Upon arriving at school the next day, Sky was already exiting the car and heading for the building before Star could even gather her bag and open her own car door. She looked after him with a bit of worry then. After all, the night before, when he had been given a ride home from Kole; he seemed in a rather good mood, to put it mildly. Though Star could easily guess what brought that mood on after having her own afternoon of intense pleasure with Kole the day before. However, upon returning to school grounds, the dark cloud hanging over Sky was nearly visible as he headed inside with no real explanation, even to her.

Sky entered the school doors and made a bee line for Miss Burke’s office, where she was still sliding out of her light jacket when he opened the door. “Morning, Sky” she greeted him with a combination of wariness and hopefulness.

“Did you report it?” was his only greeting.

“Report what?”

“Nice try” he scoffed, “did you?”

She sighed as she hung the jacket on the back of her chair and turned another sad look on the young man standing inside her door, more than upset as he awaited her answer. She took a breath, “I could report it, but it would be better coming from you; so I’d rather you do so.”

“How long have you worked here?” he scoffed.

“Almost ten years” she answered, seeming a little thrown by the question.

Sky scoffed again, “and you still don’t know how things work around here? Hell, this is only my fourth year here, but I had it figured out on day one.”

“Sky, I understand the urge to be cynical about the---”

“Cynical?” he scoffed more loudly, “try fucking terrified” he corrected her angrily.

“If he has you so terrified, that’s all the more reason---”

“You really don’t get it. I’m not terrified for me. I’ve already had to deal with his sick fucking idea of fun” he shook his head, “if anyone, and I mean, anyone, knows that I opened my mouth about what happened, at all, let alone fucking reported it? I’m not worried about what he’ll do to me anymore. But I have friends. I have a girl I’m totally in love with. If he even thinks that I told anyone... they’re the ones he’ll go after next. And I refuse to live with that.”

And with that, he left the room with a slam of the door, hoping upon hope that his plea for silence wouldn’t fall on deaf ears. But he hoped even more, that it wasn’t already too late to undo whatever damage may come from this woman knowing at all.

Kole was the first to arrive at their usual table for lunch that day. And Crista was second. And when she arrived, she graced him with a more than mischievous smile as she came and sat down next to him as close as she possibly could without literally crawling into his lap.

“Guess what” she greeted him with that same devilish grin.

“I heard” he smirked back.

Then she smiled up at him again, “I’ve also heard a few things about you” she told him with a giggle as she moved her eyes to the tight bondage pants he wore that day.

“Our reputations precede us” he allowed his own slight laugh.

“So, any thoughts on my newly de-virginized state meeting up with your love of metalwork someday? Preferably soon? Before the birthday of doom?” she asked with a wary hopefulness.

Kole just laughed more loudly then as he rubbed at his eyes to gain a moment’s composure, “this is by far the most interesting group of friends I have ever had” he smirked again.

“So is that a yes or a no?” she asked, somehow displaying more confidence these days.

Though before he could answer, Alana came to join them, “is it still ok if I sit here?” she asked warily as Kole’s smile faltered on her approach.

“Not sure that’s my call” he answered her quietly as he looked away, wishing he had a cigarette right then; but he didn’t need to add smoking in the cafeteria to his already colorful record at this new school.

“I missed something, didn’t I?” Crista asked, noting the tension between them.

Alana sighed heavily, directing her sad words at where Kole still didn’t look back at her, “no one was supposed to know who said anything.”

“Well it wasn’t that hard to figure out, Alana” Kole returned quietly.

Crista looked between them again, “ok, I definitely missed something.”

“Don’t you want him to pay too? For Sammi?” Alana asked him sadly.

“Who’s paying what now?” Crista asked, “and who’s Sammi?” she added.

Still not looking up, despite Crista’s questions and Alana’s sad voice, Kole answered, “well, you know I do. But I’m pretty sure other people will end up paying, badly, before Curt ever does.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alana asked a little worriedly as Crista now just gave up questioning and hoped to figure out what the hell they were talking about on her own then.

“If it gets reported, Curt will know. And then how fun do you think it will be for any of us around here? Like you? Or Crista? Or Star?” he asked as he shook his head back at her, “do you really wanna find out? Cause I’m pretty sure that’s the last fucking thing Sky wanted to have to find out” he told her as he shook his head once more and left the table.

Meanwhile, not sure how well he could hold his own tongue with Alana, Sky opted to have lunch in the car that day. And of course, after having been filled in by Sky through text during their study hall of hell while Curt glared at them, Star decided to join him for that lunch in the car.

Shortly after picking at a few chips which would count for their lunch that day, Star spoke, “so, do we just hate Alana now? After going back in time to save her?” she added more quietly.

Sky just sighed, “I wouldn’t say hate. But I just wish she would have taken just one second to actually think things through before opening her damn mouth” Sky complained, his frustration still obvious.

“Guess she’s had a few less lifetimes to know how bad things can really get with Curt” Star stated more quietly.

“Well I have a feeling she still may find out now that we’ve got counselors on a crusade” Sky added with further upset.

That was when Kole tapped on the tinted car window, “anyone home?”

Sky and Star then did allow a small smirk as Sky lowered his window a crack, “how so ever did you find us?”

Kole just smiled back, “want company?”

Sky just bit back another smile as he gestured for Kole to get into the backseat behind them. Upon doing so, Kole leaned forward in the seat glancing over where both of them couldn’t help smiling back at him, despite their current moods.

“Not having lunch inside?” Star asked, “Crista will be very upset.”

Kole smirked again, “I already talked to her, briefly” his eyes grew darker then, “then Alana showed up” he sighed as he slid back in the seat again.

Star then added, “what a coincidence. We were just talking about her too.”

“Yeah, I mighta sorta said a few words to her. My bad” Kole apologized insincerely. They then both just looked back at him questioningly. He then allowed another guilty smile as he looked between them, “what can I say? I’m feeling oddly protective of you two.”

Sky smirked then as well “really now?”

Returning that smirk, Kole added, “well, if you two are all depressed and thinking about signing up for home schooling or some shit, then I worry that my instances of rather intense orgasmic fulfillment with not one, but two of my preferred partner genders; it may just take a hit.”

Sky and Star both couldn’t help a small chuckle at his words before Sky spoke again, “I see, so you’re protecting your sexual interests, then?”

“Always” Kole smirked back as he reached over the seat and helped himself to a chip as the two just shook their heads with another small smile on each set of lips.

Sky’s mood easily returning though, he sighed, “that home schooling thing really might be the only option at this point. Our parents would be thrilled” he added as he gave Star a furtive look.

“Something needs to be done about Curt once and for all” Kole grumbled in agreement.

Sky then looked back at him with further worry, “please don’t tell me you’re still thinking of stabbing him in the heart?”

“Well, I’m always thinking about it” Kole scoffed, then added, more seriously, “but I was actually thinking more about what you two may have done to make him hear things, or make Nickels not see things” he stated quietly as he looked between the two pointedly as both grew visibly more uncomfortable.

“Not sure what you’re referring to” Star returned with a bit of discomfort.

“And then that virgin’s blood comment?” Kole added, “gimme some credit here; I know fellow witches when I see them. Think you two are even better at it than me. I need candles and shit; you guys just think it. I should be taking lessons from the two of you” he told them conversationally as he moved to light a cigarette as the two just looked back at him with a bit of shock on their faces.

“You think we...” Star stammered.

“Don’t worry” Kole smiled as he lit the cigarette, “I probably wouldn’t have even noticed without knowing what to look for” he smiled at them as he took a drag.

“You think we...” Sky repeated Star’s earlier worried comment.

“So do you two actually have to be together to be that good at it? Bonding ritual? Sex to tie yourselves together like that? Pretty cool. I’m guessing you two are less effective apart then though. No wonder you two are so inseparable. Other than the obvious reasons” he had to add with a smirk.

Sky and Star gave each other another furtive look, then shrugged at each other before Sky spoke again, “you’ve gotta understand. We don’t exactly...”

“Advertise?” Kole supplied with another smile, “no shit. Cause you’ve got real power, not just the new age store bullshit. You guys really are tapped into some old age shit” he added with another drag.

“Nobody can know” Sky whispered, deciding going with it was their best option here.

“Did you know about me?” Kole told them pointedly, “I know how to keep secrets, in other words” he smiled back at them, “especially one like this; One that just might be exactly what we need to deal with certain unpleasant factors in our lives” he stated, his eyes darkening as Curt and a few of his friends passed by in the distance on their way to the field at the back of the school for their own lunch period.

Star followed Kole’s eyes then looked back worriedly, “you think we could actually... do something...” she decided on, “about Curt?”

“Well, with as powerful as you two seem to be; plus some of the things I know” he added as he watched the nemesis in question disappear around the side of the school, “I’d love to find out.”