DIZTY: Glad you think so!

Momiji-momo: No, Starfire is extremely annoying. So so is Kori.

Broken Outcast: Hehehe...I love making my reviewers suffer cliffies.

Angel Caida: Bunny on crack, did you say? Is that kind of like bright eyed and bushy tailed, which is a squirrel on crack?

She knew the thunderous silence that met her statement would last for an eternity, and it would push them all away, which was all the better. Black liquid for a black deed and a black heart. And the Law of Three had held her responsible. Her penance for the death of another was clear: torture of the mind, and the isolation from others. Yet hadn't she always had that, even before the spells, the potions, the preserved belladonna nightshade? Hadn't she---

"You…you killed someone?" The black haired boy named Tim managed to choke out. She only nodded in agreement with his question and tried to chew the indigestible food that had been presented to her. All eyes were still trained on her, she knew. She could feel them burning holes in her skull. Raven waited for someone to say something further, but when it seemed that they had all lost their tongues, she rose from the table to throw the food away and begin preparing for classes. Her footsteps were not loud enough to cover the words of the blond boy as she moved away.

"Well…I always knew there was something creepy about her."

Tim couldn't concentrate on his Geometry, not that he ever really tried. The teachers normally just told them what to read and what problems to do, and if they didn't do it they didn't get credit for their work. If they didn't do it long enough then they had to repeat their terms in the facility.

But Tim was a math genius, so normally he didn't have to read. He just looked at a few example problems and the questions solved themselves. Not so today.

He had suspected Raven was a bit off, had perhaps committed worse crimes than the rest of them, but…murder? It had to run deeper than that. Something had to make her want to killher fatherso strongly that she would disregard one of the ultimate sins God had set down. Of course, thievery was on that list too, and Tim had often disregarded that. But murder? As far as he knew, his actions had never killed anyone.

A slip of paper landed on his desk. He opened it and read.

Tim,

Help a bud out. Got answers to this math?

---Cy

He tore off a scrap piece of paper and wrote the reply. The honest truth.

Nope. I haven't a clue on any of them.

Why do you think she killed her father?

--Tim

That last sentence had been an afterthought. He hadn't even meant to write it down, it just slipped from his head, through the pencil, and onto the paper. He tapped his eraser against the textbook a few times, waiting for the return slip of paper. It came a few seconds later.

Not a clue. But if you think she won't go psycho on you, you should ask her.

---Cy

And actually, that was just what Tim had planned to do.

It was the first day he had not even attempted a problem on his work. He was sure it wouldn't be his last. Good thing it was the last class of the day, or he might never make it through.

Tim had been distracted all day, and Cy knew the one thing on his mind. Raven. Tim was one to fall pretty hard for the girls who had it rough. If he didn't watch his step, he was going to fall for a murderer. But Cy had to trust his friend. Tim kept a pretty level head most of the time, and Cy had to think that Tim knew what he was doing, even when his head told him that Tim didn't have the faintest clue.

Well, since Tim had said he was going to hunt down someone and question them to within an inch of their life, why shouldn't Cy start a search of his own? Not for anything in particular, just for something to do. A fight maybe. A computer. Anything electronic. He hadn't gotten his hands on electronics for days. The sickos here had made sure of that.

They were spoiling all the fun in life.

He didn't have to walk much farther for something to do.

Cy collided headfirst with that brawny boy called Manfred. It knocked both of them backward a step or two, but just resulted in Manfred glaring in Cy's direction and taking this as an excuse to start an argument.

"Watch it, why don't you?"

"Hey, you weren't exactly being cautious either, pal." Cy replied calmly, though he was seething. He was hoping this guy would be the answer to just what he needed—a fight.

Manfred was drawing closer to him as he responded. Cy was a good six feet one, or so, but this guy seemed to tower over him an inch or two. He leaned his face in so his hot breath stinking of rotten food stuck between his molars hit Cy full on.

"I've had about enough of you, smart ass. You stay out of my way, and out of my sight." The hulking figure sidestepped Cy before he could work up a good comeback, but Manfred continued his threats as he walked down the hall. "And stay away from Jinx, too. She doesn't need a lowlife like you."

"Yeah. What she needs is a good swift kick in the—" Cy began grumbling as he walked off into the distance, feeling cheated that he hadn't gotten to fight any. He had so wanted to make that guy's face fold in like a sheet of paper.

He decided to continue his rant, now targeting Jinx. Just because he felt like it. "I can tell you exactly what that girl needs. She needs to stop being so uptight about everything. Actually, a good kick in the—"

"—rear would do her good. It would probably knock some sense into her head. She would probably stop being such a bitch all the time. She would start living." Finished someone for him. He looked around the corner to find Jinx sitting there, examining her nails in a bored manner. Cy was startled that she had been so close the entire time, but just shrugged it off and slid down beside her.

"How did you know I was talking about you?"

"Because you're obsessed with me." Jinx said in a matter of fact tone.

He frowned. "I am not."

She stood and brushed herself off. Her skirt came up too short. He tried to avert his gaze before she could tell he had noticed. "Whatever you say, Victor."