Time for another chapter! I probably won't get around to updating this too much unfortunately since I started a Christmas fic before it was too late, so I'll be updating that the most. My updates will go like this: Crossing Paths, Christmas fic, other fic, Christmas fic, Crossing Paths, and the pattern continues! So this will be…every fourth update! I'm actually balancing it out rather well though, well for me at least…so it shouldn't usually be any more then 3 weeks wait. I'm trying my best though!

And since we ended off the last chapter with Mike, why don't we go check in with him? ;)

Mike sighed as he listened to his teacher go on and on about law. He had taken law at Harvard, one of the best law schools in the world, but he honestly had no idea what he was doing there. He had no intensions on being a lawyer, or anything to do with law. He wasn't here for himself, that was for sure. Maybe he did it, just to show his family he could accomplish something, by getting into a good school to study an important thing. Mike didn't know.

It wasn't that Mike cared what his family thought of him, or did with him; he had stopped caring about that a long time ago. Mike just needed to be good at something, since everyone else in the family seemed to be because they had managed to have mom and dad actually care about them and what they did with their life.

Everyone cared more when Sarah left. Even he himself had cared then, but not for long after that. No one had noticed the change in Mike; they were too busy, wondering what had happened with Sarah. No one had noticed when he had started smoking. He only did it because he hoped it would get their attention, and it still hadn't. He still didn't know if anyone in his family knew he smoked.

Mike shook his thoughts away as the teacher started to speak.

"Alright class, now that you know the basics of how a trial works, I think you're ready for your next assignment!" the teacher spoke with enthusiasm as most of the class, including Mike groaned. "In assigned pairs, you guys are going to perform the scene of a trial!"

Mike sighed. He hated having to socialize with people. It wasn't that he was shy; he just pretty much hated most people in general. Nothing against them, it was just his nature nowadays. People just weren't Mike's thing.

As the teacher called out names of the pairs, Mike found himself partnered with a girl named Aria Smith. He didn't know much about her, but she always seemed to be laughing or giggling with her friends in class. She had nice, natural, buttery locks, and big blue crystal eyes. She had a small nose, and small, nicely shaped lips to match. She was of average height, and got fairly high marks.

They were instructed to switch seats for the next few weeks so they could work with their partner, since this project was going to count for a lot. Aria moved her things over to the seat at the table next to Mike. She didn't look at him, or say anything as she sat down. Weird. You usually couldn't get her to stop talking.

"Okay everyone, look at the options for your trial on the handout I'm about to give you; one person will be the lawyer, the other will be the defendant," he told them.

As Mike got the handout, he looked at the options. rape case, murder case and drug addict case. He turned to face Aria.

"So which one do you want to do?" he asked her.

Aria bit her lip and shrugged.

"Whatever one you want to do is fine," she mumbled.

Mike sat there, puzzled. This didn't seem like the Aria he saw in class everyday. She was usually always talking, laughing or something! He was kind of glad though, then he wouldn't have to talk much.

"So is a murder case alright?" I asked her.

"I guess," Aria mumbled again.

Mike groaned.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asked, getting angry. "Do you want to do a murder case, or not?" he yelled.

Aria flinched back in her seat as he spoke. She opened her mouth to respond, but immediately closed it again nervously.

Mike sighed and rushed his hands through his hair. He didn't want to scare the poor girl…he guessed that his social skills weren't really up to par, since socializing wasn't exactly his thing.

"I'm sorry…I'm just looking for a straight answer, okay?" Mike looked Aria in the eyes as he spoke, hoping to calm her down. She nodded slowly in response.

"I'm fine with doing a murder case," she answered, still looking a little nervous.

"Alright, just…jot down some ideas I guess," Mike told her.

As Mike was starting to get some ideas, there was a knock on the door. The teacher answered it, and the runner handed him a note. He nodded his thanks, then closed the door. To his surprise, the teacher started walking over towards Mike, and for an even bigger surprise, the note was handed to him.

Aria sat there, intrigued as Mike opened the note. He read it, then folded it up immediately, stuffing it in his bag. He grabbed his bag and turned to leave. Aria ran up to him, stopping him.

"I…is everything okay?" she asked.

Mike shrugged, and walked away from her, exiting the room, ignoring the teacher calling him back into the class as he slammed the door shut. Mike didn't care. He needed to get away from here, and ignore the note, and reality.

I'm so sorry for the super short chapter, and for the little cliff-hanger…I did promise more tragedies for this story though, right? ;)

I hope you guys don't mind that I added an OC into the story, but later on in the story, Aria will have a rather important role.

Next chapter should be up within the next 2 weeks, maybe sooner…depends on how much I work. Thanks for reading guys! I'd love it if you review! :D

~Lauren! (: