Hey this is chapter four. Nothing entirely interesting, but everyone needs fillers :p I've just had my haircut and got a fringe and dyed it brown, I'm deeply dissapointed that I resemble Mrs. Potato Head :( Thanks for the reviews :) This is in Cary's POV, hope you don't mind.

Schuyler xx

They rode on in silence, everyone too distrracted with their own thoughts. The only wound was the occassional hiccup or sniffle until Alice dropped them off at the place where she picked them up. Car helped Olivia out, and she groaned. Cary looked at her in confusion. Was she in serious pain?

He started to panic mentally, and let her lean on him as they stood on the banking outside the house. Her breath was short and raggard and she seemed to have difficulty breathing, but at least blood wasn't coming up in her mouth anymore.

If she faints, Cary thought with amusement, I might get to do CPR on her.

Once everyone had piled out of the car, Joe leant onto the side of the car where Alice was still sat. They two exchanged few words, but when Joe pulled away, they both looked guilty with regret. Alice sped off, leaving Joe staring after the car. He still stared on, even when it had long gone, and the way to snap him out of it was Charles.

"Dude, come on. Let's get the fuck home." Everyone shared mumbles of agreement, and Cary walked on behind Preston and Martin, helping Olivia limp their way down the street, her weight barely slowing him down.

They broke off to go on their own streets, Cary high fiving the boys, and Olivia giving each of them hugs. Cary felt a stab of jealousy, but ignored it because each time she let go she grimaced, maybe in pain, but he was hoping in disgust for two reasons. 1) She wasn't actually in pain, and 2) She was dusgusted by them and wouldn't be becoming the girlfriend of any of them, any time soon. Cary wrapped another steady arm round her waist to help her walk.

When he didn't think Olivia was looking, he kept sneaking her glances.

"Stop looking at me like that." Olivia says to him, stopping and leaning against a tree, catching her breath.

"Like what?" He asks, smirking at her. Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically, and Cary grinned, liking the way her brown eyes glittered from the reflection of the moon.

"Like, that!" She says, gesturing to his face. She scowls. "I'm not that fascinating. Yes, I know I look like crap, but I've been in a train crash, been injured, had a gun pointed at me and had a mental breakdown in the car, so I apologise if I look like shit." She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

He only shakes his head, faintly smiling, sending his dirt streaked mop-head flying. "Whatever, let's get you home."

Cary walked Olivia right up to her front door, and just stared at her for like, a full minute. She gave him a weird look, and realising that he had, indeed, been caught staring, he grinned. Mentally, he cursed. He was usually careful to stare when she didn't know.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't die." He jokes at her, and Olivia rolls her eyes, sticking out her very red tongue.

"Ditto man." She winks. He laughs and runs across the yard to his house. Olivia turns away from him, and looks at her front door. Cary opened his door, and was just about to step inside when he realised Olivia hadn't even moved.

Confused, he walked back over to her house and stared up at her. Her cherry red lips- perfect cherry red lips- were mouthing words that made no sense to Cary.

"No, I can't, do not open that door!" Olivia whispered to herself, a dreamy expression on her face.

"Liv?" Cary called, making her jump. She whipped around to face him, and saw he was wearing a lopsided grin. "Liv, you need to learn not to say your thoughts out loud." He teased. Olivia's heated face drained of all colour.

"Why don't you wanna go in?" He asked, confused, and he heard Olivia let out a painful sigh, and merely shrugged. Cary gave her his best glare, his eyes hardening. He would pull out one of her hairs if she lied to him. She hated it when he did that.

Then you can add it to your collection! His inner self teased. He ignored it. He didn't have a collection exactly.

"My mommy…" Olivia whispered. "She-she scares me."

Cary looked at her, his heart breaking for her. In that moment, all he wanted was to protect her. He had never felt an urge so strong in his entire life. He would knock down whole armies if they were in his way of getting to her. His mind was clouded with fury.

Cary didn't know why Olivia feared her mother, but in that moment he didn't care. What sort of mother frightens their only fatherless daughter?

"I don't wanna go in!"

And Olivia burst into tears, for like, the millionth time that night. Cary wasn't sure if he should hug her or not, they weren't exactly bff's, and she was probably able to think clear thoughts now, not ones that were clouded with pain that she didn't know who she was hugging, and probably punch him.

"I'm sorry!" Olivia sniffled. "God, I'm so sappy." She tried to joke. Cary ignored his thoughts immediately rushed up to her and enveloped her in a hug, stroking the back of her hair.

"Hey, shhh, calm down Liv, it's okay, I'm here, I've got you." He said soothingly, rubbing comforting circular motions on her back, away from the burns. Olivia sobbed, and gripped his shirt tightly in a small determined fist, as if to keep him from leaving her, or maybe that was just Cary's wishful thinking. The scent of her copper hair on his cheek was like an elixir of wine and spice and perfume. It seeped deep inside him, settling on his bones like a blanket, warm and comforting, soothing all his angry thoughts.

"Hey, shhh, look it's okay." Cary soothed. "Just stay at mine tonight, alright?" He said. Olivia looked up at him with big watery eyes, and he hugged her tighter. "C'mon", he whispered, and gently led Olivia over to his house.

"Don't worry, my parents aren't in." He reassured her, seeing the look of worry as she scanned the roms in his house. "They're out visiting my gran. You can sleep on my bed, and I'll camp on the sofa in the front room."

"No." She whispered to him. "I don't want to be alone." Hiding his glee, he put in a face of understanding, he nodded and gently led her up the flight of stairs to his bedroom.

She had never been in his house before, and when she walked into his room, she gasped. Fireworks, cherry bombs, sparklers, M-80's, penny packs, firecrackers and any other sort of explosive filled his room. Cary had been dying to show Olivia his collection, and he watched her face with awe. The expression of wonderment and reverence made him smile happily, and he grinned.

"Do you like my collection?" He asked, almost shyly. Olivia looked too stunned for words, merely nodded.

"Right, well there is the shower, I'll just get you some bandages and shit, urm, you can borrow a t-shirt to wear for bed." Olivia nodded. Cary rushed about to get the things Olivia needed. He picked up a yellow short sleeved t-shirt, but thought better of it and handed her a black long-sleeved one. Cary had noticed that Olivia didn't seem very comfortable wearing short sleeves, even when there were heat waves in Lillian, which often occurred during summer vacation. Looking extremely grateful, Olivia grabbed the bandages and shirt in a bundle and hugged it closer to her chest, and hurried over to the bathroom.

Cary watched Olivia's retreating figure limp towards the bathroom, feeling suddenly lost as she'd left.

When Cary had thought Olivia had died… he didn't know what he even felt. It was a mixture of so many emotions; he just wanted to blow himself up right then and there with one of his own fireworks.

He didn't care that the guys were all looking at him like he'd lost it; he didn't give a fucking shit. It was like his whole world had unravelled around him. First, it was panic, not knowing where the hell she was and if she was okay. Second, it was fear, what if that blood belonged to her and not Alice. And third, it was just so many emotions in him, he just wanted to explode. Pain. Grief. Sorrow. Horror. Fear. Terror. Sadness. All of it, mushed together to make this overwhelming feeling that he thought it could, no would kill him.

Seeing her alive though… there was no word to describe how relieved, how happy he was. It was like the weight of the world had been resting on his shoulders, and it had finally been lifted. He couldn't go on without her. He just wouldn't.

He had always felt like this. Ever since he met her, and he doubted Olivia even remembered. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

It was one day during summer, and the two had just started third grade. Lillian only had one elementary school, and it was split into two sides, so they weren't on the same side and they were basically strangers. At that time he had already been quick friends with Joe and Charles, and Olivia had already been dubbed an outcast since the first grade. The two had never even seen the other.

Cary had 'run away' from home again, he had packed his little backpack consisting of a spare pair of undies, a lighter, six packets of sparklers and poppers (being too young to have real explosives) and his teddy bear.

He had camped under the slide, making a bed of leaves, and was just getting out a sparkler and about to light it, when a little girl sat opposite him, watching his every move with inquisitive brown eyes. Cary, just stared at her as the first sparkler fizzled out.

"Hey. I'm Olivia." Olivia had said.

"Get out of my house." Cary had replied, annoyed that someone had come into his new home without knocking. Olivia giggled hysterically.

"This isn't your house, silly. It's underneath the slide!" Olivia said in a 'duh!' voice.

"No, it's my house, now go before I ring the police!" Cary warned. Olivia ignored him and stretched out her legs.

"Well if this is your house, where are your mommy and daddy?"

"I'm a big boy and I don't need them." Said Cary. "Mommy and daddy are stupid. I hate them. I wish they were dead!" Cary ranted, feeling angry all over again. The reason why he had run away was because they wouldn't let him go to Joe's birthday party because he was grounded. They were very disappointed when the teacher had called and had told them that he had lit a sparkler in class and threw it at Martin's vomit to see if it would ignite. Olivia stared at him in shock from those words, her wide eyes looking especially large as they weren't hidden as they usually were now. Her copper hair had been pulled up in a severe ponytail, and seemed to hurt from the roots.

"Don't say that!" Olivia scolded. "You don't know how much I miss my daddy. Don't wish them away because one day they won't be here!"

"What happened to your daddy?"

"He died. Mommy said he went to hell, but I'm sure he is in heaven. It's mommy who should go to hell." Olivia grumbled. Cary, not knowing what to do, lit another sparkler and handed it to Olivia, and her smile made Cary forget he was cross with his parents.

They then played a cute little game of families, pretending to be married and having their wedding on the slide.

It was the most trivial thing in the whole entire world. Even Cary himself couldn't understand the significance it held to him. It was just so… simple.

And from then on, he had… as Joe once said, 'admired her from a distance'. Whenever her saw her in the corridor he would stop what he was doing and stare at her, trying to memorise the things she was wearing. At that age, she wore short sleeves and exposed her skinny little arms.

As she got older, she got more and more beautiful, and Cary did everything he could to find out things about her, like ask the girls in her class what they thought of her, eavesdrop on what the boys would say about her, and one time, he even snuck into the principal's office and stole her permanent record, memorising which subjects she was best at, laughing at the pranks she'd pulled.

He would always try to convince himself to go talk to her, but whenever he got close enough to smell her, he would always chicken out and bolt out of there as fast as he could.

So, to make her talk to him, Cary made Olivia hate him.

At first, he tried to be friends when she joined the gang, but she didn't seem interested in the slightest. He'd talk to her, but each time he just felt like he was bugging her. He would try to get her to come see his firework collection, but she'd freak and punch him.

So, in the end, Cary had only one plan.

To get her to think about him, he had to make her hate him.

But at least she thinks about me. Cary thought weakly.

The shower turned off, so Cary quickly changed into his pyjamas, and a few minutes later, a very bedraggled Olivia limped out, her skin looking very pink and raw, dressed in a long black shirt that belonged to Cary, reaching to her mid-thigh, which was heavily bandaged. He couldn't help thinking that it looked extremely good on her.

The shirt- not the bandage.

He looked up at her face, and smiled as she yawned, stretching her body like a cat.

"Cary?" Olivia asked, pushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to be sleeping in the same bed?" She asked him seriously. Unable to help himself, he blushed furiously. He hadn't thought about that.

"I-urh, um, well, you see- the thing is, I…" Cary was cut off by Olivia, who was laughing in hysterics at his comical expression.

"You should see your face!" Olivia burst, tears of laughter coming down her eyes. "You've never looked more horrified!" She laughed. Cary gulped in embarrassment. Horrified wouldn't be the right word. More like thrilled.

"Ha ha, so funny." He said sarcastically, and winked. "Nah, one of us will sleep on my bed, the other on that little couch." Cary said, pointing at the faded old couch in the corner. Olivia nodded, and trotted over there.

"Turn the light off and get your ass into bed." Olivia yawned, slumping down, asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Smiling to himself, Cary flicked off the switch, and settled into bed, staring at Olivia's sleeping form.

He wanted so badly to lie down next to her on the couch, to wrap his arms around her and sleep. Not do anything dirty, like in those movies. Just sleep together, in the most innocent way. But Cary was too scared. Of rejection, mostly. And she hadn't denied that she was going out with that new kid, Max Turner. He'd heard some girls talk about how hot he was during History, and of course he wanted Olivia. She was beautiful and amazing. He was so awkward and annoying and she was endlessly fascinating. He would never have a chance.

So turning his back to her, he fell asleep to the soothing sounds of her breathing.

Of her being alive.

Cary woke up to the sound of a bulldozer outside.

He sat up in bed, and rapidly blinked away the sleepy haze that always came when you woke up. When he immediately didn't recognise who was in his room, he shot up from the bed so fast, that the minute he was standing, he had to sit down again as his vision had gone all funny and his ears felt like someone had stuffed them with cotton wool.

As Cary thumped back on the couch, Olivia woke up with a start and a snort, causing Cary to laugh. She looked over at him with bleary eyes, and he gave her a lopsided grin. She was surprised to see a set of white teeth without the metal invasion. When he realised what the bulldozer sounds were, he started cracking up, lauhging his head off at a confused looking Olivia.

"You snore so loud!" Cary teased, snorting in laughter. "I thought it was a bulldozer!" Olivia blushed like crazy and watched as Cary put his braces in.

"Whatever." She said, flipping him off. "At least I don't fart in my sleep. It kept me up half the night!" Olivia said mockingly. Cary narrowed his eyes at her, still smirking slightly.

"Suuure, because that's exactly what happened, isn't it?" He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes dramatically. Ignoring Olivia's rude gesture, he got up and walked to his set of drawers, bringing out a fresh pair of clothes. Olivia used the rubber band on her wrist and tied her copper hair up into a neat bun, brushing back the loose strands with her little finger. Cary watched, fascinated, but when Olivia caught him looking, he quickly changed his expression to a smirk.

Olivia grinned at him. "Thanks for letting me stay here last night, but I should probably go."

Cary's smile dropped. "Oh, okay then." He paused. "Once you're dressed and shit you can come back over if you like. I've learnt how to make pancakes!" He said proudly, puffing out his chest. Olivia wrinkled up her freckly nose. He really wanted her to say yes. He had learnt how to make them, and he wanted Liv to try them.

But as if that would do any good, his inner self scolded. What do you think will happen? She'll eat the pancake and fall in love with you? He ignored the voice, and smiled at Olivia.

"I bet you they look real but taste like cardboard." Cary pretended to look offended, clutching his heart as if she had shot him. She rolled her eyes, and walked to Cary's dresser, pulling out some jeans.

"Mind if I borrow these?" She asks, not waiting for an answer and pulling them on.

"Sure, go ahead." Said Cary, watching her.

"Thanks." And Olivia went and hunted for a belt to keep the trousers from hanging off her skinny hips. She may be almost as tall as Cary, but that didn't mean that she wasn't as skinny as a stick and unable to wear trousers with a belt.

That's why she preferred dresses, Cary assumed. They were simple and easy to get on, but inconvenient when they went out playing on a windy day. On those days, she wore loose fitting jeans.

Yes, he had noticed. He needed a hobby other than blowing stuff up. He just couldn't help that though. That was the main reason she hated him Cary guessed, his obsession with fireworks. She was scared of fire, and being around Cary made that a million times worse.

Cary stretched and lay in his bed, watching her. Olivia straightened her back, and glared.

"Stop looking at my ass you perv." She snapped. A lazy smile creeped onto Cary's face, and he shrugged as if saying 'well where should I look then?'

Olivia bade farewell and jogged down the stairs, taking two at a time. He heard the sharp intake of breath, and the thump of her slipping down the stairs. He held his breath. But she shut the front door carefully, making it click quietly. Leaving Cary alone in his house.

Cary slumped on his desk, and set about making more of his awesome M-80's, using three cherry bombs this time, hoping that the explosion will be bigger this time. He really didn't feel like making any more, but he did it to distract himself. It didn't work however, and his throughts drifted to a special someone with long copper coloured hair.

Cary was staring blankly at Olivia's back garden dreaming up scenarios of their wedding with thousands of fireworks explosding while they shared a magical kiss, that it took him a while before he even realised Olivia was sunbathing. She was laid down on a bright green towel, her hair fanning out behind her like a copper lion mane, round dark sun glasses and wearing a yellow and white spotty bikini. He was pleased to see that all her bandages apart from the one wrapping her thigh had been removed.

The first thing he noticed was how beautiful and peaceful she looked.

Second, was the way her arms were not covered.

This is the first time he had seen her bare arms in over five years. He examined them from his window, and even from a distance they looked perfectly normal. Slightly on the skinny side, and laid at her sides in an awkward angle, but other than that...

Beside her was a paddling pool, filling up with the hose sticking into it.

Because he didn't have his window open, he could only faintly hear the music she was playing from the house, and he watched, a grin creeping onto his face without him even meaning to. He set about working on his M-80 then, occassionally looking up to look at Olivia. He wasn't sure if she was asleep or not, he didn't care either way, she just looked peaceful.

He was just messing about with them while thinking it was lucky they were no longer illigal in America when he noticed some disturbance in Olivia's garden out of the corner of his eye. He looked up to see her mother walking into the garden, unsteady on her high heels and shouting at Olivia. Olivia immediately jumped up and looked extremely guilty for something, tossing back her auburn hair like a spray of molten copper.

Her mom shouted at her for a couple of minutes, glowering menacingly, Olivia said nothing, just looked ashamed. The rant looked just about over when her mom lashed out.

She kicked her in the stomach with her heel, making Olivia fly back into the pool cying with pain. Her mom snapped something, and dragged Olivia out by her hair. Olivia had tears dripping down her face and was stuggling, but that made the hair pulling worse. Her mother growled something, and dragged a kicking and screaming Olivia into the house, locking the back door behind her.

Cary stared, wide-eyed, fear settling in pit of his stomach.

Olivia!