A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter: SCopySCat91, JadeDream,saer, Kiki Gardens, HelgaBertoni and swamp13! This chapter is dedicated to them. I'm not a smut writer, so please don't expect anything too racy but I'll try my best.

Now is the winter of our discontent - Shakespeare's Richard III

"So, we have a deal?" Carter grinned, looking as smug as the cat who got the cream.

"Yes." I answered tonelessly. I shook his hand and could feel my freedom being signed away in that handshake.

I had just made a deal with the devil.

(30 minutes earlier)

Lady Celia looked at Reginald's engorged member and nearly fainted. Perhaps this is what the ladies of the ton were talking about.

"Lady, you seem surprised." he smiled rakishly at her expression.

She rearranged her face to show no expression.

"Nothing about you will ever astonish me Reginald."

He grabbed her and brought her close to him; she could feel his minty breath against her face and feel something else growing excited.

"Well, we'll have to fix that, won't we?"

And he...and he...

Damn it. What did he do? I nearly screamed in frustration at my inability to write anymore. Usually I could bang out a couple paragraphs and call it a day, but this was my most difficult chapter yet. Lady Celia, who had long been resisting the handsome Lord Reginald, was lured into his bedroom and.. and what? That was the thing, I just didn't know. Would they sleep together or would they keep dancing around each other?

I closed my notebook and put it into my binder labeled Chemistry, that way the gossip mongers (Miranda), wouldn't get a hold of it. Miranda was allergic to schoolwork and Asher knew better then to invade my privacy.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle and knew someone was watching me. I glanced around my Biology classroom quickly; most of the students were comatose as Mr. Roberts taught photosynthesis. My gaze landed on Carter who was staring at me with the oddest expression on his face, like he was trying to figure something out. He kept looking at me and looking at my chemistry binder.

He couldn't.. could he? I shook my head out of my thoughts. There was no way he could know about Madam DuBois' true identity. I had spent three years notoriously guarding my privacy so that no one would figure it out, and how could they? Silent CJ, as the lusty Madam DuBois who had the most creative adjectives for certain appendages.

I raised my eyebrows at him and he smiled. Whatever. He was probably trying to analyze the best way to steal my homework or something. Guys like Carter Stevens are all the same; because there were boys, then there were boys and then there was Carter. Blessed in the genetic lottery and frighteningly intelligent; two things that were not a good combination.

The bell rung, waking the class and signaling the end of 9th period and the end of the day.

"Don't forget to pick up your tests at the front of the room before you leave, people." called Mr. Roberts.

I fought through the crowd and finally located my test. An "A" was scrawled on there. Thank God, I thought, I had been working myself into a fuss because of the C on the English paper, but this test showed that I was back in the game.

I grabbed my shoulder bag and made my way to my locker, opening it and putting books and binders back.

Biology, US History, Psychology. I shoved the heavy books in one by one. Suddenly, I felt someone sidle up beside me and looked over. Good Lord, what did he want?

"Well, if it isn't the lovely St. CJ."

Fate works in the strangest ways sometimes.

This whole Madam DuBois business started on account of Carter Stevens. Okay, maybe not because of him, per se, but because of something he did. When we were freshman, Carter was dating Carissa Marlburne. Well, he taped their bedroom escapades and had a private viewing, humiliating Carissa. But here was the kicker, no one was mad at HIM. The guys congratulated Carter on getting some and having the nerve to publicize it. The girls, they still thought he was hot and admired him. And poor Carissa? She was branded a slut with a capital S. Everywhere she went, people made sure to mention the tape and embarrass her for it. Hester Prynne had nothing on her. She eventually transferred in the middle of the year and everyone agreed that our school was better off without a whore like her in the hallways.

Now, I'm not advocating what Carissa did, the tape I mean. But I was furious, internally of course, at the females of our school. How could they still have feelings for Carter after he did something so heinous? Shouldn't they expect males to live up to certain standards? Or at least have the decency not the tape their private activities. So, I started writing.

The heroes in my stories were gallant gentleman, chivalrous knights and rakish, but secretly kind, dukes who would give up their lives for their loves. Publishing the stories was my only worry. But after many a night spent researching, and flirting with a couple nerds who had keys to the principal's office, I got my hands on the school emailing list. From there, it was a matter of creating a pseudo email address and emailing the students of my school.

The response was overwhelming. The girls ate up the stories, sending Madame DuBois back emails lamenting over the fact that guys like that don't exist in real life. Madam DuBois became a local celebrity. Principal Daly offered a reward for anyone who had information on the true identity of DuBois. After all, she should be punished for her salacious writing, corrupting the minds of young students. Yeah right, I think he's the only person in town that doesn't know that his wife is having an affair with his gardener.

So if Carter hadn't taped and Carissa hadn't left and I hadn't been fed up, this whole story would never have happened. But he did, she did and I was.

Fate works in the strangest ways.

I was brought back to reality by Carter's asinine smirk as he leaned against the locker next to me, calling me the nickname I hated. He was handsome, no doubt, the best looking guy in our school. But, his horrid personality kind of hindered his looks.

"How about you and me get together later?" He asked with a half smile on his face, as though already anticipating my answer.

I snorted unattractively and shut my locker, getting ready to leave, until I heard his voice behind me.

"Michael carefully peeled Lydia's clothing off, handling her as if she was the most precious jewel in all of Christendom."

I froze, not daring to believe what was happening.

"What is it about you, Lydia that drives me absolutely wild?" Michael whispered beginning to-."

"Stop!" I interrupted him, my hands shaking.

"She speaks." Carter leafed through a couple more pages, his grin getting bigger and bigger. "It's amazing what you find lying around, you know. Who knew silent St. CJ had such dirty thoughts?"

"Give it back." I gritted out, my cheeks flaming.

"No, I don't think I will. In fact, I think I'll tell everyone that you're the elusive Madam DuBois, the town mystery. Unless-" He looked up at me and continued." Unless, you do something for me."

"Me? What could I possibly do for you?" I asked puzzled and I meant it. What could I do for Carter? I didn't even like him and he knew that.

"Why don't you go out with me tonight and I'll tell you over dinner."

"No." I said shortly.

"CJ, you are not in a position to be bargaining." He was right but I wouldn't let him know that.

"I'm not scared of you." I bluffed.

"Well, you should be."

"Well, I'm not."

"You should be."

"I'm not."

"You should be"

"I'm not"

"You- look, you can either come with me or I'll show everyone, and I mean everyone, your little binder that you guarded so carefully." He countered.

"Why would you want me to go out with you? I don't even like you." I asked helplessly, for once letting my real feelings show.

"Exactly. All will be revealed in due time, St CJ. So don't you worry your pretty little head."

"You know what, I really don't care. Why don't you show everyone? It'll probably make me the most popular person in school. After all, Madam DuBois is practically a celebrity." Perhaps, I thought, if it seemed like I didn't want it, he would give up this silly farce and give it back.

He shook his head and chuckled. "I really don't think you want me to do that. After all, wasn't I a "spoiled son-of-a-bitch who deserved to be knocked down a few pegs?"

My heart stopped, the one thing I hoped would never happened, happened. He had seen the draft of what would be my masterpiece. An expose of life here at St. Christopher's, but I was planning on using people's real names. It would probably embarrass some, but it's not like they were innocent.

He walked toward me slowly. "You were cruel towards some of these people, CJ. If this got out, you would be a social pariah. "

It was done, the jig was up. If I didn't listen to Carter, he would destroy my social life and that was something even I couldn't recover from.

"Fine, pick me up at 7." I knew when to admit defeat, anything to get that binder back.

"So, we have a deal?" Carter grinned, looking as smug as the cat who got the cream.

"Yes." I answered tonelessly. I shook his hand and could feel my freedom being signed away in that handshake.

I had just made a deal with the devil.

Oh Damn. Please review if you'd like me to continue!