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I slip into Math, looking around for Jack. We need to talk about everything that's going on. He has a goal: Get his father to lose his case.

And I have a goal: Get my own late father's ex -wife and killer as far away from me as possible.

The only guarantee of that is jail, so that's where I intend she stay. And if what Jack said yesterday is true, then I know that he'd agree with me.

I'm still not all too hot on the idea of working together with him. I mean...He is after all under suspicion for being Delilah's supporter's son. But if he hates his own father as much as I hate Delilah (my reasons clear, his unknown) Then I think we're on the same page.

Although, as only I know so well...Pages can flip.

I finally spot Jack sitting at his usual seat, and I slip next to him, setting down my bag and hunching over my textbook.

Jack glances over at me and nods. "Hey, Hazel."

I wince and inwardly groan. I hate hearing that name. It reminds me of so much.

"You're not going to quit that, are you?"

Jack shakes his head. "Not until you tell me why it bothers you so much."

I shake my head. My real name and the sensitivity surrounding it is a personal and entirely separate issue. Even though Jack and I are "partners" now...He's still the Jackass to me and I'm not spilling.

I cross my arms and absentmindedly stare in the opposite direction.

"Since that's not happening..."

"I'm going to keep calling you Hazel."

He smirks and flips a page in the textbook, chewing his gum and billowing another air of mint.

Eventually, Mrs. Casper makes her way to the front of the room and points at the board. In big letters, she writes,

"GROUP WORK."

She taps on the letters and repeats them aloud.

"I want you all to work on quadratic functions and parabola extractions together with your partner, the mate immediately on the left. Keep your voices low and don't make a ruckus."

She nods as if finalizing it and walks back to her desk. She's probably going to use this extra time to update her dating account...

Jack turns to me and smiles. "Well, I guess we get to have a bit of a talk before you come over later."

I knit my eyebrows together. "Come over later?"

He nods. "Yeah. Oh, I forgot to tell you didn't I? I'm picking you up and we're swinging around my place for a nice chat."

"Nice? Ha, anything but. Also, who gave you the wild notion that I'd ever set foot inside a Travels household?"

Jack seriously looks at me and utters the following words. "My mom."

I burst out laughing, earning strange looks from the rest of the class. I lower my voice and look back at him.

"Really?" I say unapprovingly. "Could you be anymore immature?"

Jack shakes his head. "No. Seriously. You're babysitting Amara at my place today."

Oh, right. I remember Mrs. Travels mentioning something like that.

"Wait, but why do I need to come over? Can't you just watch her?"

Jack nods. "I'll need company. I get lonely, you know?"

I shake my head and mutter under my breath. "I'll bet you do..."

Jack rests the side of his head on his fist and looks at me. "How about it?"

I nod. "We'll need to do some more work into this case...And I guess it's the perfect opportunity...So why not? Let's get this thing over with, shall we?"

Jack nods and then gestures to his math book.

"Well...I guess we should start on something productive. How about that parabola, eh?"

                                                                                     ...

Later on during the day, I meet up with Astrix at lunch and tell her everything that went on. We don't hide secrets from each other, and she's the type of girl to understand stuff. She won't go run her mouth or rat on me for anything. That's just the type of person she is, and I love her for it.

"So you're going over to Jack's house to semi-sit Amara with him and snoop through more private files to keep Delilah in jail?"

I nod. "Yeah, basically."

I take the last bite into my apple and throw away the core. Astrix looks back at me disdainfully.

"And you're 100% sure you don't want me there with you? I mean...Personally, I already trust Jack-"

"Trust him? What has he done to earn trust?"

Astrix looks at me pointedly. "He's helped you. Immensely. Don't forget that."

I roll my eyes. "Oh, shut up."

Astrix giggles. "But you know I'm right. I usually have a good sense with the way people are, and I can already deduce that Jack is no backstabber. He isn't on the case with his Dad and he's not trying to help Delilah. He's trying to help you...And satiate a war with his father, but, not the point."

I nod. "I guess you're right. Going out on a whim with him is the best option I have at this point, sadly. So I guess I'm just going to have to commit with it."

The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch and the start of a whole new set of classes. None of which I will share with Astrix.

She stares at me over our empty plates of food and points at my nose.

"Don't forget to call me."

I smile. "I never do."

Astrix nods sweetly and throws out her food, making her way to her next class. I follow her lead and branch off in the opposite direction, but not before Jack catches me at the doorway and grabs hold of my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

He smiles at me and fingers the strings of his jacket.

"Hey, babe...Don't forget. My place. After school, alright?"

I knit my eyebrows together and cross my arms.

"Uh..."

"Don't worry, I'll bring protection."

He winks at me, and I have the urge to kick him where I'm sure it will hurt.

Paige, Kelsy and Peyton stand behind him, looking at me in shock. I open my mouth wide as well. Saying that in front of them made it seem like we were going to do something other than...What we were going to do.

I wait till after the three she-demons sashay away to push Jack down a hallway into a locker.

"What the hell was that!"

Jack looks amused. "I needed to get those three off my case. I just thought...With you..."

I shove him again. "Making me seem like some kind of a whore!? Are you insane?"

Jack rolls his eyes. "Don't be dramatic. That could have meant a lot of different things."

I nod. "Exactly. That's the problem right there."

I make a move to shove him again, but this time he catches my wrist.

"Stop that. Pushing me over and over again isn't going to solve anything."

I squint my eyes. "Isn't going to solve anything? Then what is?"

Jack runs a hand through his hair. "That's a broad question. The truth is, none of us really know."

I scoff. "Stop changing the topic, Jackass! "

He sighs. "Wow. I feel so-o offended. Not."

I feel my face heating up and I begrudgingly back down the hallway.

"If you don't watch what you say around others...I'll..."

He smirks. "You'll what?"

I feel tears stinging my eyes, and instantly Jack's gaze softens and he steps forward.

"I'm not going to tell anyone about Delilah and whatever or your messed up situation if that's what you're worried about..."

He takes another step forward and puts a hand on my shoulder. I furiously push him away.

"Don't touch me."

Then I back down the corridor and make my way to Science like nothing happened.

He's infuriating. How I'm going to get through this without ripping his head off is anyone's guess.