When they got to their lockers, Jared finally let go of Kori, freeing her from his annoyingly sweet embrace. She still wasn't in much of a mood to like him again, but with him being such a great hugger, it was hard not to. It was those little charms that made her stay, that reminded her why she even got with him. Despite some of his more toxic tendencies, he was still a sweet teddy bear when he wanted to; which was more than could be said for many of the other guys out there.<br/><br/>She had just opened her locker door, ready to collect her books when it was shut abruptly, almost crushing her fingertips. With an annoyed scowl, she turned to find Tammy standing where the door would have been, looking almost as annoyed as her. "What the hell, Tammy? Why'd you do that?" Kori snapped as she began fumbling with her lock to get the door open again.<br/><br/>"Okay, I get trying to get back at Jared, but Dark? Really?" Tammy had to move to the other side of the locker s o that she wouldn't be hidden behind the door again.<br/><br/>For a moment, the redhead was confused. She didn't quite understand what her friend was on about. "First off, I'm not trying to get back at Jared. I'm just tired of his face right now. And what the hell is a dark?"<br/><br/>Tammy's face went from annoyed to shocked and confused. Apparently what she said was difficult to fathom. "You're kidding, right?" she said. "The weird goth chick you were talking to, that's Dark. Why were you flirting with her, or even talking to her?"<br/><br/>Kori shrugged. "I don't know, I was bored. And you know how I am, I like toying with the shy types. Male or female."<br/><br/>"I don't think you get it, Kori. Talking to Dark is a sin, a sure way to send your whole reputation down the gutter." The concern on her face was so genuine, and that didn't surprise Kori at all. Her friend may have been far from the stereotypical popular girl, but she still cared a great deal about her image and that of the people she associated with.<br/><br/>Kori turned to Tammy with a bemused smile as she shut her locker. "So that's what this is all about? My reputation? I thought you knew well enough by now that I don't care what anybody else thinks about me or the people I decide to hang out with. That's how we even ended up being best friends, remember? Sixth grade, when puberty hit and your zits started breaking out, you were the weird girl nobody wanted to talk to. But I didn't care. Everybody threatened to stop sitting with me at lunch, to stop inviting me to their sleepovers and birthday parties, but look at me now. Eight years later, I still have the same friends and I still don't give a fuck what they think about me."<br/><br/>Tammy's face flushed red with embarrassment. Looking back at her preteen years always made her a bit uncomfortable. "But that's not even the same thing. Dark is really creepy. She's..." Her voice faltered before she scowled, looking over Kori's shoulder. "She's coming here."<br/><br/>Kori turned in time to see Dark trotting towards them. Her brow furrowed slightly. It came as a surprise to her that she'd come looking for her after their short conversation in Literature class and considering that she was walking into the Lions' Den which was the crowd comprising of Kori's friends, it was also a really brave move. "Umm, Dark? Did you want your book back? You forgot it in class." That was the only reason she could think of for her presence here. What else could it be?