Disclaimer: I do not own 10 Things I Hate About You or any of the characters, settings, etc.

A/N: Sequel to "Always Where I Need To Be". There's a few references to stuff from that story, so if you haven't read it yet, I suggest starting there. :) Oh, and I hope you like the story name, Silverpistola. ;)

Chapter 1-Fist Vs. Tact

Kat sat in her room before school, deep in meditation. She had wanted to continue with her study in Buddhism, even after backing out of the Nepal trip. But it had been a little difficult; fake pregnancies, robot babies, and hot boyfriends sleeping on your couch were not conducive to inner peace and tranquility. But now things were slightly more normal—well, her father still had a hard time talking to her beyond the occasional lecture, and she was grounded, but other than that, things were normal. So she felt like she should resume her daily meditations. She was so into it that morning that her dad had to come stomping into her room before she heard him calling her name.

"Kat!" he said, for the third time. "You're going to be late for school!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I lost track of time," she said, opening her eyes and giving him a sweet smile. She was doing her best to stay on his good side. "I'll be right down."

Downstairs, Bianca was texting at the breakfast table. She stopped when she saw Kat. "Oh, Kat..." she said in a sympathetic voice. "I can't believe you're actually going to school today. Do you think people will throw garbage at you? Oh my god, what if they throw garbage at me because I'm with you?"

Kat sneered, "That was almost empathy, I think."

"It is. I'm totally willing to help you get back at the jerks who switched your campaign video. What are you going to do to Tabitha? Ooh I'd love to see her taken down a peg. Can you believe she had the nerve to turn me in when she thought I was sleeping with Mr. Ross?"

"Yes, never mind what she did to me," Kat mumbled. But Bianca's question was a valid one; Kat had thought a lot about what she would do to get back at Tabitha. Though, now that she was determined to study Buddhism more seriously, Kat wondered if she should take her revenge at all.

"Cameron's in the AV club, so maybe he could help if you want to do something while she's doing the morning announcements..." Bianca was brainstorming, since Kat didn't answer her question.

"No," Kat said finally. "I'm not going to do anything to her."

"What?" Bianca screeched. "Are you serious? After she humiliated you in front of the whole school? How are you going to make everyone stop hating you, then?"

"Listen, I said those things on the video. Yes, I didn't intend for people to hear them, but the fact remains that I meant everything I said. As much as it'll suck, I have to accept that everyone's going to hate me for a while. Probably a long while. But, as Buddha says, 'As solid rock remains unmoved by the wind, so the wise remain unmoved by blame.'"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I really don't get you, Kat."

Kat just smiled condescendingly at her sister. "I know," she said. "Come on, let's get to school."

It had only taken one night for Patrick to miss sleeping on Kat's uncomfortable, lumpy couch. His jackass step-father, Brad, had laid into him the second he walked through the door on Sunday, calling him every name in the book and generally berating him for being a worthless human being. So it wasn't surprising that Patrick had left the house as early as possible, hoping to be gone before Brad got up for work. Now he just had about an hour to kill before school started.

As he wandered down the halls, he passed by Kat's locker. A couple of guys were around it, and Patrick crept a little closer to see why. They were scribbling all over it with Sharpies, writing...well, writing things that NO ONE was allowed to write about Patrick Verona's girlfriend. He clenched his fists, but then stopped. Remembering how offended Kat was when she thought he beat up Charlie Woo for her, and how pissed she got when he almost started a fight with Blank, he decided against physically assaulting the trespassers. But he couldn't let them get off scott-free.

Pulling his own Sharpie out of his backpack, he tapped the two idiots on the shoulder. One bolted down the hallway as soon as he saw Patrick's glare. That almost made Patrick laugh, but he remembered that he was supposed to be intimidating. He grabbed the second guy before he could run off too, then pinned him not-so-gently against the locker. Uncapping the marker with his teeth, he scrawled across the jerk's forehead, "I am a douche-bag". Before letting the kid, who was clearly expecting a beating, go, Patrick growled, "Leave her alone." The kid nodded nervously and took off down the hallway after his friend.

Patrick sighed and turned back to the locker. Stupid permanent ink. He hoped that kid had as much trouble getting it off his forehead as Patrick was going to have getting it off this locker.