Chapter 4: Night Ranger

Terry sat in class waiting for Zoe while looking over some of his information for the project. Slowly he looked up when the second bell rang. 'No Zoe, something isn't right here.' He thought. The teacher started talking about the project.

"You are very lucky, class. Because of some complaints from my last class I've decided to make the project a partner project. Everyone write your names on a scrap of paper and then were going to put it into a hat and your going to draw your partner." He explained.

Terry raised his hand. "Do you want me to put Zoe's name into the drawing?" he asked before he was called on.

"Sure go ahead." The door opened. Terry looked up to see Zoe walking in wearing baggie jeans and a baggie tee shirt. Her hair looked as if she just threw it up in a ponytail as she ran out the door.

"Sorry I'm late, mom blew the power last night after I went to bed screwing up the alarm clocks and everything else." Zoe explained as she quickly took her seat. She didn't look at Terry as he starred at her.

"Zoe, write your name on a piece of scrap paper, I'm giving you partners for the project."

"Sir, I would like to work alone since I have most of it done, this was the last project I did before I moved." She said looking down at her notebook.

"I would like you to work on it with someone else. That way you don't send your self crazy with the rest of the work." Her teacher told her. She looked down at her hands.

"I see." She quickly wrote her name on the corner of a piece of paper and ripped it off. "With my luck I'll get Blondie." She mumbled as the hat was passed around. When Terry passed her the hat she placed her name in and quickly passed it to Jus who was sitting next to her. The hat was passed around the classroom and made its way back to the teacher.

"Okay, Our first group is Alicia and Mike C." he continued to list the names as he pulled them out. "There's two names left, you know who you are but just for the fun of it lets read them out. 'The Uber Tired Zoe' gets Terry." Zoe's eyes widened when she heard Terry's name called with her own. "Now get with your partner and figure out who gets to do what." Terry turned to look at Zoe.

She pulled out the sheet that held what had to be done. There were checks on the side of hers as well as some small drawings. "Terry, you can get the fact sheet, photos and the World War Two timeline." Her pen marked what Terry was doing as well as what was already done. "We can both work on the personal timeline. I'll take care of the Interviews and the Journals. I'll have to print out two more interviews but its nothing big. Just get your part done."

"Sounds good, should I meet you in the library after school today?" Terry asked making notes of what he had to do.

"Na, I have my parts done already. I basically gave you the stuff I didn't do yet." Terry placed his hand on Zoe's as she spoke. Zoe looked up and jerked her hand back towards her. "Is there something I can help you with?" She was referring to his hand.

His eyes gazed at her as he paused trying to find the right words. "Are you alright, Zoe?" Terry paused once more. "You seem kind of edgy today."

"Don't talk to me like you have a clue about me. Not to mention, I believe I'm not supposed to talk to you in public." People turned to see what was going on. Zoe placed her head back down on the table and turned away from Terry leaving him sitting there speechless. He turned back to his research acting like nothing happened. Slowly the minuets passed by and the bell rang. Zoe walked right out of the class without turning back.

Alicia ran up behind her and placed her hand on Zoe's shoulder turning her around. Zoe's eyes opened to see the brown haired girl standing there smiling. "Thank you for saying that to Terry. He needed to be put in his place."

Zoe shrugged. "Your welcome I think." She paused. "Question, is there anything to do here on Friday nights?"

Zoe watched Alicia's eyes light up. "There's karaoke on Friday at the teen club. You have to come. It's totally awesome." Alicia grabbed Zoe's hand. "Come on we're going to be late for English."

Across the hallway, Terry and Andy watched Zoe get dragged off. "I wonder what's wrong with her. Yesterday she was normal, today she's all depressed and miserable. There's gotta be something wrong."

"I have third with Alicia, I'll ask her to find out for me. She's to afraid of us not to tell me the truth and do what I say." Andy assured his brother.

Terry leaned back against the lockers. "Do you think were abusing our powers?" Andy watched his brothers eyes as he looked into them with confusion. "Think about it, we push people around all the time. Think we do it to much?"

"What's gotten into you Terry?" Andy asked his older brother.

"Its nothing I was just thinking."

"We've gotta get to gym class." Andy said looking down at his watch.

"I need to go to my councilor." Terry pulled a pass out of his pocket. "She wants to talk to me about something. Maybe I can see if she knows what to do."

"Don't screw things up. Oh, Joe wanted me to ask you if you wanted to go to Karaoke on Friday night?" Andy asked as he started walking off to the gym.

Terry shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know." The two said goodbye and walked down the hall in different directions. People moved out of Terry's way as he walked down the hallway. No one tried to get into his way but everyone pushed them selves out of the way. The Student Personal Office was full of people walking around, talking by the copier or waiting out side an office. Terry walked over to the door labeled 'Miss Caroline Mail.' The door was open so he peered in while lightly knocking.

"Terry come on in. I'll be with you in a second." The woman at the computer said. Her black hair was held back by a white hair-band with a few small braids spread through out the length of her main. Near the bottom there were some gems that were sticking to the back of the chair. Terry walked in and sat down on the small couch that was in the room. "Okay, this is just a touching base visit. How are things going with your class work and everything? I know you have quite a heavy work load Mr. Three AP's and Four Honors classes." Terry stayed silent trying to figure out how he should fraise what's been on his mind. "Is something troubling you Terry?"

"Kind of." He finally said.

"You know you can tell me. I won't tell the principal, or the social workers or anyone." Miss Mail got up and closed the door. "What is it?"

"You know the new girl, Zoe Startz?" Terry finally asked.

His eye's followed Miss Mail as she nodded, "She's my newest student."

"I have History with her."

"AP US Two?"

"Right. Anyway, yesterday she was fine, like this weird normal kid with so many CD's it'll make your head boggle at the randomness. I swear, I think I saw O Town in there with Papa Roach and Lost Prophets, not to mention some people I've never heard of. She gave me a ride home from the library yesterday and told me to get a CD out of her case. There had to be like 200 CD's there. I've never seen so many in one place." Terry was ranting to his councilor. "The way she acted when she was singing this song, I've never heard that song before." Miss Mail held up her finger to try to get a word in. Terry ignored the plea to pause. "Just the way she sang," He tried to remember the rhythm. "'Four in the morning, Came without a warning. Everybody's got a place to be, I got holes in my conscience' just sticks with me.' I don't know what connections she has with that song. I don't even know what song it was! But it was amazing how she was singing."

Terry paused and looked up. "I believe those are lyrics from Four In The Morning, Hard Time Loving You, by the Night Rangers. They're an old 80's band. Pretty good by 80's standards. Too much hair power not enough stay power."

"But anyway, the tone in her voice down to the way she gripped the wheel. She was such a different person then. Not the girl in class. A teenage rock star or something. She looked like she was trying to remember everything yet forget something so painful. There were these tears coming down her face. I couldn't stand to see her like that. The weird thing is, in that moment she was Jessica. I felt like Jessica was still alive and well." Terry got up and walked to the window. "I don't get it, what is it about the new girl that's making me think of Jessica!" He leaned his head onto the window and just stood there.

"The two of them are very similar. Jessica would never let anyone push her around and stand up for herself. Which I believe you said was what drew you to her in the first place. Zoe's the same way. Zoe said she needed a friend to stand by her side but not fight for her. Then she described someone a lot like you Terry."

"She described someone like me?"

"Yes, she did. She said that she wanted to find a friend like her friend Tom from her old town. I have a meeting with her on Monday after Lunch just to touch base with her to see how her week went and how the new school's treating her. I can give you another pass to come down here and assist me with something." A smile walked across her face.

Confusion washed over Terry as he stared at his councilor. "What do you mean?"

Third period began at the same time every day. Alicia walked in right before the bell to see Andy sitting in her desk. She walked over to him. She was going to ask him to move, even if her bravery was short lived she still managed something. "Umm. Excuse me Andy, can you get out of my seat." Her quite voice was almost lost in the confusion of the starting of the class.

"I need to talk to you Alicia." Andy turned towards her and locked eyes.

"About what?" her voice shook with each syllable she slowly spoke.

"What do you know about Zoe Startz?" Andy wasn't going to beat around the bush. He went in for the kill.

"She just moved here. I have History, Latin and Lunch with her and she's in my Gym period too. She's nice and doesn't take shit from people." Her voice was slow but slowly building confidence.

"I see. You know my brother?" Andy watched Alicia nod. "What does she think about him?"

"She hasn't said anything about him beyond that he need's to get his ego in check. And I agree with her on that. She said, that you, your brother and Joe need to get in check." People we're starring at Alicia and Andy. He hid the shocked expression while talking to Alicia.

"Get her to the Karaoke thing this Friday night. Make sure she's there." Andy stood up and stepped away from the desk.

"Fine. I'll tell her to bring her friends from her old school, they seem like a lively bunch." Alicia slid into her seat and took out her notebook and opened it up to her math homework.

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