A/N: This chapter brings us up to the week of the party where Kate was drugged so we can begin to get into the game's timeline.

Although I just thought about the alternate timeline...not sure how I'm going to tackle that.

The weeks passed in a bit of a blur of classes and various nights out. I had settled in well with my classes, and made friends with most of the students I attended those classes with. I admit, most of it was due to my accent and pretending to be wowed by American products, even though I'd lived in Nevada for going on six years.

I still had to maintain a safe distance from everyone, I didn't like to get too close and some of those people just didn't play nice. Vic really had a hate thing for Max that was clearly due to her infatuation with their teacher. I wasn't sure that I understood the attraction myself. Yeah sure, he was pretty handsome, but nothing noteworthy. Still, it was pissing her off royally, because he paid attention to Max and not Vic.

I told her not to sweat it, that he couldn't do shit with either of them because he's a teacher and he'd get kicked out if he touched them, but she didn't want to hear it.

I swear, if I have to listen to one more goddamn lecture about how innovative his art work is, I'll kill myself. That and the bloody 'Everyday Heroes' content. Christ, these kids were working themselves into a frenzy.

'Can't you afford to go to San Francisco any time you like?' I had asked Vic one evening in her room.

'Ugh, it's not about that Charley, it's about the recognition,' she'd replied haughtily, turning in her chair to face me.

'And about trying to bang your teacher, too, right?'

'Charley, you are so crass sometimes.'

Think I hit a nerve there. She was desperate for him, which was out of character for her, but lust does weird things to people.

Still, she and her friends were paying customers and I'd been invited to a Vortex Club party on Friday. Should be fun. No chance for me to sell anything there, though. The treats du soir were likely to be more uppers that anything. Coke, molly, speed, acid – that sort of thing.

Nathan had hit me up to say he was supply gathering on the Thurdsay night and asked if I'd like to join him. 'Meet Frank properly,' he'd said.

I was keen, because I hadn't seen him around at all since the incident on the beach, and who knows, one day I might fancy ripping a fat line of charlie and I didn't have a supplier. I didn't really dabble in Class A's much, but sometimes a party mood takes me.

So we drive to the beach, the opposite end of the school and park nearby some jacked up looking RV. The licence plate read BRKBD. I figured that 'fuck the police' was his motto, judging by that. Might as well paint a sign on the side reading I SELL DRUGS.

Nathan knocked on the side door and stepped back, indicating I should do the same. The reason for doing so became clear when the door slammed open, hitting the side of the vehicle. There stood Frank, holding back his dog with one hand, his other clutching a beer bottle.

'Bit early, aintcha?' he said to Nathan gruffly.

'Got other shit to do tonight, brah,' Nathan said coolly. 'Gonna let us in?'

'Yeah, yeah,' Frank said, letting go of the dog, who ran out onto the sand. 'Don't go too far, Pomp!'

'Pomp?' I couldn't resist commenting on such a name.

'Hey, you're that girl from the beach,' Frank said, squinting at me a little. 'The one who said I was a cop.'

'I never said you were a cop, you were just asking questions like one.'

'Look, can we just hurry this shit up, I got places to be and I gotta take your ass back to Blackwell before I go.' Nathan was nothing if not impatient. He was so restless all the time as well. Always smoking, always tapping his leg or hands, he couldn't keep still.

Frank handed over an opaque bag, which Nathan opened to check, and I could see it was filled with lots of bags of pills, wraps of cocaine and speed and few bottles of something I didn't recognise. Nathan seemed satisfied, and gave Frank a wad of bills. 'Should all be there.'

Frank didn't bother counting the money, but instead looked at me, 'So where's that accent from?'

'Can't you tell? England, genius.' I really don't mean to be so antagonistic but when people talk to me like that, I can't help but reply in kind.

'Come on, man, we gotta go,' Nathan was stood to go but I didn't feel like leaving, so I waved him away.

'I'll make my own way back to Blackwell, it's cool.'

'Suit yourself.' He clattered the door open and left, slamming the door none too quietly behind him.

Figuring this was one place I didn't have to mind my manners, I pulled out a joint I'd prepared earlier and lit it. I took a drag and offered it to Frank, who accepted.

'Not bad. Where you get it from, you grow it?' he asked, handing it back to me.

'Nah, no place to grow at school. Got a friend back in Nevada grows it for me, his cousin's a long distance courier, hands it over to me,' I explained. 'Probably took some of your customers, sorry about that.' My apology obviously wasn't sincere but Frank didn't seem to care.

'I get more money offa that rich kid prick for other shit rather than weed. And it ain't such a good idea for me to be pushing drugs at a school, so you're doing me a favour girly.'

'So, what's with the name Pomp?' I didn't want to get into a pissing contest with this guy, he looked like he could fly off the handle at any time.

'Pompidou's his real name,' he said, taking a sip of beer.

'Really? All right, then.'

'What, you expected it to be Killer or Butch or something?'

'Well yeah, looks like a junkyard dog.'

'Well he ain't. He's a dog with a cushy life, like they all should have.'

Obviously I read Frank wrong, obviously he was a member of PETA.

'You got pets?' he asked.

'Yeah, I've got a snake, a python,' I said enthusiastically. It's nerdy but I really loved to talk about snakes. 'His name is Yahtzee.'

'Yahtzee? And you're giving me shit for Pompidou?' he looked at me with his eyebrows raised.

'I have no idea why I named him that, just thought something 'out there' would fit, y'know?' I felt a little awkward, sitting there, so I drew my legs up so I could hug my knees.

'How old are you, anyway?' he asked, finishing his beer. He went to his fridge and pulled another out, passing it to me. I popped it open with my lighter and took a swig.

'Eighteen.'

'So you do go to Blackwell, then?'

'Yup.'

'Studying what?' I don't know why he was so interested. Maybe he felt like he had to make conversation, seeing as I had crashed his private time. Though I got the feeling that he didn't get many visitors. They probably saw him as some scary, dangerous guy, who'd slit your throat as soon as look at you.

'English, maths, science,' I said without enthusiasm. Every conversation the last month had centred around that question.

'And you deal drugs? Why the fuck do you deal? Rich enough to get into the school, you don't need any money,' he seemed annoyed, maybe he thought I should be a good schoolgirl, quiet and in line.

'Eh, it's a hobby. Look, it's something I got into back home, and I like doing it, so, there you are.'

'You never did tell me your name.'

'Mary Jane,' I said sardonically.

'Fuck off with that. That's really your name?'

'Nah, but it would be good right? My name's Charley.'

'Now I know you're joking. What are you gonna say next, Molly?'

I laughed. 'No seriously, it's Charley. It's short for Charlene.'

'Charlene's a nice name,' he said, getting up to answer the scratching at the door. Pompidou came whizzing in, immediately investigating his food bowl and looking at Frank expectantly when he found it empty.

'It's all right, I guess.' I watched as he got up to open a can of dog food and emptied it into Pompidou's bowl. 'Listen, sorry for being so wanky on the beach that day. I've come a long way from home and everyone here is so odd.'

'What the fuck does wanky mean?' he laughed as he sat back down.

'Sorry, uh, I mean...bitchy?'

'Nah, don't worry about it. You're right, this town is fucking weird.' He looked tired, he was rubbing his face and I took this as my cue to leave.

'Cheers for the beer, Frank,' I said, waving my bottle. 'I'm gonna head out now. See you around.'

'Yeah see ya.'

I opened the door, and jumped down the steps, closing the door carefully behind me, not slamming it like Nathan. It wasn't too late, so I figured a nice stroll down the beach with a joint would be perfect. I had my music, I had a drink – perfect.