Wren parked the sedan in a shaded area of the Springdale High School parking lot then turned and studied his ward who sat slumped in the back seat, arms crossed. He understood her frustration. What teenager wanted a body guard tracking their movements? Or in this case, a butler.

A desire to see her smile struck.

She seemed to sense his attention and glanced at him. "What?"

"Well, I was thinking you might enjoy attending classes alone?"

She blinked. "You're not coming with me?"

"I don't see a need. My job is to protect you, but I wasn't given any specific instructions. Minus the romantic involvement." He laughed when her face went scarlet. "You have my work phone number already, right?"

Her forehead scrunched in thought. "Is it the same phone Tonya had?"

"Yes, it was hers, so the number should be the same."

"Then I have it."

"Good. Just text me after each class and let me know you're okay. How does that sound?" He hoped for a smile, but instead got a scowl.

"Are you for real?"

Not super trusting, he thought. "How about it? Deal?"

"I-I guess so." She nodded, slowly. "Yeah, deal."

He thought she softened, and her arms did untangle themselves. A minor victory, at least.

Awkwardness filled the vehicle.

"I'm going now." She gathered her books, exited the vehicle, and slammed the door.

Wren leaned back and watched as she walked across the black pavement to the entry doors. Irritation pricked him when a few teen boys ogled her; he resisted the urge to roll down his window and glare and instead, sent up a quick prayer.

Please, let this be the right choice.

****************************************************

School proved uneventful. To Leah's relief, Alyssa seemed to have better things to do than pick on her.

As instructed, Leah sent a quick text of "I'm fine." after every class, but the concerning thought she might also be sending a signal of acceptance caused her to hesitate to send the last message of the day.

"I'm fine." stared up at her from the cell phone screen, and she chewed her bottom lip, confused. Was she playing into his plan? She did appreciate the space he provided.

She sighed and hit send and then placed her phone on the bench, for she knew if she didn't send it, he'd come looking for her. Besides, following his rules doesn't mean I've accepted him.

Satisfied with her decision, she stood and surveyed the basketball court. Its wood floor was covered in balls and cones, remnants of the dodge ball game that had taken place ten minutes ago. The gym keys jingled as she placed them by her phone; she didn't want to lose them.

The P.E seniors took turns cleaning the gym and locking the doors. Today was her turn. Not that she minded. The quiet in here now that the kids were gone was nice.

She took her time gathering the equipment, diligent to set each item in its place inside the gym's small storage room. She became engrossed in her work, but a click jerked her to awareness.

Leah paused her stacking of the orange cones and turned to find the storage room door shut. Concern tugged at her. I know I left it open...

She tried the knob, but it refused to move. "How did it lock itself?" She swallowed rising panic and hit the wood of the door with a fist. "Hello! Is anyone there?"

Girlish giggles erupted from beyond the door, and anger replaced Leah's worry. "Alyssa! Open this door! This isn't funny!"

The response was more giggles. Giggles that sounded farther away.

"Don't you dare leave me here. Alyssa, come back! Coward!"

No response this time, not even a giggle. Once again, fear rushed through her. But that was what those brats wanted, wasn't it? Stubbornness overwhelmed her fear. She'd be calm and wait. Someone would come. Maybe Butler Wren... She scowled. Where had that thought come from? And Butler Wren? But... the name did suit him. It was much better than Sir Knight.

She pressed her back against the door and slid down to sit on her heels. She tapped the smooth wood with her knuckles. If someone came, hopefully they'd hear the sound. Hopefully, that someone wouldn't be Wren Adams.

****

Wren leaned against the sedan and glanced at his watch again. The school buses had lined up, and kids of all ages were filing inside of them.

Where was she?

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Soon, the parking lot emptied, except for a group of teenagers that were packing themselves into a red jeep. They looked to be about Leah's age though, so he jogged toward them.

"Hey, guys! How's it going?" Wren kept his tone jovial as he approached.

"Going alright, man." The driver said and grinned at him. He placed one possessive hand on his girlfriend's bare thigh. "Do you need something?"

A brown-haired girl in the back of the jeep batted her lashes at Wren; he ignored her and tried to act casual. "I was wondering if any of you know Leah Kingsley? I'm here to pick her up, but she hasn't shown up yet."

"Oh, yeah, that pretty blond chick who's always wearin' designer clothes," Driver Boy said.

The title irritated Wren, but he buried it beneath a smile. "That's her."

The girl with the fluttering eyelashes said, "I saw her sneaking out the back exit and heading toward the highway. I figured she was planning on hitching a ride or something."

"You've got to be kidding. Which way?"

"Oh, uh, she went...right. Maybe she's at the Mall."

Groaning, Wren ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks for the help."

"Anytime. I'm Alyssa, by the way. If you were wondering."

"I wasn't. Thanks again."

Wren raced back to the sedan, his temper flaring. Leah had done it again.

****

The teens watched, awed, as the black car whipped around in a tight circle; the tires squealed, and then the vehicle lurched out into traffic.

"Why does he care so much about that brat?" Alyssa scoffed as she watched the vehicle speed out of sight. Annoyance fluttered in her chest.

"Forget the girl. Where did he learn to drive like that? That dude is awesome!"

Alyssa smirked at the young man in the Jeep's driver's seat. "For once we agree on something. Let's get out of here."

Hopefully, she thought, it would be a long while before Mr. Awesome found Leah Kingsley.