I hastened my walking pace to match hers as we left the courtyard and entered the school building proper through a side entrance.

Tanner Tally High was old, to be more specific, more than a century old. Which meant crossing the threshold from the modern, architecturally designed courtyard into the school's "preserved for cultural significance" interior was like walking into a portal through time.

When we stepped inside, the smooth pavement became grainy brick flooring. The walls were bare unpainted stone and clay, which made the place look and feel like a historical exhibit rather than you know, a school.

Also i'm pretty sure that green stuff in the corner is moss. At least I hope it is.

The hallways were mostly empty as some students were in class, while others preferred to spend their free periods outside in the courtyard. 

I don't blame them.

Though the barren interior did serve as a nice little reminder that I was supposed to be in class right now. I don—

"Five minutes to prepare," Eli's voice cut through the silence.

I snapped out of my own thoughts and blinked, I looked over to see her, once again looking at her pocket watch, intense focus plastered on her face.

It was only then I took a second to assess where I was, realizing incredibly late that I had completely lost my situational awareness in my inner narration.

And... we were in front of lockers. 

Tanner Tally High was unique from any other school in that it had two main dedicated locker areas separated by entire floors, one for the dudes, and one for the gals. We stopped in the girl's section.

"So... uh... what are we doing now?" I hesitantly asked, watching as Eli strolled over to one of the green lockers. Reaching out and opening it, which I highly suspect didn't even belong to her.

"You see, Bill," she said, continuing, "the real reason I had you come with me is because I need something from you."

I squinted suspiciously. "Am I going to like what I hear?"

Eli smiled at me before she reached inside the locker and pulled out a water bottle, "In exchange for helping you with your relationship." She tossed the plastic bottle at me, which I promptly caught. "You shall be my assistant for the foreseeable future."

Oh crud.

I frowned. "Seriously! What makes me so different from your other clients?" I asked louder than I would have liked, gesturing vaguely at myself. "Why do I have to pay you by being your assistant?"

Eli ignored my question and instead pointed at a nearby locker. The locker with a pink ribbon glued onto it, standing out against the dull dark sea of green metal. "The water bottle I just tossed you, empty its contents all over the floor in front of that locker."

I let out a long groan, but I still went ahead and did what she asked. I carefully tipped the bottle over and stood on the vamp of my shoes, making sure I wasn't going to get myself wet.

Once I emptied the whole bottle and threw it in the trash, I tiptoed back over to Eli, who was now typing something on her flip phone.

Silence was once again between us and I narrowed my eyes. "You're waiting for me to ask about the water, aren't you?"

She clicked the phone shut and slid it back into her pocket. "About a month ago, a student named Jeff asked me for assistance in getting closer to one of his friends." She reached into her trenchcoat and pulled an object out. "I've been making steady progress with them," she continued. 

"And now, this will be the event that seals the deal." She said before straightening the plastic and metal object in her hands with a sharp click.

"Is that a foldable hammer?!" I involuntarily yelled out. "How in the hell did you even sneak that past the guards?"

"Deep pockets."

She smoothly turned on her heel and gestured a "follow me" with her finger.

I hurried after her, and we rounded a corner into the corridor directly behind the girl's locker area. The hallway was barren and the lighting was what you would expect from a century old building.

Eli bent down and rummaged through her brown leather sling bag, pulling out a small, dark, circular metal object.

I stared. "Of course you have a frying pan without a handle in your bag."

"Hold it up to the wall, as flat as possible," she commanded. 

And without further elaboration as always.

I hesitated, but then continued to follow her instructions, placing the pan flat against the wall with both of my hands. "Okay... now what?"

She pulled her phone out of her pocket with an unoccupied hand and started dialing. 

"Jeff, are you near the location I sent you?"

I leaned in, trying to hear whatever it was Jeff had to say, but it was too muffled to make anything out.

Whatever it was couldn't—

*CLANG*

...

Jeff made his way through the school's shoddy corridors, his phone pressed against his cheek as he talked to Eli Hartley. The girl almost everyone and their mothers swore by when it came to the matters of the heart. If you had a romantic dillema, you called Eli. And so he did.

It'd been over a month since she started helping him with Maeve, the girl he met in his club and harbored a crush on. While Eli didn't show up in person much, he followed whatever advice she gave, and somehow he and Maeve had gotten closer than ever. Like something or someone was working fate behind the scenes....

"Jeff," Eli's voice crackled through the phone. "Are you near the location I sent you?"

"Yeah, I'm right—" He trailed on as his eyes caught on something ahead.

Maeve. In her flannel shirt, hair tied in a pony, walking toward her locker as she made his stomach do backflips.

Jeff's face livened up. Dropping the call as he picked up his pace and waved. "Hey, Maeve!"

*CLANG*

A deafening metallic sound rang out, bouncing through the hallways.

Maeve yelped and recoiled, startled at the sudden noise. She stepped back, only for her foot to hit a small puddle pooled at the ground beneath her locker. Her arms flailing as she lost her footing.

"Maeve!" Jeff reacted instantly. In two long strides fueled by adrenaline, he caught her, wrapping an arm around her back just in time to stop her from coming in contact with the floor.

They froze for a moment, like a scene from a movie. Maeve dipped backwards within his arms, eyes wide. 

She looked up, and smiled upon seeing her savior.

...

From across the hallway, I stood beside Eli who leaned against the wall, watching the two from a safe distance.

"Sooo," I muttered, "how'd you know she'd be there?"

Eli raised a finger, "From my observations, I knew that Maeve only ever brings a pouch to school," she explained. "Which meant that whenever she has chemistry—her period at this hour—she needed to get supplies from her locker."

My face lit up with realization. "So that's why you were staring at your watch so intensely. You were lining up Maeve's class and when to tell Jeff to come!"

Eli gave a faint, but satisfied smirk. "Precisely."

I rubbed my chin, "And you couldn't tell Jeff your plan," I reasoned, "because it had to look natural... Right?"

She answered with a simple affirmative nod.

I pumped my fist subtly in victory, then gestured toward the outline visible on her coat pocket. "Though I do wish you could have told me before swinging a hammer inches from my fingers."

Eli shrugged. "You would have most likely made a fuss about it."

I chuckled. Yeah Probably.

Eli rotated on her heel, her scarf brushing against me as she started walking. "Come on," she said from over her shoulder. "Off to the next case."

Without a second thought, and with a goofy grin on my face, I skipped my way over to catch up.