Seize Control

"Juliette?"

The girl turned around in her wooden desk to look at her teacher. "Yes, Mrs. Anderson?"

"What are you still doing here? You do know it's almost six?"

"I was just trying to get my paper finished before I go home."

Mrs. Anderson nodded her head in undeerstanding. Considering Juliette's family situation, it was no surprise that she did all of her work at school. There was no way she'd ever be able to concentrate in the environment she lived in. "How much have you written so far?"

"Only six pages. I still have at least two more to go."

"I know I said eight to ten pages, but I'm sure six will be enough for you. Your work is always remarklable."

The girl smiled as she looked back to the papers on her desk. "Could you read it over before I leave to make sure it's okay?"

"Of course, dear." She took a seat on the desk in front of Juliette's and quickly read over the six pages on the book Anna Karenina. When she finished, she looked up at her student and smiled. "This is wonderful, Juliette. In fact, don't worry about turning in a final copy. This right here is an A+."

Juliette sighed, relieved at having one less assignment to do over the weekend. "Thanks, Mrs. Anderson. I'll see you Monday."

She jumped up from her desk, grabbing her backpack, and headed down the long, silent hallways of the school, stopping by her locker to grab her physics book before continuing out to where her old camaro sat alone in the empty parking lot. She tossed her backpack into the back seat and climbed inside, taking a moment to put on her seatbelt. A sharp knock on the hood of her car caused her to jump and her head snapped up to see what or who had caused it.

She rolled down her window as her best friend walked around to the side of the car to talk to her. "What are you still doing here?"

"Practice," Silas answered, holding up his gear. "Ran late today."

"Need a ride?"

He shook his head. "More like I need help studying for this test on Monday."

Juliette frowned. "I don't know, Si. I have a lot of work to do this weekend."

"Please, Jules. I can't fail this test."

"Okay," she finally sighed. "But we'll have to go to my house. My parents are expecting me to be at dinner tonight. Some MC thing."

Silas nodded. "You think it's a good idea for me to go over there then? I mean, your parents already don't like me."

"They don't like you because you're the type of guy who plays lacrosse, Si. Now come on, get in."

He shrugged and walked around to the other side of the car to get into the passenger seat. When they pulled into the driveway of her house, there were already a few bikes parked next to her stepfather's. She frowned as she pushed the front door open and immediately heard his deep voice, ordering someone to see who was coming inside the door.

She smiled automatically when Juice appeared in the foyer. Juice was her favorite out of all the guys. He smiled back at her. "It's just Juliette, Clay," he yelled back to the other room. His eyes narrowed at the boy standing next to her. "And you are?"

Juliette rolled her eyes at his immediate protectiveness. "Juice, you've met him a thousand times. We're just going up to study for a big test."

"Fine," Juice agreed hesistantly. "But you're not going upstairs. You can study in the living room."

Juliette shook her head as he disappeared from the foyer. "Come on, Si," she mumbled as she shuffled into the living room. There was no way she was going to be able to get any studying done with half the Club in the next room, being as loud as they always were. But there was also no way that she could go upstairs with Silas knowing that Juice would most likely be checking up on the two of them periodically to make sure the boy was keeping his hands to himself.

She sighed as she removed her calculus book from her backpack and tossed it onto the coffee table in front of her. That sort of thing just came with the family.