Hi!
Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. From the last chapter and onwards the real trouble begins, but I think you already noticed that…
Um, well, enjoy! (Remember to review!)

The crowd parted for Valkyrie as she walked away.
She strolled out the school gates and walked up to the Bentley, opening the door and getting in.

"Hi Skulduggery." Valkyrie mumbled; she clearly wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Valkyrie what were you thinking!" yelled Skulduggery as he drove.
"What'd I do?"
"You just beat up the school bully, in public! What happened to keeping a low profile!"
"You were watching!"
"Of course I was! You call me telling me to pick you up late because you're getting in a fight with mortal! I have every excuse imaginable to be watching!"
"I'm sorry! I was in a bad mood already when he challenged me! I had to go through detention today! Do you have any idea how awful it is to write 'I will not copy peoples work' out one hundred times!"
"…No."
"Didn't think so!"
"That isn't a good enough excuse. Hundreds of kids were watching! How are you supposed to explain what they saw to them!"
"Get Geoffrey Scrutinious to sought it out, it's his job to do that stuff anyway."
"Well what about Carol and Crystal? What if they tell your mom? And what if they saw you get in this car? How would you explain that?"
"I don't know!"
"OK Valkyrie, I'll let you off the hook this time, but if you ever do that again there will be consequences. Promise me you'll never do it again."
"Fine… I promise."

They drove the rest of the way home in silence. He stopped at the pier, and they got out the car.

"Bye Skul'." said Valkyrie.
"Why did you call me 'Skul'?" asked Skulduggery
"Because 'Skulduggery' is too long."
"Even if it is too long don't call me that. It sounds like trash talk. I'm a sophisticated man, I will not be ridiculed."
"Whatever…"
"See, your doing it again, stop now."
"What I do?"
"You just did it again!"
"You're getting on my nerves, please be dismissed."
"Why'd you stop talking all 'slang' now? And why are talking like me when I see Fletcher?"
"Stop asking questions. And I thought I told you, you were dismissed?"
"Ahgh, fine. Bye Valkyrie."
"Bye Skul'."
"Don't call me that!"

He got back in the Bentley and drove off.

"God, what an ego-maniac." Thought/giggled Valkyrie as she turned a corner and walked up the road to her house.

She carried on walking, unfortunately her house was at the other end of the road and the road practically lasted forever.
She suddenly remembered she was still wearing her special clothes.

"Oh, shit!" she mumbled. Valkyrie quickly ran behind a bush and changed into her normal clothes, stuffing her special ones in her back-pack.

She ran up the road to her house as fast as she could, she was late.
Valkyrie grabbed her keys out her pocket and unlocked the front door. It had been so long since she'd actually gone through her front door.

"Hi mum!" she yelled.

Her mum stormed into the hallway, an expression of 'I'm pissed with you' on her face.
"Young lady, where have you been!" she demanded.
Valkyrie quickly made up an excuse; "I met up with Hannah on the way home, we kinda lost track of time… sorry."

"I just got a call from Beryl saying Carol and Crystal saw you get out a black car this morning when you arrived at school, and they said they saw you get in it when you were leaving, they said that man 'Skulduggery Pleasant' was driving it. They also said you got in a fight with the school bully this morning. I also got a call from Kim Patricks's mum, Leanne Winston's mum and Hannah Foley's mum saying the same thing. Explain yourself."

Valkyrie went pale; "I am so busted." she thought. "Um…" her lips wouldn't move to say anything else.
"Go to your room! When your father gets home you've got a lot of explaining to do."

Valkyrie walked up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. She sat on her bed and grabbed her cellphone.
She called Skulduggery; he picked up on the second ring.

"Hi Valkyrie!" he boomed.
"Ssh! Carol and Crystal saw me get in and out the Bentley with you. They phoned my mom about it." she whispered.
"Oh god… um, look Valkyrie there's nothing I can do."
"Am I gonna have to tell them?"
"I'm afraid so…"
"Well maybe if you came over it would be easier to explain?"
"I'll try, but I honestly think they'll faint if they see me."
"Just, please come. I can't possibly explain by myself."
"I'll be there in…?"
Valkyrie checked her watch, "One hour."
"Bye, good luck not getting grounded."
"Bye Skulduggery."

She put the phone down and waited. Every second felt like weeks, every minute felt like months and every hour felt like years.
It seemed like eternity until her dad arrived home.

"Melissa! Stephanie! I'm home!" he yelled up the stairs.

Valkyrie could hear her mum rush down the stairs. She couldn't make out what they were saying but she figured her mom was telling him about the phone calls she'd gotten. He didn't sound very happy.

"Stephanie, get down here now!" he yelled.

Valkyrie walked out her room and down the stairs, this wasn't going to be easy.

"Come," here said pointing to the dining room.

They all walked in and sat down.

"Stephanie, what were you doing with that man?" her father asked.
"Uh, how do I say this…?"
"I asked you a question." he demanded.
"I… um… uh… he's a friend…" she tried.
"Stephanie, your father wants a proper answer." her mum told her.
"Um… magic."
"What?" her parents said in unison.
The doorbell rang before she could answer. "Thank God he's here." She mumbled.
"I'll get it." said her mum.

She rushed to the door and opened it to see… Skulduggery Pleasant.

"Oh, it's you," she said looking him up and down like he was some kind of freak.
"Mrs Edgley, may I come in?"
"Uh… of course."

She led him to the dining room. Valkyrie's dad was shooting daggers at him. (Figuratively speaking)

"Hello, Mr Edgley." said Skulduggery.
"Good afternoon Mr Pleasant." He didn't look at all happy to see him.
"Val… I mean Stephanie asked me to come over, she said it might be easier to explain if I was here."
"Oh, well, please take a seat."

Skulduggery sat down across the table from him, trying not to run away screaming "Mommy!"

Valkyrie's dad began interrogating them; "Stephanie, what were you doing with one of Gordon's… friends." he asked, slightly disgusted.
Valkyrie and Skulduggery looked at each other, tough question. "Magic," they both said at the same time.
"I don't know what you mean?" he said, puzzled.
They both clicked their fingers, producing a flame. "Magic," they said.

I know it wasn't very good but I had writers block, it was the best I could do! Sorry.

Remember to review!
I won't make the next chapter until I get at least three reviews, so if you want to see what happens next… R-E-V-I-E-W-!