The new school year was promising. I finished the previous one with excellent results and now I was going to be even better. I was ready for this challenge like never before. Dylan could knock me down during our training sessions as many times as he wanted but my grades were proof that there was something I was good at.

Another argument for my excitement is that from now on Dylan won't be poisoning my school life. He finally graduated from high school. When I realized how much of a benefit it was for me, I felt like dancing a pirouette.

Admittedly, I still had to deal with the twins but it was Dylan who always poked his nose into my business and teased me, making the others tick. Tony usually rather ignored me, and Shane shrugged everything off so I felt ineffable happiness at the thought of finally tasting a bit of freedom. At least a tiny little bit.

Some things, unfortunately, haven' t changed. For example, Audrey, at whose sight my stomach clenched because I recalled the reasons why she stopped talking to me. I made eye contact with her when we met in front of our lockers. For the first time since the events with Jerry, her gaze wasn't soaked with hatred but it still seemed painfully indifferent.

Lavinia greeted me with two juicy kisses on my cheeks, expressing loudly on how she missed me. I've never even seen this girl outside of school but apparently, she felt the need to play this show with me, still in acknowledgment of the punch that Jason got from me as a gift for being the loser of the year. Although the fact that I didn't like her character was a small understatement, somewhere inside I felt a tiny, tiny understanding with this girl, so I tolerated her behavior and joined her in this game, throwing my arms around her neck and smiling nicely.

I was extremely surprised by Marshall who kind of grew into a man. He was much taller and a stubble appeared on his face. Together with Mona, we effectively embarrassed him with the avalanche of compliments.

The morning part of the first day of classes passed well. I was constantly greeting people, thanking them with a sweet smile when they admired my tan and a complicated fishtail braid, which I'd got up extra early today to make. I also answered them with flattery and our conversations were accompanied by a lot of laughs, although not everyone was as happy with the end of holidays as I was.

My mood began to drop just before lunch when I was placing books in my locker and heard a long whistle behind my back. I turned away just in time to see one of Jason's idiotic friends pulling his fingers out of his mouth. The guy chuckled, almost landing on the ground when Jason nudged him.

"Shut up," he growled quietly at him and then cast a quick glance at me, probably to see if I had reacted to his friend's stupid poke.

I raised my eyebrows and couldn't help but scoff. Jason disgusted me. Maybe I was a little too mean but I couldn't believe the next words that came out of his mouth:

"Fucking princess."

Although he hissed them under his breath, I heard them very clearly and immediately took a few steps towards him.

"Do you want to say it again?" I called out loudly, and a part of me cringed in surprise at the sudden surge of aggression. It wasn't me, I didn't act like that. Well, apparently Jason was able to awaken the worst, deepest buried feelings in me.

I just couldn't let someone like him insult me.

"I think you heard it," he replied, squinting his eyes and giving me a fake smile but I also noticed how he rubbed his hands nervously.

"Hey, chill," the idiot, who whistled said. He looked from me to Jason and held out his hands to us in a reassuring gesture. Their other colleagues were also watching us with smirks plastered on their faces as if they were feeding on this type of rows.

I raised my eyes up and then moved them straight into those Jason's blue irides that once captivated me so much. I shook my head at the memory.

"You are pathetic," If I was a peasant, I would probably spit at him at the end but it misbecame me to do it, so I just made sure that a clear distaste was visible on my face.

"Are you fucking serious? I'm pathetic?" Jason laughed without humor, pushing his fists into the pockets of his loose jeans and he came out of his group to face me. I noticed that he had a quick look around before he bored into me again. "I'm not the one hiding behind my older brothers."

"Oh, you're right, you're just the one using girls and leaving them," I snapped, totally unimpressed by him mentioning my brothers.

"You're talking bullshit. Bull-shit. You repeat everything after that bitch, Lavinia, instead of using your own empty head. You don't know shit about my relationships. I didn't do anything to you. Did I do something to you? Nothing. Your brothers, great fucking defenders, took matters into their own hands. And now you fucking walk around the school and no one can even look at you in a wrong way," he growled and put his hands on his head. "How fucked up it is!"

I took another step forward.

"You know that I had no influence on my brothers. But you had a great time making out with another girl right in front of my eyes, didn't you?"

I felt sad just at the memory of how terrible I felt at the time.

Jason raised his eyebrows for one second, giving me a mean smile.

"Why, you were jealous?"

"I was hurt, you idiot," I grunted, not even knowing why I was sharing it with him.

"I don't care about your hurting."

Like I said, an idiot.

I fell silent, suddenly regretting even starting this discussion. Jason must have sniffed a victory out because he raised his head a little higher, still smiling contemptuously at me.

"What, you will now complain to your brothers?"

What the hell.

I boldly raised my chin and approached him again, so that now I was standing right in front of him.

"Sure I will. And I hope that this time they will actually break your something. Just say the word, Jason, and I swear I'll go to them right now," I whispered furiously at him, pausing at the end and waiting for him to open his mouth. Come on. I was ready to fulfill my threat in the blink of an eye. I knew Shane and Tony had to be in the cafeteria. I was so triggered that I didn't care how unethical my words were.

With dark satisfaction, I noticed uncertainty lurking deep in Jason's eyes. He was eager to say or do something inappropriate but he managed to stop himself.

He looked at me as if I was his worst enemy, which deep down hurt me because I really didn't feel I deserved so much hatred from anyone but outside I defiantly held his gaze.

Finally, Jason started backing away, shaking his head, and suddenly turned to blend himself back into the group of his colleagues around whom he must have felt safe again because he muttered something to them, but so quietly that I didn't even hear what it was, so I gave it up.

I wanted to leave this corridor as soon as possible, so I turned away and saw that several people had the honor to witness our exchange. Some of them I knew only by sight, others I didn't know at all, but, annoyingly enough, one of them had to be Audrey, who stood next to the wall, pressing a briefcase to her chest harder than necessary, and stared at me with a shadow of the same reserve and reproach with which she usually looked at me before the holidays started.

Oh, great, of course, once I said aloud a few words too much, she must have heard them. Tired and irritated by such convergence of fates, I simply decided to leave as soon as possible.

I didn't even care that the way to cafeteria I choose was the longer one. I wanted to elude those individual onlookers and their judging (as I made myself believe) glances. I didn't quite succeed, because after a while I heard footsteps behind me. I was hoping to ignore them but someone called my name softly and I slowed a little, closing my eyelids.

"Are you Hailie Monet?" The same voice said again. I stopped and turned around because it would be too rude to pretend I couldn't hear him.

The young boy also stopped, keeping a reasonable distance between us. He stared at me with hazel eyes, which were flickering with interest but also hesitation as if he was having a fight inside.

I tilted my head, giving him a deeper look. I didn't recognize him. I didn't have any classes with him last year, I didn't see him in the cafeteria and he certainly didn't belong to Jason's pack.

He wore a uniform very neatly, which wasn't frequent in this school, especially among boys. His navy tie was perfectly fitted and the shirt tidily inserted into his pants. Apparently, he also tried to control his blond hair because it was combed to the side, and on the left, a parting was slightly visible.

He looked like a kind person and that's why I decided to take a deep breath and muster the rest of my patience.

I nodded to confirm my identity.

"I thought so. I heard your talk with that guy," the stranger said, pointing his thumb behind his back.

I sighed.

"I don't usually act like that..." I said because for some reason I felt the need to justify myself.

The boy shrugged.

"I don't know you, I don't judge you."

This time I looked at him more closely. I didn't even company him. He had really interesting eyes. They were in the color of autumn. Like those golden leaves, which fall from the trees and color gray pavements. Small freckles covered his nose and he had a small dark mole close to his left eyebrow.

"Are you new?" I asked.

He nodded, giving me a small smile, and I felt a little bit of understanding for him right away. He was in a similar situation as I was a year ago.

"Leo Hardy," he introduced himself, reaching his hand out to me. I was surprised by this kind gesture. It's not shocking to greet people with a handshake, but in high school, where I was used to be surrounded by Jason-type boys, it somehow amazed me.

"Hailie Monet," I replied, shaking gently his cold hand. Suddenly I felt uncomfortable and kind of stupid. I bit my lip and to get rid of that feeling, I added: "Did you just move here?"

Leo lowered his head for a moment.

"Uhm... not really. I've actually lived in the area my whole life."

"Oh, ok. I just haven't seen you in this school before," I explained hurriedly.

"Because I wasn't here," he said, glancing at me shyly. "I went to a public school. This year I got a scholarship, so I'm here."

I kept forgetting that attending this school was a privilege that I would probably never have been able to have without Vincent's money.

"Wow, congratulations then," I smiled.

"Thanks."

We looked at each other for a while, after which I felt a little uncomfortable again. It was starting to get weird and although Leo made a good impression on me, it was time to walk away. I was already opening my mouth to say goodbye when he spoke first.

"You live with the Monet brothers, right?"

For some reason, this question made this good impression, which I mentioned a second ago, collapse like pick-up sticks.

I nodded carefully.

His expression changed. He became more concerned. I frowned at it.

"Hailie, could you do something for me? Please."

I opened my eyes wide, completely surprised by his sudden change. I tensed and was ready to take a big step back. I'm not used to such questions from strangers. I carefully cocked my ear to what he had to say, still staring at him. My selfless kindness evaporated like water.

Leo rubbed his forehead, apparently stressed. He took a deep breath and stared at me, this time strangely desperate.

"I know we don't know each other and you might think I'm insane... but, Hailie, I swear I'm just in a rat trap," he explained, nervously playing with his fingers now.

"What do you mean?" I asked, waiting impatiently for this conversation to end. I wanted to go to my lunch break.

"There is something I need to clarify. I need to talk to your brother..."

"Stop," I hissed suddenly and it came out sharper than I would have expected. I also held out my hand vertically, marking my order. Leo obediently fell silent, though he didn't get rid of the miserable expression on his face. I sighed, trying to calm down a bit, and continued a little softer. "Leo, if you want to talk to my brothers, then Shane and Tony should be in the cafeteria. You can go to them whenever you want."

In fact, knowing my brothers, they would sooner have turned him away, than let him interrupt their lunch, but it wasn't my problem.

"I need to talk to Vincent."

Ah, good luck then.

I took a deep breath and looked around, planning to explain to him in the simplest way why I didn't wish him to bother me with such problems. Fortunately, the corridor where we stood was empty.

First, I folded my hands as if to pray, resting my chin on them, and then I separated them and took a deep breath, lowering them, and looked the boy straight into his eyes.

"Leo, whatever business you have to him, you shouldn't get me involved."

"I know, I just..."

"No, I'm sorry, but no, I can't listen to it. I don't know you. I don't know who you are. I don't understand why you even come to me with your problem. My brothers deal with stuff that I stay away from. You need to talk to one of them? Then arrange it with them."

Oh God, if my brothers heard me, they would probably burst with pride.

Leo looked guiltily at me but didn't interrupt me. I felt my heart sinking at his truly worried and disappointed expression. I quickly ordered my brain to get a grip on myself. Everyone has problems, and I haven't lost my mind yet to voluntarily risk for some stranger. We were talking here about my brothers after all.

"It was nice to meet you, Leo, take care," I said and started backing, finally turning and walking away. I refrained from wishing him luck, though if he had something to discuss with Vincent, he would definitely need it. I just didn't want to add him extra weights. He already looked downcast enough.

I didn't hear a word of farewell from him, but I left him standing in the corridor, feeling a little guilty. But I'm no Mother Teresa, I can't help everyone.

In the cafeteria, I saw Shane and Tony, but I immediately took my seat next to my friends, where I began to tell them about my stupid exchange with my former object of sighs, deciding for some reason to leave the conversation with Leo for myself.

"Good! He needed to hear it!" Mona called out, clenching her fist in a gesture of support. I was glad that at least she didn't mind me threatening to Jason. "Hailie, you don't understand anything. You are the younger sister of the Monet brothers! You always complain that you're screwed up but you really have so many benefits for the taking!"

"She's right, you could basically rule this school if you wanted," Marshall added, holding a chicken wing in his oily fingers.

I buried my face in my hands.

"I don't want to."

"And that's a pity," Mona sighed.

I also told them about Audrey who witnessed my talk with Jason. As I had hoped, my friends managed to comfort me a little. Audrey's subject was still raised very carefully in our group. I don't think any of us felt comfortable talking behind her back.

As if that wasn't enough, it was very difficult for me to ignore the furtive glances Mona was giving from time to time to Tony. I just caught her on one of them and wanted to poke her side warningly when my eyes fell on the boy who was standing near my brothers' table and was staring intently at me.

As soon as Leo was sure that he had telepathically caught my attention, he looked into my eyes for a moment and finally moved toward the twins. My heart skipped a beat, guided by bad feelings. I wanted to call him not to get closer to them. I didn't react, however, and let him do his business his own way.

The table of my brothers and their friends was on the other side of the cafeteria, so unless they start shouting at each other, I won't hear a word from their conversation, so I had to focus my eyes to see their faces at least. Shane was sitting back to me and Tony sideways, and as usual, they probably had some idiotic, full of sexist jokes discussions with the other guys.

Leo wasn't taking his eyes off me until he reached their table. Then he concentrated on the boys and my brothers raised their heads to see who disturbed their peace.

"Do you know this boy?" Mona asked looking at this interaction apparently with as much interest as me.

"No," I replied.

I wasn't lying. Just because I'd exchanged a few words with him before didn't mean that I knew him.

Leo was saying something to the twins, apparently stressed. He was playing with his hands and they seemed to tremble a bit. I saw Tony's eyebrows raising higher and higher in response to what he heard, and Shane shrugged at some point. Leo said something else, extending his hands to them in a pleading gesture. His face was much more desperate than when he stood in front of me.

Shane waved a hand at him, probably dismissing him, but Leo, instead of leaving, cast a quick glance at me as if to show me something. I looked down at my lap. I don't know why I felt so bad. Maybe because I advised him to talk to my brothers myself, knowing very well how it would probably end up like. Or because I didn't have the courage to help him.

"God, he's so sexy," Mona sighed, and then I looked back that way. Of course, she was talking about Tony, who (when he saw that Leo had apparently not obeyed them because he was still standing over them) got up and faced him, warningly close. Just like men do when they want to intimidate each other before a potential fight.

"Who's sexy?" Marshall asked confusedly but he was ignored.

I would have kicked my friend under the table if not for the fact that I was watching Leo. He finally reluctantly pulled out and Tony looked after him for a moment with a defiant expression. He slowly took his place back and shook his head. The twins' friends snickered.

Leo left the canteen, giving me one last meaningful look, which I had no idea what to do with.

"Hailie, was he staring at you?" Marshall asked. He was probably the only one who caught our little exchange.

"I don't think so," I said shortly, struggling with myself to stop worrying about the boy I don't know.

I almost succeeded but I remembered about it when I got into the car with the twins at the end of the day. At the sight of them, I recalled the situation from the cafeteria and sighed, convincing myself mentally that it really was better not to ask my brothers for any favors for strangers, especially favors that might be misunderstood by them.

"What's up, Hailie?" Shane asked from the front seat. Tony was taking the driver's seat and I, as usual, landed in the back of the car.

"Fine," I murmured, not feeling the need to talk.

Tony started the engine and to leave the school parking lot, and Shane turned on the music but not too loudly, probably so I could hear his next question.

"Weren't you supposed to tell us something?"

I froze. What was he talking about?

All I could see was Tony's right profile, yet I could clearly see a smirk forming on his lips. In the side mirror, I also saw Shane's teeth flashing. He was also apparently amused.

"N-no?" I answered cautiously.

Tony snorted.