The next day came, and I felt pretty prepared. Or as prepared as possible. Which meant I knew what I was going to do if Madison trying picking another fight with me. I took a deep breath and went to school. I walked into first period and finally some good was happening to me. Mr. McMath was out. Madison was nowhere to be seen. And Franky was back.

I smiled and walked to the back row and took my seat next to her. "Nice to see you back, Franky."

She grinned and nodded. "It's awesome to be back. But it seems as though you and Adrian have had a lot of... adventures. You two are going to be spending most of lunch explaining everything to me. Especially why he's decided to sit back here with us." Franky leaned back in her chair, and sitting next to her was Adrian.

I raised one of my eyebrows, and he shrugged. "I figured I'd like to try sitting in the back for once."

"Suure you did, handsome," Franky replied, rolling her eyes.

I laughed. "Did you just call him 'handsome'?" She nodded, laughing a little, too.

Adrian looked a little hurt. "What?"

I shook my head, still laughing. "I know most of the girls swoon over him, but I've never actually heard anyone call him handsome." He looked even more hurt, and I smiled a little softly. I hadn't really been going for hurting his feelings, but there's no way I'm going to break down. Things are finally working out.

"Oh, cheer up, Adrian. Not every girl is in love with you, you know," Franky tells him, ruffling his black hair. I fight back a blush, because I'm one of the girls that likes him.

He huffs like a child and swats away her hand. She shrugs, still grinning, and turns to the front of the classroom right when the school bell rings, starting Math.

"Good morning class, my name is Mrs. Greenes."

"Oh, great. Another sub that thinks we're little kids," Franky mutters.

"I'm guessing we get these often?" I ask.

She sighs. "Oh, Dani, you have so much to learn about this school..." I turn to look at her. "Yes, sadly, most of our subs end up treating us like we're babies. I have no idea why, though." She then puts her head down and falls asleep.

I hold back a laugh, not wanting to get in trouble, a look at Adrian, who's also trying not to laugh. I look down at Franky and raise an eyebrow. He nods, and I grin. Putting my head onto my cool desk, I fall asleep, knowing Adrian'll wake me up when the bell rings.

He did, and he also woke up Franky. Class went by and lunch came up. I sat down at our usual lunch table and was soon joined by Airleata, then Adrian, and last Franky.

"Alright, so get explaining. I want to know everything that's happened since I was sick," Franky demanded as soon as she sat down. I didn't think she noticed Airleata until she coughed. Whether it was on accident or not, I didn't know. It got her attention, though. "Oh, hi! I'm Franky. Madison's my evil twin. Literally. You are?"

"I'm Airleata," She replied. "Nice to meet you." She looked at Adrian. "I never thought I'd be sitting at the same table as the famous Adrian. Please explain." She was smiling, and looking at me.

I grimaced, getting the feeling Adrian wouldn't explain a thing to them, so I went ahead and told the everything. Adrian didn't even put one thing in, which was annoying.

"So, basically Madison's now out to get you. Which would explain why she's at home today. Mom got really mad about the school calling her, so Madison's grounded from everything - including school - until Monday."

I nodded and smiled. "So that means there's no Madison today or tomorrow?" Franky nodded. "Sweet!" Even Adrian and Airleata looked happy about that. "I wonder what'll happen now..."

"Now we have lunch. I'm starving." Adrian got up and went to the lunch line. Airleata followed him.

I pulled out my lunch bag and Franky did the same. "I'm really sorry I left you alone like that," Franky told me.

"It's fine. You couldn't have done anything about that cold. Or flu. Or whatever it is that you had." I took out the sandwich my mom had put together. I opened up the slices of bread and groaned. "Mom is such an idiot. She knows I'm allergic to bananas!"

"Bananas?" Franky asked, choking back a laugh.

"Yeah. My mom's favorite sandwich is peanut butter and bananas. Either she forgot about my allergy or she accidentally gave me hers." I sighed and stood up. "Sorry to leave you alone at the table, but I need my lunch." Franky saluted me, which made me laugh. "Alrighty then. I'll see you when I get some food I can actually eat."

I walked over to the line. Airleata and Adrian were right in front of me. "What? Sandwich wasn't good enough for you?" Adrian teased, grinning.

"No, it had bananas. I'm allergic to bananas." Adrian looked like he was trying hard not to laugh. "What? There is nothing wrong with being allergic to bananas!"

"Why would you have bananas in your sandwich in the first place?" Airleata asked, also holding back a laugh.

"It's my mom's sandwich. She probably has mine right now," I grumbled. My stomach growled. "I'm huuungry," I whined. "What's taking the line so long?"

Adrian leaned out of the line so he could see into the little area to get our food. "Looks like people are waiting for something. Maybe they're out of mini-corndogs?"

"This is going to take foreeeeveeer," I whined.

After a couple minutes, we finally did get our food and sit down to eat. "Did you eat my sandwich?" I asked Franky suspiciously, who was looking kind of guilty.

"No..." I gave her the look my mom gives me when she knows I'm lieing. "Maybe a little nibble..." I didn't blink. "Yes..."

Adrian raised his eyebrow at me. "You certainly know how to get the truth out of somebody, Dani," He commented.

I shrugged. "Natural ability. But it only works with the pure." He and Airleata tilted their heads to the side. I sighed. "People who don't do anything wrong. The non-sinners. Franky is pure. Madison is tainted. Big time. So that look isn't going to work on her."

"Ooh, I get it. It's kind of like when a toddler gets in trouble, right?" Airleata said.

"Hey! Are you calling me a baby?!" Franky demanded, her eyes narrowed.

I laughed. I couldn't help it. "We haven't even known each other for a week, and yet we seem like a family."

The two girls stopped bickering, and my three friends looked over a me. I turned a little red. "You're right. It's kind of nice to have some friends," Adrian said, smiling a little. I turned redder.

"It is. And I don't really have to worry about Madison anymore..." Airleata sighed and smiled. I hadn't realized it, but she must've been trying desperately to stay out of Madison's wrath. She looked like Christmas had come early.

"Finally people that don't judge me on who my sister is." Franky was smiling, also. "It's really nice. And it's all thanks to Dani."

My face was probably the color of the ketchup. "I don't know about that..."

"It's true. If you hadn't moved here, I probably would've been back together with Madison again," Adrian told me. He didn't seem too fond of the thought.

"I'd still be a lone wolf wishing for some company," Airleata added.

"People would still be avoiding me. Either because they think me too weird or because thy know who my sister is and think I'm like her."

I looked at the three. Really looked at them. Airleata's long blonde hair and her friendly blue eyes. Adrian with his messy black hair and bright green eye. Franky with her dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. So different, but yet in a way, the same. Somehow, Madison has changed our lives. Mainly in a bad way.

“What? Why’re you staring at us?” Airleata asked. Immediately, her hand went to her mouth. “Is there something in my teeth?”

I laughed. “No, no. I was just… thinking.”

“Oh, okay.” She put her hand back down and smiled. “What were you thinking about?”

“Just some random stuff.” I shrugged it off, not wanting to sound sappy or dramatic.

“Aww, pleeeaaase?” She begged.

Adrian laughed. “I don’t think begging’s going to work on Dani.”

“Nothing is going to work on Dani,” I corrected, grinning.

“Refering to yourself in third person makes you sound insane,” Franky said.

“And what if I am insane?” I countered, grinning a little more so it looked a little insane.

Adrian shivered. “I don’t think anyone doubts you are.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“It’s… whatever you want it to be?” He didn’t sound very sure.

I shrugged. “Then it’s a compliment! Mom always said that if people think you’re crazy, they won’t mess with you. But I don’t really know how well that would work out… I guess now’s a good time!”

My three friends shook their heads, but they were also smiling. The bell rand, signaling the end of lunch. “To Science!” Airleata laughed and got up, nodding. “Do you think anyone’s told Madison about her hair?”

“Wait, what’d you do to her hair?” Adrian got in front of us, blocking our path out of the cafeteria. He wasn’t smiling. Franky walked over next to him. She looked worried.

“We didn’t do anything to her hair. She leaned back into the acid. We had no part in it,” Airleata replied. “Why?”

“She loves her hair. And whether you two did anything to it or not, she’s going to blame you.” Adrian looked at me when he said that. I gulped. “How far in?”

“An inch,” I squeaked.

“Has anyone noticed?”

“Sure, tons of people, but no one told her,” Airleata replied, shrugging. “So what?”

Franky snapped her fingers. “Now that I think about it, her hair did seem a little uneven!” She giggled, put then cleared her throat and shook her head. “You guys are in for it when she comes back.” She sighed. “It was nice knowing you.”

A teacher I had never seen before marched into the cafeteria. “Get to class!”

Franky hurried off to her next class, and the three of us walked out of the cafeteria. “I need to talk to you,” He whispered in my ear. I held back a shiver. I felt his breath on my ear.

I glanced over at Airleata, and she hadn’t heard anything. “Hey, um, Airleata? I’ll meet you in Science. I’ve got to go to the bathroom.”

“Alright, I’ll tell Ms. Saline.” She went up the stairs, and Adrian pulled me aside into a darker hallway.

He looked around. “What is it?” I whispered. “And why are you acting so paranoid? Do you really expect someone to see us? This hallway looks like it hasn’t been used for a long time!”

He put his hand over my mouth, making me cheeks turn bright red. His hands smelled good. “Quiet.” He didn’t notice my face, or he wasn’t worried about it. He looked at his wrist. “Now.” The same teacher that had yelled at us in the cafeteria walked by. He turned to face me once the teacher walked away. “We need to talk about this. Madison doesn’t like you. I think she decided to hate you the most as soon ‘
as she saw you. She hates you even more now since I broke up with her.” Was it just me, or was he starting to get a little red, too? “Because I came to the rescue yesterday and got her in trouble, she hates you more. And if she finds out about her hair, you’re in for it.”

His hand was still over my mouth, and I was getting kind of annoyed. I stared at him for a little, my face turning redder, but he must have forgotten he hand his hand there, because he looked like he was waiting for a reply. I licked his hand, and he brought it back, looking grossed out. “Sorry, you’re hand was still over my mouth.”

“Still!” He wiped his hand on his jeans. “You could’ve said something!”

I shrugged. “Didn’t want to. Now, what were you saying about Madison?”

His cheeks reddened a little more. “Yes. Well… just be careful, okay?” He stepped a little closer, so our noses were two inches away. “For me?” He whispered, touching his nose to mine.

And closing the gap between our lips.