Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist, and make no money from this

Author's Note: My Dad fixed his laptop hurray! :) So I have been writing this since 6am. It's a little dark near the end but I hope you like it anyway and thank you so much to rigspeltforeverxx for reviewing and to the rest of you for reading. Anyway read on...

I arrived in the detention room at recess and sat down at a desk. The teacher in the room was Mr Simmons, he glared at me before turning and writing my first line on the chalkboard `I will not skip school` for me to copy. Sighing I began writing it out repeatedly, I also realized this was a good oppurtunity to apologize to Mr Simmons.

"Mr Simmons?" I asked while still writing.

"Yes Patrick?" he answered stiffly.

"I would like to apologize for upsetting you on Friday, I only said it to make you send me out so I could skip school. I'm sorry, I really hope you and your wife work it out. Trust me, she just needs some time and then she'll come around," I said. There was silence.

"Are you really psychic?" he asked eventually.

"Think of a shape, any shape," I told him as I turned to look at him. He was sitting looking at me intently.

"Okay, done," he said whilst cocking his head to one side and studying me curiously.

"Square," I replied and he gasped in shock and awe, my Dad always said that was when the fish had taken the bait.

"So you are really psychic?" he looked awestruck at me while he spoke, I just nodded, "wow, that is amazing Patrick, absolutely amazing," he smiled at me before his expression became serious, "so do you really think she'll forgive me? We've been together 31 years, I was drunk out of my mind and it was just the once. It was the first time I'd ever cheated on her, I barely remember it but her sister still told," he looked anxious and desperate.

"She will, she just needs some time. It might help if you made her feel appreciated and let her know how sorry you are," I answered carefully, he nodded eagerly at all my words, my Dad would say he was now gutted and ready to hang on the wall. I just hoped I was right about it.

"What can I do exactly?" he begged of me. I began to sway on my feet and did my best to look ill.

"I- I- I this is too much," I said leaning on the desk, "my gift... it takes it toll... I am too weak, it drains me," I continued, Mr Simmons was definately buying this. He came over and helped me into his chair.

"Will you be okay?" he asked genuinely concerned.

"Yes, I just... need a minute," I gasped, still not believing how gullible people could be. I was quite pleased with myself, in less than five minutes he had transformed from hating me to practically worshipping me. I was about to convince him to let me off detention when the door opened and principal Powers called me over. Feeling nervous again I walked slowly to the door, still acting slightly unsteady on my feet.

The principal led me to her office and I was surprised to see Teresa sitting there, the principal motioned for me to sit down and I did so, shooting a puzzled glance at Teresa.

"Patrick, Teresa has just being explaining to me how you skipped school to got to her mother's funeral. Is this true?" the principal enquired as she sat down in her large leather chair.

"Err... yeah,"

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" she continued, fixing me with a piercing stare.

"I didn't want to get her in trouble," I answered truthfully and she nodded slowly.

"In light of this I have decided my punishment may have been slightly harsh, it was an admirable thing to do... just the wrong way to do it. You shall only have a week of recess detentions and Miss Lisbon will be joining you," she looked at Teresa briefly, "just don't do it again,"

Surpessing a smile Teresa and I nodded in agreement and left for our next class.

"You didn't have to do that," I pointed out.

"You didn't have to come to my mother's funeral," she answered grinning at me, "friendship works both ways Patrick, you can't always be the one to take the fall for me," I nodded slowly and returned her smile, my mind wandering back to the kiss.

Lessons passed without further incident and finally it was lunch. Teresa and I took our places at a table and began our meals when Grace and Wayne approached us.

"Mind if we sit here?" Grace asked politely and we nodded. They sat down opposite us smiling before quickly striking up a conversation with us. It was idle smalltalk but it felt great to be included in a conversation, even if I had trouble keeping up with the latest gossip.

We finished lunch along with lessons, then I went home with Teresa and her brothers. I made them dinner with Teresa's help, and by help I mean she managed to set fire to the eggs, her brothers fell about laughing of course while we desperately fought with the fire extinguisher to put it out.

Apart from that minor set back dinner turned out okay and we assaigned James with dinner duty while we started on out homework, we were just about finished when her Dad came home. We were so engrossed in the properties of angles in degrees, Teresa and I didn't notice he was home until we heard Chris scream.

Leaping to our feet we ran into the family room and saw him striking Chris with a fire poker, without thinking I grabbed it before he could he could hit Chris again. Searing pain burned my skin and I half surpressed a scream, yanking my arm away he struck me with it instead. It caught my shoulder painfully and I fell onto the floor.

"Dad stop! Stop! Put down the fire poker- just- just put it down," Teresa yelled while trying to stay calm, to be honest I was more focused on the stench of my burnt flesh and the numbness spreading down my arm.

He threw down the fire poker angrily, the carpet sizzled and fried as it came into contact with the white hot metal. Meanwhile Teresa's Dad stormed over to her yelling.

"How dare you tell me what to do! How dare you Tessa, how dare you!" he screamed and I could hear him beating her.

Although it hurt to ignore her, my main focus though was on the fire poker. Where it had came into contact with the shag. Where a small fire had appeared.

"James! We need water now," I spoke as calmly as I could manage, making sure to emphasize now, he looked at me puzzled before he noticed the fire, his eyes widened and he ran towards the kitchen, "Matt, help him," I told Matt who was standing there silently, he jumped into action when I spoke however.

Meanwhile I stood up and scooped up Chris' limp body, I carried him into this room and laid him gently on his bed, it was hard as my left arm was numb and my hand was in agony. I checked his pulse and found it, I allowed myself a relieved breath before charging back into the family room.

Matt stood beside a blackened section of the carpet holding a large empty bowl, James was placing the fire poker back beside the fire and Dan had stopped beating Teresa, he walked past me unsteadily and into his room. I ignored him and ran towards Teresa, she wasn't moving...