"Oh, shit, not you."

The words left Ash's mouth before he had time to consider them. Fortunately the target didn't notice, or more likely noticed and pretended not to.

"Are you all right?" asked his roommate. Eiji was nice. He hadn't ratted Ash out for his pocketknife, the one he used for picking locks, and didn't seem to look at Ash as if he was someone to be suspicious of like the teachers and new kids, revered and respected like everyone else who already knew him. He felt like a project, a thing, to absolutely everyone except Shorter. And now Eiji too, he supposed. If it lasted.

"Yeah," Ash managed, slipping through the rows of desks. Blanca kept writing on the board, not sparing a glance in his direction.

There could only be one reason Dino wanted Blanca to teach here. He was suspicious. Ash gritted his teeth. Well, this would make Ash's job harder.

He had to stay here, and Dino knew it. That's why he'd given Skip that scholarship, because he knew Ash wouldn't leave Skip alone at this place while Dino, Marvin, and Kippard all worked here. And he knew what Ash was trying to do, didn't he? If Blanca were here, it'd get infinitely more difficult. He'd surely be reporting to Dino.

Shorter and Alex were also in the class. The four of them took up the back row. Ash noticed a copy of Islands in the Stream on Blanca's desk, his jaunty hat hanging from a coat rack near the door. You haven't changed much, old man.

"It's about the solitude of man. Read it when you're older."

He read it one year later, after Blanca left. He remembered waking up that morning in Dino's bed, heading down the stairs for a day away from Dino, a day with Blanca, and Dino telling him at breakfast that Blanca had retired to the Caribbean.

"Overnight?"

"No, he handed in his resignation weeks ago."

But he'd never told Ash. And then once tutors were gone, Ash got sent here, to Dino's school. He probably would have landed himself in prison in an attempt to get expelled, picking fights, trying to run away, until Shorter told him he looked like the angel above the chapel, teasing him about it, not wanting anything from him.

It'd been nice to have a friend the past year, in his solitude. And he would have been content to stay here, if it weren't for what that reporter had asked him the past summer, before winding up dead in a ditch later.

"Ah, so you're attending that academy. You trying to find out what happened to your brother?"

Griffin…

Ash stared down at his blank notebook, each line stamped on the paper in blue ink. He should be taking notes, but he didn't need to. Griffin used to write poetry, that much he remembered. But Ash had never been able to write anything that remotely resembled poetry, despite his top grades in literature.

"I'll come back soon," Griffin promised, crouched in front of him when Ash was crying, asking why he had to go away. He wiped Ash's tears. "I promise, kiddo."

He hadn't.

"Ash," called Blanca's voice.

Ash jumped. He met his former tutor's eyes, the color of the midnight sky.

"Can you tell me the answer?"

"Yes," Ash said. "I can."

Eiji frowned, confused. Shorter cringed, ducking his head. Alex studied his clasped hands, jaw set.

"Will you?"

"Would you like me to?" Ash asked.

"Indeed, I would." Blanca folded his arms, glasses glinting over his eyes. "I also don't particularly like you wasting my time."

"Why, less time to ogle Jessica Randy?" he said, naming their beautiful yet no-nonsense literature teacher. He heard she started at the school when he would have been a freshman after the previous teacher got fired for sleeping with a student, but then Jessica took a sabbatical the next year, so Ash had never met her before this year.

"Detention," said Blanca.

Ash shrugged. Though this certainly meant he'd be getting an email from Dino, probably with an invitation to his office to discuss his behavior. Ash clutched his desk. He could feel Eiji studying him, and he refused to look at the boy. I'm probably not the sort you want to be friends with after all, am I?

"I'd advise you to think of the fact that it's not just my time, but your classmates' time," Blanca added. "Mr. Lee, do you have the answer?"

"Yes," said Yut-Lung, sitting up straighter. "It's mitosis."

"Correct."

When the bell rang, Ash snatched his bag and stormed towards the door. Eiji hurried after him. "What was that about?" Eiji's eyes were huge and dark, but unlike most dark things, warm.

The retort died on Ash's tongue. He swallowed it. It tasted rancid. "We don't get along."

"I can see that." Eiji was quiet. "Should we throw spitballs at him or—"

Ash actually chuckled. He could only imagine Blanca's response to something so juvenile. But it was a kind gesture. He clapped Eiji's shoulder. "It's really fine. I'll pull it together."

"Okay." Eiji frowned.

History with a Mr. Foxx was next, and Ash quickly learned that there was, in fact, a teacher he could hate more than Blanca. This man was creepy. Everything about his beady eyes, his smarmy demeanor that rivaled even Hua-Lung Lee's, the way his hand lingered on each student's when he handed them their textbooks, screamed red flags. Ash made a mental note never to let any of his friends be alone with him.

Arthur leaned over to one of his stupid friends, whispered something. He snickered.

"And who," asked Foxx, turning around with his creepy eyes. "Was that?"

Everyone sat stock still. Most teachers weren't that strict.

"If you don't tell me, you all have detention," said Foxx.

"For talking?" squeaked Bones.

Shut up, you fool. Ash glance at Eiji. Like everyone, his gaze was focused on his desk.

"I see. Are you volunteering?"

"What? N-no, I—"

"Him," said Arthur, jerking his thumb towards the back row. He tipped his chair back, rocking.

His thumb aimed at Eiji. Eiji's jaw dropped.

"Not a good way to start the year, Mr. Okumura—"

"It was not Eiji," burst out Ash. Arthur, you fucking bitch.

"It was Arthur," chimed in Shorter.

Thanks.

"I'm afraid my policy is to trust those who speak first." Foxx turned back to the lesson. "Detention, Okumura."

Eiji's eyes filled with tears. Ash opened his mouth, ready to let Foxx have it, and Eiji grabbed his arm, shaking his head.

Fine. Ash glowered at the back of Arthur's sandy hair.

"That time of the month, Arthur?" Shorter shouted as they left the classroom. "Why do you have to be such a total shit—"

Arthur raised his hands. "I dunno, I didn't really think a random newbie would piss you off."

"Yes, you did," said Ash. "You just have to be—"

"Bitter he's barely passing and no one likes him because he's a complete tool?" Shorter asked. He and Ash both blocked Arthur's path. "Or really, just mad that you broke his fingers last year?"

"That girl told him she wasn't into him and he didn't back down," Ash said. "And I'd do it again, Frederick."

"Ooh, first name basis now?" Arthur mocked. Eiji shrank against the red lockers.

"I'm not gonna put up with a year of you trying to lash out at my friends because you're too much of a coward to punch me or try to break my fingers," Ash said.

"Hey!"

Ash started. Everyone spun to their left.

Jessica Randy stormed towards them, her blond hair flying behind her. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all." Arthur turned and scurried away like the rat he was.

Alex moaned. "I'm gonna have to sleep with one eye open."

Ash winced. "Sorry, Alex."

"Don't be. I hate him. Make his life hell."

Ash glanced at Eiji. Now you know I've broken someone's fingers.

Are you scared yet?

"Alex could spend the night in our room," Eiji offered. "If you're okay with that, Ash."

Ash blinked. Are you really not afraid?

No, he was. Eiji's eyes were bright like they'd been ever since he was told he had a detention. But—you still want to help out.

Ash couldn't understand it.

"So, how about it?" Lao asked Eiji eagerly. Sing shoved his binder into his locker, listening.

"I can't." Eiji's voice came low and hesitant, as if he was confessing to storing a block of cocaine inside his mattress instead of turning Lao down for trying out for the school soccer team. "I don't think I'd be any good."

Rats. Now Lao would be insufferable. Sing grabbed his biology textbook, hoisting it up. He slammed the locker shut and turned the dial.

"Sure you would," Ash's voice cut in. "I saw you in gym class. You're fast."

Lao scowled as if to say no one asked you. But Sing eyed Eiji Okumura. He hadn't thought the Japanese boy was anything special, but if Ash—

"I can't play sports," Eiji explained.

"Didn't you used to?" asked Shorter.

"Yes, but I hurt my ankle," Eiji said. "I can't be an athlete anymore. Gym class is one thing." He lowered his chin. "I'm sorry, Lao."

"Why're you sorry?" Shorter asked. "No problem, Eiji. I guess you'll just have to join Ash as part of our cheerleading squad. Pompoms not required."

Ash flipped Shorter off, laughing. Sing snickered.

"Let's go, dude," Shorter said to Lao. "Or else Arthur will get forward."

"Can't you cut him?" complained Lao.

"Only if we're very, very lucky." Shorter winked. "You coming to watch, Sing?"

They were all looking at him. They'd noticed him. Sing straightened his spine. "Can't. I've got to—meet with a teacher." He lifted his bio book in explanation. "Sucks." And, his voice would choose that moment to crack. Sing internally cussed. He was sixteen and finally not a shrimp; why did his voice still have to be a total bitch to him?

"With Blanca?" Ash winced. "Sorry for you."

"Don't you and Eiji both have detentions?" cut in Lao.

Eiji's face reddened to the hue of Ash's shoe color.

"Yep," Ash said. He slung an arm around Eiji. "First detention ever, right?"

Eiji swallowed. He nodded. "Ibe won't be happy."

"I'll back you up if you want. You did nothing wrong. But if you have to do it, at least you won't be the only kid who got detention his first week." Ash scowled.

"Ash is a pro at detentions," Shorter joked. "Okay, I am too, so take it from me: they're always more fun when you have someone to suffer with. This one time, Ash and I made Dawson think his computer was talking to him with a message from the government."

"What?" eked out Eiji.

"I gotta go help Skipper," said Ash, checking his phone. "See ya."

Sing waved, turning to head up the cement steps and back towards the science center. He passed Mr. Dawson's chemistry lab and wrinkled his nose. He didn't like that guy. He spent half his classes arguing with students so far on basic facts, instead of just teaching chemistry. Shorter was mumbling about arguing creationism next time he wanted to waste time because he doubted Mr. Dawson would be able to resist the need to plead with his students to believe that he was smart, smarter than them, the smartest.

Blanca's biology lab was up the stairs. Sing shoved open the door and found Yut-Lung sitting at one of the desks, a scowl embedded into his face. Blanca was reading something by Hemingway. "Am I interrupting?"

Yut-Lung's eyes narrowed.

"No, you're both taking lessons," said Blanca with a sigh. He set the book down.

"Really?" asked Sing. "Aren't you like, a genius?"

"Aren't you?" retorted Yut-Lung.

Sing's hands flew up. "Chill." He slipped into the seat next to Yut-Lung. "No, for real, I remember you getting straight As last year."

"I got a C." Yut-Lung glanced down, onyx bangs blocking his eyes. "Failed the exam at the end. Didn't have a choice but to take remedial lessons."

"Huh?" Sing frowned. "I mean, when I talked to Jenkins about this, he said it was just a suggestion to help me keep my scholarship."

Yut-Lung shrugged. "Well, I'm not on a scholarship. Even if I got a few A-, it wouldn't be enough for my brothers."

"Mood," said Sing, stretching his legs. "Lao's like that, too. He was mad at me for getting a C last year. Even though I probably could've scraped a B if I wanted to."

Yut-Lung frowned. "Why didn't you want to?"

"Lazy," Sing said, rolling his eyes. Or more like, he was too distracted with other things. Like trying to impress Lao and Shorter however he could, except since soccer wasn't his thing, that mostly meant helping them practice despite refusing to try out himself because he wanted to tutor the younger kids instead. Except he got so focused on tutoring last semester than he blew biology. And chemistry and math didn't go much better. So now he couldn't tutor anymore. Which sucked because third grade math was so much easier, but no parent wanted someone who scraped a D in biology tutoring their kid in anything. Like bad grades were contagious or something.

"Well, no laziness allowed here," said Blanca's voice. The huge man got to his feet. Sing scowled. He hoped he would be that tall when he finished growing. Even if he still wasn't entirely sure what to do with his new six inches that sprouted over the summer.

The lesson went fairly well, and Sing started feeling slightly less panicked about the year ahead. When he handed them worksheets and then stepped out into the hallway to talk to Golzine, Sing turned to Yut-Lung. "He seems cool."

Yut-Lung shrugged.

"I wonder why Ash was bitching at him," Sing added.

"Why don't you ask Ash?" Yut-Lung pressed his pen into the side of his cheek. "Or too intimidated to talk to your crush?"

"I do not have a crush on Ash!" Sing's face burned.

Yut-Lung tossed his braid. "It's understandable. He's intelligent, good-looking, and—"

Sing stabbed his pen into the corner of the worksheet. "If you're salty about Lao being shitty to you the other night, talk to him. I'm not my fucking brother."

Yut-Lung blinked. "I know."

Sing turned back to the worksheet. I can do this. "Don't spread rumors."

"I won't. I don't need to. Everyone knows. The only question is if it's just Ash, or Shorter too, that's commonly debated, and I don't know, you seem interested in that Japanese boy too, or Cain Blood—"

"I'm not a slut!"

Yut-Lung flinched as if he'd been slapped. "Like me?"

Oh shit! "That wasn't what I meant!" Sing glared. "Don't take everything personally. I don't even know you. I wasn't talking about you at all. I was just saying I don't want—"

"A crush-slut," continued Yut-Lung, but his lips were tugging back, almost like he was repressing a smile. "A mind slut."

"Shut up."

"Don't worry, they're all cool except Eiji; he's lame."

You're just teasing. Sing stuck his tongue out at Yut-Lung. You just really suck at it. "He's nice. You could learn more from him."

"Why be nice when I could be fabulous?" Yut-Lung actually snorted, laughing at himself, clearly joking. He turned back to the worksheet, scribbling answers to all the questions like it was nothing.

Sing's jaw fell open. "Are you for real right now?"

"Hm?" Yut-Lung looked up. "Yes?"

Sing gestured. "You really don't seem like you got a C to me."

Yut-Lung pressed his lips together. "Do you want help?"

"I don't want the answers. I want to know how to understand this myself."

"Come here." Yut-Lung grabbed his paper. "So, for this one, it's asking…"

"Right?" Sing held up the worksheet.

"Correct," Yut-Lung agreed. He listened as Sing worked on the next question. Pencil slapped against paper, against wood.

"Already?" Golzine was asking.

"He seems to suspect that you want me to look after him, as I warned you he would." Blanca kept his voice low. Not low enough.

Look after him… Ash, clearly. In a kindly way? Yut-Lung frowned, remembering who Golzine was, that horrible night sticking like filthy gum to his mind, the interest he had in Ash. But Hua-Lung had said Blanca was not up for seduction, so he couldn't mean in that way. At least not for Blanca.

But whatever he meant, that meant Blanca was here for Ash, to keep him in check. Like that was a remotely realistic possibility. Yut-Lung knew that green fire burning in Ash's eyes. It was the same one that burned inside him, cold fire, flickering ice. That meant Golzine actually considered Ash a threat.

Why?

Yut-Lung imagined Ash burning down the school, taking Golzine and Hua-Lung and Wang-Lung with him. He'd happily provide the gasoline. The problem was that everyone hated him. Well, except maybe Sing.

Blanca dismissed them. "Thanks," Sing said.

"Welcome." Yut-Lung pulled out his phone, texting Hua-Lung, who had definitely suggested/demanded Yut-Lung come to his office to report in, but Yut-Lung was so not in the mood. Didn't learn anything today. Will keep at it, he replied.

"Wanna go down and see how soccer tryouts are going?" Sing suggested.

Ash might be there. Yut-Lung nodded. By the time they got there, though, it was over. Shorter was grinning, though, and Lao gave Sing a high-five. Yut-Lung shrank back, watching as Arthur cussed and drank a bottle of water like it was a sword he could then spit at Shorter and/or Lao.

If I could get close to Arthur and report to Ash, he might trust me, and my brothers would definitely buy that as work. And then we could take down this stupid school. Ash was definitely one person who couldn't judge him as a slut.

"So fun!" came a voice behind him. Yut-Lung turned. Skip, that middle schooler Ash tutored a few times a week, grinned at the emptying field.

"Yep," said Ash. The sun set orange behind him, filmy tangerine light fluttering down over the field. It didn't keep out the approaching cold of fall. Yut-Lung shivered.

"Why don't you play, Ash?" Skip asked.

"Got other things on my mind." Ash winked. "And next time we are actually going over algebra, not soccer, okay?"

Skip smirked. "Sure."

"You better thank Eiji," Ash added. "He's the one who suggested it wouldn't hurt, seeing as it's the first week."

Another laugh. Eiji Okumura.

Yut-Lung clenched his fists. That stupid Japanese boy. Why was he hanging around Ash like a barnacle? Why didn't Ash shrug him off? He was nothing special. He was just a waste of space and air, one of those preppy boys who should be running for school council or in and out of Jenkins's office for career and higher ed advice, not hanging around with the school delinquents and jocks. Something fizzled and popped in his abdomen, like a spark on a piece of wood. He folded his arms.

"Hey!" called Shorter's voice, jogging over to them. "You came, Sing!" He held out his hand for a high-five. "Wish you could join."

"Tell me Arthur didn't make the team," Sing joked.

"He did, but he's reserves." Shorter winked. "And you came too, Yut-Lung."

Yut-Lung swallowed. Sing met his gaze and glanced away, towards the gummy bleachers, and Yut-Lung understood. Sing wasn't going to tell about his remedial lessons unless Yut-Lung wanted him to.

Nah.

"Just for the end," said Yut-Lung. "I'm glad about Arthur."

"Me, too," said Shorter, grabbing a water bottle and gulping from it. "You should come to some of our games, Yut-Lung." He pushed his shoulder, grinning as he jogged off.

Yut-Lung felt an idea forming in his stomach. He watched the back of Ash's golden head, next to that stupid Eiji.

I will.