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Lacey French had a penchant for trouble.Her kindergarten teacher had told her that and it was how she’d learned the word “penchant” in the first place. She’d tied Robbie Bollinger’s shoelaces together after he’d made fun of Ruby’s singing in music class. When he’d stood up off the bench he’d fallen face first into the floor resulting in a bloody nose and a trip to the principal’s office for Lacey.She honestly hadn’t changed much in the intervening thirteen years. She still looked out for her friends first and foremost, and practical jokes were still her revenge of choice.That’s how she found herself in Dr. Rush’s classroom at ten thirty in the evening before the last day of term, perched precariously on the top rung of a ladder as she hung tinsel from the top of his whiteboard.Rush was a nightmare of a teacher. He was new to the school this year and he’d taken particular relish in punishing his senior physics students for not being bloody geniuses on the subject without him having to lift a finger and actually teach. He was an ass and practically everyone was failing his class. He also didn’t have a lick of Christmas spirit. All the other teachers had put up festive nods to the holiday season in their rooms. Tabletop Christmas trees, wreaths on the door, Miss Blanchard had even hung mistletoe in the corner of her room, something Principal Mills had almost immediately taken down once several students were caught snogging in the back of English class.Still, everyone in Storybrooke got caught up in the holiday season. Except Dr. Rush. He hadn’t even had the good graces to tell them Happy Holidays after their bloodbath of a midterm exam.So, because Lacey had a penchant for trouble, she had taken it upon herself to enact a little Christmas guerilla warfare. When Dr. Rush arrived to school in the morning, he would find the entire contents of the Dark Star Pharmacy’s Christmas decorations section plastered across his classroom.There were twinkle lights strung up on every wall, a six foot flocked artificial tree lit up with garish multi colored lights in the corner next to his desk, holiday window decals plastered on every window, and she was just putting the finishing touches on wrapping his whiteboard in silver tinsel. She also had several rolls of wrapping paper and high hopes of wrapping his entire desk and everything on it before it got too late.She knew Rush would suspect she was behind the prank. They’d butted heads all year after all. But if she slipped out as easily as she slipped in to the school, he’d have absolutely no way of proving it. That was the plan anyway. She hadn’t told a soul what she was planning, not even Ruby.She finished up with the last bit of tinsel, leaning back on the ladder to admire her handiwork, when the light suddenly flipped on, fluorescent beams blinding her. She startled, the heel of her boot slipping from the top rung and sending her toppling backward. She hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her and her vision swimming.“What the bloody hell?” came an all too familiar voice from the doorway. “It looks like a bunch of Santa’s elves got wasted in here.”“Nope,” Lacey said from her place on the ground. “Just me.”She heard footsteps approaching before Rush’s face swam into view above her.“Miss French,” he said with grimace. “I’d no idea you were such a dedicated student. Burning the midnight oil are we?”Lacey sat up with a grunt, rubbing the back of her head.“Don’t you ever go home?” she asked with a groan. “It’s the middle of the night.”“And yet you’re here decking the halls rather than home studying for whatever exam you have in the morning.”“Spanish,” Lacey said. “Fácil.”Rush reached down, grabbing Lacey by the elbow and hauling her back up to her feet. She stumbled forward, slamming into his chest and he caught her by the arms holding her steady. He smelled nice, she realized begrudgingly. He felt nice too, pressed against her as he was. Rush was staring down at her, his lips slightly parted. Then he seemed to come back to himself, gently pushing her away from him and dropping his hands from her arms. He cleared his throat, rubbing his hands together almost nervously.Lacey let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding, her heart hammering in her chest and not because of the fall. “Sit down, Miss French,” Rush said, pointing to one of the student desks. “And explain.”Lacey blew out a breath, crossing her arms against her chest. This was going to be a long night.