Chapter 8:

Disclaimer: I don't own White Collar.

"Well this is odd."

"You can say that again."

I stared at the familiar face in front of me. I was not expecting anything like this for the first day of school. Especially him.

"Kaiden?"

Let's rewind here.

A month ago, I was informed by Elizabeth and Peter that I would be enrolled in the Graceland South High School when it opened the next year. I was shocked, to say the least. I knew that I was staying with the Burkes for 'security and safety' reasons, but for so long that I was actually going to go to a real school? I was home schooled in the foster home, we all were. There would be a couple of different tutors that would come in each week and teach us a new lesson.

Kaiden and I would try to skip as many as possible.

After Christmas and New Year's passed, both uneventful, except for when I received a gift from the Burkes. It was a new hat, a maroon baseball cap with a star on the top of it. Needless to say that I was speechless. It had made me feel a little bad that I hadn't gotten them anything.

The first day of school was horrific, in my sense. I was not pleased, not at all. The kids either ignored me, or stared at me. Occasionally one or two would say hi in the halls but that was it.

I also had a bad case of twitchy hands. I felt edgy being in a new place and I honestly just wanted to get out.

But, school wasn't that bad until lunch, where I found a very familiar face waiting in front of me in the lunch line.

~!~

"Kaiden?" I said disbelievingly. My best friend was standing in front of me, mouth open just like mine in shock. His hair had grown a little bit longer and he had grown an inch or two, but otherwise he was still Kaiden.

"Kat?!" He asked, just as surprised as me.

A smile slowly grew on my face, "I can't believe it!" I exclaimed. I was so happy to meet him again I immediately gave him a hug. Which was unusual for us.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" He asked, after returning the hug. He grabbed my shoulders and stared into my face. "Did you get adopted?!"

I shook my head, "Nah man, just into trouble, that's it."

He let go of my shoulders and ordered me to stay by his side, once we sat down we would talk. I smirked at him.

Once we both got out lunches, we grabbed a table quickly and began to talk. I explained to him about what happened but once I got to the shooting he stopped me.

"You fu-"

"Kaiden please." A feminine voice said, "No swearing near the new kid." A girl with long red hair sat next to Kaiden. "You must be the new kid, Katie, right? I'm SJ."

"Kat." I corrected. "Call me Kat." I turned to Kaiden. "You already replaced us?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kaiden immediately raised both of his hands in a surrendering manner, "What? God no, you idiot!" He rolled his eyes when I grinned. "SJ, this is Kat, my partner in crime back at the foster home. Kat, this is SJ."

I cocked my head to the side and studied SJ. She did the same to me.

"Alright, I'll vet her later." I said nonchalantly. "Back to the story." I ignored the fact that SJ was listening eagerly to my story as I finished.

Kaiden stared at me. "You went into the FBI building?! Alone? Why didn't you come and get me for back up, you ass! Or what about Suz?"

"Oh yeah, she got adopted by the way. Single mom apparently. Had a nice tattoo of a skull though." I added.

Kaiden's mouth dropped.

"I hate you sometimes." He said in shock. "Also, so are the Burkes fostering you or…? He trailed off.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Truth be told, I'm not really sure myself. I just know that for right now, I live in their house. It's supposed to just be for protection against Antonio's men."

Kaiden knew that while I was not lying, I was leaving something out.

"Hey," He said, pointing a finger at me. "Don't you dare leave anything out. That counts as lying and you know it!"

I scowled then sighed. "I think, that maybe, I might be staying at their place for a while."

SJ finally made her move, "Wait, you're saying that you and Kaiden used to pickpocket people and after he got adopted you get involved in a murder for some jewels or something and then you get to live with an FBI agent and his wife?"

I nodded.

She sat back in her chair. "You guys, are insane." She picked up her lunch tray. "Well, as much fun as this was, and it was, trust me, the others are probably sending out a search team for me. I'll see y'all later." She stood up and left, heading for another table in the cafeteria.

"You're going to have to explain that, you know." I told Kaiden. "Also, remember Neal Caffrey?"

He looked at me oddly, "Neal Caffrey? The Neal Caffrey? What about him?"

"Peter was the one who caught him."

Kaiden groaned. "You suck, you know that? You really suck at this lay low thing."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Eh, what can you do about it? It's fate, sometimes you just have to accept it."

Fate. Sometimes you do have to accept it. Doesn't mean you have to like it.

I heard Elizabeth and Peter stop talking. It was late at night and after I heard Elizabeth walk down the stairs I got up and followed. I overheard bits and pieces from their conversation, and from what I could make out, Neal Caffrey had, one: escaped from the super-max prison he was in, and two: had gotten caught again.

All for some girl?

My respect for him had gone down just a little.

I realized that Peter and Elizabeth had stopped talking that it was my cue to go back upstairs but just as I was turning around to head back, I heard Peter call out, "Are you there Kat?"

I froze and then rushed up the stairs trying to make as little noise as possible. I don't think that the fact that I accidently slammed my door helped any, but no one came in as I laid in bed,my heart pounding.

Neal had escaped and now he was trying to get some deal with Peter, but what deal was it? Granted, I had my own problems to deal with, but I couldn't help but be curious.

~!~

It was the morning after my eavesdropping session. "Um," I began as I was getting out my food for breakfast. Peter was enjoying a cup or coffee and reading a newspaper.

He looked up at me when I began to speak.

"Did he really escape?" I asked quickly, looking at Peter.

Peter looked half amused and half angry. After a moment or two he answer me, "Yes. Yes he did."

I bit the inside of my cheek. I poured out my cereal and sat down to eat it. "Are you going to, uh," I froze for a second when Peter put down the newspaper and stared at me. I swallowed, "I mean, he wants to make a deal, right? Are you going to…"

Peter interrupted me, "Am I going to let him back out to help me catch the Dutchman?"

I nodded, letting my eagerness show.

Peter sighed. "Don't you have a bus to catch?"

I checked the time and was very unpleasantly surprised to find to that I had five minutes to get to the bus before it left without me.

"Crap!" I shouted, jumping up and grabbing my bowl. I slammed my uneaten cereal into the sink and turned to Peter. "This isn't over." I said before running out the front door.

It barely accured to me that a month ago, I would have gotten thrown into juvi even stepping out of the house without Peter's permission.

THE END

THERE. I FREAKING GOT IT. I UPLOADED. SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT. AND THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS. Also, saw that Peter has BROWN eyes, not blue. My bad. Sorry.

Please review. and with that out of the way, it's time to say-

-GP2 OUT!