Hey everyone. So here is chapter three from the book. I want to give a shout out to Emmoria who kind of gave me the idea for this chaper from her review. It's Simons proloug again, and I know I have yet to put one in Derek's so maybe the next or maybe not. Liz will be popping up soon so the next chapter could be hers. I'll just try to keep you guys suprised. ;)

A/W: I dont own DP

SPROV

"Chloe! Hold up!" I'd just dumped my uneaten lunch in my locker and was walking away when Nate hailed me. I turned to see him edging sideways through a group of girls. The bell sounded and the hall erupted, kids jostling like salmon fighting their way upstream, carrying along anything in their path. Nate had to struggle to reach me.

"He must be part salmon if he can jump through the crowd in a school hallway during class change." I said remembering my own experiences back at my old school.

"You took off from film club before I could grab you. I wanted to ask if you're going to the dance."

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw D put a protective arm around Chloe.

"Tomorrow? Umm, yeah."

He flashed a dimpled grin. "Great. See you there."

My brother let out a low throaty growl. "Derek," Chloe said softly blushing a little. "Nothing happened and if it did it would matter." She kissed his cheek and Tori let out a fake gag.

I felt a pain of jealousy. Sure I liked Chloe a lot but I knew how she felt about my brother. They really needed each other, and I know one thing for sure was that he better take care of her.

A swarm of kids engulfed him. I stood there, staring after him. Had Nate just tracked me down to ask if I was going to the dance? It wasn't the same as asking me to the dance, but still… I definitely was going to need to rethink my outfit.

"You probably still would have picked out a terrible outfit." Tori said and Chloe through a pillow at. It missed and she settled for a playful glare.

A senior whacked into me, knocking off my backpack and muttering about "standing in the middle of the hall." As I bent to grab my bag, I felt a gush between my legs.

We all looked up at Chloe to see her face as red as fire truck. Derek and removed his arm from around her and was giving her an unreadable look. She lowered her face from our gazes.

"Maybe Tori should read the next part." She mumbled; before I could ask why Tori ripped the book out my hand. Leaving me with words of protests.

Oh God. Had I just wet myself? I took a deep breath. Maybe I was sick. My stomach had been dancing all day. See if you can clean it up if it's bad, take a cab home. In the bathroom, I pulled down my pants and saw bright red.

My face was blank. Thank god for Tori at this moment. I looked over at D and saw his face was as blank and unreadable as mine probably was. I shuttered just thinking about girly stuff like that, so I try not to. I am so glad that I'm not a girl.

For a couple of minutes, I just sat there, on the toilet, grinning like an idiot and hoping that the rumor about school bathroom cams wasn't true.

"It is true," Tori said and we gave her horrified looks. She rolled her eyes, "Oh relax. The have them angled so they can't see into the stall; that way they cans see who comes and goes."

"That's still really creepy," Chloe said and the rest of us agread.

I balled up toilet paper in my panties, pulled up my jeans, and waddled out of the stall. And there it was, a sight that had mocked me since fall: the sanitary napkin dispenser.

"Why is there a napkin dispenser in the bathroom?" I wondered dumfounded. "It's for real napkins idiot." Tori said and I replied with an "Uh? TMI."

I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill, a ten and two pennies. Back into the stall. Scavenge through my backpack. Find… one nickel. I eyed the machine.

Drew closer. Examined the scratched lock, the one Beth said could be opened with a long fingernail. Mine weren't long, but my house key worked just fine.

Tori paused and faked gasped, "Chloe you wouldn't."

A banner week for me. Getting shorted-listed for the director spot. Nate asking me about the dance. My first period. And now my first criminal act.

"First?" Derek said an eyebrow raised. "This was before you were a wanted fugitive right?" Chloe nodded and bit her lip trying to hide a laugh.

After I fixed myself up, I dug into my backpack for my brush and emerged instead with the tub of hair color. I lifted it. My reflection in the mirror grinned back at me.

Why not add "fist skipped class" and "first dye job" to the list? Coloring my hair at the school bathroom sink wouldn't be easy, but it would probably be simpler than at home, with Annette hovering.

"If your housekeeper was such a pain Chloe why didn't you fire her I mean your where practically in charge of her anyways right." Tori said. "Because she's better than that," I said.

Dying a dozen bright red streaks took twenty minutes. I'd had to take off my shirt to avoid getting dye on it, so I was standing over the sink in my bra and jeans.

Luckily no one came in. I finished squeezing the strands dry with paper towel, took a deep breath, looked… and smiled. Kari had been right. It did look good. Annette would freak.

My dad might notice. Might even get mad. But I was pretty sure no one was going to hand me a twelve-and-under menu anymore.

We all snickered a little at that except for Chloe.

The door creaked. I shoved the towels in the trash, grabbed my shirt, and dashed into the stall. I barely had time to latch the door before the other girl started crying. I glanced over and saw a pair of Reeboks in the next stall.

"Who would come to the bathroom to cry it so… germy." Tori said and wrinkled her noise.

Should I ask whether she was okay? Or would that embarrass her? The toilet flushed and the shadow at my feet shifted. The stall lock clicked open. When the tapa started, though, her sobs got even louder.

"She got some problems," I said and received a look for the gang. "I'm pretty sure we all have some Simon," Derek said with an eye roll. "Hey," I said glumly.

The water shut off. The towel roll squeaked. Paper crumpled. The door opened. It shut. The crying continued. A cold finger slid down my spine. I told myself she'd changed her mind, and was staying until she got things under control, but the crying was right beside me. In the next stall.

"What? Okay now I'm confused," I said. "When aren't you?" Tori said; she is such a drama queen. "Isn't it obvious?" Chloe said, "She was a ghost." Oh, well now it makes since, I thought.

I squeezed my hands into fists. I t was just my imagination. I slowly bent. No shoes in any of the stalls. The crying stopped. I yanked my shirt on and hurried from the bathroom before it could start again.

"I wonder how she died," Derek said. "And why she was in the school bathroom?" He had a point but then again it was Derek.

As the door shut behind me, all went silent. An empty hall. "You!" I spun to see a custodian walking towards me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Th-the bathroom." I said. "I was using the bathroom."

"Was that the ghost that you saw that got you sent to Lyle House?" Derek asked his head cocked to the side concern in his eyes. Chloe nodded and gulped but didn't say anything.

He kept coming. I didn't recognize him. He was maybe my dad's age, with a brush cut, wearing a school janitorial uniform. A temp, filling in for Mr. Teitlebaum. "I-I'm heading to class now." I started walking. "You! Get back here. I want to talk to you."

"Oh right, because a guy saying that isn't creepy." Tori said with a sarcastic tone.

The only other sound was my footsteps. My footsteps. Why couldn't I hear his? I walked faster.

"Strange," Derek muttered. "That you didn't know he was a ghost already." "Are you implying that I'm dumb?" Chloe asked her arms crossed. "What?" Derek looked panicked. "Hum, no, wait what?" Tori and I snickered.

A blur passed me. The air shimmered about ten feet ahead, a figure taking form in a custodian's shirt and slacks. I wheeled and broke into a run. The man let out a snarl that echoed down the hall.

A student rounded the corner, and we almost collided. I stammered an apology and glanced over my shoulder. The janitor was gone.

"Where'd he go?" I asked and Chloe shrugged. "I think he was still there."

I exhaled and closed my eyes. When I opened them, the blue uniform shirt was inches from my face. I looked up… and let out a shriek. He looked like a mannequin that had gotten too close to a fire.

"Ewe," Tori wined. "That is decussating." "Don't be such a girl Tori," I said in a fake high falsetto. She socked me in the arm and I feel face first off the bed, "Oh," I groaned.

Face burned. Melted. One eye bulged, exposed. The other eye had slid down near his cheekbone, the whole cheek sagging, lips drooping, skin shiny and misshapen and –

Ok so that was a little decussating. I had hold down my gag.

The twisted lips parted. "Maybe now you'll pay attention to me." I ran headlong down the hall. As I flew past one classroom door, it opened. "Chloe?" A man's voice. I kept running.

"The janitor?" "No," Chloe said, "Some teacher."

"Talk to me!" the horrible, garbled voice snarled, getting closer. "Do you know how long I've been trapped here?" I flew through the doors into the stairwell and headed up.

Up? All the stupid heroines go up!

"True," I mused. "It's an unfortunate truth," Chloe said a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

I veered across the landing and hit the next set of stairs. The custodian limped up the flight below, fingers clutching the railing, melted fingers, bone peeking through-

"Chloe you don't look so good," Derek said. Infact she was really pale. She shook her head, "I'm fine."

I barrelled through the doors and raced along the main hall. "Listen to me, you selfish brat. All I want is five minutes-"

D's hand balled into fists. "You should have just walked away." "How was she supposed to do that moran the creep was chasing her." Tori saids; Chloe said nothing.

I swerved into the nearest empty classroom and slammed the door. As I backed into the center of the room, the custodian stepped through the door. Right through it. The awful melted face was gone, and he was normal again.

"If he was solid I would have punched him if it were me," Tori said.

"Is that better? Now will you stop screaming and talk to-"

I darted to the window and started looking for a window and started looking for a way to open it, then saw how far down it was. At least thirty feet… onto pavement

"Do not even think about it Chloe." Derek said talking to the yellow pad. We all looked at him like he had lost it.

"Chloe!" The door flew open. It was the vice principal, Ms Waugh, with my math teacher, Mr Travis, and a music teacher whose name I couldn't remember. Seeing me at the window, Ms Waugh threw out her arms, blocking the two men.

"Chloe?" She said, voice low. "Honey, you need to step away from that window."

"I was just-"

"Chloe…" Confused. I glanced back towards the window.

"The thing that gets me is; why would the vice -principal's office unlocked?" "Yeah," I agreed it was pretty suspicious.

Mr Travis shot past Ms Waugh and tackled me. As we hit the floor, the air flew out of my lungs. Scrambling off, he accidentally kneed me in the stomach. I fell back, doubled over, wheezing.

"Ouch," I mumbled under my breath.

I opened my eyes to see the custodian standing over me. I screamed and tried to get up, but Mr. Travis and the music teacher held me down while Ms Waugh babbled into a cell phone.

The custodian leaned through Mr. Travis. "Now will you talk to me, girl? Can't get away."

"I swear if there is one more gross thing in this book then I'm going to give to art brains to read." Tori said and I rolled my eyes, she saw and elbowed me in the stomach.

I thrashed, kicking at the custodian, trying to pull away from the teachers. They only held me tighter. I vaguely heard Ms Waugh calling that help was on the way.

The custodian pushed his face into mine and it changed to that horrible melted mask, so close I was staring into his one bulging eye, almost out of its socket.

"That is it," Tori said and tossed the pad to me. She got up heading for the door. "Where are you going?" Chloe asked, "To go barf be back in a minute." "She's so charming," I muttered sarcastically and picked up the pad.

I chomped down on my tongue so I wouldn't scream. Blood filled my mouth. The more I fought, the harder the teachers restrained me, twisting my arms, pain stabbing through me.

"Can't you see him?" I shouted. "He's right there. Please. Please, please, please. Get him away from me. Get him away!"

"They thought I was crazy," Chloe said and lowered her head.

They wouldn't listen. I continued to struggle, to argue, but they held me still as the burned man taunted me.

Derek frowned deeply, and I glanced worriedly at him.

Finally, two men in uniforms hurried through the door. One helped the teachers restrain me while the other moved behind, out of my sight.

Fingers tightened on my forearm. Then a needle prick. Ice slid through my veins.

Derek looked shocked. "They drugged you?" Chloe nodded, "I fought against them which gave them a right too." Derek shook his head, "No it doesn't but then again it's the Edison group were talking about."

The room started to sway. The custodian faded, blinking in and out. "No!" he yelled.

"I need to speak to her. Don't you understand? She can hear me. I only want to…"His voice faded as the paramedics lowered me onto a stretcher.

Looking up at Chloe I saw she had a distant look on her face. "Hey, guys why don't we take a break and grab some lunch?" Derek nodded, "Sounds good." We headed out to find Dad and Chloe's Aunt.

The next chapter is pretty short but I'm not sure if I'll get it up any faster but I'll try. R&R!