Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first Chapter, and also added this story to their favorite and alerts. I really want to focus on all the main characters lives individually and together, so it will be a while before all the drama and emotional bits start.. but I promise it will be worth the wait. enjoy :)

Reaching the takeaway shops outside Mangrove River, Brax was still lost in his own thought when he bumped into someone. "Oh crap... sorry, I didn't see you there" Brax immediately apologised. Looking up he noticed ha had seen the face before.

"It's ok, no harm done" she replied, she smiled back at him ever so lightly, while dusting down her shorts of the little food that had fallen against them.

"Yh apart from your food" Brax brushed his hand through his hair as he looked down at the girl's food which was now scattered all over the floor before him, before looking back up at her face.

"It's no biggie... its only food" the girl replied as she began walking away.

Brax watched her for a few seconds before speaking... "Charlie... right?"

Charlie stopped and turned around at the boy that was staring expectantly at her, before speaking... "Erm yh... I didn't think you would recognise me... you know seeing as I only just started school today".

"Yh erm... I'm good with faces" brax replied sheepishly.

Charlie once again smiled at him lightly, "Well I have to get going before my parents start worrying..." Charlie once again began walking away.

"Bye" Brax's voice was barely audible, and although Charlie had heard him, she continued to walk, somewhat desperate to be away from his sight.

After having stood there for several seconds watching her walk in the opposite direction from which he had just come in, Brax quickly walked into the take away shop, hoping she hadn't realised he had been staring at her. Once brax had got some food for him and his brothers he began to make his way back home. Brax didn't know why but for some reason he found his train of thought constantly leading him back to Charlie. He had stored a mental picture of her eyes and body language. Brax couldn't help but notice how vulnerable she looked, almost like the slightest thing could break her. He wondered why someone with her kind of beauty and judging by the clothes she wore; he could tell she was far from poor. So why did someone with her kind of life, have reason to be sad. Once reaching his street he reluctantly pushed Charlie to the back of his mind, telling himself that he was probably just reading too much into things. As he slowly approached his front door, Brax hung his head back has he heard the noise called his 'mother'.

...

Charlie found herself walking slower than she had anticipated; as her mind wondered to the boy she had just bumped into. She found her thoughts focusing on his fierce green eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. She had remembered seeing him earlier that same day at school, in several of her classes but for some reason she couldn't quite remember his name. She wondered how someone she didn't even know could make her feel so exposed. The way he looked at her, almost as if in the short time she had been stood before him he could see all the pain she was trying to hide. She had only hoped he didn't think she was being rude walking away the way she did, but for some reason she had felt uneasy around him, almost like his eyes were reading her like an open book. As she progressed towards her front door, she dismissed her current train of thought as she remembered the mess that was called her life that would once again continue once she entered her front door. She took a deep breath as she turned the handle, automatically readjusting her face with the smile that she had learned to falsely but perfectly wear for so long now.

...

"Heath will you hurry up, we're running late as it is". Brax yelled at his brother as he picked up his school bag. "Mum I've dropped Casey at Mrs Kennedys Place... Could you please pick him up at four, I can't today because am working, Mum did you hear me". Brax turned to his mother who was sloughed down on the couch.

"Well last I checked I wasn't deaf" she spat

"Just don't forget mum ok... and could you do me a favour and try feeding him today, I brought some things this morning so you should be able to find something for him". Brax stared on at his mother hoping she could do this one task right.

"I got it ok... pick him up at three and feed him, am not totally incapable of looking after my own son". Brax just snorted at his mother's comment has he walked out the front door. "Heath get out here NOW". Brax shouted into the house as he saw his brother walk out of his room.

Heath looked over at his brother, "You go I will catch up".

"Do I look like am stupid Heath, get your bag and get out here now" shouted Brax.

"What are you talking about?" asked Heath although he already had a fairly good idea what Brax meant.

"Don't think because I didn't say anything yesterday, that I don't know you wasn't at school" Brax looked over at Heath anger clearly evident in his face. "I have told you I don't want you hanging around with those stupid guys you call your friends, they're the reason you got expelled from Mangrove River in the first place. You go to school and go to all your classes, OK... try and put that brain of yours to work".

"But..."

"No Heath no buts, now get out here, and don't even think of leaving once we get there, because I will find out". Brax gave his brother a stern look.

"Fine", Heath sulked as he grabbed his bag and walked out the front door. He could tell brax was already frustrated and angry and knew too well not to argue with him in his current state of mind. Although Brax wasn't the violent type and he had never raised his hand on heath, he still had the ability to scare the crap out of him. Although he would never admit it, Heath did appreciate his older brother, and often cringed at the thought of him not being around. He knew Brax had it tough, and admired his brother for what he did for him, his mum and Casey. Heath felt bad having got expelled from Mangrove River, mainly because Brax had upped and left with him not wanting Heath to be at summer bay high school on his own. Although Heath made things difficult for Brax at times, he didn't do it intentionally, but with a drunk for a mum, and an older brother who was either working or looking after their younger brother Casey, Heath at times (mostly all the time) felt ignored. And although he knew his friends weren't the best sort of people, they made him feel important, something he lacked at home.

...

Walking down the hall way of summer bay high school Brax turned to Heath "Remember if you dare skip I will find out".

"Yh yh, I heard you the first time". Heath walked away rapidly in the opposite direction.

Brax sighed heavily turning around and walking into class. As he walked towards the back of the classroom, He found himself immediately scanning the room with his eyes, but she was nowhere to be seen. Taking a seat at his usual desk he looked up and instantly froze his gaze as she walked into the classroom, sitting directly in front of him as she had done so the day before.

Charlie slowly sat down in her seat, avoiding eye contact with the guy that she had bumped into the night before. She noticed him staring at her and only hoped she didn't have something on her face. She badly wanted to turn her head around, but she could feel his eyes on her and decided against it.

"Morning class" both Brax and Charlie were pulled out of their thought by the sound of Mr Jones's voice.

"We are going to do something new today; I decided that your next assignment will be presentation based..." Mr Jones stopped for a second at the complaints coming from his students in protest against his idea.

"It's not optional nor is it up for discussion, this assignment will be carried out in groups of twos, and wait for it... I will be picking your partners for you". He smirked a little as the class once again started to complain looking around in hopes of not being paired with someone they didn't like or worse someone who was just simply lacking in the intelligence department.

"Right stop your complaining and let's get started" Mr Jones stared on at his students as he started pairing them up.

Charlie sat at her seat not to bothered about the aspect of working with someone else, seeing as this was only her second day she hadn't really spent enough time with anyone, to figure out who was nice and who wasn't or who was smart and who lacked behind. She sat patiently waiting to hear her name called. If she was being honest she was eager to move from her current seat, as she had noticed out of the corner of her eye that Brax had once again returned to watching her.

"Charlie" she looked up to see Mr Jones looked her way

"Yes Sir" she replied

"Seeing as it's only your second day here, you will be working with Brax on this presentation, he has a knack for this subject, so he will be able to teach you a thing or two as you guys go along".

Charlie just nodded wondering which one of the guys in the class was Brax.

"Brax you can take a seat next to Charlie".

Charlie looked up waiting to see which one of the guys was about to start heading her way. That's when she noticed from the corner of her eyes that the guy that she had been avoiding eye contact with was packing up his desk. She watched as he approached her desk and sat down beside her, his hands brushing past hers as he laid them on the desk in front of him, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand at the slight contact.

Neither one of them said anything for several minutes as Mr Jones finished off pairing the rest of the students. Feeling the awkwardness between them reach an unbearable level and no longer being able to stand the quick but noticeable glances he kept giving her Charlie decided to speak up... meanwhile at the same time, Brax couldn't understand why he found it so difficult to talk to her, he had felt the slightest shiver when his hand had brushed against hers, but tried to cover it up. Clearly seeing how uncomfortable the silence was making Charlie, Brax decided to speak up...