We sat in the truck, looking at one another in the dim light given off by the one bulb we had, jostling slightly every so often.

  Finally, Love broke the silence, "Its gonna be weird, having a bunch of teachers and other kids our age calling us by our actual real names....I think I might like it."

  Wolf nods, "We're going to have to be careful."

  I shrug, not exactly sure what I'd get out of it, but wanting Love to feel valid in her desires, "I guess it might be fun."

  Love leaned against me, pulling me close to her, rubbing her face on my shoulder, "AND we'll have a real shot at living out a high school romance! And maybe even go to prom!"

  I look up at Edge who seemed lost in thought, "Hey Edge, looking forward to Highschool?"

  He looked up at me, "Do you think Benz is one of us?"

  Wolf laughs, "Yeah, didn't they say he's the only other Houska employee who got the Slayer Badge?"

  The thought hit me like the bump in the road that sent pillows falling onto my head from the couch above me, "He did just...anime villain that desk apart didn't he?" I chuckled a bit, the idea that I was on the same level (at least in name) as someone as strong as Benz was daunting.

  After a brief silence, Wolf spoke up, "What the fuck was he thinking, putting Sharp in charge of us again?"

  Edge huffs, "He probably wants him dead."

  Love sat up, looking just as upset as she should, "We eat NOTHING he gives us, we drink NOTHING he gives us, we make and buy our own food, agreed?"

  We all answered in unison, "Agreed."

  We sat in silence for the better part of an hour before the mover finally stopped. We disembarked to see we are in a literal scrubland, sure we were in the middle of a suburb, but at the same time the suburb and I suspect the entire town was encompassed in this flat land that extended far beyond where my eyes could follow.

  I look at Love who's clinging to my arm, as if we were standing at some great height and she was worried we might fall into the abyss of flat we saw stretched out before us.

  "....wow..." she sighed, Edge laughed, "Talk about the middle of nowhere..."

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  That was when Doctor Sharp came into the open, "Ok kids, go get your work clothes off and your school clothes on...we're enrolling you guys today....your clothes are all set out."

  We don't say anything to him, I grab Love around the waist and walk her inside without making eye contact, half expecting a further attempt at levity, only for him to be totally silent and even absent as we got dressed.

  It was disconcerting, as I had expected him to be overbearing at the very least.

  But then again, he was this absent the first time too.

  "Does this feel wrong to you?" I asked Wolf as I pulled on a pair of jeans, she shook her head, "He has survival instincts at the very least...he's also not stupid, Benz probably told him to keep his distance."

  We were driven to school by Doctor Sharp who gave us a briefing on the way there, "the reason we're here is the sightings of supernatural entities in the town, as well as our only surviving witness talking about a secretive Kabal known only to the people of this town as "The Shadowyn." Which has been cited in several historical Houska documents, it's not superstition, it's a problem, and it seems we've finally found where they live."

  We didn't respond, just nodded, so he continued, "their agents are everywhere in this town, including in the classrooms, We're here to weed them out and to keep casualties and sightings to a minimum, that includes you, Green, Silence protocol is in effect."

  He looked at me and I suddenly realized that I hadn't heard Green's voice since that therapy session with MAL.

  Had she killed him? Could that even happen?

  "Yes...sir." I say as stiffly as possible, to which Doctor Sharp smiles, "Good."

  We arrived at Pampa High School (go harvesters) and enrolled us all under the surname "Smith" we were given school books and told to go to class.

  We would not fare well, in social endeavors or in class.

  It was good to be back in school, around kids who didn't want me dead, but this new social freedom came with a price.

  None of us had any idea how to properly socialize with kids our own age and we decided sticking together during social times would be the best idea when it came to social survival.

  At lunch time, I got a square pizza and sat next to my squad who all looked at me with exhaustion.

  "How's everyone doing?"

  Everyone groaned

  Edge sighed, "These chess club kids are so high off their own fumes, I'm surprised they can take air into their lungs, if I have to hear the term "euphoric" one more time, I'll step in front of a bus."

  Love looked at me with tears in her eyes, "There's like 3 different cliques of girls...none of them like me...even the socially awkward girls didnt like me."

  Wolf put her head down, "I punched a kid who was beating on another kid and I get called a dyke for my trouble...by the kid I saved."

  I take a bite of my pizza, I hadn't fared much better, except on one count, one I announced to the group, "Guys I think i found a group of kids that could help us find what we're looking for....I overheard them talking about the Shadowyn."

  I had heard the word Shadowyn escape the tight knit circle of a group of lanky goth students, who, upon further listening, seemed to have knowledge of this town's dark, supernatural underbelly.

  Edge looked up at me with a surprised expression, "Tell us more."

  I gesture towards this group who I just realized were eyeing us, I immediately looked away but they were already on their way over.

  There were 8 seats at our table, and these other students immediately and seamlessly slipped into the other 4, as if they'd always been there.