Disclaimer: I own nada.

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Don't Forget About Me

Chapter Six: Escape

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As we sprinted back I couldn't help but wonder how we could be brought together so easily just to face an advisory such as Hyde. Were we that weak? Or was Hyde that formidable an opponent that we needed to band together to bring him down? Suddenly, it was no longer each man (or woman) for their own, it was now us versus. Him. And with all the pent up anger and frustration in the group, we were finally going to stick it to the man.

We rounded a corner and the tables came into sight. I let out a sigh of relief as I realised Hyde was nowhere in sight.

"Are you sure he was coming?" I said, turning to Henry as we sat down in our seats we'd occupied that morning.

"Yes" Henry replied "I was going outside and I saw him walking down the hallway to that entry" He finished, pointing to the door just as it swung open violently, Hyde's shadow in clear view.

Sucking in my breath, I watched as we all turned our faces down, hoping Hyde would come in, have a bit of a yell then leave us be.

But with evil like Hyde, nothing was ever certain.

"Well, well, well." He said snidely as he walked slowly towards the group. "A little mid morning chatter going on here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and waiting for a response.

Silence.

"What's going on?" He barked loudly to everyone.

We all kept our faces down, unwilling to face the wrath of our evil principle.

With nothing more than silence, he picked the weakest of us all to terrorize. Or rather, whom he believed to be the weakest.

"Miss Hunter, care to inform me of what your little conversation was about just then?" He asked in a sickly sweet voice.

Looking up finally, Matilda met his cold eyes with her own icy ones. "Why sir, Lucas and Henry were wondering if it's a crime to lock us in here without offering toilet or food breaks. Surely there must be something in the child protection laws…" she began just as sweetly as Hyde had, before he cut her off abruptly.

"Continue with such insolence and rudeness, Miss Hunter, and you'll find yourself back in that chair next week" Hyde spat venomously at her.

The thought of another Saturday detention shut Matilda right up then. I was impressed that she had dared to do that to Hyde. She had more backbone than I ever gave her credit for.

"She does have a point sir." A voice said rather spitefully from the back. "You have yet to even offer a bathroom break. What if some of us have weak bladders?" Cassie finished, sitting back and smirking at Hyde.

Growling, instead of bothering to repeat himself, Hyde screamed "You have five minutes" as he pointed towards the door. "Don't tempt me to give you a reason to bring you all back next week." He screamed as we all practically ran out the door.

"Thanks Cassie" Matilda said quietly as we walked towards the closest toilets. But Cassie didn't reply. She simply put her nose in the air and walked quickly in front of everyone, which left Matilda crushed momentarily before resuming her ice-queen persona.

Girls, I thought as we rounded a corner silently, who would ever really understand them?

Approaching the toilets, the three girls followed one another awkwardly in, leaving Henry, Dalby and myself standing around, left in our own awkward silence.

Realising that the three of us had left the room for the same reason, I mulled over conversation openers, basically because I hated the silence that had come over us. Just as I was about to ask Dalby about his favourite make of car, because he struck me as a car guy, Henry turned and asked me "Do you have a thing for my sister?"

I was so shocked by the question I stood gaping with my mouth, trying to figure out how one answers a question such as that. Finally deciding to take the safe route, I answered "Doesn't everyone? She's Matilda Hunter… an ideal"

Henry scoffed at this before replying "I thought you have had more sense than that Holden. She's not ideal… I thought you of all people would see how far from ideal she is."

"Cassie is far from ideal, but you haven't been able to keep your eyes off her all morning. Does that mean you like her?" Dalby retorted, in what I initially believed to be my defense, before I clicked that he just wanted to have a go at Henry.

"I could say the same thing about you and Taylor" Henry snapped as the girls toilets opened loudly, and the three girls came into view.

None of them appeared to show any signs of hearing the conversation that had just taken place. However as I said "Shit, we gotta get back" Matilda walked past and winked at me before saying "Never picked you as the swearing type" before turning back to Cassie and Belle, as they all began giggling together.

Henry, Dalby and I were stunned into momentary silence, before we all swore "Shit."

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How much had they heard? I thought as Dalby, Lucas and I entered the library to find Belle, Matilda and Cassie all sitting together, and Hyde fuming.

"What the hell time do you call this?" Hyde yelled.

What the hell happened in that bathroom in… not even five minutes? I pondered, sitting down ignoring Hyde as he ranted and raved about tardiness not being acceptable.

"We were like, five seconds late" Dalby muttered under his breath, annoyed at Hyde as usual.

"Something you'd like to share Mr. Dalby?" Hyde sneered at him.

"Not in the least" Dalby replied as he sat back into his chair.

"Well I'd suggest you keep your mouth firmly shut next time." Hyde bellowed at him, before addressing the rest of the group. "I'm going to lunch. But don't think this means you actually get free reign of this place. Like I'm that stupid."

"That's what you think" Dalby muttered, as Lucas and I held back a smirk.

"I've asked Phil to drop by every ten minutes to make sure you're still here. To make sure you're bored. To make sure you pay for the mistakes you made to be here. The first ten minutes are for eating, the rest, for sitting in mind numbing silence." He finished, glaring at each of us as he walked out.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Dalby shot out of his seat and walked towards the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked, "I'm not getting another detention because you leave" I half yelled at him.

Dalby turned around and gave me his famous smirk.

"Any idea who Phil is?" He asked, as I shook my head.

"I assumed as much. Phil is the janitor. He and I have become good friends, considering the amount of time I spend here after school." Dalby continued.

"Why am I not surprised by this information?" I said, shaking my head. That comment earned me a glare from Dalby before he continued once more.

"We both hate Hyde. He treats us both like shit. Phil wouldn't bother to check on us, therefore we have approximately an hour and a half to kill. I'm getting out of here." He finished, pushing the door open and checking, somewhat cautiously, that the coast was clear.

There was a scuffle behind me, as Matilda, Belle and Cassie stood up, grabbed their things and walked out the door that Dalby was still holding open.

Then, to my surprise, I saw Lucas get up and follow Dalby towards the door.

"You coming?" He asked me as he turned around.

"Do I have a choice?" I mumbled as I quickly grabbed my stuff and followed the group out the door.

This was stupid. Since when did I follow Dalby? Since when did I trust Dalby's word? Since when did those three become so buddy buddy? I thought as I watched the three girls walk together, occasionally whispering to one another, then bursting into giggles.

How do they go into bathroom's enemies, and come out best friends, I pondered as Dalby led us towards a part of the school I generally avoided.

"And we're going this way because?" I asked Dalby as I caught up with him.

"We're going exploring" he replied gleefully as we went down another hallway.

"But you already know this part of the school like the back of your hand." I replied "It's practically home to you."

"Yeah, but you lot know nothing about it." He replied "Let's just say, while we're exploring, I'll be educating you." He finished, somewhat cryptically as he strode off.

"Where do you think he's really talking us?" Lucas asked from beside me.

"You actually think I understand the twisted mind that is Eric Dalby?" I replied, slightly shocked.

"My bad." Lucas replied, as I found myself sharing a quiet chuckle with him.

It was rather unnerving that I could talk so easily with the nerd.

"All I know is that Dalby is one of a kind. Maybe he knows something about this place that no one else does." I said, as Dalby stopped infront of a closed door.

"You're damn right he does Henry Hunter" Dalby said, obviously having heard the last part of our brief conversation.

"What's this then?" I asked suspiciously "Looks just like another door to another classroom."

In reply, Dalby simply opened the door to reveal stairs going up and down.

"Okay," I backtracked "Another stairwell." I finished, raising my eyebrow at him.

"Correct, but where does it go, nobody knows." He said in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Willy Wonka, before walking up the stairs.

"And we're just blindly following him, with no idea of his mental stability." I said to myself as I watched the strangely subdued females scurry past, before Lucas patted me on my shoulder and said, "Sometimes, you just need to have a little faith."

"Or a death wish" I replied cynically as I followed everyone else, just because it appeared to be the thing to do. Who'd have thought at nine that morning, that it would be me with no backbone?

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Up the winding staircase I took them. They have no idea of what they are about to see, I thought, somewhat happily. Imagine someone like me knowing about something like this. I know more about this school than they'll ever know, thanks to the many places I'd found conveniently when I was supposed to be in class.

I heard the hushed whispering of the girls behind me, and began to wonder why they had been so chummy since their trip to the bathroom. What was going on there, I thought as I began the final steps that led to the doorway.

When everyone had eventually reached the top I waited for silence. "Feel honored, because I've never shared this with anyone. Behold… the hidden roof." I said, as I swung open the door to reveal the schools forgotten rooftop garden that had become wild with years of being unkempt.

In awe of the area, everyone stumbled into the bright sunshine like they were in the Land of Oz. The girls, continuing with their bonding, fled the scene, Matilda and Cassie apparently being dragged by Taylor off to some secret corner away from us.

Henry and Lucas were still looking around, while I smiled slightly, and went to find my own little corner of the world. To my surprise, Henry and Lucas followed me, and sat down, somewhat uncertainly, across from me.

Another awkward silence came over us, briefly interrupted by the faint sounds of the girls chatter and laughter.

"What the hell happened in that bathroom?" Henry growled, turning to face the area the noise was coming from.

"Why are you so curious?" I asked back "Afraid Matilda is revealing secrets from your not-so-manly past?" I finished, smirking as he turned back to glare at me.

"No. If you haven't noticed, Matilda, and hell, even Belle and Cassie, they aren't exactly the friendliest, warmest people in the world. Even Matilda's friends think she's an ice-queen. So why, and how, did they bond like that?" He replied, his face remaining oddly calm.

"He has a point." Lucas spoke up. "They weren't even speaking when they went into that bathroom. Now they're best friends. It doesn't work out, doesn't make sense. Plus, you know, the tension between Matilda and Cassie? You could cut it with a knife. It's all so, illogical." He finished, throwing his arms up in frustration.

I simply smirked and shook my head at the two. "You're both over looking the simplest factor in this situation. They are females. It's their birthright to allude males. To confuse the hell out of us. To put us under their spell. Can't you see that?" I finished, hopeful my rant would rally the spirits of my downtrodden troops.

"So you're not in the least bit curious about what went on in that bathroom?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I want to know every detail." I said honestly, "But let's face it, they won't share with us" I continued, sounding defeated.

"Maybe they won't have a say in the matter" Henry said mysteriously, looking towards Lucas and myself.

"And how do you plan on that exactly? If you hadn't noticed, those three aren't exactly weak, they wouldn't spill if we tried to force it out of them in any way, shape or form." I said, as Lucas added, "It's all part of the female code of silence."

"What if it were part of a game…" Henry continued, ignoring the response from Lucas and I.

"What kind of...ohh" I marveled, as everything clicked into place.

How obvious, how devious, how clever, how…

"Juvenile." Lucas said, "It's all rather childish, isn't it? Like something that was played in secret at your tenth birthday party. Not something almost seventeen year-olds play."

"Kid, you need to get out more." Henry said, patting him on the back. "Some of the truths that have been revealed while I've been at drunken ragers…." he paused, reliving memories "So, do you think it would work?"

"Only if we play our cards right." I finally agreed. "We can't just open with it. That's too obvious. They'll be guarded enough already. So we have to play it cool. Get them to open up. Plus, there are some questions I've been dying to ask them."

"Figures" Henry mumbled, as Lucas said "So, we need a plan."

Who'd have thought I'd end up conspiring with these two? I thought, as we all shifted to face one another and talk tactics.

Those girls really didn't know how much they drove us crazy, I summed up.

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I slipped in easily, as everyone else was lost in his or her own worries about whether Hyde was actually coming back. Henry and Lucas looked about ready to begin their next yelling match when Hyde ever so modestly entered the room. What was up with this guy anyway? I thought, as he began to attack the group. Did he have some horrible hidden childhood that made him want to tear teenagers to shreds?

No one answered his question, which only seemed to anger him more. So he went for the ice-queen. After all, princess wouldn't be able to go another weekend without shopping, or lying around doing nothing on the beach except being wolf-whistled at, I thought rather bitterly.

Wait, did she just… mock Hyde? My ears must be deceiving me. Matilda Hunter actually thinking for herself, actually using her brain?

And she'd done it so angelically, as if she were the innocent one in the situation. Of course Hyde was all over this, threatening her with another weekend detention if she dared to continue with this rude manner. How like Hyde, I mused, as Matilda almost refused to be crushed by these threats. Growing a backbone as well, who'd have thought it?

It was right about now I did the strangest of things. I agreed with Matilda.

"She does have a point sir." I said, before I could stop myself. I felt everyone turn around to look at me and something similar to relief flashed across Matilda's eyes. I looked at Hyde and continued. "You have yet to offer even a bathroom break. What if some of us have weak bladders?" I finished, raising an eyebrow as I sat back in my seat.

Hyde said something harshly before pointing to the door. Taking that as a sign that we'd been granted a toilet visit, I breezed past their stunned faces and walked into the hallway. I couldn't wait to get out of that damn room, and all the memories it had managed to dredge up.

There was a movement beside me, and suddenly I was joined by Matilda.

"Thanks" She said quietly, offering me a small smile.

I was so not in the mood for apologies right now. I'd given up on those a long time ago, and right now, all I wanted to do was forget all about it once more. For things to return to the normalcy that had once existed before this stupid, sucky, Saturday detention. When we were all in ignorance of each others existence, when we were all in ignorance of our own existence.

There had been an escape route offered to me a long time ago. A way that allowed me to numb my pain. To begin to make myself whole again. And I'd taken it. Because at the tender age of twelve, the loss of your best (and only) friend, could tear you apart.

So I walked away from whatever Matilda was offering. Walked away from the silent plea of forgiveness… there are some things in life that are too hard to forgive.

I pushed open the toilet door, not bothering to hold it open for anyone who chose to follow me in. Walking towards the end stall, I pushed the door roughly open before slamming it back and locking it. Sitting down, my head fell into my hands as I wondered why these inanimate objects were enduring my anger and frustration. I was usually so direct. I had no problem telling mum and dad and my bratty sister to drop off the face of the earth when I was ever so slightly annoyed with them. After all these years, why could Matilda Hunter still make my blood boil?

Betrayal was the worst kind of pain to face, and the dull, aching reminder that today had brought back was not helping my mood in the least. Sighing, I stood up before slamming my forehead against the door, hoping this would let all my anger seep out of me. No such luck. Instead, I left the cubicle rubbing my now throbbing forehead.

I looked up to see Belle and Matilda staring at me; Belle with interest, Matilda with concern. Ignoring them, I walked quietly over to the sink, wetting my hands and splashing cool water over my face. I continued to feel their eyes on me… and it all just came crashing down around me. All the pain, the fear, the loss… everything I had felt before I'd shoved it away into the back of my mind.

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My arms instinctively wrapped around as I pulled her gently towards me, letting her cry on my shoulder. Sometimes, even the strongest of them fall down. Belle stood awkwardly to the side, having realised this was a moment between old friends, or new enemies.

Cassie's sobs subsided into sniffles, but our arms remained around one another until Belle motioned for the two of us to silently join her at the door. I raised an eyebrow but grabbed Cassie's hand, putting a finger to my lips, implying silence. We crept to the door and as we stood next to Belle, I found we could hear a conversation that the boys were having.

"Doesn't everyone…" I heard Lucas reply "She's Matilda Hunter… an ideal"

Cassie and Belle both smirked at me, while I rolled my eyes, pretending not to care. Catching back up to the conversation, Henry said "She's far from ideal" to which Dalby replied "Cassie is far from ideal, but you haven't been able to keep your eyes off her…".

Now it was my turn to smirk at Cassie, but she simply raised an eyebrow, as if questioning me about my brothers behaviour. I shrugged in response, like I actually understood the way my brothers mind worked.

Henry bit back at Dalby then, snarling "I could say the same about you and Taylor"

"I've had enough of this." Belle muttered at the sound of her name, shaking her head and pushing open the bathroom door, dragging Cassie and I alongside her.

We were met with silence, before Lucas said, "Shit, we gotta get back."

Belle rolled her eyes at Dalby, and Cassie just looked at Henry, but I couldn't help it. As we breezed past the boys, I winked at Lucas before saying "I thought you weren't the swearing type.", which caused Cassie and Belle to erupt into giggles, as the boys all swore 'Shit' aloud. Now, they knew that we knew.

We walked ahead together, and entered the library a fair way ahead of the boys. Belle continued to drag Cassie and I with her, and pushed me firmly towards the end chair that was next to hers, and motioned for Cassie to occupy the one on the other side. Apparently she was all about the girl power.

Hyde simply glared his usual glare at us before shouting at the boys who arrived moments later.

Ignoring any looks Lucas was giving me, I tuned out of whatever Hyde was saying until I saw Dalby making a beeline towards the door. This was definitely a new development, why oh why hadn't I paid attention?

Nudging Belle, I whispered quietly "What's going on? They look about ready to fight… again."

"Hyde's gone for lunch. Dalby is personal friends with the janitor and knows for certain he won't dob us in if we leave… which, we are." She finished sternly as she once again pulled Cassie and myself up before shoving us towards the door.

I heard a final noise and as I looked behind me I found an, almost, excited Lucas, a sulking Henry and a smirking Dalby following us.

A small smile formed on my face as I turned around, and it didn't go unnoticed by Belle or Cassie.

"You like him, don't you?" Belle asked.

"Who?" I replied, playing innocent, for now at least.

Rolling her eyes, as Belle usually did, she looked over her shoulder before looking back to me and saying "Lucas"

Shrugging the name off, I decided to play it cool. "He intrigues me. That's all. I've never met a guy who…"

"Wasn't into you?" Cassie suggested, as I feigned hurt before slowly nodding my head.

At this, Cassie and Belle started giggling uncontrollably, while I looked between the two, thinking they'd gone mad.

"Welcome to the club honey" Cassie said "It took you a while but you finally joined the 'I've been rejected by the unrejectable' club."

"Get used to disappointment" Belle added in "Life isn't always rainbows and butterflies, sometimes wild storms and chaos reign supreme for a while."

"You're beginning to give me a headache" I muttered, as Cassie and Belle laughed once more.

Eventually the boys took the lead, as we followed Dalby into the 'bad' end of the school.

"I've never been here before" I whispered to Belle and Cassie, both of whom had wry smiles on their faces.

"That's okay, there are no baddies here on a Saturday." Cassie commented, as Belle said "Unless you count Dalby, but he's not really a baddie, is he?"

Frowning slightly, I wondered what they could mean, and where the hell Dalby was taking us.

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Looking away from Matilda's slightly confused face, I saw the boys had come to a stop outside a door. They were talking about following Dalby, but I really couldn't be bothered. Walking straight past them, I marched Matilda and Cassie into the stairwell and began walking up the stairs.

Using the silence that had fallen over us, I pondered the scene I had been witness to in the bathroom. Cassie, after appearing to be angry and frustrated all day, had broken down and let Matilda soothe her. Then, after that strange conversation the boys had had, I decided that we three needed to stick together until all emotions and feelings had been sorted out.

And my mission was about to commence as soon as we reached wherever we were going. Dalby had overtaken up a moment ago, and was now waiting infront of another door. As we joined him, he smirked before saying "Feel special, because I've never shared this with anyone. Behold, the hidden roof."

I momentarily stood in wonder before my resolve to fix Matilda and Cassie took hold and I dragged them off. All this good karma must be helping me, I thought, considering how nice and not selfish this act of kindness was. Not to mention I was completely curious about their relationship, which was tension filled because of things that had been considered long dead and buried.

Pulling them into a sunny corner, I sat down and gestured for them to sit. As Matilda sat down she asked suspiciously "Why are you being so nice Belle? This morning you couldn't wait for someone to lay into me, now you're being all friendly. It makes no sense."

"What, you'd rather the rest of the day be as awkward as the first half? Or better yet, I could leave you alone with the boys, I'm sure Lucas would love that?"

"Okay" She said, raising her hands in defeat. "You win Belle."

"Yes I do, so answer me this question. What happened back there?" I said bluntly and honestly, because I believed that to be the best approach.

Matilda and Cassie looked to one another before looking shyly away. It was as if they were searching for their own answers before they could answer me.

"Clearly you two have some things to sort out, I'm just pushing you along a bit."

Another look was shared between the two.

"See? So maybe you need some time alone or whatever…" I said, trailing off and standing up, preparing to walk away, but Cassie stopped me.

"What I think we need is just time." She said quietly, looking between Matilda and me "Just to sort things in our own heads. But what w can discuss right now…" She said a bit louder "Is the conversation we heard. You and Dalby ay?"

Rolling my eyes, I somewhat happily sat back down and said "Please, like that would ever happen. I do have standards"

"Yeah right." Matilda said, butting in "I've seen the looks you two have been giving one another. And even if it is completely one sided, what about the crushed look that flashed across his face when we found you with Lucas in the library?" she finished, smirking at me.

"Speaking of Lucas, you and he were also looking chummy, care to share?" Cassie said, joining in the taunting.

"We were just talking." I cried loudly.

"Uh huh, that's what they all say." Matilda replied

"Okay, what about Henry not being able to take his eyes off you?" I replied to Cassie, pointing an accusing finger at her "You can't tell me that's completely one sided, you were looking at him once or twice too."

"I can tell you it's one sided, because it completely is. Why would I go for him, he's everything I'm not." She started, before Matilda cut her off.

"And opposites so clearly attract. I mean, so often you fall for the last guy you thought you would? Why do you think all those teen movies sell so well? They all reflect real life." She finished smugly.

"So take some of your own advice and admit that you like Lucas." Cassie said, pushing her slightly.

"He's got this Seth Cohen thing going on, big deal. Doesn't mean there would be a happily ever after."

"Mmm, I was always more of a Chino girl." I said, sighing, which caused the three of us to burst into laughter.

"We're obviously not getting anywhere." I laughed between breaths.

"And I'm hungry." Matilda said randomly.

"You actually eat?" I mocked, as she poked her tongue out while digging through her bag.

"I eat plenty" she grumbled as she pulled out… was that…?

"Sushi. Want some? There's no raw fish, strictly chicken and avocado." Matilda said brightly.

"No thanks. I think I'll just stick to my peanut putter sandwich."

Matilda shrugged before biting into the seaweed wrapped food.

Cassie had pulled out her own food and we ate in silence until there was a noise behind us and we all turned to see the three boys approaching us.

"Good," Dalby said "You've eaten."

"So…" Matilda urged him to continue.

"We're going to play a game."

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AN: Thanks Katya for taking on this story! You seriously rock. So, that was a bit different eh? And pretty long. The next chapters are going to be a bit different too, and much shorter, but I hope you enjoy them all the same. Thanks to all who reviewed, you made my day!