AN: Hi! Here's another chapter! :D

(sorry for delay oops Internet and business - however, I've had loads of time to write! Yay? *ahem* enjoy the chapter!)

Echo was waiting impatiently round the corner to Zoey's locker. She had excused herself from drama on the account that she didn't feel well and needed the toilet and had arranged to meet Rythian five minutes before school ended. Teep had taken Zoey to talk about something in the art room, and Kim's distraction had come in the form of a kitten, which had appeared with her when she returned from lunch, although she refused to say where she had got it from, and had christened it "Tiddles". Echo checked her phone again for the time, waiting anxiously as she re read Kim and Teeps messages that everything was in order. Annoyingly though, the one person whom she needed a text from was the one who she couldn't text.

Echo suddenly heard someone jogging round the corner as she poked her head warily out, as Rythian slowed to a walk towards Zoey's locker. Fuming silently, Echo snapped her phone shut and quickly walked over, Rythian already attempting to crack the code. Echo became momentarily distracted when she noticed he was in his sports gear, which was slightly damp as he breathed heavily. Her eyes trailed to his uncovered hair, checking his face which had a small purple bandana around it. It was the first time she'd seen him without his hoodie; she felt like she was seeing him as close to his normal self as possible. She brought herself back to earth when she heard a small click from Rythian as he found the first number, turning the rounded lock slowly.

"What kept you?" She hissed at him as she looked around, checking the corridor and listening for any movement. Rythian motioned at her to keep quiet, listening carefully as Echo growled slightly, causing Rythian to smile; she could almost see it through the fabric, which annoyed her further as she impatiently tapped her foot. Rythian paused after he clicked the second number.

"I'm sorry I was late, but that is really distracting and we have a tight schedule here... Did you check the surrounding classrooms?" He asked as she paused, worried. Instantly she crept over to the adjacent corridor, listening for voices at the nearest doors. She hurried back to Rythian frantically just as he opened the lock.

"We need to hurry; there aren't any free classrooms near to hide in!" Echo said quickly as Rythian nodded, placing the lock in his pocket as he opened the locker. Echo smiled momentarily at the amount of mushroom decoration and pictures of Rythian and Teep on the side of the door before being distracted by a particular photo of Zoey and Rythian. Rythian gathered all the pieces of loose paper and held them in front of Echo.

'Focus Echo!" He said sternly as she blinked, turning her phone on and taking pictures. As Rythian placed them one by one back into the locker, he frowned.

"Recognise any?" She whispered as she took another picture, Rythian placing another sheet back in the locker.

"I'm not sure..." He admitted as Echo took a picture of the second to last one when footsteps and a voice appeared from down the corridor.

"... Okay Teep, I know, but I need to get these papers otherwise I'll forget! ... I know you won't let me forget them but it's important, it's our first mushroom party since Rythian and I want it to go well..."

Echo tried to remain calm as she recognised the voice, taking a picture as Rythian placed it back, holding up the last one.

"Come on..." He urged as Echo took the last picture, nodding quickly as she placed the phone back in her pocket whilst Rythian closed the locker quickly, slamming it slightly in the process.

"... Teep, I think I heard something from here..." Zoey's careless voice came waltzing around the corridor as Rythian fixed the lock back on firmly. Echo looked around, panicking slightly.

"There's nowhere to go..." She said before Rythian took her by the hand, leading her to the end of the lockers to a door Echo hadn't noticed.

"Here!" He said, pushing her inside as Echo ran in, immediately crashing into a mop as Rythian closed the door behind him and caught the mob, putting the small supply closet into darkness. Echo couldn't see anything as they waited, her back pressed against Rythian as they held their breaths as the footsteps stopped.

"Wow, I think I'm hearing things Teep... Haha, alright, I know I'm nuts... I just need to collect these and then we'll go, alright?"

Rythian and Echo waited as they heard two sets of footsteps walk towards the lockers, open a locker and close it again. "See, Teep? Now they're safely under my control... Wait, who are you texting?"

Echo's eyes widened as she tried to pull her phone out of her pocket to turn it off but it was too late; a loud beep emitted as her phone received a text. Her phone momentarily lit up brightly and she turned her head to see Rythian's eyes illuminated and staring at her in panic before the light went out again.

"Oooh, someone's phone went off over here..." Rythian pulled Echo slowly backwards as he navigated his way blindly into the corner, where he knew there was a blanket. He gently pressed down on Echo's shoulders as Echo turned down the brightness on her phone, looking down at the text from Teep.

You guys alright?

Echo typed back three words and sent them before turning off the sound, hearing a gasp several moments later from someone very close to their hiding spot as they received a text.

Supply closet. Help.

"Look, I know I heard something from inside here Teep! What happens if it's Narnia and we never knew? How cool would that be? Or, or, it might be the vanishing cabinet from Harry Potter!" Zoey's voice was loud and excited, directly outside the door as they saw someone push against it, pausing as it opened slightly. Rythian applied more pressure to Echo's shoulders as he managed to get her to crouch down as he grabbed the blanket behind him, setting the mop down quietly.

"Don't be silly Teep, I heard a noise which definitely wasn't a mouse! It was a beep, not a squeak!" Rythian pulled the blanket over himself and Echo just as the door burst open, Zoey peering her head around the corner. Rythian and Echo waited, ridiculously still as Zoey surveyed the closet.

"Guess it was someone's locker..." She said sadly as she closed the door, walking away with Teep. Echo and Rythian breathed a sigh of relief as Echo threw the blanket off them.

"Well, that was terrifying." She commented shakily as Rythian nodded mutely beside her. Echo tried to stand up, but instantly whacked her forehead on something as she fell back against Rythian with a cry.

"Careful. There's an old satellite above you..." Rythian said, Echo only resisting the urge to hit him due to the pain in her head. She made a slow noise of complaint as she stood up carefully, using her phone as a small light source as she made her way to the door, Rythian following. She listened intently before opening the door slowly, Rythian wincing as it creaked slightly.

Echo carefully looked into the corridor as her and Rythian crept out, closing the door quietly behind them. They then broke into a sprint as they ran outside towards the gym just as the bell rang, Rythian motioning her to follow him as they raced around to the side of greenery hidden from the school just behind it. Rythian breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down, Echo collapsing beside him.

"How did you know... There was a supply closet there?" Echo asked between deep breaths as Rythian laughed shakily.

"No one has used it for ages except from me; hence why I knew there was a blanket and a satellite... I should have warned you about the mop; it's a defence system in case anyone enters." Rythian wheezed as he turned to face Echo, who was lying on her back with her eyes closed.

"Why do you know that?" She asked simply, putting an exaggerated questioning tone into it as Rythian chuckled.

"That's where I spend my lunches." Rythian watched as Echo sat up suddenly, looking at him in horror.

"You spend all your lunch there?!" She asked, momentarily horrified at the thought of spending time alone in there. Rythian rolled his eyes.

"It's not that bad; I have a blanket, plenty of space to eat or work, the light is a standard brightness when it's on and I have a functioning TV; although I'm probably going to have to reset it if you moved the satellite..." He trailed off worryingly as Echo brushed her hair out of her eyes, wincing in pain.

"Echo, wait a second..." Rythian moved towards her, pulling her fringe off her face as Echo kept still. Rythian tutted.

"Okay, I might have to get a new satellite pole; seriously, that's going to be a huge bump!" He joked, letting Echo's fringe drop back as she rolled her eyes but laughed with him. Rythian paused for a second, checking she was alright before he moved back, glancing at his watch.

"I'll go one way, you go the other; you have to get your stuff from drama, right?" He asked her as she nodded silently, rubbing her forehead and staring at him blankly. Rythian looked at her in concern.

"You alright? We can check the photos on Monday... Or even at the weekend, it depends." Rythian smiled at her as Echo suddenly grinned, jumping up. She had just wanted a moment to memorise what the real Rythian looked like without the hoodie or earphones.

"Maybe... See you around!" She said cheerfully as she stood up and ran around the corner, out of sight. Rythian gave himself a moment, lying back down as he puzzled over something in his head. It was strange but he knew he wasn't imagining it; for some reason, when Zoey had opened the door, he hadn't been worried about himself being discovered... He had been more worried for the girl pressed against him as she had shaken slightly in fear.