Well, I was kind of disappointed by the amount of reviews by the last chapter *ahemoneahem* so I don't know if you guys have stopped reading or something? But there you go anyway. I've stayed up writing this, so I hope you guys ENJOY IT!

Warmth in the Darkness, Chapter 9: Say Goodbye

Vivienne's P.O.V

"Darrion. The radius is needed because you need to find the area of the circle."

Darrion stared at Vivienne as if she were speaking in another language. She resisted calling him an idiot again for the fifth time in ten seconds. For god's sake. She shouldn't have picked the seat next to him in math.

"How do you find the area, then?" He asked.

She pursed her lips and stared at him. Seriously? The formula was right there. On the sheet, right in front of his face. She tapped the formula and plugged in her iPod, turning it up high.

Before long, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"What."

"So Viv, you add this together and then multiply it by that, right?"

Vivienne didn't even try to see what he was saying. It was too much work.

"Darrion… I have to do my math too. Ask Mr. G or Rachelle or something." She turned back to her work. And waited. Waited for him to tap her shoulder again.

But when she finished almost a page of math, he didn't do anything. Weird. She turned around to look at him, to see where he'd gone. But he was still there; his head was down on the desk, hands gripping his head. She lightly touched his shoulder.

His head snapped up and he looked at her. Her heart gave a weird thump in her chest as she noticed his eyes were bloodshot and unfocused. His face was scrunched up, as if trying to remember something and his fingers were still gripping his head. There was no trace of a smile on his face.

"Uhh… Darrion?"

She was wary that he would jump up and scare her or something.

"Viv." He let his hands drop and put one on her shoulder, squeezing.

"Ow!"

"Vivienne. I can't remember. Oh my god, I can't remember. Help me."

Okay, this was getting weird. "Umm…"

"What – no I can't – there's – yesterday he – ughhh…" His eyes never stayed on her face, always jumping around everywhere.

His head snapped to another direction and when he looked at her again, his gaze was finally clear.

"Darrion?" She shivered unconsciously.

"So Viv, can you help me find the area of this?" He asked, voice normal.

Vivienne looked at him strangely. Is there something wrong with him?

"Viv!" She didn't answer. Just stared. "Such a nice friend you are!" And with that, he stomped away.

She kept her gaze on him the whole time.

"TOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!"

Vivienne thought of the shriek as a wave that traveled through the hallway, drowning everyone in the pure agony of its shrillness. Students flattened themselves against lockers and walls to avoid a flying bomb that ran with lizard legs. Eliza was instantly in Tom's arms despite the fact that he was carrying a crapload of stuff already. She instantly began her lecture of how he should've come back earlier and lalalalalala. Vivienne dispersed into the crowd before Tom used her as a lifeboat. She would say hi later.

Vivienne slipped into the classroom just as the bell rang.

"Vivienne." A deep voice caused her to trip and almost fall flat on her face. A strong hand gripped her in time, and she saw a few black rings that contrasted with the pale skin. The spot that he'd touched tingled in a familiar way and she sat down confusedly.

"Tomorrow is your test, and you have this period to work on the review sheets I passed out to you," Mr. Gyld said in the front of the classroom.

She blinked out of her daze and looked around her. Her search landed on a particular guy she held an extreme dislike for, whom so happened to be sitting on her left. Will Rong. His powerful grace and beauty seemed to hit her physically once again. His black side bangs hung down sloppily on his face, and the room's lights lightened up his brown highlights. Earbuds hung from his ears and he was showing off a black earring in his lobe and one in his cartilage. Today, he was wearing a black tank top and she could see a delicate design of black roses and curving stems on his shoulder. She blinked again. It was still there.

This fourteen year-old has a tattoo?

He seemed to notice her gaze on him, because he turned from his work to study her with his mysterious black eyes. He removed one of his earbuds, leaving it dangling down the front of his shirt.

"Will you stop looking at me?" He asked in the voice of liquid ink. Very dark and sexy.

Vivienne's eyes bulged out. Did she just call him… sexy…? She stopped herself from laughing at the ridiculous-ness of the situation. First of all, they were talking to each other like they were very close acquaintances. Second of all, she just called a guy who wasn't famous "sexy". Weird day.

"Stop looking at me, or I'll make you." He glared and turned back to his work.

Vivienne unfroze and scowled. "Damn you," she muttered.

"Who taught Vivienne to swear past Eliza's guard?" Someone drawled behind her.

Vivienne twisted around to see who it was and beamed. "Tom!" She jumped up and embraced him with delight. She stepped back and gave him an onceover.

Tom was a tall guy, a tall emo guy at that, who had these beautiful green eyes like emeralds, as well as black spiked hair. His trademark black lip and eyebrow ring glinted with his eyeliner-lined eyes and his hands rested on the strap of the black food bag for Eliza. He always reminded Vivienne of Tom Riddle, as in Voldermort, except without that creepy, snaky look. He looked slightly tanned for the season and his arms seemed to have gone harder.

"Where's Eliza? Shouldn't she be here with you since you've been gone for so long?" She asked teasingly. She threw Will out of her mind and watched Tom pull up a chair beside her.

"I've managed to escape her… for now." He winked. "But she'll probably hang around for a longer time later."

"Have you said hi to everyone else yet?"

"All but Kristina and you. Well, not you anymore." He lowered his voice. "I don't really want her to… you know. I don't want Eliza to get pissed again."

Vivienne nodded in understanding. Yes, she knew backstabbing was horrible, but seriously, everyone makes fun of others. She was just… following a trend. She and Tom had lots of conversations about Kristina, conversations that wouldn't be pleasant for Kristina to know about.

"Well," she clapped her hands in delight. "I'm glad you're back!!!"

Tom grinned. "No, you're just waiting to see if I brought presents for everyone."

"No…"

"Yeah right, I can see it in your eyes." He poked her. "Anyways, you'll all be glad to know that I have brought fucking presents for everyone."

"No swearing!" Vivienne yelled.

"Are you done your work, Vivienne?" Mr. Gyld asked from his desk while Tom hid underneath her desk.

She smiled sheepishly. "No…" She ducked her head and started reading the first question.

"Ha, loser," Tom whispered gleefully.

"Shut up."

"Hey," His voice turned serious, and he kept his low tone. "Who's that guy beside you?"

She didn't need to look to know he meant Will. "He's called Will and he's an idiot."

Tom chuckled. "What did he do?"

"Oh, nothing he just annoys me. He's sort of like Mike, ya know?"

"I…" He hesitated. "I… I have a feeling that –"

"Tommy!" Eliza flew in and sat down on his lap.

"Eliza!" I grinned, relieved. Hmm. Wonder why.

"What are you doing in here?" Tom asked happily.

"I was looking for you, stupid."

"Okay then." He patted her head.

"Where's my present?"

"Ummm…"

Eliza spun around and hit him on the head. "You didn't bring me a present?!"

Tom rubbed his head thoughtfully. "I think I might've forgotten…" Before Eliza could hit him again, he added, "Joking, joking."

Tom lifted Eliza up and placed her on the ground, standing up himself. "See you later," he said meaningfully to Vivienne. To Eliza, he held his hand out and smiled. "Come," he said simply.

Both of them walked away, leaving Vivienne alone and bewildered. What was the deal with Tom? And what was the deal with her instincts? First she feels that Darrion is messed up, and then she feels relieved that Tom got interrupted? Tom wouldn't have… no. As the bell rang, she threw a useless pencil into the garbage can, visualizing her thoughts going with it.

Vivienne followed the rush of the crowd, and felt the excitement of the end of school. She, on the other hand didn't want school to end. She loved the lectures that drove all the drama away and the feeling of accomplishment. Suddenly, through the pushing and shoving, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and immediately knew who it was. Darrion. It was so familiar, and so familiarly annoying that she couldn't help but glare.

"What now?" She hastily added a smile after, so it wouldn't seem too harsh and more like a joke.

Darrion laughed. "Hey Viv."

So clueless. "Hi."

He opened his locker noisily. "What's for homework?" He asked, taking out a science textbook.

"English, math, science and drama," she said distractedly. She had to finish the French project, or else Will would start annoying her again, and what good would that be? She scowled to herself. Oh, and what was Tom going to say…? She pondered vaguely.

A loud thump accompanied by a sharp pain on her right toe sucked her out of her thoughts.

"What is your problem?!" She immediately yelled at Darrion.

But he was past noticing. He stood stock still in the middle of the hallway. His hands gripped his head again, and his eyes were squeezed shut. He kept muttering something under his breath.

"Uhh… Darrion?" She asked hesitantly.

He returned to normal abruptly and picked up his bag and textbook. Someone shouted something at him and he yelled back, as if nothing had happened. Ugh. Is this some sort of joke?! She straightened herself and threw her backpack on, muttering curses all the way.

"Darrion!" She finally yelled.

"Yeah?" He looked down at her. His eyes were sparkling.

"What's wrong with you?" She refused to admit she was crazy.

He stopped joking around and settled for a serious face that hardly came across his face. "Nothing's wrong with me."

"Then what's with this?!" She demonstrated the pose he had when he was clutching at his head.

"I..." She noticed his eyes weren't sparkling… but they were shining. What the hell? "I remember," he murmured. "I remembered, and now I'm going to pay for it." His mutter was full of dread. His hands fidgeted by his sides. Were those tears in his eyes?

"What?! ...Darrion can you stop this joke? You're pissing me off."

"I've found out. I remember… all that blood… I'll pay for it today," he muttered, his hands shaking. "I'll pay for it… nowhere to hide… the price is blood..."

Vivienne stared at Darrion as he hurried out the school, ignoring all the hi's and bye's and his hands shaking uncontrollably all the way. What's wrong with him? She wondered. Maybe it's a joke. Some lame joke. Whatever.

Her heart started to thump unevenly as she got out of the building and dread filled her every sense. It seemed to squish her from everywhere, so she couldn't breathe. Vivienne quickened her pace, and later that night, even when she staring at the ceiling, she felt a strange kind of remorse and guilt tied in with terror.

Dadada!! Review please? =(