Chapter Nine

October ninth rolled on quickly and soon enough, Ivy was in class, sporting a massive headache, and suddenly glad that she'd already completed Music that day and they hadn't play instruments so out of tune her head ached (even though it already did) and that Biology was something she was currently half sleeping through. Mandy next to her was in a worse state, having drunken much more than her and was leaning on her, arms around her waist, completely shattered and asleep. The Jock girl had seemed to think she was alright and on her side when it came to the rivalry between Lola and herself (which she was because cheating sluts like her deserved a slap and a beating up) and felt safe enough in her estimation of Ivy.

Dr Slawter was the Biology teacher and his voice was both entertaining and sleep inducing. It was a strange pairing and depended on your mood to which it ended up being. She looked at her work and filled in the barest of answers before blinking when rather stylish male writing on a new sheet appeared before her. She looked at the name. 'Gary Smith.' Her eyes stared at it without comprehending before she looked up at the back of his head. Why had he…? He finally looked back after a couple moments, having been rocking on his chairs back legs with arms crossed. He snorted at her stare when he looked at her, nodding at her still half blank work, with an intent look on his face.

"Thanks. I'm better at Physics." She mumbled at his care-taking of her, appreciative for it right now, head dazed, stomach rolling and eyes aching. She was only good at Spanish because she spoke it and Maths, Physics and Computer all tied into one because of the software engineering degree and everything else sucked. Especially Art and Photography. She had no eye for that stuff. If she drew, her lizards looked like cows and she still drew far away birds over a sea in a 'V'. She jotted down the answers, knowing something in her was remembering this stuff from a few years back yet very grateful she didn't have to think. When she handed it back to him, his thumb lingered on the back of her hand, turning in a circle a few times and her eyes widened and connected with his desiring ones before he turned back around, satisfied with her reaction.

Whoa.

Whoa whoa whoa.

He was giving her help, something he hadn't bothered with before (though while she just wasn't good at most intellectual subjects she was better than previous Ivy darn it! Though… only a little extra…and the point system still made no sense to her), kissing her, touching her, staring heatedly…

Since when did a little heavy petting make her his girlfriend?

He was a conquest!

He was to be a conquest only!

She didn't agree to be 'his woman' and she'd had many little bits of fun from guys like she had last night during her years of awakened sexual activity. Shit. What should she do? She was heavily attracted to him and sure their chemistry was boiling when around each other and yeah she actually wanted to see what would happen if the bad guy in his game's world won…

Well, damn.

Ivy wanted him; not just finding him attractive, but actually wanting him.

Conquest was just a damn denial and Ivy didn't run from her own wants. Nor would she apologize for those feelings. Her mind was suddenly alert as she questioned herself on what to do because he was 'supposed' to be the 'bad guy of the game' and she 'shouldn't' be going for the ones who obviously wouldn't be the best relationship wise and would 'obviously' and 'inevitably' ruin her. Frankly though, this wasn't a game, this was real life and he didn't follow his programming.

'So, my final verdict is…? Nothing. Yeah, nothing! Just go along with it for now until you can get him in your bed then we will see… It could just be a conquest… Right…?' Her lips pursed in thought.

And yet, Gary giving her attention in this way was something she rarely encountered in a man she was 'preying' on, so to speak and it was rather making her a little... hmm.

Her previous men had helped her with money or done favours for her, but none of them had really helped her with little things like this. This wasn't the first time Gary had done something like this, persuading her to his side, which she was admittedly already on, but it had been with that certain look in his eyes as if she really was his. As if there was no other he'd prefer.

The Scot wondered if she too had such a look in her eyes?

Ivy shook her head and got on with work.

Half an hour left. She was now dissecting some kind of… animal. It looked like some weird love child of a bird and a frog. She poked it a few times while Mandy suddenly got up and ran for the door, holding her mouth, which made Ivy snicker as Doc Slawter simply stared at the banging door before turning to her. "Do you need a new partner?"

She looked contemplatively at the door before dismissing it. Mandy left her stuff here, including her packet of pain killers. "Nah; she'll probably be back in ten, sir."

"She will?" He sounded startled. "Very well, Miss Jones. Back to your work, class."

Gary looked behind in interest as everyone tiredly did as the teacher asked, wondering how she knew before her eyes locked on his then peered down and looked to Mandy's stuff and his followed before he huffed through his nose in amusement when she just shrugged at him.

Wasn't her fault people couldn't look around.

To most peoples' surprise, she actually was, looking much better and drinking a bottle of water. She couldn't look at the open carcass of the animal, but she held out the little trays and closed them and labelled them with a grimace. For being Queen Bee, leading lady in the school, she was awfully decent in doing work in class. She figured Mandy's type let the others do it for her.

"So…" Mandy said, ignoring the work as they cleaned the station up, or rather, Ivy did as Mandy hated this part of biology (couldn't have it all, Ivy supposed wryly). "One hell of a steel stomach there."

'You've got no idea.' She thought, tensing her strong stomach muscles reflexively. "Stuff like this never bothered me. Weird stuff does."

"Oookay. So. I saw that you have something of what's his name… Diego's?"

"Eh?"

How'd she see? Her eyes flickered to Gary as he slowed down in tidying up his work ever so slightly, back and shoulders stiffening noticeably if you looked for it.

"Don't play dumb." Mandy rolled her eyes.

"How'd you see it?"

"When you closed your door last night. What's the stuff in your room?"

Ivy paused. She didn't know what to say. "It's Diego's things," She half lied. It was his thing… but the martial arts training frame wasn't. She must have seen it when Ivy was dragging herself from her room and not giving a damn from massive headache. "They're going back a-sap."

Mandy was persistent, intrigued by the new girl. "But he gave you his stuff in the first place? Guys do that because they want others to know you're theirs. I have Ted's spare clothing in my room." She whispered, smiling saucily. "Including his named jacket." She saw something on the others girl face. "You have some guys' jacket?"

Ivy chuckled weakly, thinking of Gary's items she held and in determination, decidedly not looking at Gary, who'd peered around to stare stonily. "It's only because I was cold up in town and Diego was willing to give."

'Since when did she go out by herself?' Gary thought furiously, hating not know what his people were up to. 'She's always with Petey and I.'

"Wait. You have a gangsters jacket?!" Mandy hissed.

Ivy looked down awkwardly before looking out the window to the direction of town. "Like I said. Cold. He demanded it back the next time I saw him. Maybe tomorrow after I recover."

The bell went making Mandy jump up in surprise. "Way too quick…"

Ivy watched Gary stride off first, a little unsure about this reaction and potential retaliation, before remarking absently, "Tell me about it. Here, quickly scribble this stuff down."

Mandy gave her a small tired smile, dropping the Diego thing. "Thanks. I need to pass this or they'll be holding me back a year."

"S'cool." Ivy stretched upwards with a yawn. "Wanna grab lunch?"

"Yeah. I saw some peaches in the bowl for once."

"Damn. They're pushing the boat out."

Mandy grinned tiredly, chuckling.

Hangover Mandy was a lot nicer than Drunk Mandy or Normal Mandy. After a quick lunch, the girls made their way to Physics which nearly drove Mandy to frustrated tears until Ivy, more used to hangovers, calmed her down and helped her tiny bit by tiny bit. When that class ended, Mandy parted from her, claiming cheerleading duties while Ivy quickly got away from everyone to go to her room.

She wanted to sleep but decided on going to see Sifu instead, because if this wasn't a show of dedication then she didn't know what was.


.I.


Sifu rolled his eyes, amused. "You should've stayed at home, Ivy."

"Yeah well, never was the brightest. C'mon Sifu. Help me get adrenaline to pump this shit out."

"Very well."

Four hours of training.

Result?

She got beaten at Muay Thai.

Painfully.

Ivy was flumped on her front, feeling very queasy. "Darn."

"I quite like this."

"Of course you do. If I were using Wing Chun..." Ivy grumbled and grimaced, sweating and feeling her body declare war on her. "Okay, forget this, Sifu. I need a shower and food. Order me a special?" She begged causing Sifu to laugh.

"Do it yourself."

"Mean." Ivy did it anyway, and her stomach gratefully took in the beef chow mein and tea when it arrived.

When she was about to leave her twins appeared, jumping her and begging for another month of Muay Thai causing Sifu to beam happily, not having this amount of dedicated students for a few years. She hit the local ATM in New Coventry and came back, body aching and crying for sleep.

The twins then proceeded to harangue her for a day out which she sleepily nodded at, giving them hugs and kisses they complained at but accepted anyway, leaning in for affection. She promised a day with them on a weekend at the carnival, just the three of them when her stomach was much better and the harsh memory of it churning was gone.

Used to hangover states in adults, the twins simply grinned at her agreement and let her go as they prepared for their lesson. The school was only a twenty minute walk away, about eight minutes by bike, and it was still light out with lots of people around, so she was happy enough to let the boys have some independence and walk or bike back home by themselves. She got back to school and hit the Girls Dorm straight away. The shower was blessedly warming in the rather quiet dorm and she wobbled to her room, utterly exhausted.

As she finally hit her bed, wrapped up only in her female boxer shorts and Gary's half buttoned up school shirt (damnit it was the closest option that wasn't too confining!) her head simply fell into sleeping oblivion instantly.


.I.


A tap at the window a few hours later at eight didn't wake her and when it opened with Petey entering followed after a moment by Gary, he instantly paused at the sight of the softly breathing sleeping woman. "Uh, Gary, she's...? Shit, Gary?!" He completely didn't remember about her apparatus after last night.

"What, peabrain? Huh. Look at that." He eyed the wooden contraption on the wall. "Looks like she does do martial arts then. Don't worry, shrimp." Gary pushed him by the shoulder as he looked worried. "The twins told me already. Plus little things were obvious. That woman's got a body made from a specific training and with scarred knuckles like those and that catching ability, it was evident to her being a fighter." He'd actually given them some fire crackers, itching powder, rotten eggs and his old spud gun in return for the information earlier that morning before lessons but it's not as though he couldn't easily make them again this evening.

Stuff like that was old school tricks anyway, but he had to keep the tradition alive for the next generation to come.

They'd told him after they would have said anyway because he was friends with her but wanted to see what they could get from him.

Little shits had actually played him.

He'd been both irritated and grudgingly impressed about it but for now, he'd check out Ivy's room.

Orange walls with a strange mural on the wall she stationed her bed at. The desk was at the end of the bed, using the bed as a chair and was perfect height, so she could just flop back and fall asleep, something he was tempted to copy in his own room. There was a wardrobe and the wooden dummy in a frame in separate corners while the chest of drawers sat next to the head of the bed. There were some books from their lessons on the desk, and jackets on the back of the door, but it was very sparsely decorated. It surprised him for some reason. Even he and Petey had posters of random stuff like bands and comical pictures in their dorm room. There was barely any personality shining through. Very unlike her grinning, affable personality.

His eyes went to her and a flush of satisfaction rolled through him when he saw his white-grey shirt on her. This woman in his clothing seemed to bring up some primitive instinct that made him glad something of him was next to her as she slept. A sign of trust, of want, of desire. He snapped out of those thoughts. It happened far too many times when around her. Maybe just screwing her would remove that? But then did he really just want to screw her once or twice and let some other man enjoy what he had underneath him last night if he dumped her? A sharp jealously shrouded his thoughts as his eyes narrowed at her form. No, he sure as fucking hell wouldn't allow that to happen.

Well, then.

That sorted it, didn't it?

He'd not let her go now.

"Uh, Gary?"

He blinked out of his impulsive thoughts. "What, loser?"

"We should probably go." Petey said weakly as the other male began snooping around the place. "C'mon, man. She wouldn't go around your stuff."

"Can if she wants to, Petey. My woman has access to any of my stuff. With my overseeing of course."

Petey's eyes widened, feeling genuinely happy for his friend, but worry soon came out. He remembered Gary's previous girlfriend Katie or 'Kitty Cat' as the blonde's nickname had been at her tendency to sleep at the drop of a hat next to anything warm like a cat the Smith family once had. To say that hadn't turned out well was an understatement. "You two are going out? You asked her? Already?"

"She's mine. I don't need to ask anything. Just like you're mine, Petey. I keep my things in good condition."

"It doesn't just work that way, Gary." The shorter male stiffened at the other's dark glare he was throwing him as he slowly stood up and sleekly stepped over to him. "We-We're not j-just… Eck!" Petey choked as Gary grabbed him by the collar harshly, a sense of panic overtaking him.

"Your asses are mine, because I say they are and that's that. The only reason I let you take a step into this room of my woman's is because you both are. I'm still deciding on Hopkins."

"Yeah?"

The two snapped their heads towards her, sitting up with the cover surrounding her shoulders.

Ivy slowly stood up, causing their gazes to instantly drop to her mostly bare legs and re-informing them of her ability of the arts with the defined muscle, and silently padded towards them. "I'd like to disagree with that. I'm not a possession. Petey and I are people. Don't treat us like toys, wank stain."

"We're people, Gary! Don't treat us like toys, Gary! Stop, already!" He mocked, dropping the other male at her narrowed eyes and slow focused step forward, suddenly a lot more unsure about his pre-thought notions of her inability to harm him at her very sleek movement and decided upon taking the easy way out by using barbed words to still come out dominant, one of his main talents. "God damn… Enough with the obvious soppy speech, Nessie. Ugh." Gary sneered, disgusted. "You guys are mine. End of." Petey and Ivy looked at each other before Ivy flung the cover over both of them and they ducked to the ground to talk privately, much to Gary's amusement as he snorted and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Idiots."

Ivy rolled her eyes at him through the cover and mumbled. "Think that what he actually means is friends but his pride won't allow him to say it?"

"Gary is weird like that." He muttered back lowly, fiddling with his shoelaces. "But he does treat us like toys to play with."

Her mind flickered back to last night, giving her the most pleasure she'd ever had in a single five minute span without actual intercourse but also getting his kicks of his denial of her completion. Fucking wanker.

Petey was also thinking. The way Gary bullied him around, calling him all the names under the sun and completely demolishing his confidence… but also building it back up again in a way that Petey came out stronger for.

It was Gary's 'playing' moments.

"Yeah."

"It's Gary though," Petey hesitantly added on, wanting to find something good enough because whether he liked it or not, Petey did actually want to be Gary's friend and he was pretty sure Ivy was the same way, what with that despondent look of inevitable giving in he saw. It was tough to call, because Gary was a fucker and a half and was the single most manipulative, ambitious, rumour mongering son of a bitch they'd ever met. He was crazy and deceitful and likely to use people as pawns in his plans, Petey knew.

Had known for years.

But he called them his.

And the things Gary decided were his (and the things he'd had for years, such as the little transformer toys Petey had given him for his eleventh birthday that still stood proudly on Gary's chest of drawers at his family home) stayed in excellent condition. Gary looked after his things with skill of a master, Petey also knew, and he'd never felt such a friendship with anyone.

"True."

There was a sigh from both of them as their shoulders drooped, knowing the inevitable.

"We're really stupid."

Petey's nervous smile was a little wry as he remarked, "I'd like to think of it as precautious. It is Gary we're talking about. Better to be on his side than against it."

Now that was the best point that could argued and one she didn't want to argue against.

Because who the hell would want to be on the wrong side of Gary?

"Meh. I could beat him up."

Petey laughed. "Yeah, you probably could. Think he'd like it though."

"Oh, man! What a thought. Oh more! One more time! Spank me!" She faked a deeper voice. They burst into laughter at that and the cover was pulled off them, an annoyed Gary glaring down at them. They grinned up at him and both of them pulled him down by the wrist. "Hey, Gary, we decided that you're so sadistic because it's to hide your masochistic tendencies."

"Yup."

He stared at them as if they were the ones that needed pills. "…"

"…"

"…"

"I think he agrees." Ivy said brightly, clapping her hands together and trying her best to piss him off.

Gary shot his arm out to smack her on the arm and she easily defended it with a strong forearm.

"You do want me to beat you up!" She playfully poked his nose with a wide grin before snapping her head to the door, letting him grab her wrist still in his face which had him feeling victorious before he understood her lack of attention.

There was a heightening sound of yelling and screaming from outside down the corridor.

"Get her quick!"

"Who did this?!"

"I can't believe it!"

"They said it was her!"

Girlish shrieks and demanding banshee screeches made the trio wince at the loudness before the door was being slammed on.

"Get out here bitch!" Lola shouted, slamming on the door. "We know what you've done! Those Nerds spilt all about your illicit dealings with the boys - at our expense! Get! Out! Here!" There was a chorus of agreements.

Ivy knew this could go wrong.

Oh, why did it have to go wrong?!

She hopped up, finding her bindings for her breasts and jumped on the bed, facing away from the boys as she flung her borrowed shirt off and quickly started to wrap herself up, Petey adamantly looking down as Gary took turns between staring and glaring at the pair of them. After that she threw on a spare tee shirt, track bottoms with ankle socks and her spar shoes. She knew that while the sleep had been gorgeous, she was still a bruised mess and still very queasy and didn't know any of these girls abilities should they start anything.

Petey whispered. "Will you be okay?"

BANG. BANG. BANG.

"OUT!"

She gave him a confident smile as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, going to remind herself to get a cut sometime. "No worries, mate. Get out of here, yeah? The least I can do is taking the brunt of it by myself. The less people known being involved the better. Can't let Gary be known as even more of a sociopath, eh, Petey?" She cracked quietly, throwing her key necklace around her neck.

He felt a little better and nodded, escaping out the window.

The said sociopath drew her forward to him by the waist, ignoring her look of affront at his manhandling. He took what he wanted, but that was a thought for another time. "Forget taking over the preps for now. The Nerds are next."

"Go for it, you bloody Napoleon. Just let me in on the action." She raised a brow, clasping her hands behind her and showing neither rejection or accepting of his touch, yet feeling the flutter of excitement in her chest at his closeness.

"Perhaps." He leaned down and kissed her lightly, (with Ivy letting him only knowing that she enjoyed this even if she wasn't sure about it) resisting the urge to do more as lust easily built as his hands trailed up her sides, stopping before he got to her soft chest as the thought of, 'Even Napoleon had his beloved Josephine', flashed through his mind. The thought caught him unaware and he backed up suddenly. He played off his reaction by smirking and leaning forward to grab the hoodie he leant her and chucked it at her.

Ivy gave him a look of contemplation at his actions before passing over it and remarking, "Think I can play it off by thinking they were only recording it? A mic only?" She gave a weak smile.

Gary gave a watchful look at her slightly insecure tone but nodded. "I'll make sure to spread that. Listen. Focus on derailing the Greaser. Got it?"

Curious but willing to take some advice on how to act, she nodded. "Got it."

He flicked her nose at her trusting look, making her give him an annoyed glance, rubbing her nose and a little smirk lilted his lips. "Our dorm is always open for you." He muttered and left.

Ivy fingered the material before putting it on, snorting slightly at the scent of him she could smell on it, but still taking in comfort from it. She swept over to her door, exiting and slamming it behind her creating a huge echo that shut everyone up, hands on hips. "Are you guys done making a scene? The hell is going on?"

"You! You lying bitch! It was a whole set up!"

"What was?"

Christy looked both excited and upset at this news and not sure which to settle on. "Last night!"

"Okay, okay, I admit it. I set up a microphone so they could listen in to the girls thoughts about the guys here, are you happy now? It's not as if it's that embarrassing, I said just as much as you guys did." Ivy huffed in consternation, hoping against hope that any acting skills she had might be put to use in this one moment. She just had to get through this and things will be chill again by Christmas. Maybe. "As if I hadn't gotten bother from the guys already this morning teasing the fuck outta me. Only a bit of fun anyway. Nothing big. I figured if any of you lot had a crush then this would be a kick up your crushes arse to get in there, you kn-"

"Cut the bullshit!" Lola snarled.

"The hell is your problem, slut? You said so and so had the best personality or lips? The fuck does it even matter? You've got Johnny! They start hitting on you he can ram through them for trying it on with his girl! We sure as hell don't have that shit! What's the big deal?"

Angie bit her lip. "They were recording us and said you knew."

"What? The Nerds?" Ivy sneered, pissed off at them especially and leaning against her door. "They'd say anything to get out of a beating. Anyway, why would I let myself be recorded naked by those little bitches? I suck at poker even if I kind of like it. I'd come off worse." Then the thought from Gary came to mind. Focus on derailing the Greaser. Right. Her electric blue eyes connected with Lola's brown ones. "Hell, why are you so pissed off, Lola? You had everything on. I bet they barely even saw a bra strap from you."

Mina nodded slowly in agreement and Mandy, who'd been on her side all day, and somewhat quiet now - likely still heavily hungover - was also looking convinced. "Ivy was one of the worst off..." The Chinese girl said grudgingly. "And it was Pinky who started talking about boys first…"

Ivy stopped her lips from grinning. 'I fucking love you Minaaaaaaa.'

"Shut up, bitch."

Mandy snorted at the hypocrisy, unable to help but retort, "You're just pissed off because all the boys have seen it all already."

"I've had enough of your shit! You are going down!"

A cat fight broke out between the two, as slugging punches hit and nails scratched and hair being yanked harshly was seen by all. Ivy stood back against her door, yawning, while Mina scooting into her for safety and Christy and Angie jumped out of the way. A sense of relief hit Ivy hard. It could have gone worse.

It did.

Kinda.

A punch came her way and deciding not to dodge it to keep her martial arts a secret (because way too many people knew about it for her comfort), it slammed into her mouth. Her teeth caught on her lip and cutting it and she instantly felt the site bruise up. It was weak but still made her want to absolutely jump the bitch. Her face scowled while the pot shot hurt faded (those this were nothing compared to her Sifu father) as she properly took in the scene. Mandy was on the ground groaning, one arm around her waist and another holding her eye. Christy and Angie were ducking down in fear while the other girls there that night had split the instance the fight broke out.

Mina simply clung onto Ivy's borrowed hoodie, panicky.

Lola looked triumphant, hair barely mussed up.

"I'm the Queen around here, girls. Don't you forget it!" She sent a kick into Mandy's stomach, causing the downed woman to gasp out a pained wheeze and stomped away.

Ivy suddenly tasted the blood, coppery and tangy and warm as a few of the girls checked on Mandy and Mina gave her a worried look.

That. Fucking. Slut.

Ivy promised herself payback.


.I.


The next day brought little bits of hell.

Lola was gorging on her own superiority.

Mandy was scarce.

Pinky was touch and go, never sure what to do with her.

The Nerds were vibrating with worry as Ivy scowled like the fucking devil at them. She didn't even look at her dinner or listen to Jimmy or Ivan try talk to her. She simply ripped into her apple with vicious intent and a few of them scarpered, until Lola decided to 'accidentally on purpose' drop her lunch on her. She had a burn from the hot chocolate on her thigh and she'd been grinding her teeth that whole day, pissed beyond recognition as that particular little happiness gave the Nerds the nod to pick on her.

The day after was just as irritating.

The Greasers seemed to jeer at her and happily forgot what she'd done for all the boys.

Her locker was trashed, not that she used it, but it was the fact of the matter that they still did it.

Any cafeteria food was worse than usual.

Had someone paid Edna to make it even shoddier?

Was that even possible?

Sifu gained painful bruises that day in Muay Thai, almost gaining a rather bad broken leg when Ivy lost focus on her strength, and the three other students decided to keep low from her wrath, looking away when she turned to them.

Thursday it was starting to wear on her and she felt her blood boil and Sifu had to send her home to deal with the problem, shouting at her to solve it before she came back as she stormed away. The problem didn't settle in the least. The Nerds seemed to suddenly gain new confidence and belittled her as she passed them, throwing spit balls and even a textbook on one occasion that she'd slapped away mid-air, giving a deathly glare and stepping forward with intent to harm, rolling up her sleeves with a snarl, before laughter of children stopped her before her anger dimmed. Then the thought of someone touching her boys pissed her off. She went again to beat them up but a firecracker setting of made her turn away and she stiffly walked off to go demolish something.

The Nerds had halted at that, looking at each other, suddenly calming down in their want to beat on some girl. That had been a particularly bloodlusty look and they knew not to stir a berserker's bloodrage.

She'd buffeted help from Jimmy and Petey and Ivan on Friday.

Pinky had finally got the guts to come up to her and tried to get her to go and stay at Harrington House as that was her clique, but Ivy had her pride and she would deal with the consequences of her actions as her martial arts teaching from her father had dictated, kindly letting Pinky down.

Gary was starting to ignore her and when she visited him on his own in his shared room, he actually growled at her to get out and she hadn't bothered with him since.

That one… had kind of stung for reasons she didn't want to look too deeply into.


.I.


These two weeks were like this as the twins were busy with homework or she wanted to keep them as distant from her as possible. In that time she hadn't bothered with the whole invite to the party from Diego. Instead she relished in the free money she was still given from her 'parents', who'd also given a nice little extra serving of money for her birthday and now had a few thousand built up, as the previous Ivy had actually saved up. Probably begging off money from her rich parents. She'd picked up a great laptop to practise her rusting programming skills on. She didn't want three years at Madrid University to go to waste, after all.

The next thing she bought had been the pill from the chemist. Her periods had been painful on her because of the stress it seemed, a reverse effect of what usually happened when a woman was stressed out. It was supposed to be for sex without condoms of course, but this brand had a good side effect of making the periods lighter and removal of much pain, so she felt somewhat normal again. If she happened to get horny and was at one of Diego's parties again… she could search him out and, well, it was a win-win situation. Mostly. Minus possible transmitted infections. Hm. Stick to condoms, just in case, at least with them. You never knew what gang members would pick up.

It was in this time she actually found a private spot to cry silently, damn God and all the other deities she could think of. It was incredibly lonely not being with her best friends from Madrid or Glasgow, laughing and joking or bitching about work or men or complaining about her lack of cooking skills. While not being seventeen in reality, it still stung to be given all these dirty or vicious looks when she'd generally been a liked person back in her actual schooling years. She wasn't popular or anything, but nor was she bullied relentlessly like she was here.

She still worried about the twins though. It was known they were relatives yet Pinky (still blessedly half on her side because she was Preppie) had done them a favour and demanded Derby let Matt and Tom have a room at the Harrington House. He grudgingly allowed his betrothed to have her way.

The Terror Twins in the expensive Harrington House.

Derby had felt faint.

Carnival Saturday came quickly, and this was the day for her twins, and God save any of those who dare to try anything on them. Because of her day out, she didn't see the large explosion in part of the observatory, as the Nerds lost part of their favoured hideout or the smirking Gary who was twirling what looked like a remote in his hand, eyes glued onto the next section he was gonna work on. Those damned Nerds had been pissing him off and it was only icing on the top that it'd get Ivy grinning like an idiot again.

Plus blowing shit up was fun.

Who knew making a bomb via a book in the library would actually work?


.I.


Matt grinned over his candy floss at Tom as he was able to hit the targets at the shooting alley and won himself a bunch of tickets. The two were saving up for that damn scooter. It may be a bit broken but they could fix it up. The Greasers may hate their sister for some reason, but the twins were little engineers in the making and were accepted into the fold. Double standards of a sort, but as long as the twins were happy, they knew their sister would put up with it for them. They didn't like how she was being treated, but she'd said not to worry and she'd deal with it because it was her own fault.

Matt and Tom wanted to stand up for her but what could some kids do that Ivy couldn't?

If sis didn't want to beat them all up and stop them like she used to, being all weird and cautious, then what could he do?

So he did what she wanted, and stayed happy, trying to keep a smile on his face when inside he really wanted to just say beat them up and show them who's boss! She'd explained once during the morning before they set off that she didn't want them in trouble because if they knew they couldn't hurt her, they'd go for the next best thing. Them. It scared him and she gave a comforting look, then putting an arm around him telling him she loved him and rather would get beat up then let them get beat up. She didn't wanna get kicked out either if she did fight either, because they'd be parted.

Tom declared they'd follow her anywhere making her blink in surprise and a thoughtful look hit her face before she shook her head. "Just tell me if they ever touch you or threaten you. Then I will hurt them." He'd nodded and they'd continued to the carnival.

They'd hit all the rides and taken lots of photos with the photography class camera and winning prizes. It was starting to get dark now and the lights were so pretty, Ivy felt a little calmer from the tension building up the past crazy days.

"We should go on that one again!" Tom pointed at the biggest ride once more.

"Naw, let's got to the freak show and bet on the midgets fighting!"

"Shooting range, maybe?" Ivy put in and grinned at their disinclined looks.

"Or we could get some food and watch some movies in your dorm." Matt said cheekily at Ivy before looking around again.

"Yeah!"

Ivy felt eyes on her and she scowled, looking around with a predatory look, because if it was one of those fucking Bullworth students again when she was with her boys, then she'd absolutely fucking demolish t-

"Sweet one, we need your help."

Ivy jumped around swiftly.

Diego looked back at her, face a mess of bruises and she didn't know how she missed him in the first place. "Please, baby girl. Boss has been stabbed badly and is being held hostage by the Mad Caps. Sifu was hurt by them, too."

That struck deep, but…

"I can't let anything happen to my twins, Diego."

"Please."

"I'm so sorry, Diego."

"He's at the New Coventry Tenements! Just-"

"No, Diego. I can't get my brothers in any danger or involved in any way with the gangs. They're only twelve. Please understand."

Diego's face dropped, then he sighed in understanding and he stepped back twice, before turning and running to find someone else to help.

Guilty but resolute, she smiled at the two. "Best to get you guys to Harrington's House." She guided them away, looking back at Diego's disappearing figure, biting her lower lip.

A sense of knowing came over her and she sighed at herself.

Ah, fuck.

She was gonna help him, as soon as she got her boys back home.


.I.


A/N: I'm happy with this. Yeah, I am. Next chapter, prepare for some violence! :D!

Reviews = chapters!

Fun times,

LaRS.