Greg strode down his hallway in his usual nonchalant, carefree mood. He glanced up and down the school hallways and caught a few girls looking at him. They giggled when he flashed them a smile and gave them a nod. It was good to see girls these days had excellent taste in guys.

He ran a hand through his long hair, dyed black, of course. He sported a black T-shirt with a silver eagle graffiti design from American Eagle and faded blue jeans with large rips in the knees. All of the girls swooned over him whenever he passed by. He was considered one of the cutest boys in his high school, a title he flaunted proudly.

He caught the eye of an extremely good looking girl, whom she knew was named Jasmine. She was wearing a skirt that was much too short for the school’s dress code and a deep blue tank top that also directly violated the school’s dress code. Greg was sure he spotted his soul mate.

He casually waltzed over to her locker, where she was taking out notebooks and stuffing them in her designer book bag. She smiled and flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder. He grinned.

“So what’s up?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing much, just getting ready for class,” she said, clearly trying to be flirty. Greg went along with it.

“You’re seriously considering going to class?” he asked skeptically.

She paused and bit her lip, a mischievous look in her crystalline blue eyes. “Perhaps . . . unless you have a better idea in mind.”

“Oh, I have several,” he said slyly, taking a step closer. She giggled and tugged on his shirt.

“You’re cute, I’ll give you that. Tell you what, pick me up at my house at six. Then we’ll have some serious fun,” she said coyly. She seemed to float around him as she headed off to her next class, giving him a playful wink before she slipped around the hallway corner.

Greg fist-pumped the air. He managed to get a date on his very first attempt without even trying. And she was hot. His sophomore year in high school was off to a good start.

“And you just said yes?” Lizzie exclaimed in shock.

“Of course. He’s cute, why not?” Jasmine said casually. She sat in between two of her closest friends in her English class, and at the back in order to converse about important things, like boyfriends.

“I for one am super-excited for you two,” Shandra squealed. “You two will without a doubt be the cutest couple ever!!”

“Why, thank you,” Jasmine replied casually, twirling a strand of blond hair around her finger. “I think we’re going to have a fun night,” she added wickedly.

Lizzie and Shandra squealed silently in horror. “Oh, you better not!” Lizzie said.

Jasmine slapped her. “Not like that, you pervert!” she said quietly in order to avoid the teacher catching her.

Shandra giggled. “You’re so immature.”

“I hate you both,” Lizzie pouted.

Jasmine glanced up at the clock, whishing it to go faster. She just wanted to get out of here and go home. Thank god this was at least her last class of the day, and all she had after that was a free period. Jasmine whipped out her phone and started texting to her other friends who were unfortunately not in the same class as she was in now. She felt as if the administrators did that on purpose.

Greg asked me out 4 a date she texted her friend Katie, who was currently in a math class.

OMG, rly? she responded seconds later.

Yup. Supr excited. She responded.

I would be 2 hes so hawt! Katie said.

Definately, Jasmine said.

LOL, you spelled definitely wrong, rofl, Katie said. Arent u in English?

Ur not funny, Jasmine replied.

Oh crap, gtg, I think the teach’s on 2 me, Katie texted back. Jasmine followed suit and put away her phone sneakily, sure she had evaded the teacher’s detection once again, and she was right. The teacher was still droning on pointlessly about Charles Dickens. She rolled her eyes. Why should she care about someone who died long ago?

Finally, at long last, the bell rang to signal the end of the period. Jasmine rushed to throw her things in her bag as everyone raced to get out of the classroom.

“Miss Darrem, a word.”

Jasmine sighed exasperatedly. Her two friends gave her sympathetic looks as they left the class. Jasmine narrowed her eyes angrily. She turned around to face the teacher. Her English teacher, a chubby thirty-some woman with short brown-grey hair and square glasses, gave her a cold stare.

“You should be putting more effort into improving your grades than improving your social life,” she said sternly. “That is the sixth time this week I have caught you texting in my class.”

“Well, sorry if I have a life outside of this classroom,” Jasmine retorted.

“If you don’t pass your next text, you won’t be having a life outside this classroom,” the teacher said strictly. “I will be forcing you to take a tutoring class if you do not get at least a B- on your next literature test!”

Jasmine threw up her hands in frustration. “You can’t do that to me!”

“Yes I can, according to our rules and guidelines,” the teacher retorted. “Now I suggest you get your act together.”

Jasmine stormed out of the room, infuriated. She marched all the way to her locker and threw some of her books in her bag and in the same angry manner proceeded to the lounge for her free period. She whipped out her phone and began texting madly.

OMFG, u wil never guess what that bitch did 2 me! Jasmine texted furiously.

Wat? Katie replied immediately.

I hav 2 get a b on my next test or else my teach is forcing me to go to tutoring sessions!! Jasmine typed in angrily.

OMG, that sux.

I no. I hate her. She's a bitch.

I can help u study if u want, Katie texted.

No way im not letting that evil hag get 2 me, Jasmine said. She can't make me go 2 tutoring if she wanted to!

Uhh, yeah she can. U better b careful or u will get in trouble, Katie cautioned.

Let her try, Jasmine typed, growling under her breath. She slipped her phone away and glanced at the clock. She still had forty-five minutes left in her free period, but she wasn't in the mood to stay. She glanced over at the librarian, who was supposed to be supervising free period, and saw she was absorbed in her work. Jasmine snuck out and headed to her car, and decided to head home.

She had enough of school for one day.

Greg promptly arrived at Jasmine's house at six o'clock. Normally he would have been fashionably late, but he wanted to make a good first impression. Jasmine saw him pull up from her bedroom window and darted downstairs and out the door to greet him.

"I'll be back by nine," Jasmine called back to her parents in an annoyed voice.

"Ok, be careful," her mother called after her cautiously.

Greg hooked her arm with his and marched back to his car. "Nine, huh?"

"My parents made me keep to my curfew because I'm flunking English," Jasmine sighed. "I don't see the big deal, if I can speak English perfectly fine, shouldn't I at least get enough credit for passing?"

"That is an excellent observation," Greg said, opening the passenger side door to his car. She slid inside and he shut the door for her and clambered into the driver's seat. "So, where to? Dinner, movie bowling?"

"All of the above, in that order," Jasmine giggled.

"I seriously doubt we can do all three in three hours," Greg teased.

"So what? My parents won't care," Jasmine said, waving it off.

"Alright, let's go!" Greg slammed his car in reverse and barreled out of the neighborhood at fifty miles an hour. Jasmine hollered in excitement as they sped along a highway looking for somewhere to eat. They eventually settled at a TGI Friday's and were seated fairly quickly due to the lack of business on the weekdays. GReg and Jasmine sat at a booth and the waiter handed them menus.

"Hey, I'm Nick and I'll be your waiter for the evening," he said. "Can I get you some drinks?"

"Yeah, I'll have some Coke," Greg said.

"A glass of iced tea for me, please," Jasmine said. The waiter nodded and left to get them their drinks.

"Hey, don't look now, but there's this creepy old guy at the bar checking you out," Greg whispered to her.

Jasmine was successful at not turning around, but her blood instantly froze. "Oh my god, ew, what a pedophile," she said.

"Look now, he's not staring at you," Greg muttered. Jasmine whipped around and saw a man roughly in his seventies dressed in a brown buisness suit sitting at the bar. He had a square, lean face and cloudy blue eyes, and his white hair was tied back into a pony tail. He was very fit and slender for his age. He had been talking to the waitress who had given him his beer, and turned. Their eyes locked, but for some strange reason, Jasmine didn't feel the least bit weirded out. He had a kind look in his eyes, and smiled politely at her. She didn't know why this man wasn't creeping her out, but she knew in the back of her mind that this man, whoever he was, could be trusted.

"Creepy freak, huh?" Greg said, dragging Jasmine from her thoughts. Jasmine turned to him.

"Yeah, what a weirdo," she muttered.

"Wanna move?"

"No. I'm not going to let our night get ruined because of him," she said. But really, she didn't want to move because the elderly gentleman intrigued her.

The waiter came back a few minutes later with their drinks and took their order. They continued to chat about the usual things; celebrities, gossip, who's banging up who in their school, and so on. Greg told Jasmine all about his band and how he was the lead guitarist and the vocalist. Jasmine was instantly impressed and Greg gave her the dates of his next performances so she could come see him. The waiter came back with their meals. For Greg, a burger with fries, and for Jasmine, a ceasar salad with light dressing.

"I'll be right back, I gotta go to the ladies' room," Jasmine said in the middle of their meal. She walked over to the restrooms, which were coincidentally right behind the bar. She was going to have to pass the old man to get to the bathrooms. He caught her eye again, and gave her another polite smile. Jasmine lowered her head to avoid his gaze.

She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and the man was watching her intently. Now she started to get a little freaked out. The man held out to her what appeared to be a buisness card to her, and reluctantly, she took it and looked it over.

"If something doesn't seem right . . . please, give me a call. I will be more than happy to help you," he said kindly.

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Uh, ok . . . thanks," she muttered, and walked away. She looked at the card. It read DELPHI HIGH SCHOOL: A PLACE FOR THE UNIQUE AND EXCEPTIONAL. Jasmine rolled her eyes, but put the card in her bag anyway.

"What did the guy want from you, your virginity?" Greg joked as she sat back down.

Jasmine laughed. "No, but forget him. Like you said, he's a creeper."

They finished their meals a short while later, and Greg offered to pay for the meal. Jasmine didn't object. After recieving the reciept, Greg escorted her out to his car and they went to a nearby movie theater where the latest flick was playing. This time, Jasmine paid for the tickets in return for Greg paying for the meal.

"So, scary horror movie or cheesy romantic one?" Jasmine asked.

"Well, I don't want to sound forceful, but--" Greg began, but Jasmine cut him off.

"Saw IV it is," Jasmine said, slamming the money down on the counter. The cashier didn't even bother to ID them, much to Jasmine's pleasure. They crept into the pitch-black theater together, giggling excitedly. They made it in time for the previews and took seats near the back of the theater.

Jasmine spent most of the movie screaming and clutching Greg for dear life, which he enjoyed tremendously. Although sometimes they both ended up clutching to each other in terror, to which they would laugh together about.

"Oh my god, this is terrifying," Jasmine whispered to Greg.

"Jigsaw's gonna get you," he whispered in her ear in a creepy voice, and she shrieked in terror. Greg laughed.

After the movie, they were both too tired to go bowling and Greg drove Jasmine home. Amazingly she was only fifteen minutes past her curfew.

Jasmine leaned over and pecked Greg a kiss on his cheeks. "Tonight was fun," she said. "We should get together more often."

Greg kissed her back. "Then I'll be back tomorrow," he said.

Jasmine giggled. "I'm looking forward to that." She stepped out of the car, and waved to him as he pulled away.

This was a relationship destined to last.

Handcock drove back to his house late at night, cruising peacefully down the empty streets. He recalled the run-in with the young girl at the restaurant earlier that night. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

She was going to need his help tomorrow, but under his strict orders, he could not directly interfere unless she specifically asked for his help.

He hoped that the girl was smart enough to reach out to him. He desperately did not want her to go through the same thing he did.

He glanced at his watch, and back at the note his good friend had given him.

Twenty-two hours to go.

He was going to have to wait patiently.