Tilly spent the rest of the week's practical sitting out and looking annoyed about it. Carl didn't know what Toby said to her, but it worked.
"I'm bored." Tilly announced as they made their way back to their rooms Friday afternoon after Carl had introduced them to weapons training.
"Do you have a class tonight?" Carl asked her.
"No."
"We could go to the campus bar?" Carl suggested
"No. I don't think so." Tilly said, knowing she craved mischief.
"So what do you want to do then?"
"I want to play a prank on the principal." Tilly told him in a low voice, eyes glittering dangerously.
"You want to what?" Carl asked her in disbelief.
"You don't have to come. I can manage on my own." Tilly told him.
"Hell no! Whatever we do we are in this together." Carl said, looking slightly nervous.
"We can go to the bar afterwards." Tilly promised him, making him cheer up slightly.
Tilly and Carl waited until they knew everyone had left for the night before sneaking down the corridor to Principal Dockerty's office.
While Carl kept a look out Tilly used a pick set and picked the lock.
"Do I want to know how you know how to do that?" Carl asked her.
"No. I don't think you do." Tilly told him as the door swung open.
They rushed into his room and closed the door before turning their torches on.
Tilly listened at the door for people approaching while Carl searched the office for the air horn Principal Dockerty had used their first day.
"Turn you torch off and stay quiet, someone's coming!" Tilly hissed, turning her own torch off.
Carl did as he was told listened. He couldn't hear anything, but thirty seconds later he heard footsteps approaching before passing the room and disappearing.
"How the hell did you hear that?" he asked Tilly in a hoarse whisper.
"Ears like a hawk." Tilly replied using the phrase Ward had.
This didn't seem to register with Carl as he turned his torch on and continued his search. He eventually found it and brought it over to Tilly who took it off him and produced a roll of duct tape. Carl eyed her up as he didn't see where she had hidden it. Tilly measured the door before measuring where, on the wall the door would open.
She expertly taped the air horn to the wall and the prank was complete. Tilly listened at the door to make sure their coast was clear before opening it, checking the air horn was in the right place and leaving the room. As Carl again acted as the lookout Tilly locked the door using her picks and they sneaked down the corridor and headed off towards the bar laughing.
"Great. It's Karaoke night." Carl moaned the second they walked through the door to the bar.
"Isn't every night?" Tilly asked him walking over to the bartender and ordering them a couple of drinks.
"To chaos and mayhem!" Carl said, raising his glass in the air as a toast.
"To chaos and mayhem!" Tilly repeated, clinking his glass with hers.
Tilly could see Mike lurking in the shadows. She was wary of him. Her name had appeared at the top of the scoreboard on Wednesday, followed by Carl and since then Mike, who to his horror had been down in sixth, had been following them.
"Let's go play pool." Tilly said seeing the table was open.
"Sure." Carl said, putting his drink down on the bar and following her to the table.
"You any good" She asked him as she racked the balls.
"Not too bad. You?"
"I'm not too bad. I'm better with Darts." Tilly told him.
"You want to break?" Carl offered.
"Sure." Tilly said, placing the white ball on the table and lining up her shot.
"I thought you said you 'weren't bad'?" Carl asked her as he watched her strike the group of balls with maximum efficiency.
"Exactly, by definition, not bad must mean good." Tilly explained, as she moved onto potting the next ball.
Tilly had potted half of her balls before Carl decided to sabotage her next move. He knocked her cue just as she struck the white ball, which sent it over the ball she was aiming for, but as she still hit one of her own, Carl was limited to one move, unless he potted one.
They continued to laugh, play pool and have a few drinks until the DJ organising the Karaoke announced his next act to be "First Year – Matilda Grace."
Tilly looked up at her name to find the spot light on her. It had got around the academy that she had hit Ward around the face with a fish and he had dropped her into the stream for it so she was getting to be quite well known.
"I didn't put my name down." Tilly protested. She knew immediately that Mike was behind it. Glancing at Carl she walked up to the stage amid a round of applause and whispered to the DJ.
Music struck up and Tilly started tapping her foot in time to the music.
"You and me, we have an opportunity,
And we can make it something really good,
But you, you think I'm not that kind of girl,
I'm here to tell you baby, I know how to rock your world.
Don't think that I'm not strong,
I'm the one to take you on,
Don't underestimate me boy,
I'll make you sorry you were born,
You don't know me,
The way you really should,
You sure misunderstood:
Don't call me baby,
You got some nerve, and baby that'll never do,
You know I don't belong to you,
It's time you knew I'm not your baby,
I belong to me, so
Don't call me baby.
Behind my smile isn't my IQ,
I must admit, this does not sit, with the likes of you
You're really sweet,
Mmm, you're really nice,
But didn't mama ever tell you not to play with fire?
Don't think that I'm not strong,
I'm the one to take you on,
Don't underestimate me boy,
I'll make you sorry you were born,
You don't know me,
The way you really should,
You sure misunderstood:
Don't call me baby,
You got some nerve, and baby that'll never do,
You know I don't belong to you,
It's time you knew I'm not your baby,
I belong to me, so
Don't call me baby." Tilly sang as the entire room got up and started dancing.
The music stopped and nearly everyone in the room started cheering. She looked towards Mike and saw him standing there looking furious. His attempt to embarrass her had failed.
Suddenly feeling the need to get some air Tilly left the bar and walked to the Atrium.
"Matilda Grace? Dropping the Ward all together now are you?" a voice Tilly recognised asked her from the shadows.
"Director Fury thought it would be better for me if no one knew who my brother is. I expect you to keep my secret."
"Why should I?" Harvey asked, coming into the light.
"If you thought that broken nose was bad." Tilly warned him, reminding him of the previous year when she had punched him in the face for laughing at her technique.
"I'll keep your secret Tilly. If you keep mine."
"What secret do you have that I could ruin your life with?" Tilly asked him.
"Theoretical Physics. I have built a reputation here that is based on my physical skill. If people realise I studied that I would lose all my cred."
"You mean what little you have considering that you're repeating your second year for the third time. Don't worry. I won't tell." Tilly promised.
"How are you topping your class? I heard you'd done your ankle during survival?"
"Because I'm that damn good." Tilly told him before heading back into the bar.
A/N: Ok people! I have a new game for you...
I want you to leave me your guesses as to what is going to happen next in reviews (if you log in I will PM you with how warm you are...)