Derek was in the car Tuesday morning, with Milo folding his arms tightly around his chest, hugging himself to keep a panic attack at bay.

Derek pulled into the parking lot, and Milo tapped his forehead with his wrench, the light shimmering around him. He grew taller, his hair changing to Nick’s light brown hair and blue eyes, complete with the scar cutting across his eyebrow. “How’s this?” Milo asked, sounding like Nick.

“Good. Uncanny. Creepy, actually.” They got out of the car, with Milo now disguised as Nick, still looking sick to his stomach. “We’ll do this fast. You’ll be fine.”

They walked into the school, the halls crowded. Milo was hyperventilating, his gaze bouncing around to find Pippa, his gaze even lifting to the ceiling like she crawled up there like a spider. For now, Pippa was nowhere in sight.

“Hey, Derek!” Eric said.

“Oh, hey man.” Derek glanced around. “Where’s Baily?”

“Ugh, we’re not talking to each other. She’s being dramatic.”

He mentally started a timer, wondering how long this one would last. “Okay. Have you seen Emma?”

Eric shrugged. “Hanging around the main office.”

Derek raised an eyebrow. “The main office?”

Eric shrugged again. “I don’t understand it.”

It was all Milo needed. He let out a shuddering gasp before heading straight for Mr. Anderson’s room. Derek watched his friend heading down the hall, worried, before noticing Eric giving him a strange look. “Is Nick okay? He didn’t look good. Did you carpool with him today or something?”

Derek stared at Eric, his heart rate picking up. “Oh. You… saw him?”

Eric frowned. “Of course I saw him.”

Derek paused, giving himself a second to panic, before he moved forward. “’Scuse me.” He raced after Milo, thinking about the implications. People could see Milo if he used disguise self as someone from this world. Did that work with enemies too? If Akshi disguised into an earthling and tried to gather a group together? His gut said no, but he’d have to double check with Tyler.

He pulled out his phone and called Evelyn as he tried to reach Mr. Anderson’s room.

“Derek?” Evelyn asked.

“Are you and Nick at school?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Tell Nick to stay away from Mr. Anderson’s room, okay?” He dropped his voice. “People can see Milo if he’s disguised as Nick. If they’re spotted together, it’ll not only be confusing, but people we’re trying to hide from will notice.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll find him and let him know.”

Derek had an eye on Milo, still disguised as Nick. It was clearly Milo, because he was a well-placed jump scare away from a full-blown panic attack. Derek saw the change immediately. People were actually bumping into Milo, and his mana fusor, in his panic, didn’t notice. He plowed through the halls, stuck in his own head, one focus on his mind.

Derek caught up with him. “Milo, people can see you.”

He tried to be as casual as possible, but Milo was as nervous as someone with a heart problem defusing a bomb. He was glad he didn’t touch Milo’s shoulder, because the guy had already jumped.

“Don’t sneak up on me!” Milo said.

“You’re surprisingly easy to sneak up on right now. Get to Mr. Anderson’s room fast. People can see you as Nick, and we don’t want to cause any confusion if we run into the real Nick.”

Milo glanced around before Derek grabbed his arm to pull him toward the side as Mr. Anderson’s classroom came into sight. Derek scanned the crowd before they slipped into the classroom and shut the door. “Get your barrier in place.”

Milo nodded before grabbing a string and placed it at the bottom of the doorway. Mr. Anderson glanced up from his coffee and notes, taking off his reading glasses. “Um, Milo, I presume?”

“Yes, sir. Just setting a trap.” Milo pulled the string across the door.

“And what does that do?” Mr. Anderson asked.

“No one else can touch this string unless they’re a succubus. If she does cross the string, a blast of holy water smacks her in the face while I make my getaway,” Milo said.

Derek blinked a few times. “Did you do anything for Akshi?”

“No.”

“No? Why not?”

“Because if Akshi kisses me, he can’t suck my soul out of my body,” Milo said.

Derek exchanged a glance with Mr. Anderson before studying Milo disguised as one of his closest friends. “Right, man. Um… Akshi’s still a concern.”

Milo grunted as he got up and moved toward the lab, placing the same safety measures against that door.

“Do you have any students who need the lab today?” Milo asked.

“Not today. Friday I will,” Mr. Anderson said.

The Nick disguise melted off as he finished placing the protection. “Okay, then I’ll set up more precautions in the lab itself.”

Mr. Anderson sipped his coffee before turning his head slightly. “What ‘precautions’ are these?”

“Nothing that will explode. I learned my lesson from last time.” Milo opened the door and slipping through.

The closing of the door seemed more ominous as Mr. Anderson sighed, grabbing his mug. “I’ll check on that after I finish drinking this,” he mumbled, placing his reading glasses back on.

Derek pulled out his phone, texting Evelyn fast.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Got things settled. No mishap.

He tried to be vague, in case Akshi tracked Evelyn down and tortured her for information. Maybe it wouldn’t happen like that, but for Milo’s sake, Derek didn’t want to leave any trace of where he was while Pippa was in the vicinity.

“Thanks again, Mr. Anderson. Milo might be more of a basket case today than usual. Pippa’s scaring him,” Derek said.

“I don’t blame him. Wounds of the heart rarely heal right.” Mr. Anderson took another sip of his coffee.

Derek couldn’t help it and studied his teacher. Mr. Anderson had his notes on the desk, glancing through them. Derek had done as Mr. Anderson requested. Divulged nothing of his teacher’s past to anyone. The only confirmation he got that anything Akshi said was true was a request from Mr. Anderson to not tell anyone. Mr. Anderson had been teaching at Elmwood High for over five years. A grumpy curmudgeon like him had his own category of gossip about why he was how he was. The most extreme cases ranging between an abusive widower to ex-CIA. Mr. Anderson had it all. The truth, if Akshi was to be believed, was far more humanizing. And, as Evelyn pointed out, it was important to treat people like they were human.

“You don’t think they heal?” Derek found himself asking.

Mr. Anderson didn’t even glance up. He instead crossed something out on his notes and scribbled something in the margins. “I’ll see you when the bell rings, Derek.”

Derek wasn’t sure what to expect, though he should have figured Mr. Anderson would deflect the conversation. “Mr. Anderson—”

His teacher’s gaze shot up to meet his. “Derek. I’ll see you when the bell rings.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “This really isn’t healthy. You know this, right?” Mr. Anderson picked up his coffee, returning to his notes, saying nothing, so Derek filled the silence. “I totally respect that you’re an introvert, and I understand showing vulnerability to others can be hard, but—”

“Don’t pity me. Don’t give me relationship advice. The only thing the two of us are, are teacher and student,” Mr. Anderson said.

“And both of us also see mythical creatures trying to destroy earth,” Derek said.

“Which has nothing to do with my personal life. I’m capable of helping out where I can in a strictly professional matter. We don’t need to hold pity parties or share sob stories,” Mr. Anderson said.

“Oh, come on Mr. Anderson. When was your last CCNC session? Seriously? We are a team. We support each other to get the job done. You need to know we have your back, and we need to know you have ours.”

Mr. Anderson shook his head, a finger to his forehead. “This is strictly unprofessional.”

“Sharing backstories is the backbone of CCNC. They both start with the word back,” Derek said.

Mr. Anderson stared at him, confused. “I… don’t understand you.”

“Few people do.”

Mr. Anderson took off his reading glasses and placed them on the table before he stood up, heading for the door. “I’m fine, Derek. And I’d hate to think of the level of desperation I’d reach to get relationship advice from a teenager. It’s not needed, it’s not wanted. I am fine.”

Derek sighed as he watched Mr. Anderson open the door and motion for him to get out. He started walking toward the door. “To clarify, I’m not suggesting you get relationship advice. God knows I wouldn’t be the one to give it.” He approached Mr. Anderson, dropping his voice. “But introvert or not, you put up a prickly barb anytime someone tries to be your friend, and it can’t be healthy for anyone.”

“I. Am. Fine. Now get out of my classroom until the bell rings.”

Derek grumbled as he stepped over Milo’s trap. Mr. Anderson shut the door, and Derek stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked down the hall.

“Oh, hey Derek!” Baily said.

He turned around, smiling. “Hey! Is everything okay with you and Eric?”

“Ugh, don’t get me started on that narcissistic jerk. He had the gall to call me a diva. Me! A diva! I got the part of the singing telegram girl. I say a sentence and then die! I need to be comfortable when they drop me behind the couch! Is it seriously too much to ask for an air mattress?” Baily said.

Derek’s smile flickered. Eric appeared next to him, looking annoyed. “We’ve got to hear the thunk. It’s part of the hilarity of it all. If you’re on an air mattress—”

She spun on Eric. “No one asked you.”

“Mr. Jensen agrees with me. The fact that you’re hanging onto this is exactly why it makes you a diva,” Eric said.

“Are they back to bickering?” said a familiar voice.

Every muscle inside Derek froze. He spun around to see Emma standing right behind him, with Pippa behind her.

Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm.

He wasn’t sure how well the chant could work, but it kept his mind from thinking of the worst-case scenario.

Emma cocked an eyebrow, smirking. “Cat got your tongue?”

Had he not spoken yet? “Hey, Emma.”

She kept her gaze on him. Derek tried, but noticed Baily and Eric had moved around to see his situation. “I’ve missed you,” she said, picking up a lock of her hair.

“Oh?” Derek asked.

Baily and Eric started acting something out behind Emma’s back, distracting him.

“Did you miss me?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of… course,” Derek said.

Eric and Baily started miming that they were getting married or something. Eric was on one knee, and Baily was fanning herself, pretending to silently cry as she nodded. Seriously, how was he supposed to focus when those two did that right behind Pippa?

Emma chuckled. “Hey, I heard you’re still looking for more recruits for your CCNC club.” Derek said nothing. His two drama friends pretending to be in a boat distracted him. “Is there room for one more?”

Derek swallowed, feeling Pippa’s gaze on him. “There’s always room for someone at CCNC club. As long as you’re not a jerk.”

Emma took a step closer, and Derek was still confused what Eric and Baily were doing. “Am I a jerk?” Emma asked.

He blinked as Baily went in to kiss Eric. Eric placed an exaggerated hand to his chest before he pretended to slap Baily. Baily stomped her foot before leaving. Then she returned to Eric, and both of them looked at him expectantly. Derek realized he was staring at them before he forced himself to look at Emma.

“That cat really has its claws dug into your tongue, doesn’t it?” Emma was way too close. One step and she’d be up against his chest. “Kinda makes me jealous of the cat.”

It dawned on him what was happening. Emma was flirting aggressively with him, and Eric and Baily were trying to get him to hook back up with her so they could do their reverse kiss the girl. To get Emma to hate him so she could break up with him the proper drama way.

There was no way in hell he’d do that. Not with a literal fae succubus standing right behind Emma as his mana fusor was a few doors down huddling in the lab.

“I need you…” Derek pulled out the clipboard from his backpack, keeping an eye on Emma because he was too scared to look away, “…to write your name and number, and I’ll add you to the list.”

Emma smiled, grabbing her bejeweled pen. Despite having the clip board right there, she placed the board against his chest. She wrote her phone number, then looked up at him as she signed her name. “When are you thinking of having it?” Emma asked.

Derek wetted his lips before attempting to smile. “I’m thinking Monday. Seven in the morning.”

“Great.” She grabbed his wrist and placed his hand against the clipboard to keep it in place. “I will see you Monday, then.”

She turned around and walked off. It took everything inside him not to look at Pippa. The fae succubus watched curiously, and Derek walked in the opposite direction of where Emma was going. Eric and Baily ran up to him.

“Dude, missed opportunity!” Eric said.

“You had her. You could have gone on a date tonight and been done with her by this weekend!” Baily said.

Derek shook his head. “You honestly think you two could have helped me get rid of her that fast?”

“Well, maybe not that fast,” Eric said.

“Definitely by the time you graduate,” Baily said.

Derek turned to look at her, alarmed. “When I graduate high school? Or college?”

“Emma is extremely concerned about herself. It would be difficult to get her to break out of herself long enough to realize that you’re horrible, but… yeah.” Eric nodded, glancing at Baily. “Getting her to hate you by the time you graduate from high school is a good goal.”

“No!” Derek stuffed the clipboard back into his bag. “Bad idea. Whole thing bad. Human. Must treat people like human.”

Eric scrunched his nose in confusion. “Okay, I’m not sure where that came from.”

“Come on, Derek. She won’t let this go until she realizes for herself you’re no good,” Baily said.

But Pippa was involved. That alone meant he needed to get an outside opinion. He needed Rafael’s way of sorting through the situation with charity and a heavy dose of reality. Hell, he’d even settle for one of Nick’s judgmental looks. There was no way he could do this.

And yet what if he should? They talked about it at dinner on Saturday. Pippa wasn’t controlling Emma as much because she didn’t need to. Emma, in her own way, wanted to destroy Derek’s life and didn’t need too much of a push from Pippa. But what if he could make it so Emma hated him and wanted to actually give him some space? What if he could make it that much more difficult for Pippa to control her? If Pippa had to hang around Emma as much as Akshi hung around Mr. Stower, wouldn’t that benefit everyone?

It was making sense. Too much sense. For his own safety, he needed to talk to Rafael or Nick.