“So I hear we get to go to town this weekend. Want to catch a movie or something?--ZP.S. That is, if Jimmy doesn't mind.Translation: This weekend might be a good chance for us to see each other outside our school in a social environment, free of competetiton. I do not view other boys as threats, and I enjoy making them seem insignificant by calling them the wrong names. (Translation by Macey McHenry)”

“You're late." Kat said as soon as Hale put the phone to his ear. She wasn't the kind of girl to wait for hello."What can I say? Macey McHenry has been throwing herself at me...""See, that's the kind of thing that would make me jealous if she weren't way out of your league.""You know, if I had feelings, that might have hurt them.”

“You might think being the target of an international terrorist organization, an amnesiac, and a girl with hair dyed in the middle of the night by Macey McHenry would make people stare at you. Well, try walking into the Grand Hall with seriously puffy eyes while holding hands. With a boy.”

“Seriously", Macey snapped. "go. Kiss. A baby""can you believe her?" Preston asked, coking his head towards macey." everytime she sees me, all she does is call me baby and talk about kissing."Macey looked like she wanted to kill him. But I kind of wanted to laugh.”

“Okay, first thing tomorrow we hit the streets around Taccone's place. Somebody saw something.''I got it covered.''The DiMarcos might be in town.''Actually, they're in jail.''All seven of them?'Hale shrugged. 'It was an interesting October.”

“How nice for you. Now I want you to promise me that if I move, you won't do something stupid." Macey was just starting to protest when Hale stopped and brought his hand to his ear. "Besides, there's someone who wants to talk to you." He held out the extra earbud, whispering softly in the too quiet room. "It goes in your ear and---"But before he could finish, Macey rolled her eyes and placed the bud in her ear. "This is peacock," she whispered.She watched Hale's eyes go wide as she heard a very familiar voice say, "You're not getting extra credit for this. Now"---Macey's teacher took a long, easy breath---"whats going on in there?”

“Wordlessly, she slipped off her shoes. Gently, she placed a palm on the floor, shifted to stand, but that was when Macey felt another hand pressing down on hers.Hard. Too Hard."Just what do you think you're doing ?" Hale hissed in her ear. His fingers burned into her skin. And Macey knew if she was going to take out the gunman, she was first going to have to neutralize the boy beside her."Why don't you let me go and I'll show you," she said with only a modicum of flirt in her voice."Why don't you put your fancy shoes back on and sit there like a good little girl?""First of all, I'm good at a lot of things. Taking orders from bored billionaires isn't one of them. Second of all, he's alone, and I can take him," Macey said."No!" Hale said. "You don't know anything about this guy.""I know he's left handed and has an old injury to his right knee---probably a torn ACL at some point but the details don't matter. And the way he keeps his finger purposefully away from the safety of that gun means he's never fired it. And he doesn't want to.""You're kinda scary.”