When the door swung open the teacher stopped talking and turned around from the board to see the "guest" just entering her class room.
"Good morning, Miss", she hissed angrily while sitting down on the chair next to the wooden desks. She brushed her black, wavy hair out of her face and shot evil glances at the new girl.
The dragon... so that's how it looks' Emily swallowed hard watching the woman, at least ten years younger than the biology teacher, but without any doubt not as "merciful" as she had been to Max Evans this morning. She was waiting.
Waiting for what? Emily's apology?
Okay, if she needs it', the girl thought and opened her mouth, but she closed it rapidly when she realized the *dragon's* eyes contact with sudden anger.
"Five minutes and thirty-seven seconds too late" Mrs Laurence streched every word like an enormous elastic band.
"I'm sorry Ma'am", the student muttered quickly. She was already tired of this human beast in front of the class and wanted to sit down. But Mrs Laurence would never let her. Her tiny, watery eyes were locked on Emily.
What else shall I do? Kneel down and beg for the great teacher's mercy?'
Mrs Laurence slid off her chair on her feet and stepped towards the girl. "Fifty seconds without an excuse, not even a simple good morning, Mrs Laurence'. Your first day today?", she asked slowly. Mrs Laurence didn't wait for a reply. Emily had hardly one moment to pump air into her lungs without being observed by that cruel creature called teacher.
"This time...", she paused meaningfully, "I won't keep you in, but of course I can't let you go without a little penalty"
"Penalty?", Emily repeated quietly locking her eyes on the floor in front of her feet. She couldn't bear all the pairs of eyes that joined Mrs Laurence one's while she still stood in the open door.
What' s that punishmet that teacher has already planned?', she asked herself. Emily was sure to look even more timid than in the biology lesson.
"Shakespeare", the dragon said calmly and handed her a small book. She shot an evil grin at it.
"Romeo and Juliet?", Emily read aloud the title.
"Well, we need actors, my dear. The most important roles are supposed to be played by students of my course, but..." She laughed. "... no-one wants to play. Your little penalty is to persuade them and to find other pupils for the remaining person's of the drama"
"O-okay. I'll try", the blue-eyed girl stuttered. She couldn't resist Mrs Laurence's focus anymore and let herself fall on an empty chair in the last row of desks without waiting the teacher's permission.
"Attention, ladies and gentlemen, we want to go on with William Shakespeare", the woman shouted althought it was more than quiet in the class room now. Her voice rose shrilly when she reminded them to keep their mouths shut.
A dragon, without any doubt ... a quite suiting description for her. She's almost as destructive as a hurricane...'
Emily put out the picture she had made in the biology lesson and folded it to a small square of paper. Did Liz know that Emily was conscious from whom she'd taken the cells? Or did she let her see the strange image under the microscope to assure herself of being awake?
She pocketed the piece of paper and let her view fly aound throught the room. Mrs Laurence wrote o lot of stuff on the black board. A few students copied it, other ones leaned casually against their desks or were just yawning and waiting for the bell to ring. Some of the very plucky pupils wrote short messages and giggled voicelessly while reading them.
Emily decided to join the group that wrote down the teacher's text before Mrs Laurence had the idea of letting the new girl sew the costumes herself. She took out a pencil and began to be a *good student*.
***
Max recognized her as the girl who had tried to help Liz whe the brown-haired girl had been shot. To see her here, in Mrs Laurence's lesson was somewhat surprising for him. She knew his "small" secret, didn't she?
He felt teribble. Ice cubes seemed to slide down his throat filling his stomach.
She seemed to be lost in thoughts and had not noticed him yet, thought he was sitting right next to her. Max didn't want to disturb her and tried to concentrate on finishing his notes about Shakespeare, but he couldn't help himself to have a strange feeling. The sixteen-year-old was hardly able to oppress it for a few minutes. It was cold, made him shiver.
He forced himself to think about how to get the other girl to the Crashdown this evening at eight p.m. without exciting her suspicion. Writing a short message might do it, wouldn't it?', his inner voice told him, adding a quiet maybe'.
Max took out a small slip of paper. He had to write something. But what?
*Need to talk to you when the lesson's over, M. E.* appeared on his sheet. He had neither used his brain to compose it nor a pencil to write it down.
Damn, I should've learned to control myself. Should be more careful next time', Max growled soundlessly. The boy pushed the message and it slid across the table. She only had to read it now.
He catched himself staring at her while he was waiting. She almost looked familiar to him!
You are so dumb, Max!', the boy grumbled inside his brain, You are fancying absurd theories, when ya're nervous' This was more to calm down himself. He had never sensed waves like this from a human being before. Maybe ´cause she knows what I did with Liz. I know, she could be dangerous for us, for Michael, Isabel and me, and that makes me feel this strange things', Max' inner voice assured him.
***
After another five minutes she finally found the message and unfolded the piece of paper.
*Need to talk to you when the lesson's over, M. E.*
The girl wondered who could have put it on her desk. She knew only a couple of students of the Roswell High and M. E. did not ring a bell. Who was this myterious person wanting to meet her? She had not seen anybody throwing the message onto the table or turning around to place it next to her. Emily turned her head to locate where it came from. A group of four or five girls were making notes about the lesson's topic. It was impropable that one of these busy pupils had written the message. Her eyes searched the left part of the room. It made the girl grin to find one of the boys sleeping deeply. His arms and his head lay on the desk hidden by a book, so Mrs "dragon" was not able to see him breaking her rules. If the teacher caught him, she would keep him in for years. But Emily sat too far away to wake him up. For a few seconds she forgot completely to look for the person who had written the message she was holding in her hands and looked for a possibility to get the sleeper out of danger. Farther left, only a few seats right next to her she found a familiar face. Max Evans. She had not minded that he was there. Her hand waved a short "Hi!" to him and he replied her gesture in the same way. Suddenly the blue-eyed, young woman knew who M. E. was. Max Evans!
Her pen flew over the slip of paper. It took her only a couple of seconds to write down her answer and to add a small request. He sat nearer to the dreaming guy. Maybe he could wake him up. Carefully she pushed it in his direction.
***
When Max unfolded the message a wrinkle appeared between his eyes. Of couse he had not expected an answer like this. He checked the words again.
"Okay. Could you do me a favour? Wake up the sleeper in front of you. Thanks, E. F."
Max risked a look and found Alex Whitman's head lying on his desk. His back moved in a regular rhythm.
It would be a risk to wake him up without making the teacher blurting at both of the boys and sending them directly to the principal's office.
He had to do it in another way that did not attract too much attention. Streching his legs he tried to kick Alex' foot standing under his chair, but he failed. The sleeping boy moved out of his saviour's reach and snored quietly.
Max had to think how he could menage to wake him up.
Finally he decided to get nearer first. With a smooth move the tall brown-haired wiped his books off the desk. His eyes followed Mrs Laurence. She only shook her head when she realized Max' little misfortune and went on writing. He sighed being happy that "the dragon" did not say anything.
Max used his chance to get up. While picking up his books he shook Alex' shoulder slightly.
The boy snored a last time and turned around to see the guy who made him wake up. He felt totally dizzy, so it took him a moment to recognize the shy student he knew from his maths lessons. His name was Evans, wasn't it?
"Thanx", his thin, sleepy voice muttered.
The reply was short: "Thank her"
Max growled it quickly pointing at Emily and disappered.
Strange guy', Alex thought. After rubbing his eyes he felt completely awake again. In a quick move he turned his head to find out whom Evans had simply called *her*.
It took him only a few seconds, ´cause there were only three other students sitting behind him:
Near the window sat George Sugarman, a young man nearly nineteen now who wore black clothes and a cap on his filthy brown hair. Then there was Evans, Alex had forgotten his chistian name, who had told him about his myterious saviour.
And last but not least he found *her*, a fair girl with long curly hair sitting between both of the boys.
Who is she?' This question spun around in Alex' head. Maria or Liz might know her. Or shall I ask her myself? She safed my live... Mrs Laurence had killed me if she'd catched me sleeping in her lesson. I could ask Evans, couldn't I? But what if he doesn't know who she is, too?'
The ringing bell cut off his thoughts. Alex got up. The tall, slim boy looked a bit clumsy when he grabbed his books. Somehow he wasn't able to concentrate on stuffing them into his backpack, so they landed on the floor. It took him a few minutes to get all of them back on his desk and into his bag afterwards.
"Damn!", Alex muttered and turned around to find out where this mysterious, cute girl was now. The student swayed again. She had already gone while he had wasted his time by trying to put the books and work sheets into his rucksack.
"I'll have ask Maria or Liz. They might know where to find my saviour", Alex told himself. His fingers brushed through his short black hair and he started humming one of his favourite songs when he left the room.