A/N: We've crossed the ten-chapter marker. I had no idea I would let the story cross this mark, but it has, and I still have only revealed ONE secret—that the 'Mysterious Blond' is not Meredith, to whom some may know as Mrs. Garwin in my Cov sequel series. Only, ironically, with this answer to a question, comes more questions::Smiles evilly::

Anyway, yes, here I am, crossing the double-digit marker, and still the real story here is not even under way yet. I hope you guys are enjoying this story, cuz I'm having one helluva fun time writing it. I promise some story points are going to come very soon. Thanks for the support!

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Chapter 11:

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The next day, after classes, James noticed that all of his friends were not acting quite right. Wayne was not his usual confident self, but was nervous and very edgy. He'd been busy all morning trying to get Beatrice to tell her whether she had spent the night with Damien or not, but she avoided him like the plague. It made Wayne act cranky. Instead, Glenn was the one parading around like he owned the school, greeting people he had never even met before as if they were old friends.

But the real strange part was when the three met up with their leader. All three boys stopped at the sight of Joe, who was waiting for them by his dorm, a broad and obvious smile on his face. His skin had color, and his eyes were shining.

"Joe's finally cracked…" Wayne declared to the others.

"I'm afraid…" Glenn confessed.

"Joe!" James greeted with a matching smile as they walked up. "What's going on? You look good, for once."

"Nothing," he insisted. "I'm just having a good day."

"You're right," James heard Glenn whisper to Wayne. "He's lost it."

"Does this 'good day' have a name?" James asked.

"It does now," Joe replied, letting the subject drop. James wasn't sure what he meant by that, but let it go.

"Hey, any of you seen Bee?" Wayne asked them breathlessly. "I haven't seen her since last night…"

"Don't worry," James assured him. "She's a big girl. I'm sure she's fine."

"Damn fine…" Wayne muttered, his eyes drifting elsewhere. All three of the other boys followed his gaze to Beatrice, who was just exiting her dorm room down the hall in nothing but a towel, very likely on her way to the showers. Once she noticed Wayne, she immediately walked the other way.

"See ya," Wayne tried to abandon his friends to jet by her side.

"Grab him!" James yelled, and Glenn immediately grabbed Wayne by the shoulder, as James held onto his arm, in desperation to keep him at bay. Joe, as usual, just watched casually off to the side as Wayne struggled to chase after the near-naked celestial being. Beatrice quickly scurried off at the sight of him.

"No, let me go!" Wayne said breathlessly as he tried to wriggle free. "Must… chase… God, she's getting away!"

"Good!" Glenn said. "Then maybe you can become a respectable human again instead of a Neanderthal."

"Wo-man!" Wayne joked around. "Me want wo-man!"

"What are you guys doing?" a female voice said from behind. All hands released their hold on Wayne, and turned around to face the girl the belonged to the voice.

"Uh," James tried to explain, but the mental block that came with Evelyn's presence hindered his speech.

"Oooh," Wayne said approvingly. "Evelyn… We meet again."

"Some crash you did last night, Wayne," she said, clutching her small book closer to her chest. "I'm surprised you're not on crutches…"

"I'm a fast healer," Wayne replied.

"I'm sorry to interrupt… whatever it was that you were doing," she said with confusion in her tone. "But I just wanted to give you something."

She held out her book to James. It was an old looking novel, with a ghastly picture of an old man on the front. The pages were smelly and browning, and the edges were worn out. Upon the side was the title: "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

"It's my favorite," she explained, looking at him like he was the only person around. "That's why it's so beat up, because I read it too much. I wanted you to have it. Consider it as an apology for last night—you know, with my father…"

James was blown away by her heartfelt gift, completely touched now that he knew what this book meant to her.

"No, it's… Wow, I… wow."

"You don't like it?" she looked at him with concern. "It's okay, I don't mind keeping it…"

His stupid mouth refused to form sentences.

"No! Its… I… um…"

"What my friend is utterly failing to say," Wayne said with a large grin. "Is thanks. He loves it. Just like he loves you."

James's ears went bright red, and he threw his eyes down at his feet.

"Really?" Evelyn went along with it, even though you could hear the doubt in the undertones of her words. "And are you his translator?"

"But of course…" Wayne confirmed with a nod. "He also would like to say that he can't wait to read it, right after he takes you to dinner."

"Is that so?" She looked to James for confirmation. "Then please tell him… That sounds great."

Wayne turned to James with a smile. James was beginning to regret not letting Wayne go after Beatrice.

"She said: 'that sounds great'," Wayne repeated needlessly.

"Yes, thank you, Wayne," James said, sounding a bit annoyed with his friend. "I got it from here."

"Alright, then I'll leave you kids to it," Wayne agreed, patting James encouragingly on the back. "If you will excuse me, I have a date with a lady in a shower."

"Huh?!" Evelyn said in surprise.

But before they could grab him again, Wayne was gone around the corner. Feeling like a total freak in front of Evelyn, James didn't bother trying to pursue him. Hopefully, she only thought Wayne was the weird one…

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Beatrice ran her hands over her face under the scorching hot water in the shower, trying to wipe off some of the soap near her eyes. She loved feeling clean, but mostly, she just loved taking showers. It relaxed her when the outside world upset her. Thirty minutes of a safe haven away from him.

Ah, Wayne. He was too handsome for his own good, but she knew even if he was the ugliest man in the world, the ladies would still come running on account of that sweet-talking mouth. She sometimes wished she had never gotten tangled into this messy relationship with the Covenant boys. Sometimes Wayne made it all so unworthwhile. How could he be so different from the other three?

Beatrice turned off the faucet, and opened the door just enough to let her hand slip through to feel for her towel. The foggy glass allowed her to keep her privacy, since it was a co-ed bathroom. When she couldn't find her white school-issue towel, she opened the door to let her head through as well.

The good news: she found her towel. The bad news: Wayne was holding it.

Her heart plummeted. She knew what was coming next.

"Well, now," he spoke out, examining the towel like it was a foreign object. "This is a very interesting situation…"

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"You know, I'm glad you're in such a good mood," Glenn told Joe as they walked down the hall toward Rosalind's dorm. "Because I kinda have someone to introduce you to."

"No way, Glenn," Joe said, stopping in his tracks. "You did not set me up with someone. Please tell me this… my ears are aching for those words…"

"Her name is Meredith and she's really pretty. Just meet her. I'm sure you'll like her."

Joe instead turned to go back the way he had come.

"No, wait!" Glenn said, running in front of him. "Please… Rosalind won't go out if Meredith is left behind. Please. One date."

"You don't understand…" Joe tried to explain, but found he couldn't. Not to Glenn. Just yesterday he had been lecturing Glenn on the foolishness of love, and how it would never happen to him. No, not Joe… He was the lone wolf… Somehow, admitting that he might have changed his mind so soon just seemed wrong. His pride got the better of him.

"One date," Joe warned. "But only if you back me up when we have the council meeting later tonight."

"You're going to take a stand?" Glenn said in surprised. "But what if…"

"I know the risks," Joe said. "I know he might pull a 'page thirty' on me, but it's a wager I have to undertake."

"Why?" Glenn asked as they made it to Rosie's door.

"Because I want to rule my own life. If I have to wager my freedom to get it, so be it."

Rosie's door opened, and Rosie's beaming smile shined out to her boyfriend. Glenn let Joe's words go so that he could properly greet his girl.

Then Joe saw the blonde woman that was probably this 'Meredith' Glenn spoke of. Joe immediately found that her icy eyes were unwelcoming, cold, and filled with spite. She looked impatient at Glenn and Rosie, and even more disturbed by Joe. She was pretty, sure, but… she wasn't Delilah.

Suddenly his heart ached for Delilah, even though he barely knew her. At least she wouldn't creep him out like this girl was doing now.

"Meredith," she explained, holding out her bony hand with an arched eyebrow and a crooked smile. Joe shook her hand politely.

"Joe," he replied without much enthusiasm. He glanced at Glenn and Rosie, but they were very involved with one another, talking about something that didn't look like it welcomed interruption just yet. It was a shame.

"You're hot," she observed, scanning him up and down.

Joe frowned at such an abrupt statement.

"Uh… thanks?"

"Sure thing, honey," she said with a flash of a smile. "So where are we going to go tonight? I'm up for anywhere… Anywhere you want to take me…"

Her mouth twitched upward at this and Joe wasn't sure he quite knew what she meant, so he let it pass over him. It was his first mistake.

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Okay, peeps, are you getting impatient with this story? Do you think I should wrap it up soon, or explore all aspects of the characters/plot? It's up to you, I'm cool with either way: the long version or the short. Please review.
Signed,
--RedRogue