I know this is a little different from my other fics, I wanted to keep this quite light hearted instead of constantly intense. I also really wanted to write from Freddie's perspective for once, as I find him a very interesting character, despite how he is often portrayed as boring. Their character traits remain the same in this fic, it's only the story that is different.
Disclaimer: I do not own SKINS, but if I did, Freddie never would have died :( - R&R, hope you enjoy guys! x


I don't belong with them.
Caged animals, starved of destruction, melting underneath their own stench of testosterone.

I'm Freddie, just Freddie.
A healthy six foot three, with size eleven battered old trainers and long limbs that had sprouted from me forcefully, at the age of thirteen.

My eyes are innocent.
My mouth is polite and proper.
My arms are nurturing.

But today, I enter the canteen a criminal.
A statistic. Another scumbag from the Juvenile.

I instantly feel uneasy, not that anybody pays me any attention.
Sure, they notice me. Caramel and skinny, drowning in a sea of white bulging biceps.
But they have better confrontations to engage in, better faces to bore into.
I am displaced within a blink of their murderous eyes.

"Cock blocker."
A squeaky, inoffensive voice stands out stark within the rumble of thick, throaty growls.

I spot the speaker instantly. Ridiculous curly hair, grin all braces and gums. Perched on a chair, shuffling a pack of cards distractedly. Watched closely by the boy next to him, slumped on the table, strong set jaw and clouded, but penetrating eyes.
"Sorry?" I frown, feeling suddenly defensive. Protective, maybe.
You can't be a doormat now, Freddie, I encourage myself.
"I can instantaneously tell," he continues, glancing up at me, and then back to the deck. "Those bags underneath your eyes are as familiar to your skin, as your voice is to your ears. You're losing track of the days, track of the time, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…"
My eyes widen in disbelief, and the older boy cackles heartily.
"Jeremiah," he gestures, with a bob of his head. "Fucking fruit loop."
We exchange a bemused smile.
"I'm not a cock blocker," I state, with more confidence than may be necessary.
The little toff rolls his eyes at me. "Of course you're not. You're definitely not one to act on sexual impulse. You take your time, debate and debate and debate until it's too late, late, late," he babbles, his amazing accuracy setting my teeth on edge. "Pipped too the post, couldn't kiss the girl. Could you?" He eyes me, and it makes me uneasy. "No, you're not a cock blocker, but you're here because of one."
The other boy senses my tension. "I'm Cook." He holds out a heavily scarred hand.
I take it gratefully. "Freddie."
"Freddie the fighter," Jeremiah scoffs. "In constant battle with his undisclosed desires."
"What?" I feel my eyes boggling. He ignores this.
"Do you believe in magic, Freddie?" he quizzes, brandishing a card. "Watch the ace." He pushes it into my bewildered face. "Keep watching the ace. Eyes glued to the ace." It disappears between his fingers. "Can you tell me where it is? Of course not. Because it's burning to a crisp in Vernon's ashtray over here."
Jeremiah slides the ashtray across the table, the card incinerated within.
Cook beats his hands upon the table, laughing uncontrollably.
"They call me the intuition of the institution," he announces proudly. "But you can call me JJ."
"Right. Pleasure."
"Si'down mate." Cook pulls out a chair. "You're virgin to this dive."
"Smell my fear?" I joke nervously.
"It's stagnating the room," he winks.
"Duty calls, gentleman." JJ jumps up, parting our company, others eyeing him hungrily on his trail.

"Excitable little bastard, isn't he?" I grin, taking a cigarette Cook offers me.
"Brilliant, our Jay" he replies, lighting me up. "Quality entertainment."
I nod.
"So, Freddie. What mistake did you make?"
I ponder for a moment. "I didn't kill him."
Cook howls at me, tossing his head back "Caught him with your bird?"
"She's not mine," I reply automatically. "She never was. She doesn't belong to anybody."
"Ah, a law unto herself then," he agrees, understanding.
"Something like that."
"Well, chin up. You never know, if she pushes the self destruct button anytime soon you could be sharing a cell," he smirks sleazily. "But until then, you can have my top bunk if you like?"
"Yeah, cool." I breathe a sigh of relief at one friendly face. "Cheers mate."
"Nah, don't thank me yet, Freds. You haven't seen the state of the place."