"Callum, wake up."

"I am awake."

"You're Theo." The teacher, Mr. Rakesh, frowned. "Right?" Callum shook his head. "Oh, I can never tell you two apart. No offense." He added quickly. Callum smiled reassuringly. Mr. Rakesh shook Theo by the shoulder, trying to rouse him from his slumber. "Theo, this is a Biology lesson, not your naptime." Theo mumbled incoherently and feebly waved his teacher away, turning his head to the other side and burying his face in his arm. "Theo." Mr. Rakesh said sternly. He gave him another shake and, when that failed, retreated to his desk. Mr. Rakesh was infamous for one thing that haunted all tired students- an air horn. Callum immediately plugged his ears and its previous victims winced and stared at Theo's sleeping form with a mix of sympathy and empathy.

The air horn blared and startled some anyway- it was louder than usual. Theo, however, didn't even flinch. He simply groaned in annoyance and, without looking up, he snatched the noise maker from Mr. Rakesh's hand and flung it over his shoulder. It hit the back wall, bounced off and tumbled into the bin with an airy, defeated parp. "Theodore!" The teacher scolded. Theo grumbled a curse and looked up, irritated and bleary-eyed with exhaustion. No-one said anything, the quietest a class has ever been. Not only had Theo just made an epic shot without even looking, but he was now staring down one of the stricest teachers in the school and seemed to be winning.

Mr. Rakesh made to say something fiercely, hands on his hips. This was the stance he often took when he was dishing out detentions. Theo was having none of it. He didn't say anything; he just got up and left. There was no angry outburst as some had been hoping for, there was no snappy and sarcastic remark as most expected and there was definitely no way Theo was going to get away with walking out like that.

"Mom's going to go mad." Callum hissed to Lilly, his eyes shining excitedly at the prospect. Lilly frowned at him and his smile dutifully disappeared. He mumbled an apology and turned to face the front, drumming his fingers on the desk. "Sir, can we go after him?"

"No." Mr. Rakesh fumed silently. He stomped back to his desk and sat at his laptop, furiously tapping away at it for a few minutes.

Theo didn't particularly care about Rakesh's class anyway and he cared even less about the inevitable detention he was going to get. He wasn't even that fussed about his mother's temper later on- he was kind of used to now, seeing as all he did was bounce from one screw-up to another. He figured it was only a matter of time before Percy joined in on lecturing him too and then Tobias, Max, Alvie, Sage...

Shaking his head, Theo kicked a stone. It clattered against the wall, drawing his attention to the drainpipe. He had walked without really thinking about it to his favourite spot. Well, mostly. This was the spot he used to climb up because the wall of the English block and the wall of the Science Block were close together. Theo had practised this at Camp and he could easily jump from wall to wall until he rolled onto the roof of the English block. From there, he could saunter across the tiles to the main building. Up at the very top there was an old style bell tower. The bell was still there, but mostly for decoration. The little house it stood in had a red tile roof about two metres square roughly. It was atop that where Theo sat to get away from the adolescent mass below.

Theo pulled his lighter from his pocket and flicked the flame a few times. He checked his jacket pocket and was relieved to know he had had the foresight to put his cigarettes there. He lit up and leant back against the angled roof, staring up at the clouds and puffing smoke irritably. Stupid teachers, stupid school. He didn't need to be here. It was just a major waste of his time.

"Pretty sure an air horn is abuse to students..." He muttered to himself, flicking ash into the wind. "Oh, what do I know? I'm just some stupid kid, the teachers always know better and blah blah blah textbook bull. Like they know me better than I know myself, fucking pillocks." He muttered a few more curses and glared at the sky. "Bet you're happy. Watching us scummy mortals stagger through this crumby existence. It's alright for you. You've got eternity to sit on your stupid rock eating your bloody ambrosia. Go jump." He probably shouldn't have said that, but he really didn't care. What use were the gods? All they ever did was cause trouble to people like him and his family. Look at his parents for crying out loud! All their hardwork and sacrifice and for what? Seven pain in the backside kids and problems at every turn even now. They would never have a quiet life.

Theo studied his cigarette. This wasn't going to be enough. His nerves were jumped and frayed and his temper still boiled.

When he finished the first cigarette, he flicked the butt into the drainpipe and reached for another. It was only when he failed to get the lighter working again did he see the small fire sputter to life. Dried leaves had fallen into the pipe and his refuse had set fire to it.

Theo simply summoned a small rain cloud and drenched the leaves until the fire went out. He waved his hand and his miniature storm dissipated. He returned his focus to his second cigarette and went back to glaring at the crowds.

Unbeknownst to him, Lilly and Callum had talked Rakesh into letting them make sure he was OK. They searched the grounds and where they thought Theo might be hiding- the library, the gym, the running track. But no. After half an hour of searching, Lilly was ready to call it quits and wait for her brother to turn up. Then she noticed the drains.

"Callum."

"Mm?"

"Look."

"That's a drain, Lilly. That's where all the rain water goes."

"I know that. But it hasn't rained." Callum nodded slowly, not sure where she was going with this. "So, why is it wet?"

"Maybe it peed."

"Callum!"

"What? No, don't give me that look, I was being serious."

"So drainpipes have bladders now, do they?" He shrugged.

"They could do. Everything's changing now, so it just makes sense that drainpipes have bladders." Lilly didn't even bother with him now. She followed the drainpipe upwards, shielding her eyes with her hands against the sun. Callum followed her gaze curiously.

"There." Lilly pointed. "Oh gods, that's high..."

"It's OK." Callum smiled. He held his hand out to her and helped her climb up onto his shoulders so she could pull herself onto the roof. He didn't have the same trouble as her, cheating and using werewolf strength to simply hop up.

"Show off." She muttered.

"It's not showing off, it's utilizing my amazing gifts."

"Whatever. Eeee, no!" Callum grabbed her by the elbow as she slipped and he blocked her fall by putting himself between her and the edge of the roof. "Oh gods... let's... let's just climb, come on..." She was trembling. Callum let her hold onto his arm as they gradually worked their way up.

Theo saw them coming and concealed all traces of his habit. He watched Lilly stumble and squeal every time she did. Callum was good enough to not wince or complain whenever she crushed his arm when her foot slipped. Callum had been sensible and worn sneakers that had a grip. Lilly was wearing flats that weren't so good for climbing.

Lilly tripped at the last bit. Theo held out his arms and caught her, helping her sit next to him. Callum sat on his other side and smiled.

"Hello. You OK now, Lils?"

"Ooh, I-I... I will be. Ooooh, I don't like this. Why are you up here, Teddy? It's dangerous."

"You know what they say. Life isn't life unless you've climbed your school."

"Who says that?" Callum frowned.

"I do."

"Well, that explains it."

"No, it doesn't. Not really."

"Why are you really up here?" Lilly insisted.

"Rakesh was getting on my nerves."

"You were sleeping in his lesson."

"It's not like I was really missing anything." Theo shrugged and picked at his T-shirt. Lilly frowned at him and sniffed.

"I smell smoke."

"I was just lighting dynamite. Boom." He said unenthusiastically. "Oh no, we're all dead." He continued in the monotone. "Oopsie daisy, how silly of me."

"What's gotten into you?"

"Reality."

"Whatever it really is, I don't like it." Lilly's tone was heavy and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Tell us what's going on, Teddy. Please." She added, her voice softer and her eyes watering. Theo watched her for a moment, silently debating with himself.

"Reality."

"Oh for gods' sake." Callum muttered. "Theo, enough of this. Something is really wrong with you lately and we're fed up with it. You either tell us what's going on or we're just going to leave you to it."

"That'd probably make things easier." Theo could see the anger spark to life in his brother's eyes and felt his own stir back into life. "How about if I said it's not you, it's me?"

"Forget it." Callum got up. "Come on, Lilly, I'm not staying with Sir Misery Guts."

"Callum, he needs our help. And don't deny it, Theo, I know you. You're hiding something; tell us."

"No, I'm good. There's nothing wrong, I'm just tired."

"Bull." Callum snarled. Lilly gestured at him to calm down, not taking her eyes from Theo's face.

"Would I lie to you?" Theo asked his brother. Callum bunched his jaw irritably, clenching and unclenching his fists as he thought.

"I don't know." He finally said. "You're not really Theo anymore."