A/N - Finally up to chapt 10! Thanks for all the reviews, they've all been great. Enjoy.

Chapt. 10

Jeremy drove Tori, in his classic Chevrolet, to a small burger bar that was only a far walking distance from the school, in the opposite direction of the side that Tori had first arrived from.

The interior of the burger place was similar to a diner that one would see in a 1950's film. It had black and white square shaped tiles, framed pictures of Hollywood icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley and there was a Jukebox against the wall.

"You go buy something," said Jeremy, "I'll go find us a table."

After waiting in line for a few minutes, and after hearing her stomach growling loudly, Tori ordered a burger with everything on it.

As soon as she sat down at the table that Jeremy had saved, Jeremy went to buy his own food. He got back to the table quicker than Tori had.

After a moment of staring at Tori, Jeremy spoke, "what's with the hat?" he asked.

Tori had been wearing the hat for so long she had almost forgotten she had it on. "Oh," she stalled her answer as she tried to think of something, "bad haircut," she said too quickly.

'Nice excuse,' she thought sarcastically.

Jeremy just nodded.

Feeling awkward, Tori looked down and opened her burger.

"Someone's hungry." Jeremy said. "You're pretty small for someone who eats that much."

Tori stuck her head up at Jeremy and then at his plate to see that he only had a small cheeseburger.

"Yeah," Tori drawled, "I haven't really had a good meal in weeks." That was a lie. The school's food wasn't actually too bad.

Tori went to pick up the burger but, feeling embarrassed, put it back down and slightly pushed it away from her.

"Actually, I'm not really that hungry." Tori said deceptively. She wrapped her burger up and made a mental note to save it for when she got back to the school.

Jeremy shrugged and then chomped into his own burger.

'This must be how smokers feel when they go cold turkey.' Tori thought as the wrapped up food seemed to call to her. She was not the type who left food untouched. She just ate her fries and drank her cherry soda.

"How's the soccer team going?" Tori asked wanting to make interesting conversation.

Jeremy swallowed a bite. "We've won and lost some." He said.

"I played soccer back at Winston." Tori said randomly.

"Cool," Jeremy finished the burger and took a gulp from his cola. He didn't say anything else.

They both kept quiet for a few minutes until Jeremy appeared to have remembered something.

"Hey, uh," he hesitated, "what happened to that guy's neck?"

Tori shot her neck up so fast that she felt it crack. "Ow," she whispered as she massaged her neck. "W-what guy?" Tori knew who he was talking about but decided to act as though she didn't have a clue.

"That black guy." Jeremy answered. "He had all red marks on his neck. They looked like fingerprints."

"I don't know what happened." Tori fibbed. "Why would you ask me about that?"

"He told me to ask you."

'I'm gonna kill him.' Tori rolled her eyes and bit her lip in anger. She looked at Jeremy and knew, from the look in his eyes, that he could tell she was lying.

*

When they got back to school, Jeremy and Tori sat in the car for a short time after it had been parked.

After the rollercoaster of a date, Tori wanted to get out of the car but, thinking it would be rude, she sat still.

"So," Jeremy huffed, "I had a good time." He said. Tori could hardly tell if he was being truthful or not.

"Me too," Tori looked out the window as she spoke. She turned to see Jeremy's face was extremely, almost uncomfortably, close and out of nowhere he pushed his face further in and pressed his lips onto hers.

Tori's eyes widened and before long Jeremy pulled away with a big smirk on his face.

"See ya," Tori said in a sort of daze. She picked up the wrapped burger on her lap and opened the car door.

"Later," Jeremy cocked his eyebrows up and down as Tori slammed the door.

Tori walked away not knowing what to think about the kiss. She did want it to happen, but it didn't reach her expectations.

'Thank you Hollywood.' Tori thought as she walked to the barracks. She'd always expected her first kiss to be like in the movies.

She felt relieved when she walked inside and no one was there. Just as she sat on her bed and took her shoes off that relief was swiftly turned into annoyance when the door opened and the boys walked in.

Tori recalled that she still had the hat on. Even though she felt the sweat underneath her hat she left it on.

"You!" Tori yelled as soon as Deak walked in.

"What now?" Deak droned.

"What did you say to Jeremy before we left?" Tori asked with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Oh, that," Deak laughed. "He asked…"

"I know what he asked!" Tori almost burst her own eardrums. "Why can't you just keep your mouth shut?"

"I take it the date didn't go well?" Tori swore she saw Alex's mouth twitch up when he spoke.

"Oh, don't worry." Tori grinned. "The date went well." Another lie. "Though it was almost wrecked thanks to you." She stuck her finger straight at Deak.

She took her hat off to reveal her still green hair. The boys started chuckling again. She turned and walked to the showers slowly.

"The hair was my idea by the way." Alex said suddenly.

Tori spun her head scarily. "What?" She spat as her eyes narrowed into slits.

"It was my idea for Deak to fake being sick to get the hair dye." Alex said looking unfazed by Tori's death stare. "Though I said blue dye instead of green."

"Well, the joke's on you." Tori said. "Blue is my favourite colour." She thought that would make things better.

The boys all started snickering. Tori realised what she had said and whipped around quickly.

Tori didn't say anything as she went towards the showers. 'I'm gonna get him.'

*

Monday came and the green in Tori's hair had only faded slightly. She kept her hat on when she went to chemistry.

So that Whelan wouldn't notice she had the cap on Tori ran to a desk at the very back of the room and as soon as she sat down Tori picked up her large chemistry textbook, digging her face between it. She heard people laughing on her side but ignored it.

On her other side Tori saw someone sit down and poked her face around the book to see Jeremy sitting there. For the first time in her life, Tori felt annoyed that Jeremy sat next to her.

"Who is that up the back?" Tori heard Whelan ask, loud enough for the entire class to hear. He must have been talking about her.

"Shit," she cursed quietly.

"It's Tori Lockhart, sir." Alex's familiar voice answered. Tori whipped her head his way and gritted her teeth.

Alex just gave Tori an innocent smile as if to say 'what did I do?'

"Put the book down please, Miss Lockhart." Whelan ordered across the room. "We're not going to be using textbooks today."

Tori put her chin on the desk and put the book down.

"No hats on indoors." The teacher spat and Tori shot her head up.

"But I…" Tori tried to think of an excuse but Alex cut in.

"Sir, we weren't allowed to wear hats when we were shaved bold." He said pointing to himself and Deak, who nodded. "I don't think Tori should be allowed to just because… of her situation."

"He's right." Whelan said. "Off." He made a movement with his hand over his head to look like he was removing his own hat.

"Can everyone turn around…?"

"Off!" Whelan barked causing Tori to jump.

With a shaky hand, Tori lifted her cap to an array of laughter from the whole class. In the bright light of the classroom, the green in Tori's hair was even more visible.

Tori looked to Whelan who showed no remorse and continued on with the lesson. She ignored the cackles from Alex and Deak and tilted her head towards Jeremy. He turned to the front but Tori could see the look of humiliation on his face from having to sit near her.

Tori closed her eyes and slammed her head on the table. All she wanted to do was sleep and escape this nightmare.