Carter shut her locker and turned away. She stopped when she found a group of girls standing before her, their manicured hands on their accented hips, cool gazes trained on her. They were the same girls who'd been trying to attract Donovan's attention for the last week. Carter stuffed her hands into her pockets and rested back against the hard metal.

"If you're going to induct me into your clique," she said, "you should know I don't do high heels and low self esteem."

A flash of annoyed and stung expressions rippled through the group. The leader of the group, a dark haired girl with red pouty lips, took a step closer, her heels clicking on the floor. She looked Carter up and down, her lips pursed in a patronizing manner. Carter fought back an amused smile. She recognized the group of girls. All of them had been given the brush off by Donovan earlier that week.

"Owens," the girl said in a silky, mocking voice, "do you honestly believe that we would be here to make you one of us?"

"Not even for a second," Carter said. "I have this thing called a brain and I use it. Besides, to be one of you I would have to remove all of my self worth and throw myself at the closest thing resembling a male. I'd rather not."

The girl raised one perfect eyebrow.

"Oh, but isn't that what you are already doing? Why else would Donovan be taking you out?" she asked.

Carter leveled the girl with an impassive gaze.

"If you're here to intimidate me into giving you information you might as well talk to my locker, you'll get a better reaction."

The girl gave a small shrug that highlighted her bony shoulders.

"No point, we have all the information we need," she said.

"Then why are you here? Besides the fact to annoy me," Carter asked.

The girl looked back at the group and gestured to them with a thin hand, a mocking smile on her painted lips.

"We are here to help you realize that this date you have with Donovan, is a pity date," she said. "Nothing else."

Carter nodded slowly, making her features fall into a forlorn expression.

"It's a pity date?" she said.

The girl nodded, her self satisfaction rising at the look on Carter's face as her gaze drifted to the floor.

"That's all. He doesn't actually like you. How could he? You are a poor excuse for a girl."

Carter lifted her head, meeting the girl's gaze with a wide eyed, helpless look.

"And you know that it's a pity date," she said, "because clearly you have been on a real date with him."

The girl stiffened with defensiveness. Carter struggled against the grin that was fighting to break free, instead she forced her features into a mask of confusion.

"You have been on a real date with him, right?" she said, her voice holding an innocent tone.

The girl tilted her chin higher and flipped a strand of hair behind her shoulder. Carter cocked her head and gave her a smug smile.

"That's right, he hasn't asked you out," she said. "I will actually bet he hasn't even said a single word to you." She shrugged, her expression shifting to a careless look. "Interesting how you easily jump to the conclusion that it's a pity date, when you have no information on which to base your conclusion."

The girl's cheeks flamed red and her lips were pinched as she stared at Carter with a fiery look. The bell rang, giving the girl an excuse to spin on her heels and storm off, her entourage quickly following behind. Carter watched them leave, smiling to herself.

As the hallways cleared, she made her way to the library. She was rounding a corner when she collided with a massive form. She took a step back, stabling herself. She looked up, meeting a pair of gray eyes set in a hard jawed face. The man wore a janitors uniform, the dark blue material stretching over his broad, muscular shoulders.

"You alright?" he asked, in a low gruff voice.

Carter nodded, as she took him in, a familiarity hovering about his face.

"Okay," he said.

He grabbed his collection of brooms and walked away. Carter followed his departure, frowning. Footsteps approached her from behind and a voice called her name.

"Carter."

She turned around. Link and Donovan were walking over to her. Donovan studied her face and a slight crease appeared between his eyebrows.

"What is it?" he asked.

Carter cleared her expression and pointed behind her with her thumb.

"Nothing," she said. "We just got a new addition to the janitorial squad."

Donovan crossed his arms.

"What's off about that?" he asked.

Link glanced at Donovan confused.

"I didn't say anything was off about it," Carter said.

"No, but your face did."

Carter smirked and shrugged.

"He seemed familiar, but I'm having trouble remembering where I've seen him before. A former military person of his size shouldn't be hard to place, but I'm failing to do so."

Link looked at Carter, surprised.

"How do you know-"

"His build, stance, and gait. I've grown up around enough military trained men to know one when I see one. Also, along the side of his neck were shrapnel scars. Not many normal men receive those."

Link nodded and Donovan tilted his chin to the side.

"Is it normal to have former military men on the janitorial staff?" he asked.

"For a private school with the President's son, yes," she said. "The pay is good and it's a hidden defense against anyone who would try to infiltrate the school or try to kidnap Mason. If for some reason Smith fails to protect Mason, there are others that could stand in."

"I see," Donovan said. "What makes this one man stand out?"

Carter shrugged.

"Only the fact that I recognized him. I've done enough training courses though it's possible I saw him there." As she took a step, she paused recognition sparking in her brain. "Never mind. I saw him at the museum the other day. I guess he got a new job."

Now able to dismiss the moment of confusion, she started walking, heading towards the library, Link and Donovan falling into step beside her. The hallway was empty, teachers' voices emanating from behind closed doors. As they passed by classroom windows, the attention of girls were caught and their glances traveled with them. Carter looked at Donovan, scowling at his strong jaw, prominent cheek bones and intelligent blue eyes. His gaze flickered to her for a second, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Why do girls find it necessary to try and intimidate me over you, when they have received no attention or encouragement from you?"

Link leaned forward, looking at Carter.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I have now had multiple conversations with girls, since yesterday and the news of the double date was announced, about Donovan and how I should either: one give up and back off, two, stop throwing myself at him, or three, realize it's a pity date."

Link burst out laughing and Carter's lips twitched in response.
"Donovan, I didn't know your group of admirers had turned so aggressive," he said.

"It's not me that makes them act this way," Donovan said.

Carter crossed her arms and looked at him with a patronizing expression.

"You certain about that?" she asked. "Because I have enough evidence that says it is."

Donovan stopped walking, bringing the group to a halt. He turned towards Carter.

"What you are failing to realize," he said, "is that it's not me personally, but what I symbolize."

Carter and Link exchanged a glance. Donovan ignored it and continued.

"I am something they desire."

"We got that," Carter said.

Donovan leveled Carter with a hard, unamused look. She held up her hands and Donovan's expression reverted to a normal, calm state.

"I am something they desire, that they can't have," he said. "In a world where they have been granted their every wish and I am unattainable, I am made all the more desirous. You having gotten what they haven't has threatened their world. That is why they act out defensively."

Link looked at Donovan with a baffled expression.

"Really?" he asked.

Donovan nodded.

"Human nature, attack whatever threatens your way of life."

"Makes sense. I just wish they would take out their attacks on you," Carter said.

Donovan's lips twisted into a smirk.

"Can't handle a few hormonal girls, Carter?" he asked, in a taunting manner.

She returned his smirk with a flat look.

"Captain, told me I'm not allowed to hit defenseless animals. My only defense is to cut down their ego and leave them with their own shattered pride."

"What's wrong with that?" Donovan asked. "Sounds exactly in your skill set."

"I prefer a swift punch. It's faster and sends a stronger message to everyone else. Nothing says back off like a broken nose and thousands of dollars in reconstructive surgery."

Carter gave Donovan a wide smile, which he responded with an amused look. Link's phone beeped and he dug it out of his pocket.

"Maddy's in the library, waiting for us," he said. "We should go."

Carter gestured them to move on.

"And so we shall," she said.

They made their way to the library and pushed open the doors. The whisper of shushed conversations and the smell of dust and ink swept past them and out the doors. Patty glanced up from behind her desk and gave Carter a bright smile. Carter waved and they moved to the table where Maddy sat, bent over a textbook. As they approached, she looked up and smiled at Link, receiving a blush and nervous smile in response. He took the spot next to her while Carter and Donovan took the seats opposite them.

"So," Maddy said, "I'm a little lost with this calculus homework, you up for helping me?"

She looked at Link with a open, pleading look, her lower lip between her teeth. Donovan and Carter looked at each other, fighting back knowing smiles. Link straightened and shifted closer to her.

"Of course, what do you need help on?"

Maddy scooted her chair a few inches closer to Link's and leaned on the table, her arm brushing his. She pulled the textbook between them and looked over it, while Link glanced at her. Carter looked at Donovan. She gave a nod to Maddy and raised her eyebrows, as if to say 'she's headstrong.' With a single nod in agreement, Donovan gave her a small smile and flipped open his notebook.

They fell into silence, listening as Link fumbled his way through helping Maddy understand a problem. After a few minutes, Carter stood and headed towards the row of bookshelves, not bothering to take notice where she was going. As she rounded the corner of one row she noticed Donovan leave the table and head off in the opposite direction. As she was turning away she spotted a girl rise from her seat and follow Donovan.

Carter walked along the bookshelves, every so often giving Link and Maddy a glance, checking on how they progressed. She was walking down one of the furthest aisles, when she heard a low breathy voice.

"No one is watching, what do you say you and me..." the voice lowered to an inaudible level.

Carter peered around the bookshelf and fought back a laugh. She recognized the girl from being part of the group that had approached Carter earlier. The girl wore her long hair was tossed over one shoulder and she moved one hand so it came to rest on Donovan's chest. He shifted sideways, breaking from the girl's caress. Carter smirked. Grabbing a book at random, she walked into the row, her head bent over the open book.

"Donovan," she said, not bothering to look up. "I think I found that reference we were looking for."

She raised her head and froze in pretend surprise, taking in the scene with the startled girl, her hand in mid air. Donovan looked over at her, the annoyance that had been hidden in the tightness around his mouth, fading at the sight of her.

A cool, superior smile slid onto Carter's lips, as she looked the girl up and down, condescension spilling from her gaze. A spark of laughter entered Donovan's eyes as he watched her. She snapped the book closed and held it in both her hands. She gestured to the girl, who was suffering from a deep, embarrassed blush.

"Do you want to continue shamelessly flirting with him, or do you think you're done for the day?" Carter asked. "If it helps with your decision, he would make no response and you would be left feeling like an idiot."

The girl's anger at her observed embarrassment fueled her into motion and she walked towards Carter, her fists clenched and her cheeks burning.

"Do you even realize how unimportant you are?" the girl sneered. "You have no name worth knowing. Your own mother even tossed it aside, just like she tossed you aside."

Anger seared through Carter's body. The book clattered to the floor as she raised her fist and swung at the girl. With a hard smack, her blow was blocked by Donovan's hand. The girl took a shocked step back, her eyes wide. Donovan tightened his hold on Carter's fist, forcing her to meet his gaze. His calm face pulled Carter from her fiery thoughts

"You under control?" he asked, his voice low.

Carter stared at him, his blank expression seeming to return her mind to her body. She nodded and he released her fist. The tension vanished and she looked back at the girl, with a neutral expression.

"Just leave," she said, her voice devoid of all emotion.

The girl turned and hurried away, glancing back once, fear in her eyes. Carter bent over and picked up the book and returned it to the shelf. When she faced Donovan again, he was leaning a shoulder against the bookcase, his arms crossed and his gaze boring a hole into her. For a long moment they stared at each other, Donovan silently interrogating her, Carter dodging his questions. He finally let the topic drop, accepting the stone wall that was Carter's response.

"Thank you for getting me out of that," he said.

Carter let out a silent sigh of relief at the change of topic.

"Sure," she said. "She had a determined look other girls have lacked. I figured I should step in before you were tackled to the ground."

Donovan raised an eyebrow.

"You underestimate my strength," he said.

"And you underestimate the strength of a crazed girl."

Donovan smiled but the look didn't erase the questions burning in his eyes.

"Has it always been this bad for you?" she asked.

Donovan shook his head.

"The first three years were nothing. The last three have been...challenging on multiple levels," he said.

"How so?"

Donovan gave her a wry smile.

"It's something you probably understand but boredom has been the most challenging aspect."

Understanding brightened Carter expression as she nodded.

"Of course," she said. "You probably haven't had a decent, intelligent conversation in years."

Donovan gave a single nod, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

"I've talked to my brothers from time to time, but yes, intellect has been in short supply."

Carter gave him a mischievous grin.

"Maybe I should have left you with that girl, I'm sure she had a mind to challenge you," she said.

"There was nothing in her brain besides air and suggestions I'm not repeating."

Carter laughed and nodded back to the center of the library.

"Come on," she said. "Let's head back, I'm sure by the time we sit down you'll have come up with something that could challenge my brain. If you're capable of it." 

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

Chocolate Ice Cream!

Is it just me or was this a terrible idea?! Now all I want to do is eat ice cream. Okay I know that's nothing new, but still now I have a reason to...do I? Well, a lack of a reason hasn't stopped me before and won't stop me now! To the freezer! To ice cream! To freedom!

Yup...kind of got lost there. What was I talking about?

Oh nothing, right, might as well go into...

Annoyance over the fact that this wasn't the double date chapter?

Mad that Donovan still didn't let her punch the girl?!

Noooow! Am cheist! (Irish) This question is from the fabulous Black_tiger_3: How would you want to be murdered?

Wow, what a lovely question. I don't feel terrified at all! 😳

Answer: Besides the obvious I wouldn't want to, I would have to say I want to be murdered by a complete amateur and with a bullet to the head. Because if I was murdered by an amateur then the police could find him (or her, yes I have my eye on you) really easily. So you know that way my ghost would quickly find peace and I could move on to heaven. So yay! Death!

Super depressing note to end on so we won't! Vote for butterflies! Comment on the nature of hugs and the best kind to get and follow the horizon in a pirate ship with a lot of hot pirates, mainly Will Turner or the new guy, I don't know his name!

On an even better note! LienQii MADE ME MY OWN LOGOS!!! If you couldn't tell by the caps, I AM SO EXCITED!! Not only did she make me covers (which is unreal) she made me my own logo, this is mind blowing! No lie, I'm geeking out! Thank you LienQii you are amazing and I love you!

Which one do you like the best?