Thankyou everyone for your support for the first chapter, and i really hope that you enjoy the second.

It isnt quite action-packed, but its necessary for the plot. Again please let you know what you think!

Chapter 2

Emily felt sick in the pit of her stomach. She felt uncomfortable about the dark determined look that came over Dylan's face before. She hated it even more now she knew it was directed at Naomi; her Naomi for that matter. Emily's fingers intertwined in her lap, and she looked down at them intently without breaking her gaze, almost as if they were the most important thing on the Earth and if she looked away for a second there would be awful consequences.

Dylan noticed this, and edged a bit closer.

"You do know her don't you? Tell me where she is."

Emily looked over at the windswept boy.

"Yes, I know her. But she has found someone new, and I'm really sorry to tell you this but she has moved on. I think you may have gathered that from her emails though."

Emily bit her bottom lip, flicked her hair behind her shoulder and looked back out into the rain. It was still quite heavy, but at this point in time, running home and getting drenched really didn't seem like such a bad idea after all. A little extra fitness couldn't go astray.

Emily stood up, and walked to the pole Dylan had been leaning against earlier. He flinched at her movement, seemingly to grab her arm or hold her back somehow, but decided against it mid-movement. Emily backed away slowly, fingers still intertwined but behind her back now, and biting her bottom lip. She looked over at the friendly grocers, and when glancing back Dylan was up and standing right beside her.

"It's still raining pretty hard" he stated, "We may be under here for awhile."

"Oh I don't think so, I have to go out for dinner tonight and it's about time I got home to get ready."

Emily took a step down the stairs.

"Tell me where she is." Dylan's voice rose to an almost demanding level, but still maintaining polite assertiveness.

'No" she uttered, and turned and ran, pelting along the path towards the street. There were no people about, and the street was extremely quiet. Emily glanced behind her and she could see Dylan, still standing at the entrance of the gazebo, staring straight after her. She wasn't a very fast runner, but she was light, and felt more like she was floating along the road than running. It didn't take her long to be around the corner and out of sight. It wasn't her street, it wasn't even a street that led to her home, but she didn't mind. All she wanted was to get as far away from that gazebo and Dylan as she could.

She ran blindly for about 5 mins, only turning to look behind her occasionally, but Dylan was nowhere in sight. Slowing her pace, she took a second to look around and take in her surroundings. She was on Freddy's street, and his house wasn't too far ahead. She slowed to a brisk walk now, wanting to be warm, safe and concealed inside his shed out the back.

Freddy's shed wasn't what it used to be. It was now a starch white dancing studio for Karen to use, and had lost its boyish charm that had leaked into the walls since Freddy, JJ and Cook had first become good mates. Emily found a corner and settled down. It was defiantly warmer and drier in the shed, but it wasn't very comfortable. She felt herself calming.

She was feeling so exhausted all of a sudden. Dylan had scared her, and she didn't know how to react after she found out that he was after Naomi. She was glad she had run, it had burned all that adrenaline, but now all she felt was drained. A single tear slid down the side of her cheek as she pulled her cardigan tighter around her body and leant her head against the wall. It only took her a minute or two to fall asleep from there.

About half an hour later the door to the shed opened and Cook sidled into the room, splif in one hand and grog in the other. He had been out all night as usual, and was looking, just like Emily, for a place of refuge. And to him, the shed was one of the only places he had ever felt that.

Cook glanced over to Emily, all huddled in the corner fast asleep, and cocked his head to the side. She was really very beautiful, and it was a shame, he thought, that she wasn't interested in any lads, let alone him. He would be more than happy to keep her company for the night if she ever needed it.

With a sigh he made his was over to the corner Emily was curled up in, and plonked himself rather heavily down beside her, nudging her awake in the process.

"What's all this then?" he asked a bit too loudly for Emily's pounding head. Apparently adrenaline gives headaches after the rush was over.

Emily turned and looked groggily over at Cook. Her hair was tussled on the side she slept on, and the eyeliner she had delicately put around her eyes in the morning was starting to smear slightly, giving her eyes a dazed, smoky look. He looked back at her with his usual goofy grin. Emily shivered and looked down, she was still really wet from the storm and her skin was getting goose bumps on top of goose bumps.

Noticing this Cook stood.

"I'll go get you a blanket aye? Then you and me get to talking."

Emily smiled at the boy weakly as he walked out of the shed and up towards Freddy's house. Freddy wouldn't be home as usual, he had taken to staying out by himself for most of the day, wondering around forlornly thinking, or skating around different skate parks with people he justified as friends, but didn't really know. This meant that he could get away with becoming a loner without being by himself constantly, but his friends knew what was bothering him. Effie was still absent, and he missed her more than anything.

Cook didn't take long before he was back with a big doona from Freddy's bed.

"He won't miss it. Now come on girl, snuggle up here to ol' Cookie and tell me what's bugging ya."

When Emily had first met Cook, she was repulsed by his sometimes vulgar attitude and felt uncomfortable around him with all his drinking, smoking and womanising. But she soon learnt that Cook had a good heart under it all, and even though he always seemed to find himself in trouble, he was fiercely loyal to his friends, and she was proud to be one of them.

His spliff was gone, but there was still some remaining liquid in his grog bottle. Emily held out her hand for it, feeling the sudden urge for a drink.

"Come on then." She said, taking the bottle by the neck and moving over to give Cook some room.

Once they were comfortable, Emily told Cook all about Dylan, the way she was laying in the gazebo looking at the webs, and then he came out of nowhere. She told him about the ways that he had made her uncomfortable with his laughter, and what he had said about Naomi. More importantly, how he had said what he did about her, the look in his eye and the threatening determination.

Cook listened to her story all the way through, concern growing across his young face. He had a weak spot when it came to men threatening his lady friends.

"Should we tell Naomi?" Emily asked.

"I don't think so," he replied, "at least not yet. From the sounds of things this Dylan bloke is long time friends with Naomi, and she might get upset if we walk right up and tell her he's a dingy creep. Let's just sit tight babe, see if he manages to find her first, and if he tries to make a move, we'll be there."

Emily watched as Cook's hand tightened to a fist. She was glad that she had told someone, the look in Dylan's eyes told her very clearly that he was not someone that she could deal with by herself. But Cook had a reputation to be a bit reckless. None the less, she felt safe with Cook on guard, at least for awhile.

Just letting you guys know, on my profile i've set up a link to my LiveJournal.

I'm planning on posting the staus of this and future stories up there (along with other ramblings) so if you want to know where im up to with the next chapter, you'll find it there :)

Thanks for reading!