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Sitting on the floor, looking up at the pacing boy, Zoey tried her best to appear comfortable and calm in hopes that feeling would be picked up by Ben and ease his own unrest. There was a storm brewing in him, she could nearly sense it, and it made her want to reach out to him... but she remember his reaction when she had touched his shoulder in the classroom. It wasn't her place to physically touch students anyways, it was too easily misread, and so she simply busied her hands with braiding a section of her ginger colored hair casually.

"Zach... what's Zach's last name, Ben?"

She wouldn't question him outright, not deliberately, but she wondered how he could be bullied so terribly when he was hardly at school to be bullied.

"I don't think we'll have a problem moving to to another class, not if we can speak to Zach... maybe he bullies others too, we can keep him from doing it to anyone else."

The school was so small. She really didn't know if there was another class, though she hoped there was, not one of his level anyways. He might have to be placed in a lower class, or in one of the learning assisted classes, if he truly wanted to be removed.. and all of that would have to be okay'd by his foster parents.

"Have you spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Reice about Zach at all?"

Zooey frowned slightly, concern etching her brow, and she watched him pace a moment more before responding. It wasn't a surprise to hear a child speak as if his guardians didn't care as much as they did or should, though the truth of the statement was difficult to assess.

"Why don't we try being perfectly honest with each other, Ben?" There was no accusation, nor a mean quality, just a simple proposal on a level tone of voice. "I'll go first. I asked you if you wanted to come into the hall because I feel like something is bothering you, not someone - something."

His body language was a clue, his apparent talking to himself was another, and his change in demeanor. It cried inner contempt and dilemma, it just didn't illustrate itself clearly enough to be read. That was why she needed Ben to help her help him.

"I don't work at the school for a paycheck, Ben, because believe me - the money isn't so great. I work here because I had a tough time growing up and I wanted to be there for kids your age when they were having tough times to. I want to help."

Zooey adopted a kind smile, recognizing confusion and doubt in the boy before her but also... he wanted help. She knew it. The fact that he was still here, for one, standing before her, said that he was at least partly interested in what she could offer.

"Well, Ben.. what would you say if I told you that I'm not exactly like other adults, hm?" She'd never exactly told other people the kinds of things she could do, or liked to do, in her spare time. Probably because she didn't like to tell them that sometimes what she did made her want to drink, a lot, and they wouldn't believe what she'd seen after they found that out. But children were different.. their minds weren't clouded with the judgement and fear of adults, they were accepting.

"Maybe you don't hold much stock in the conventional methods that adults have tried to use to help you, so what if I offered an alternative?" It was questionably, this offer, and she could get into a load of trouble for it if it was caught or picked up by any of the teachers or even his guardians... but Zooey cared more about the kids than any kind of rule book. That's why she pushed herself to come here every day rather than just lose herself to the Jack Daniels at home.

With a small sigh she lowered her eyes to the floor and reached back behind her into her back pocket, drawing a single, flat card from the pocket. It was slightly larger than an average playing card from your typical, parker bros. deck, and completely blank on one side. When she turned it there was an image of a young woman on it, perfectly rendered with the care of a true artist, kneeling at a stream pouring water into it from a pitcher in her arms while the stars in the night sky watched over her. It was a serene card, and holding it brought Zooey a breath of relief, so the honesty in her voice was apparent when she met Ben's eyes again and offered him the card.

"Here. I carry this with me because it brings me luck. It's called the Star, why don't you hold onto it? If you want you can take it home and look up its meaning on the internet or something and if you decide that you wouldn't mind me hanging out with you and trying to help you out then you can bring it back to me...?"

Of course he was skipping class. He had earned it. Or at least, in his perception of the world, he had. Who were they to dispute his claims to prestige and all the perks therein? Teachers? Coaches? School administrators? None had the power of popularity at their backs like Derek Young did. The star quarterback had single-handedly carried the Cardinals to State the past three seasons. Though they had never won a state championship, he was the king not only of the school, but the toast of a star-starved town of football obsessed hicks. With good looks, natural athleticism, and incredible personal charisma, Derek Young was hot s**t - and he knew it. He leaned out of the truck window, baseball bat in hand and swung. BAM! Another mailbox destroyed. High fives all around. He would return to school at the end of the day to pick up his truck and his girl before heading out to the party at Blake Thomas' house that evening. For now, it was enough to smash the mailboxes of people who probably worshiped the ground he walked on. He grinned at the irony, his perfect teeth glistening in the late afternoon sun.