Right, I'm back with an update. Hope you enjoy.

Izzy xx

Last Time

"Okay, boys take one of the names out of the hat. That's who you're playing with." Austin offered a baseball cap around, containing the names of all the girls in the group.

As the hat was passed around Alex kept an open mind, he didn't mind who he was with as long as it wasn't…

Unfolding the piece of paper his heart sank; Sabina.

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Alex looked around, his heart beating at twice it's normal speed. Boys were walking towards girls, laughing and joking about who they're been put with. Alex couldn't laugh or joke about his pair. Sabina hadn't spoken to Alex since that day in the mall, she'd done her very best to avoid him at school, let alone making an effort to see him outside of it.

"Alex?" Matilda was looking at him, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. Thanks, Tilly." Alex looked in Sabina's direction t find her stubbornly facing the other way.

Alex could not see what he had done; he'd not said or done anything to upset her. Well, not that he'd known about anyway. Alex was hurt, he didn't understand how Sabina could give him such a warm reaction at the mall and then completely blank him for weeks after. Thinking back to the time they'd spent together in England Alex knew that they'd been good together. They'd laughed at one another's jokes, they could even finish each other's sentences, and they'd been more than friends. They'd been best friends, on the verge of something more. Or so Alex had thought.

"Sabina?" Alex approached her cautiously, not knowing what to say.

"Alex?" It felt so good to hear her say his name again.

"Errm, well, you're with me" Alex held up the piece of paper, as if it were proof he wasn't lying.

"Oh." Sabina looked at the ground, not hands twisting around themselves. "I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe you can swap with Austin."

"What?" Alex asked, incredulously. "Why Sab?"

"I just don't…it's just…Corb….he wouldn't…" Sabina mumbled still not looking at Alex.

"Corb?" Alex questioned, feeling uneasy at the mention of Sabina's boyfriend. "What's he said?"

Sabina looked up, annoyed at herself for letting that slip. "Nothing, it's not him. I just can't see you Alex. I'm sorry. I promised…" Sabina trailed off, clearly annoyed at herself. Turning on her heel Sabina began to run. Away from Alex. Away from the group. Away from life.

"Oi, Sabina!" Austin called after her, "Come back here. We can't play with an odd number. Doesn't work"

Sabina turned, and Austin smiled. "Only if I don't have to play with him" Sabina spat the last word, pointing at Alex.

"Woah, what'd you do, mate?" Austin asked Alex, looking surprised.

"Nothing" Alex said, total bewilderment washing over him.

"Sure, Sabina. You can swap with Lauren. She's with Tommy. Okay?" Austin called down the beach.

"Fine" Sabina began walking slowly back down the beach towards the grou of, now staring, teenagers. Whispers started making there was around the group, Alex the subject of all of them.

Alex couldn't believe what had just happened; he didn't want to think about why Sabina had refused to partner him. It made him too angry; he'd been there for Sabina when she'd needed him moist, he'd saved her life on board Air Force 1. He couldn't think of any reasons why Sabina was acting like this.

"Sabina?" Alex pleaded as she walked past him. "Sabina what have I done?"

"Leave it mate" Austin placed a hand on Alex's forearm.

"No, I won't leave it. Sabina we were friends. More than that, we were best friends. I don't understand what I've done. Why won't you look at me?" Alex shouted at Sabina who was stod at the water's edge, her back turned.

"Just leave me alone Alex, I can't be friends with you. It's not allowed." As Sabina turned Alex saw the tear tracks that lined her face.

"What are you talking about? Why's it not 'allowed'? Who said that? Sabina?!?" Alex was screaming now as he ran after Sabina who had, once again, taken flight.

"Leave it Alex. Please, I'm not worth it." Sabina was crying hard now, making it hard for her to run and speak.

"You are worth it, please Sabina, tell me what's going on." Alex came to a standstill about five paces from where Sabina had stopped, outside the girls toilets.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry Alex!" And with that Sabina turned and ran into the women's toilet, her sobs echoing after her.

****

Lying on his bed a few hours later Alex thought over what had happened. He still could think of no logical reason why Sabina had been so upset. One word that Sabina had said was rolling over and over in his mind, however. 'Corb…'

Alex hadn't liked the look of Sabina's boyfriend when he had met him in the mall but it hadn't crossed his mind he could be dangerous. Alex got off his bed and made his way down stairs to where Jack and Marie were gossiping over their afternoon coffee.

"Heya" Alex said, slumping on the sofa next to Jack.

"Hello, Alex. Are you okay?" Asked Marie, her maternal instinct kicking in.

"Yeah. Have either of you heard of Corbin Heeley?" Alex asked. He'd found out the surname of Sabina's boyfriend from a girl who'd also dated him, Lauren.

"He's not very nice" Lauren Said.

"In what way?" Alex asked.

"I don't want to talk about it" Lauren had stated before turning away from Alex.

"The name rings a bell" Jack said, looking thoughtful.

"Andy Heeley's son?" Marie said.

"I presume so, I don't know." Alex answered.

"Yes, that's him. I used to babysit for him when he was a kid." Marie said. "Nasty boy. Really vicious, and spiteful"

"Really?" Alex asked, interested. "Have you heard anything about him recently?"

"Not about Corbin but Alice from the pool told me some interesting stuff about his father." Marie said.

"Really? What did she say?" Alex inquired.

"Well, she said that he'd been busted by the cops for smuggling drugs and theft. But he's also been had for some sort of harassment, something to do with harassing a disabled man. It was all in the newspapers. Horrible story, apparently he cornered this man on his way home from work and demanded every bit of cash and jewellery the man had on him. When he said no, Andy let him go. But then he followed the poor man to and from work every day for weeks until the poor man had to phone the police to stop him. He's a nasty piece of work, they all are. I'd stay away from the Heeley's if I were you, Alex. You don't want to go getting messed up in something like that." Marie finished, a concerned look playing on her soft features. Marie worried about Alex sometimes, she knew his background and wondered if the spy in him took over the teenager in him some days.

"I won't, ma" Alex smiled at his grandmother and turned to Jack. "What's the score?" Alex motioned toward the soccer game on the television.

"Two-one to the knights" Jack said, totally absorbed.

Alex stared at the screen, pretending to be interested in the game. Really he was deep in thought about the infamous Heeley family, in particular the eldest son, Corbin. Alex didn't like the sound of the father and doubted if the eldest son was any sort of angel, he couldn't understand what Sabina saw in him. Sure, he had the looks of an Armani model, but that was all he had going for him. From what Alex had heard that day at the mall, he was an insecure bully. Nothing to write home about, as it were.

"Alex?" Ted asked, walking into the living room, the cordless phone in his hand.

"Yes?" Alex looked up, waking from his reverie.

"Some boy called Tom Harris on the phone for you." Ted held out the phone and Alex grinned. Tom Harris was Alex's best friend from Brookland School back in England.

"Hello?" Alex took the phone to his room and sat on his bed.

"Alex old bean!" Tom exclaimed, obviously delighted to hear Alex's voice.

"Hey Tom. How's things in England?" Alex asked.

"Raining, what else would it be doing?" Tom answered a slight tone of sarcasm to his voice.

Alex laughed, it was great to speak to Tom. He'd been the one person Alex had not wanted to leave behind in England. They'd been best mates since year seven and even closer since Alex's brush with Scorpia.

"I'd expect nothing else of my dreary homeland." Alex chuckled.

"Right I was actually ringing to ask you a favour, not to talk about the weather." Tom said.

"Shoot"

"Well, you know my parents are going through a brutally messy divorce?" Tom asked.

"Yes" Alex had counselled Tom through many nights of near tears and was quite happy to do so.

"Well they can't decide which one of them gets me for Christmas day so I was wondering if I could pull a fast one on both of them and go to yours for the holidays?" Tom asked, Alex could hear the sheepish expression on his face.

"I'll have to ask Jack, Marie and Ted but I'd love you to come" Alex grinned, the prospect of Christmas with Tom was a light on a rather bleary horizon.

"Thanks mate. Of course I want to see you as well, it's not just about escaping the clutches of th blood-thirsty parents" Alex could hear Tom grinning.

"I'll go and speak to Jack and co. and ring you back." Alex said.

"Cheers. Speak to you soon" Tom hung up and Alex beamed.

Running down the stairs Alex shouted "Jack?"

"In the kitchen Alex, what's got you so flustered?" Jack replied, tossing the salad she'd made to go with dinner.

"Do you remember my friend Tom from London?" Alex asked.

"The small one with black hair and blue eyes?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, that's him. Well could he possibly come and stay for a bit?" Alex smiled at Jack, knowing she couldn't resist the full AR charm.

"Of course, he'd be welcome. When?" Jack asked.

"I know it's normally a family time but he needs to be away from his family so would it be okay if he stayed over Christmas?" Alex didn't know what to expect, he knew Jack liked Tom but he also knew she liked to keep Christmas a family time.

"Well, I don't have a problem with it but you'll have to ask mother" Jack said.

"Someone say my name?" Marie asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Alex has something to ask you" Jack looked pointedly at Alex.

"I was wondering if it would be okay for a friend from England to come and stay over Christmas." Alex said. "Please" he added, almost as if it were an afterthought.

"Of course it's okay. Is it Tom? The boy you were telling us about last week?" Alex nodded. "Well then he's more than welcome, his brother too if he has nowhere else to go."

"Thanks ma, you're the best" Alex kissed her on the cheek and bounded out of the room.

"So I've been told" Marie chuckled.

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