"I want to hold you close/ soft breath, beating hard/

As I whisper in your ear, 'I want to fucking tear you apart.'"

"You didn't tell me I had to wear a uniform." I frowned, staring at my reflection in the mirror located in my dorm room. I heard a chuckle from behind me and didn't resist when Chase wrapped his arms around my waist, comfortably resting his chin on my shoulder.

"I like seeing you in a uniform," he whispered close to my ear. Staring at the pair of us, I rested against his solid frame, feeling him nibble at my earlobe.

"Stop it, not now." I told him, smacking his wandering hand away from my leg.

Chase and I have become closer within the last few weeks here with the rest of the living. He told me of his powers, explaining how they were responsible for bringing me back. I was a little freaked out when he showed me his inked-out eyes, but eventually grew used to it and his annoyingly cocky presence. He liked to dangle my position from a thread, reminding me of the power he had over me, but that was mostly to get a rise out of me. He liked it when I got angry with him and tried hitting him when he said inappropriate comments.

Staring at the reflection of us in the mirror again, I asked the same question that I had asked plenty of times before.

"How come I'm the only one who can see you?"

"Because I want you to."

"So…you could be creeping on me when I'm in the shower and I wouldn't realize it?"

He laughed. "Yeah, but where's the fun in watching when I can just do this?" He asked, pulling at a handful of hair near the sensitive spot at the nape of my neck, making me gasp when goose bumps covered my arms. Goosebumps! I never imagined ghosts getting goose bumps.

I groaned and turned over in his arms so I was facing him. "Are you sure you want to go through with all of this?"

Chase straightened up. "Yes. They deserve what's coming to them."

"I still don't get why I'm doing this and you aren't. You're physically here, I can see and feel you."

"True, but I'm allowing you to see me and as for feeling, well, only you can feel me because of our connections to the other world."

"By why can others see/feel me?"

"You're a manifestation of sorts," he tried to explain, again, in vain. "The magic I used on you allows it. Now don't ask any more questions, it's just going to confuse you."

Sighing in defeat, I walked over to the nightstand table near my bed and picked up the yearbook, flipping to the page where I had a post-it, marking the page with the sports teams. Underneath the swim team, was an image of four teenage boys standing together in speedos. "Which one is the leader?"

"That's Caleb," he said, pointing at the tall dark haired one. "His girlfriend just dumped him so he's a little heartbroken."

"So I'm the rebound girl?"

"Hmmm not really," he said, lying back on the pillows of my bed. "Sarah wasn't going to last long anyways. I would have made sure of that. It's all coming to plan, now."

I raised an eyebrow at his word choice, but decided to let it go. Gaining some courage, I straddled him on the bed making him grin. "I still don't get how he's supposed to fall for me."

Leaning up, Chase captured my lips in his own in a hungry kiss, running a hand up and down my thigh. We didn't exactly need air, but when we finally separated he smirked. "You're doing a fine job, already."

"Good."

It had been so long since I felt someone's touch and now I was relishing in it. Chase may be a cocky bastard, but he's the only one here who knows what I am. I didn't have to lie to him or hide from my past—he just accepted it. I can also say that his company is quite enjoyable at times, like right now. Oh boy, right now was definitely one of those times.

Sitting up from his lied down position, he kept hold of me on his lap as he wrapped his arms around my waist, possessively.

"I want you to remember something," he started, rubbing his thumb across my cheekbone. "These guys…they're going to try and fool you; convince you that they are good but they aren't. You're smarter than them, Amelia, and you have the advantage here. They're abusing their powers and recklessly putting us all in danger."

Tilting my head to the side, I examined his facial features. "Did they put you in danger?"

Chase licked his lips and after a brief pause, nodded his head. "They tried to kill me."

I gasped and wrapped my arms around his neck to bring us closer. He seemed comforted by my touch and the devilish smirk was back on his face. "Are you sure you have to go to class? We can stay here…" he said suggestively.

"Hey, this was your idea, remember? I can't be late on my first day."

Chase flipped us around so he was hovering above me. "Sure you can. I promise you won't be missing much anyways. Besides, you hate your uniform."

"Yeah, but I have a feeling you like it."

Nuzzling his face into my neck, his cool breath washed over my skin, "I'd rather it be lying on the floor."

I felt his roaming hands start to un-tuck my shirt, but I stopped him and glared. "Do you know how long it took me to iron this?"

He rolled his eyes, "Fine, I'll be careful."

The fact of the matter is that Chase is anything but careful. By the time we collected ourselves (or by the time I collected myself since he was lounging on my bed with his arms behind his head again) it was already nearing the end of second period and I needed to re-iron my shirt. Judging by the time I had left to find my third period class, I decided to forget the iron and head off. I guess I'll just have to play up the new student thing by showing up late and looking slightly disheveled.

Readjusting the Henri Bendel bag on my shoulder (courtesy of Chase), I continued my trek through the empty halls. Spencer Academy was a lot nicer than the public high school I used to go to in Los Angeles, but I liked it. There was something gothic about its architecture and it fit in perfectly with the atmosphere of Ipswich. It was the middle of October and the fall foliage was at its height, the landscape being covered in red and orange leaves. Autumn has always been my favorite season, but since LA isn't known for having that many cold days, I really loved this place. It seemed almost like fate for Chase to bring me here, a location with attractive male witches and cold seasons. What more could a girl ask for?

We decided to be truthful about my past to make it easier for me—or at least as truthful as we could possibly be. Before the car crash, I spent most of my childhood in Los Angeles with my mom and dad. When my mother passed away from breast cancer, my father soon took his own life, too distraught from my mother's passing to continue living without her, even if it meant leaving me behind. I had been devastated at first and tried slitting my wrists, but my friend stopped me. We had lived in a Victorian home in Hancock Park, but eventually I left the house. I was only a teenager and couldn't afford to make the piling up mortgage payments so I ditched the house and made due the best I could.

I hadn't always believed in ghosts. It was in that old home when my "imaginary friend" saved me from cutting open my veins that I really began to believe—he really despised the idea of body mutilation. He had told me of his past and how he had died in the house and was now stuck there. I wondered why my parents weren't there as well, but they hadn't died on the property so I guess they were able to move on into the afterlife. One night when I was driving my car, I was hit by a drunk driver and smashed into a tree. When I was waiting in purgatory, contemplating things on that rotten bench, I sometimes wished I would've crashed onto the property of my old house.

At least then I wouldn't have been alone.

But none of that matters now because I'm back and somehow walking amongst the living and in this private academy. Chase managed to conjure up some transcripts for me and took care of the financial aspects. When I asked him if he stole it, he looked at me like I grew a second head.

"It's my money," he explained. "It's not stealing and even if it was, why the hell would you care?"

That's true. Why did I care? It's not like the police would be able to arrest me even if it was stolen money. I suppose old habits die hard, even if it is the messed up sense of morality I used to have when I was still alive. Regardless, I'm kind of excited to be back at school again. I used to enjoy learning new things and keeping my nose buried in books; they were my escape into other worlds and embarked me on new adventures. I like to think that this is a new adventure.

Chase had given me a credit card with access to money from his "own accounts" to take care of any school or personal things I may want to have. We told the Dean of the school that a family friend offered to sponsor my education after the tragedy of my parent's deaths and the school believed it; they didn't really care how the money got there as long as it sat in their greedy little hands.

"So I have a ghost card?" I chuckled, showing Chase my American Express card. "Do I get ghoulish credits too?"

He rolled his eyes at me, but I giggled at my ridiculousness. I never had that much money under my own name before and it was kind of thrilling.

Anyways, back to trying to find my class. The school bell just rang and within seconds all the doors in the hallways opened and soon I was lost in the sea of teenagers. Looking around, I was happy to see that styles hadn't changed that much within the few months I stayed in purgatory—that's what I calculated it to be when I got my hands on a calendar. I suppose style didn't really matter anyway since everyone was in uniform and despite my dislike for them, I was kind of grateful that I melted into the background. I know Chase wants me to capture this Caleb guy's attentions, but it felt nice without having everyone stare at you.

Of course, by the time I finally did find my third period with all the stupid twists and turns of the school, I was five minutes late and all eyes were on me. The large classroom resembled a college auditorium with the seats rising up towards the ceiling and beside me, I heard the teacher clear his throat.

"Hello, you must be Miss Blackwood, am I correct?"

Prying my gaze away from the zoo of students staring at me, I gave a sheepish smile. "Yes, sorry, I got a little um…lost."

I heard a few students snicker, but I did my best to ignore them. The professor ignored them to and turned around to hand me a spare copy of a book from behind his desk. "We are currently analyzing Shakespeare's King Lear and the tragic hero. Please, take the empty seat next to Mr. Simms and he will help fill you in with any questions you may have. We just began reading it last week so tonight you can catch up with us. In the meantime, you can sit and see how the class dynamics work and I'll be here to answer any questions you might have after class."

"Thank you professor," I nodded and surveyed the crowd to see a boy raise his arm and beckon me over to the seat next to him. Taking him to be "Mr. Simms", I quickly walked towards the stairs, but with each step I took, I felt a magnetic force pulling me upwards. When I finally reached my destination and dropped down in the seat beside Mr. Simms, I realized the force was coming from him. He seemed unaware of it and just smiled at me in greeting. I could still feel some stares peering into the back of my head, but thankfully my pale skin covered the blush that would have formed on my checks if I were still alive. The stares gradually began to waver though now that the professor returned back to his lecture and was speaking again.

"It'll get easier," the dark haired boy next to me whispered with a sympathetic smile. "I'm Tyler, by the way."

"Amelia," I said, shaking his outstretched hand. Immediately he flinched at its coldness, and frowned before pulling his hand away. Looking at him more, I recognized him to be one of the boys in the yearbook photo I had been examining earlier. It explained the static force I had been feeling and I had a sneaky suspicion that I would feel the same electricity when around the other boys as well.

"Were you a new student before, too?" I asked, trying to head my recognition of his face.

"Nah, I've grown up here my whole life, but Sarah was new last year. After a couple weeks they won't bother you anymore, they just want to see who your parents are."

"Tough luck with that," I muttered bitterly. Tyler raised his eyebrows in question but knew better than to pry. To distract myself, I picked up the copy of King Lear and flipped through the pages. I remember reading it before when I was still alive so I was quite familiar with the story already, but it would be interesting reading it again. It was amazing just to hold another book in my hands.

"On Friday we have an essay comparing King Lear's relationship with the Fool and if he is a real character or a figment of the King's imagination, his inner conscience." Tyler explained, referring to the book still in my hands. "You should probably start reading it tonight and pay close attention to their interactions together, so it'll help you start formulating your thesis."

"Thank you," I told him, genuinely grateful for his help.

"You're welcome," he smiled back and I finally got a good look at him. He was probably about a head taller than me and lean from swimming (or at least that's what I knew from admiring that photo earlier), but his face was more mature now than in the picture I saw. His hair was slightly longer and a little unruly, but it suited him perfectly.

Class seemed to carry on in its usual manner and I tried paying attention to the professor, but I was too distracted in getting comfortable in my chair. My legs kept sticking to the plastic and I couldn't get comfortable without having my skirt ride up. It was in the middle of this twitching that a paper plane landed in front of me and I looked around to see a blonde boy with fingerless gloves smirking at me. Tyler seemed to notice the paper plane too because he rolled his eyes, and continued on with his notes from the lecture. I made a mental note to ask if I could possibly borrow them later.

Unfolding the paper plane, I noticed the chicken scratch writing in small, black ink.

Hey beautiful, is Baby-boy boring you already?

Frowning, I grabbed a pen and replied before sending it back his way. When he opened it, his smirk disappeared and he tossed it to the side, grumbling. I heard Tyler suppress a chuckle next to me.

"What did you tell him?"

"Oh just a little friendly reminder, nothing you need to worry about," I grinned before we fell back in silence and listened to the lecture.

I'd soon come to find out that the fingerless glove boy was Reid Garwin, another one of the four boys in the picture. Apparently I didn't need to do anything to try and gain their attention because they were coming straight for me. I wonder if Chase is around here watching or lounging around my room still. He seemed to find great enjoyment in binge-watching Netflix episodes of Sons of Anarchy on my bed. Sometimes he would leave for periods of time without telling me where he was going, but I enjoyed the peace and quiet. It gave me time to think and ponder what he's up to. You would assume I would hate being alone after all that time in purgatory, but I got used to my own company. Even though I don't need to hide my thoughts from Chase, it's still nice having alone time.

My fourth period class, unfortunately, was physics but Tyler (fortunately) was also in that class so we sat together in the back. First, I should tell you that I'm awful at mathematics so the application of math and science together is just a recipe for disaster. I couldn't do it when I was alive and I absolutely refuse to try and understand it now that I'm dead. Luckily, Tyler took pity on me and helped me get through the class—I was mostly just copying his answers, but he doesn't need to know that. To make matters worse, the professor rivaled the Economics teacher from Ferris Bueller in monotone voices! Seriously, the man needed to lighten up a little. I have a livelier personality and that's definitely saying something, especially since you know…I'm a ghost!

Alas, the bell signaling the end of class and the beginning of lunch was a choir to my ears. Is this what it's like to be back in high school? To pray for lunch to come so you no longer have to sit in class and listen to depressing teachers? It's only been two periods and this school thing is getting old. I know I said that I was looking forward to it earlier, but man…I forgot how long class could be. Maybe I just need to get back into the groove of things. I would also like to point out that it's my first day, so they really should give me a break.

"Do you want to come sit with my friends and I at lunch?" Tyler asked, watching me with a bemused expression as I hastily packed up my stuff, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Sure!" I smiled. "That would be nice. I don't really know anyone else here. There was that Aaron guy earlier at the beginning of class that tried getting my attention, but I don't think I'd like to cavort around with him anytime soon."

"I understand," he laughed. "I can't promise that Reid won't try flirting with you, but I'll make sure he keep his hands to himself."

"And the others?"

"They'll behave." Tyler grinned, holding the door open to the cafeteria for me. I thanked him and walked inside, impressed by the large space. Tyler led me to the food line where we went our separate waves, choosing what we'd like from the aisle.

With all the money that this school is getting, you would think that they would have Gordon Ramsay cooking the food instead of microwavables, but I nearly jumped in excitement when I saw the dinosaur chicken nuggets and fries. They might have been frozen, but damn, those buggers are tasty. Placing the item on my tray, I continued browsing the aisle and picked up an apple and a can of coke—at least this school is doing something right. Tyler met me at the check out line where I entered my student ID, silently hoping that the payment would go through without me looking like an idiot, and luckily it did. Chase took care of everything.

We walked through the rows of tables and the prying eyes of the students around us until we ended up a table in the middle. There were two girls sitting there and the three other "Sons" that were in the swim team photo. The girls spotted us first, eyeing me curiously, and I couldn't help but notice Reid perk up with a smirk on his face; apparently he recovered from my jibe at his junk size from earlier.

"Hello gorgeous, I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away," he said, making the others groan. Tyler ignored him and introduced me to the others.

"Everyone, this is Amelia. She just transferred here from the west coast so I thought it'd be nice to introduce her to everyone. Amelia, this is Sarah whom I mentioned to you earlier, Kate, Pogue, Caleb, and you already know Reid."

"Hi," I smiled, trying to keep my cool. They all were incredibly attractive people, but they didn't look intimidating. My conversation with Chase this morning came to the front of my mind, however, and I made a mental note to remember that looks can be deceiving. "Thanks for letting me join you guys for lunch. It's too cold to be sitting outside under a tree today."

"No worries," Sarah grinned, moving over her backpack to make more room. "I transferred in last year so I know all about being the new kid on the block."

"Oh yeah, Tyler was telling me. Where'd you transfer from?"

"I'm from Boston and you?"

"Los Angeles."

That seemed to get their attention as they all inched a little closer. Seriously, what's so enticing about LA to out-of-state people? I'll never understand it.

"What made you move out here?" Pogue asked, wrapping an arm around Kate's shoulders. He was quite handsome with shoulder-length brown hair and if he didn't have a girlfriend, I kind of wish he was the one I was supposed to try and gain the attentions of. He was obviously ripped and Chase mentioned that he had a motorcycle—I love a guy on a motorcycle. Did I not mention already that I like Sons of Anarchy? This guy is basically the preppy version of Jax Teller.

"I wanted to pursue a better education," I said, repeating the story I told the Provost.

"Why did you wait to transfer now instead of the beginning of the semester?" Caleb asked.

"Personal reasons."

"Like what?"

"Caleb," Tyler warned, glancing back at me. The older boy immediately looked apologetic.

"Sorry, that was rude of me. I was just curious."

"That's okay, you're not the first person to ask," I said, popping the lid off my soda and taking a long sip. When I finished, I took a deep breath and continued with my story. "My parents passed away a couple months ago and I had to finish wrapping some things up before coming here."

Immediately they all looked at me in pity, but Reid was lost in thought.

"How'd they die?" he asked, ignoring the glare Caleb sent his way. I, too, was shocked at his insensitivity but decided to answer anyways.

"My mom had been battling breast cancers for years, but when she finally passed, my dad couldn't take it. He committed suicide shortly after."

"Oh shit." Reid muttered, looking slightly abashed now for asking.

Kate reached over and placed a hand on top of mine, "We're really sorry for your loss. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "I really appreciate that. I used to be really angry with my dad, but it's easier just not thinking about it. That's probably not the healthiest way to cope with things, but it's how I've been dealing with it lately. But enough about me, I'm spoiling your lunch with details about my miserable little life."

"Not at all," Caleb said, a little too cheery, making me laugh at the phoniness of it.

"Thanks for lying, but yeah. New topic, please."

Kate didn't need to be told twice and immediately launched into her story about some girl named Kyra in her third period art class. I started zooming out in the middle of her speech and just observed the others, while paying close attention to my food. I can't remember the last time I sat at a table with others, nonetheless listening to a semi-normal conversation. For the longest time my conversations have only been with ghosts: Tate (my "imaginary" friend) at my old house, the ghosts that came through purgatory, and with Chase. Yet here I was, sitting here in a room full of living, breathing people and eating dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets while they gossiped about some girl's snooty attitude towards a teacher. It felt like a dream—a really weird dream—but still a dream that I didn't want to wake out of.

I know everyone at the table genuinely looked concern about my emotional state after I told them about my past, but I couldn't trust them. Sure they all seem nice and possibly if we were living in another world, then I could potentially view them as my friends, but that will never be. Chase told me the truth; the truth about their powers, backgrounds, and alternative motives. There's no way that I can back out of his plan now, especially because I don't want to get sent back to purgatory. I felt slightly guilty telling them about my parents' passing just so they could feel pity for me and take me under their wing, but they were lying too, right? I don't see them flashing their inked out eyes to the public. We're all hiding our true selves; so maybe what I'm doing isn't a sin after all.

"Amelia?"

Looking up from my plate of French fries, I realized everyone had finished their conversation and were staring at me expectantly.

"Yes? Sorry, I was spacing out a bit."

"That's alright," Caleb smiled. "I was just wondering if you know your way around campus already. I could show you to your next class if you want."

"Or," Reid interjected. "I can show you around the old place. Golden Boy here has enough on his plate, but I have a slot open in my schedule and it has your name written all over it, gorgeous."

Caleb rolled his eyes making Reid elbow him in the arm.

"Come on Caleb, you got the new girl last time," Reid muttered, causing the whole table to freeze. Sarah looked down at the table pretending not to hear, while Caleb glanced away with his jaw clenched. This was obviously a sore subject and poor taste on Reid's part for bringing it up, but Chase had already filled me in on the couple's romantic history.

Regardless, the tension in the air could be cut with a spoon and I, for one, have never been comfortable in these types of situations so I quickly tried to ease the awkwardness.

"Reid, if you can keep that Aaron guy away from me then I'd be happy to let you escort me around campus."

The blonde boy grinned and stood up from his seat, giving a fake bow and offering his arm. "M'lady…" he mocked in a terrible British accent.

Pogue threw a perfectly aimed banana at his Reid's face making him scowl, but it was enough for the others to snap out of their mood. Sarah sent me a thankful smile and I winked back at her, looping my arm through Reid's so he could give me a tour of the campus. To be honest I didn't have much faith in him showing me where my classes were, but at least it appeased his wounded pride from earlier.

Besides, if he tried anything fresh, I knew Chase wouldn't be too far behind.

A/N: Ahh Chase is manipulating Amelia to believe that Caleb and the boys are the real villains! Hopefully Amelia will be able to see this for herself before it's too late. The song lyrics at the beginning of the chapter are from "Tear You Apart" by She Wants Revenge.

P.S. Did anyone catch the AHS reference? ;) I'm thinking of adding in a minor cameo from the specific person referenced on Halloween so tell me your thoughts on that, otherwise I'll just leave it alone.