I walked somberly, my hands clenched at my sides. I was going to be in so much damn trouble with my dad when he found out about this. Even more than last time. My face was aching from being pulled so tight in anger already. Heart beating fast with actual fear of expulsion this time, I moved to my left more, closer to my partner in crime, my best friend, my first and only well, everything.

He was only a few inches taller than me, with short army-style hair and hazel eyes. He walked with way too much confidence, his oversized leather jacket making him appear horribly disproportioned. I'd never really seen him without it, now that I thought…To match his cocky walk, he wore a disturbing smirk, the same one that was always there. I couldn't believe he was still this sure of himself, even now, the fourth time we'd been caught at this. Despite my mischievous and hooligan-like tendencies, I would have hated actually being kicked out of school.

I wanted to talk to him, but there was a teacher right behind us as well as the resource officer. Well, even if I had been able to talk to him, I could have guessed exactly how the words would have arranged themselves. It wasn't hard with him, though I didn't know if it was because he ha no personality at all or I just knew him that well. On one hand, I knew for a fact that he had immense personality, and on the other, I'd always known there were a great many things he didn't tell me, and it bothered me.

Why the hell are you smiling?

I'm not.

…yes you are…

No, that's just the way my mouth is!

Well, put it a different way!

You first! How about closing yours?

I almost laughed as we walked just thinking about it, and I felt all of their eyes on me. I managed to control myself by focusing on the corner ahead, the same thing I did during funerals and sappy movie to keep from crying. I hated crying…

We turned that corner, and by then, I was over my desire to laugh, the principal's office lay two doors ahead. My eyes widened a bit and I locked my jaw.

"Are you scared or somethin'?"

I glared at him, glancing over my shoulder at our jailers staring at him for talking. My cheeks reddened and I scowled. I didn't want him thinking I was afraid of anything. We were in constant competition over everything.

"Shut up. I'm not scared." I hissed under my breath. "I'm sensible. You're stupid…"

He laughed, that smile (damn him) still present as we stepped into Principal Hemmory's office.

The Principal sat in that supposed 'manly' way, his right foot slung over his left knee, hands folded on top of his big stomach. The ancient oak desk in front of him had nine wormholes on the side facing us. I'd counted them our first trip here, when we'd just received the standard boring warning. Of course, we'd surpassed that speech now. Oh well, the school's discipline system needed to be whipped into shape anyway, right? Amongst his sloppy work papers sat one of those walkie talkies they always carried and talked into like they were badasses or something. Maybe it made the resource officer feel like he was doing a real cop's job. Again, I almost laughed.

Hemmory looked up at us from beneath his wrinkly brow. Even though his mouth was turned down and he looked pissed, he also looked like he was excited to reprimand us. I narrowed my eyes, but then relaxed again. I realized maybe for the first time that Hemmory must get just as bored during the day as we did. I felt sorry for him, until he started talking.

"Well, Winchester. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Dean smirked again, though I could see he was thinking up something good. "Uh…it was all Kelly's idea?"
I elbowed him hard angrily as sweat broke on my brow. He was such a liar!

I could have sworn I heard Hemmory chuckle at us even though he wasn't supposed to encourage violence. "Vanessa, is this true?"

I groaned, how many times had I asked him (politely, at that) not to call me Vanessa?! "It's 'Nessa,' sir. And…" I hesitated. Of course it had all been Dean's idea, but I wasn't going to rat him out, I couldn't. He'd been in trouble even more than me, and school would be even worse without him. I never understood how I'd survived to be 17 without him around to entertain. The last two months had been the greatest ever. "Yeah, it was my idea." I kept my eyes on Hemmory and not Dean, blushing was my tell, but Hemmory didn't know that. Dean shifted toward me uncomfortably, he hadn't meant for me to take the fall, not really.

Hemmory removed his foot from his knee and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk. He hadn't been expecting this and it was obvious. "You know, Vanessa, you're a good student, you have a great shot at life, somehow, I just don't believe that-"

"I get bored in English." I cut him off. "I'm ahead of the other students; I don't find high school a challenge, sir." I stared definitely, even word of that had been pure truth.

"Well…" He faltered. He knew as well as I did that our small town simply didn't have the resources for advanced students. He cleared his throat. "Well, be that as it may, everyone has to go to school, and I can't excuse you simply because you're, you're-"

"Smarter? The smartest?" Dean supplied defiantly in an insolent tone.

Hemmory pointed at him. "No lip from you, I'll take care of your situation in a minute." His eyes came back to me. "I know your daddy, and I know how proud of you he is, I don't want to expel you or suspend you and ruin your chances of getting out of here. But if it happens again, Vanessa Kelly, I won't have a choice." He fixed me with a sympathetic gaze and I stared back coldly, but answered respectfully as I'd been taught.

"Yes, sir."

"Don't you forget it." He turned to Dean now. "Like I said, boy, I have trouble believing Vanessa was the ring leader here, but…you claim you won't be here much longer-"

"I won't."

"-so, I don't want to send you off to the next place with a record. They can do that themselves." He waved us off like children bothering him. "Get outta here, back to class."

He didn't have to tell us twice, both of us turned on our heels and strode out past the teacher and resource officer. I was heading back to English, Dean to Algebra II.

"That was close." I commented darkly.

"Well, you didn't have to take the blame, dummy." He said in his serious tone, which still sounded amazingly like sarcasm and defiance mixed.

"Doesn't matter…" I contested. "I'm not gonna get to go to college anyway…"

"Why not?" He sounded outraged.

"Can't afford it, and Dad has other plans for me."

"Well…he…" He didn't seem to know what to say, like he was torn. "What are they?"

I looked up at him, with a crooked smile. "If I knew, I'd tell you."

"But, you don't?"

I shook my head. "Nope, I don't." I looked down at the ugly green tile we were walking on, and he slung his arm around my shoulders, the leather smell engulfing me as we returned to class to count down the minutes till the day was over.