The usual mass wave of preoccupied students passed by me as I leaned back against my locker door. With the ring of the closing bell, everyone is quickly funneling through the halls - no doubt with all of their minds set on going home. My mind was a on different track.

Mentally I was elsewhere, as I lightly thumbed the half crumbled pack of watermelon flavored gum between my hands.

As much as I'd like to ignore it, my experience in the hall during math left me...... muddled, for lack of a better word. For just a brief moment, I got to see what life through Dean's eyes looked like. People here treat him as if he's a wild dog, always on the prowl for new trouble to cause. And at times they are right, he is quick to stir up a fight. But most of the time he seems to take more of a reactant position, not necessarily being the root cause.

The fight with Scott Lansky. Unless he's totally lied to me, then the fight wasn't Dean's own fault. Scott approached him and made the situation into more than it should have been.

Ms. Longmire chasing him through the halls. Dean isn't the type to cover things up then cower behind lies. He'll openly state what he's done - good or bad- and take the repercussions with a grin on his face. That's really one of the few things I've managed to piece together about him. The only reason he ran was because she hates him, and obviously wouldn't believe that the school's football prodigy had picked a fight with him over a faulty bet. And even if she did believe Dean, it could have led to questions about his recreational activities. If it were me, I would have done a lot more than just run away.

The creep at the gym, Mace. I don't know much about it, but as far as I can tell, that situation was entirely out of both of our hands.

Everything about....us?

Us. The word sends a single almost none existent butterfly down through my stomach. I shuffle against my locker, and absentmindedly fidget with the end of a strand of hair that had been tickling my cheek.

Overall, Dean's spent most interactions with me acting like a colossal jerk since the day we first met. But can I blame him? I went home that night and decided to blackmail him into training me the very next time I saw him. Now he's training me almost continuously, and hasn't so much as mentioned it twice. Of course being coerced into doing something he doesn't want has him pissed beyond belief, but there hasn't been a single verbal assault about it specifically. He could have blown up at me. He could have made serious threats to keep me silent, god knows he's overqualified for it. Yet there's been nothing.

I comb a finger through the full length of my hair and throw my head back against the cold metal door.

Then there's the rumors...

I can't fully judge Dean on actions he made before I ever even met him, I don't know anything about them. All I can do is mull over what I know now. The only thing I am certain for sure of is that he has been in multiple fights in school and he did indeed knock out those two boys on his first day. I can't conclude whether or not he caused the fights --based off of the incident with Scott I'm tempted to lean more towards no-- but I can assume that those other two pranksters had it coming. Anyone else would have reacted harshly, it probably just appeared so brutal in that instance because Dean acted in such a harsh yet swift manner.

I find myself scoffing at my own thoughts. Because smashing heads against desks is a reasonable reaction...

Students are still traveling through the halls making a dash for the exits. Some have splintered off and are happily chatting away with their own friends as they hurry to pack their own things up. A few offer small stolen glances in my direction, no doubt interested in the perplexed expression on my face.

Am I just making up excuses? More thoughts emerge around my head and attempt to drill their way into my brain. Once again, I'm at a loss. It's always the same thing with me. My convictions are clear in some aspects, yet deftly confused in others. What if I'm wrong? Am I just sitting here forcing myself to justify Dean's actions in an attempt to not feel like a masochist for forcibly associating myself with him?

I could just be sitting here pondering uselessly like a fool, meanwhile the obvious might just be right in front of me?

Horrible people do horrible things, it's a fact if life. But there lies the source of my confusion. Exactly how bad of a person is Dean Sawyer?

An anguished groan escapes me in frustration as I turn the question on myself. How bad of a person am I? The silent accusation sets in as I consider my own actions lately.

I'm so lost in thoughts that when a single finger quickly jabs into my side, I am caught totally unaware. My head jolts upward in surprise.

Faye's curious green gaze greets me. "I seem to be catching you off guard a great deal lately," she grins as she looks down at my hands. "Never knew a pack of gum was so interesting to you."

I offer a light smile then close my hand around the half empty packet and go to shove it into my back pocket. My hand doesn't make it though, because Faye swipes the pack right out of my grasp and pops a piece of the gum into her mouth.

"You're not even going to ask?" I giggle at her very pleased looking expression as she savors the fruity flavor flooding her mouth.

"This is pay back for that Snapple you never got for me."

As I watch her chew on the ward of gum, I opt not to tell her that it was stolen from the pocket of her foul ex boyfriend. What she doesn't know, won't kill her. If she did know, she might genuinely to cut out her own tongue.

The two of us enjoy some playful banter before I gather my belongings from my locker and the two of us head out towards the parking lot. The crisp fall air envelops the two of us as we step outside, and I immediately regret leaving my jacket home this morning. As she walks beside me, Faye is on her usual tangent about her day, specifically her period teacher Ms. Kippling, who she's convinced wants to eat her soul. But, midway through the conversation I notice the one thing Faye's left out. She hasn't inquired yet about what I was thinking at my locker before.

I know Faye, she's much smarter than the way she acts sometimes. She knows it wasn't the gum that I was thinking about, and I'm certain she's intent on finding out the truth. Knowing her, she is keeping silent just long enough to get me into the confined space of her moving car then corner me in an interrogation.

For the second time in ten minutes I am pulled out of my cluttered thoughts by my best friend's probing finger.

"Um....I think someone is waiting for you." I look in the direction of her attention and experience another sensation for the second time today.

My blood warms under my skin and single butterfly flutters down my rib cage this time.

Dean is leaning passively against the passenger side door of Faye's little yellow Volkswagen Bug. He tosses his keys from hand to hand with his motorcycle helmet tucked snugly underneath his left arm. A familiar icy gaze wanders over the packed parking lot of scattered students and cars, the moment he spots the two of us those same blue orbs cement themselves on me.

It's strange to be stared at by someone as you walk towards them from a distance. You start to consider little things that you never normally do. Are you walking funny? What type of facial expression should you have as you walk towards them? Are you going too fast? Why can't they just come to you?! Why does it feel like this distance is longer than it looks?!

The whole variety of embarrassment related questions spurt across my thoughts until we finally reach Faye's car. Before I can speak, she opens fire on Dean.

"Do me a favor and scoot off of my car. I just washed it this morning and I don't feel like having anyone's butt pushed up against my window." Faye flails her hands around in an attempt to shoo the stoic boy away.

Dean silently obliges but doesn't actually turn his attention toward Faye. He's much more interested in freezing me solid, something the wind is already doing a magnificent job of.

"We need to talk for a sec." Dean looks between the two of us, implying that he wants me to come with him.

"Patience..." Faye puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me the look I've been expecting since she saw me at my locker. Oh, we will be having a little talk of our own after this one.

I smile nervously at her nonverbal promise and plead with her to give us a second. Faye glares at Dean, who raises both brows expectantly in return, then she wraps around to the driver's side of her car and gets in. Before she closes the door, both of us hear her annoyance. "This is the second stinking time..." she grumbles to herself, with the slam of the heavy door breaking off the sentence.

"You've gotten me in trouble..." I absently comment as I observe my best friend through the passenger window. She clutches the steering wheel and I can see her grumble with frustration. A sense of deja vu hits me as I remember the last time we had a conversation right outside of my friend's car.

"I didn't have any other way to talk to you before you left the building."

My brows scrunch together in confusion. "You could have just texted me. After all, that's the whole point of having a cell phone."

"Well when I find it, I'll be sure to ask you to teach me how it works."

Dean takes notice of my confused expression and sighs before giving a curt explanation of how his phone was stolen at a laundromat a few days prior. Now feeling like a total idiot, I decide to change the subject.

"What did you want to talk about so badly?" I ask, purposely avoiding his stare by watching car after car leave the parking lot until there are only a few left stationary, including us. For a brief moment I hear a small creaking noise, but since I'm unable to locate the source of the sound I ignore it. "Is this about-" My sentence is broken off by Dean raising his index finger and calmly telling me to stop talking. He turns around and crouches near Faye's passenger window then loudly knocks the back of his two knuckles against the glass.

"Aye, nosy!" He shouts into the car. It only takes me a second to realize that the creaking noise was Faye trying to subtly roll down the window, clearly attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation. My ridiculous best friend pretends she cannot hear a word though and instead keeps her eyes locked towards the front windshield.

You have to love the girl's persistence.

Another knock from Dean, and she finally responds by crossing both arms and pouting. I can't help but laugh as she reluctantly rolls the window up, all while looking like a third-grader in the middle of a tantrum.

With a single disapproving glance, Dean erects himself back to his full height and leads the two of us several feet away.

"I hear you're practicing on your own now?" He states plainly once he's certain we are out of anyone's earshot. It was more of a comment instead of a question. "Jonah Anderson has a big mouth. I overheard him mention how his brother ran into you at UF."

My eyes widen at the unexpected confession. Dean knowing about Ultimate Fitness was the last thing on my mind. I was not trying to hide it from him or anything, but I was surprised to see how quickly information spreads around. My memory of Jonah's brother begins to arise.

What was his name, Eric? Ian? Maybe Elias? I momentarily envision his appearance that day, and remember how annoyed I was at his constant referral to me as "doll".

"Eli?" I question aloud, as his name finally hits me. Dean nods and the slightest hint of a frown touches his face.

"So you're on a first name basis with him then?" His eyes appear to search my own for an answer I didn't have. The strange question was another off guard catch, and my emotions are thrown deeper into confusion as they struggle to understand how to feel.

Regret immediately emerges in Dean's features and he shakes his head. "Never mind that. Just....just do yourself a favor. Stay away from him."

"Stay away from him?" I repeat his last sentence in disbelief. Dean nods a second time, expecting me to just take the order. "You know this is the second time you've told me to stay away from someone, right? Any more and I'm going to have to start keeping a list."

A crooked smile fights it's way onto Dean's features. "If it helps you remember, by all means keep one. Just don't forget what I said. You met Mace, so I'm sure you can understand why I told you to stay far far away from him. You'll have to trust me about Eli too..."

Eli, dangerous? Sure he's a bit condescending, but I had not felt threatened by him. Yet, here Dean is taking the time to personally urge me to avoid him. That can't be for nothing.

I accept the warning, but not without attempting to pull more information of him. "So, you're saying he will try to hurt me?" In reality, I couldn't care less if I never saw Eli again in my life. But, it's Dean's reaction to him that has me interested. That, and I prefer to know about anyone that poses a threat to me. I don't need any more than the few I already have.

"I'm saying he isn't safe for you to be around. If he's ever up to something you won't see it coming. He and Mace, they're dangerous in their own ways, but they'll bite just the same."

"And why exactly would he have reason to put me in jeopardy? What did I do?"

"It's not what you did. It's who you know."

Who I know? This has to do with Dean? I cautiously ask my next question, knowing it won't be received well. "So this is your fault?"

I'm unsure why it came so bluntly, but the question earns the reaction I expected.

Dean swipes a hand through his hair and grouses in irritation. "Really?! I'm not going to sit here and play twenty questions with you! If you want to ignore the warning then go ahead. But, you can't say I never told you so." He takes a step away as if to need some space and sighs while staring a the pavement. After a few lengthy seconds of hearing nothing but the wind howling, he raises his head once again. This time his voice is calm and his stare is direct. "Patience, you wanted to learn how to fight. You wanted to affiliate yourself with me. If you don't like what's going on here, you can walk away any time you want. I'm just holding up my side of our deal until that happens."

My blood comes to an instant boil as he states the very words that I've been scolding myself with all this time.

But the truth is, I cannot even get angry about it.

He's right. He's totally and completely, 100 percent correct. I put myself into this situation. I may not like it, but I've been through too much to go back on my conviction now. Whatever happens, I'll just have to roll with the punches. Literally, if need be...

As the angry spark inside me defuses, a single question finds it's way to the top of my chaotic thoughts. My mouth acts on it's own as the thought forms into words.

"Dean...just who are you?"

The previously aggravated fighter tilts his head as confusion meets his features. The question builds further as more words fall from my lips.

"I get that you make enemies in your world. But judging by the way you handle...well pretty much everything, you've got more than everybody else."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean? I get into trouble, so everyone must auto-"

I immediately interrupt his protesting.

"You're cautious. You're always observing everything, as if there is always some hidden threat around. You don't care what others think, but still try to avoid too much collateral damage. Every time you mention someone from the underground who means harm, it sounds like you're way more experienced in the subject than you say. So I'm asking.....just who are you in this whole illegal world of your's that has so many people at your neck?"

Dean's mouth opens as if to form a word but appears to think better of it and closes it immediately after. Another period of silence goes by as tension fills the cold air around us. The wind whips at my freely hanging hair, and I completely ignore the wild strands as they blow across my face.

In the calmest and most level headed way possible, Dean steps so close to me that there are barely two inches of space between us. My heartbeat quickens and my blood races but I stand my ground, keeping my hazy blue eyes in unison with his polar ones.

Slowly he forms a sentence.

"The world is full of dangerous people, Patience. All I'm doing is warning you about two of them."

"You didn't answer my question."

"That's because there isn't much of a question to answer. I spend my nights fighting, and most of the time I win. That fact alone gets me plenty of enemies."

I refuse to back down against him. Something about facing Dean sparks an energy inside of me, and right now I'm thriving off of it.

"But there's more isn't there?" I trust my intuition as I inquire further.

Dean though, shuts down at that point.

"You're way too nosy for your own good," he grumbles as he steps away. I release a breath I wasn't even aware I was holding. He rubs a hand across his face and rests both hands loosely in his hips.

My mind drifts back to the previous scene at my locker earlier, when I was struggling to myself trying to piece Dean together. I've reached my wits end trying to speculate about this boy.

While I'm still feeling brave, I decide to take long shot. I take a deep breath and summon up the courage to get these words out.

"You're right, I am nosy. And you're also right about me affiliating myself with you and being able to leave anytime I want. But, I want to learn to fight and your the best teacher I'm going to get. But, maybe there's more that needs to be done than I thought..."

Dean cautiously remains silent as he tries to anticipate what I could possibly say next.

"This is....business. But, what kind of business partners make a deal yet know absolutely nothing about each other? I've been spending a lot of time lately trying to figure you out, Dean. And maybe you've been doing the same, but long story short is, I'm sick of thinking. I just want answers."

The two of us remain still as my words fall between us. When Dean responds, I am almost stunned at what he says.

"You really do have a set of balls, Snips. Couldn't have said it better myself." His usual crooked smile exposes his white teeth, as he chuckles at me. The tension quickly falls and Dean gives me a look of respect. "What do you have in mind? Are we going to braid each others hair and tell all our secrets?"

"Wait, so....your on board with this?" I question in utter disbelief that this actually worked.

"Yeah, I am. If we are going to be training together continuously, we are obviously going to be talking while we do it. So we need to know what's okay to be said, and where not to tread. Plus, I'm plenty curious about you myself, Snips. And like you, I'm tired of thinking."

Wow, Patience.

I do my utmost best to restrain myself from releasing the smile pulling against the corners of my mouth.

From there the conversation closes after we agree to train on Saturday, ready to sort our questions out then. Dean remains standing in the