Bonnie & Mary.

The day is winding down. Watson sees Bonnie and Ms. Ryan talking in a quiet corner hallway. He stops and tries to make out what they're saying. Bonnie's head is tilted towards the ground, Ms. Ryan seems to be in control. She's scolding her, quite an inappropriate dynamic from a teacher to a student.

Just then behind him,

"What are you looking at? Bonnie?" Watson turned to his side to see Mary. Wow another question from Ms. Temple. She's calm, devoid of emotion, chewing gum. Braless tank top over a tattooed chest. Seems like their chat yesterday built a little bit of trust. Perhaps only a little, but enough to where she can approach. Maybe she even felt bad about how they left it. Impossible to know what she's thinking.

"Uh, yeah. I'm trying to make out what they're talking about. Kinda weird the way Ryan's talking to her."

"Nah it's not." She said with confidence.

"It's not?"

"No."

"Why not?" She took offence to this.

"Watson, don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to." She turns away.

"Huh, Bonnie and you, interesting." Mary stopped and turned back.

"What did you say?" She looked at him with those contemptive, bleeding eyes. Dominating eyes. Eyes that thrash and devour, and then cast blame upon her victim. He loved it.

Straight Watson. Your will must be firm and straight. "Bonnie was really cagey about The Palace as well. Listen, I don't care what's going on, the secrecy just makes me curious. I also care about Bonnie if that matters at all."

Her brain was frying in real time trying to figure out what he knew and what she should say. "What---what did she tell you?" She asked surprisingly nervously.

"Nothing, but seemed really shaken up. Feel quite bad for her, seems like she's been through a lot."

Mary's spirit changed. She sensed no judgement or aggression in him. "You guys talk?"

"Have been recently, just a chat here and there. She's nice, under the mask."

Mary felt exposed. She knew the mask he spoke about. She on the other hand, was not nice, and her mask was non existent. In fact it had been taken off and thrown away some time ago. "You're just so friendly, huh."

Watson looked at her. He saw her, perhaps for the first time. He saw through her skin. "Mary, it's fine to not trust me, you don't know me, but I want you to trust me, and I'm patient. Whatever you have I can handle."

Mary leans into Watson's ear, "There's nothing left in me to know, and if there was, it's poisoned." She gave him a heartbreaking look of despair and walked off.

He turned back to Bonnie and Ryan. Ryan had gone, but Bonnie was standing there, staring at the ground.