Chaptire Sept:

The next morning came around faster then expected. Most of the group was up and socializing downstairs in the morning while Quinn was huddled up in her room, not daring to see the sunlight. She was still very torn up about David's death and Alex's accusation.

"So is Quinn still in her room?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I mean, you would know right? You were in there with her all night."

"Do you not know how to show any respect Alex?"

"What do you mean?"

"She is very upset over someone who just died and you are here making snotty comments, about me sleeping with her last night. Could you be anymore rude?"

Alex sat there biting back her lip and Clay shook his head. If he had to stay one more moment here with her, he was going to go insane. Alex wasn't being respectful at all to David's death and Quinn's mourning.

"And you don't think that I'm upset about it either?"

"All you want is attention, and everyone to give you pity on what you're feeling."

"Clay, man, come on. Calm down," Nathan said holding him back from completely exploding out of anger on Alex. "Why don't you go and check up on Quinn?"

"Fine, but don't expect me to be entirely happy."

Clay went to check up on Quinn while Alex stayed downstairs and felt like a horrible person.

"Am I that horrible?"

"It's the way you present yourself." Haley spoke up in a bitter tone. "We're all not in the best mood because a friend of ours has just died and you are here wanting us to give you pity when, in fact, Quinn is suffering more then you are. That was her boyfriend for three years."

"I don't try to be selfish, I guess it's just the way I naturally am."

"Well you need to change because acting like that you is going to lose everyone close to you."

"I know…"

Clay stood outside in the middle of the afternoon skipping rocks in the lake behind the house. It was a dark colored lake which he would choose rather to stay out of.

"Clay…"

"Alex."

"I don't want you to be pissed off at me."

"Well good luck at that."

"I'm sorry. I know I acted pretty selfish, and I guess I've always been that way because I was afraid of people finding out my true self. You know how some people put up a guard on their heart? Well I do that, I put that guard up of being nasty, snotty and selfish. It's a front."

"You could have at least let down the front to respect Quinn."

"I know, and I'm going to apologize to her for everything I've done to her."

"Did he ever cheat with you on her?"

"Yes, but he told me that he was slowly going to let Quinn on that there was something going on and when she finally broke up with him that he'd get with me. I kind of figured I was just a 'good time' though. He told me he loved me."

"I always knew that David wasn't a good guy, but does anyone want to listen to me?"

"I take it they didn't listen to you. Especially Quinn didn't listen."

"I told her from the start that David was a horrible guy, but she didn't want to listen because he had the charm of a snake. He knew how to persuade her just right."

"I know that you've always wanted her."

Clay shrugged his shoulders, not really giving a verbal response to that statement but for the first time he saw a different side of Alex. Clay was a strong believer that some people were just plain horrible, that they didn't have a nice side. That's what he thought of Alex, till today. She showed him that there was someone behind that guard and front that she puts up to protect herself.

Alex pursed her lips and she walked away from Clay and returned to the house. David wasn't a good guy but his life was taken last night, and he felt a little bit of remorse because he had been nasty with him right before he was gone. Sighing, she returned inside and saw Quinn coming down the stairs. Once Quinn laid eyes on Alex, she was quick to turn around.

"Quinn! Please, let me explain." Alex said.

"There is nothing for you to explain to me. It's my entire fault. I killed him remember?"

"It was the heat of the moment."

Quinn didn't say anything, just proceeded to walk back upstairs and shut herself in her room. Later that night, the smell of meat came rushing into the house. Someone was cooking the meat that they had found. She retreated downstairs and saw everyone sitting out on the front patio, talking and grilling the meat. Grabbing a soda and a blanket she joined them all outside.

"Morning sunshine,"

"Morning,"

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Clay looked at Quinn and knew that she wasn't fine. How would she be fine? David was dead, and she was accused of killing him because she broke up with him. It was pretty messed up, and she knew that she was going to be messed up for a good long time, but she knew that she would also be fine because she had friends who were behind her 100% of the way, she had an amazing twin sister who had her back whenever everyone else didn't. She had a good life, but she missed him.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Alex asked nudging Clay's side as they watched the meat cook.

"I will, I'm just going to give her some space, you know?"

"The best thing for someone when they are grieving is to give them support, but not sympathy."

Clay nodded and he flipped the meat over with his spatula.

"Are you eating?"

Quinn shook her head. She wasn't that hungry.

"As tempting as it smells, I'm not too hungry." Quinn replied.

"All right," Clay replied and pursed his lips together.