Thanks a lot to the first three people to review: Petra D (a friend of mine from school), May who didn't leave a name, and girlwhojuscominted4gotlevname.

If I sound too much like a teacher in this chapter, I apologize for being the teacher's daughter.

All Percabeth people, I apologize for any mistakes in relationships with Percy and/or Annabeth.

If you read the Mysterious Benedict Society by Trent lee Stewart, you will begin to see some resemblance between Martina Crowe and Mina Mickloon.

Chapter Three

Almost A Kiss

Needless to say, Taylor was right. Lula certainly thought so. She was giggling at his feeble attempts by the time class ended an hour later.

The archers met up with everyone else in the arena. Lula clapped her hands loudly. Everyone stopped, because everyone knew that Lula was in charge when Miss Annabeth wasn't here. "You've all improved, and…well…if anything should happen…we'd be prepared."

Almost everyone was confused. Lula was the only one who knew what she was talking about. But soon she hoped someone else would listen. "Class dismissed.:

They had a break before Mrs. Hydra's math class. Going back to Number One, May caught up with Lula.

"Hey," May said. "What did you mean, 'If anything should happen'? Are we in some sort of danger here, 'cause my dad—"

"We're all in danger here." Lula wouldn't meet May's electric blue eyes. "One way or another."

"What do you mean?"

"This school has ranks, depending on who you are. In the lowest rank, there are normal troubles—bullies and the like. In the second, almost the same thing. The second highest—they see the world as it really is. In the highest, they still have bullies—of a sort—but they fight back. Make sense?"

"Kind of," May said. "What rank are you?"

"Sk—highest."

"And me?"

"No one knows. But I'm guessing either highest or second highest." Lula looked up and saw May smiling. "It's fun being in the first rank…if you don't die."

"Die?" May's smile vanished.

"There was a kid here a while ago," began Lula. "His name was Max. Once he went off to fight these bullies, and…he never came back. We don't know what happened to him, but we assumed…well, what else could have happened?"

"How many others are there in rank one?" May seemed anxious to drop the subject of Max—Lula couldn't agree more.

"Two."

"Two?"

"Yeah—me and the principal. Only…don't talk to her about this. You're really not supposed to know until they figure out which rank you're in."

"Don't worry," May's blue eyes glittered with mischief. "The top secret info is safe with me."

"I hope so."

They entered Number One together, and in the moment before Mina and Tannyr walked in, May asked, "How long, typically, does it take for one to know their rank?"

"Nothing is typical here," Lula replied.

"Got that right," said Tannyr, entering. "But that's good. Not everyone learns typically. I love this school!"

"Wait until the next class," said Mina. "Not everyone loves Mrs. Hydra. I think she's awesome, but rumor has it she was the reason Max left."

"Who's Max?" Tannyr asked.

"Max was a no good jerk who played hookie with his girlfriend and then they got in a car crash and she was the only one who lived to tell the tale."

"That's not true!" Lula knew it wasn't. She would defend Max to the end. "He was a good student and he left to go visit family."

"That's what he told you." Mina had obviously heard some horrible rumors on the subject. "He was running off to the Nevada border to go marry Miss Annabeth."

"Miss Annabeth?" May looked incredulous.

"That's not true either! Everything everyone has ever heard about Max was a complete lie! The only people who know the truth are me, Miss Annabeth, and the principal."

"And nobody told his brother, the only one who had the right to the truth?"

"We had a good reason not to."

"What was it, then?"

"Classified information."

"You sound like a stupid undercover cop!"

Lula was about to answer angrily when the bell rang.

"Come on!" May at least knew how to end an argument. Everyone dashed to Mrs. Hydra's class.

Just as Mrs. Hydra was calling roll, May, Lula, Mina, and Tannyr burst into the room.

"Cooke, Lula?"

"Here," said Lula.

Mrs. Hydra raised her bushy eyebrows so that they were visible above her dark sunglasses. No one knew her age, but a common guess was 1000.

Mrs. Hydra moved on, pausing again at Tannyr and May.

Then she went about her usual lecture, but paused every once in a while to scowl at May, Lula, or Tannyr. Lula tried to focus, but found her thought straying to Max.

The last time they were together, Max was explaining why he had to leave and why she couldn't come along.

"It's too dangerous, Lulu." No one called her that, partly because it reminded her too much of Max. "Stay here. Your mother will take care of you."

"Why?" demanded Lula. "She doesn't care about me. She's too busy. Always. She never has time for me."

"That's why she wants to quit."

"No. She loves her job too much to quit for something as small as her daughter."

"She loves you, Lulu. I wish you could see that."

"No! You're wrong. You always are. I…I wish you didn't have to go."

"I don't want to, either."

"Then don't."

"I have to."

"I HATE you!" Lula stormed away, angrier than she had ever been.

Of course she felt guilty about it afterward, and even more so after she heard that Max hadn't made it back. But now, after remembering it for the first time in a long time, she felt thoroughly depressed. The last words she had ever said to him were "I hate you." What had she been thinking? He was like a brother to her.

Miss Annabeth never told her any more on the subject. She always wondered what Max's last words were, but whenever she asked Miss Annabeth, she would say sternly, "Don't harp on it." And then, of course, Lula could count on hearing sobs in Number One that night.

Maybe…maybe Miss Annabeth didn't want to tell her because Max had said something absolutely terrible—that he hated Lula, too? Lula shivered. Maybe she had hurt him too much—so much that he was bitter toward the end?

"Miss Cooke?"

Lula looked up to see Mrs. Hydra's scowling face staring at her. "I asked you to answer a math problem."

"I'm sorry ma'am. I don't know."

Titters broke out among the class. Even Mrs. Hydra smiled. "I suppose you have to retake basic math." Miss Mickloon, Mina, please, would you tell us the answer?"

Mina stood up smugly. "Two plus two is four."

Lula couldn't believe she'd missed that.

After Mrs. Hydra's class was lunch, but Lula wasn't hungry. She ran to Number One and cried until her pillow was soaked. She turned on her iPod just in time to catch the last line of "War on Drugs": "Another died and the world just shrugged it off." That made her cry even harder.

Some one came in, and Lula looked up, eyes red.

"Oh…" she said. "Hi, Tyler."

"What's up?" asked Tyler Thompson.

"Nothing," she said automatically.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "So emotionally moving, nothing is."

Lula rolled her bloodshot eyes. "Listen." She told him about Max and her guilt, and, in spite of herself, found herself growing closer to this redheaded boy.

"You didn't have to tell me."

"I needed someone to share it with," Lula said. "I swear, if you tell anyone—"

"You'll use me for target practice?"

"I was going to say dodging practice."

"Dodging practice?"

"Yeah—I shoot arrows, you fail miserably at dodging."

"Haha."

She grinned. "Thanks for listening, Ty."

"Anytime," he replied.

"He leaned forward, but Lula shut the door in his face. She liked him, but not that much.

Her fingers brushed her lips, and she wondered what it would be like to be kissed.