"Shit," Jaylana said quietly, pulling Vance quickly around the corner of the building.

"Damn Jayyy, at least buy me dinner first before pinning me against the wall and devouring me," Vance teased her and leaned down with a flirtatious grin. She felt his hand on her waist, and he leaned forward slightly, as if he was going to kiss her.

"Shut up," she whispered and hit him softly on the shoulder. "I just saw dad and out there," she explained.

"What?" Vance questioned, lowering his voice, still leaning in. "I thought you said they didn't have meetings in Candor or Erudite until the end of the week? That skipping was safe after lunch because we could cut through the courtyard of the hub."

"Yeah, well I guess I was wrong," she hissed.

Both of their eyes widened when they heard a voice close-by, then a shadow covered the two of them.

"Awe, look at this," Charlie said in a mocking voice. Eric and Jaylana's father appeared behind him; neither looking pleased. "The two love-birds are skipping together again." He turned to his fellow supervisor. "Told you I saw something that looked similar to one of your kids."

Jaylana turned her head back to Vance, realizing she still had her hand on his chest from when she'd pushed him against the wall. He was watching her with the same shit-eating grin on his face, and she realized that his hand was still on her waist as well.

She ripped her hand away and folded her arms, watching him with a look of mock-anger. This did not help her case; not even a little.

"We just couldn't help ourselves," Vance teased and shook his head. "We know that once we start training we won't get much alone time and,-" Jaylana punched him in the shoulder and shoved his hand off her waist.

"OW! Dammit, Jay. That hurt!"

Jaylana punched him in the shoulder a second time then folder her arms again.

"I told you to stop insinuating that we are together you jackass, the last thing you need is my brother kicking the living shit out of you when you've gotten nothing out of it," she explained.

Vance frowned and scrunched his eyebrows.

She shook her head and turned, then pushed past Charlie and kept her head on the ground while she walked past her father and Eric. She could feel the heat of their anger as she did.

"We were just, hiding, so you didn't see us," she admitted quietly before turning around and looking at her father. His face was venomous.

"That went well for you," Charlie joked.

Eric's head turned to him, his eyes all but shooting lasers.

"Not helping, got it," Charlie put his hands up in defeat.

"Hiding?" Jaylana's father's voice was spine-shattering. Not because of the volume, but its intensity. "You were, hiding? Like a coward?"

"No, not like a coward," she folded her arms and placed her body's balance on one hip as she spoke, one leg pushed out farther than the other. "Like a teenage girl who was skipping class even though her amazingly-wonderful and very, very, loving father, who might I add it looking very attractive today, did you get a hair-cut? Woke her up very late last night and told her in a super loud voice her not to skip class again; which we weren't, might I add."

She saw Eric fighting a grin out of the corner of her eye, and when she glanced to Charlie and Vance, she saw that they were both covering their mouths.

"If you check your lovely watch there, seriously, such a nice watch, daddy; very sturdy; waterproof, shockproof, and attractive. Whoever got it for you must love you very much," Jaylana grinned. Her and JJ had gotten it for him for his birthday last year. "We aren't really cutting class, it's lunchtime. And yes, we know we aren't supposed to leave for lunch, but seriously it is just so, stuffy, in that damn building. Vance and I were actually just headed back to school. Weren't we Vance?"

Vance cleared his throat, trying not to laugh. "Yes, yes, we were headed back to the school," he nodded in agreement. "Sir," he added.

"Vance," Jaylana watched as her father folded his arms and stepped toward him. Charlie stepped out of the way and made a "this is none of my business-face," before taking a few more steps away.

"I've known you since you were an infant. We may not be Candor, but lying to me is the stupidest thing you could possibly do; I know when you are lying, and when you are telling the truth." Her father took another step toward him, and a frown returned to Vance's face. "Were you really headed back to the school?"

Vance glanced at her with wide eyes, she nodded her head encouragingly.

"Yes, sir, we were," Vance said confidentially. Much more confidentially than Jaylana had expected.

"Though, I'm not going to lie about it anymore; your daughter and I have been dating in secret for a while now," he nodded sighed dramatically, looking up dreamily and softening his voice. "I'm quite smitten with her, you see; I have been for quite some time now."

Jaylana cursed under her breath. Why couldn't Vance have left it at that? He had to know that he wasn't funny.

Her father reached up and smacked Vance on the back of the head. Not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to convey his annoyance. He grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and shoved him toward Jaylana.

"Why can't you just be more like JJ?" he demanded and turned back to her.

Jaylana felt her blood boil and her heart sink.

"He never disobeys orders like this. He doesn't waste his time climbing walls and buildings instead of training, he doesn't run around causing problems for me, like blowing up microwaves, or playing pranks on people, or skipping class to go make out with boys behind buildings."

"That's probably because he doesn't like boys though," Vance joked and looked to the ground.

"Shut the fuck up Vance!" she yelled at him, then turned back to her father. "We weren't making out! And I blew up a microwave one time, and it was an accident! Why, are you always comparing me to him?"

"Because he doesn't run around doing stupid shit like this Jaylana!" her father bellowed.

"No, it's because he's your favorite, and he always has been," she told him.

Now she was mad. This was bullshit. Her brother only stayed in line because he was afraid of getting in trouble. There was no room for fear in her life.

"And okay, fine. He's perfect. Jayson always followed orders. He never argues with you. He only does bad things when I encourage him to, but you know what dad?"

Her father stared at her but nodded for her to continue. Instead, Jaylana turned around and walked away, knowing Vance would follow. Once she was half-way across the courtyard, she turned and walked backward, noting that Vance had in fact, not followed her, at least not yet.

Jaylana yelled back to them.

"Jayson isn't going to rank first in our initiation-class; I will be."