiting for one of the boys to make the first move, squirming uncomfortably between the two them. James was the first to break the silence.

"Mr. Colson, this was just a misunderstanding. I accidentally ran into him in the hallway. He thought I did it on purpose. It was my bad." he explained.

Maggie nearly choked on her own anxiety, unable to believe what she was hearing. Why would James take the blame for something that he wasn't even there for? Beside her, Parker became very stiff for a second, and then his leg picked up the bouncing motion again, this time at triple the speed. Questions exploded in Maggie's mind like fireworks, as she tried to figure out what type of angle James was playing at.

"So you thought it was a good idea stirring up trouble for no good reason?" Mr. Colson spat at Parker, turning in his squeaking chair to face him.

"Whatever, you can believe what you want." Parker snorted. Colson chose to ignore the remark, turning to Maggie.

"What about you Ms. Daily? Is there some reason you thought it was appropriate to step into a fight that was none of your business?" Colson directed at her. Maggie chewed her lip, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to say. How was she supposed to explain that Nathan had been the one that had been fighting, when he wasn't even here now?

A faint touch against the bare skin of her knee caught her attention and she looked down to see James fingers brushing against her skin. She glanced at him, feeling slightly revolted. His eyes seemed to be communicating to her silently. His look held a warning. Maggie tried to slide a couple more inches toward Parker and away from James as goose bumps erupted across her skin. Parker cleared his throat loudly, startling her.

"I was just trying to stop it before it got out of hand." Maggie defended, finally finding her voice as she faced back to Mr. Colson, who squinted, scrutinizing her. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the truth either, and it made her feel sick inside. She hoped if she kept her responses as vague as possible, he wouldn't question her further and force her into a lie. She didn't want to lie for a fellow student, and she didn't want to lie to a teacher, but she really didn't want to be in any more trouble than she already was either.

"Enough! I want the truth! This was not some little misunderstanding! You're trying to cover up for this waste of space!" Colson shouted, slamming his fist onto his desk top, causing Coach Taylor to jump slightly.

"Mr. Colson I believe I can take it from here." Mrs. Boone, the head principal stood framed in the doorway, a disapproving look directed in Mr. Colson's direction. Mr. Colson visibly shrank, his anger deflating like a hot air balloon. He took a tissue from his pocket and wiped his mouth and the shining spot of sweat on his brow at the crown of his receding hair line.

"Now, they have told you what happened. I think detention tomorrow will suffice for a punishment."

"But, Principal Boone-" Mr. Colson tried to interrupt, but Principal Boone continued to talk as if he had not opened his mouth.

"The three of you can report to the Coaches office. This will be going in each of your files, of course. Let's not let this happen again." Mrs. Boone told them. Maggie heard James murmur a faint "Yes, Ma'am". She nodded her head in agreement. Beside her, Parker shifted slightly and re-crossed his arms, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

"Mr. Colson, if you would be so kind as to hand out the detention slips. I have work to do." Mrs. Boone left, her stiletto heels clicking on the tile as she walked back to the front of the office. Mr. Colson scratched out the detention slips, grumbling angrily under his breath. Maggie let out a soft breath, relief surging through her. Detention she could handle.

"But sir, tomorrow's Friday. We have a game!" James tried to protest, as Mr. Colson handed him his slip of paper.

"Coach, I don't hear you contesting this." Colson swiveled his chair around to face the coach and glared.

"Oh, no whatever you think is best," Coach Taylor agreed, clearly not wanting to prolong the visit.

"See? Coach Taylor is fine with it. Now, do you want to continue arguing or would you like to make these little sessions for the next week?" James quickly shook his head. Colson stood up from behind the desk, his chair squeaking loudly, and came around to the couch to hand them their detention slips.

When he got to Parker he bent forward slightly to speak to him.

"This is your final warning Parker, one more toe across the line, and you are done. You hear me? There won't be a next time." Maggie heard him hiss. Maggie stared, open mouthed, startled at the ferocity Mr. Colson was directing at Parker. Colson's head snapped to face her.

"Anything you want to add, Ms. Daily?" he asked. Maggie snapped her mouth shut and shook her head, after a second he directed his gaze back to Parker.

"Do we understand each other?" he asked.

Parker continued to smirk up at the principal through the messy locks of sandy hair before reaching to take the slip out of Colson's hand.

"Now get out, all of you. Coach, I want a word."

Parker shot off of the couch and out of the door before James and Maggie had even stood up. Maggie caught sight of Parker disappearing down the hall only stopping to pick up his forgotten blazer, where it lay trampled on the hallway floor. She blinked and he turned the corner and was gone. James stood next to her, looking ruefully after Parker as well.

"Thanks for not saying anything in there about Nathan." Maggie felt her temper begin to rise again at the sound of James voice.

"Why did you lie in there?" She demanded, stepping away from him, glaring. She still felt uncomfortable being around him. Especially here in the hallway, alone.

"Because, I knew Nathan would have gotten thrown off the team for what he was doing. I'm his older brother. I have to watch out for him." James said.

"Well he won't learn anything if you are constantly taking the heat for him. Little douche bag's like him are what's wrong with people today." Maggie snapped. "I heard what he said to Parker about being a foster kid. That's messed up."

"My brother can be a dick, but that doesn't mean he deserves to lose any future scholarships for being a dumb ass."

"You could have just ignored it." Maggie pointed out. James shrugged before heading in the opposite direction for class.

"So could you. See ya tomorrow in detention." He called over his shoulder. Maggie wrinkled her nose, then started down the hall to her own class, thankful that her History teacher wasn't one to give students a hard time about being late. She was in enough trouble without all of that.

Mr. Jenkins was already in full lecture mode when she slid into her seat in the back next to Lare, who raised her eyebrows in silent question. Maggie flashed her the detention slip to which Lare rolled her eyes.

Two rows down Maggie's eyes found Parker slumped in his chair doodling on a notebook. A scowl covered his face as his bright eyes darted from the board and back to his notebook, jotting notes occasionally. Maggie followed his still bouncing knee down to his beat up shoes and the faint stains and frayed edge of his uniform pants. His jacket was rumpled and slung carelessly across the back of his chair. He looked like a lost, wild animal, she thought.

"Now as most of you remember, unless you've been sleeping this entire semester, which I am positive some of you have," Mr. Jenkins said, breaking through Maggie's reverie.

"We've come up to the senior project. This year, instead of doing the standard of just writing a boring report, and repeating it word for word in front of the class, we are going to do something a little different. Everyone knows all about the US on a national scale, but what can you tell me about your local history? Anything at all? I didn't think so." Mr. Jenkins gave them all a stern look from the white board at the front of the class.

"So, go ahead and break up into pairs, and I want you to decide on which historical site you want to work on. FYI it has to be local. Then come to me and I'll approve it for you." All around them, chairs scraped against the tiled floor as students rushed to pair with their friends. Maggie turned to Lauren, who was practically bouncing out of her chair.

"Let me guess. You want to do the abandoned reform school." Maggie groused.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Now I have a legitimate reason to go!" Lauren practically screeched. Maggie shook her head and heaved a resigned sigh as Lare shot out of her seat and went to Mr. Jenkins desk to tell him about their project. While Lare gushed about her ideas about the abandoned reform school, Maggie's gaze zoned back in on Parker, who still hadn't offered to move or pair up with anyone. Which no one had really offered to pair up with him either. His reputation as a trouble maker had his fellow classmates steering clear of him when an important grade was on the line.

"Mr. Price, is there a reason you are still by yourself?" Mr. Jenkins had also apparently spotted the disgruntled youth.

"I'd rather work by myself."

"Well that's too bad, Mr. Price. This is a partner project. Who here is willing to let Mr. Price join their group?" Mr. Jenkins addressed the room at large. The dull roar of the class died down to an awkward hum as no offers came forward. Maggie would have been mortified had it been her, however Parker had a smug smile plastered on his face, looking pleased. Maggie chewed her lip again, warring with herself over doing the right thing, before finally being unable to bear it any longer as Parker sat in the uncomfortable silence that had now dropped over the room like a heavy blanket. She slowly raised her hand in the air, already feeling regret wash over her like a tidal wave.

"Mr. Jenkins, he can work with us." Lare's vivid green eyes caught hers from behind Mr. Jenkins back, wide with shock.

"Excellent! Problem solved." Mr. Jenkins clapped his hands and rubbed them together vigorously. Maggie didn't have to look to know that Parker's sardonic smile had been replaced with an ugly look. She peaked over at him, and nearly flinched when his stormy blue eyes caught hers. He waited until Mr. Jenkins had continued on to the next group, before he moved over to the desk next to Maggie and Lare.

"What is your problem? Why can't you just leave me alone and butt out?" He ground out. Maggie looked at him, affronted.

"What's your problem? I'm just trying to be nice. You're being a total jerk." she hissed back. Parker's blue eyes cut into Maggie like a bad case of freezer burn, but he remained silent. She glared back, refusing to be cowed into looking away first.

"Guys, come on. Let's just work this out. This is like my dream!" Lare whined, exasperation leaking into her voice as the tension rose between the two.

"Parker what's your cell, we can text you the details of where to meet on Saturday, or we can carpool or something." Lare had her pen poised over her notebook, ready to scribble down his number.

Without taking his eyes off of Maggie, he reached over and snatched the pen out of Lare's hand, and ripped a page out of her notebook, to which she could only squeak out a small "Hey, now!" of protest. He scrawled out his ten digit number in a messy haphazard penmanship, without ever breaking his gaze. Folding the paper in half once, and then into quarters and finally eighths, he slid it across the table to Maggie, right up to the very tips of her fingers. Her skin brushed against his as her fingers crushed the square into the palm of her hand. He stood then, only to bend back down so that his face was level with hers, his arrogant, cocky smirk back in place. Maggie leaned back into her chair, uncomfortable with his close proximity, wishing he would at least blink.

"Looking forward to working with you." He said silkily. Maggie huffed and felt herself blushing as she stuffed the sheet of crinkled notebook paper into her jacket pocket, determined to not let him get to her. He was so bi-polar.

"Well that was intense. And weird. Did I mention weird?" Lare remarked as she leaned around Maggie to watch Parker saunter off. Maggie crossed her arms and didn't reply, irritation seething through her.

"Alright everyone, let me get you to focus back up here to the front please. I know it's hard. Only five minutes left to the day and you all want out of here. So do I, believe me." Mr. Jenkins called to the class at large. Maggie and Lare faced back towards the front as Parker slouched back into the metal desk he had occupied before, tuning out the remainder of the class.

"This project is going to be counting as a quarter of your grade. As you all know, class work, your tests and your final make up the other three quarters. So make it count people. Don't be afraid to get creative with your presentations. There may be some extra credit for creativity." The bell rang.

"Pick up a copy of the syllabus from my desk on your way out. Project is due in four weeks guys." he called over the intermingled high pitch of the bell toll and scraping sounds of students rushing from their desks, and storming the door.

Maggie and Lauren fought their way through the crowds back to Maggie's locker where she grabbed her gym bag and her book bag. Glancing down the long row of metal doors, she saw Parker cramming his notebook in to his own locker. Lauren caught her glance and moved in front of her line of vision blocking her view of Parker out.

"What's going on with that?" she asked jerking her chin towards Parker.

"What's up with what? I'm just trying to be nice." Maggie told her, turning back to her own locker and pretending to debate on whether or not she should take her algebra book home.

"Are you kidding me? That's nice? God, I would hate to see what happened when you two fought." Lare exclaimed. Maggie rolled her eyes.

"You know I'm not going to stand by and just let someone get bullied." She answered. Lare snorted.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever you say. I just know you don't usually risk life and liberty for random guys who are psychopathic, ass hats either. I'm calling bull crap."

Overhead the crappy PA system crackled to life, and Principal Colson's voice boomed out over the heads of the students.

"Parker Price, report to the principal's office, Parker Price, report to the principal's office. Your ride is waiting." With a loud screech that caused most of the student body to flinch as one, the speaker shut off. Maggie caught a glance of Parker as he slammed his locker shut, his signature scowl in place, before slipping into the crowd and out of her sight.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I totally regret it all now, and I still have to go home and deal with my parents." Maggie retorted, feeling more miserable by the minute.

"Alright, well I'll see you in the morning then. I have to go. I have a dentist appointment at four, and mom is probably waiting in traffic, about to have a fit. I'll text you!" Lare called as she flitted away with the flow of traffic.

"Okay, see you."

Maggie headed back down the hall towards the student parking lot, where her VW Bug was parked. She peered into the principal's office as she passed by seeing Parker standing there, both hands shoved deep in his pockets, with his sleeves rolled up haphazardly to his elbows. Maggie recognized the petite woman with dark cropped hair, dressed in a crisp pants suit who stood next to him, a serious expression on her face as she talked with Principal Colson. The Mayor's wife was in and out of the school often, due to Parker's many transgressions. The door opened and Maggie heard the pair leave the office.

"I'll make sure the check is dropped off on Monday for the booster club." She promised, as the door swung shut.

Maggie heard the woman berating Parker as they headed in the direction of the parking lot. Parker's eyes flashed up and caught Maggie's as he passed. She stopped to let them by, her feet frozen in place by the glacial stare, that didn't match the smirking expression on his lips. He blinked then looked away. What was his problem?

As they passed, Maggie's eyes swept over the pair. Mrs. Canton's back was ramrod straight as she marched through the double doors, digging in her designer purse for her keys. She followed them out to the parking lot, trying to keep her distance. However her low, cutting tones still carried back.

"-don't know what your deal is. We have given you everything! You've got a nice house, nice clothes, a car, a phone. We are paying for your education." Mrs. Canton listed.

They climbed into the sleek SUV parked at the edge of the sidewalk. Parker sat in the front passenger seat, his arms crossed and stared out of the window at Maggie. All of a sudden she saw him flinch.

She squinted for a better view as he turned away from her, and saw the woman's perfectly manicured hand reach up and across as she slapped Parker right in the face. Then without a second glance, the woman whipped the SUV into drive and spun out of the parking lot.

Maggie's hands gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white, her entire body tensed, like she had been the one to receive the slap. Finally getting her shock under control, Maggie cranked her own car and pulled out of the parking lot, her thoughts swirling around inside her mind like a vortex. Her parents never hit her. She might have gotten a spanking when she was younger for misbehavior, but they never, ever did anything like slap her across the face. Sure her mom would have threatened it, especially when she back talked. Or her dad would ground her for a month at a time, but never anything as violent as what she had just witnessed, and definitely not in a public setting, like a school parking lot.

Violence wasn't tolerated in the Dailey family. It was also the first rule of the dojo at her martial arts club. It was a tool to build respect, character and discipline. When they sparred it was about respecting their partner, not about being able to win. Of course it's always a bonus if you win, but that wasn't the point.

Maggie tried to push Parker and all of those underlying issue to the back of her mind as she drove home, and gave her full attention to the predicament she now found herself in. Her parents were going to be so mad. They were so strict sometimes, and fighting at school that warranted a call home, was definitely going to bring on the parental wrath. Her dad could manage to blow things out of proportion in a heartbeat, whereas her mom could be a little more rational and reasoned with, given the right circumstances.

Maggie chewed on her fingernails when she parked her bug in the driveway, and continued to deliberate, before finally deciding on her usual course. If all else fails, to tell the truth.

She made a point of being extra quiet when going through the front door, in hopes that her parents wouldn't notice she was home, and be able to put off the impending argument. Luck however was not on her side. The storm door crashed closed as a gust of autumn wind tore through their row of town houses, slamming it on her as she barely got through it.

She held her breath as she crept down the hall past the open living room, where her dad was sitting on the couch, watching the news. He was facing away from the door. Down the hall she could hear her mom in the kitchen, rattling pots and pans on the stove, getting dinner ready. As she tried to sneak past the door, her dad cleared his throat, and turned down the volume, effectively cutting off the sound of the weather report.

"So, Mags, How was your day?" He asked, nonchalantly.

"Oh, um." Maggie stalled for time, wondering if the school had called already, as her mind raced to find a way to avoid being grounded for the next century.

"The school called." Her dad said, practically plucking the thoughts from her cranium.

"Oh, yeah? What about?' Maggie asked, testing the waters. She was sweating again, and a pounding migraine was forming behind her right eye.

"Something about you being called to the principal's office and having detention tomorrow. You wanna explain what happened?" Her dad kept a low and reasonable tone, giving her some hope that he would at least hear her out.

"Yeah, about that. It was no big deal. Like you said it's only detention." She said, mirroring her dad's nonchalance, pleading silently that he would let it go, just this one time.

"No big deal, huh?" Maggie tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. Her dad stood, and turned to face her, his hands were balled into loose fists, his thumbs hooked through his belt loops.

"How about you tell me what happened, and I'll be the judge of whether it's 'not a big deal' or not." Her dad said, fixing her with a frown. Maggie put her school bag on the ground and dug her hands into the pockets of her blazer nervously. Her fingers closed around the notebook paper with Parker's number on it. Anger flooded her stomach at the thought of his rude split personality act earlier at school. She took a deep shuddering breath before launching into the story of what had happened that afternoon. Including how Nathan had been involved, and how James had lied to the Principal about what had happened.

"Maggie, you could have hurt that boys chances at his future. He could be getting a scholarship! What if you had damaged him beyond repair?" Her dad asked. Maggie stood at a loss for words, her jaw open slightly. Really? That was what her dad was worried about?

"You can't be serious? He was going to hurt that other kid! How could you not expect me to not stop something like that?" Maggie countered.

"Besides, I didn't hurt him. He is fine! I had it all in control! That's what we are taught in classes and I did it perfectly!" Maggie tried to sound as reasonable as possible.

"NO, you weren't in control. You acted childishly. Maybe it's time we put the martial arts stuff to bed." her dad suggested, running his hand through his hair distractedly, causing the dark locks to stand on end.

"You can't do that! I haven't done anything wrong! All I did was stand up for someone! Why would you punish me for that? I'm only two belts away from my black belt! That isn't fair, I've worked really hard on this!" Panic was causing Maggie's thoughts to spin and her perfectly reasonable argument was about to go out the window. This wasn't fair. Not at all.

"Maybe that is a little much, honey. You know how Principal Colson is. He likes to blow things out of proportion." her mom reasoned, coming up behind her.

"He totally does. And he has it out for Parker I think. He treated him really badly in his office. And it wasn't Parker's fault at all. I saw it, but James lied!" Maggie told them, her words streaming like a fountain. Her mom and dad shared a look, communicating silently. Hope kindled in Maggie's chest at the possibility of having her mom as an ally in this argument.

"I'm sure he was just doing his job as an educator. You have to be tough on kids, or they will never grow up and learn." her dad said. Privately, Maggie disagreed. She may have decided that she didn't really care for Parker, or his multiple personalities, however, Mr. Colson had gone out of his way to not only reprimand Parker, but to threaten him as well.

"Now, about your martial arts class," Her dad continued. Maggie waited with baited breath for the verdict to fall.

"I guess you can keep on with it. But I want your promise that you will stay out of trouble, and away from kids like this Parker. He sounds like a trouble maker. Does that sound fair?"

Maggie let out a very slow breath as her anxiety level lowered, along with the temperature in the room. She didn't bother to tell her dad that she was now paired with Parker for a class assignment. No sense in throwing gas on that fire. At least she would still be paired with Lare. So she could just say she was with Lare, and the fact that Parker was there, well, that didn't need to be known. Maggie hated this already.

"Yeah, that sounds alright. So, we are good?" Maggie asked. Almost home free, she thought.

"I think so, unless your mom has anything she wants to add."

"No, not really. Oh by the way, your dad and I are going to be going out late Saturday afternoon into the city. Your dad has a work thing. Are you going to be available to keep an eye on your brother?" her mom asked. Maggie thought it was so adorable how her mom asked her to watch Josh, when she knew that she had to whether she wanted to or not. So considerate.

"Oh, um. Well me and Lare were going to be working on a school project we got assigned with today. It's pretty big, so it's going to take a lot of work." Maggie's stomach sank at the thought of her brother having to tag along. At thirteen, he was the most obnoxious individual Maggie knew, and she went to high school. With high school boys.

"I don't need a baby sitter!" She heard Josh yell down the hall. Maggie's mom rolled her eyes.

"When you learn to make ramen noodles in the microwave without burning them and destroying the microwave, we will talk. Until then mister, you are going to be with Maggie." Her dad hollered back down the hall.

"Ah man! That was one time!" Josh yelled back.

"But, what about mine and Lare's project?" Maggie asked.

"He's just going to have to tag along. You know the rules. You watch Josh for free, you get to drive the car." her mom said.

"Ughh. Fine," Maggie sighed. She headed down the hall towards her basement bedroom, passing Josh's room on the way she stuck her head through his door. He sat at his computer, his glasses slipping down his nose. A headset sat perched in his curly hair and he directed his online gaming buddies into the next level of their game.

"I need help over here! Mikey, on my flank, res me! res me!" He yelled, clicking furiously.

"You better not be a pain on Saturday, me and Lare have a lot to do. And you don't get to argue about where we are going either. You have to suck it up and deal." She told him.

"Ohhh. Lauren's coming?" Josh tore his eyes away from the screen to waggle his eyebrows suggestively. Maggie faked a gagging motion.

"Don't be a total perve either. I mean it."

Josh made a face at her and then stuck his tongue out at her and flicked it like a snake.

"Ew. See. Like that. I will hit you." she warned. Josh's screen lit up and the sound of a virtual explosion blasted through his speakers.

"Shit, guys sorry!" He said turning away from Maggie and speaking into the mouth piece.

"Nerd," Maggie called, as she continued on down the hall. Josh either didn't hear her or didn't care.

Maggie wound her way through to the back of the house to the stairs down to the basement where her room was located.

Their three story town house was nearly one hundred years old and had an odd layout due to all of the many renovations it had been through over the years. Which Maggie thought was cool. The basement wasn't your typical dungeon. French doors led out onto a concrete patio that was enclosed with a brick wall and a gate that led into the park behind their neighborhood. It was divided into three rooms. A bathroom, a rec room and Maggie's bedroom. Maggie knew that once she left for college her parents were considering renting out the basement.

It was a pretty sweet set up. Most parent's wouldn't let their eighteen-year-old daughter who was a senior in high school have that much privacy, but thankfully Maggie's parent's trusted her. Not that she had ever done anything for them not to. Maggie didn't have a boyfriend, and she didn't hang out with boys. Mostly she just spent time with Lare when she wasn't reading or in her martial arts classes.

Maggie tossed her backpack on her desk in her bedroom, before flopping down on her made up bed. Her text tone chimed, and she had to flip onto her side and stretch to reach her phone that was still in her bag. It was a message from Lauren. She was probably going to be ticked about the addition of Parker to their little class project.

Lare: Out of dentist. WRUD?

Maggie: Just got home and treated to a lecture about how I could hurt some 1.

Lare: = beast. Sooo what is up with Parker?

Maggie: OMG nothin is up. If I could take it back I totally would.

Lare: What happened in colson's office?

Maggie. James lied for everyone, said it was all an accident.

Lare: NO WAY

Maggie: yes way and he is a creep

Lare: y u say that?

Maggie: He just is

Lare: what evs. He is hawt! so what happened?

Maggie: Colson was a douche. U should have seen him in his office

Lare: C is a douche to evry1.

Maggie: he was worse than usual. And Parker's foster mom is nuts. I saw them when I was leavin

Lare: What?!

Maggie: Yea. She is a b

Maggie lay on her side on the bed, frowning at her phone, debating on whether or not to tell Lare what she had seen in the parking lot. On the one hand, Maggie didn't like seeing anyone being mistreated, but on the other, Parker had been a jerk. Was he really worth thinking about? His phone number crinkled in pocket as she rolled back over to stare at the many awards and certificates she had gained from her years in martial arts that littered the walls, waiting for Lare to respond. Multiple Gi's lay in her laundry hamper, and belts on the display rack next to crammed book shelf. She pulled the paper with his number out of her pocket and unfolded it, studying the untidy scrawl. Her text tone chimed.

Lare: I thnk u like him.

Maggie: omg drop it Lar. I don't

Lare: whatev's u lyin u like him.

Maggie's face flamed up as she read the text. If Lauren thought Maggie liked Parker her teasing would be relentless, and Maggie would never make it through this project with them alive. Irritated she crushed his number in her fist, like that could somehow prove her distaste of him, and tossed it in the trash. She quickly typed out another message, hoping to change the subject, and to distract her friend.

Maggie: BTW josh has to tag along sat. M&D are going out, and ever since the ramen noodle fiasco he isnt aloud 2 b home alone.

Lare: OMG. Lame. He is such a little perv.

Maggie: IKR? C u 2 morro got homework

Lare: k. see u at school. Working on plans for projct. Gonna be awesome!

Maggie closed out her messaging screen and plugged her phone into the charger, before getting out her homework. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.