•Undercover•

Chapter 3: "Disaster Stikes"

Annie sat dumb founded. She looked at her phone and let out a annoyed groan.

"What's wrong?" Hayden asked. He got up and sat next to her.
Something about the way he looked at her made her nervous.
"I just got a email from the college saying that the dorm situation was going to be permanent." She said rolling her eyes.
Hayden didn't seemed surprised, he didn't seem upset either.

"I mean, it doesn't really surprise me." Hayden said as he got up. He went to the kitchen and started rummaging through the pantry.
Annie let out a long sigh, then she looked at another email she had got. It was from the agency.
Just a list of dumb protocols she was supposed to follow and laws she wants allowed to break.
Annie never obeyed the laws. They just got in the way.
Annie heard one of the doors creak open and saw Asher come out.
He had no shirt on, Annie quickly looked away.
Asher went to the kitchen and started a conversation with Hayden. It was short and brief. Annie senses that's Hayden was afraid of Asher.

"There's a party tonight at one of the off campus members house." Asher said sleepily. He grabbed a pack of ramen that Hayden had gotten out and started opening it.

"Are we going to go to it?" Hayden asked. Asher rolled his eyes and got a pan from one of the cubbies.

"When have we ever missed a party? The Snakes always go to parties. Who else is going to cause trouble?" Asher laughed.
Hayden lightly chuckled, but overall seemed a little distressed by the news.

Annie made a mental note to figure out the address. She couldn't miss a party. Way too many opportunities to figure out things.
While Asher was cooking his ramen, Annie noticed a snake tattoo on his left arm.
Annie looked at Hayden's arm. He has the same one.
Annie figured it was apart of being in their "gang".
She watched Asher, he had scars on his arms, they almost looked like cut marks. She made a mental note of that, he looked much older then the rest. Around her age.
She figured he must have been studying something for awhile here. She wanted to know what he was studying.
Asher looked up at her, he squinted his eyes and gave her a long glare.
Annie didn't back down, she gave him the same looked back.
Finally, Asher looked away. Thanks to Carson who was walking out of one of the rooms.
It didn't take long for him to look back at her.
"What are you looking at?" He asked sharply.
Annie looked him up and down.
"Not sure, you tell me." She said sarcastically. Asher rolled his eyes, and went back to cooking his Ramen.
Hayden came and sat next to Annie. A little close, she scooted away a little bit.
"So what are you studying?" Hayden asked.
Annie was told by the agency that she was going to have to take classes. She had to be play her part to a T.
"I'm studying Zoology." Annie said. That sounded so fake. The way she acted, they would never believe she would care for animals.
But she really did, she wasn't as hard as she seemed. Only friends saw the really her, but she didn't have any friends. So this was her life.
"That's cool. I'm studying to be a mechanic. This is my first year in college." Hayden said. His eyes were full of excitement and promise. She wondered how she got caught up in a gang. He was very sweet, and he had so much potential.
Annie thought this was a perfect opportunity to learn more about Asher. She was positive he was the prankster.
"So what are the rest of you studying?" She asked. She noticed all of the boys had some out. Perfect time for them to hear her question.
"I'm studying Culinary Arts." The one they called Johnny said.
"Yeah, little sissy boy wants to be able to Cook for his soulmate." Asher said sharply. Nothing good ever came out of his mouth.
Annie already couldn't stand him, his attitude made her want to punch him.
"I'm studying theater." Matt said grabbing a granola bar and plopping on the couch across from her and Hayden.
"I'm studying Mechanics too." Carson said.
Everyone sat down in the living room, except Asher.
I stared him down, waiting for his answer. He looked up at me with a glare.
"What?" He asked harshly. Annie almost jumped at his bark. She didn't know why, she wasn't scared of anything.
"What are you studying?" Annie asked.
The whole room went silent.
"What's it to you Miss nosy?" He blurted out rather forcefully. He grabbed his bowl of Ramen and walked into one of the rooms, making sure to slam the door.
"Geez." Annie said rolling her eyes.
"Don't feel bad, he's always that mad." Matt said finishing his granola bar.
None of these guys seemed mean enough to be in a gang, they were sure annoying, but they didn't seem like trouble makers to her.
"That's not really true. He isn't that bad, he usually doesn't really talk. Unless it's when we're messing things up." Johnny laughed.

"He sure doesn't like you." Carson said with a laugh.
Annie shrugged.
"The feelings are mutual." Annie said getting off the couch. She felt uncomfortable with Hayden trying to sit so close to her.
Some of the boys let out a few chuckles at her comment.
"Why doesn't he hate you so much?" Matt asked.
"You didn't hear what happened last night?" Hayden asked.
Matt shook his head.
"He came storming into our room, all upset that Annie was in his room." Carson said with a laugh.
"I knew it was a bad idea to let her stay in there." Johnny said.
"Well now we're going to have to figure out something, because she's staying here for the rest of the year." Hayden said.
From the room Annie heard a loud "what?!".
Asher quickly came out.
"What did you just say?!" Asher asked loudly. Annie could tell her was about to explode.
She didn't really care though, she crossed her arms and looked at him.
"Don't you read your emails? I'm going to be your roommate." She fake smiled.
Ashers mouth dropped open. He let out a few words.
"Watch your mouth." She said glaring at him.
"You're not in the position to be opening your fat mouth!" Asher yelled getting in her face. For some reason she felt a fear rise up in her. Flash backs of her foster home flew into her memory, and her abusive older foster brother came to her had.
She flinched as he pointed a finger in her face.

"You're in my dorm! You have not business coming in here telling people what to do!" He yelled in her face.

Every time he spat out a word, she couldn't help but flinch.
She backed away from him, and then looked at the other boys.
They're eyes were wide, and their faces were full of surprise. She felt her body starting to tremble.
Without a word, she quickly went into her room.
She fell to the floor and started remembering all the horrible memories from her childhood.
She hugged her knees and laid on the floor. She trembled and shivered.
She grabbed her head and shook it furiously, trying to forget everything.
Finally, she was over it. She got up weakly and sat at the end of the bed.
Her body felt sore, she thought she was over that. Over her childhood. Something about the way he screamed at her brought every single dream back.
She felt tears form in her eyes, but she quickly pushed them back. She wouldn't allow herself to cry.
She took in a deep breath and looked at her closet full of gadgets.
She knew she was going to have to pack them back up in her suitcase and sleep somewhere else.
She shook herself.
"What's wrong with me?!" She said to herself.
"You are not afraid of anything! Stop being a sissy!" She yelled at herself.
She took a deep breath and started packing up her stuff in a large suitcase. Everything fit nicely.
She went back out in the living room. Only Carson and Hayden were there. They looked at her intently as she sat down at the kitchen counter.
Hayden came and sat next to her.

"You okay?" Hayden asked. Annie rolled her eyes and smiled.
"What's with you?" She asked. His interest in her was getting a little old.
"What do you mean?" Hayden asked.
She looked away from his intent stare.
"Why are you so interested in me?" She asked without looking at him.
"You're weird, strange. And I want to understand what makes you so..... Different." Hayden said.
Annie rolled her eyes. He was catching onto her, she had to start acting less... Strange.
"Well, I don't know what to tell you." She said getting up from the stool. She went to one of the cubbies and grabbed a glass. As she filled it with water she noticed Hayden staring at her.
She looked up at him.
"What?" She asked as she sipped on her water.
"You were really scared when Asher started yelling at you." Hayden said, she didn't understand stand what he was trying to get at.
"No I wasn't." She said rolling her eyes.
"The fear in your face said otherwise. But the thing is... You don't strike me as the type of person to be afraid." He said. It's almost like he could read her everything thought. She didn't like that at all.
"Whatever." She said walking out of the kitchen. She was about to go back in her room when she felt Hayden grab her wrist.
She snatched her wrist away and glared at him.
"What?!" She said sharply.
"Why were you so afraid?" He asked. He seemed truly concerned.
"It's none of your business." She said glaring at him.
Carson got up.
"Hayden leave the girl alone." Carson said sounding annoyed.
Hayden looked at Carson, then back at Annie.
"I'm sorry for grabbing your wrist." Hayden said.
Annie murmured a "whatever" and was about to close her door when someone stuck their foot in the crack.
Annie snatched the door open.
"What?!" She practically yelled.
"Asher wants you out of that room by the time he returns." Carson said, Annie could tell he felt awkward.
The mention of his voice made her shiver a little. She didn't feel like getting yelled at by him again.
"Whatever, where am I sleeping?" She asked reluctantly.
They both looked at each other.
"Umm.... The couch...." Hayden said quietly.
Annie figures, she didn't want to share a room with one of the nasty boys anyways.
"Fine. I'll bring my stuff out." She said rolling her eyes.