"Thanks for the ride." Chloe said as we stopped outside the Two Whales Diner, where we'd left her truck after hopping into my car before heading for the junkyard.

"No problemo." I responded, seeing it start to get rainy outside. Just a little though.

"Sorry to be so boring…" She told me wryly.

"Nothing exciting ever happens, does it?" I asked sarcastically, earning a small laugh.

"Listen, about your rewind." She said, catching my interest. "I'm convinced it's connected to the snow yesterday, and your tornado vision." She told me.

"That makes sense." I agreed, frowning slightly.

"You saved my life twice now, altering the course of my destiny, yours, and who knows who else." She said, looking at me intensely. "You know Chaos Theory?" She asked.

"A tiny change in initial conditions can cause catastrophic and cataclysmic differences in an equation." I told her. She nodded.

"Simply put; crazy shit happens because it can." She told me. Makes sense.

"The Butterfly Effect has a hand in there too." I noted.

"A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, causing a hurricane in Texas." Chloe recited in agreement.

"Question is, why me?" I asked in confusion. "I'm just a random goth-nerd in a random town." I said.

"Strange Attractors?" Chloe suggested with a shrug. "Rewind power, snow, tornado vision, put them together, and hello Armageddon." She grinned at me widely. "So we party with your power Rock Star!" she cheered. Talk about a shift in moods.

"Well, I suppose every hero needs a sidekick." I paraphrased her earlier words as her face softened a little bit.

"How can it be such a shitty week, and the best of my life at the same time?" She asked.

"I know the feeling." I replied, leaning on the steering wheel. "At least we're back together." I said as we fived and fist bumped. Smiling at me, she got out of my car and closed the passenger door. "Meet up tomorrow?" I asked of her as she leaning in through the window.

"Definitely." She responded with a grin. Nodding, I ignited my engine once more as Chloe stepped away. It really was as if no time had passed. We never bade each other farewell in the past, because we always knew we were going to see each other again, and that's what happened just now as I drove off.

Things may not be exactly the same with Chloe and I anymore, but maybe they won't be so different either.

My drive back to Blackwell was relatively quiet. Traffic wasn't bad, so I arrived before my class with Mr Jefferson started, thank fuck for that. Nathan wasn't anywhere to be seen, and neither was Victoria, so the small window of time I had before Jefferson's class was pleasantly quiet. I passed by Principal Wells without a word, something I don't think he was happy about. He still suspects something went on yesterday, I think. The fact that something did happen is besides the point though.

I had a small chat with Warren and Brooke, grinning at the boy whenever Brooke wouldn't see, making sure he knew I was waiting for him to screw up. That way, he would be extra careful to not screw up. He's definitely the kinda guy Brooke can fall for, I know her that well. It's up to Warren to make her see that. I also had a small talk with a couple of other students. Surprisingly enough, not all Vortex Club members are downright twats like Nathan or Victoria.

Anyway, it was just about time for me to get to my class. I was headed in that direction, when all of a sudden, I passed by someone I didn't notice.

"Damon, a word?" David's voice called out to me as he approached.

"I do have a class in a few moments, so please make it quick." I told him. He nodded.

"I wanted to talk about what happened yesterday." he told me.

"You mean blatantly accusing my best friend of stealing a gun, or your harassing Kate?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kate Marsh is another matter entirely." He told me, eye twitching in irritation. I suppressed a smirk. "I'm talking about what happened in Chloe's room." he said. "Did Chloe take my gun? Please tell the truth." Huh, he asked instead of ordering, how about that.

"If she did, she never mentioned it." I told him. Not a lie. Chloe didn't tell me about the gun, she showed me.

"Chloe…" David sighed. "Do you think she took it?" He asked of me. Why he values my opinion, I have no idea.

"Doubtful. She's a little wild, but she's not stupid." I told him. What, you expect me to tell him Chloe wanted to defend herself, so she stole a gun? Not happening. But… "Even if she did, I'd be glad she has something to defend herself with, given the kinds of people that run around this town." I told him.

"Using a gun isn't as simple as pointing and pulling the trigger, Soldier." he told me with a frown.

"I'm well aware. My grandfather, who is also a veteran, taught me how to use a gun." I told him.

"Joyce did mention that Klare's father was in the Nigerian Civil War." He remembered. I nodded.

"One of many reasons why I respect and sympathize with you." I crossed my arms, seeing his eyes widen slightly. "I've always had respect for soldiers, and I know you're good at your job, which I why I stay out of your way. However, when you start harassing my friends, that's when I get confrontational." I frowned at him.

"You don't have all the facts Soldier." he frowned back.

"I have more than you." I returned. "Like the fact that Kate drank single sip of red wine at the party, and nothing else. Or the fact that she remembers a sharp sting in her neck." his eyes widened. "Or the fact that she was half-conscious in a bright white room that was most certainly not a hospital room." I added. "What does that tell you, Soldier?" I asked him. He didn't answer. "Exactly. Kate is a victim here, not a suspect, and the sooner you see that, the sooner you'll get the bottom of whatever mystery your trying to solve." I gave him a two fingered salute. "As you were." I said, walking off.

David didn't respond as I continued on my way to Jefferson's class. It was hardly a long walk there. Just a few paces, and there I was. Thing is, however, just outside of the classroom, stood Mr Jefferson, and Kate. Whatever conversation they were having, Kate clearly didn't like the way it was going. She burst into tears and stormed off, right passed me, her face buried in her hands.I tried to talk to her, but before I even got a word out, she cried out to not come near her.

"Something you said?" I asked of Jefferson as I approached him.

"Apparently." He sighed. "You Ok? You look worried."

"I am." I frowned at him. "For Kate." I told him.

"That's no secret." He said. "Word on the street is that you had a small confrontation with our security chief yesterday." he told me.

"Yeah, I tore him a new one, because he was harassing Kate." I informed. "That's the last thing she needs, let alone deserves, right now." I said sadly.

"I assume you know of the video?" He asked.

"I do." I nodded. "She's being humiliated and ridiculed. I want to help her."

"Noble as that is, she may have brought this on herself." Jefferson said, making me look at him incredulously. "She means well, but maybe she doth protest too much." He told me.

"Shakespeare, really?" I deadpanned.

"It just seems that she's hiding the truth is all." He shrugged. "Have you talked to her?" He asked me.

"This morning." I affirmed. "She needed support."

"That's good of you." He told me. "Now, about the Every Day Heroes contest?" he asked.

"I'm not handing anything in, but…" I trailed off, reaching into my bag and pulling out three photos. The one I initially took, the one with the blue butterfly, and the one with Chloe on the railroad tracks. "What are your opinions of these?" I asked, handing them over.

"I'm telling you which one to hand in Damon." He raised an eyebrow, but took the photos nonetheless.

"Your professional opinion could still be invaluable." I responded as he looked them over. He stopped on the first one, and froze, his eyes wide. "Uh, Mr Jefferson?" I asked worriedly.

"I like this one." He told me, his voice a little tight. He was referring to the initial picture, where I look half-conscious, laying on a checkerboard of my own photos.

"I'm not certain what was going through my head when I took this." I told him, taking the photos back.

"It reminds me of some of my own work." He told me, a look in his eye that was, honestly, not what I'd come to expect from Mr Jefferson of all people. It was kind of creepy.

"Alright then…" I trailed off, placing the photos in my back pocket.

"Sorry." he said, snapping out of it. "Nostalgia." he justified, though I honestly didn't believe him. He was about to talk again, but his phone rang. "Sorry, I gotta take this." He told me, answering the phone. Shrugging, I went into the class. I'll have to find out what that was about later though.

"You've got to be kidding me." I thought to myself with a sigh. Nathan and Victoria were both sitting on my assigned desk. Not at the chairs, no, on the desk itself, more than likely in the hopes of getting a rise out of me.

"Well, well, if it isn't Doom and Gloom Damon, in his pommy biker disguise." Nathan mocked with a condescending smile.

"Goody, my daily dose of bully-swag." I said dryly. "What have you got for me this time?" I asked of them.

"Damon thinks he's so smart." Victoria sneered. "Doesn't know when he's out of his league, just like all the twee artists here in Blackwell." She mocked.

"You done now?" I asked. "Cause I have better things to do than deal with you two." I told them.

"Meow. Cat fight. I love it when chicks fight." Nathan jeered.

"Really? Gay jokes? You're losing your edge." I told him boredly. He was not happy. "And as for you…" I turned to Victoria. "Am I really out of my league?" I asked of her. "You were the one who was beet red at the sight of my abs." I reminded her, smirking as some people 'oooh'ed. "And speaking of cats, Nathan." I smirked in the boy's direction. "Did Victoria mention that she was purring like a lioness when I started popping my pecs." I grinned as Victoria's face went red in embarrassment and rage. "Taylor enjoyed the sight too, didn't see?" I asked, turning my attention to the blonde, who was red as apple, shifting in her seat. I think she might have gotten a little wet, if the way she was adjusting her hips was any indication.

"Shut. Up." Victoria and Nathan hissed in unison.

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it." I shrugged.

"Do you have any idea who you're antagonizing?" Nathan spat out at me.

"A couple of arrogant, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, rich children?" I asked boredly.

"Children?" Victoria snapped indignantly.

"Well, I am older than all of you." I smirked at her. The look on her face suggested she wanted to yell out in rage, as did Nathan, but at that very moment, Jefferson walked in.

"Alright, I know you all love me, but those who are not suppose to be here, please leave." he said to everyone, eliciting some laughter. "Those of you who are my students, please take your seats." He continued.

"You heard the man, move your fat asses." I said to the two who were currently sitting on my desk. Flushing in rage, they got off of my desk.

"Do not think this is over." Victoria hissed at me.

"I wouldn't dream of it." I smirked at her. Glaring, she fell down into her seat. The scowl that decorated her face was prominent, despite amounting to more of a pout that anything else. As I sat down, I saw Kate, outside, through the window, still bawling her eyes out, as she ran towards the dorm, not caring about, or not noticing, the heavy rain. "Poor Kate." I thought to myself, sadness running through me. It quickly bubbled into anger as I saw David stalking her again, taking pictures. "If he doesn't stop stalking her, I am going to make him wish he was back in the sandbox." I growled mentally. Did our conversation just now not get anything through his skull?!

"Alright, we have a lot to cover." Jefferson said as we all quieted down. "And we have so little time to do so, as per usual." he sighed. "I see all the usual suspects, except Kate Marsh." He said as his eyes landed on Kate's empty seat.

"I think everyone has seen her by ow." Victoria spoke up with a evil smirk. Bitch.

"She's not well." I said through gritted teeth. "As I'm sure you're aware." I told my teacher.

"I see." Jefferson said, turning his attention to Victoria and Taylor, who were still giggling like dumb school girls. "Sounds like you're giggling over a viral video. I wonder how you would feel if there were false images of you going around the internet for people to judge." He said, shutting them up. "Usually people need something to judge so they never take a good look at themselves. We can thank reality TV for some of that." He rolled his eyes. "In the end, we can only blame ourselves for participating... Speaking of participation, there are a few souls here who have yet to enter a photo in the contest. Like Damon Azrail, for example." He gave me a pointed look, with that same, weird, somewhat disturbing gleam in his eyes, again. "Who I know can't wait to enter, right? I'm sure you read the syllabus like it was a Harry Potter book, so you must know today we're studying chiaroscuro; that beautiful word about the contrast between light and dark, the shadowplay that gives photography such...visual power. It's basic yin and yang. Black and white images are effective precisely because of their contrast. Although we don't technically 'see' in monochrome-"

"Yo!" Zachary, the guy who was sexting with Victoria, burst into the room. "Some crazy shit's happening at the dorm!" He said loudly.

"Zachary, you do not just get to-" I didn't listen as Jefferson started lecturing the boy, I was too busy thinking a horrible thought. Zach said something was happening at the dorm. The only one who should be at the dorm right now is Kate. If she's in trouble…

I didn't listen to anything else that was said.

I bolted right out of the room.

"Holy shit!"

"Is this real?"

"Bitch flipped out!"

"I didn't know she was this messed up."

"Kate!" I cried out, my eyes wide as I saw my friend jump off of the dorm rooftop. "No!" I cried out, rewinding as far back as I could. The crowd grew large again, after I did so, and I saw Kate standing at the very edge. Rage and fear struck me as I saw the blonde standing next to me; Victoria. With a loud cry of rage, I allowed my fist to fly, landing right on her face. I think I heard a crack. "This is all your fault!" I roared at her, my face set in an inhuman snarl. Victoria, despite the pain her face showed, she was visibly scared. Her minions, Taylor and Courtney, dared not move.

Again, I called on my rewind to stop Kate from jumping. This happened several times. Another limitation of my ability that I forgot to mention; I can't move whilst rewinding. I can turn my head, or twist my torso, but I can't leave the spot I'm standing at. I can't just rewind, walk, rinse and repeat. I'll pass out before getting to Kate. So, I called on my ability, focused every time-travelling gene in my body, or wherever the power comes from, and let loose. I let out a loud yell as the power coursed through me.

And then, nothing.

Nothing moved.

No one moved.

"Holy fuck…" I breathed out. Time was frozen. I stopped time. I fucking froze time. Wait, if that's true, shouldn't I be utterly blind? Light is made of photons, and the photons move through the air and into our eyes, giving us the ability to see. If times stops, so do the photons, and then they can't get into my eyes. Or maybe light moves so fast that it's unaffected by time? I don't know how that would work, but it sounds plausible at least. Or maybe I've just slowed down time to the point that it looks like it's frozen. Wait…

Why am I thinking about this? I have to save Kate!

With my thoughts back in order, I high tailed it into the dorm and towards the roof. At least, as well as I could. It seems that this freezing/slowing down time trick is taking a lot of strain on me. I can barely put one foot in front of the other. And I'm tasting copper again as I pace through the frozen rain.

It took some effort, but I was finally able to get to the rooftop. There Kate was, standing at the edge, frozen in her position, ready to jump off of the roof. Having finally gotten up here, I released my hold on the flow of time. I had to gasp as I felt the relief wash over me. It felt good to finally let go, though I don't think I can rewind right now... As I was about to call out to Kate, I felt my mouth fill up with blood. Cringing at the taste, I spat it out to the ground, catching Kate's attention.

"Damon?" She asked as she turned around, still standing on the ledge.

"Kate…" I breath out, taking a step forward. Her eyes widened in terror as I did so.

"No, stay away!" She screamed at me, making me halt. "I'll jump! I will!" She cried out. I believed her, for more than one reason.

"Alright, alright." I held up my arms to seem less threatening. "Kate, please don't do this." I pleaded with her.

"Oh Damon, I know you want to help me…" She sniffled. "I love that you stepped up to David, but it doesn't matter anymore, nothing matters." She sounded like all hope had left her.

"You matter Kate, to me, to your family." I told her desperately.

"I want to believe that…" Kate whispered.

"Your life is yours and yours alone Kate. Just let me help you, like I did by erasing all that crap on your slate and replacing it." I told her.

"That was you?" She asked, surprised.

"Psalm 16:8 and Joshua 1:9." I recalled.

"I'm glad to hear you worry about me… It makes me feel better." She managed through her sobs.

"Of course I worry; I care about you." I assured her. She didn't object when I took a step forward.

"I did feel better talking to you on the phone, I always feel like you really listen." She said, wiping her tears away.

"I want to help you Kate." I said, my voice soft.

"Do you?" Her attitude took a full 180. "What about this morning, you told me to do nothing!" She cried out angrily.

"I believe you Kate, I really do! But it's way too dangerous for either of us to get involved now!" I tried to reason with her.

"I told you the whole truth! But it doesn't matter any more." She took a step back. No!

"I know I fucked up Kate, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I told her, my own eyes welling up with tears. "But that doesn't mean you have to end it." I said.

"Damon, I'm in a nightmare, and I can't wake up!" She cried. "Unless I put myself to sleep. Then everyone can post pictures of my body. I'm already on the internet forever." she chuckled humorlessly. "No wonder it's called a 'web.' Nothing ever comes out, like my video." Damn, that's morbid, even for me.

"Kate, you have to be stronger than this!" I urged her. "Nathan, Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney, they don't matter! You do!" I told her. "You can get through this!"

"Can I? I don't believe in miracles anymore." She sounded so lost and alone. Like she'd given up all hope. The light in her eyes was gone. "Nobody cares about me…"

"I do!" I cried.

"Do you?" She spat, angrier than I've ever seen her. The anger quickly turned to sadness and longing. "You don't… You're not… You don't see me as…" She trailed off, her eyes giving a thousand more words than her mouth.

"Oh God Kate…" I muttered as I realized what she was talking about. "I hoped this wouldn't come up." I whispered.

"You… knew?" She asked in shock.

"Yes Kate, I knew. I know." I confessed. Her expression turned even more hopeless. I see what needs to be done now. Drastic times call for drastic measures.

Words aren't getting through to her…

"Fine then." I spat, surprising her. "This is why I never interact with religious people; they're ridiculous, stubborn, and over-zealously self-righteous." I shook my head, ignoring the way she looked like a knife had been driven into her heart. "But that doesn't mean I'll just let you jump either." I told her, reaching behind me. She gasped as I pulled out my gun.

"Why do you have a gun?" She asked, paler than she was before.

"I only take it with me when I leave the Academy, and I usually load it with rubber bullets." I told her, ignoring her question. "But, I always bullets with me." I told her, letting the magazine drop to the ground. She gasped again as I pulled another magazine, this one with live ammunition, and clipped it in, pulling the slide back. "You can jump Kate, I won't stop you." I told her, my voice void of emotion or compassion. It unsettled her. "But if you do…" I brought up the gun and held it to my temple, eliciting another gasp. "I'll die right here with you." I said darkly. "You'll have my murder on your hands." She flinched.

"Damon... You…" She started hyperventilating slightly.

"And that's not all." I told her, still no emotion or expression on my face. Only cold, dark, monotone. "If you die, your family will be devastated. Your mother, you mentioned she was upset with you, but if she loves you half as much as your father does, a man who supports you regardless, then she'll come around." I reasoned. That seemed to poke a hole in her thoughts Good. I have her undivided attention with the gun in play. "Your sisters. You told me the youngest one, Lynn, has the most beautiful smile ever. Do you think that smile will still exist after you die?" I asked. "At 10 years old, she's naive enough to think her big sister is dead because of her." Kate's eyes widened in horror at the prospect. Thing is, Kate's actually naive enough to believe this shit. If I shoot myself right here and now, it's not her fault, even if I am emotionally blackmailing her. As much as I hate it, I'm incredibly relieved she has the naivete for me to take advantage of, if only to save her life.

"No…" She whispered.

"Yes." I shot back. "And it doesn't end there. If I die, my mother will mourn the loss of her only son, after my father walked out on us to be with his teenage whore." Kate's eyes widened at this. I'd never told anyone that; not even Chloe. "My little sister, who smiles just as bright as Lynn, I assure you that, will be in the same boat as her. My oldest friend, with whom I've been attached at the hip with since day care, will lose her closest friend." Kate was trembling. I can only hope that was a good sign. "If you can be that selfish, I can be this spiteful." I told her. "So what will it be Kate? Are you going to be the cause of all that suffering? Or will you save a life today? As well as our sisters' hearts? And that of our parents?" I asked.

"You wouldn't…" She gulped, probably not believing her own words. Silence struck. All that either of us cared to perceive was each other. We didn't register the rain hitting our bodies, the cold wind on our skin, or the sound of thunder. Only the other. And our words.

"Try me." I said simply, but the way it came out was so cold and uncaring, it even startled me. Kate was visibly unsettled.

Moment of truth.

The silence held for a small eternity before Kate spoke again.

"Curse you Damon, curse you…" She whispered under her breath, though something told me she wasn't all that serious. Especially when she hopped off of the ledge and back down onto the rooftop, falling to her knees, sobbing. Sighing in heavy relief, I turned the safety of my gun back on and holstered it, quickly grabbing the dropped magazine and pocketing it. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Kate sobbed into my shoulder as I knelt beside her, embracing her.

"Shhh… I'm here Kate, always." I told her soothingly, softly rubbing her back. "I'm here. Maybe not in the way that you want me to be, but I will always be here." I whispered, hugging her tightly. "I promise." Kate said nothing. She just continued sobbing into my shoulder. Smiling softly, a warmth spreading through me, despite the weather, I stood up, picking Kate up bridal style, like I did with Chloe earlier today. Kate actually let out a cute squeak as I did so, something I don't plan on letting her forget.

Turns out, and ambulance was ready for Kate when we got down. I can smell the rumors regarding me carrying Kate like a princess already. Anywho, after dropping Kate off at the ambulance so that she could be taken to the hospital and put under suicide watch, I was called to the principal's office, alongside Nathan, Mr Jefferson, and David. No doubt this relates to what just happened with Kate.

As Nathan and I sat on the chairs in front of Principal Wells' desk, Jefferson stood at the door, to my left, and David stood at the other side of the room, to my right. Principal Wells was standing at the window behind his desk chair, looking out over the sunset.

"I know today has been difficult for everyone, but I'm very proud of the way all of Blackwell pulled together to save a young girl's life." Wells said as he turned around.

I snorted incredulously. "All of Blackwell? Pulled together?" I repeated. "I saved Kate, Principal Wells, alone." I told him, emphasizing the word 'alone.'

"Damon, like I said, today has been difficult, and that is the only reason I'm tolerating your attitude right now." Wells warned me,

"Be that as it may, Principal Wells, he's not wrong." Jefferson spoke up.

"He is quite the hero for convincing Kate to come down." Wells agreed, sort of.

"Thank you." I nodded at him.

"A hero indeed." Jefferson smiled at me.

"Yeah, hero." David mumbled. I'm not quite sure whether it was sarcastic or sincere. Maybe he didn't even know. Nathan hadn't spoken at all.

"As Principal of Blackwell Academy, I take my duties seriously." Wells said, turning and facing out the window again. "I take the well being of every student here even more seriously." He turned around again. "What happened today should never have happened in a haven for higher learning like Blackwell." he said… seriously. Heh… "Mr Madsen, as Head of Security, it was your responsibility to ensure the rooftop doors were closed and locked at all times." He said to David. "That is standard procedure, and yet, they were unlocked."

"Yes sir." David said with a bow of his head, clearly somewhat ashamed.

"Mr Jefferson, I know you can't be expected to know everything that goes on with your students, but Miss Marsh has assisted you several times before. You should have known something was off." Well reprimanded the photography teacher. He did know something was off you ass, and he made it worse! Seriously, my respect for Mr Jefferson has gone down drastically, as has my trust in him. "Mr Prescott, Kate attended the last Vortex Party, and since you are responsible for those, you will have to answer a few questions as well." Nathan's only answer was a single nod. "Now, Mr Azrail, why exactly were you on the roof with Ms Marsh?" Wells asked as he sat down on his desk chair. "Did she tell you of her plans? Tell me everything." He instructed. Yeah, everything, sure.

"I don't know what to tell you that you don't already know, Sir." I said with a shrug. "Kate was in an awful place, I'm sure you know why, and she was being humiliated and ridiculed for it. People were calling her a viral slut as she walked through the halls." I told him.

"And where does Ms Chase fall into this?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Crap. "I've been told that you gave her quite a nasty blow to the face." he narrowed his eyes.

"If this is going to turn into a feminist battle, I'd like to leave." I said bluntly. "Any woman who demands being treated as equal to men should be prepared for getting hit if she deserves it, as I'm sure she's given a good whack to one or two of her, ahem, gentleman callers." I said with a subtle smirk.

"Gender politics and Ms Chase's love and/or sex life are not involved here Damon." he scowled at me. "Can you answer me as to why you decided to strike her?" He asked, almost impatiently.

"She was the one who recorded and uploaded the video." I said with a shrug. "Frankly, she should be glad that's all she got." I said darkly.

"Do you have proof of such claims?" Wells asked, clearly not pleased with my words.

"It doesn't matter." I waved him off.

"So you're not able to prove your claim?"

"I'm stating what I believe to be true, not reporting an offence or filing a complaint. Make of that what you will."

"Very well then." Wells narrowed his eyes at me. "Moving on, Ms Marsh decided that today would be the day she would stop taking all the pain she was feeling. Have you any clue why?" He asked.

"Several factors." I told him vaguely.

"Are you feeling any deja-vu right now Mr Azrail?" he asked me, narrowing his eyes. "Vague answers regarding the incident in the bathroom yesterday? Sound familiar."

"Very."

"Care to tell me why?"

"Simply put, I don't trust you, or anyone in the room, for that matter." I said nonchalantly, surprising everyone on the room.

"Ahem, Damon, would you care to elaborate?" Jefferson asked of me, his eyebrow raised.

"Well, I'd like to remind you of the conversation you had with Kate right before the incident." I said to him. "Whatever you said had her bursting into tears and storming off towards the dorm. I'd wager that was the proverbial straw on the camel's back." I shrugged.

"Mark?" Wells asked, sending a look in Jefferson's direction.

"I… yes, Damon could be right." Jefferson admitted.

"He's not alone. I believe Mr Madsen had good intentions, but that didn't stop him from borderline bullying Kate, even if that's not how he sees it." I continued.

"You don't know what you're talking about Boy." David growled at me.

Ignoring him, I continued. "Nonetheless, that's why my trust in Mr Jefferson and Mr Madsen are basically zero." I told Principal Wells. "As far as Nathan goes, I would have to be an idiot to trust someone with the name Prescott." I went on.

"Excuse me?" Nathan growled. I ignored him.

"And as for you." I narrowed my eyes at Wells. "It's a well known fact that Sean Prescott has most authority figures in the Arcadia Bay in his back pocket. I doubt he'd send his son to a school where he couldn't control the authorities." I said simply.

"That a very generalized opinion, Mr Azrail." Wells told me, his eyes narrow.

"It's slander." Nathan spat.

"It's my belief." I waved him off dismissively, angering him further. "I have the right to believe what I wish. Nobody can arrest me for thinking what I think." I shrugged.

"I suppose that's true." Wells conceded. Nathan was not happy, especially when I smirked at him. "Nothing else?" Wells asked.

"Well, since I'm stating opinions here, I may as well tell you that Kate believes, and I agree with her, that Nathan was the one that dosed her at the last Vortex Party." I said, making Nathan stiffen. Ah ha! "She told me that she felt dizzy, remembered driving for a long time, and then woke up in a bright, white room. She thought it was a hospital because of how white it was, but she remembers hearing Nathan's voice. She woke up outside her dorm room, and here we are." I told him. The only reason I'm saying this is because I want to get under Nathan's skin, get him to reveal something.

"That is total bullshit! I took her to the ER, but she said she was OK, so I brought her back to Blackwell!" Nathan exclaimed. "You think I dosed her?! She got wasted and macked up with seven guys!"

"I don't believe you." I said simply.

"I will sue you, I already have a personal lawyer!" He threatened.

"My Mother married the best lawyer in London. Come at me, I dare you, like you did in the bathroom with your gun." I growled at him.

"A gun, Damon?" Wells asked, shocked. "Is that what happened in the bathroom?"

"Oops, that just slipped right out." I said, face-palming.

"Be glad it did." Wells shot back at me, clearly getting impatient. "In light of what Mr Azrail has said, and the fact that Nathan appears prominently in the video, I have no choice but to suspend you Nathan." he told the spoilt rich kid.

"Yeah, whatever, see you in court." Nathan huffed angrily. Sure.

"As for you Mr Azrail, I cannot ignore the fact that you kept important information from me, and you assaulted one of your fellow students. I will have to suspend you as well, and contact your parents." Wells told me.

"Fair enough." I shrugged.

"Principal Wells, don't you think Damon and Nathan need a break before we grill them any more?" Jefferson asked. "A fellow student and friend just tried to kill herself, that's heavy." He added.

"Yeah, I'm kinda devastated right now." Nathan said nonchalantly. "I'd like to be with my family."

"Tell it to your face." I mumbled under my breath. He shot me a glare.

"Alright Mr Azrail, please sign this form to confirm everything you've said is true." Wells said, handing me a form and a pen. It listed everything I said, excluding the times I had simple 'expressed my opinions' hehe. Since it was not an official accusation or statement, Wells can't use it in this document, and thus, I cannot be accused of Slander. Am I a genius, or am I a genius?

"Very well then." I said with a small smirk, one that Wells did not miss. "If there's nothing else?" I asked politely, making Wells scowl.

"We will be helping the Police with an further inquiries." he said, standing up. "I know this has been a stressful day for all of us. If I could change it all, I would. Thank you for coming in." He said to everyone present.

Oh the irony~

I immediately went to my dorm room after the talk with Wells. Aside from my suspension, I shouldn't get anymore trouble, mainly because of the way I played my cards. And despite the facade I put up there, I was still shaken up by what had happened, so I simply put on some soft music, lay on my bed, and vaped. I couldn't take my mind off of what happened with Kate. I wanted to get to the bottom of this, to find out what happened at that party.

For some reason, I believe this is all connected to Rachel Amber's disappearance. I also think Nathan had some kind of connection as I lay pondering the thought, the light of the nearly setting sun suddenly dimmed. It was weird though, not in the sense that a cloud would cover up the light. Frowning, I put my vape down and walked over to my window, glancing towards the sun. I froze as I saw it.

Almost half of the sun was covered by the moon; a half solar eclipse.

"What the fuck?" I whispered under my breath. First the snow last night, at around exactly this time I might add, and now this? There was no solar eclipse scheduled, I would know, as would Warren and Brooke. Even if I didn't know, one of them would have told.

A memory suddenly struck me, something Chloe mentioned.

"Chaos Theory…" I whispered.

And that does it! Another chapter bites the dust! I really had fun with this chapter, I must say. It's always fun messing with pompous pricks like Nathan and Victoria.

Speaking of which, how did you guys like how I tore into Nathan and Victoria here today? Both in the classroom, and the principal's office. I've always loved writing scenes where one character tears into another, especially someone like Nathan. One of the reasons I look forward to writing the Riser chapter in Fire and Blood, but I digress.

Another thing I'm really proud of is the way Damon handled Kate. It really shows his character off in my opinion. Someone who can go from kind and gentle to dark and gloomy to cold and harsh at the drop of a hat, not because he's Bipolar or a Schizo, but because that's just who he is. He's not afraid to brutally rip into someone when they're at their weakest if he believes it's what they need. And though some might consider it bad, the emotional blackmail he put Kate through just now was exactly what she needed to save her life.

Now, something that I asked about last chapter, but nobody responded.

Why did Max, in Canon, get the tornado vision BEFORE she saved Chloe and broke time? When she first got the vision, time was fine. There were no issues. Then she saved Chloe, and broke time. Why is it that she got the vision before that? Vision-save-break. That's the order of events. logically speaking, it should be save-break-vision. The tornado vision should have come AFTER she saved Chloe and broke time, so why didn't it?

Another thing, why does the Storm still hit in Episode 5? Jefferson killed Chloe. That should have set the timeline back into place, it should have fixed it. Time apparently wanted Chloe dead, so it tried to make sure she died. Jefferson killed her at the end of Episode 4, the night before the storm hit. She was dead, so why did the storm still come? It's way too simple, in my opinion, that Chloe HAD to die in the bathroom. If that was the case, she wouldn't have almost died so many times before Jefferson killed her; way too much of a coincidence. I think there's more to it, though I could be wrong.

Tell me what you guys think! Please?

Your reviews sustain my will to write!

*Dramatic sigh followed by a faint*

Ok, one last thing; I'm considering re-writing this fic, and scrapping the whole time-travel thing as a whole. Changing Damon's history with Chloe, making it that they find Rachel without the rewind, and maybe replace Damon with a girl. Girls suit Chloe better. Maybe even make it that Max still exists, but she only comes along after the whole Rachel incident finishes. It might make it easier to write, and thus easier to finish.