Mk, so about this chapter. Heh heh, right, very long. Makes up for last chapter's shortness. Hope you guys like!

(Meralda's POV.. again…)

I got off the bus behind Dan and in front of Zeus. His girlfriend had gone up ahead with her other conceited, self-absorbed friends. I was walking down the bus's aisle when a cute boy leaning too far outside his seat and, BAM, I hit him full in the face.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I asked, worried and concerned for his well-being. As I always am, might I add.

The boy rubbed his sore face with a hand. "I think I'll live, thanks. If you'd be so kind…" His other hand made a gesture that intimated that he wanted to get off in front of me. It was the least I could do, so I let him ahead. Dan gave me a scowl but trudged on anyways.

A scowl? Why….?

I followed the cute boy until I smelled fresh air again. Zeus was trying to have a conversation with me as we stood by the bus, the three of us – Dan, Zeus, and I.

"Where's your first hour, Meralda?" His voice sounded amplified, what with him leaning by my ear. Why he's standing so close is a mystery to me. I think he's smelling my hair, but I'm not certain. I didn't understand it, but Dan kept throwing Zeus jealous looks. Why would Dan have cause to be jealous? We're not together, in any sense of the word. How odd.

"I don't know, I have to go to the office to get my schedule."

He was still by my ear. "And do you know exactly where said office is?" I could more feel than see his smile.

He had me trapped. He and I both knew it. "Actually… No."

Dan turned around swiftly and was going to say something, but Zeus cut him off. Intentionally, perhaps?

"Why don't I lead you," Zeus suggested smoothly. "I'll also throw in the do's and do not's of the Double-A while we're at it." Tempting. Very, very tempting. If only….

"What's the catch?" I stopped trying to move my head, all he did was adjust his own.

"Well, I can think of a few things off the top of my head…" He chuckled.

"You have a girlfriend, bozo. Lay off the merchandise."

He winced, but covered the action by saying, "Oh, so it's for sale? Lucky I'm rich, then." He winked, ever the smooth sailor.

"You're incorrigible! God save she who captures your wayward eyes and heart," I said teasingly. Zeus looked affronted, and then smiled. He had a gorgeous smile – when he wasn't being full of himself and annoying.

Dan coughed noticeably. Strange, but I'd completely forgot he was standing near me. Poor guy.

Moving on.

I looked at my nails, which were unpainted and dull. "So, Zeus. About going to the office?"

"Right. Follow me," he replied. To Dan, in an undertone he said, "Hey, Dan, I'll drive us all home tonight. Tell Jason, aight?" Zeus didn't wait for a reply and began walking towards a big, multi-storied building made of bricks. Dan huffed and angrily stalked off.

Zeus and I walked on a sidewalk in the middle of a courtyard. Cliques were sitting, standing, talking, laughing. Zeus pointed to a bunch of preps fussing about their hair and gossiping about their 'friends'.

"You see my –"here his voice went sour, " –girlfriend, with that crowd. That's the elite of the Double-A. Every one of their boyfriends are jocks; hold the applause, please, you're too kind." This warranted an annoyed look from me. "Uh, right, anyways. Mess with them, in any way, and you mess with people with too many contacts and not much to do with their time." He sounded as if he were talking from personal experience.

My previous annoyance faded as I realized I felt sorry for him. On the surface, he was this confident, suave, sexy man but inside, he was just a boy with everyday feelings and emotions.

Whoa. Sentimental much?

Time to get hardcore. He's just another boy, Meralda, I berated myself. I do this often enough to drive me insane. He's only got one basic need and understanding, and that's not you. Nor will it ever be.

Feeling sufficiently depressed, Zeus kept up a running commentary on the social groups of Athena's Academy.

He nodded towards six secluded kids with two parallel slits in the back of their clothes and told me their names. "That's Max, Fang, Angel, the Gasman, Iggy, and Nudge – all sophomores, all super athletic, and all super smart. We all know they have secrets, but they never socialize so no one knows exactly what kind of secrets. I think they hate it here, and I'd be willing to bet they'd love to just grow wings and fly away. Pity they're human though."

He moved on. "See those girls over there? The one correcting an essay is Nichole, the two helping her are Jennifer and Alyssa, and that girl laughing with them at the essay is an exchange student from Germany named Ehrinn. Her name's really guttural, it hurts my throat to say it too many times."

"You've met my girlfriend, Sharon, then her friends Gretchen and Dylan are her partners in crime – Gretchen with the black hair, tan skin and Dylan with the red hair, pale complexion."

Too many people... and yet, not that much. My mom and I went to see the prospective public high schools, and Athena's total population is about equal to the entire senior class.

Talk about transitions.

Zeus told me of the other jocks, the wanna-be's, the has-beens, and the never-could's.

Obviously, I'm a never-could. My brown hair is pin straight, my blue eyes too dark, my sparse makeup not enough and my sense of style and fashion is nonexistent. So much for making a good impression.

We got to the office just as Zeus was beginning to describe the I.C.P. cultists: people who looked like circus clowns and cut themselves. Then sang about it in rap songs.

Pity he couldn't finish. I so would have loved to hear about emo, rapping clowns.

My schedule set up, Zeus discovered that we have third hour history and fifth hour biology together.

Fun times, fun times.

We headed off in different directions to our classes. Every time the teachers said my name, they looked shocked. The student populace generally looked awed. I was embarrassed.

History was the same, Zeus said 'hi', and then texted me another quick 'hi', so I programmed his number into my phone. When I would need it, I have no idea. Biology, the teacher read my name then got red in the face became incredibly angry. I was afraid he'd rip his shirt off and start yelling, "You don't like the Hulk when he's angry!" I don't think he likes me much.

My mom surprised me after school by being in the pick-up zone, waiting for me. Students stared at her like she was the messiah.

Feeling crept out, I climbed into the door she offered me. In my peripheral vision I saw three guys, two being Zeus and Dan, enter a green Hummer H2. Zeus was driving and the unknown guy was in shotgun, with Dan in the backseat.

My speculation? Brothers. I'd heard Zeus tell Dan about taking both he and a guy named Jake or something home. From a distance, the 'Jake' looked quiet and smart, with Zeus's curly locks, only blonde. Cute. From a distance.

Their Hummer drove off, and so did our car. We had to drive on the side of a cliff to get home, of course, and since I'm terrified of heights this made me anxious.

Clouds began coming in. Rain drizzled, sprinkled, and then poured in buckets. Mom's windshield wipers were working overtime, and yet still visibility was at best only meters in front of the car. Jolly conditions, eh? I know, I felt a bad feeling as well in the pit of my stomach.

Suddenly, Mom hit a deep, hidden pothole. Our car leaned too far to the right and overbalanced, sending the car, Mom, and myself careening over the cliff. Our poor vehicle bounced and rolled, getting bruised and battered, windows breaking and doors locking together.

I was frightened for my life.

So was my mom.

We screamed, and the horror lasted only as long as, well, forever. Or so it seemed. It was probably only about two minutes or so. But boy was it the longest two minutes of my life.

The car stopped rolling and tossing, and fell right-side up in a shadowed clearing.

Panting, I asked my mom, "Mom, mom, you okay?" I was pretty worried. She's fragile.

She was panting too. Thankfully. "Y-yes, dear. You're alright?"

"Yeah, 'course…" Yeah, I just rolled down a cliff in rainy weather. I'm perfectly peachy.

"Dear, I'm so sorry, it's my entire fault – I don't know where we are – we have no money – we're isolated –"She was breaking down. Not good. Not good at all.

She kept rambling. "What if something – you could've – my irresponsibility – your life…"

The rain kept coming, pounding on the roof, leaking through the new cracks. I'm guessing we'll need a new car.

"Don't worry, mom. It's going to be okay." Reassuring my mom was not something I particularly enjoyed. Especially when I'm the one who needs encouraging.

Just then, hotness began to invade my body.

Heat…?

Heat!

"Mom! Get out! I think the engine's going to explode!" I screamed. We'd be dead meat if we didn't get out, and soon!

Mom shrieked, trying to open her door. "It's jammed! My door's jammed!"

My heart stopped beating. I hadn't thought of that. I tried my door, barely breathing. It worked. Luckily.

"Mom, climb over to my door after me. Hurry!" I quickly scrambled out, and then looked back at Mom. This thing could blow any second, and we're right here!

She hadn't moved. "Mom!" She didn't react. She just sat in the driver's seat, staring stoically ahead.

Then she told me, calmly, "Meralda, get out. Leave me here." There was determination in her voice, her expression. She wasn't about to be swayed.

Well, I wouldn't leave her to die alone! "No, Mom! I'm staying here! With you!" I moved to get back into the car, but Mom closed the door, locked it, and then rolled down the window.

Her eyes were now desperate. In a pleading voice, she asked me, "Live for me? Be strong in the ways I was not. Go away from me, for me. I love you, Meralda. When doubt begins to thicken, remember that. I love you."

I cried. Leave mom? The engine's running out of time. Now or never. I hesitated.

Mom told me one last thing. "Belle… berry… belle… berry…" Then she looked into my eyes and ordered me, "Run like the cheetah, my Meralda. Run."

I ran. You have no idea how fast I ran. I was a blur. I ran to thirty yards away from the car before the engine gave up and exploded. I didn't hear any screams as the flames leapt high into the air, easily fifty feet up. Even as far out and away as I was, I instantly began to cough – too much smoke. Flames so high in the air… then, as if there were such a thing possible as floating gasoline, the fire lit a phrase in midair, facing me. My pulsing heart raced even harder. How…? The phrase suddenly jumped to life, weirdly not being extinguished by the downpour of rain. The words of flame spelled, 'BELLE REVENGE'.

YOU'RE WELCOME, NICHOLE! How's that for a plot-opener? HUH?? Yeah. You see what I mean? Writer's Rush!

I'll try and update soon.. I don't know how long the next chapter will be, depends on what I can think of.

Suggestions and criticism are always appreciated, even wanted!

Luv you all

krista )