Roughly thirty minutes later, they arrived at the beautiful campus of St. Frances High School. The campus was beautiful and green, with a colossal marble fountain surrounded by flowers of different species of rose and lily in the front courtyard. The large white stucco and marble buildings with the large clear windows and high ceilings stretched across the property, accompanied by green fields for soccer, football, lacrosse, baseball, track and field, and general recreational open fields. The campus was buzzing with students eager to either begin class or skip for the day.

Angel caught sight of her friends Nina, Janet, Isla, and Scarlett. Her eyes lit up as she watched her friends carry on in their usual comical, jovial way. She hadn't seen them since that fateful day when Hiten stole her away from them. It felt like ages since she'd seen her best friends, and she couldn't wait to be with them and feel warm again rather than being in her new prison.

Angel reached for her book bag on the floor when his voice stopped her.

"What," he quipped, causing her to freeze instantly. He reached over and easily snatched up the heavy bag, putting it on the armrest between the seats. He gave her a calm, yet stern look before continuing. "Don't forget that you are still in my possession. The only reason why you're coming to school again is to keep people from asking questions. You'll continue on like everything is normal and you will not breathe a word to anyone about our little arrangement. If you do…"

Hiten reached across Angel and opened the glove compartment, ignoring her when she jumped at his sudden movement toward her. She stared in horror as he pulled out a small remote, already having some idea of what is was. He gave her a knowing look when he saw how she openly gawked at it.

"You're aware of what this is?"

"… It's a detonator…" she croaked. He smirked at her.

"Yes, it is, Angel. Very good!" he cooed mockingly. "And the night I took you, I rigged every building of this school with C-4 while you were practicing your little dance routines. I was more than happy to place it in your hand while you slept, making sure to get lots of nice little prints on it. One touch of this little yellow button, and you'll be responsible for over one thousand deaths. And believe me, I counted."

Angel's head whipped into his direction as a look of absolute terror etched itself into her soft features. She could barely believe that the man responsible for all her woes would be low enough to pin the deaths of all these people on her! She was just an 18-year-old girl, she had her whole life ahead of her and then some, and just like the fiend he was, he was willing to rip it all from her grasp.

"H-How can you… I don't understand…" she whimpered brokenly, tears forming in her eyes. "What have I ever done to you?"

Hiten watched her reaction apprehensively, reminding himself that he'd done all this as a precaution, and since she was obedient and not stupid in the least, he would not have to sink so low as to hurt her in that way. He may have become the monster that his enemy had made him, but this innocent creature would not receive the brunt of his wrath. As she had just inquired, she had never harmed anyone. It was he who truly did not wish to harm her.

He set the remote back down into the glove compartment and locked it, settling back into his seat after having done so. "Don't take it personally, Angel. It's just business."

Angel's tears raced down her cheeks as she shut her eyes tight and silently calmed herself. Satisfied with her understanding, he exited the car and walked around to her side, confident that she was too frozen with fear to leave on her own. He retrieved her backpack from the backseat before opening her door, revealing a still shaken girl stuck to her seat. He took her hand and led her out of the car, her quaking legs barely keeping her upright. His heart gave a clench he couldn't explain when he caught sight of the tracks of tears on her baby-soft cheeks.

"Relax," he told her soothingly. He put her backpack on the ground and stepped closer to her until their toes met. Angel, aware of his closeness, was immediately uncomfortable and tried to step away, only for his arm to lock around her waist to prevent it. When Hiten reached up to her face with the intent of wiping tears away, she only whimpered and turned away from his touch as if his fingers were knives. The sudden fear of him and her public displays of it did not sit well with him.

"That's enough, Angel," he whispered firmly, tightening his arm around her and stilling her.

"No…" she mewed, feeling trapped by his crowding of her space. She didn't want him to touch, and she certainly didn't appreciate his newfound tenderness after he'd threatened her very livelihood two seconds ago.

Suddenly, he pulled her into a tight embrace, shocking her out of her wits and pushing her into fight-or-flight mode. She jumped when his breath grazed her ear, but somehow his immediate admonishment in the form of a swat to her rear made her stop cold. She didn't want to embrace him back for anything; how could she after discovering his cruel intentions?

As if reading her mind, he said, "Put your arms around my neck. This has to look good if you know what's good for you."

Afraid of incurring his wrath, she placed her arms around him and gently squeezed. She shut her eyes tightly as a tear escaped her eye. She imagined that it was Bankotsu's arms around her waist, wishing her a good days at school before he went off to work. She imagined it was his chest she was held close to, breathing in his intoxicating musk. She found a temporary solace as "Bankotsu" held her.

Hiten noticed her as she relaxed and settled into his arms. He was content with holding her close and smelling her sweet scent as his lips grazed her ear. He never thought about her intention of making sure he didn't act on his previous threat. He only thought of her finally trying to accept his care.

Hiten huskily added, "I'll be here until you leave school, Angel, so NO after school activities. You are to come to the car as soon as the last bell rings." He let go of her after a short while, surprised by how reluctantly she unhooked her arms from his neck. His face pulled into a genuine smile as he placed her book bag on her shoulder. Angel winced and broke from her thoughts as the full weight of the bag was settled upon her still bruised shoulder. She shifted uncomfortably under his fond gaze, averting her eyes to anything other than him.

"Remember, I'll be here all day, so be on time getting out here, alright? I hope to see you as soon as I can…" he cooed, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Yes…" she mumbled, still shifting her weight.

"Good girl, now run along and have a good day at school," he said.

Angel turned around and went hurriedly on her way to the school. She had been moving so fast she gasped and her cheeks changed to a pink tint when she felt his hand place a soft swat on her butt. She quickened her pace towards her girlfriends, who had been watching the entire interaction.

Scarlett, the horniest person Angel will ever hope to know, was the first to speak. She was the All-American beauty of the group with shimmering red hair and striking green-hazel eyes. Her tan complexion was the envy of all the beach-going girls on campus and the praise of every warm-blooded male. She was model-sized, tall with long legs, a slim waist, and perfect proportions. She was what Angel would call a "free spirit", though; although she did have standards about a guy's appearance, she was by no means choosey once they passed that checkpoint. But she had been friends with Angel since junior high, and she was more than convinced that she could love and trust her just as much as Scarlett O'Hara Jameson did her.

"Well, well, well! I see Little Miss Baby-Girl got a new piece of man-candy!" she teased, tapping Angel's behind the same way Hiten had.

Angel flushed profusely and turned to face her. "He's not-" she began, but then she remembered what he said about keeping quiet. She didn't want to risk her friends' lives over a petty assumption.

"He's not what, hon?" Janet, the lovely Texan of their group, asked curiously. Janet Jackson Marshall was their beloved country girl, with a tough hide and a heart of gold. She had gleaming blonde hair and eyes that could only be described as summer violet. Her strong, toned legs were enough to make every female student-athlete jealous of them and her deep dimples coupled with her radiant smile were enough to make even the coldest man smile. Her parents owned many successful ranches in Texas, and a business deal for some land in Florida was how Janet's parents and Angel's parents met. Numerous times a year, people would have to listen Janet fondly reminisce over how she met the "prettiest lil' thang" she had ever seen at 8 years old and became inseparable from her.

"Er… he's not my new boyfriends, he's… just a really good friend! He can be a little flirty, that's all," she replied nervously mentally panicking.

All four of the girls looked at her with mockingly incredulous looks. They figured Angel was lying, but didn't want to tease her further because she seemed a little to distressed about this friend. Unbeknownst to them, they each made a mental note to catch Angel in private and clear things up. Angel stared back at the four girls, not even wanting to know what they were deducing in their heads. All she knew was that she was with them, free to live again, and away from him.

Suddenly, all the happiness burst out of Angel at once as she jumped up and hugged all four of them, dropping her backpack in the process. The four girls gasped, surprised at her sudden joy. They were also more than surprised that her tiny arms had gathered them all into one big group hug.

"I missed you guys so much!" she shrieked, squeezing tighter on her long lost pals. Putting aside their initial shock, the girls smiled and hugged her back.

"We missed you too, Angel! All two days of you!" Nina laughed, all of her posse joining in. Nina Simone McCarroll was Angel's best friend and most trusted ally. They'd known each other since K-5 and, in the same case as Janet, Nina couldn't escape the pull of the beautiful little girl with the long curly pigtails and the million-watt smile. Angel herself had noticed Nina's baby doll face framed by lustrous brown waves of hair and tea green eyes framed by thick dark lashes. She was what most girls would call "top heavy" with a bust line almost as large as Angel's, but the rest of her filled out perfectly with softly rounded hips and pretty little legs to match it all. She was a dream for every nerd on campus when, in a survey, she not-so-anonymously stated that she preferred smart guys.

They remained together talking and playing around like they usually did before school until the first period bell rang. With the sounding of the bell, the girls quickly gathered their books and ran to their respective first period classes, sure to be tardy as soon as they appeared in the door.

On her way to AP Biology, Angel took in the sights and smells of her school, finally at peace for the first time in days. She would enjoy every minute of today as if it were her last one she would ever receive. She smiled wide at passing students, some of whom she didn't know the names of, who were smiling, waving, and sending warm greetings to her fondly. Though she hated to say it, she even missed that strange thing people called "popularity". Jocks, cheerleaders, band geeks, goths, dance girls, flag girls, plastics, the hot-guys-that-don't-do-sports, and complete nobodies alike greeted her. When she walked into the science class to smiles, waves, and even a cheerful teacher, she was sure today would go well.

The second period bell rang on time, the students shuffling in response. Angel gathered her notes and her binder before a familiar hand scooped up the heavy biology book and binder for her.

She looked up to see Tyler beaming down at her, her textbook tucked under his varsity-jacketed sleeve. His green eyes twinkled when she extended a warm smile to him as well.

"Hi, Tyler!" she said kindly in her usual bubby mature.

Tyler blushed and he shuffled. "Hey there, Angel. H-How are you?" he returned sheepishly.

"I'm great! Just glad to be back at school. How are you?" she asked genuinely, leading him out of the classroom with her innocent charms.

"Oh, me? Yeah, er, I'm great! Terrific, er, how about y- Oh! Wait, I just asked you that…" he stumbled, mentally cursing himself for being so nervous. Angel was always different like that- she got him to sweat when the other girls he'd been with couldn't even squeeze a bead of sweat out of him in the backseat of a hot car with leather seats.

Angel giggled, enjoying his usual stumbling. 'He never has gotten used to me, has he?' she thought.

They both arrived at Angel's locker quickly after most of the school's hallway had parted for the future prom king and queen. Angel opened it and exchanged looks, taking the one Tyler carried from him.

"Thanks for carrying this heavy book for me Tyler," she praised, putting it away.

"Sure, Angel, any time… So…" he began timidly.

"Yes, Tyler?"

"Er… well… have you been okay these past two days?"

Angel's smile slowly fell, remembering her situation begrudgingly. She didn't want to let anything slip, so she played it off as best she could. "Er, what do you mean, Tyler?"

"I just, er, some guys- cops- came askin' about you the other day… They said something about the last time I saw you and all that… They made it seem like you disappeared or something."

Angel's legs began to shake as he recounted how the officers showed up and asked all kinds of questions about her. Were the police involved already? She has five friends in the force- were two of them asking about her? And if they already knew, why hadn't her parents put out a search for her, since they would be the first to know of it? Why hadn't Bankotsu put out a search for her? She couldn't wrap her head around these new developments…

Something just wasn't adding up.

"… and that was it. They let me go… you know, after they were, er, done."

"Er… wow, that's weird," she laughed halfheartedly, trying to convince the two of them. Tyler rubbed his neck nervously, continuing to blush at the lovely smile before him. "Tyler… do you know who-"

Just then the tardy bell for second period rand, interrupting both of their thoughts. Tyler suddenly paled as he noticed he'd be late again. He hurriedly left on his way.

"Hey, Angel, I'm sorry but I really gotta get to math. Mr. Bois said if I'm late again, he'll have Coach bench me for a whole game!" he managed, wasting no time.

Once he was gone, Angel sighed mournfully and turned back to her locker. Retrieving her books, Angel stopped when she felt her cheeks heat up and her eyes begin to sting as tears sprang to them. She had to take a painful pause, trying to keep her legs from dropping her to the floor. She tried to force herself to stop the influx of tears. She hated how she always broke into tears whenever she was faced with a larger than life situation. She clung to her tears as a safety valve. But now, she couldn't always break down anymore. She had to be strong, just a Bankotsu would want her to be. Looking in her compact locker mirror, she began to transform the broken, red-eyes captive back into the free, light hearted beauty. She reapplied her mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow, freshened up her lip gloss, and headed through the empty hallway to her second period class.

Well, ladies and gents, that completes DAY 1 of my return! SO SORRY TO KEEP ANYONE WAITING! Just graduated tho, come on, gimme a break lol! Expect more tomorrow as we explore just a little more of Angel's plight and Hiten's deviousness. Expect at least two more tomorrow, but I gotta rest cuz my neck is in total pain right now- typing things you've handwritten is NOT fun! But something fun for you in the meantime-

NAME THE FAMOUS PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER!

See ya tomoro! (=^_^=)