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anon – there are 20 chapters in all. And so the last chapter will be uploaded the 6/11/12.

I don't own Night World.

Chapter 7

"Turn the guitar down, Hugh," the sound-check guy says, already getting exasperated. I grin at my boyfriend's annoyed expression as he turns the dial about a millimetre. "Seriously, I will just unplug you if you keep on doing that." Which makes him turn it down pretty darn fast.

Sound-check flies past with no real difficulty, and pretty quickly I'm backstage with Hugh. He's holding my hand and tracing patterns on my skin, which makes me feel pretty fluttery. He leans forwards sometimes and just kisses me quickly, which makes me feel more than pretty fluttery, but we have to spring apart when Val comes in. Whenever he walks in on us kissing or holding hands or whatever, he gets this wounded puppy-dog look in his eye, seeing as Raven still hasn't called him or anything.

"Don't worry about me, guys," he reassures us. "According to every great artist, you need heart-break in your life to get anywhere." He sighs and sits down on the floor, his chin on his knees.

He never sits like that.

"Val," I say, coming to sit next to him. "Have you tried calling Raven? Maybe that's what she needs. Then you can show her that you do put her before the band."

His eyes are strangely blank as he looks at me. "She told you that, huh?"

I squeeze his shoulder. "Yeah, she did."

He nods slowly. "I'll call her after the gig."

"Good," I say, smiling at him.

"Jez!" I hear from behind me. I turn in time to catch Thistle, who had just launched herself towards me, and fall back onto Val with a yelp. She sits on my lap and looks the perfect angel, but I can see the mischievous glint in her eyes. "That really hot teacher of yours is here."

"What?" I yelp as Hugh says, "Hot?"

"Yeah. I just said hi to him. That blonde isn't with him, though."

I can actually visibly see my hands shaking and hide them behind her back. What was he doing here? Did he think he would just kiss me again and then ignore me for the rest of the week? Was this going to become some sort of sadistic ritual?

"He seemed pretty excited for the gig."

"Of course he is!" Pierce says, so suddenly that it makes me jump. "We're awesome, us. Completely epic."

That comment makes me laugh, but I stop pretty abruptly when they call us on-stage. Then I actually feel like I'm going to vomit.

I don't actually see him in the crowd, which is definitely better for me, until this particularly slow song when I'm just playing the piano and singing (about love, go figure), and I catch his eye. He's staring intently at me, and though I should be thinking of Hugh at this point, I'm actually singing it directly to him. And with his slightly shell-shocked expression, I think he gets it.

Although Val doesn't whoop or holler this time, which actually makes my heart ache for the poor guy, I still go alone backstage, and I almost feel like I'm waiting for something.

And he comes.

Although I don't see him, I somehow know he's there. And straight after I – for want of a better word – sense him, he speaks. "I'm sorry."

I turn to frown at him. "What?"

He still seems reluctant to meet my eyes. "I'm sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have... kissed you. Or ignored you. It was wrong. Completely wrong."

"Then we'll just forget about it. And don't ignore me anymore, okay? I kind of need your help if I'm going to pass that damn A-level. There's no way I can do it without your help."

He smirks slightly. "That's for sure. And... thank you, Jez. You've been better to me than I deserve."

"Oh, I know," I say with a smile, which lightens the tension considerably.

...nw...nw...nw...

For the first time in what seems like a long time, I don't dread English the next day. In fact, I'm quite looking forward to it, so much so that I'm whistling as I walk around the house. My parents give me very strange looks. "What?" I finally say when they've exchanged glances yet again.

"Why are you in such a good mood? It's not normal. Have you been taking drugs again?"

"Father!" I yelp. "No, I'm not that kind of rock star, and you know that very well."

He slaps me on my shoulder. "Good girl."

I pull a face. "Woof."

I find myself whistling again as I practically skip to English after yet another disastrous registration (and get quite a few strange looks), and sit down, even smiling at Julia, who gives me a strange look also. "Are you feeling alright, Jez?" she asks.

I frown. "Why is it that people find it so strange when I'm in a happy mood?"

"Because this is school. You hate school." She's watching me warily.

"Maybe I've decided to reform."

She nods slowly. "Uh-huh." Suddenly distracted, she smiles. "Oh, good. A film."

Sure enough, there Blackthorn is, with a DVD. Our eyes meet for the barest second and his lips quirk up slightly. I look away, hoping that no-one notices the blush colouring my cheeks. Most of all him. Although, if I do have a slight, completely physical, crush on him, it is entirely his fault, and he should bear the consequences.

The DVD (Of Mice and Men, obviously) isn't really my kind of thing, but I can still see that it's a good film for its type, and at the end, I don't wait around at the end as I have for the past week, but leave with everyone else.

Well, that was pretty easy, all things considered.

I'm in a good mood for the rest of the day, and am still whistling when I get home, which freaks out my parents even more. Band practice goes perfectly, and of course there's a nice little make-out session with Hugh, until my parents tell me that I have to be home immediately.

Their tone of voice on the phone worries me slightly; a bit nervous and apprehensive, so I bike home as fast as I can. They're sitting in the living room enveloped in a tense atmosphere when I come in. "What? Have the results come in and I'm not actually your daughter?" I say, attempting to lighten the mood.

Dad grins slightly, but mum sighs and eyes me. I shift uncomfortably under her gaze. "No, not that. The results haven't come back yet," dad says, and I splutter with laughter when mum shoots him a disparaging look.

"Actually, we've signed you up for some extra English tutoring."

The smile falls from my face. "You... what?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," dad says.

"You just aren't keeping up with the work, Jez." Even mum sounds apologetic.

"I am! I'm getting Bs in my essays!"

"That was once, Jez."

I narrow my eyes. "Have you been talking to Blackthorn?" My tone is accusatory.

Dad grins as mum answers. "Yes. He recommended tutoring."

"What?"

"So he will be tutoring you every Friday after school at his place."

My mouth drops open. "You got him to... agree to that?" I finally gasp out.

"Well, now that I think of it, he did seem a bit apprehensive. Do you two not get on?"

"Umm... no, not really." Wow. I wonder why he was apprehensive. Let us think for a while now, shall we?

"Well, he agreed. So you'll be having English tutoring with him every Friday."

"I thought that was what the weekly detentions were for," I mutter.

Blackthorn is particularly kind to me the next day, which, to be honest, freaks me out just a bit. I stay behind afterwards (almost out of habit – Tuesdays are detention days).

"I suppose you want to ask about the tutoring," he says, with a slight grimace.

"Yes..."

He sighs and looks away. "Your mother is very persuasive–"

"–argumentative..."

"... so I had to agree. I'll give you directions on Thursday or Friday," he continues, ignoring me.

I frown. "Do you really think I need tutoring?"

"Yes," he answers immediately, with a smirk. "I'm sorry."

I give a huff, which only makes him smile wider. "Fine. But it won't be easy."

"Nothing is ever easy with you, Jez," he says, with a slight saddened quality to his voice.