Don't forget to vote on the poll! It closes on the 12th.

Crystal had tried ever since she met Alvie six months ago to get him to stand up to the bullies and he always said he would try, but when it came to it, he would clam up and let the bullies taunt and throw things at him. Crystal reacted more than he did and gained some self-pride following a rant she had at the bullies during the last week of school before the summer holidays:

"Oh, grow a pair, will you?!"

"Me? What about him?" Liam protested, gesturing at Alvie.

"He doesn't need to!"

"He does nothing! He doesn't react to us 'cos he's a dumbass!"

"You're a dumbass!" The bully made to argue back, aware of everyone in the corridor watching, but Crystal was on a roll. "Alvie doesn't respond because you're not worth his time! You only respond because it makes you feel like the bigger man, but Alvie doesn't want to step down to your level of idiocy by reacting to whatever shit you throw his way 'cos you'll beat him with experience! Grow a bloody pair, leave Alvie alone and get your head out of your ass!" Liam and everyone in the corridor were in a stunned silence, but Crystal didn't care, turning on her heel and briskly storming off.

"That one," Tobias beamed, pointing enthusiastically after Crystal before turning his grin to Alvie. "You need that one."

"You haven't had your ADHD stuff, have you?" Sophia asked carefully. Tobias shook his head, smiling innocently. "Great… we get to put up with you acting like bloody Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow." Tobias corrected, mimicking Jack's actions. Sophia rolled her eyes, looking at Alvie. He was staring in the direction Crystal went. Did he go after her or give her time to cool off and then go?

He decided to go, considering she had shut Liam up for him.

Ten minutes later, Alvie found her kicking a rock about near the football pitch.

"Crystal!" She looked round, a smile breaking through her anger at the sight of him. She held her arms out to him as he approached. "Are you OK?" Alvie asked, returning her hug.

"I'm OK. Trying to see what the most violent way to kill Liam is." Alvie looked at her worriedly. "I'm joking." She laughed softly. "For now…" She added quietly, giving an evil smile.

"I worry about you sometimes."

"Mom said I'll make a good assassin."

"Please don't be an assassin."

"Why? Afraid that I'll kill you?" He shook his head, surprising her. "No? Why then?" He hesitated.

"You could get hurt." He mumbled.

"Aw, you're so sweet." She held his face in her hands, smiling. "Don't worry about me, Alvie, OK?" He didn't respond, holding her gaze for a few seconds before looking down. Crystal hugged him again. "I'm hungry. Can we go and get lunch?"

"Yeah."

Leaving the canteen, fed and watered, half an hour later, Crystal had calmed down and was trying to persuade Alvie to let her carry her stuff.

"I'm not physically incapable of carrying my bag, Alvie."

"I know. I'm just trying to help." He opened a door for her.

"If only more guys were as helpful as you." Alvie looked down. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." He replied quietly. Crystal had noticed that there were moments where he was quieter than usual, as if something was playing on his mind. She had tried to get him to talk, but he fell silent and didn't hold a normal conversation with her until she changed the topic.

They were interrupted by one of Liam's friends storming towards them like a charging bull. Before Crystal could register what was going on, Liam's friend (Bill) had Alvie pinned to the wall with a giant, meaty hand at his throat. Everything Alvie had been holding fell to the floor as Alvie pulled on Bill's hand.

"Hello, dumbass."

"Leave him alone!" Crystal exclaimed angrily. She pulled on Bill's arm, but he simply knocked her aside, making her land on her bum.

Alvie reacted then, raising his knee to his chest and landing a solid kick to Bill's stomach.

Bill staggered back, freeing Alvie who dropped to the ground, massaging his throat.

"Git!" Bill shouted, bunching his fists. He took a step towards Alvie, with clear intentions to pummel the smaller boy into pulp.

"No!" Alvie growled. For the first time, Crystal saw anger settling into her friend's expression and it surprised her as much as it bought her a smug sense of pride- yeah, she was a great help in Math and a confidence builder.

Bill looked bewildered. Alvie was known for not fighting back. But Bill had hit Crystal away, flooring her. Was it that Alvie didn't care what happened to him as long as his best friend was OK?

Alvie held Bill's gaze. "Why'd you do it?"

"D-do what?" Alvie frowned and glowered at Bill. The bully understood what he was getting at- why did he pick on Alvie?

Alvie helped Crystal to her feet before looking back at Bill. There was a knowing fire in his eyes. Crystal had seen that a few times before and every time she had seen it, she had called Alvie 'psychic'.

"It's a mask." Bill looked confused. "You pick on kids like me to make you feel better about yourself, but there's something going on. You're scared of something but you put on a mask, making you seem strong and brave." Alvie studied Bill's face, noticing the shock and horror in his features. The kids in the hall all had similar expressions, but their expressions were all mixed with awe and bewilderment.

Alvie rubbed at his forehead with the back of his hand, frowning. "It's your dad. There's eight of you, your mom's heavily pregnant and your dad sits on his ass all day, drinking cheap beer and giving his orders out." Alvie looked pained. Crystal noticed that his eyes seemed paler, more eerie. "You've got daddy issues." Alvie stated simply.

Bill looked terrified out of his wits, but he also looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights. "Right or wrong?" Alvie asked him.

"H-how…" Bill was trying to keep his breathing steady, taking a few steps back as if to create a distance between him and the kid that was seriously freaking him out. "How do… how do you know that?" Alvie was still rubbing at his forehead, massaging a headache. He wore a grimace, which had Crystal's worry piquing.

Alvie didn't answer Bill's question as the principal turned up.

"What's going on?" He demanded, confusion settling in at the shocked students, the petrified bully and the pained Alvie. This was not what he normally walked in on- normally, it was Alvie being strangled or pinned down while kids went through his stuff and called him names.

Alvie was picked up early, having come down with a massive headache and sickness. Before he left, Crystal got a few minutes to talk to his mother.

"It was really creepy, like he had read Bill's mind." Annabeth frowned slightly, glancing at her son through the window. He was in the car while she talked to Crystal outside, the doors of the car shut. Alvie's eyes were cloudy and it was clear he was away with the fairies. "Has he always been like that?" Crystal asked. (1234 words not including this bit). Annabeth sighed.

"Yeah."

"Why?" Annabeth hesitated, glancing at Crystal. It was a demigod thing. Could she tell Crystal without the girl shunning Alvie for being different?

"I'm not sure." Annabeth turned to get in the car, but froze upon Crystal's next words.

"His eyes changed colour."

"What colour?"

"It was only a bit, but they were getting lighter."

"Right." Annabeth didn't sound happy with that, studying her son worriedly. He was staring at her, but he wasn't looking at her, in a different world.

He blinked and his eyes cleared. Alvie looked confused at his mother's worried expression. Crystal examined his eyes, noticing that they were the same silvery-grey that she had quickly grown to love. She noticed Annabeth had the same eyes, except hers were wiser and sharper.

Alvie turned his head and looked at Crystal. He put his hand against the glass and she gave a small smile through her worry, placing her hand on the window over his. She was aware of Annabeth watching them, but the mother didn't say anything and Crystal didn't particularly care.

"I should get him home." Annabeth eventually said softly.

"OK." Crystal nodded, looking back at Alvie. "Call me, OK?" She said. Alvie studied her lips as she talked, nodding and giving a silent promise to phone her later.

"Stay away from that kid, Crystal." William grunted. Crystal angered while Joy looked stricken.

"He's my friend! You can't tell me who to hang out with!" William looked up from his meal, fixing her with a steely glare.

"I can and I have. That boy is… there's something wrong with him."

"There's nothing wrong with him!" William scoffed. "Why don't you like him? What did he do to you?"

"He hasn't."

"Well shut up and stop judging people! So what if he's different from other kids? He's a great guy and I wouldn't change him for anyone!"

"Stay. Away. From. Him." William growled.

"No. You can't make me."

"Why is he so special to you then, Crystal? Huh? This freaky kid with apparent mind-reading crap."

"He is not a freak!"

"Why do you like him so much?!" William demanded, his knuckles white from holding his knife and fork tightly.

"Because he is the one guy that treats me like a person instead of trying to see what they can get! He's nice; he listens to me when I've got problems; he makes me smile; he's always a gentleman, opening doors, carrying my stuff for me and walking me to class; he doesn't belittle me like the other guys and he'll stick up for me, but won't stick up for himself."

"That's him valuing you over himself." Joy added. She looked at her husband. "I wouldn't want Crystal hanging around with those rough kids at that school. She'll fall in with a bad crowd. Alvie's from a nice family, he's a good kid and I love seeing the two together, they just make each other so happy."

"I don't want you seeing Alvie again." William said with a tone of finality, returning to his dinner and acting as if neither of them had spoken.

"Oh, you're not my dad, you can't tell me what to do."

"Not your dad? Does it matter? Your dad ran off before you were born and it's me that's worked hard to put a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food on the table! You're an ungrateful little brat that can't see I'm doing something for your own good!"

"You're not doing it for my own good! You just hate seeing me happy!" William struggled for a response in his anger. "Why don't you follow in my dad's footsteps and bloody well bog off?!" Crystal snapped, getting up and storming out.

"Crystal!" Joy shouted after her.

Crystal reached her room and slammed the door shut as loudly as she could.

She wanted to throw things- break things- but that would never work. It would only upset her mother and cause another row between her and William.

Alvie.

He could always calm her down. She would rant to him and he would just listen and do his best to calm her down and cheer her up.

Collapsing on her bed, she grabbed her cell phone and dialled Alvie's number.

"Hi, Crystal."

"Hi."

"You don't sound happy."

"I'm not."

"What's happened?" Crystal told him everything.

She was so grateful to him. Why did William want her away from him?