Ah Neptune High, the place of torture some people refer to as… High School. When I was part of the in crowd I didn't put too much thought into the corruption at our school but now that I'm on the outside I've noticed a few weird things about Neptune High. Be it the unfair pirate points, allowing cheerleaders and jocks to have food delivered to school but no one else, or…. The new black kid taped buck-naked to the flagpole with the misspelt 'snitch' on his chest.

"Who'd that guy rat out?" asked some guy in the crowd surrounding the poor sucker.

"The bikers."

"Why doesn't someone cut him down?"

Someone scoffed. "Yeah, I'll do it. I wanna be the guy up there tomorrow!"

No one moved to help, and then some obnoxious dude approached the poor kid. The new kid looked hopeful but the look quickly tied when the jackass pulled out a camera and snapped a few shots.

I rolled my eyes and pushed through the crowd.

"Move," I snapped at the jerk.

"Who died and made you the quee-"

I pulled out my pocket-knife and smiled sweetly at him. "Go on."

He backed away and sneered. "Logan's right. You are a freak."

I flicked my hair at him, the way I used to at boys I was seducing. Now with my shoulder length short hair, it just looked arrogant. "Whatever," I said as I began cutting the boy down.

"You okay?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah I'm cool. This kind of thing happens to be me all the time," he said sarcastically.

I'd finished cutting him down by then, "Well you're welcome," I said cheerful in my old pep quad days. "Welcome to Neptune High. Goooooo Pirates!"

I turned and walked off as the bell rang, my great start to a brand new school year. The rest of the day was just as nifty. My advanced placement English teach Mrs Murphy attempted to get us interested in Alexander Pope's Essay on Man, she failed. The only reason I was in advanced placement was because Veronica had helped me, her teaching even after her death helped me stay there.

I walked around an empty corridor, books in had. I'd been hoping to get to lunch before everyone else to avoid café line shoving but no such luck.

Standing in front of my locker was one of my favourite men in uniform, holding onto a German Shepherd's leash, standing next to our Vive Principal Van Clemmons.

Deputy Sacks use to be Keith Mars' right hand man but managed to stay on the force by bad mouthing the ex-sheriff in front of the new one. He still gave me inside information every so often.

Like when they were doing the random locker searches, the latest tactics the administration had adopted in their loosing war against drugs.

"Lily Kane, this should be good," said Clemmons.

"Miss Kane will you please open your locker?" asked Sacks.

"Sure!" I said happily, I entered my code, and opened the locker. It was empty, all except a picture of Vinnie Van Low in a love heart shaped photo frame. "Wow," I gasped, fake horrified. "This is so embarrassing! Please don't tell the sheriff Deputy!" I gushed at Sacks who was trying desperately to hide his smirk.

After a long, weird pause, Clemmons let me go with a suspicious look. He never really liked me, convinced I was dragging sweet Veronica down into the mud. In the end, he turned out right. When the truth came out, he was so entitled to an 'I told you so'.

People at Neptune High are creatures of habit, they always sit at the same tables, so the only one left ever is one that faces the 09er table directly, I could turned around but then I'd been staring right at the stoners who always give me weird looks.

So I was subjected to staring in at my old life.

"You okay?" a voice broke me out of my musing. I blinked and saw that the boy from the flag pole was sitting in front of me, blocking the 09er table completely!

"Pardon?" I asked vacantly.

"You look, I don't know, hypnotised."

"You could say that," I said. I reach across the table. "I'm Lily. Lily Kane."

"I know," he said shaking my hand. "I'm Wallace Fennel."

There was a long silence.

"That was cool, what you did," he said awkwardly. "cutting me down and all. After the things I've heard about you… I didn't expect-"

"My bitch!" a loud Mexican voice cut Wallace's well meaning, but badly worded, thank you.

We both looked up and saw Eli Navarro, aka Weevil, the leader of Neptune's own biker gang the PCHers. I dated him for a while. I was using him for sex and a bad reaction from Celeste, he fell in love. I wish I could have returned the favour but I'd given up men.

"Eli," I whispered.

He blinked and stared down at me. His face visibly softened. "Lily," he chocked. "Haven't seen you for a while."

"Same here," I said. "I figured you didn't want to see me after I-"

Oh come on Lily, just say it. After I refused his proposal of marriage after high school and broke his heart. It was a month after Veronica's death and Eli was the only one who believed me about Aaron. I was trying to protect him, stop him from getting involved… trying to break up with him. So he popped the question.

"Yeah well…" he said awkwardly. He turned his attention back to Wallace. "I thought you were meant to wait for me at the flagpole, snitch."

Wallace shrunk in his seat. "Okay I get it," he laughed nervously. "Very funny."

"Yeah?"

"I guess we're even now. Right?"

Eli bent down right into Wally's face. "You get what boy? You get that you're a dead man walking, is that what you get?"

I sighed audibly. "Eli, tell me what happened."

Eli straightened up. "This kid works at Sack 'n' Pack. My boys came in last night and started fooling around." He shrugged. "I would have dealt with them, brought the boozed back but this snitch," he glared at Wallace. "pressed the silent alarm, called the sheriff in. Then didn't even have the balls to tell the man the story, just freaked and said nothing happened."

"Oh Wally," I shook my head. "Bad move. The only think the PCHers hate more than a snitch is a coward."

"PCHers?" queried Wallace.

"Them," I pointed at Eli and the group of leather clad Mexicans behind him. "Go on Eli."

"Anyway Sheriff didn't believe him and took the video tape. Now my boys are in lock up for robbery."

"I'll get it back," I said calmly. "Don enjoys messing with Vinnie, he'll help me."

Eli nodded. "Okay Lily. Hey," he reached out to touch my face. I moved back, using my short hair to hide my face. He looked hurt. "Call me sometime. Please."

"I can't Eli," I said firmly. "I can't."

I couldn't what? Pick up a phone? Have sex with him again? Love him?

He closed his eyes, a small trickle of water leaking out of it before casually wiping it and walking off. I'd hurt him badly and I had no one to blame but myself.

-

When I walked into work that afternoon Don was already with a client. Through the foggy glass door Don had installed after I peered in on one meeting, I couldn't tell who it was.

Irritated I lounged in the reception chair, feet up on the desk. I'd already handled the paper work so unless Don gave me a case I was bored, bored, bored.

The door swung open and who should enter but my very own Public Defender Cliff McCormack, Keith's best friend.

"Lily Kane," he said cheerfully.

"Don's with a client," I said automatically.

"Apparently. That's okay I'm happy chatting with you." He calmly sat down on the desk, making me swing my legs off it.

"Seriously Cliff, Don's with a client and I think it could be a while. Can I do anything for you?"

He smiled. "Yes you can, thanks for asking! One of my clients Loretta Cancun, she dances at the Seventh Veil…"

"Don't they all," I muttered.

"These are my people, Lils. She was busted for vandalism, taking a baseball bat to a washing machine that stole her quarters."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah yeah but what do you want me to do? You admit she did it. You want blackmail against the Seventh Veil?"

He grinned, "Got it in one kiddo. Miss Cancun tells me the Veil has an interesting way of keeping its liquor licence…" he stood up and headed for the door backwards. "Despite their rather lax ID policy. So if you could just get some proof that would be lovely. I'll give you twenty an hour."

I raised my eyebrow. "Twenty Cliff? We charge one hundred for normal clients."

"No friends discount?"

"Fifty or nothing."

He sighed. "You drive a hard bargain Lily, I guess that's why Lamb keeps you around. Okay, fifty it is."

He walked out. Sweet victory. Cliff was a good guy but I still needed the money and if I did this case by myself, I got all of the cash. That's how Lamb Investigations worked.

The door to Don's office open and Lynne Echolls walked out. Oho. She shot me a dirty glare.

"Don't get the wrong idea Mr lamb. I don't like you and I especially don't like your… help." She darkened her gaze at me. "I hate the fact I'm here but I do know that if anyone can follow Aaron it'll be you. He leaves on Friday afternoon at five. He says he'll be gone until Tuesday. Don't call me at home, I'll call you."

She finally walked out. Slamming the door behind her.

Don ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hi," he said.

We both watched through the window as Lynne drove off. Sure she's a bitch but can't blame her. I did try and send her husband away for life.

"How was your day?" he asked nicely.

"Don I told you to cut this crap. I'm your employee not your daughter."

"Um-hm," he said sceptically. "You getting good grades."

I rolled my eyes. "What did Mrs Echolls wants?"

He pulled up a chair. "You know that wasn't a social question. It was leading up to this question. Can you miss a few days of school?"

"Yep, sure. What's up?"

"I hate to ask knowing your history but…" he sighed and avoided my eyes. "Can you follow Aaron Echolls up to L.A? Lynne thinks he's going to meet a woman."

"Don..." I warned.

"I know I know! But I've got a bail jumper and I can't trust you with that. Too dangerous."

I raised an eyebrow. "And the man who murdered my best friend in cold blood isn't?"

"You're just following him, not contacting him. Please Lily. Take Ripper."

Ripper was Don's German Shepard. He used to be a police dog but Don had bought him from Keith when he knew that Keith was leaving.

"Fine," I grumbled. "I'll take a friend. Make it a road trip."

Don's face broke into a relaxed smile. "Thanks Lily. You're saving my bacon."

Yeah but who was going to save my bacon?