"We'll get higher and higher, leave it all behind." – Dreams by Van Halen.

Chapter 11: Enemies... right?

"Isabelle, wait."

Wood glanced at me, his arm automatically wrapping itself around my waist. I glared at him, but he only cocked an eyebrow.

I turned around and spotted Dom, looking completely hopeless. I tried to find it within myself to feel bad, but I couldn't, not just because of the bruise on my cheek, but because I'm not an empathetic person. Dom fell for me for all the wrong reasons. He brought out a part of me that I didn't know existed – sweetness, kindness and girliness. But I'm not any of those things, and that's what he fell for.

But... it isn't as though I will ever find anyone else who at least partially accepts me. I'm not a nice person...

I took a step towards Dom, my hazel eyes softening as I saw the look in his eyes. I couldn't help but be attracted to him...

"No," Wood growled, grabbing my wrist and pulling me away from Dom. His grip was too tight for me to pull away, his walk to fast. I felt tears prick my eyes again, this time of sadness. More than that – a mingle of sadness, fury and humiliation. Wood pulled me into an alleyway and looked me in the eye, deep eyes angry.

"Don't ever be that stupid again," he growled, his grip on my wrist loosening. He sat down on a crate in the corner, and I sat next to him, glaring. Does he really have the audacity to call me stupid?!

"What the heck are you talking about?" I asked, in my best attempt at being myself: an angry bitch. However, it came across to croaky for Wood to buy it.

He tucked a curl behind my ear, rough fingers brushing against my earlobe. I shivered.

"My sister was in an abusive relationship a few years back. Her partner always said that he would never hit her again, that he would never let the anger get the better of him... well, he lied. I don't care if you thought that Dominic was amazing, because if he hit you once, he'll hit you again. Don't let yourself be treated like shit, Izzy."

I narrowed my eyes at Wood's guarded expression, as though he was trying to hide his emotions. That's his signature look, really.

I wouldn't know, to be honest, what it's like to be in an abusive relationship. I felt sorry for Wood's sister... but Wood treats me like shit...

"You're a hypocrite," I snarled, wiping tears away from my eyes.

Wood brought a hand up to my bruised cheek and looked at me seriously.

"I wouldn't ever hit you. I meant what I said, Izzy. You're a great Quidditch player, and I'm only harsh on you because you have so much wasted potential. I can see that you've never been allowed to play Quidditch... I would say that your parents are strict about it, and that is a reason why you are such a rebel..."

I blinked stupidly a few times. How does he know me so fucking well? I found that my cheeks were heating up at the complements, but luckily it was dark and Wood couldn't see. But I brushed away the warm, flattered feeling very quickly. Just because I supposedly have 'wasted potential' doesn't mean that that is a reason for treating me so horribly. But... but...

I guess that I wanted Wood to keep being a dick, because when he's nice...

Not only does it drive me insane with confusion, it makes me wonder if Alicia's theory is true. I mean the one about Wood fancying me, not the other way around. All though both of the theories are ridiculous, the latter is completely preposterous.

My hands seemed to have brain cells of their own, because I brought one of them up to the cut that I inflicted on Wood when I threw the glass at him. He pulled my hand away from his forehead and gave me a look as if to say it doesn't matter.

"Why did you tell him?" I asked, my anger suddenly flaring up again. "Why the actual fuck did you decide to do exactly what I told you not to do?"

"He's a douche, Izzy. It only took a few minutes of talking to realise it."

I still felt defensive towards Dom. "He isn't, Wood. He's sweet and loving-"

"Obviously not enough for him to contain his anger," Wood countered, raising a dark eyebrow.

"Why are you being so nice?" I choked out, distracting myself by fumbling around my bag for a ciggie. However, my eyes remained locked on Wood's as a number of emotions crossed them: annoyance, anger... and some look that I couldn't but my finger on.

"Carter, I'm serious. If that dick tries to apologise again or explain what happened, ignore it. He isn't worth your time. My sister made that mistake..." he trailed off, looking as though he didn't want to go into the details. Automatically, I felt guilty.

"You okay, Wood?"

He snapped his eyes back on mine, and my stomach started performing a circus routine. Something about the way those deep amber eyes were looking at me caused my heart to skip a few beats.

These feelings... I experienced them with Dom, but not to this extent...

God, I can't be falling for Wood! If I am... there is no chance that we'll ever get together, right? I mean, I've never been a girl who has had crushes. It is an unnecessary emotion, because crushes never happen. Kurt Cobain is the only exception to my no crush policy.

"Yeah, fine," he said, far too casually for me to believe. I didn't press the subject, though. I took a drag from the ciggie, staring at the ground, which was becoming speckled with tears. I thought that I knew Dom...

But I thought that I knew Wood. I thought that he was an obnoxious, self-centred jerk, but tonight, he's shown me that there is more to him than that. I suddenly realised that it was a new year. What a wonderful start I've had, eh?

"Do you want me to bring you home?" Wood asked in a gravelly voice that sent shivers down my spine. Gosh, that accent...

"What, so that I can be reprimanded by my parents for going to a concert that they don't approve of? No thanks."

"Come back to mine," Wood said, completely out of the blue. I turned to face him, cigarette dangling out of my mouth, eyes wide and disbelieving. Did he really just-

"Yes, I'm serious, Carter."

"What would your parents say?" I whispered, it being the only sentence I was able to form.

Wood shrugged. "They'll be fine with it if I explain the situation. And it'll annoy your parents, and I know that is what your priority seems to be."

"How do you know?" I blurted out. Again, Wood shrugged.

Wood and I are enemies... right? We don't know or understand each other... right? Agh.

"My sister was quite like you, in the sense that she thought that our parents were ridiculous in their claims that her partner was a douche. She loved going against their wishes. Sort of easy to suss out, really."

Oh. Something about the way Wood phrased the sentence seemed off, as well as the tone of voice, but I was too caught up in myself to give it a second thought. Instead, I found myself nodding.

We go back to Hogwarts in two days. Usually, we would go back today (it is early morning) but too often, the teachers have been smashed. So they gave themselves (and us) the opportunity to recover from our hangovers.

Wood's house wasn't too far away, which was good. The house had a nice appearance from the outside, and I automatically felt more at home than I ever did with my parents.

The inside was warm, and I instantly found myself grinning. Wood placed a hand on the small of my back, rough, calloused fingers pressing firmly against it. He showed me the room I could stay in, but I didn't feel like sleeping, and nor did he. However, I did take a shower and dressed in a pair of Wood's sweatpants and an INXS shirt.

I know, I know. But I was too emotional to be thinking about the fact that I was wearing my enemy's clothing. And I was hardly going to be staying in that slutty dress, was I?

It was three in the morning, and we sat on the Wood's deck, staring at the stars. Although nature may not have a calming effect on me, stars do. I was upset, yet relieved. In a way, I was relieved to be away from Dom and his staged complements and romantic gestures. I guess that now that I'm not with him, I could see what it was really like. I turned to Wood, to find that he was staring at me. I cocked an eyebrow and he ceased, but my body felt warm at the thought that he was staring at me. Pathetic, I know.

"Izzy?"

"Yes?"

"I just want you to know that there will always be a place for you on the Quidditch team, if you ever want to take it."

Nuh uh. I'm not going through that shit again, especially after Wood gave me that talk about not putting up with shit. I looked up at Wood, his eyes inscrutable. I expected that. I'm so easy to read, because my emotions are so obviously portrayed on my face. One of the many infuriating things about Wood is that he is so good at concealing his emotions.

"I meant what I said, Wood. I quit and nothing will change it."

His lips curled into a slight smirk, eyes gleaming. That was his 'you're bluffing' look. I wasn't bluffing; there is no way that I will ever get back on the Quidditch team.

The cut on his forehead was seeping blood, and for some reason, I brought my hand up and wiped it away. I've gone completely mad.

His fingers gently pressed on mine, stopping them from moving away from his forehead. Our lips were inches apart, our faces so close that I could see the few freckles he had scattered across his nose. The hungry longing rushed through my veins again as I closed the distance between us.

My hand left his forehead and reached for the back of his head, as I bit down on his bottom lip. Unlike the other kisses, I was having dominance in this one.

I had taken complete and utter leave of my senses, but I really couldn't care less. His lips moved over mine in a repetitive manner, causing all sensible thoughts to leave my brain once more. Wood and I are enemies... with benefits?

Okay, I have definitely gone bonkers.

His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer, and I could taste the vodka on his lips and tongue, which only spurred me on. The burning feeling flooding over my body could only be described as pure bliss, which intensified as he pulled me onto his lap.

"Ollie?" a voice said, and I pulled away quickly, blushing, and panting hard. Wood's Mum was looking at us; I could tell because she had the same amber eyes that he did. Wood pulled me off his lap and walked towards his mother, as I turned as red as a beetroot, looking furiously at the floor. I heard snippets of their quick conversation, which included the words 'Quidditch' and 'Nirvana'. Then, his mother turned to me and smiled warmly.

"Would you like a cup of coco?"

I sat in shock. I mean, come on. I was some strange girl who she walked in on kissing her son. Oh god... I kissed Wood... again!

We. Are. Enemies.

"Sure," I said uncertainly, but she just smiled.

"I'm Shauna," she said kindly, patting Wood on the shoulder. "And you're Izzy. Ollie has told me a lot about you."

Whether this was good or bad, I didn't know. Probably the latter.

"Yeah, I am."

Shauna beamed, and, completely forgetting that it was three in the morning, she bustled off to the kitchen. I turned to Wood, who was still panting slightly from the kiss, causing my blush to intensify.

"So, Ollie, you've been talking about me?"

He didn't look abashed in the slightest. "Only about how much of a stubborn cow you are."

I smirked.

Shauna gave me the coco and said that I must come inside, because it was far too cold. Shauna was really very sweet, and even after Wood left, we continued talking. I didn't feel awkward or embarrassed, which was very odd. She showed me some photos of Wood when he was little, and he was admittedly adorable.

I caught sight of a photo of Wood, who looked about eleven, and a girl who looked like his sister. She had freckles, amber eyes and wavy brown hair, and looked several years older than Wood.

"Is that Woo- Ollie's sister?"

Shauna smiled and nodded, eyes clouding over with nostalgia. I was struck by two facts:

It was the sister Wood said was in an abusive relationship.

There were no more pictures of Wood and his sister.

"Her name was Lily. Such an amazing daughter. She too, was a fan of Nirvana, like you."

I was struck by another fact, this time, an odder one.

"Was? Is she not still?"

Shauna shook her head. "She committed suicide four years ago."