I locked myself away from the world; my bed called to me, it was neatly made, unlike the rest of my room. Clothes everywhere, rubbish hidden in more places than I would care to admit and as I made sure the rest of the house was always clean and in pristine condition, my room was the one place I let myself be the teen I never really got to be, I was almost 18 and I should have known better but this was the one place I let myself be selfish. I always imagined bringing a nice guy back here and getting close and stealing a kiss that neither mum nor dad could see but they would know, playing along to the ignorance, maybe even dropping subtle hints they know and embarrassing me, but those days are lost to me. Now I can't even bring myself to like someone, not since the ally way; now I lived for Lucas, his innocent smile and it hurts to think one day I'll find him crying over a girl that broke his heart, or the day he comes to me asking for what to do with his first time. He's old enough now I guess for the sex talk but I've been holding off, I just want him to hold onto that innocent that I lost, I bet he'd even find me disgusting if he ever found out what I used to do.

"I don't know how to handle it" I reached behind my bedside table and pulled out a notebook. It was black in colour, tattered as if it was used every day, and I guess it was. I opened the first blank page I could find, and I write down everything that happened, Lucy had me do this as a way to get me to work through the worst of the days and I guess today is just as stressful. The boy who looked as if everything was out to get him, the rage in his eyes, they were familiar to me; I had those eyes, every day I'd see them, in the mirror, I hated what I did to get us by, the money wasn't much, but I did enough that I got what was needed to pay. We had money from their life insurance, but I couldn't use that, because using it meant they really were gone and even if I knew that I couldn't have Lucas finding out I used it. So I made us live on that dirty money. he thought I was at school, I'd always be there to pick him up, wearing my uniform as a costume because that's all it was to me now, a costume to put up that fake me the good boy he still saw in me, the one that died to protect him.

I stopped writing when I heard a soft knock, I hesitated to move, as if I would be attacked by whoever was on the other side "Sam?" I could hear Lucy call through the door "can I come in?" she couldn't see the mess so I got up from my bed and quickly moved to the door, taking a deep breath, I opened the one thing that I used to create my own world, a better world "can we talk?"

"I guess" I didn't look at her, I couldn't, she was going to pity me, she helped us more than I can ever repay her for and she helped me through my treatment and looked after Lucas while I was in the hospital, she even got me the job so I wouldn't have to go back to that way of life and when she wanted to talk she always gave me more things I could never repay.

"that boy" she started "Jack was it?" looking behind me her face fell, she saw the mess and why wouldn't she, it was a reflection of me "he's asleep on the couch" she spoke softly, she still always tried to keep her true worries secret from Lucas "I don't think he's safe for you to be around".

"I can take having a guy in my house for a night" I loved her she was my best friend, but she really was too protective sometimes, yeah I needed help but I am better now I should be able to restrain myself "I got better remember I'm not the whore you found in that ally way anymore"

"I wasn't- "

The sound of the doorbell cut her off, I looked down the hallway to see that most of the house was dark; Lucas must be in bed and the rest went home, that's why she decided to have this conversation now.

"Sam" she started but I just started to walk down the hallway moving to the front door, I looked back and saw that Lucy had followed me silently she must have decided it was better to just follow.

Standing in front of the door I found myself unable to open it, I had a bad feeling. You know that feeling you get when you think someone is looking at you but you can't quite figure out who is and the feeling just makes you shudder as if you were being hunted by something, especially in the dark.

"open it" Lucy whispered and as if on command the doorbell rang again this time sounding much louder as if everything was being extra silent for it, so its sound could be the only thing heard for miles around.

My heart thumped so hard I thought Lucy could hear it as I turned the handle to open the door. But instead of a person, there was no one on the other side, just an empty street. I looked around but I couldn't see anyone and as I took a step out the door to see if they were hiding around the side of the house I felt something hit my foot or would it be better to say I hit it. There was a box on the ground on the top was an envelope which was apparently addressed to me and Jack. I opened it and read the letter inside.

'Dear Mr Reaper and Mr Heathcliff

On behave of our mutual benefact, I have arranged for you both to attend a human school, all funds have been handled.

inside this box is two sets of uniforms for each member of the residence Mr Reaper has chosen as his refuge on Earth, along with this box two more will follow, one will be for Mr Reaper and have all the documents needed for staying in this city and another for Mr Heathcliff and his younger brother to help them adjust to added nuisances caused by Mr Reapers inability to follow rules and general annoyingness.

Lots of love Ms Leos

P.S Mr Reaper, you must remember the parameters of the deal, not only must Mr Heathcliff develop a genuine relationship with you and confess it to you, you too must also work to develop a relationship in the same instance for it to be considered proof of your ability to care for humans.

P.S.S Mr Heathcliff good luck, may the fates be with you'.

###

I watched as Jack read the letter found on the box and it was true inside the box were six uniforms and as we sat down looking through which one belonged to which of us the bell rang again and just like the letter said another two boxes were on the doorstep one with Jacks name and another with mine. Jack didn't seem very pleased by the letter and that could just be the fact he was woken up when Lucy 'accidentally' dropped the box on him but the letter seemed to refer to the deal he was talking about during dinner.

Lucy was making hot chocolate for us since as she said 'we don't need to be up later then we have to' she returned now looking at the blazer I had laid out flat "wait that's my school someone paid for you to go there? It's an expensive school, I only just got in by the skin of my teeth with scholarships, unlike Jeff and Harry, those two rich boys"

"And apparently they somehow know Jack is here"

"who would know that if you found him under ice"

We looked at him, he was reading the papers in the second box that had paperwork for him, he looked a little constipated from the way he frowned at the paper "of course they know they can open gateways between worlds so keeping track of someone would be easy"

I really didn't believe him with the whole being some being from another world but with the lake and now this, it was just weird.

"Sam what was in the third box," Lucy asked opening the flaps.

"I don't know I haven't looked" we both got down to the floor and started to dig through the box, there were a few appointments for doctor checkups and some plans for after school activities that we could do at school but there was one thing that really caught my attention. I saw at the bottom of the box was a bank check and when I pulled it up from the bottom, I couldn't help but go mute at it.

"Sam?" I handed Lucy the check and she screamed "ten grand" her outburst was loud enough to shake me from my shock

"so, I'm not imagining it"

"what's so great about that isn't it just money" we both looked at Jack who looked quite miffed about how we were acting "its just paper nothing really important"

"Ten grand is a lot of money maybe not for a fallen immortal like you but to us mere mortals it's a lot" Lucy stuck her tongue out at him and he responded by turning back to his box, but who cared what he thought right now I had a check for ten grand and more importantly Lucas could go to a better school, yeah sure it happened in the weirdest way possible and I'm acting on the high of the moment but maybe I could let myself feel it just a bit longer even if it is a mix-up.