Shooter glanced up from her work and turned to the person next to her. Glinda looked up. Since they and Zodiac and Needle were the only Queens girls, they all agreed to sit together. After all, they would have to get used to each other eventually.

"Do you know how to do this problem," Shooter asked the 15-year-old. Glinda shook her head.

"I don’t really get any of this," she answered quietly. Next to her, Zodiac gave a sigh of frustration, directed down at her paper.

"My horoscope said I’d face a dilemma today," Zodiac said, turning to the other two, "I had no idea it meant math."

"You are way too paranoid," Shooter told her, shaking her head in amusement.

"It’s not that hard," Needle commented. The other girls turned to glare at her, except for Glinda, who simply raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"You’re one of few," Shooter told her, glancing around the classroom, where most students were tapping pencils against desks in deep thought, obviously struggling with the work.

"I guess it just comes naturally," Needle answered, shrugging and returning to her work.

"What are you doing," Zodiac asked her suddenly. Needle gave her a confused glance, "My horoscope said that help would arrive to assist me."

"I’m not sure that this is the dilemma it’s talking about," Needle replied slowly, "but I’ll help anyway." They spent the rest of the class trying to understand the complicated numbers on the pages before them.

XXX

"What is that subject created for anyway," Zodiac commented as they exited the classroom.

"I liked English better," Glinda said. The rest of the girls agreed with her. It seemed like they all had a natural talent in the subject.

"I can handle that," Shooter told them, "but all these numbers and equations make my head hurt."

"At least the day is over," Needle spoke up, "I had no idea school could be so hard."

"It’s only the second day too," Shooter commented sarcastically, "They’re pushing us way too fast."

XXX

When the girls reached the Queens Lodging House, they immediately headed up to their room. School had taken a lot more out of them than they had thought.

Walking up the stairs however, they were surprised to pass a guy on the second floor. He silently watched them as they walked up to the next flight of stairs.

He had thick, messy brown hair and bright green eyes. He stood at 5 foot 8, had pale skin. A closer look would have revealed two scars, a deep one going from his eye to his nose. The other, shallow and running along his neck A small piece of his right earlobe was missing as well.

"Who are you," Zodiac asked suddenly, turning from her point on the stairs. He turned and looked up at them suspiciously.

"They call me Knife," was all he said before he headed down the hallway to his room.

Glinda nervously played with her earrings, "He’s…interesting." Obviously, there was no better word to describe the boy they had just met.

Chapter 9