Disclaimer : Nanana, I can't hear you, can't hear – music stops – oh I can. Fine, I'll confess. I STOLE MCFLY AWAY! Nah, just joking. I don't own them.

Chapter 10

Previous chapter :

Rain was pouring. Thunder rumbling. Lightning flashing. We were currently watching a movie, called Goodbye Boys, about this five Scout dudes who goes like, camping around the…well, I don't really know. Getting back, we, being Dougie, I, Tom and drunk snoring Jake. Just as the climax of the story was approaching, I heard the doorbell buzz. I looked at Dougie, who looked at Tom, who raised his eyebrows, and reluctantly got up and opened the door. I heard him mutter 'Oh my God', which made me wonder. 'Xelia? I think you'd better come here' I dragged Dougie to the door with me. I couldn't make out the person, but when lightning flashed, I got a glimpse of her features, which prompted me to mutter 'Oh My God indeed.' It was…

CONTINUED

It was Jules, or Juliette Collins. Her usual wavy hair had turned into stringy strands. And as lightning flashed again, I saw that she was crying. I ran out, opened the gate, and persuaded her in. As she reached the front door, I shouted for Tom to hold open the door. As the pair of us made our way into the dining room, where she sat down on the chair, Tom voluntary went and grabbed her luggage.

'Dougie, get that thermos my mom dropped off,' I ordered him. He hurriedly complied, and came back holding it, dripping water on the tiled floor. I made Jules drink the herbal soup in it, which was known to calm the nerves. Dougie looked repulsed at it. I suppose he should, but us Malaysian Chinese people have been boiling these soups for decades, and my mom always made me drink them. Jules, on the other hand, readily accepted it, nearly dropping the thermos as her hands were shaking so badly. I heard a sound, and turned to see Tom, who had dropped her luggage behind the door, staring at her. In my haste, I forgot that what Jules was wearing was a white halter neck dress, which had become very sheer, and clinged to her model-esque body, on account of the rain.

Shooing him away to fetch a towel, I turned to Jules. Her hands weren't shaking as bad as a few minutes ago, but she was visibly shaken emotionally. I asked, 'What happened, sweetie?' She started sobbing again, choking out 'fiancé…cheated…beat'. I shook my head disgustedly, and then noticed large bruises forming on her arms, legs, and torso. By this time Tom had come down with the fluffiest, softest towel he could find, which was REALLY that soft and fluffy. I gave her it, and she toweled herself dry. Tom took another look at her, and announced 'Ice pack, coming up'

Danny and Maddie came out from the kitchen. And suddenly Mads slipped on the water dripped by both Jules and Dougie, and speed-skated into the wall. Seriously. She muttered something that sounded like, 'Why…wall…hurt…Maddie…' Danny ran to her side and guided her to the couch. I did the same with Jules. Tom raised his eyebrows, and said 'Okay…two ice packs then.'

At this point, Lisa, leading Harry by the hand came down the stairs. Their clothes were ruffled, and both had that "just-got-screwed" glow. And when Lisa reached the last step, slipped on the water, nearly speed skating like Mads (who looked like she WAS going cuckoo, since she was saying stuff like 'Look…birdies…' and pointing around her head. Like a cartoon.), only to land on her ankle, which may have caused a sprainage. Ouch. Harry promptly picked her up, and set her on the couch. Tom looked at me, and said 'Xelia, don't you dare move. Three ice packs is enough to cause freezer burn,' and carefully side stepped the spillage, and returned with three ice packs.

I lay one of the ice packs on Jules's leg, since it looked like the worst wound ever on her. Harry fussed over Lisa, placing the ice pack on her sprained ankle, while Danny laid the remaining ice pack on Maddie's forehead, who was slowly regaining sanity by the second. Jules was still shaken, and judging from her appearance (and the help of a psychology textbook during college years), she had suffered and was suffering from deep emotional trauma. I asked her, 'What happened, Jules?'

At this point, the floodgates were opened. No, forced open by a wrench. She spilled everything, about how her good-for-nothing bastard of a fiancée cheated on her with a prostitute, then waved it off since he declared that 'it was just sex', then crossed the line when she was leaving the house. He had beat her repeatedly, then thrown her out (even if she did wanted to leave of her own free will in the first place) in front of the neighbors, humiliating not only herself, but driving a deep blow into her dignity.

At the end of that err… confession, Tom looked like he was about to blow, and I was fuming mad. I was ready to shout filthy swear words at the top of my lungs, but Dougie whispered some words of encouragement in my ear. Looking at the clock, I realized that it was getting late, then made Jules take a bubble bath, while I rearranged the night's sleeping plans. Finally we all agreed that I shared a room with Dougie, while Tom and Danny shared a room. I went upstairs to check on Jules, and found that she was fast asleep on my bed, in her dressing gown. Walking downstairs, I asked that everyone go to bed. It was a long day.

I changed into my PJs, and slid under the bedcovers. Dougie copied my movements, and hugged me close as I sighed. We cuddled for a few minutes, and as I felt myself falling into dreamland, I heard him whisper, 'Everything's going to be fine, Xi.'

The next day, the whole bunch of us, including hungover grumbling Jake, who was complaining that we were being coldhearted after leaving him on the couch, causing him to wake up with a sore aching body, but shut up when he saw the state Juliette was in, went to the police station to lodge a report. The police man who had helped us had told us to go home, then told us that he would inform us when they had any news on the case.

Okay, I know this post is so crappy, but you can't blame someone when they are on holiday, and after the holiday, have to cram two months worth of school into their brains, right? …RIGHT?