I'm not dead yet. And I know I dropped off the face of the earth! I'm really sorry about the wait, but life came and inspiration and time went!

Special thanks to; musicluver246, Anon, chocolatechipcookielover, claire-loves-music, Guest, Zoey24, Guest2, When I Make It Shine, bjq, and Fire'CxO'Ice for reviewing last chapter!

And thank you to all those that added this story to alerts and favorites! :)

Disclaimer: I'm just visiting this world. Lena & Abby however belong to me.

"Either you run the day or the day runs you."

-Jim Rohn

Lena groaned as she walked the halls of Spenser Academy behind her far too awake roommate. Where it was clear that Abby was a morning person, the same could not be said about Lena. If she had a choice, mornings should just be abolished...No better yet. Destroyed.

Yes, destroyed sounded much better.

"This is stupid," Lena complained. "Mornings. The walk to this building. This uniform. All of it stupid."

"Oh, c'mon, Lena," Abby said. "You're super cranky. It's really not that bad," she added. "After all no one told you to spend all night tossing and turning."

It was true, Lena did toss and turn all night, but it wasn't like it was her choice to lay awake majority of the night. She appreciated sleep, thank-you-very-much.

However, she could peg that the reason she couldn't sleep came from her nervousness of her first day of classes. Furthermore, she was nervous because she hadn't been out of her room—apart from showering and eating that is—since Friday. And according to Abby, her roommate had overheard some of their gossiping schoolmates refer to her as 'that slut that hung out with the Sons of Ipswich.' Which apparently lead to her aversion of said Sons of Ipswich and their girlfriends.

Oh the joy.

She didn't want to be known as some slut because it's not like she was dancing up on these supposed Sons nor was it like she was trying to shove her tongue down their throats.

She had come to the conclusion that people sucked and she dared one of them to say what they had the courage to say behind her back to her face.

"How much longer until we reach homeroom?" Lena asked. "I'd like to go from sluty new girl to slacker new girl as soon as possible."

Abby threw an amused look over her shoulder along with a short laugh before she stopped outside a door.

"This is our homeroom," Abby said before entering. "Mr. Pennysworth is our homeroom teacher as well as our Literature teacher," Abby said once Lena was standing beside her. Lena nodded once.

"I see you're showing our new student around, Miss McLean," both girls turned to look at Mr. Pennysworth. "Lena Shaw am I correct?"

"Yes, sir," Lena answered.

"Welcome to Spenser, Miss Shaw," he said. "You can sit with Miss McLean. And Miss Shaw, just because you're new does not mean I will be lessening your workload. I expect you to work diligently to catch up with any curriculum you have missed in the last month."

"Of course, sir," Lena smiled tightly before following Abby toward the top row. "Charming fellow," she said for Abby's benefit.

"Wait until you meet the calculus teacher," Abby said.

"I'm sweating with anticipation," Lena deadpanned as they took their seats.

As they waited for homeroom Lena watched as more of her classmates entered the classroom. Many of them ignored her and Abby in the back row, others turned to their companions upon seeing her. It didn't take a genius to know what they were saying was not complimenting her neatly made ponytail.

What did surprise her was the entrance of Kate Tunney and Sarah Wenham when they entered. Both of them flashed her and Abby both bubbly smiles along with waves before taking their seats.

"That's never happened before," Abby said after they had waved back. "I'm used to being ignored…"

Lena made to respond when her friend's eyes drifted to the front of the room once more. Tyler Simms and his usual partner-in-crime walked in, Tyler smiled up at them while Reid sent them a nod of acknowledgement before they took their seats in the middle row to the left. They received nearly the same greeting from Caleb Danvers and Pogue Parry when they entered not too long after.

"That is seriously weird," Abby mumbled.

"Why would it be weird?" Lena asked. "I mean we spent time with them Friday night…"

"That doesn't matter," she replied. "We're—I'm nobody here. One night doesn't change that. They're a tight knit group."

"Well obviously they're nice people and they think we're awesome," Lena said. "We're being friendly. What's the worst that could happen?"

Abby groaned and hid her face in her hands, "There you go again," she mumbled. "Have you seriously not seen every horror movie ever made? The worst that could happen, always does."

Lena rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

"Yeah," she scoffed. "Well, I don't quite believe in that."

"These teachers are insane," Lena complained as she dropped down beside Abby out in the quad. The sun was shining brightly giving the New England fall air a nice warm feel. "You've been in school for like, what? A month? And you've got all this shit that you had to do. Now I'm expected to catch up on A Tale of Two Cities by next week as well as write a seven page paper on the possibility of resurrection and the necessity of sacrifice, also due next week...and don't get me started on what I have to do for my physics and my calculus class!"

Abby shook her head, after homeroom the two girls had split ways having one gone to physics and the other history. Following that class they had met up in their literature class, where Lena had noted that they had with those Sons of Ipswich, Kate and Sarah. Concluding the end of that class, Lena was in her calculus class while Abby had been in French.

At the end of those classes, both girls found their way to the courtyard, where Abby had asked Lena how her classes and teachers were, which prompted the girl in question to break out into her current spiel.

"So I take it, you've seen better days," Abby said when the girl dropped her head into the novel that laid open before her.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," Lena quoted dramatically as she lifted her head. "But mostly it was the worst." Abby laughed to the point of tears prickling at the edge of eyes. Lena halfheartedly glared at her. After all, this was her pain and she wasn't intentionally trying to be funny. The look on Lena's face apparently only seemed to fuel Abby's amusement.

"What's so funny?" Both girls stopped their respective glaring and laughing as they looked at the person that spoke. Abby's cheeks that were pink from laughter darkened as Tyler Simms stared down at them, curiosity shining through his bright eyes and a small smile on his lips.

"My life apparently," Lena said when it seemed Abby seemed like she had swallowed her tongue.

"I see," Tyler said. "Mind if my friends and I sit here?" Once more Abby stayed mute, but Lena nodded giving her consent.

"No, not at all," she said. Instantly after the words left her mouth, Lena felt Abby hit her from under the table. Lucky for them, Tyler had turned his back and was signalling for his friends.

"What?" Lena hissed at her friend.

"You know what," Abby hissed back. The moment Tyler turned back around they both instantly beamed up at him as though they hadn't just been bickering. He stared at them for a moment before sitting down across from them.

"I feel like you two are up to something," he said.

"To feel like they're up to something you'd have to know them," Pogue had sat on Tyler's left, Kate following. She smiled at the two girls to which they returned with smiles of their own.

"But I do know them," Reid stated as he sat across from Lena, a cocky little grin made its way to his face.

"Really?" Lena asked suddenly sitting forward as the others had sat around them. "Then tell me something about myself."

Reid leaned toward her, "You're Lena Shaw, you're from Ithaca, New York and you're seventeen years old."

"Tell me something, you can't find on my MySpace," she rolled her eyes.

"Easy," Reid smirked. "You have a habit of getting into trouble, such as, you were arrested when you were fifteen. You used to be on your school's track team, which you ran mostly sprints, long distance, and hurdles. Hardly any relays, why's that?"

"I'm not much of a team player believe it or not," she frowned. "How the hell did you know any of that? You'd only know that if you had—" she paused and narrowed her eyes. "You've been through the school records."

Reid met her glare steadily, "After that little stint on Friday, I wanted to know if you were, y'know, crazy."

"Wow, because to me I'd say it makes you sound a bit like a stalker, Garwin."

"Creep, if you ask me," Sarah laughed. Lena nodded.

"Oh well, I suppose I'll look past it for now, but don't think I'll forget," she said. Reid rolled his eyes but that stupid cocky grin never left his face.

"That sounded as if there was a bit like a threat behind that," Caleb said. Lena smiled toward him.

"There was."

"You know, I really like her," Kate said. "Speaks her mind."

"I agree," Sarah added. "What plans do you two have for later?"

"Um, I think mostly doing school work," Abby said then blushing. "I mean it's just…"

"I've got a lot of catching up to do," Lena said holding up her nearly forgotten book. "Abby promised to help me with all this shit…totally boring."

"Carton dies at the end," Reid said.

"You read it?" Abby interjected, causing the others to laugh and the blond to frown.

"Why the tone of surprise?" Reid asked.

"Because Reid Garwin and read don't go into the same sentence unless there's a doesn't in between," Caleb laughed. "So what's your secret? The cliff-notes? The movie? Which one, man?"

"Oh ha, ha," Reid deadpanned, "but no I did read it…you know that last chapter."

"You're hopeless," Pogue laughed. "You do know there's a paper that needs to be written."

"Yeah, and Tyler is going to write it."

"Tyler most certainly is not," Tyler responded.

Lena and Abby looked at one another as the group around them continue to chat in front of them as though they did it all the time. Abby pulled her phone out and motioned for Lena to do the same, as Abby typed furiously on her own device, Lena waited until her phone gave a soft buzz in her hand.

This is weird.

Really you think so? Lena replied.

They're treating us like we're friends. That's not normal. You don't just have lunch with them.

For all we know they just needed somewhere to sit...and it's not like we've got anyone but each other to talk to...Ask them what they're doing tonight. Milk it for what it's worth.

Abby had snapped her phone shut before looking at the group that was still talking amongst themselves.

"So, um, what are your plans for later?" Abby asked.

"We," Tyler said indicating the boys, "have swim practice later."

"And after?" Abby prompted at Lena's kick under the table.

"Not sure," he continued. "Probably go get something to eat."

"Sounds fun," Abby said. "What about you two?" she asked looking at Sarah and Kate. Both girls shrugged.

"I'm going to try to get some work done," Sarah said.

"Keyword there was try," Kate laughed. "We'll probably end up going to dinner with these guys. I'm sure the invitations open to you if you'd like to join."

"We'd loved to," Lena spoke up. "But I really need to get through this homework."

"Wow, you're a nerd," Reid commented. Lena grinned at him.

"Maybe."

Lena tapped her pencil against the edge of her desk before looking at the time on her clock.

8:45pm flashed at her before she turned her eyes back to the long equation before her. She really didn't care what the value of x was.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Can you please stop?" Abby voiced from her bed. Lena turned in her chair to look at her roommate sprawled across the bed, a book and laptop out in front of her.

"Sorry about that," Lena said. "Just was thinking about something."

"It's fine, it just started to get a bit excessive."

"I agree," Lena said standing. "I'm tired of working, I think I'm going to head out."

"Where to?"

"Just for a walk," Lena said. "I cannot stare at these four walls any longer." Abby looked toward the clock.

"Are you sure you want to go out by yourself?" she asked. Lena shrugged as she put her shoes on.

"I'll be alright," she said. "If I don't come back within an hour well...I've probably been kidnapped." Abby opened her mouth to which Lena held up her hand. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Lena didn't let Abby say anything else as she headed to the door and slipped out promptly. She didn't have any idea where she was going, but she knew she just needed to get out of that room.

It wasn't long before she found herself outside enjoying the cool breeze that blew past her. Lena always felt better when she was out in open space, she figured it came from the fact that she wasn't a large fan of small, tight places to begin with.

Sighing she shook her head as the wind blew again, there was always something refreshing about the night and its calm atmosphere.

"Lena," she stopped walking at hearing her name being called. Though it wasn't exactly like it was being called. It was more whispered. Spinning around to see whether someone was playing with her, she saw nothing on a quick glance. Lena even looked up toward the windows of the building she stood by. All the windows were closed though lights shined through majority of them.

Shrugging and believing it to be nothing but a figment of her imagination and possibly the wing, Lena continued on her walk. However, she just couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched…

She'd felt this way before, right? The night that ultimately got sent to Ipswich to begin with…

"Lena," There it was again. Her name being called. She looked over her shoulder once more, but decided for her sanity and probably her safety she should head back inside. "Lena, look at me," this one was louder as though it was said directly in her ear. Picking up her speed, she nearly broke into a run as she headed toward the building only to stop short of running into someone.

She let out a small shriek, when realizing it was that boy from Friday night she let out a slow breath.

"I'm sorry," Lena breathed.

"Afraid of the dark?" he asked.

"No," she glared. "It's just that these grounds are a lot scarier than I initially thought they'd be."

"Yeah," he shrugged. "It's almost like it was built on the grounds of hundreds of burned witches."

Lena blinked a few times before he smirked at her.

"I'm kidding," he said. "Witches aren't real."

"Of course they aren't…" Lena nodded. She wrapped her arms around herself suddenly feeling cold, like her warmth was literally being sucked out of her. She had unshakable sense that she needed to run.

"I think I should be going though," she started. "It's fucking cold and I have a lot of shit to get done," Lena began to move around him.

"Probably for the best," he said. "Too much exposure could get you killed."

"That's dramatic and you're very strange…" she paused and looked at him. "I don't even know your name."

The boy turned and looked at her, his blue eyes dancing in delight. "Chase."

"Well, I'm Lena…"

"Yes, I know," he nodded. Eyes showing far more mirth than she had seen them previously. She must have frowned because he grinned. "Everyone talks about the new girl. Or have you forgotten your own status with hanging with the Sons of Ipswich?"

"I've had a rather long day actually," she mumbled. "It must have slipped my mind…" she trailed off before starting to move again, "So I guess I'll see you around?"

"Most certainly."

Lena frowned, why had he said it like that?

"Lena?" turning the other way she found Caleb Danvers standing there his keys hanging in his hands. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just—" she thrusted her thumb over her shoulder and made to glance at Chase only to find him not there. "What the…I was just talking to him…"

"Talking to who?" Caleb asked. A frown had began to etch its way into his handsome features and Lena didn't understand why.

"C'mon," she laughed nervously. "You had to have seen him. He was just here. I was…" she stopped when Caleb's frown grew deeper.

"You were just standing there," he said. "There was no one there."

Lena shook her head, she wasn't crazy.

But this was the second time that this had happened…she could see how she might seem crazy.

Forcing a (hopefully believable) laugh. "I'm only fucking with you, Caleb!" she said. "I've got a terrible sense of humor! But I'm freezing so I'll, um, I'll see you in class tomorrow!"

"Wait," he said when she made to walk around him. "I'll walk you back to your room," he said.

"There's no need," she shook her head. Caleb shook his head.

"It's no trouble," he said. "I was actually on my way to Sarah's. You live on the same floor don't you?"

Lena had the feeling he was lying about going to see Sarah because she was under the impression he had just left from there, but she smiled and nodded.

"If it's not out of your way."

"It's not," he reiterated before signalling her to lead the way.

It hadn't been until they had gotten to the staircase that Caleb spoke again.

"You're shaking," he said.

"I told you I was freezing," Lena said.

"Not the kind of shaking you have when you're cold," Caleb took her hand gently. "The kind people get when they're nervous or scared."

Lena lowered her gaze and she swallowed around the lump in her throat. Now that he mentioned it, she realized that her heart was pounding far faster than it should have been and that there was a very distinct shake in her hands.

She wasn't cold any longer, had she ever actually been cold?

But she knew one thing, she was most definitely scared.

"Spenser's is something straight out of a really bad teen thriller," she answered taking her hand back. "I thought I was brave enough to face that thrill."

Caleb chuckled ever so politely. "Yeah, well it does have its own special charm," he said. "But are you sure you're okay?" he asked. "Just when I found you…"

"Geez," Lena sighed. "Yeah, I'm good. You know, you're quite worried for someone you barely know, Caleb. Why is that?"

Caleb pondered the question before answering, "I've never been new before but I would assume it wouldn't be easy to move somewhere and not know anyone. I guess I'm just trying help you fit in. Everyone is."

Lena frowned, "Wow, that's thoughtful of you guys. I appreciate it…" she said. "Almost everyone else as been rather…rude," she laughed softly. "This is actually my first time being new somewhere. I didn't have many friends back home but at least I knew how things work."

"I can understand that," he said. "Being out of your element must be tough."

"I'm grateful you're all trying to not make it so hard," she said. "I only pretend I'm unbothered."

"I kind of figured," he said. "Reid is like that too. Except he acts out."

Lena smiled, "If you continue to try to be my friend, you'll see you've got two of us on your hands Mr. Danvers."

Caleb smiled back as she came to a stop. "This is me," she said pointing at her door. "Thanks for walking me back. And talking to me, I actually feel better," she chuckled. "I wasn't even aware I needed to feel better. So super thanks."

"Really don't mention it," he said. "If you ever need anything you could—" he paused, "None of us exchanged numbers the other night," he pulled out his phone and held it out to her. Realizing what he was doing, she pulled her own from her pocket and switch with him.

After tapping on each other devices they swapped back, Caleb spoke again.

"Now that that's settled, if you need anything don't hesitate to call or text."

"You are seriously one of the nicest people to walk the earth," Lena said. "You really live up to your nickname," she teased. "Have a good night Caleb and thank you again. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

Lena turned and entered the room. She leaned against the door once it was closed and sighed. Abby looked up from the bed, tip of a pen in her mouth. Removing it slowly she spoke.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," she said.

"I don't think it's that dramatic," Lena repeated. "But this place just might be haunted."

"Told you not to walk on your own."

Lena scoffed and pushed away from the door.

"Yeah, well don't worry too much about me. Caleb walked me back."

Abby's mouth dropped open, "You're determined to be friends with the Sons aren't you?"

"Something is telling me, I may not have a choice…" she mumbled. She dropped her phone onto her desk and tried to ignore the fact that her hands were shaking again.

The moment the door closed Caleb backed away from it and started down the hallway. As he did he searched his contacts until he found the person he wanted. Pressing dial he put the phone to his ear.

It rang three times before a voice on the other line sounded.

"Sup?"

"You were right," he said. "There's something different about her."

Listen, I know I'm terrible for leaving it here after YEARS of not updating lol. Hopefully, I can update quicker lol. If you're still here after all this time, thank you for waiting for me. And if you're new around these parts, welcome! It's nice to have you!

Also, a MySpace reference lol. Writing this story takes me way back lol.

Review me, maybe?

Take Care,

TR