AN: Hey guys. Sorry for the lack of consistent updates. Life's been crazy since school has started back and with everything being in crunch-mode, I haven't been able to do it. But thank yall for your understanding!

Chapter 15

"So, you take the 'x' and move it to the other side of the equation."

Hope diligently wrote her notes, following the teacher's example. Her eyes glanced up before glancing back down at her notes. While she could see the answer already, the messenger kept her mouth shut and let the teacher explain. Behind her, she could hear some of her classmates' snicker, probably at her.

"Now, once you moved the 'x' to the other side of the equation-"

Riiinnnnngggg.

Chaos breeched the classroom as the bell announced lunchtime. Futilely, the teacher tried to tell the students that they would continue the lesson when lunch ended, but it was hard to hear over the din of the chaos. Hope smiled at the teacher, giving him a shrug as she grabbed her lunchbox and followed the crowd of students.

The outdoor eating area was open for the students to use should they choose to do so. There weren't as many students out there, as the gentle nip of autumn was slowly giving way to the strong bite of winter. Hope herself was wearing a shawl that was handmade by the old lady that owned a flower shop across the street from Mr. Aziraphale's bookshop. She made sure to draw it tighter around her shoulders as she sat down at one of the tables.

"Hey Hope!"

The girl glanced up, smiling as Star and Michelle approached them. "Hello friends! How do you fare this fine day?"

"Pretty damn good." Star said. She slid into the seat next to Hope, placing her cafeteria food on the table. Her face scrunched up a moment later in a dramatic look of pain, "But this weekend is going to be HELL!"

"Oh, you're taking a trip?" Hope asked with sincerity.

"Very funny." Star said sarcastically, which made Hope more than slightly confused. "No, my parents are making me go with them on a family trip to freaking socialite party. Egh. I hate all those uppity people."

Michelle cocked her head in confusion. They've never made you go before.

"I know. Apparently, some important American diplomat is going to be there and my parents want to make connections or something another." Star took a sip of her carton milk. "I don't know. But I have to go. It sucks big time."

"Well, it sounds exciting enough." Hope commented as she took a bite of the finger sandwich.

What about you? What are your exciting plans for the weekend? Michelle signed to the secret messenger.

Her face lit up. "Mr. Fell and I are rearranging the bookshop! He has got a new shipment of rare books from the seventeenth century and we're going to be cataloguing and re-cataloguing the existing stock. Oh! It's going to be so much fun!"

There was a pause as the two friends glanced at each other, playful smirks of laughter on their faces. Hope looked at the two confused.

"What? What is it?"

"You're such a nerd!" Star chortled, gently punching her shoulder. She took another sip of her milk before smiling. "But you're our nerd."

And we love you. Michelle signed, her smile bright.

Hope didn't say anything as she went back to her book. The three ate and continued to chat amicably until someone caught Star's eyes. The messenger angel tensed, thinking that the Popular Clique had come back to harass them but Hope relaxed when she saw that it was an unfamiliar face that caught her friend's eye.

It was a boy, sitting by himself a couple of tables over. He had brown hair that was blown forward, but not in a way that seemed like he was imitating a celebrity hairstyle like most boys were doing. He wore the school's uniform-navy blue jeans, brown shoes, white dress shirt with a blue sweater vest over the top- though Hope could see a chain hanging from a beltloop that was definitely not school code. She saw him fiddling with something that looked like a portable gaming system, his fingers flying over the button with an ease of someone who played it multiple times.

Hope tried to ignore the way her heart did a little flutter at the way he glanced up, his brown eyes peeking out from thick lashes.

She quickly diverted her eyes when she realized that he had caught her staring.

It didn't go unnoticed by her friends either.

"Ooooohhhh. Look at you, you little fox!" Star sing-songed. She nudged herself up against the suddenly uncomfortable messenger.

"I am not a fox." Hope muttered as her face caught fire. "I was just….I, uh, I'd never seen him before, s'all."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Who is that, by the way?"

"Word around the grapevine is he's a transfer from some juvenile detention center." Star said as she stirred her pudding cup. Her eyes darted over to the boy, not as timid as Hope's stare. "Seems like his parents were rich enough to send him here."

"How strange." Hope muttered. Her eyes darted over to the boy again who had gone back to his game system. "Maybe we should go say hi. He looks a bit lonely."

"You go ahead." Star licked the pudding off her spoon. Hope bit her lip as she stood and made her way over to the boy. He was so enthralled in his video game that he didn't notice Hope until she cleared her throat politely. And even then, he only darted his eyes upward.

"Hello there!" Hope chirped happily. "My name is Hope Fell and I was wondering if you don't mind if I-"

"So, you're the floozy?"

Hope's words died in her throat. "I-I, uh, I beg your pardon?"

"You know? The floozy that screwed every guy at some house party?"

Hope glanced over to the where the popular kids were hanging out, and seeing them snicker evilly had her blinking quickly to keep the tears at bay. Her face started to heat up as she bid goodbye to the new kid, walked quickly over back to the table and sat down. Star and Michelle both noticed her distressed expression as she sat down, not picking her book back up as tears started to blur her vision. She clamped down on her lip to keep it from trembling but it didn't stop the choked sob to escape her throat.

"Hope? What happened?" Star asked.

The messenger lowered head and shook it, trying in vain to keep tears at bay. "I'm…I'm fine, Ms. Star. Nothing to worry about, I assure you."

Hope heard Star growling. "Those assholes!"

"Star no!" Hope was too late. Star had already pushed herself to her feet and was marching angrily over to the group of popular kids who were laughing like hyenas. Michelle held her back from intervening, her face the same angry look that was easily matched on Star's face. Hope turned towards Michelle. "She's going to gonna kill them."

Michelle didn't say anything.

"Hey. Assholes." Star shouted. Chatter in the common area ceased as Star stood her ground in front of the four of them. "What gives you the right to spread rumors about my friend, huh?"

"I'm not quite sure what you're talking about." Sasha said, her tone sickly-sweet. "It's not our fault your little whore friend had been sexually repressed."

"You know damn well that's not what happened!" Star growled animalistically. She pointed at Joshua with such hatred, Hope half-expected to see lightning appear out of her forefinger. "You, you son of a bitch, nearly caused her to drown."

Joshua pushed off the table and stared Star down. It would make Hope fearful to have someone who looked as strong as Gabriel in her face.

In fact, she did have the testy Archangel in her face once, back after the First World War. It had been really scary when someone that was closer to the Almighty was literally crackling with lightning.

Right now, though, Hope was having a harder time figuring who was more frightening.

Star or Joshua.

Though, to her credit, Star didn't seem to back down.

"You threatening me? Huh?" Joshua smirked. "Anything your little friend over there won't hold up in court. Not only did she wait too long to report it, but she was drunk. No one will believe a drunk little skank."

Hope lowered her head as she leaned against Michelle. She didn't even see the boy she was talking to earlier turn towards her, before watching the shouting match between Star and Joshua, one which was clearly escalating.

"Not to mention that you didn't do anything to help your so-called friend."

"You piece of shit!" Star hissed. Hope glanced up, her eyes going wide in fear and worry.

Star was gearing up for a fight, her hand clenched and pulled back, the punch being ready to thrown. Hope had to do something. While she was tiny, Hope knew that her friend could throw a (literal) killer punch.

But if she used a miracle, then Heaven will know where she was hiding.

But Star…

Hope removed herself from Michelle's embrace and quickly, without thinking, snapped her fingers. Time froze for just a split second, long enough for Hope to do another miracle. A banana cream pie appeared in Star's hand and time sped up again. Instead of Star's lethal fist connecting with Joshua's well-sculpted jaw, a pie slammed and exploded everywhere.

There was a moment of complete silence, as everyone stood there baffled.

Then, from the silence, "FOOD FIGHT!"

Chaos erupted.

Everyone stood up and started to throw globs of food. Hope ducked, and using some fast reflexes that she didn't know she had, grabbed a handful of mash potatoes and tossed it as hard as she could. It sailed through the air, hitting Joshua like a projectile and splattering all over his uniform. Hope stood there for a moment before turning to Michelle and directing her quickly to the building.

The two were almost there, almost to where they could hide away for a moment, when one of the teachers stepped out.

Hope was not one to curse but one thought flittered her mind as she took in the teacher with a far too stern face and it immediately clicked that she and everyone else was in deep trouble.

Oh shit.