The door banged loudly as Lucas entered the house through his back door. It sounded like he was upset about something. Karen looked across at Andy and smiled, " I'm just going to go and check on Lucas. I'll be right back." she promised as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

She knocked on the door loudly as she could hear the music coming from his IPOD. Pushing the door open she surveyed her seventeen year old son, who was stretched out on the bed. He was wearing dark clothes and his Keith Scott hoodie was pulled up over his head. She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, gently tapping his foot to let him know that she wanted to speak to him. He pulled the earphones out of his ears, but he still kept the hood up over his head.

"Lucas pull down the hood. I'm not talking to you when I can't even see your face." Karen said.

Lucas hesitated for a few seconds before he reluctantly pulled it back. Karen gasped out loud and stood up. "What on earth happened?" she asked in a loud voice causing Andy to walk in from the kitchen. "Who did this?" demanded Karen angrily.

"No-one. I tripped and fell in basketball practice today and fell onto the bleachers. Just leave me alone." said Lucas furiously as he pushed the earphones back into his ears and closed his eyes.

Karen got up off his bed and walked towards the door, pushing Andy in front of her. She closed the door quietly.

"He's lying to me. I can tell." said Karen once she and Andy were sat in the kitchen.

"Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to him." said Andy.

The next morning dawned bright and chilly. Lucas reached across and hit the off button on his alarm clock before it beeped. He got changed silently, and, slinging his bag over his shoulder, he left the house silently.

"Oh glad you could make it." said Dan sarcastically when he saw Lucas enter the gym. "Twenty laps to warm up," he said " and you have to do them in three minutes, so I suggest you get running." Dan said pointing at the stopwatch.

By the time Lucas finished running he was exhausted. He bent over with his hands resting on his knees as he stopped to catch his breathe.

"Two minutes fifty-nine seconds." he heard Dan shout from the sidelines. "That's not good enough. Do it again."

"What that is not fair." shouted Lucas straightening up and glaring at Dan.

Dan walked towards him with an angry look on his face. He shoved Lucas hard causing him to crash to the floor, where he led there too stunned and winded to move.

"How's Karen this morning?" he said with a dark look on his face. Without protesting Lucas got up and began to run. Dan made him run the laps sixteen more times until he had the time down to a minute and a half.

"There's just enough time to do suicide's for fifteen minutes." said Dan looking at Lucas. His head was cocked to the side as if daring Lucas to challenge him. When Lucas just started to run, Dan said loudly, "Yeah that's what I thought."

After fifteen minutes, Lucas chest felt like it was going to explode.

"O.K go and take a shower. I'll see you tonight at my house for dinner. Around seven. And tell Karen I said hi." said Dan walking out the door.

As soon as he was gone, Lucas ran to the changing rooms and threw up in the toilet.

"Hello, are you alright?" asked a voice and Lucas groaned softly. It was the voice of his half brother Nathan. He must have come here early to get in some practice.

Lucas pulled the flush and unlocked the door. "Yeah man I'm good." he said.

"Luke I didn't know it was you. You look awful , what happened?" asked Nathan.

"I tripped yesterday after basketball practice and hit the bleachers." said Lucas offhandedly.

"Was that Dan I saw in the car park?" asked Nathan watching in concern as Lucas limped over to the sink to wash his mouth out.

"Yeah, he came to see Whitey, but he wasn't here." said Lucas thinking quickly of a lie.

Lucas congratulated himself on being able to avoid his friends for most of the morning. It was now lunch time and Lucas limped into the canteen. His legs still felt sore from the running he did earlier. He reached the front of the queue and picked up a bottle of water.

"Just this thanks." he said to the woman, handing over the money. He started to walk away when he felt someone jump on his back. He cried out in pain as the person hit the bruises on his back from where he hit the floor that morning.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry Luke. Are you alright?" said the concerned voice of his best friend Haley. "Are those bruises?" she asked lifting his shirt up slightly.

Lucas turned around and saw her eyes widen as she looked at his face.

"What happened to you?" Haley asked in concern.

"Nothing. I wish everyone would just leave me alone." he shouted angrily. Without even noticing the look of concern on her face, he turned on his heel and walked out of the canteen.

"What's the matter with Lucas?" asked Peyton as Haley sat down next to Nathan.

"I don't know. He seemed to be in pain when I jumped on his back and I saw bruises under his shirt. I think he's in trouble." said Haley looking at Nathan.

"Hello Ms Roe." said Nathan as he sat down on the stool at Karen's Café.

"Hello Nathan, and what can I get you today?" asked Karen.

"Well actually I just wanted to talk to you. Both of you." said Nathan when he saw Andy come and sit down a couple of seats away from him.

"Its about Lucas." he began and from their expressions, he could tell that they had been discussing this as well.

"When I got to school today, I went to the gym to practice, and I heard someone being sick in the toilet. It was Lucas. When he came out he looked terrible. He was white and shaking and looked like he had been in a fight. He said he tripped, but Lucas is an amazing basketball player and knows how to keep his balance. And then at lunch he snapped at Haley, she said she saw bruises on his back, but how could he have got those from the bleachers if he landed face down? We're all really worried about him." finished Nathan.

"Lucas has being really moody and angry lately. He left this morning without saying goodbye." said Karen.

"Has there been anything else out of the ordinary lately?" asked Andy.

"Anything at all could help."

"No I don't think…. Oh I did see Dan leaving the school this morning, but Lucas said he had come to see Whitey." said Nathan in confusion.

"Dan." spat Karen as her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Its got to be something to do with him."

"Don't worry, I'll get someone to watch Lucas." said Andy pulling out his phone.

"And I'll watch him too." promised Nathan.