Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.

A/N: Most of you were really good at guessing the foreshadowing! But I'm gonna go ahead and let you know that NO, they have not met before. So the theory about them being childhood friends is wrong. But good guess, though LOL! Alexa and I are really happy with all of the reviews and followers, even if you don't review. But reviewing is still appreciated, ha ha! It helps us know what you guys are thinking/wanting, and it inspires us to keep going. Thank you so much! Also, there will be songs picked to go with certain scenes and/or chapters. Even if you don't feel like looking it up, I REALLY recommend that you do. It helps SO much with imagery.


Chapter 8: Drinks and 'Cards'

The darkness engulfed the beach, making anything at all nearly impossible to see. All that seemed comprehendible was a world of uncertain sound: the loud and lazy waves, the sea gulls cawing, the insects chirping, and a small crackle of a fire. The last sound was all that provided any sight of any of these array of things, often providing an uneasy air to settle among anyone unlucky enough to be near. But the darkness and lack of visibility wasn't necessarily what made someone unlucky. The group of people taking a sit and a couple of drinks and smokes underneath a large, dark, old dock is what would bring an unfortunate end to anyone wandering along.

This group of men were not wavered by the lack of sight, however, for they had been underneath this place many times before. They had their fire; their beast, crackling fire that they would throw their cans and bottles into when finished. They had to at least try to get rid of evidence, right? Incase a person comes along and stumbles across their leftover trash… especially a cop. Police were scum in their eyes: overreacting killjoys who ruined everything in life worth doing. That's why they did anything and everything that might rile them. It would teach the paranoid party-stoppers a lesson.

One of the men, the roughest and oldest, sighed and leaned back in his plastic, dirty chair. He scratched an itchy spot on his short and dark beard, smirking. The overly-large black one grinned, revealing his yellow teeth, knowing what was coming. One, two, then three seconds passed. Then…

A loud belch filled the still night, making the three other guys there laugh and slap their hands to their knees.

"Nice," the bearded one complimented himself, adjusting his leather vest on his broad shoulders. "Rage, I wanna hear yours. See if you can beat me tonight."

A slightly disoriented red-head emerged from behind one of the dock's gargantuan dark pillars, grinning evilly.

"You know you are the only freak out here who can burp on… c-command after drinkin' beer, man," Rage smirked, slurring his words slightly. "I gave you props last night, dude. Leave it at that."

"That's right," the man grinned, his dark teeth glinting in the firelight, "didn't think so. The King, right here." He pointed to himself, looking a little uncoordinated under the influence of the alcohol.

But another belch broke through the silence, louder and more pronounced than the first. All three heads snapped to the blonde boy who had been sitting on a makeshift log, not saying much, just chugging them down until now. After what seemed like ten full seconds, his mouth closed and the sound ceased. A few moments of silence passed, shortly followed by an outburst of laughter.

"There you go, man!" the baby-faced one boomed, turning to a pissed-looking leader. "I think Chad just sto' yo' crown, Lawson."

"Shut up, Rod," Lawson barked, making the large man called Rod instantly quiet. Rage was still laughing dumbly, the alcohol disorienting his thinking. He glared, and Rage shut up as quickly as his drunk laughter had filled the space. Lawson turned to Chad with something that was supposed to be a bittersweet smile, but came off more as a grimace. "Well, well, Chad. Look a here at you… beaten the ole man in a belching contest." His eyes glinted as he watched an unshaken-looking Chad meet his eyes. "Good for you." It wasn't necessarily the fact that he had been beaten in a supposed-to-be insignificant burping contest, or that his emotions were easier to spike since he was fairly drunk, but it was more like a challenge to his power, his seniority. The blonde shrugged and put his elbows on his knees for support, leering at Lawson like they had been through this many times before.

"It just came out of me, man," he smirked with his signature smug look, letting the leader know that he was still in control. Lawson grinned widely and uneasily, laughing a bit like Rage had earlier. The beer was getting to his head.

"Sure, Chad, s-sure," he slurred, laughing a laugh that would send a shiver down the spine of any other person that wasn't used to it. Silence followed, the fire crackled, and Rage brought up a random subject that probably seemed completely relevant in his swirling mind.

"You know what I want?" he asked the other three loudly, as if they had impaired hearing. They raised their eyebrows. "I want a w-woman." He laughed dumbly, his unattractive teeth showing as his smelly breath fanned the fire. "A sexy w-woman."

"When's da last time we saw a freakin' hot one?" Rod said bitterly, throwing his green glass bottle into the fire and watching the light dance with aggravation.

"At the strip club," Lawson laughed, his voice low.

"Naw, man," he shook his head, shrugging. He made eye contact with Rage, smiling a smile that was supposed to be flirtatious. "I don't mind them, though, don't get me wrong now." He kicked the sand, his heavy dark boot scraping. "All o' them are sluts, man. I'm lovin' them," he added when he saw a look come from Chad that said 'you say that like it's a problem'. "But I want somethin' different. Somethin' more… real, ya know?"

When he looked to his fellow bikers when they weren't answering, they were all peering at him like he was insane. Then they all burst into laughter simultaneously.

"That's funny, man," Lawson chuckled as the laughter died down. "It almost sounded like you were talkin' about settlin' down or some crap like that."

Rod busted into chuckles as well, but they weren't as loud as their's had been. "Naw, dude, that's a bunch a bull. I'm talkin' about… someone not willin' ta just come up to me and show me everythin' in five seconds. I want somebody more… innocent, I guess. Still feisty, though." He growled the last part. "Ya know I love 'em feisty."

"Are you talking virgins?" Chad sneered the word like it was dirt.

Rod shrugged his burly shoulders. "Could be one, I guess, man. Don't gotta be, though. I just tired of all da dirt and predictability, man. I want somethin' new."

Suddenly, Rage spoke up, like he'd just remembered the best thing. "You mean like that dog freak at the gas station two weeks ago?" he raised his eyebrows. Rod's brows were knitted in confusion, then came apart in realization. He chuckled, a little darkly.

"Just like that, man, just like that," he whispered, grinning from ear to ear. "Hot but resistant. Sexy but not lettin' everythin' hang out 24/7."

"Speakin' of her," Lawson grinned widely, "I heard somethin' through the old high school grape vine. I didn't get to see her, but I hope I'm gonna get to."

"Whatcha talking about, Lawson?" Rage asked. Maliciousness filled his eyes. He turned to Chad.

"Apparently this little animal rights sweetheart has enrolled at my old high school," he breathed. "At Chad's current personal hell, am I wrong?" Chad grinned. "And I heard something that little Chaddy has forgotten to let us in on." Both Rage and Rod turned and looked at Chad, smiling, ideas already forming in their mind, no doubt.

Not good ideas.

"And, Chad," Lawson began mockingly, deepening his voice like a disappointed father, "I heard your grades are not doing well." They all chuckled. "And he got a smoking tutor."

They all began nudging Chad, laughing, making noises and grunting suggestively.

"Why didn't you let us in on it, man?" Rage demanded, laughing, leaning up against the pillar with arms crossed.

"He doesn't want Rod over there tryin' to make a move on his real woman," the bikers' leader mocked. Chad rolled his eyes.

"She's yours," Rod said, lifting his hands in surrender before chuckling. "Gonna let the little one here get a score. Am I right, bro?"

Chad wagged his eyebrows, clicking his tongue. His peers grinned proudly.

"How you gonna do it?" Rage wanted to know, leaning in excitedly. "During one of your little 'tutoring sessions'?" The fire flickered, making Chad's facial expressions difficult to see, but identifiable nevertheless. He scratched the back of his neck, something that they all had grown to know meant that he had done something stupid.

"What did you do, Chad?" Lawson wanted to know, actually leaning forward himself. All three of them were leaning towards him, watching him for his response. Chad opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by a knowing leader. "You told her to leave you alone, didn't you?"

All three of them groaned and Chad rolled his blue eyes again.

"Idiot!" Rage raged. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, catching drool that Rage had just realized was on his face.

"Crap, man, why'd ya do that?" Rod said simulatiously with Rage's yell. Lawson just sat there, his hands folded together on his stomach, watching the scenario with dark observance.

"I was gonna have to be with her and study every Wednesday for who knows how long!" Chad defended himself, throwing an empty silver can into the large fire. "Nobody's gonna tell me that I have to do anything! I don't want to waste my time with pointless stuff like 'studying'! It's a bunch of shi -"

"We know that, Chad," Lawson said, his voice calm and suddenly more sober-sounding. His hands were still folded together, and he was still watching like a cat watching mice squabble: entertained, scrutinizing, curious, observant. He rested his right ankle on his left knee. "But you do hear yourself, right? You could be with her every Wednesday. As in, be with her every Wednesday." He grinned in a sick way.

Chad groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Yeah, I think of that now."

"Screwed up, man," Rod shook his head.

"I still see her every day, though!" he defended. "I barely ever go to class. Caught her in the hall the other day alone. Little Miss Perfect got there late." Chad grinned to himself, a flash in his eyes the others saw. They smiled as well. But then the brilliant blue darkened, becoming dangerous. Their smiles faded; everyone's except for Lawson's. It stayed. "A few complications got in the way," he muttered, his voice low with anger. "But it's gonna come through in the end. I know it will. I'm making sure of it."

Lawson's grin turned up coldly, proudly. "Good, Chad. Good."

When the dark blue lightened again, the other two felt it appropriate to speak again.

"You gonna reactivate your tutoring stuff, Chaddy?" Rage teased.

"Do I have a choice?" Chad smiled. "Sure I am. She's gonna be avoiding me already, being spooked and all."

"Lovin' the chase?" Rod looked off into the distance, thinking about his own chases he had loved so much.

"Yeah, man."

"Aw, is she scared?" Rage laughed, honestly thinking it was humorous.

"She's terrified," Chad growled happily. He sounded thrilled. He remembered her whimpering, the look in her eyes when he'd pin her. It was all too funny, really. Seeing her strain was hilarious and just plain entertaining.

"This'll be interesting, Chad," Lawson smirked. "I'm excited to see how all this works out. Tell me how she is."

"She's still got her V Card, don't she?" The baby-faced one asked the dumb question.

"Idiot!" Rage yelled yet again, directed at Rod this time. Rod glared at him then looked at Chad, brows raised. His tone was suddenly serious.

"You takin' a V Card, man?" he asked. He didn't sound disapproving, but his voice was void of any type of approval whatsoever. Chad suddenly felt… what was that, uncomfortable? Nah. He was just unsure. He shrugged, his shoulders feeling heavy under the weight of all of their stares. He glanced over to Lawson, who's gaunt face was eerie in the flickering firelight, unreadable. He wasn't helping Chad on this one. He wanted to hear an answer. But Rage's next comment may have influenced Chad's answer.

"You got any balls, Cooper?" One side of his dirty, alcohol-stained mouth pulled up. "You gonna go there?" He was cut off by a look from Lawson.

Chad chewed on the inside of his cheek, taking a swig of beer to stall for time. He had always known she was a virgin. After all, it was pretty obvious. But it had never really sunk in that he might… well… take it. Especially if she wasn't willing, which she most likely wouldn't be.

Wait, didn't that qualify as…?

"Dude, relax, it's not like you're raping her," Rage laughed loudly. His fiery hair was even brighter in the firelight. Chad looked up at them, not really saying anything but his face looking oddly off, which it barely ever did. Just like how Rage was the fiery type, Rod liked to be physical, and Lawson could intimidate anyone with a simple look, Chad pretty much never hesitated or backed down from something. So when he didn't immediately answer, they knew something was wrong.

"Are you chickening out, man?" Lawson asked in a disapproving tone, one that he knew would fire up his biking prodigy. Chad sat up straighter on his log, eyes fiery.

"No." It was stated as a fact.

"Then don't back down from this," he said immediately, commandingly, throwing a glass bottle full of beer into an unexpecting Chad's chest. He caught it roughly, grunting at the impact, rubbing the spot where it hit only for a moment. But only for a moment. Lawson locked eyes with the youngest of the group, challengingly. Everything seemed to go quiet. Even the waves seemed to come to a standstill, afraid of the man himself. "I want to see this, dude. I want you to have your first real…" he seemed to search for the word "… frenzy."

"I -"

"Don't hesitate on this, Chad." Lawson said the 'H' word like it was scum. "Once you get little sweetheart to go at it with ya, I want to hear about it." His eyes drilled into Chad's with inhuman force. "I want to know you did it. Without doubting you."

Sure, to some this might seem a little extreme, but this was the moment of truth. Chad was a Senior in high school, eighteen years old, reaching that age. The one where he would become a permanent member of their little group. It was where he could prove himself to all of them, most importantly Lawson. It was almost an initiation. It's always subconsciously decided what it would be and challenged by the implied leader of the gang. The food chain came knocking, and Chad was about to answer that call and try and move up. Lawson had done it, and a year afterwards so did Rod and Rage. This was Chad's time to shine, and he wasn't backing down.

Without thinking it over, he stood up, not off balance like the rest of them. He stuck out his hand to a superior-looking Lawson, who looked down on him without any trace of humor. A malicious, calculating smile spread across his rugged features. Lawson grabbed Chad's hand with force, shaking it once firmly.

"We have a deal, Chaddy boy."