Tommy found it excrutiatingly difficult to focus on his Geography. Why had Jade said that? Did she know? How could she know? What did he have to fear from a tiny little girl like Jade?

Tommy swallowed his raging fear, replacing it with the sense of impending doom. Why did they always have to spring pop-quizzes on him only when he HADN'T done the homework? Tommy rolled his head, attempting to work the kinks out of his neck knitted there by stress. He glanced over to where Merton scribbled furiously in his pad, and to Lori, staring blankly at the dingy green chalkboard. They'd finished their tests. He looped his half thought out answer over the blazingly white paper before relinquishing it to his prim teacher.

"I swear, you can hear the woman's ass cheeks squeak," a voice whispered in the still of the classroom. Tommy smiled in agreement.

"Alright class, read pages 49-95 for tomorrow," the teacher's nasal tone etched over the sound of the bell.

Biology, Lori and Tommy circled protectively around Merton, a physical display of their support. Which Merton blatantly ignored. His mind was racing to think of something, anything, to erase the sick feeling in his stomach at the prospect of spending copious amounts of time with Jade. His mind flicked through the databases any computer would envy of gothic information. The research he'd done; the engravings of a new kind of were-wolf, the news yesterday. Wait, the news… What had been on the news? Merton paused in his march to his next menial class.

"Tommy, hold on, I need to get something…" Merton mumbled, turning from his tiny support group, jogging to the newspaper stand. It stood, untouched and under appreciated by the student population. Gathering dust. Merton's fingers flipped through the many issues of newsprint until he found what he wanted. The Pleasantville Gazette. There it was! The head line!

"Vicious Murder behind Popular Club: Are our Children Safe?"

Merton ignored the gaggingly redundant question at the end of the statement and whispered a silent prayer that there would be information on the murder, not an overtly confident article how to attempt to wrangle crazy teens. The gods on his side, he found a rather disturbing description of what had occurred, not even a few hours after he'd left the Factory last Friday night. Merton squealed as the warning bell sounded. He raced to his class, enjoying the few fleeting moments of freedom in his thoughts he had before Jade would shackle him down again. Hey, he thought to himself as he darted into the doorway just as the final bell rang Jade never showed up for our research thingy.

Tommy fell into his seat with a comfortable plop. His whole hour would be spent with Lori, and they'd probably be sending Jade scathing stares. The thought made Tommy feel oddly good, like he was actually able to help his friend in some way. Nothing could have prepared him.

Jade scurried into class, shoving a little pink slip into the teacher's hand, and proceeded to throw herself into her desk burying her face in her arms. She was whimpering.

Lori leaned towards Jade. She recognized the gasping breathing. Jade was trying to stop crying. What could have possibly happened in the span of a class hour? Lori was worried.

Merton found himself staring at Jade's shivering form. She bit down a sob long enough to affirm that she was "Just fine" and that she didn't need to leave to compose herself. She coughed weakly as she wiped the streams of tears from her face, gratefully accepting a tissue from a random person. After dabbing her eyes and sniffling a bit, she regained composure. Merton swallowed his feeling of unease, casting a wary glance to Lori and Tommy; both obviously confused as he was. What could have brought this surge of emotions about so quickly?

"Alright class, we do have work to attend to. Everyone, get with their partner and spend this hour discussing your piece."

Merton turned in his seat to face Jade, her head bowed over her desk.

"Hey, Jade," Merton began tentatively, "Do you wanna see if we could work out in the hall?

Jade nodded her head, not turning at the sound of his voice. Merton stood slowly, approaching the teacher.

"Ms S,"

"Merton, could you do me a favor and take Jade out in the hall and talk to her. The slip said she fell on her way to class but I don't think that's what really happened."

"Sure Ms S" Merton turned to Jade, "Let's get out of here"

Jade shrugged on her backpack, gathering her books in her small trembling hand. As soon as Merton had shut the door Jade collapsed on the floor in a rag of tears. Merton ran to her side, dropping his things. He took her head onto her chest, cradling her weeping form. He slowly rocked back and forth whispering to her quickly as her cries died out.

"What on earth happened to you," he chuckled softly as he pet her head.

"Oh, Merton, I wish I could tell you. I wish I could tell somebody. I wish I could tell anybody," her voice trembled as another deluge threatened.

"Sh, sh," Merton crooned, bracing her back with one hand and her head with another. "You can tell me whenever you can."

"What am I doing?" She sobbed as she twisted her fingers into Merton's black shirt. "What have I done?"

"Don't worry, we can talk about all this tonight at my house whilst we research, k?"

Jade coughed again as she nodded and buried her face in his warm chest. Merton thought she felt awfully cold.

By lunch it was apparent something had happened to Jade. A huge black welt graced the side of her face, marring her perfection. She sat alone at a back table, toying idly with her food and ignoring the evil stares she was receiving from Jason and his group. She swallowed for the ump-teenth time that day, her swollen salty mouth making her sick to her stomach. The bruise on her cheek throbbed exquisitely. Jason. Jason had hit her. He hit her when she suggested not coming home with him that night. Jason had been furious. And he hit her. She'd never been hit in her whole life. Not even her father who held no love for her ever hit her. Her stomach turned as she grazed her fingers over the swollen spot wishing that it had never appeared or that it wouldn't leave as quickly as all her other injuries always did.

Merton stared at Jade during lunch, ignoring his food entirely. Her gorgeous face was marked; a bluish blackish welt ran from her eyebrow to her lower jaw. Not an injury sustained from falling. That was an injury caused by another person. The thought of another being hurting Jade made Merton's jaw grind, even though she had hurt him. Just the pain in her voice as she cried melted any malice he had held for her before class. And she trusted him a little; she had used him as a support when he thought he had needed help with his emotions. She'd agreed to meet him at his Lair. Could that mean something?

"I think Jason did it." Tommy announced out of the clear silence that had enveloped his friends.

"Did what?" Lori asked as she twirled her "coleslaw" with her white plastic Spork.

"I think Jason hit Jade. She's got that huge bruise and she almost cried during class…"

"Correction, she did cry during class. That's why we were out in the hall."

"She trusted you enough to cry in front of you?" Lori turned her head up to Merton.

"In front of me!? She cried ON me! For the entire hour! She wouldn't tell me what was wrong though. She only agreed to meet me at my place tonight." Merton ended, folding his arms with a slightly bolstered self-esteem.

"Sick, twisted little girl," Tommy sighed, shoving another bite of stuff into his mouth.

"Hey Merton, what did you have to run and get before Bio?" Lori questioned, leaning forward, dripping with interest.

"Oh, yeah! On the news last night they were talking about this really strange murder. This person died after having all the blood sucked out of two puncture wounds on her abdomen." Merton smiled with a morbid pride in his knowledge.

"So, do you think it's a vampire or something?" Lori asked, creasing her brow.

"I thought vampires only took blood from the neck." Tommy mused, stroking his chin.

"Well, in technicality, a vampire could take blood from any part of the body. This just may be a guise to make investigators think that it was just some pervert with a vampire fetish." Merton loved when he could link thoughts together like that.

"Hmph, who cares? We'll just beat their toothy butts like we have all the other vampires who've come through here. It's getting kinda same-o same-o." Tommy oozed confidence as he smiled at his own statement.

Merton shrugged, "I don't know Tommy, this one feels different."

"You think Jason could be a vamp?" Lori mused.

"I don't think so, I mean, look, he's out in the sunlight, just like everyone else," Tommy threw his hand over to the pale hyenas cackling at Jade.

"He's got a point," Merton chewed thoughtfully on the end of his Spork.

Merton did not get to elaborate, the bell moaned, signaling the return from momentary freedom. The student body groaned collectively, clutching their parcels and returning to the classroom. Merton turned to grab Jade, but she'd disappeared already. Merton sighed, feeling oddly better about himself and Jade, turned and joined the monotonous stampede to education.

Jade bolted. She didn't want to be in school anymore. She knew she really didn't need to be there. She could get the homework from Merton later that day when she was at his house. At his house. What would she do after working with Merton, could she honestly go home? What about Jason, and Seika? How on earth could she handle them now? The warm sun beamed down upon her skin, and for a sweet moment she thought she saw her skin tan. No such luck. Forever pale. Albino beauty had been her nickname, and it was well earned. The light hurt her eyes. She ducked underneath a parasol of pine needles weaving a cool clean shadow. Jade ran her fingers over the rough woven nylon of her backpack, enjoying the sensation for what it was. Just a sensation. Her hands plunged into the dark crevice of her knapsack, her pale fingers darting about, searching for something. A book. The pale, green, worn leather bound manuscript slid out of her pack with ease. She knew the smell of this book, the feel, and every word by heart. She slowly opened the old cover with ginger fingers; her eyes flicking over the signature in back ink with loopy handwriting, very similar to her own…

Dearest Jade,

This was one of my favorite books when I visited this place. Where I met the man I love. I love your father, yes. But this was the man of my soul, the missing piece I was looking for when I'd stare at the sea long into those cold bitter nights. Never think I didn't love you. I made my decision, and it was very jealous. I realize that now that I can't take it back. But I love you, with every sigh I take. I love you through my veins, every hair on my body aches with love for you. My own, my love, my daughter. Don't ever forget how precious, how LOVED you are. No matter how cold the night, no matter how gray the sky, no matter how many tears fall, know that I love you.

Your mourning Mother,

Crysanthium VI

Jade tucked the warm book to her chest and cried.

Merton wondered casually where Jade was. She hadn't been at her locker during passing, and he hadn't seen her cruising the halls, her head ever angled to the floor. Merton cast a glance to the floor. Mottled brown linoleum. Multi-colored scuff marks. The occasional crack. Nothing of major interest. She really was just a demure, quite child. He was beginning to question whether she really had intended to lead him on in the first place. She didn't come off as a seductress to him. Then again, girls weren't exactly his forte. The fact remained that she trusted him enough to cry with him in her company, and that he had a lot of work to do with her. Work that he would complete, even if she wouldn't. With a new, grim determination to conquer his feelings, he slammed his locker with a sanguine crack. A barely detectable smiled played on his lips as he turned to leave. He knew Tommy and Lori would be upset that he left with out saying goodbye, but they'd get over it. The Lair needed tidying.

Tommy threw open the doors with a gratifying show of strength. Merton had left, Tommy knew that much. As to WHY he had left early, Tommy couldn't even hazard a guess. He figured it had something to do with Jade. Just when Tommy was ready to condemn her, she showed up with a bruise to the face and an equally bruised heart. It was hard to attack such a weak and broken thing. Tommy growled, wondering if it was just a hoax as the wind whipped through his hair as he stepped out into the green sunshine courtyard. He almost tripped over her.

Jade laid curled on the emerald grass, a book coiled in her svelte arms, tear tracks glistening in the afternoon light. Her breath was ragged, though her eyes were tightly closed. Tommy furrowed his brow, unsure of what to do.

"Hey, you awake?"

Jade moaned as her eyes flittered open. "What time is it?" whispered groggily between flaking lips.

"Schools out, you should go home." Tommy helped her to her feet, snatching her backpack from the grasses futile grasp.

Jade laughed dryly. "Home" she mouthed, heaved another shuddering sigh, nodded her thanks to Tommy, turned and left.

Tommy ran his fingers over his chin. Rough. He needed a shave. With a last look back towards where jade had gone, Tommy turned to go to his own hole in Pleasantville.