The Secret Singer

Chapter 22

A/N: Hello! Hope you guys enjoy this new chapter, I decided it would be good to add a character that we haven't seen in a while and that everyone seemed to love and another one that was mentioned but I don't think anyone payed too much attention to her in honor of getting above the 15k reads milestone! Enjoy! ;-)

**Picture: Stephanie's "meeting" outfit**

Stephanie's POV

"The Turks were able to invade Constantinople because of the gunpowder technology they had. The Byzantine empire had a lot of might, but nothing anywhere near gunpowder and cannons like the Turks did. This changed the entire course of history." Says my AP World history teacher.

I yawn and try as hard as I can to keep my eyes open, but I'm definitely losing the battle to sleep. There are people who can live peacefully with just three or four hours of rest. I am not one of those people. Haley kept me up last night to tell me what she did with Sam at the park, then Amy couldn't decide what to wear to school to impress Noah. As if that wasn't hard enough to deal with until one in the morning, I also started my running regime again. So, naturally, I had to stumble my crusty-eyed, matted hair self out to run at five thirty in the morning. Four miles later, I was back at home with half an hour to get ready for school.

I'm sleepy, cranky, miserable, and I can't even blame it on the red eyed demon that visits once a month since it's long gone. I'm trying so hard to forget all of this and listen to the history of the world, but there's times you just can't. Not to mention the fact that my brain has been suffering stress from the hundreds of calls I had to ignore on the weekend from the press. I did have to change my phone number, and now only a select few know it. I specifically texted my father to tell him my new number, but he's been radio silent and further drilling the hole in my heart. But I won't do anything, no, I'm going to try to move on and just live my life.

Easier said than done.

The bell finally rings, and I quickly grab my stuff and walk out the door where Collin waits for me with a dazzling smile. Girls passing by look like they're about to faint and I can't really blame them. He's a gorgeous specimen inside and out; there aren't many guys like that around anymore.

"Hello Bambi, " he says kissing me softly and linking our fingers together to get to our next class.

"Hey stud muffin," I tell him softly as we walk. I lean on his broad, strong shoulder and sigh. Why does everything seem so much safer in his arms?

He kisses the top of my head and the goes to sit in his seat as I slump into mine. The teacher begins her lesson, something about counting atoms, and I lose the battle completely to sleep.

Sleep: 1; Stephanie: 0

***

"Ms. Coleman?"

I grumble softly under my breath and move away from the pesky voice. Who's the idiot interrupting my sleep?

"Ms. Coleman I suggest you wake up right now!" The annoying voice yells out.

Dios mio, dame paciencia! Esta voz me dar un dolor de cabeza si sigue asi!

I pick my head up from my hard pillow and rub my eyes. Then I look around expecting to see my room in the Jameson house, but I'm mortified to find myself in chemistry class with the teacher glaring at me and all the other students trying not to laugh. Gulp.

"Please tell me the answer to the question on the bored seeing as how you were paying so much attention." Ms.Peploni (or pepperoni as everyone calls her) says angrily.