Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Chapter 3:

"Ms Sage you need to try something…anything" said the music teacher on the seventh weeks of school.

"I don't know what to do…really." I was sitting as far in the auditorium as I was allowed to go.

"But why did you choose music then?" She replied, standing straight and commanding, in the middle of the stage.

What could I say here really? That the other classes where full and that I couldn't dance for the life of me only leaving music as, a suicidal, yet only solution?

"If you don't sing anything or play an instrument you'll fail…it's as simple as that." She smiled. "I'm not as idiotic to think that failing music will ruin your academic career, but a 'fail' will look bad on your college application no matter what."

"Just do it, even if it's terrible she won't fail you." I heard a voice murmur from behind me making me jump.

"Matt?" I whispered not turning around.

He chuckled. "My last class got cancelled, I decided to come and wait here for you."

"She won't fail me?"

"I swear, and if you accept to perform in the winter spectacle you'll get an A for the full year…I embarrassed myself in it last year, but it was worth for not showing up for the rest of the year."

"Miss Sage?" The irritated voice brought me back to reality.

"Okay I'm coming" I said, and I saw her face gleam with success. She probably thought it was her threats that motivated me, but actually it was Matt. It was true that I didn't; care if I embarrassed myself. It was not like I had friends and I would probably never see any one of them after this year.

I started to sing Rolling in the Deep by Adele knowing it would sound more or less decent with voice.

When I was done, I was pretty happy not to hear any laugh.

"Very well" Said Miss Taylor clearing her throat. "You can go back to your seat."

"That was awesome!" Whispered Matt, from behind. "You will get an A without embarrassing yourself in the process."

"It's just…" I shrugged. I used to sing in our church choir when I was a child, before my sister ran away and I had to take over role of the family apprentice alchemist. "I just don't sing much" I simply said not wanted to talk to him about my family issues.

"You will find the form for the school winter art show on the wall by the exit. Don't forget that putting your name and performing will automatically get you an A for the year." Said the teacher.

"You'll do it?" Asked Matt more loudly as we exited the auditorium.

"I guess so…" I said gloomily. I knew that being into the art would also help me in the college application. It was not like I really intended to go to university. I was supposed to go back to my life after this year, go back at being an alchemist…'a perfect little soldier' as Adrian had called me before. But right now i was not sure anymore, I didn't know if they were going to give me my job back…I wasn't sure I WANTED my job back.

I had changed, being sent away made me rethink a lot of things about what I was, and who I was supposed to become. I was not sure I liked this idea much anymore. I needed a back-up plan just in case.

I wrote my name on the list, and I could see that the unconditional A motivated a lot of people as it seemed the whole class signed the paper.

"So why did you came? Not bailing on me right?" I asked, taking the direction of the science lab. The Chemistry teacher loved me; apparently I was the best student he ever had in his class. I knew I was pretty good, but going to the extent of 'the best I ever had', made me seriously questioned the standards of admission in this, so called, exclusive private school.

"What would you have missed me if I bailed?" He asked, nudging me gently.

"No it was just so hard to convince Mr. Reilly to let us be in the lab unintended to prepare you for your practice exam…I'm not sure I'll be able to convince him again."

"Oh…" He said looking down to his shoes.

What did I say again? It was as I was making him uncomfortable some days without knowing why. I sighed. It was so much easier to deal with Eddie and the depressed Adrian who I still had no idea on how to help.

"Hey how can you make a depressed guy feel better?" I asked out of the blue. Maybe Matt could give me some idea. He was maybe human, and Adrian a Moroi, but at the end of days, there were both males.

"I'm not depressed."

"Good to know but I don't see what it has to do with anything."

He blushed a little. "Nothing I guess."

"No it's a guy who just had a bad break up, and he is down all the time…I just want him to feel better."

"I don't know Syd" he said sitting on his table opening the book to look at his experience.

I scrunched my eyebrows taken aback. I was not used to him to reply that coldly. "Okay…let's concentrate on the experience."

We had finished the first experience when he took a deep breath. "You have to make him feel better about himself."

"What? Who?" I asked, trying to add some sulfur to the test tube.

"The guy who is depressed. I presume it's the girl who dumped his ass right?"

I nodded.

"Well believe me…he is probably feeling like shit right now, like a good for nothing. It's never good for a guy ego to be dumped or repeatedly rejected by the girl we really like. He ran of his hand in his hair. Make him think he is very good at something, like better than you and that you want to I don't know…learn from him."

"So I'll have to lie then?"

He chuckled. "Yeah…but you can also find something in which he is better than you."

"He is great at drinking and whoring, but I don't really need to excel in that." I let out not really thinking.

"He doesn't really look like a drinker."

"Who?"

"The guy you are talking about, the guy that came with you to church for the past four weeks."

"Eddie? You…" I shook my head. "No it's for Adrian my…cousin." It was still so weird to call him that and it still surprising that noone caught us on that lie yet.

"Oh that's great!" he said with clearly more enthusiasm, which confused me even more.

"Why did it even matter who I wanted to help?"

"But my first idea won't work for family…why don't you try to help him change his mind, make him concentrate on something else or maybe…" he trailed off.

"Maybe what?"

"Help him find another girlfriend."

I snorted "yeah…let's try the other thing before okay?"

When I got home I was still trying to think of what I could do that might be an interest to Adrian, and I didn't come with much that I would want to be associated with. I still had my shot to heaven, and I was pretty sure that doing anything that the man enjoyed would send me straight to hell.

I saw the pile of books he bought for his classes, and half of them were about architecture. That was something I was really good at….maybe we could find something after all.

Eddie and Jill were not here; he probably took her shopping as he promised her. I thanked God for tutoring it gave me a fantastic excuse to skip shopping.

I took a deep breath before knocking on Adrian's door. He couldn't be so drunk just yet. I tried a quick, energetic knock.

"I told you no Castile! I don't care if it's his birthday or not I will not go to court."

I opened the door slowly letting my head in. " Well that's good to know, I don't even know whose birthday it is, but I share your aversion" I said, in an attempt to joke. I should avoid that…I wasn't funny, I never was.

He raised an eyebrow looking up his book. Seeing him study surprised me more than I thought it could. "Sydney Sage came to the evil lair?" He asked with a mocking grin. "It has to be very important."

"What are you doing?" I asked, jerking my head toward the book.

"Really? I ummmm" he didn't expect that and seeing Adrian taken aback was pretty funny. "I'm trying to find a project for my history of architecture class."

I leaned against the door frame. "Can I give you an idea?"

"I'm always open to anything you might suggest wise one." He said clearly with a double meaning. He knew all his sexual allusion made me widely uncomfortable, and he used it all the time.

"You know Sage means Wise in French right?" I said, sidetracked

"Why do you think I used it? I'm not as retarded as you think i am."

"I never said…." He sat straighter as in daring me to finish that sentence. "Anyways, what writing your paper on the Spanish architectural influence in South California?"

He froze looking at me like a second head just grew out.

"What"? I asked self-consciously.

"That's actually brilliant!" He said jumping up, closing his book.

I snorted. "Why? Did you really doubt my intelligence?"

"Well, as far as helping me is concerned, absolutely! I thought you would come up with something involving my influence on whore houses or something."

"Oh…I did not think of that!" I said really sadden.

He chuckled reaching for his digital camera. "Want to come with?" He asked, surprising me.

I knew I would not have been his first choice of companie in a normal situation, but we were literally the two only person here. Plus, it might even be good for my operation "Get Adrian to a bit better than dead slug" state

"Only if I can drive." I said looking with longing at the keys of his Audi R8. I would rather die than admit it but I was in love with the sport car he bought two weeks ago. Apparently he was fed up to get driven around by Eddie and bought it. I almost kissed the damn car, but I had to pretend to be smug….that had been so hard.

"Drive?" He looked at the keys in his hands before looking back at me. "You want to drive princess?"

"Princess? You gave a name to your car?" I grimaced.

"So? Some people name their penises."

"I-" I knew I was blushing furiously, and I wanted to kick him in the shins for that. "I know more about cars than you will ever do….trust me Adrian."

He threw me the keys, "I trust you wise one."

I barely caught them….that was Adrian alright; I really didn't know how to stand with him. Each time I thought I had him figured out, he came up with something and threw me off.

We had fun this afternoon; more fun than I had in a while…more fun than I expected to have, especially with him.

"I can help you organize all that" I said as we got out of the car.

"What do you mean? You want to write the paper for me?" He asked, teasing. "Well…I would not want to impose and all that but if you want to I will not stop you."

I laughed punching his shoulder playfully. "Yes you can sit on that one!"

"Yes that's more like it" he said laughing too wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

I had to admit it was nice to hear him laugh knowing it was because of me. I was helping him get better I was actually useful.

"Sydney?" I heard someone call from behind me making my smile disappear in an instant.

I turned around. "What are you doing here?"