With her extremely old, yet newly acquired, laptop under her arm and the infamous USB drive in hand, Rachel headed for the small alcove near her room. It was a good place to hide: quiet, enclosed on three sides, it even had a padded bench. It was perfect for her needs. She was nearly there when an angry, disembodied, voice stopped her. “...but if I see it, I’ll contact you.”

It was Simon.

“The insufferable prick…” Simon muttered.

Rachel searched for a hiding place. Being caught eavesdropping, especially by Simon, would be a very bad thing. She took a step backward, hoping to bolt back to her room, right as he popped out of her targeted alcove.

Their gazes locked, and his face paled; his eyes shifted from left to right before focusing on her again. His expression turned hard. He looked… Guilty, she thought, squeezing her hand tight around the USB drive in her palm. She hoped it was hidden, and prayed she didn’t have a similar look of guilt plastered across her face.

“Why are you following me? What did you hear?” he barked and took a menacing step toward her. “Tell me,” he growled, making Rachel flinch.

“Noth-Nothing.”

“You—” Simon began, but before he could complete his sentence, a new voice cut him off.

“Back off Simon. I don’t know what your game is, but leave her out of it. She is no longer your concern.”

Adam! She wondered when had he arrived. She hadn’t heard anyone approach, and surprisingly, it would seem, neither had Simon. A moment later, Adam wrapped his arm around her waist, and murmured, “Are you all right?” into her ear. Rachel nodded and locked her knees to prevent herself from sagging against him in relief. She didn’t know much about Simon, but she did know he had… issues… with visible weakness.

“Good!” Adam tapped the laptop in her arms, completely ignoring Simon. “You free? There are some people I’d like you to meet in the cafeteria.”

“Oh? Who?” Rachel asked as she deliberately turned her back on Simon, praying he wouldn’t start a fight over the dismissive move.

“Just some friends of mine,” Adam said, releasing her, and taking the laptop from her arms.

Rachel shoved the USB drive into her pocket. She didn’t think Adam noticed her hide the device since he’d already turned away from her and was heading down the hall, but when Rachel glanced back at Simon… Well, his scowl sent shivers of dread up her spine. 

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