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"You're a creepy little nerd." The top cheerleader cooed, dressed in her tight, short uniform as she and three other girls cornered Tara. "You know that right? So you're gonna do this test for us, got it? Or we-"

"Or what exactly?" Amber asked, stepping out. And she put all the cheerleaders to shame, her long blonde hair hung down her shoulders onto the bright pink dress, tied together with a shining black belt. "What is it that you will do? Oh right…you'll fail the test, and have to redo algebra."

The top cheerleader swallowed "Y-Yeah, well it's not like you've never failed before."

"I don't cheat." Amber snapped "I'm a lot of things, but I am not a cheater, now go, before I get my boyfriend to punch you in your annoying little face." The threat seemed incredibly real, though Jerome would have a very difficult time punching a girl, especially girls as pretty as the cheerleaders. The group sulked away, and Tara let out a breath of relief.

"T-thanks Amber," she whispered, head down. Amber sighed and nodded, heading away. She felt bad for Tara, but Tara was a geek, and...There was nothing Amber could do about that.

Line Break

"Hey guys," Mara wrung her hands together as she stepped out onto the patio. Amber ignored her completely, turning away as she looked into her small mirror. Mick was nowhere to be seen, he was probably faking being ill, he had tests in most of his subjects today.

"Hey Jaffray," Jerome said eventually, after a long silence.

"What are you guys doing?"

"I'm trying to figure out what the problem is." Jerome confessed, clapping his hands lightly, as he turned to Eddie. "I'm trying to figure out why I have a black eye."

Eddie looked down at his shoes "Listen man, I'm not sure how many times I can say sorry about that-"

"I think you'll keep apologising until the bruise is gone." Jerome retorted shortly. "God Eddie, what is wrong with you?" He ran his hands through his blonde hair, which was free of all gel today, and was light and fluffy and styled to the side. "What, you hate Mara so much that I get punched in the face for trying to hang out with her?"

"No!" Eddie cried, distressed "I just…" he looked to Mara desperately. But she wasn't on his side

"Eddie, I can make my own decisions. You're acting like my father, and I need friends. Why are you so interested in me being a geek again?" She bit her bottom lip "Do you really not like me?"

"No!" Eddie hit his forehead, standing. He was wearing jeans and an over-sized leather jacket, his hair slicked upwards in a style that got him mocked by Jerome, but he didn't mind. "I just…I mean…we have to be like this! We're not good in school! We all flunk and fail, and we're freaks, but you…" he gave her a look of almost disgust, waving his hands about, and Jerome watched him intrigued, and Amber frowned, examining him from her reflection of her mirror to seem uninterested. "You have the choice! You have the choice to do something with your life, and to be worth something, but you're not! You're throwing it all away, just because you're in love with Jerome."

Mara let out a nervous laugh "I…I am not in love with Jerome!"

"No-" Eddie said again, quickly "No I didn't mean that, I meant Mick-"

"What?" Amber turned then, glaring at Mara "You fancy my boyfriend."

"No Ambs," Jerome whispered, catching her wrist with gentle fingers "She doesn't, do you?"

"No, Amber, I promise." The lie was so good, Mara herself almost believed it "I love Mick. You know Eddie, he's high." Eddie nodded dumbly, though he wasn't. Amber seemed to relax, but didn't lessen her glare. "Hey guys…my parents want to meet all of you. I've already invited Mick, he's coming. Will you?"

"Free meal?" Eddie teased, smiling slightly "I'm there."

"Yeah, me too," Jerome smiled.

Amber sighed "I guess that means I'm in."

Line Break

Mara peered out of the window and pressed down her flowery dress. Her mother had set seven seats, and made one of her most delicious dinners yet. They were out there, her friends. Well, could she say that? Amber had made it clear she hated her, Mick was her boyfriend, Eddie was acting like her father, and Jerome? She wasn't even sure what Jerome was.

She opened the door with a smile "Come on in guys," And they came in one at a time, where her mother and father were waiting to be introduced. "This is my boyfriend, Mick,"

"Hey, Mr and Mrs Jaffray," Mick said politely, shaking Mr Jaffray's hand, a wide smile on his face "Thank you so very much for inviting me here." Mara wanted to roll her eyes, it was so obvious he was just trying to impress them. Mara didn't even think he could sound so smart.

"Lovely to meet you Mick," her mother smiled her father nodded, and gestured Mick to the table where he took his seat, and immediately started eating.

"This is my frie…this is Eddie." Mara said pointedly, he glared at her slightly, but seemed to understand that he deserved that. Eddie shook their hands and nodded heading over to Mick. And then in came Amber, despite hating Mara, she was very nice. She hugged her mother, and hugged her father, and smiled wildly and prettily, pretended to be Mara's friends for a few moments, and went to sit down.

And then Jerome walked in.

"This is Jerome Clarke, he was uh…my first friend at Anubis, aside from Tara," Mara nodded. Jerome seemed surprised at this information, but shook hands with her father with a smile. But her father paused

"You look familiar…" he muttered, staring hard at Jerome, Mrs Jaffray nudged him, but he stayed staring. Jerome stared back with bright blue eyes, waiting. "Oh my god…you're the kid that egged my store last summer!"

The three teenagers sniggered from the dining room table and Jerome looked sincerely regretful "Yeah…about that…I…I'm so so sorry, about that…" Mara stood there, frozen.

Her father glared at him "So you should be! You're very lucky that we have some good people in the neighbourhood, they came and cleared it up the next night to save me the hassle. Must have taken hours! Did you know that? Huh punk? Did you know that a few seconds of fun is hours of work for someone else?"

"I'm sorry." Jerome tried again, earnestly. But her father was just gesturing to the table, where Jerome took a seat opposite Amber, he was angry at himself for not realising. Her parents sat down at the heads of the table and Mara took her place beside Jerome, opposite Mick, and they all began.

"So, Mick, how long have you and Mara been dating?" Mrs Jaffray asked interestedly. Mick opened his mouth to reply, but Amber cut in meanly

"Not long enough. She fancies my boyfriend."

"God Amber!" Jerome snapped harshly "You never know when to keep your giant gob shut do you? They weren't talking to you, and that was a mistake! Just take a break from being such a hassle all the time!"

"I'm a hassle?" Amber screeched, banging her hands on the table "Ugh! I'm the one who had to listen to you go on and on and on about how your dad had walked out on you! How am I the hassle by being an audience to your sob story?!"

"Oh that's rich!" Jerome leaned back in his chair, jaw locking in pained anguish, and only for a second, Mr Jaffray pitied him. "Because my dad walks out every weekend, doesn't he? The one time I need you to listen to me, you hold it over me! My life Amber! I was being a hassle, because my life was falling apart! It's easy for you!" Tears glistened in his eyes, but he wasn't going to cry "You're the daughter of the richest people in the city! I hate being around you! I hate hanging out with you!"

"Hey," Eddie cut in quietly to Mrs Jaffray "Do you have any seconds? This is really good." Mrs Jaffray nodded meekly, pointing to a pot in the middle of the table, which Eddie grabbed.

"Oh? If you hate hanging out with me, maybe we should just break up? Is that what you want?!"

"Guys." Mick stopped them "Can you post-phone this lovers tiff till later? We're in the middle of dinner!" his voice was calm and reasonable, but it just got Amber mad

"Your girlfriend doesn't even like you Mick! She doesn't love you! Eddie was right! She loves Jerome-"

"No I don't!" Mara cried, at the same time Jerome yelled "No she doesn't!"

Mick shook his head "Amber, I know things are tough right now, but don't pick on other peoples relationships. Jeez, you are so self-centred, how can you make judgements when you don't even pay attention? Did you know that Eddie's started dating someone?"

"What man?" Eddie groaned, his mouth full of potatoes "Don't bring me into this."

"Dude…" Jerome said quietly, turning to him with a hurt expression on his face "A-..are you actually dating someone?" Eddie paused, before nodding slightly. Jerome's shocked and hurt look made Eddie swallow his food tastelessly "Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered, smiling slightly

Eddie shrugged "I guess…uh…well, Jerry, thing's have been tough for you lately. You didn't need to worry."

"What's her name?"

"Patricia, she goes to uh…to St Pargo, on the other side of town." Eddie said quietly. He looked up to Mrs Jaffray again "Do you have any more of this sauce? Just on its own? It's really good." She nodded, and pointed, slightly fearful, to the fridge, where Eddie grabbed the whole bowl and started pouring it down his throat.

Amber turned away in disgust, back to Jerome "We're through Jerome. We're over. I never want to see you again."

"Oh come on Amber, use your brain," he sighed "We're going to see each other, every day! And need I remind you that we break up like once a week? Then you come crawling back to me?"

"I come crawling back to you?" she laughed loudly "I'm sorry, did you not phone me crying about how you wanted to get back together with me?"

Jerome winced, "Hey." He hissed venomously "You promised you wouldn't tell!"

"It's ridiculous why girls are fawning over you at all!" Mr Jaffray barked at Jerome "You're nothing but a vandal, who should be fined for what they've done. Probably has poor grades-"

"Jack!" Mrs Jaffray snapped

But Mr Jaffray continued "Mara, look what you've gotten yourself in to. Come on Mr Clarke, I bet you think you're very cool don't you, very popular, well let me tell you something, when you're older, you're not going to be popular, you're going to be homeless, unemployed-"

"I'm the one who cleaned up the egg the next day!" Jerome cried, opening the bottle and exploding in a rage. "God! I felt so bad for what I'd done, Sir! I couldn't stand it! So I came back the next day and I cleaned it all up!" Mr Jaffray was sent into stunned silence as Jerome stood, racked "But you have no right to say those horrible things about me! You're a horrible person! And this has been a horrible start, to what will end as a horrible evening! Eddie's drifting from me, Amber's just dumped me, Mara's confusing the hell out of me with her stupid feelings!" He screamed the last part "And Mick..." he faltered, and turned to Mick in surprise "You've been…an absolutely perfect friend, Mick," he whispered, nodding "I wish uh…I wish I'd been half as good to you as you were to me." And with that he stalked out.

Amber stood, her eyes prickling red "Look what you made me do!" She screamed at Mara "You made me dump him!" And she ran outside crying, but Jerome had already driven away.

"Um…" Eddie stood, wiping his mouth "This has been great…" the four of them stared at him, completely stumped "Can I uh…" he clutched the bowl of sauce, nodding and leaving the house. A cold wind blew in through the open door.

"Well…" Mick stood, swallowing "I'm gonna take off now. Lovely to meet you, Mr and Mrs Jaffray. Bye Mars," and he headed for the door, before stopping slightly, and turning "I know it's silly but…do you…do you actually like Jerome?" Mara said nothing, and Mick's handsome features morphed into one of sadness, not anger. "I guess I knew that, huh?" he nodded "I just uh…I loved you-"

"Mick," she whispered "I do really like yo-"

"But not as much as him?" he whispered knowingly "Well then I guess…if you'll let me, to avoid too much embarrassment, I'll break us up." He sighed, tugging at his sleeves "Just so you know, every bone in my body is telling me not to do this, but…" he looked down at the ground and Mrs Jaffray felt awful "Um…I don't wanna see you anymore," he lied. "I'm gonna people I dumped you, alright? They won't believe me but-"

"I'll back up your story." Mara whispered. Mick wiped his eyes roughly, and nodded leaving.

STRIKE TWO

Mr Jaffray sighed "Not that anyone in this family cares about my opinion, but I think you're making a mistake. Mick's a better choice than the other one." And he left the table.

Mara's mum looked at her daughter sadly. Mara looked up at her, her brown eyes watering. Mara swallowed, waiting tensely for her mothers harsh words she just knew were coming. "I like Jerome." She said finally. Mara's eyes widened in shock "Yeah I do…he…he cleaned the egg off your fathers walls. He was your second friend at Anubis. He cried for his girlfriend. He feels bad that he doesn't know greedy Eddie very well. He's thankful of Mick's friendship. He's a good person, he's human. A very remarkable one at that. And you know what else, Mara?"

"What?" Mara whispered in awe, and her mother smiled

"I think he likes you."

Review?

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Thank you, Peddieismylife, it will take a while, but Patricia will arrive for her American bad boy J

And thank you Rachel, reading all your reviews was swell! Love you so much, and yeah, parents kinda have this thing against technology so it's fine xx