It's been five days. Five days of complete hell. Newton's disappearance sparked curiosity with Macbeth. She grilled us, catching us at the most unexpected times, screaming in our faces, trying to get us to crack and explain where he was. We didn't. Thankfully. Now we were waiting outside Trixie's room. She was taking forever just getting dressed. How long does it take? Definitely not twenty-freaking-minutes. I balled my hand into a fist, banging on her door as loud as I dared. "Trix, hurry up." I yelled, impatiently tapping my foot against the floor.

Vin jumped out of his skin. I smirked, watching as he controlled himself and tried to act cool. Oh Vin. "You ready for another fun-packed day?" He asked, running his fingers through his blonde hair. His sarcasm wasn't brilliant, but he was getting better.

"You betcha." I replied with my classic eye-roll. School wasn't good. Not that it was to begin with, but at least before it was bearable, now it was complete hell. Even outside of school sucked. Badly. "Trixie! How long does it take?" I exclaimed, hitting the door again, Vin was just milling around, every so often he could get up spin in a small circle before leaning back against the door again. I didn't see any point in the activity. It just made you dizzy.

I almost hit Trixie in the face when the door opened, as I went to bang on the door for a third time. Good thing she had the sense to duck. After my fist was out of the way, she raised to her full height. "Sorry guys. I lost my left shoe." She glared down at it like she was expecting it to shy away. The shoe isn't alive, I'm certain that a shoe is an inanimate object, unless I've been missing something all these years? "It was in my bookcase for some weird reason."

Vin thought that the explanation was hilarious and only just stopped himself from laughing. I had to admit, it did sound quite odd. I accidentally nudged Vin as I stole a quick glance at his watch. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. "Crud. Two minutes till class." I said, after observing the time. I met Vin and Trixie's gazes and gave a grimace. "You up for a sprint?" I asked. This was one of my least favourite things of the morning. Since the first day of Newton's absence we have had to sprint to class. Two out of Three days we've been late. I intend to make that Two out of Four days.

I didn't even wait for their answer, but did hear Vin's groan. Almost simultaneously we sprang into a run. I used long strides which propelled me forwards, along the deserted corridors. I led the sprint, Vin and Trixie struggled to keep up with me. This is where height can come to an advantage. We reached the stairs and hurtled down them, almost slipping several times. "Twenty seconds!" Vin panted, his voice rising in panic, his arms flapping about as he tried to increase his speed. "We're not going to make it!"

"Oh, yes we are." I said in grim determination. I am not, I repeat, I am not going to be the singular person Macbeth picks on. That is not happening... again. I threw my body against the door. It flew open, staying open for Vin and Trixie to race through before slamming shut behind them. I slid to an unsteady halt- almost having Vin run into me- grabbed the classroom door and pulled it open. We piled through the door, tripping one another up and ending up in a mangled heap on the floor.

"Ow!" Vin exclaimed. "Someone just kicked my ear."

"Who's digging me in the ribs?"

"Someone's crushing my arm!"

"Don't slid there, you're on my wrist!"

"Get off my leg, I can't move."

"That's my ankle!"

"Ow! My hair!"

"My nose! Alright, whose arm was that?"

"Watch it! You nearly poked me in the eye!"

"You're crushing me!"

"I can't breathe!"

I tried to move but there were cries of pain from Trixie and Vin, plus, unfortunately for me, I was underneath them both, so, I was basically being crushed underneath them. But, being at the bottom you would expect me to be the one complaining the most. In fact, all I complained about was Vin's elbow crushing my ribcage. "Oh, get up!" Macbeth snapped, grabbing Trixie and pulling her up just as the bell rang. I gasped as Trixie's nails scraped across my face. Trixie cried out in protest, realising that she was scratching someone. Vin was kicked in the side by Trixie's flailing feet, causing him to give a small jolt of surprise, his elbow pressing against my ribs much harder than before.

He rolled off me, clutching his side where he was kicked. What is his problem? I hurt more than him! My hands strayed to me check. I could feel something sticky and wet oozing out of the cut. I examined my hand, already knowing what I was going to see. A small amount of blood was on the tip of my fingers, staining them crimson red. Great. I looked up. Macbeth was standing over me, her hand ready to strike me. My mouth dropped open, eyes comically wide as I took this in. I quickly scrambled to my feet and ran to my seat before her hand had time to connect, Vin and Trixie hot on my heels. Macbeth glared at me. I averted her gaze, staring at my desk like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Vin touched my face where my cheek was cut. I winced, a jolt of pain spreading through my body as he quickly withdrew his hand. "Zero, you're bleeding!" He whispered, stating the complete obvious, before digging around in his pocket and revealing a pack of tissues. He peeled one out the packet and held it out. "Here." He said, putting it into my open hand. I smiled. He's so sweet. I used the tissue to wipe the blood off my face- Vin directing me- before holding it against the cut, attempting to stem the bleeding.

Every student sat to attention, they were sitting upright in their seats with their arms folded on the desks looking straight ahead in complete silence. There was silence, before Macbeth broke it with her annoyingly high-pitched voice. "Stand!" She snapped. I exchanged a glance with Vin. We both mirrored each other's expressions, irritation and rage. Reluctantly we stood. By complete coincidence we were the last to stand. "Today we are going on a little school outing." Me and Vin looked at each other, I could see a flicker of anxiety flash across his face before we both rolled our eyes. Not again. "Get on the bus. NOW!" Macbeth yelled, smacking her ruler against her desk for empathises

The others led the stampede to the coach, tittering excitedly, obviously thinking Macbeth had turned over a new leaf, although me, Vin and Trixie knew otherwise. I sighed, Vin casually put his arm around me, his other in the air, waving around madly. "Just think." He said, putting a very over-exaggerated posh accent on. "Maybe this time we will see a three headed tiger, what a wonderful sight that would be." He feigned extravagance, making his actions big and showy, like he was some kind of slick car dealer.

"Yeah, just splendid." I said, untangling myself and rolling my eyes at him. "Whatever. Just hurry up, I want that back seat." He grinned and jogged after me as I headed for the coach, running into Macbeth and dodging past her as she went to say something. Or more like scream something, as that's more her style.

We reached the coach at a speed-walk where the other students were piling in, pushing and shoving as they tried to get the seat the wanted. Trixie glided up to us, coming out of no-where. I didn't even bother asking where she'd been. It was pointless, and, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't particularly bothered. "Ladies first." Vin said stepping aside and motioning for me and Trixie to enter the coach before him.

"Lady?" I questioned, one eyebrow raised in a small arch, Vin nodded, deciding to go along with it. "You must be thinking of someone else." Vin burst into laughter, causing me to laugh too. Trixie just grinned and gave a microscopic shake of her head. Vin thought he was going to have to enter first so went for the stairs. I gave him a small push. "Ladies first." I grinned cheekily, repeating the same line and mimicking Vin's voice.

Vin tried to duck underneath my arm. "And men just before."

"You wish." we wrestled for a couple of moments before Trixie tapped us on the shoulder and politely told us to get moving. We grinned and I managed to slip past him, boarding the coach first and effectively winning the battle. I stuck my tongue out at him while he tried to get an arm around my neck and noogie me. I managed to push him off, dodging his arm as he gave another attempt.

"You guys are insane." Trixie said before climbing in after us.

I all but threw Little Fred and Hector out of the back seat. Luckily my presence was enough to intimidate them, causing them to promptly relocate to a seat three rows in front. I bagged the window seat, sitting down before anyone could protest. Vin slid in next to me while, sighing, Trixie took the aisle seat. I leaned in close as the coach gave a protesting squeak as it reluctantly pulled away from the school. "Now is it just me, or are you guys getting a huge sense of Déjà vu?"

Vin and Trixie nodded in agreement. "This is exactly like the time Macbeth turned everyone, bar me and Newton, into donkeys!" I shuddered at the memory. Being stuck in a tree for three and a half hours was not one of our best moments. "We have to stick together no matter what and..." Trixie pointedly gave me a stern glance. "Follow orders." I just rolled my eyes.

"It is important." Vin added, shrinking away in case I attacked.

Defeated, I sighed. "I'll be good." I promised, rolling my eyes because it sounded like the kind of promise a six-year-old would make to their mother before causing all kinds of chaos. Vin smothered his laughter with the back of his hand, while Trixie raised her eyebrows in her classic, I'm serious, Zero, face. I heard Macbeth snapping at Burt. I raised myself out of my seat. Macbeth was prowling the aisle, heading straight for us. "Shh." I whispered, placing a finger over my mouth as a warning. "Act casual." I sat down and attached my headphones to Vin's iPod, blaring out music. Vin fiddled with his watch, pretending to be trying to set it on the right time while Trixie acted like she was trying to sleep for the long journey.

"Zero!" Macbeth yelled. I jumped, so did Vin and Trixie.

"Uh, yeah?" I asked, curious a to what Macbeth was going to pin on me.

"Up the front. Now."

I folded my arms and stayed right where I was. "Make me." I replied. She had no right to move me, I'd done nothing wrong. She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the seat, over Vin, and Trixie- who promptly ducked- while Vin reached out for me, just missing my hand. I gave a yell of surprise and protest. My foot brushed against Vin's shin, hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to bruise.

"Zero!" Vin exclaimed as I was bundled down the aisle and deposited in a seat, Macbeth blocking me in. I kneeled on the seat, looking back and Vin and Trixie in alarm. She pushed me down. So much for sticking together.

"What is your problem?" I snapped, suppressing my overwhelming urge to hit her. Barely.

"Sit down and shut up." She instructed.

"But what did I do?" I pressed on. Macbeth ignored me. I kicked the seat in front of me and muttered in an undertone, making sure she couldn't hear me. "This is complete BS." Although I acted stroppy like a normal teenager, inside I was panicking, a complete nervous wreck. Does she know? She can't know I'm a member of INK.

I'd be doomed!

My life would be over.

Again...