"What do you mean?" asked Katie confused.

"Never mind."

The pair headed to the school's front yard where a large group of students was gathered. "Hey, look. It's your team," noticed Katie. She pointed at a group of girls clustered near the other end of the school yard. They all seemed uneasy.

"You mean my ex team," murmured Sora and averted her eyes from the girls.

"Just 'cause the team was suspended doesn't mean you can't hang with them," she pointed out. "I can share." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully at Sora.

Sora gave her a half smile. "We never had anything in common besides football. So, yeah, since our team doesn't exist anymore we have no reason to hang out," said Sora, as she tried to push down the bitter feeling churning in the pit of her stomach. "Besides, you're all the friends I need." She gave Katie a light shove and a wink.

Darkwood Academy's boys' and girls' football teams used to be the school's crowning jewels. Last year, both teams managed to win the Leicestershire High School Championship. They were scheduled to compete in this year's upcoming East Midlands Championship, but play for both teams was currently suspended due to a drinking and driving incident that occurred after their last match. The teams would be reinstated once all of the offending team members graduated, which meant that Sora had no chance of playing again.

The memory of her team brought the night of the fire back into her mind. The two teams had decided to seek revenge after the decision of the school board. Once the Academy closed for the summer, the jilted teams paid the school a visit. They ended up drunk on school property and one thing led to another, until the school went up in flames.

Sora glanced furtively around and spotted some guys from the boys' team, they looked just as worried as the girls. Most members of both teams were usually very cool and collected in public which made her wonder what the hell was going on to make them all so jittery.

"Do you think they figured out who set the fire?" asked Katie unaware that Sora was lost in her own thoughts, not listening. She grabbed Sora's hand and practically dragged her to the front, closer to the assembled teachers.

Suddenly, Sora realized why everyone was so uptight. What if, somehow, the teachers already knew who set the fire? What if they knew that both teams had destroyed almost everything inside the building? It's my fault and someone here already knows it, she thought as her face turned a bit paler than normal.

Their headmaster was absent, as usual. In his place was Professor Parker, the head of the school board. In all her years at the Academy, Sora had never seen their headmaster. The only thing she knew about him was that he was the owner of the Academy building and that his name was Vincent Connoly. Also, a large stone bust of him was displayed in front of the school. Sora hoped that the real Mr. Connoly looked nothing like his grotesque doppelgänger, mostly for his own good.

Professor Parker said exactly what she had in all her previous welcome speeches except for her usual closing line "Good luck and try not to tear the place apart", which Sora thought would have been quite ironic considering the circumstances. Instead Professor Parker, after a lengthy pause, looked at the gathered students severely and drew a deep breath.

"All of you are aware of the disturbing incidents that took place last summer. As you can see, the school has returned to its previous glory, and you will notice everything inside is exactly as you left it." She turned her attention to the forest on her right and then back to the audience. "Not everything could be restored, but this is something that you don't need to worry about. The thing that you should be concerned about," she paused for emphasis, "is that the ones responsible will be found and be punished for their actions."

"Pfff, they know nothing," commented Katie, and when she saw the confused look on Sora's face she added, "They are trying to put pressure on everyone listening in the hopes that someone will come forward with information. They only need for the weakest link to break and they will have their arsonists."

I hope that doesn't happen, thought Sora as she stared at the members of the two football teams. They were eyeing each other at first but then slowly one by one all eyes turned on her.

"If anyone has any information concerning the fire he, or she, needs to come forward so the perpetrators can be charged with their crimes. I will not rest until I find out who is responsible." With those final words, Professor Parker ended her welcome speech. She diverted her attention to the other professors and whispered to them quietly. Her long grey-black hair fell over her face as she talked to them. Before the student body dispersed, she had one final parting statement. "The lists with your names and classes are posted right outside the main entrance."

Before she could even finish, everyone was racing to the lists. Sora and Katie moved with all the other students eager to see their new class schedules. Sora could still feel all eyes locked on her. Jostling through the crowd to see the lists was difficult but she was glad to finally be moving. A few enthusiastic younger boys accidentally shoved up against her causing her to lose her balance. She stumbled and fell to the ground. Her bag fell open and spewed out all its contents. Her gym clothes, a towel and her football shoes were now on the ground alongside Sora.

Sora began picking up her belongings, eyes scanning for Katie, but she was nowhere to be found. Hopefully, she was up front checking the schedule. As Sora reached for her jersey with the number two on the back, a shadow fell across her, and a hand swooped down and picked up the shirt. Sora stood up and immediately felt a knot forming in her stomach when she saw who was clutching her shirt.

Facing her was the boys' team captain, and he was flanked by two of her least favorite people in the world. On his right was Mia, the girls' team captain, and on his left was Jordan the most aggressive player in the entire school.

Sora grabbed for her shirt, but he wouldn't let go. "Give it to me, Ben," she demanded, staring him right in the eyes in an attempt to look fierce.

"Just say when." He gave her a sly smile while she kept her demanding stare on him. There wasn't a flicker of fear in his dark blue eyes, but he did release her shirt. "Didn't anyone tell you? The teams no longer exist," he said giving her a wry smile that didn't reach his eyes. He stared her down before turning to Mia and saying, "Now that I think about it, Sora was there too, right?"

Mia nodded, bleached blonde hair moving with the motion, not taking her eyes off Sora. "That's right, Ben."

"You were there when the school board handed down their unfair decision," he kept saying, his stare fixed on Sora. "You were there when we planned our revenge. You were there when the Academy burned to the ground." With each word, he moved closer to Sora, and by the time he finished, their faces were almost touching.

"Just tell me what you want," she said, ready to run if she needed to.

He inched even closer and turned his head so his lips brushed her ear. "I just hope you are not thinking of ratting us out so you can save yourself," he whispered, and Sora felt a chill running down her spine but ignored it.

"I wasn't planning on it," she whispered back with all the fierceness she could muster.

Ben let his breath go, and Sora shuddered as it swooshed over her face. "I hope so," he said, finally pulling away. Sora noticed that Mia's face was turning red, and Ben had a wicked smirk pasted across his face.

All three of them finally walked away.

Jordan tossed one last menacing look over his shoulder. His penetrating glare scared Sora to her core. He is one scary guy, she thought. At least none of them have black eyes, she added to herself in an attempt to lighten her mood.

Katie found her a few minutes later still rooted in the same spot clutching her shirt tightly in one hand, staring at the departing trio's backs. "I thought the team was suspended," she stated when she saw the team jersey scrunched in Sora's hand.

Sora glanced down at her football shirt and quickly shoved it back into her bag. "Yeah, but there's no reason for me to stop practicing."

Katie gave her a warm smile, and Sora began to feel better after the frosty encounter. She fought back an urge to hug her tiny friend and instead focused on the matter at hand. "So... which classes are we in?"

The smile vanished from Katie's face; her big eyes indicated she was upset. "We are not together," she exclaimed, "Yet again!"

Sora threw her arm around her friend's shoulders. "Well, we haven't been for a while now. It was to be expected."

"Whatever. I am in St. George's Cross' class," she said. "What a lame name for a classroom. They are going for the whole flag theme this year." She murmured the last words as she faced Sora. "And you," she nearly yelled while pointing a finger at her. "You got the class with the cool name, again. The Red Dragon. How do you always end up in the classrooms with the coolest names?"

Sora couldn't help but laugh at that. "They are just the flags of Great Britain, nothing cool about them." Although, Red Dragon does sound a million times cooler than St. George's Cross, she added in her head and smiled.

"It's not just the flags. Three years ago, our classes were named after the world's flora, you got to be a Sunflower and I was a Cactus. And the year before that, you were a Centaur and I was a Cyclops. And don't get me started on last year's classes." Katie was flailing her hands feverishly, hoping to make her point.

Sora was laughing her heart out. She was so out of breath, she couldn't even comment on the classroom assignments. Katie did always seem to get the short end of the stick when it came to class names.

"I got the Fen and you got the Rainbow," Katie kept on going.

Sora cut her off. "That actually never happened."

"Well, wait for next year. I can see it coming." Katie sighed and dropped her hands. "Whatever, I am over it," she shrugged and headed to class.

Katie's classroom was on the first floor, while Sora had to climb another set of stairs to reach her second floor classroom. It wasn't hard to find her class since there was a big flag of Wales hanging over the open door. Half white, half green, with a large, red dragon in the middle facing left, one foot in the air. "Dragon passant," Sora whispered in reference to something she had read about the different postures of animals on flags and their meanings.

She entered the classroom and found her usual seat at the back of the room right next to the window. She sat down, dropped her bag next to her and looked around. Even though she was one of the last students to step inside the building, there were still many empty seats in the class.

Sora waited patiently for the rest of her classmates to take their seats. While looking around, she noticed a big, shiny flag mounted above the blackboard: Leicestershire's flag. Divided into four quarters, the first and fourth being white and the second and third being red. Each quarter showed the Arms of one of the four most important county families. There was a flag exactly like that one in all the classes of the Academy, and it was always perched right above the board so everyone could see it all day long.

Like anyone can forget where we are, she thought. Sora's fingertips absently brushed over the silver chain around her neck, finally resting on the fleur-de-lis at the end of it. The necklace was a gift from her parents when she was just a baby. She had added a small black ribbon to it a few years after their deaths. For a second, she longed to visit them at the cemetery, but she never had the strength to go there. There was just too much sadness in that place.

When all of the seats but the one in front of her were taken, a man around thirty walked in and proceeded to the big desk facing them. His long black hair moved with each step, and his smart blue eyes scanned the classroom, moving from face to face. Most of the students didn't hide their excitement and started cheering for the young professor, Sora being one of them.

He left the papers he was holding on the desk and turned to look at everyone. His glasses were precariously perched on the tip of his nose, and he nudged them back gently with his middle finger. He raised one hand and everyone fell silent.

Sora could justify the excitement of her classmates when they saw their art professor walk through the door. Professor Scidezar, or Scid as everyone called him, was one of the most loved professors at the Academy. He was always calm and cheerful with his students, never pushing them too hard. Being the first one to enter their classroom for the year could only mean one thing, he was the professor in charge of the class of the Red Dragon.

"Good morning everyone," he said, quickly confirming everyone's hopes that he was indeed the new professor in charge. After a few minutes of welcoming words and wishes for a great year he said, "One final thing and you are all free for the day." He turned and motioned for someone to enter. "I want to introduce you all to a new student at Darkwood Academy."

Everyone, including Sora, swiveled in their seats to size up the young man entering the classroom. The new guy was tall, with broad shoulders and a little bit tanned. His dirty blonde hair was messy and pointing in all directions.

Sora quickly dismissed him once Professor Scid started speaking again. "He moved here from the Highlands," he added, and Sora felt a bitter taste in her mouth. "Welcome to Darkwood, Drake Harrison. You can take a seat now."

Sora saw the new guy walking towards her and felt pinned to her seat. Why is he coming here? she wondered while anxiety she couldn't understand built up inside her.

There was something about this guy that made her uneasy. Then she realized he was only headed to the empty desk in front of her and gave herself a mental eye roll. Still, she couldn't calm herself.

As he moved closer, Sora's fear mounted. She suddenly wished she could be invisible. She fought her uneasiness and sat straight up in her chair. Then she saw it, the thing that was escalating her fear. Drake turned and looked at her with piercing black eyes.