Hey Guy's

Sorry that it took so long to update - I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. I wanted to introduce a heap of character which I found really hard to do. I'm not very proud of this chapter, it's really just a filler. Hoping for some banter in the next chapter!

Thanks for all the reviews for the previous chapter - it's a great reminder that you're all waiting for the next chapter not to mention motivator!

That's all from me.

Enjoy Sarah J Maas' gorgeous characters!

Aelin POV

AAHHHHH! That annoying buzzard! He beats me in a fight and he thinks that he can be friends with me, what a self-assured prick. I hope the money was worth it. Not that I see any of it when I win. I just get a 'special' congratulations from my guardian, and now I know what happens when I lose, some guardian he is.

Looking around the school grounds I find another group to sit with since Feyre seems to be so cosied up with the enemy. Not that I can blame her. He, Rhys, is definitely a looker. Taking a closer look at the table I see Aedion and his girlfriend Lysandra. Lysandra and I may have gotten onto a rocky start, but now we're a troublesome pair much to my cousin's disappointment. He loves me like a sister but that just gives Lysandra and I free rein to come down on him hard. He always takes I well, and I love him for that.

I walk over casually at my own pace, Lysandra notices me first and smiles, Aedion's next, He stands up and wraps me up in a bear hug. 'Aelin, I haven't seen you in ages, come and sit.' 'Well, I've been busy.'

'Got some punk to beat up have you?' smiling Aedion walks me over to the table

'Something like that' I reply. Tucked under his arm I sit wedged between him and Tamlin. The small talk continues but for once I'm just content to sit and listen. I don't have the energy to sit and dissect what everyone says. Especially what the 'jocks' have to say about life. Aedion is the captain of the football team, which means that the males here (who are also on the team) are huge, filled with testosterone, and are very territorial about their girls.

Tamlin sits next to me. The ultimate tool. I don't know why Aedion tolerates him. I know that he used to date Feyre until it ended badly. She didn't even tell me the full story so I know that something serious happened between them. She's the only person I wouldn't push to tell me. She is my closest friend and I know that she already has enough crap to deal with without having to relive other events for me. He's no where near as big as Aedion's hulking body (no one is, he's definitely the largest), but he is still muscular and toned. He loses his head a bit when on the field, almost animalistic. I'm glad Feyre dumped his ass.

Speaking of exes, Chaol is also sitting opposite me. I really thought I loved him, be he was only in love with the idea of me. He didn't take it very well when I told him that I was an underground fighter. I tried not to take it too much to heart but it hurt. He was my first and that's something that I will never forget. Now he sits next to his new girlfriend Nesryn. Clearly Chaol has a type because Nesryn is a competitive archer – and a good one of that. Perhaps Chaol thinks there is more honour in that then beating others into a bloody pulp. Chaol is also as big as Tamlin, but I would argue more toned, perhaps I'm biased. He's the strategist of the team. He may not be the fastest or throw the furthest but he has the football brain that allows the team to play at the high standard that they do.

Then of course there is Dorian. An unabashed flirt. His sights were set on me before I got together with Chaol. I thought that they would continue until he met Sorscha. She's a quiet girl. Completely opposite to Dorian, but she's good to him and him to her. I'm happy for them. Dorian unlike the rest of the players on the team is not big at all. Discounting him though is the oppositions first mistake. Although he has no bulk, by no means does this make him lanky, he is muscled and toned…. Perfect for a runner. Once Dorian is off there is no catching him.

My eyes roam around the rest of the large table. No Cassian. No surprise where he is. And on second glance no Azriel… or Mor. I try not to read too much into that. They're both pining for each other but neither of them will admit it to the other. Cassian and Azriel are the only other two players to reach Aidion's stature. I would even go as far to say that they may even be bigger than him.

I try to listen to the conversation that Aedion is contributing but I can't seem to forget about the fight with Rowan. I squint towards the way I can from but can only make out the silhouettes of Feyre and Rhys. I smile at the thought. Feyre deserves to be happy. Especially after her time with 'Tamlin the Tool' as I've started calling him in my head. Looking back over to him I see him smiling at me. Cringing I turn back around. This day is not getting any better.

Art class, finally. It's my only class that I share with Feyre and I am dying to find out what she thinks of Rhys. She still has three minutes before class starts so I kick my feet up on the table and relax. Looking around the art room I analyse all the painting and sculptures and other artworks that others have completed or that are still being worked on. I wouldn't day that I was bad at art but I certainly not great at it. As much as I liked to talk myself up about it. I had no idea what I wanted to do for the assignment. I know all of the other students wolf just be able to pick their favourite and best medium. With an assignment with so much freedom, there was a lot of room for some brilliant work. And it just so happens that I'm brilliant. So I'll just have to think of something good.

Feyre POV

I was still blushing from my conversation with Rhys. Not that he knew it of course. No way was I going to be one of those girls. But he was something about him that lingered with me – something that I couldn't shake. I headed straight to my usual seat next to Aelin, she didn't look up when I sat down, but I could have sworn that the smirk that she was wearing got wider. Collecting myself, I sat down and got my sketch book out. Of course painting was my first love but alas, I can't carry paint tins and paint brushes around all day, much to my dismay.

I only got a few strokes down before Aelin sat up in her chair. With her elbow on the table and that all knowing smirk on plastered on her face I knew exactly what conversation we were going to have. I tried to ignore her, idly sketching, pretending I didn't notice that her eyes were getting brighter with every passing moment. Aelin's mouth was opening just as Ms Golding walked into the room. 'Alrighty, as previously mentioned your time here is your own so use it wisely.' Ms Golding gave us all a soft but firm stare as if to say; "I'll be watching you."

Aelin's grin returned as she caught my gaze. 'oh, I'll absolutely be using this time wisely. Feyre, you and Rhys were looking very cosy today.' Aelin practically purred at me. Here we go. 'We've only met a couple of times, but he's nice enough.' I returned to my idol sketching, all the while trying to blow off Rhys. 'I don't think that's the full stary there Feyre. What did you talk about after I left. It looked like a pretty deep conversation.' She stared at me expectantly, waiting for my answer. I didn't know what to say to her. We did talk, about my painting what a passion it is of mine. We also talked about the underground fighting and how we both got into it because of our friends. Rhys also mentioned that he used to fight as well but didn't want that to be his life so he stopped, and he hoped that Rowan would eventually see it the same way. 'Rhys and I just talked about school life, nothing of too much interest.' Aelin just huffed at me as she got her pencils out and started sketching.

We sat in companionable silence for a while getting lost in my own drawing. My gaze dragged over to Aelin's drawing, I thought I saw a familiar face before the bell rang and Aelin snapped her book shut. 'I'll see you tomorrow, I have something I need to do this afternoon before I go back to the house.' Brushing her fingers along my sketchbook, Aelin left. 'see you tomorrow,' I yelled after her. Looking down at my own work I also saw a familiar face. Dammit. Ripping out the page I went to scrunch it up before I carefully folded it and placed it into my pocket. Damn those violet eyes!

Please Review! Aelin has a very important person to speak to next chapter - *wink wink*