Big thanks to Vikki, dolphincrazy, Vicki, Lindz26, gabaice, Rosyn Anwylaeth, someonesangelalways, Becki and Ami for their reviews. To those who didn't like Zain in this chapter, he's different in this one.

Enjoy

Chapter 7

A few days had passed since Sam and Phil had walked in on Zain and Laura in the lab, and Zain had repeatedly told Sam how sorry he was that he'd hurt her, and Sam kept trying to remind herself that she had almost kissed Phil minutes before anyway. However, Zain had set out to hurt Phil, and she hadn't planned on almost kissing Phil. It had been a spur of the moment thing that she hadn't even gone through with.

Life was a confusing mess right now, and she didn't know who was with who. There were rumours that both Phil and Zain were with Laura, despite Phil insisting that he'd dumped her and Zain persistently asking Sam to take him back. Right now, Sam didn't even want to look at Zain, never mind date him. Unfortunately, they lived next door to one another, and avoiding him wasn't that easy.

One day, Sam stepped outside school and groaned when she noticed that it was pouring. Typically, this was the one day she'd forgotten to pack a coat or an umbrella, when she'd had them all the previous, clear skied days.

"Sam" she heard a voice calling her, and saw Phil holding his coat over his head. Sam dashed over to him and asked,

"Wouldn't it be easier to just put it on?"

"Yeah, but this way, I can share with you" he said, attempting to shelter her with the coat as well. The coat wasn't big enough, and they were actually still getting soaked through, but neither cared, because they were pressed against each other in an attempt to keep dry.

"Isn't your house the other direction?" Sam asked after a few minutes of walking

"I'm going to Zain's for a bit. My parents are away until 8"

"How can you still talk to him after what he did?"

"He's my mate." Phil said, as if that excused him from all wrong doings ever.

"That wasn't what you were saying at that football match"

"That's cos it's football. It's more important than any girl" he joked, "So you two aren't going to get back together then?"

"Not a chance" Sam said firmly

"You ever going to speak to him again?"

"Yeah. But I'm going to let him suffer for a while first" she smiled

"Remind me never to fall out with you" he teased, before turning serious, "But Zain has a hard life. Try to forgive him soon, k?"

"What's so hard about his life compared to anyone else's?"

"He's the oldest of seven kids. He doesn't get much money spent on him, and his parents prefer his sisters to him and his brothers. None of the boys get it that easy in his family"

"Oh right" Sam didn't know what else she could say

"You got much homework?" he asked, and she shook her head, so he went on,

"Come round to Zain's for a bit then. There's no point sitting all by yourself at home"

"My mum should be home in a few hours anyway,"

"Still. You don't have to talk to Zain. You can talk to me instead. That would drive him mad."

"Maybe. I want to get changed first anyway," Sam said, as they turned into her street. She went into her house and Phil gave her a half wave as he knocked on Zain's door. She went upstairs, and looked in a mirror. She looked awful. The rain had made her hair go straggly and she didn't want to see Phil looking like a drowned rat. She quickly grabbed a few towels and headed into the shower.

"You are so crap at this" Phil laughed as he beat Zain at a football game on his brothers PS2 for the fourth time in a row

"Did you say Sam was coming over?" Zain quickly changed the subject, looking at his watch

"She said she might. Why? Want her back?"

"No, I've got Laura now. I just want her to forgive me"

"She probably already has, she's just dragging it out to make you feel bad" Phil admitted, "So don't be surprised if she completely ignores you if she does decide to turn up."

"Alright" he looked pretty down about it though

"Can I use your hair gel?" Phil asked suddenly, catching sight of himself in the mirror

"Trying to impress someone?" Zain asked,

"No… Can I have some or not?"

"Sure it's in the bathroom" he said, loading up the game again

"Okay" Phil said, standing up, and leaving Zain's bedroom. Zain waited until he heard the click of the bathroom door, before he moved to the mirror, untucked his school shirt, and pulled it up, revealing a large, blackish purple bruise forming on his stomach. He heard Phil's voice further along the hall, shouting,

"I'm going to get a drink, want anything?"

"Yeah, water" he called back, and heard Phil go down the stairs. He took the opportunity to completely remove his shirt and examine the extent of the damage. There was a mass of blue/black marks all over his torso and he winced as he touched one of them. Suddenly, he spun around as he heard a creak at the door, and saw Sam standing there, staring at his bruises,

"What happened to you?" she asked

"Nothing" he brushed off, pulling a random shirt from his wardrobe over his head.

"Doesn't look like nothing" she moved closer to him, and he hurriedly backed away,

"Just leave it Sam, please" he pleaded. Sam looked like she was about to say something when Phil came back, holding a can of coke and a bottle of water for Zain.

"Oh hey Sam, didn't hear you come in"

"The door was unlocked, so I didn't see the point in ringing the doorbell" she said, still staring critically at Zain. He felt uncomfortable under her stares and said,

"Back in a minute" before leaving the room quickly

"What did you say to him?" Phil asked, taking a sip of his coke, "He looked like a deer caught in headlights when I came in"

"Nothing" Sam said, perching on the end of Zain's bed, "Remember you said about his dad being scary…. What did you mean by that?"

"Just that he shouts at him a lot, takes out all his stress on him 'cos he's the oldest. Why?"

"You mean he hits him?"

"Course he doesn't hit him" Phil said, looking surprised she'd even ask him that

"Oh okay then, I was just wondering" she backtracked

"Okay…" he said, looking at her like she was crazy. Zain returned a few moments later, sat at the floor at the foot of the bed, picked up his controller and threw the other to Phil, ignoring Sam,

"You playing or not?"

"Yeah" Phil said, presumably oblivious to the little worried glances that Sam kept giving Zain.

After a few hours, Phil did appear to notice the awkwardness between them, but put it down to their break-up and decided to Zain's relief and Sam's annoyance not to leave them alone in the room together. Eventually, Sam's mum called her mobile and told her she had to go home for her dinner, and Phil walked her to her front door.

"How close are you and Zain?" Sam asked, acting as nonchalant as possible

"I dunno" Phil answered unhelpfully

"Phil, it's important." She pressed

"Why?"

"It just is…" she said. A slow smile broke across Phil's face,

"What?" Sam asked

"You want to know whether he'd be bothered if you asked me out, don't you?" he said. Sam was about to answer no, when she changed her mind. She was interested in Phil, and just because that wasn't the reason she was asking didn't mean that she couldn't take advantage of the situation.

"Maybe," she said, her smile growing to mimic his own.

"Well he says he's over you, so I don't think he'd mind…"

"So go on then,"

"What?"

"Ask me out" Sam smiled

"Sam, do you want to go out with me?" Phil asked, smiling too

"I'll think about it." She laughed as his face fell, "Now how close are you and Zain?"

"What is your obsession with him?" Phil asked

"Just answer properly, and I'll go out with you" Phil sighed, and said,

"Pretty close"

"Does he tell you everything?"

"Course he doesn't" Phil rolled his eyes, "That's only girls that do that"

"But he tells you important things, right?"

"Nothing important has really ever happened." Phil said, looking confused, "Why? What did he say before I came in with the drinks?"

"What makes you think he said something?"

"Well you were both fine until then"

"Know what Phil?" Sam asked, as they reached her door, "You're smarter than you look"

"Thanks?" Phil said, not sure whether to take it as a compliment or not

"Just ask Zain. If you're as close as you think you are, he'll tell you" Sam said, letting herself in, "Oh and yeah, I'll go out with you" then she shut the door, leaving Phil wondering what the hell had just happened.

Now if anyone still hates Zain after that, they're pure evil lol

review, telling me of you likes and hates of the chapter, and whether or not you're evil enough to hate Zain.