Here it is! Sorry it took so long. Thank you to my awesome beta, Tamora Pierce Junior, you rock girl.

My awesome beta beta-ed 2 things yesterday, so it's because of her wonderfulness that you can read this.

I apologize in advance for any offensive language, but these are older teenagers and I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible. besides, it's not that bad.

Read and review!!


All's Messed Up In Love & War

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"Why should he even care what she thought? Oh, right, because he is madly in love with her and she has no clue. That's why. Love is so complicated, take that for words of wisdom, he thought bitterly."

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CHAPTER 3

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"I would have thought that since your friends weren't around you, you would shut up. Guess not." --Catherine Spencer

"Catherine, wait up!" Leah ran after her friend, worried by her reaction. Catherine turned around, eyes stormy.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Leah hugged her awkwardly. "I'm no good at this!" She yelled at the sky, Catherine laughed and Leah smiled, pleased at having made her do it.

She sniffed; "it's not really what he said, it's just been an incredibly tough week and all..."

"You don't have to explain, every week is tough for me." Catherine chuckled darkly.

"I so don't want to go home..."

"So don't." Leah shrugged, "come home with me tonight."

"But--"

"My brother will be in his room, you'll be in mine. You won't even see him. Promise."

"You know what? Why not?"

Leah smiled, "Good."

"I haven't slept over anywhere in forever." Catherine kicked a pebble off the side of the road.
Leah shrugged, "I haven't had anyone over in years." She confessed, staring at her feet.

Catherine laughed "We're such losers."

"We're cool that way."

"Oh haha."

Once at Leah's house Catherine called home to tell her guardians where she would be and she made her way to Leah's room. The room was baby blue with white shelves on the walls, it had many posters and an old wooden desk on which sat a glorious laptop.

"My room back home was very much like this, except for the colour and the laptop. I always wanted a laptop. It was slightly smaller, but I had a lot more books."

"I've got a good two hundred in here at least." Leah replied defensively whilst observing her piles of books.

"I had at least five hundred."

Leah scoffed and started making some space on the floor for Catherine's sleeping bag (which was actually Leah's.) A while later they had everything set up for the night;

"You don't have anything I could borrow, do you?"

Leah searched her closet and came out with an enormous looking t-shirt. "Is this alright?"

"Sure, no problem."

Catherine explored Leah's room a bit more as Leah went to take a shower, when Leah cake back Catherine went herself.

The cold water felt very pleasant on her skin and she was glad to let go a bit, this week had been tiresome to say the least. Drying herself off she dressed in underclothes and the long tee that reached to a quarter of the thigh. She dried her hair with the hair drier and then combed her bangs off to side.

Satisfied with her appearance before the mirror, she left the washroom and, of course, bumped into no other than Seth Clearwater.

"Jeez Leah, how long do you-- oh, uh, hi." His eyes widened as he realized that he was not actually addressing his sister.

"Hello." Catherine replied frostily as she stared him down with cold eyes.

"Listen, Catherine--" He began pleadingly, she gave him no chance to continue;

"What, going to make another comment about my underwear? I would have thought that since your friends weren't around you, you would shut up. Guess not." She stalked past him, fuming, and had almost reached Leah's door when his voice called her back. The amount of plea in it almost surreal.

"Wait! Catherine, I'm sorry, really. Please."

She sighed and turned around; "I know, but why'd you say it in the first place?"

He faltered and she shook her head, turning she closed the distance between her and the door and placed a hand on the doorknob.

"Because I really did like them."

She wheeled around dazed; "What?"

"I, uh, thought they looked cute on you." he looked really nervous, as if dreading her exploding again. Which he probably did.

"Uh, thanks, I guess." She answered awkwardly, steadily turning red.

"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it, truly."

"You're right, you shouldn't have, but I forgive you."

Seth smiled a smile that covered his entire face, she liked that smile, it made her want to smile back, an interesting reaction.

Just then she realized that he was wearing boxers and she was in merely a t-shirt. He followed her gaze and smirked, remarking cheekily: "Like what you see?"

She hadn't thought it was possible for her to go any redder, neither did he, and yet, she held the element of surprise by changing shade once more.

Defiantly she nodded her head, wanting to gauge his reaction. Seth took a couple of steps towards her, she moved back, now she was pressed against the wall, no where to go and yet Seth came steadily towards her.

Seth was now three feet away... two.

Bending down so he was level with her he whispered; "You got plans for tomorrow?"

Tomorrow was her day off but she could hardly think straight, his breath washing over her, hot and, well... perfect. She had much trouble putting a sentence together.

"Uh n-no."

"Good." Still whispering, "wanna go to the movies?" What was with the Clearwater's and movies? She couldn't help but think to herself.

"Su-ure."

"Great." He backed away and smiled as if he couldn't be happier, he left for his room.

Catherine remained alone and shaken in the hallway, moving her head from left to right to clear it, hoping that somehow she could be able to make sense of it all.

She opened Leah's door.

"How fucking long do you take for a shower?"

"Oh, I met Seth in the hall."

'Did you tell him off? I didn't hear you yell." Catherin wanted to point out that she had had earphones in but she bit her lip and refrained.

"Um, no, we're going to the movies tomorrow."

'How the hell did that happen?" Leah was clearly amused. "I thought you were furious with him."

"I was, I don't know. It sort of --just happened."

Leah settled herself back onto her bed, snorting and rolling her eyes like the nice, compassionate friend she was. Typical.

"You don't like Paul much do you?" Catherine asked suddenly.

Leah sat up in surprise and barked a laugh; "I hate his guts."

"Why?"

"He's an asshole." As if that proved everything.

"Aah."

Leah chuckled and Catherine sat down on the sleeping bag. Sitting, she heard something crackle, like paper but not quite. She dug her heand inside and found an old photograph, the girl was definitely a younger Leah but there was a guy kissing her ear whilst she laughed at the camera, a guy Catherine hadn't met yet.

"Who's that?" Catherine flipped the photo to Leah, but it fluttered onto the floor, Leah was unresponsive. actually, she was shaking uncontrollably from head to foot, a look of pure shock and hurt on her face.

"Leah?!' Catherine asked worried.

"I forgot that was there." Leah breathed, seemingly forgetting that Catherine was even in the room.

"Leah?"

Leah stood up and bolted past the door and down the stairs.

"Leah!" Catherine called but she heard the front door slam shut, Leah was lost to the night.

"What's going on?" A ruffled Seth showed in his doorway.

"I don't know. This photo came out of my sleeping bag and she freaked." Catherine was slightly freaked herself as she showed Seth the picture.

"Shit!" he cursed whilst kicking whatever was on the floor, he bolted right then and there, down the stairs and after his sister.

"Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?!" She screamed after him, knowing he was already long gone.

Now Susan Clearwater showed up in pajamas;

"What on Earth is all this noise?!"

"I don't know. Seth ran after Leah who ran when she saw this old photo." Catherine passed the photo to Mrs. Clearwater, scared that she too would go crazy and run out, leaving her alone in the foreign house.

Susan Clearwater put a hand over her mouth and then shook her head sorrowfully.

"Where did you get this?"

Content that she wouldn't run, Catherine answered easily; "It was in the sleeping bag. But please, could you tell me, who is he?"

"That is, was, Sam Uley."

"I'm sorry, I'm new around here, that name means absolutely nothing to me."

"He and Leah used to date, she loved him, he accidentally, uh, fell in love with her cousin, Emily, Leah never really got over him."
Catherine imagined something of the sort happening to her, she suddenly felt a whole lot of sympathy for Leah. that was horrible, how could some one live with that? But really, for that night, there was nothing Catherine could do, nothing at all.

Gloomily she walked back up into Leah's room, she no longer wanted to sleep on the sleeping bag so she shifted it aside and put herself on the floor. Sluggishly her mind started to drift towards sleep, her last thought was not a happy one, yet it was one that somehow gave her hope.

"I'm not the only one with problems. I am not alone."


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Alright, so there it is. The next one is written but I don't know when I'll have time to type it up.

Please review!!

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Keep reading,

xxTunstall Chickxx

27/09/08