When Evil Comes

Any day can be normal for any teenager. But for this one... her life will change forever.

Donna James, 17-years-old, goes to Jonathan High in Portland, Oregon. She's a honor student with a future planned for her. But all of that will change.

One day, a new student came to her class. His name was Kyle Millard. He looked like a nice kid. But ever since he came to the high school, Kyle's been picked on. That's when Donna came to the rescue.

One night, while watching the News, a report about a teenaged boy was a killer. That boy turned out to be... Kyle Millard. This shocked Donna. She has two options... turn Kyle in...

Or die trying.

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[Nighttime. Portland, Oregon, USA]

Donna James was at home, getting ready for bed. When she brushed her teeth, she thought about the News. The picture with the kid she knew... was Kyle himself.

How could Kyle be a killer? And a crazy one at that. It just didn't make any sense. Kyle seemed like a nice kid. But why would he be a psychotic killer?

All of this ran rapidly in Donna's head.

After she brushed her teeth, the young girl went to her room, and closed the door. Then she sat on her bed, and looked at the moon. Tomorrow... she must act normal around him... if she wanted to live.

Donna turned off her lamp, tucked herself in the covers, and fell to sleep.

Detective Phil Mason looked at the dead body that lay before him in the dark living room. Crime Scene investigators walked around the room collecting evidence and examining the body of a young woman.

One of the officers walked over to Mason. "I don't think you should be here..." he said. "This is thoroughly a police matter, and this sure aint no place for a Private Detective!"

"My client has hired me to investigate the wherabouts of this Kyle Millard. I was told this is where he was last seen."

"Well, don't think there will be anything much here to give a clue to his wherabouts. Why he murdered this woman is an utter mystery to me."

"Who is this woman anyway?"

"We know for certain she is not the owner of this apartment. She has no forms of ID on her what-so-ever. We are sending a DNA sample over to the lab to get more specifics. We've also dusted for finger prints of the culprit, but nothing else much of his current wherabouts..."

Mason gave the officer his card. "Call me if you pick anything else up!"

Donna was in her high school, Jonathan High. She stood in the empty hallway. No one was there. "Hello?!" she called out. No answer. But when she turned around, Donna saw Kyle, at the other end of the hallway!

He grinned at her. Suddenly, she saw him pull out a knife. He came walking towards her.

The frightened Donna ran to the school entrance... only to find out that it was locked! Donna glanced back at Kyle with panic. He was coming closer! She sat on the floor, looking at him, and cried.

"Please! Leave me alone!!" Donna screamed. But as soon as Kyle came close, he raised his knife, and brought it down towards her...

Donna suddenly woke from the horrible nightmare. She glanced around, sweating. It was only a dream. The young girl looked at her clock. It was 4:00 in the morning. She sighed, and laid her head on the pillow again.

Claire lay awake, her eyes pointed somewhere beyond the ceiling. Somewhere within her chest there was emptiness, clawing at her neck, her stomach, her heart. Though sleep would be an escape, it would take her somewhere else, somewhere she didn't want to go, for whenever she closed her eyes all she saw was a face. Her sister's face.

Why did I have to find her?

She'd gone down that same train of thought again, casting the scene in her mind's eye. She was walking from work to meet her sister as she walked home from school. Claire's hands shot up, clawing at her face, trying to bring a stop to the memory. But the pause wouldn't come, and once again she found herself standing above her sister's body, the rain washing the blood off the sidewalk and down into the drain.

"Stop it!" she cried, and her mind gave in. The image was gone, but the feeling remained. Who could do that to her? The sadness. Why would someone kill her in cold blood? The fear. Whoever you are, I'm going to find you. The anger. And I'm going to make you suffer. The hate.

Giving in to her tiredness, Claire closed her eyes. Tomorrow was a new day, and perhaps in the morning the hunt could begin.

It was now morning. Donna yarned, and got out of bed. After she washed up and placed on her clothings and shoes, Donna went down stairs to the kitchen. Her mom, Diane Lee James, a widow, was fixing her breakfast.

"Well, look who woke up from the dead. How'd you sleep last night, sweetie?" Her mother asked. Donna sat down on the chair, rubbing her eyes. "I had a bit of nightmares... but it's all good."

Diane gave Donna her breakfast. "Well, the office said I had to work overnight again, but I called your friend's mom, and she said it was okay for Keisha to stay with you. She's gonna bring her stuff over, if that's okay with you."

Donna shrugged and smiled, as she ate her food and drank her orange juice. "That's cool." She looked at the time. "Omigosh! It's 7:20! School opens at 7:30! I gotta be there no later than 8:00!"

"My, you do know your school hours," her mother joked. The two gave each other a kiss on the cheek. "Be home by 4:00."

Donna nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Bye mom!" After that, she took her backpack, and went out the door.

Mason leaned against his car, watching the kids enter the school building of Jonathan High. He sighed in his own boredom. Stake-outs weren't usually fun or exciting.

"What am I doing here? Do I even know for certain that this Millard kid would turn up after commiting a murder?"

He sipped from his Starbucks styrofoam cup as he he heard the school bell ringing. Perhaps it was a good idea to talk to the principal...

Mason dropped his coffee in the nearby bin and entered the school. He made his was through the crowded coridors of rebelious students to the principals office. He knocked on the door. "Enter..." said the man behind the door.

Mason opened the door and pulled out his wallet to show the balding-grey Principal his ID.

"I'm Phil Mason, I'm with the Private-Eye..." he introduced. "I'm trying to locate a student of yours; Kyle Millard?"

"Millard? I've heard the reports about him from last night... and you say you're looking for him?"

"Thats what I came to talk to you about. I thought you could tell me more about him so I could get some insight on where he could be..."

"Well, uh... pull up a seat then."

Mason sat on the chair that was sitting infront of the desk. Almost felt like his last time he was sent to the principals office... which was most of the time during his young years.

"Was Kyle happy here?" was the first thing Mason asked. The Principal scratched his head.

"Well... not really. He never exactly got into trouble most of the time, but there was something... resistant about him..."

Ryas Valrick a seventeen year old male currently a junior at Jonathan High School. At the age of 5 he lost his parents in a tragic car accident and has been living with his aunt and uncle ever since. As years passed he began to consider them his biological parents after losing memories of his real ones.

In the distant back ground Ryas could hear a soft female voice say "Ryas its time to get up or you'll be late"

He rolled over on his side away from the voice and mumbled something into his pillow not wanting to awaken from his half sleeping state. His body began to shack more as the female became more persistent that he awakes from his slumber and get ready for school.

"School!!!" he shouted as he shot up into a sitting position on his bed and quickly leaped out onto his floor to his dresser. Laughing his mother left his room so he could change. Quickly he changed and ran down the stairs, grabbing his bag on his way out the front door.

"Ryas what about breakfast?" shouted his mother.

"No time, cafeteria, eat there, Bye!" he shouted back as he raced towards his school in a hurry. On his rush to school, he hoped that it be a clear path.

Even though she'd been in bed the whole time, the night had felt as if it had lasted forever. Now Claire was perched at the kitchen table, grasping a cup of coffee in jittering hands.

"Claire..." It was her father, standing in the doorway behind her. "It's been hard on all of us, but you've been off work for two weeks. Your boss called."

Slowly she took another sip of coffee. Her father went on. "The police are doing the best they can to track down the person that did this. The only thing we can do is to just get on with our lives. It's..." he paused, filling the room with an awkward silence, "it's what she'd want."

Claire paused, the mug still at her lips, letting the coffee ooze down her throat. "The police are doing the best they can..."

She set the mug down on the table. But maybe I can do better.

Leaving the mug half-empty, she stood and marched past her father, heading towards the front door.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
She didn't even look back. "Work." She closed the door behind her and set off down the street.

As she walked, she thought, old episodes of cop shows scrolling through her mind. In this scenario, the first people you look to are the people the victim knew. And she was killed on the way home from school. So the first place to look outside the family would be the people who knew her at school.

So she set off in the direction of Jonathan High, frowning as she tried in vain to remember the names of her sisters' friends.

Donna was finally at the Jonathan high school. She glanced down at her watch. It was only 7:35. "Thank goodness," she thought to herself. Suddenly, she heard a loud voice from behind. "Donna!" She looked back. It was her best friend, Keisha Meeks (http://mookyvet.deviantart.com/art/Cool-Bubble-Time-62659954).

"Girl, where have you been?" Keisha asked, chewing on her bubble gum.

Donna smiled, as both girls went inside the school. "Aw, you know... trying to get my works done before school's out. The usual stuff."

Keisha grinned. "Yeah, I know what'cha mean. Hey, after school, wanna hit the arcade with the other kids? It's gonna be tight!"

"Well, I'll ask my mom first. But I'm pretty sure she'll say yes. After all... you are staying at my house."

"Like yeah, I am!" Keisha replied. They finally reached their lockers. Both Donna and Keisha placed their belongings in their own lockers. "Hey, I meant to tell ya somethin'. Did you hear about the News last night?"

It shocked Donna to hear about that. She sighed. "Yep."

Keisha closed her locker. "Girl, I'll talk to you about it afterwards. Gotta run. See ya!"

"See ya, Keisha." Donna sadly closed her locker, and began to walk away.

Ryas finally made it to school with out any issues. Once he was inside, he slowed himself to a walk and was breathing heavily from all that running.

"Next time Ryas, wake up" he said to himself and laughed a little. He thought he was already late so he didn't bother to rush any more. He figured he's going to get into trouble anyways, might as well get close to the end of the class as possible.

"Hey" he said to himself as he walked threw the halls "that's a better idea. The art room should be empty by now, might as well head there"

With a grin on his face he changed his course from his locker to the Art Room. It was the one place he knew he could be alone. Basically he knew in the morning and after school he was the only one who used it, so he knew he'd run into no trouble.

Going straight passing by four classrooms, then taking a left, passing two more rooms then a right he finally stood in front of the door. His smile was big as he opened the door and walked in.

As Donna headed to her class room, she looked up, and noticed someone went inside the Art Room. She hid behind the wall so she wouldn't get caught by the person who walked inside.

The curious Donna glanced around. Everyone should've been in class by now, so it was all good. She snuck over by the Art Room, and slowly turned the knob. When she took a peek of who was inside the empty classroom, Donna saw a young blond kid. She probably remembered him, seeing that Donna saw him many times in the school.

She kept watching him, wondering what he was doing.

Ryas casually walked over to something that was covered in a long white cloth. "And now" he said "It's time to reveal my master piece"

He placed his hand upon the cloth and with one quick pull he ripped it off the canvas and tossed it into the air. Slowly, gracefully the cloth fell gently to the ground behind him, sending a cool breeze in its wake. Gently he was gliding his fingers over the art work.

Bending down he opened his bag and reached in. As he was searching threw his bag he continued to talk to himself more "It's a shame no one ever uses this room, but it's plus for me." he started laughing.

He pulled out a box of charcoal pencils, with assorted paints and paint brushes. He placed the box on the table next to him, opened it and picked up one of the charcoal pencils. He stood there for several moments looking at his sketch. The sketch wasn't much at the moment, but the outline was of a person, and he hoped when he had finished it will be has he remembered in his memory. The last thing of the person, in his memory.

Donna stood at the doorway still, watching this young man draw. On the sketch, it looked like an outline of a person. It was pretty interesting. She opened the door a little wider for her to see him work.

The young teenaged girl was interested in art herself. It was good to know that someone else appreciated it. Most of the kids complained that they couldn't draw good. But if they put their heart into it, they'd become better in it.

Donna smiled at the young man's work of art. At least her mind was at ease from the thought about Kyle.

"Well... not really. He never exactly got into trouble most of the time, but there was something... resistant about him..."

"Resistant? How so?"

The Principal rubbed his neck. "Well... he's behaviour towards his teacher have been a bit shady ever since he came. And recently he's been involved in a fight..."

Mason sighed. "Hmmm, okay... I'd like to speak to people who know Kyle. Who are his friends?"

The principal eyed on corner of the room, as if thinking. Then he shrugged with a half-amused face. "I doubt that he had any... though I do remember this one girl came in and stood up to the bully's hassling Kyle... Donna James, her name is..."

"She'd be in class now, would she? I'd like to speak with her, can you arrange a meeting during recess?"

"Certainly." the Principal replied. "I'll send a note to her teacher right away..."

In the distant background of his mad Ryas thought he heard the bell ring. His mind slowly came from his art work to hear that the bell was actually ringing. He smiled slightly and put down his charcoal pencil. Putting the box of his art supplies back into his bag, he noticed out of the corner of his eye someone else in the room. He grinned slightly and payed the person no mind just yet.

Turning his attention back towards the drawing he kissed the tips of his fingers and pressed it against the sketch work saying "Until later mom, stay safe".

He turned around to fully see the person who was watching him. He gave the girl a smile, bent down and picked up the white cloth that had fallen on the ground. Gently he placed it back over the sketch work to hide it from the world once again. Gently he glided his finger tips down the soft white cloth, then picked up his back and turned back towards the girl and smiled at her again.

"If we don't hurry we'll miss another class" he said to her as he laughed and walked towards her.

Lost in thought, Donna saw the young man's sketch of a woman. It was beautiful than anything she saw. It was a breathtaking sight to see a kid like that could do something so creative. She smiled.

Then she realized the bell rung. Donna saw that the boy came up to her. "If we don't hurry we'll miss another class."

"Miss another..." Suddenly, it hit her. "Oh my gosh!! I missed my first class! Mom is so gonna ground me for this!" She started to panic, as she went out the Art Room. "I suppose to be a honor student, not a skip-classes student! Boy, am I in for it when my Chemistry teacher tells her I wasn't in class."

It was shocking indeed. Donna never skipped class before. But she had to have a good explanation for why she did.

Ryas started to laugh as the girl went into a panic frenzy. He never really saw anyone get so upset about missing a class before, especially chemistry. To him, that was a pretty easy class, and boring at that. Chemicals, compounds, the Periodic Table, things he showed no interest in the class, but was still passing.

As the girl continued her frantic rant he remembered something "umm... I think your mom would already know. First class, attendance gets sent to the office, and a phone call gets made home."

He was nodding his head and smiled before he laughed some more. He knew the routine, this wasn't the first, and wasn't the last time he'd skipped first class.

"Come on, we got to head to the office, and get a pass." as he said that he grabbed the girls hand and started leading her along towards the schools office.

Claire found herself standing at the gates of Jonathan High. The bell had just rung, and a young man barged past her in an attempt to hurry to class. "You're already late," she thought, speaking only in her mind.

She looked herself over where she stood - no bag, nothing to take notes with, nothing she could use as a weapon, nothing to prove she was who she said she was. Perhaps I should have thought this through more. But nonetheless she marched through the gate and towards the main entrance. The office seems like a good place to start. I'll get a visitor's pass and then... The voice in her head trailed off. She'd improvise.

Donna tried her best to calm down, but felt even worse going to the School's office. What if he was right? What if her Chemistry teacher did tell the office, and it reached home? Boy, what a day to start out. Even when school was almost out for the summer.

She held on to the teenaged boy's hand. Then she looked ahead. They were almost near the office! "Okay... when I get home, I'm gonna have to explain to mom why I missed my first class! But it's not his fault. It's actually mine. Curiousity killed the cat..." she thought to herself.

Donna glanced at the blonde boy. "I... I never caught your name."

"It's Ryas" he said to her still dragging her along. He could see the office. He knew the routine so well, that a smile started to grow on his face. He could tell that the girl he was with was still panicking, but she had nothing to worry about he could talk his way out of anything.

One thing his aunt always told him, is that he got his dad's charming personality. Thinking of that made him laugh a little, yea.. bet he got into loads of trouble too, he thought to himself.

Ryas stopped next to the office door and turned towards the girl "Since you got my name, whats yours? only fair after all" he said with a smirk on his face. He wanted to calm her down before they entered the office. Though he thought it be funny if she passed out from the stress she was putting herself under, however he wasn't much in the mood to carry some one to the nurses office.

As the two stood by the office door, Donna looked up at the boy, held her chest calmly, and closed her eyes. After she took a deep breath, she placed her hands together, and looked up at Ryas again.

"Donna. It's nice to meet you, Ryas." She smiled, trying to show her calm side.

Deep inside, she hoped Ryas knew what he was doing. She didn't know if he missed class recently, but she knew for sure that he might have an idea. She glanced at the office door, and tried her best to be calm as possible.

Ryas clapped his hands together and quickly turned around "Well thats enough stalling, lets get the show on the road." he said with a slight chuckle.

As he entered the office he saw the office clerk, with the unpleasant look upon her face when ever he walked into the office to get a late pass. She knew him well enough by now that anything he told her would be a lie, even if sometimes he told the truth.

He casually walked over to her and leaned his elbows against the tall desk. He tilted his head to the left and grinned towards the woman.

"Ryas, whats your excuse this time."

Ryas laughed a little "Well first of, I over slept, bad habit i know. So when I got here, the bell rang for first class, so figuring there'd be no point at getting yelled at for being tardy for the first class I skipped."

The woman stood up and walked over to another desk and picked up a piece of paper and started writing on it "You realize if you keep this up, you'll be suspended"

Ryas shifted a little, knowing that a suspension would lead to being ground then leading to absolutely no social life, which was something he loved having. Leaning forward a little more he said "Now you wouldn't let that happen now would you, Lynn? I mean who else gives you this much entertainment so early in the day?"

"I could name a few" she said coldly "what about her? whats her reason for being here."

Ryas glanced over his shoulder towards Donna and winked at her "Her, well she noticed I wasn't going to class. So she tailed me. Then she dragged me here, threw great resistance on my part, but in the end she won."

Lynn looked at Ryas suspiciously then nodded her head, "Okay, you two are free to head to your second class. I will not contact your parents since you are present for school. But Ryas you will have to report to detention and get this slip signed."

She handed Ryas the slip, and he took. He turned around and started to leave the office.

Donna took her pass to her class. "Thank you, ma'am." After that, she turned and went out the office. Following Ryas, Donna thought about something. This kid was funny and did every move he knew on that lady. It was quite hilarious.

She went up to him. "Hey, Ryas? This may seem crazy... but why do you go to the Art Room on your first class?"

It concerned her to ask that. But she really wanted to know why. Ryas seemed like a good person, which made her feel calm and steadied.

He didn't understand how asking a question would seem crazy. It wasn't the fact that he always skipped his first class and went to the art room, sometimes he went to the track and ran, and other times he made it on time. Then he started to laugh, the girl was odd, but he'd humor her.

"Just to do what ever if I'm late. It's easier to deal with the Lynn then the teacher if I'm late. Other times I got to the track. And on occasion I happen to make it on time." he said to her "But its rare."

He continued to walk with her until he reached his class, English, not a favorite class of his, but it posed a challenge, and he loved challenges.

"This is my stop. Take it easy Donna. Who knows maybe we'll meet again" he said slightly laughing while entering his class.

The young girl smiled as he went into his classroom. Then she sighed. Walking alone in the hallway, Donna thought about what was going to happen after school. What if she met Kyle? What if she got hurt?

Donna shook her head, and proceeded to her Algebra classroom. When she got there, she took a deep breath. Then she quietly entered the room. Mrs. Jackson, her favorite teacher, glanced at Donna. She was teaching about linear and quadratic equations.

"Miss James. Good to have you with us," Mrs. Jackson said with a kind smile, as she took Donna's pass. Donna felt better, as she went to her desk, sat, and took out her notebook and pencil to take notes.

Mason walked down the empty hallways of the school. His school life was suddenly recitated back into his head.

He looked through each of the classrooms, searching for the chemistry teacher this Donna James was being taught by. He was nearing the room when he saw the teacher he was looking for walk out of the classroom. "Excuse me, I don't suppose you got that note regarding Donna James, have you?"

"Yes, I got it. But I haven't seen her this morning, she's probably late... Your that detective they mentioned right?"

Mason nodded. "Do you know where she is now? Whats her next class?"

"She'd have Algebra right now... Head to Room B25, thats where she is being taught by Mrs. Jackson."

"Thanks..." he replied gruffly. He searched the school for the room he was allocated to look for. "B23... 24... Ah, here it is! B25.." he opened the door, and looked at the teacher. He walked towards her, and smiled apoligetically.

"Sorry to interupt, but I just need to inform you I'll need to speak with... er... <whats her name again?> Donna James after class."

Mrs. Jackson turned to see a young man walk into her classroom. He looked like someone of importance.

"Sorry to interupt, but I just need to inform you I'll need to speak with... er... <whats her name again?> Donna James after class."

She smiled. "Sure. No problem."

Donna slightly looked up to see who her teacher was talking to. It looked like a guy in a trench coat, trying to find someone. But she couldn't hear her own name being said, because they talked in a low voice.

The young girl scratched her head nervously, and started to work on her Warm-up again.

""Sure. No problem"

"Alright, thanks. Don't worry, I just need to ask her a few questions about Kyle Millard. I'm a P.I, you see... I'll wait outside the classroom."

Mason walked out the classroom and sat on the bench. He was about to pull out his pack of ciggarettes when he realised their was no-smoking in the school. Mason smirked. "Just as well, I promised my friends I'd quit!" he threw the pack into a near-by bin.

Donna and her classmates continued to work on their notes, when all of a sudden, the bell rung. It was 11:20, which meant it was lunchtime. "Now remember class... study Chapter 8 for your homework!" Mrs. Jackson told everyone. The class moaned.

When Donna grabbed her things, and headed out the door, Mrs. Jackson caught up with her. "Oh, and Donna? There's a young man out there who wants to speak with you."

The young girl looked confused. "Okay. Thanks, Mrs. Jackson." After the two said good-bye to each other, Donna went out of the classroom to meet this guy.

There, she saw him. The same guy with the same trench coat. She nervously walked up to him, holding her books close to her. "Are you the guy that wanted to see me?" Donna asked quietly.

Mason saw the girl he was looking for step out of the classroom. "Are you the guy that wanted to see me?" she asked.

Mason pulled out his wallet to show her his I.D

"My name is Phil Mason, I'm a private investigator. I wanted to speak to you about Kyle Millard, if thats okay with you."

"My name is Phil Mason, I'm a private investigator. I wanted to speak to you about Kyle Millard, if thats okay with you."

Donna was shocked to hear that this Mason guy was a private investigator. She was especially shocked to hear Kyle's name being metioned.

She gulped. "Um... sure. Okay." She glanced around nervously, as other students and teachers past by them. This was going to be one long day.

"Don't worry, I wont take up much of your time. Just a few question I need to ask..." Mason assured.

"I heard there was a small fight the other day involving Kyle and you stepped in to defend him. What was the fight about exactly?" Mason noticed the girl was getting nervous.

Donna scratched the back of her ear, trying to remember. The fight that Kyle had was mostly with Ricky, the school's bully.

"Well... Ricky, the bully, he usually picked on Kyle, ever since he came to the school. Kyle probably had enough... so they fought. When I heard there was a school fight, I rushed to see what the problem was. Then I saw Kyle and Ricky fighting. I broke it up, telling the principal on Ricky. That's all I remember."

The young girl's eyes glanced down for a minute. Then back up at Mason.

After hearing Donna's answer, Mason asked a brief, series of question with an answer coming from Donna:

"How well did you know Kyle?"

"Did Kyle have many friends here I could talk to?"

"Was there something about Kyle that seemed very... unusual?"

Donna honestly responded the questions:

"How well did you know Kyle?"
"I knew Kyle for... three days. He came to this school last week."

"Did Kyle have many friends here I could talk to?"
"No. Kyle never had any friends. He trusts in me mostly."

"Was there something about Kyle that seemed very... unusual?"
"Well... Kyle was usually afraid of being around the crowd. He always wanted to be alone. It's really strange, when you think about it."

A slight, burning feeling on his ear. Superstitions said people were talking about him. Ricky didn't believe in them, but, he liked being the center of attention. A smile grew on his face.

"This sucks though," He said to no one in particular, as the smile faded. As a result of the fight he had with that guy he seemed to take a liking to bully, Kyle something, Ricky had been suspended for three days. Luckily, today was the last day. Finally, he could go back to school and do something. His parents had forbidden him from going out of the house and using any electronic devices like the computer or the TV.

However, one certain piece of news he had seen on the TV before that punishment had been made, was right now, dwelling in his mind, scaring him.

The same guy he bullied killed someone.

Ryas was walking to the lunchroom after dropping his bag off at his locker. It took him several minuets to actually get his locker open since it had a tendacy of getting jammed. A usual kick or punch got it unjammed.

As he was walking to the cafeteria he saw the girl who was watching him do his sketch work, and who he also kept out of trouble.

"Yep I'm amazing" he said to himself.

Ryas noticed that she was talking to an older man, who defenitly didn't look like a teacher. So he decided to lean against some near by lockers and watch to make sure nothing to bad happened. He'd get more info from her when the two parted company.

"Hope the gossip will be interesting" he whispered to himself.

It had taken at least an hour of questioning and explaining to the staff at the office and thereabouts for Claire to obtain a visitor's pass. Next time I do something like this, I'm not doing it "by the book".

She heard a bell ring, though she couldn't be sure what it meant as she didn't have the time on her. But as all the young women and men jostling her in the corridor were heading in the same direction, she assumed it was a break.

It was only once they reached the lunch hall that the river of bodies broke and began to trickle, leaving Claire free to move and find a space to stand. She didn't know the names of Anna's friends, but she'd certainly know their faces... Right?

Mason took note of the answers and nodded after every answer.

"Alright, thanks. Thats all I need to know... for now!" he turned off his pocket tape recorder of the conversation. He then pulled out one of his cards and handed it to Donna.

"If you hear anything else, please don't hesitate to call me day or night." He smiled and walked off. "Bye, and thanks..."

Donna returned a smile. "You're welcome. And thank you." She looked down at the card Mason gave her. Yeah... if she ever ran into Kyle, and something happened... she'd call right away.

It was good to know that someone, even a Private Detective, was looking for Kyle. But what if she encountered him? The thought scared her...

As she walked to the cafeteria, she noticed the boy named Ryas. Donna smiled. "Hello, Ryas," she said, as she continued towards the lunch room.

"Hey...uhh...Donna" he responded to her while for a brief moment forgetting her name. He noticed that she continued to walk so he quickly ran up besides her and started walking with her.

Ryas laughed slightly while saying "I wait for you and you walk away"

As he walked with her he placed his hands behind his head and leaned back slightly thinking. "So uh... what did that guy want? Everythin alright?" he said with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"So uh... what did that guy want? Everythin alright?"

Donna chuckled. Ryas was the funny type all right. But then she thought about the question he asked. "Well... he wanted to ask me questions about Kyle Millard. You know, that kid from the news last night? But other than that, Everything's okay."

Walking through the lunchroom, they only had 18 minutes to eat lunch. It was a good thing the lunch line wasn't long as usual. Donna went in the lunch line, waiting on one more kid to get his lunch.

"What about you? How you doin' so far?" Donna asked Ryas.

"What about you? How you doin' so far?"

Ryas thought about that question for a while as he followed Donna in the lunch line. He wasn't getting anything to eat because he knew he'd have to leave very shortly.

"ehh... so far I'd say pretty good. In fact" he looks down at his watch "In three... they really shouldn't let me go to the bathroom before lunch, two... it's just a bad idea ya know, one... but the office does love me."

Then all of a sudden over the loud speaker the whole school hears "Ryas Valrick please report to the office, your pizza is here."

As he started to walk away he turned toward Donna and said "I'll save you a slice." then continued to walk to the office laughing.

Donna smiled, as she watched Ryas leave. "Thanks. See you later." She grinned. Ryas was sure something else. It was cool to hang out with a guy like him.

After she got her lunch, Donna spotted Keisha, and sat next to her. "Girl, you only got like wha'? Sixteen minutues left to eat? If I were you, I'd stuff myself up!"

Donna chuckled, as she bit on her apple. Suddenly, she remembered that she had to tell Keisha something. Something really important. "Yeah, I know. By the way, did you hear the News last night? I was gettin' scared."

"Oh my God, yes! Kyle Millard, that new kid? I heard he killed someone. That some scary stuff, don't you think?"

Donna nodded. "Sure is..."