SKINS – GEN 4 – SERIES 7 – 7.10: EVERYONE

So here we are, full circle. The final chapter of Series 7, mind you we still have Series 8, but the whole ending of Generation 3 is getting me down big time, so that makes it harder to write this. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it and I'm not gonna do a lot of talking now, cause I'm gonna make a Series 7 Reflection chapter for that. Here is the last chapter of Series 7!


London was usually such a bright city. So full of colour and majesty, with everybody moving about the place, never stopping and always on the move.

Today wasn't like that, because everyone was hurt and alone.

Claire sat under a tree crying, as the shadow loomed over her and she twirled sticks in between her fingers.

Hayley sat on a ledge looking over the street looking hurt as she flexed her hand open and shut uncontrollably.

Ken stood on one of the mid-level rooftops looking out over the street not far below him while banging his head against the wall.

Kelly sat on the gutter, her legs wet from where the water had splashed up against her and mascara running down her face.

Dean walked down a lonely downhill street with his hands in his pockets kicking pebbles.

Paulie walked up to a steel structure and saw his face badly damaged in the reflection. He clenched up his fists and kicked the structure but nobody noticed.

Sam sat alone on a ledge breathing heavily trying to recover from the commotion.

Drew sat on the edge of a fountain as he lit up a cigarette and began to let smoke out into the air.

Gemma sat on a ledge looking over the edge of the water and stared down into it, hoping she'd see someone's reflection but her own but nothing came up.

"Staring from a distance won't change things," said the voice behind her.

Gemma didn't even need to guess who it was, "it's the one thing that doesn't hurt to try."
"That's where your wrong," said Tony taking a seat next to her, "I remember the end of my first year, we were all a bit like this, though I was lying unconscious on the road with several severe injuries."
"You can only tell your bus story so many times before it sounds like a cry for pity," said Gemma without looking at him.

Tony smirked, "Alright, you got me there I guess." He sniffed and then looked out ahead of him, "Isn't it funny how I always manage to bump into all of you."
"How do you mean?" asked Gemma turning to look at him.

"Well I bumped into Dean at the park months back when he needed someone, caught Sam running off through the streets, and now you."
Gemma didn't look impressed, "I've been here a while, besides you were looking for me."
"How do you know I wasn't looking for all of you?" asked Tony.

"Cause I know Celia is the only one who gives a fuck that we ran off and you have a particular fondness for me." Said Gemma.

"Yeah," said Tony, "I should probably be careful, I'm gonna get myself fired one day."

Gemma lowered her head to look back at the water, "We all fucked up so bad, we're all messed up, how could t his ever be fixed? How could we ever get back together again?"
"I used to ask myself the same thing," said Tony, "but you'll find things have surprising way of working themselves out and then sometimes it's not all for the best. Sometimes the group does part it's ways and you may never get them all back again, but maybe there's other things that make that worthwhile."

"You warned me, back at the start, to not get over my head, to not fuck it up… well I did."
"Falling in love isn't fucking up," said Tony, "It's doing something right."
"It's more than that…" said Gemma, "It's so much more, you have no idea how bad things are."
"But you've got to remember what true love is and who matters to you the most, because you can't have both."
Gemma looked up and shook her head, "No fucking way, No fucking way!" she exclaimed, "How do you always fucking know?"
Tony smiled and shrugged, "Maybe I just notice things, maybe it's cause I'm a psychology teacher or maybe it's because I told you way back when, that you were exactly like me, and I meant it, you are exactly like me and so I know what's going on."
"What do I do?" asked Gemma.

"It's the question everybody asks when they're stuck in life and they can't see their future anymore, but they don't realize it's that question that's stunting them." Said Tony.

"What do you mean?" asked Gemma.

Tony smiled and looked over at Gemma, "Gemma Rockett, brilliant, marvelous, fucking party-girl ass-kicker Gemma Rockett. You are an incredibly smart girl. So let things run it's course."

"But that's what fucks things up!" said Gemma.

"No," said Tony, "You still have control, but instead of worrying what the future holds, just take what life has to offer you in the present."
"Do you still worry what the future holds?" asked Gemma.

"I always will," said Tony, "But I think now more than ever, but that's ok, you know why? Cause tomorrow, I'm gonna wake up, I'm gonna get dressed, have some toast and stand outside and I'll look up… and I'll still be me… and in the end that that's all that matters."

Gemma smiled and then leaned over to hug Tony, "I don't know what I'd do without you." She said.

"I'm just your teacher kid," said Tony, "There are far more important people waiting out there."
"I think they all hate me now," said Gemma with her faint smile dropping.
Tony grinned, "I beg to differ." He said, "I may know you, or maybe I don't have any powers and I'm just shittin' ya, and I have already talked to people before you."
"You sly dick!" said Gemma laughing.
Tony stood up and held out his hand which Gemma took to raise herself to the ground.

He walked along with her into the streets of London as the night sky began to fall over them and the stars began to shine. "Things are bad, things are gonna be bad and chances are in your life things will get worse, and things may never get fixed, but we can't dwell on them, we can never do that," he said looking over. "So what if we could just forget it all, wouldn't that be fucking terrific? Well… we can."
"Because just tonight, there is Naked and Famous concert just down there, it's going to be fucking amazing, all your friends are going to be there and I can personally guarantee you that tonight, everyone of them will be forgetting every trouble they've had this entire year and they are going to celebrate the fact that they are fucking alive, and I can guarantee you that because I said the exact same thing to each and everyone of them, because it's good to forget every now and then." He said.

Gemma stood speechless, "I-I… I can't thank you enough"
"Stop wasting your time being emotional," said Tony as he gave her a gentle shove, "Go and enjoy the show."


Gemma ran down into the city street where at the end a big stage stood up with the band on stage getting ready to play.

She pushed through the crowds excitedly, but then her heart began to drop at the realization that with this many people, there was no chance she'd find them tonight.

Everything suddenly went dark, Gemma thought all the lights had gone out but then noticed it was two hands covering her eyes.

She lifted them up and turned around to see Drew behind her. "Heya," he said.
"Hi," she said, "You've… heard then?"
"I've heard a number of things and been involved in a number of things." He said. "Hayley knows what I do now and I know a bit more about her."
"Did she leave you?" Gemma asked.

"No," said Drew shaking his head, "She's not like that and neither am I. It's going to be tough, but we can work through it, we'll fix things, just like Sam and Ken will be able to understand each other a bit more, just like Sam and Kelly will be able to become friends again, just like Dean will be able to fix his friendship with Paulie and everyone else…" Drew paused, "and just like you will be able to sort out this mess with Claire and Dean."
"It's just a bit difficult, yeah?" said Gemma.

"Yeah, but I'm sure Tony's spoken to you, tonight we forget what's difficult, just for one night." He said.

"Yeah…" said Gemma, "Can I just… talk to Claire? Like… real quick?" she asked.

Drew nodded, "Of course you can," he said, "I can't stop you from doing that, go knock 'em down kid. She's new and fresh and ready to fix up the damage she's made in her prized possession."
Gemma smirked at Drew and hugged him quickly before heading through the crowd behind him to where the rest were standing.

Claire saw Gemma heading towards her and stopped to look at her.

"Hey," said Gemma.

"Hey," said Claire, "Are… are you ready for… for the concert?"
"Yeah," said Gemma, "But one thing real quick."
Gemma wrapped her arms around Claire and buried her head in her shoulders, "I'm sorry," she said.

"Gemma," said Claire gently, "I can't be with you if you love someone else."
"I know," said Gemma, "I do know and I still love you, I promise you that, so I'm gonna try and fix it, I don't know what's gonna happen or where I'm heading, or where we are heading, but I promise I'll fix things, for both of us, Ok?"
"Ok," said Claire smiling.

The lights faded as the guitarist let out a whirring sound and the crowd began to scream.

"Hey hot bitch!" called Sam.

"Blondie-Clogs! You fucker!" said Gemma as she grabbed Sam and kissed her on the forehead.

"EW! Lezzer slut!" screamed Sam delightedly.

"Fuck you!" Shouted Gemma back at her.

Samantha panted staring at Gemma, "You reckon we'll be alright."
"Yeah," said Gemma, "in the end, we'll always be alright."

The group was finally together at last and cheering as the Naked and Famous began to play and they sang on along. Drew hitched Hayley onto his shoulders as many hands reached into the air to move along to the beat.

All the lights go down as I crawl into the spaces

If I died on the screens

Life tearing at the seams

Way-yay-yay-yay-yay

I don't ever wanna be here

Like punching in a dream breathing life into my nightmare

Gemma was finally smiling with her group around her, she looked at the people around her and then looked up at the band and then the city above her and then finally the stars, glimmering in the distance as if they were having her own party.

Gemma grinned to herself. Yeah, everything would be all right.


Not talking an awful lot here, that'll be in the next reflection chapter, I'll be reflecting Series 7 and previewing Series 8 a bit, I'll also answer any questions anyone has there, so feel free to ask questions. I would really appreciate it if you read the reflection chapter, but if you really don't want to then please leave a review, I would appreciate so much. Thanks for reading.

Lyrics from: Punching in a Dream - The Naked and Famous - 2010