"Oh god my head is killing me!" Sawyer grumbled as the boys exited from the locker room. They had just finished football practice and the coach had gone absolutely berserk at them because of their injuries, he was especially worse as his fastest player had been ruled out of the opening match because of concussion. Let's just say they didn't have an easy ride.

"Ditto man, I thought I'd feel better sleeping on it but I just feel ten times worse!" Shane said as he readjusted his bag slowly.

"Sawyer quit being such a pansy ass momma's boy and get on with it" Dean said from beside Shane who couldn't help but laugh at his words. Sawyer shot him a look of literal death.

"You know what Lucy at least if I'm feeling like this shows that I actually had a good fight, not slapping them with my handbag like you did" Sawyer snapped back almost instantly his voice filled with complete and utter venom.

"Oh so that's your excuse for getting your ass kicked, real original redneck!" Dean said back just as quickly and the boys sniggered once again at this.

Sawyer was going to speak again but was cut off by Josh. "Guys this isn't something we should really brag about, let's just get this plan sorted and then we'll go from there" he said trying to keep the peace between them.

"Fine whatever you say, but this is a good way to pull the ladies" Dean chuckled as he mock sauntered forwards. "With these bruises and my amazing charm I'll have them hanging off me" he chuckled with a fist pump.

"Seriously dude you need to get laid soon, I don't how much more of your sexual innuendos I can take" Shane said shaking his head as they hurried off towards the common room leaving Dean stood there trailing.

"I have…" he said as they kept on walking. "Last time was two weeks ago actually….. so yeah your response sucked" he shouted after them before jogging along to keep up with their pace.


"So Charlie they didn't say they wanted you to be there, they just want your name" Keith said leaning forward and looking at him. The common room was packed as they all tried to come up with a reasonably safe way to sort this mess out.

Charlie swallowed the lump in his throat. "O-okay" he said his hands twisting nervously in his lap. "If it's any consolation I've still got the gear" he said as he threw the small sachet onto the table in front of them.

They all nodded. "That's good, we have something else to give them now instead of you, which I would much rather but you can't have everything" Shane uttered and at his words Ana slapped his arm to tell him to be quiet.

"Back off now come on this isn't going to help anybody" Scarlett said trying to maintain the relative calmness they all had over them.

"What isn't going to help anybody is that you and Lexi have to take the money to those psycho's" he said back protectively not liking it that the girls had to go. He had seen the way those men had looked at the two and it made him feel sick to his stomach. He could see Scarlett shrink slightly in her seat as she moved a tad closer to Lexi who placed a reassuring hand on her blonde friends arm.

"Hold up this is the first I've heard about this! What do you mean they have to take the money?" Charlie said back rather horror stricken at just how many people had been sucked into this mess.

"When we were jumped he said that me and Scarlett have to take the money to them to that warehouse and that we have to go alone, otherwise who knows what will happen" Lexi croaked as simply as she could trying to keep the hitch of fear out of her voice. She felt Josh's arm snake around her back and squeeze her softly and when she looked at his face it was tight with anger.

"Oh god!" Claire said running a hand through her long hair. "You're not going to right, I mean it's way too dangerous" she said looking at the two who were sat amongst the boys.

"We don't have a choice Claire" Scarlett shrugged her hand gripping Alexis's just a little bit tighter. "Look this is how it will work, Lexi's got the money all ready, we have the bag of gear to take back to them also! We will try and get out of telling them your name but there's no guarantees okay" she said and he nodded.

"Thanks for trying to stop them finding out who I am" Charlie said quietly pleased that they would try and protect him someway and not feed him to the dogs like Sawyer, Shane, Dean and Nicky wanted to.

"I'm warning you now though Charlie if they hurt the girls then I will drag you there myself understood!" Nick said rather harshly towards him and he nodded in return understanding why he was like that. The risk that Nick's sister was taking for himself was huge and he would be eternally grateful to her and Scarlett.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence Nick, really know how to keep our morale up" Lexi said sarcastically.

Ana cut across before anyone else could speak. "So now that we've all agreed on this plan, if we get everything ready by tonight then we'll have the next five days to just not think about it and relax a little okay" Ana said calmly as she made eye contact with each and everyone of them. They all nodded knowing that now the wheels had been put in motion there was no turning back. "Come on we've got one last day of freedom before another five days of studies" she said as she got to her feet as did everyone and all went their separate ways.


Alexis was sat on one of the tables watching as the girls did their routines. She wished she could get up and help them but her body just wouldn't let her and to be quite frank she looked worse today than she did last night. The bruise on her cheek and eye had gone a very nasty shade of blue and purple, her lip was swollen on one side and was cracked with the deep cut on it, and then the bruises around her neck had now turned into visible yellowish hand marks.

She idly doodled to herself not realising what she was doing just going with whatever her mind was telling her too. She couldn't shake images from the night before though and as much as she tried to show people that she wasn't afraid of what they had to do deep down she was absolutely petrified. A voice snapped her out of her daydream though as she watched a sweaty Scarlett dropped down next to her.

"How you doing Rocky?" she said with a light nudge to her friend. She could see her friend wasn't herself. She was a little quiet and that just wasn't her. She hadn't seen her like this since the whole incident last year. Scarlett shuddered as she remembered those memories trying to get rid of them as fast as she could before the guilt crept over her once again.

Lexi just shrugged her shoulders not really knowing the answer herself. "Yes, no I really have no idea" she said back as she dropped her pencil on the pad and leaned back slightly as too not hurt her already throbbing ribs.

"Same babe" she said back looking at her friend. Well she was more of a sister really. "We're gonna get through all this you know that right?" she asked and Lexi just nodded at her. She knew she didn't sound very confident but she had to try to find some sort of comfort for the both of them.

"With you at my side of course we are, me and you are the terrible twosome" Lexi chuckled lightly trying to reassure herself and her friend.

"Damn right girl" she said back and she dropped her head onto Lexi's shoulder her arm wrapping around Alexis's. "Why does shit always happen to us two, I swear someone is out to get us" she said quietly and she felt Lexi's head lean on her own.

"I don't know, but hey look we've gotten through a crazy psycho stalker, two sets of absent parents, your brother and Shannon Rutherford together, I'm sure we can handle this" she said with a light chuckle as she squeezed her friends thigh gently.

"Yeah we have" Scarlett sighed as she raised her head to look at her bruised friend. It pained her to see her like this because everytime she saw her she kept getting flashbacks of the previous year and the mess the both of them had gotten into, how close they had come to being killed. Again she shook away the thoughts. "You're my best friend you know that right" she said pulling her gaze away from the injuries and instead to her eyes.

"Of course I do, Scarlett Luciano you can't get rid of me that easy" she answered with a small smile as she squeezed the girls leg again in reassurance. Just to show that for now they were both still there.


"I can't get this tower right now, it was perfect first time around but you just had to ruin it didn't you" Brett groaned grumpily as he messed around with his masterpiece. Hurley just backed away towards his xbox enjoying his game of Call Of Duty Black Ops.

"Hey Bas you want a game with me mate" he called to the boy who was walking around the room.

"Nahh I'm alright thanks, I'm just going to go for a walk" he said as he exited the room and quickly found himself down in the music block. After checking every room to make sure that there was no one about he walked into the small room where sat a grand piano. He sat himself down on the small leather chair and his fingers brushed across the smooth wood.

Flipping up the lid he let his fingers brush over the keys as he played a soft melody which he had composed himself. The music instantly soothed him and he didn't even have to think about what he was playing, the tune just came out effortlessly. He opened his mouth and began to sing the lyrics he had written to go with it. His voice had a surprising softness to it and he could hit every note in the song with ease.

He didn't know how long he was there playing for, it could have been minutes it could have been days as he played his different meoldy's his soul soothing.

"Wow!"

Sebastian froze up instantly and slammed the lid down quickly jamming his fingers under it. He yelped slightly and spun to see who was loitering around. His heart race quickened as his nerves began to kick in.

"You're full of surprises aren't you?" Keith chuckled as he made his way further into the room. Sebastian could feel the sweat lace on his brow as he watched the male cheerleader come in closer. "Who knew you could play the piano so good and sing so good" he said with a whistle as he leaned against the wall.

"Y-yeah I learnt w-when I was younger" he stuttered back his face flushing red in embarrassment at being caught playing and singing. He never let anybody hear him. Ever.

"You've got talent Bas, you should so enter the talent competition next month, you would blow them all away" Keith said truthfully.

"N-no I don't play in front of p-people, I don't like doing i-it" Sebastian said back quickly twitching ever so slightly at the thought of even playing in front of one person let alone a whole theatre of them.

"But you are so good, you can't hide away all that talent mate" Keith answered back still not understanding why he wouldn't perform in front of others. If he could play an instrument and sing like that he would show of his talent to the world.

"I can and I-I will" he said back his defiance ripping from the fear in the pit of his stomach. "It's my p-private thing and no one elses!".

"Okay" Keith said holding his hands up. "I'm just saying, this may up your rep a little bit you know, make more friends and make you feel more comfortable here" he shrugged at him deciding that it was pointless carrying on nagging the boy about it.

"I d-don't care about reputation, and I like the friends I have already" he said back as he twisted his hands in his jeans wanting the conversation to end as soon as possible.

"Suit yourself Bas, just trying to help" he said backing off a little.

"I'm gonna go, see you later Keith" Sebastian said quickly as he fled the room in seconds. Keith just watched him go a bizarre look on his face. Well that was interesting he muttered inwardly before strolling out of the music block and back over to cheer practice.


"Okay brush 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6" Chrissie said as she placed each one in their holder precisely. Gen threw her the biggest eye roll she could as she continued to type away frantically at her laptop.

"Why do you do that anyway Chris?" Calla asked as she lay on her bed leaning on her elbows and looked as her friend made sure everything was perfect.

"Makes it easier when I paint, from thinner to thicker so I know where my brushes are and it doesn't interrupt my flow" she said back simply as she fiddled with a strand of her bubble gum pink hair slowly.

"It must have cost your parents so much to buy all that stuff for you?" Calla responded as she pointed to all of the kit that the girl had brought with her.

"They didn't buy it for me, I got it all myself! Let's just say they weren't too happy with their little girl being an artist oh no they wanted me to be a doctor or office worker, a proper job as they called it" she said with a laugh as she perched herself down next to her friend. "Said that all artists are drug addicts and failures" she added with a shrug her smile faltering slightly.

"Ouch" Cassie said from the otherside of the room. "Oh well I think you are brilliant and will go really far in what you're doing" she added with a smile at her bubbly friend. Chrissie smiled back at them pleased with their support.

"Yeah me too" she said their vote of confidence making her swell with pride. She knew she could make it, she knew she could be somebody it just took some time. "Anyway enough with making my ego swell, how's the assignment coming?" she said back at the tanned girl with the golden eyes.

"Not good, why I took politics is beyond me?" she groaned as she scribbled down a few more sentences as she flicked through the many books that was surrounding. She was already swamped with assignments and it was only the start of the second week.

"Because you are the one who always manages to find a rational way to something, and Jesus winning a debate with you is like convincing Dean that women are people and not a piece of meat! Impossible!" she chuckled as did the other's around her.

"Okay so maybe that's one or two positives" Cassie chuckled back as she scribbled down more notes. "Hey Calla you snake, words getting around that you were getting awfully close to the good seed Nicky?" she said as she remembered Keith talking a little about it when she had seen him the day after the party.

Calla went bright red and turned her body to face away from them trying to occupy herself. "Who the hell said that?" she said but it clicked instantly. "Was it your new man friend by any chance?" she said as she peeked a look at Cassie who was giggling lightly. "I'm going to kill him!"


Josh was sat on the sand watching as the water drifted in and out slowly. He strummed on his guitar humming to the tune he was playing. This place always knew how to calm him down. "That's a pretty little tune" came a soft voice as someone perched themselves down on the sand next to him.

"I wrote it a long time ago now" he said as he looked at her and his face contorted into anger once again as he witnessed the horror's from the night before reflected on her face. "Don't tell me you walked down here on your own?" he said his voice filled with suspicion. At the moment he didn't want any of them walking around unattended.

"Do you think I could, Nicky has been following me around like a freaking bodyguard all day" Alexis laughed lightly as she kicked off her flip flops and leaned back on her elbows as she watched the sun descend slowly over the horizon. "And anyway don't be a hypocrite I bet you came down here on your own?" she said with a raised eyebrow at him but a smirk was playing on her slightly swollen lip.

"I'm a guy I can" he chuckled lightly and she slapped his arm at his comments. "Okay sheesh I'm bruised as it is leave me be" he added as he nudged her back.

"Fine, how are you feeling this morning anyway? You look like you've been run over by a truck a few times" she said with a wink. If she thought she looked bad then his appearance was in a whole different league.

"I feel it!" he chortled back as he put his guitar beside him and leaned back so he was now in the same position as she was. "But over all I'm okay" he said shooting her a smile which she returned.

"Good, I was frightened you were going to die on me or something" she said her eyes wide in exaggeration.

He just rolled his own at her. "You are so over dramatic it's unbelievable!" he stated simply.

"I'm a theatre student what the hell else would you expect me to be" she said with a wink as she shifted a tiny bit closer to Josh so now their arms were pressed up against one another. A content silence came across them as they just watched the waves slide in and out in rhythmic fashion. "Do you think I'm a slut?" she asked from nowhere and the question startled him. Her voice was perfectly calm and she looked relaxed as she said it.

"There's no holding you back is there" he laughed. "Where the hell did that question come from anyway?" he said looking at her his expression turning into one of worry slightly.

"I don't know it's just I know what people say about me, and what a lot of them think about me! I don't care you know everyone's entitled to their own opinion and all that jazz it's just I've never had a man in my life, my dad was never there, my mom hated my guts so I never knew what it felt like to be loved by someone, I guess I just went around finding it the wrong way huh" she shrugged not daring to look at him as she focused her eyes on the water. "And anyway you didn't answer my question?".

"Well I was going to say no you're not but after that I definitely know you're not, and the reason is because you know why you were with so many different guys" he said softly trying to read her expression but it was impossible. Her face was completely stoic and void of emotion, the only thing he could get was that her eyes were slightly glassing over.

"Thanks…. The only person who's opinion about me I remotely care about is yours" she said finally ripping her gaze away from the sparkling blue water to be met with his own blue and green pools.

He grinned back at her and placed his hand over her's. "Well in my opinion I think you are one of the kindest, funniest and most beautiful people here" he said back with a grin and her cheeks flushed a deep red which made him chuckle. "And I mean that, since I've known you you've gone from strength to strength, especially after all that stuff last year with psycho Johnny" he said with a shrug as he remembered roughly about the incident.

"That means a lot coming from you" she smiled back at him leaning her head on his shoulder. Silence came over them once again as Josh slipped an arm around her shoulder pulling her into his side. He had never expected to fall for someone. Especially not her.

"Well it's the truth" he said back pulling back slightly to look down into her face. The two just stared at each other and before either knew what was happening he pressed a soft kiss on her lips holding them there for several seconds before pulling back and resting his head on her's.

"What was t-that for?" she said almost completely speechless at his actions. She was wodering if her mind was playing tricks on her or not.

"What do you think Lex?" he said with an eye roll and a wink and he felt the laugh reverberate around her body. "That's what I thought".


"Someone's still an idiot" Megan said simply as she and her friends strolled along the waterfront. Charlie just kept his head down fed up of the stares that he kept getting. Even though he knew he deserved it. "A big stupid idiot" she added on nudging him in the side.

"Okay I think he gets it Meg" Claire said as she linked her arm with his and squeezed gently. Megan just shot a look at the blonde and then at the linked arms and huffed turning her back on them.

"It's getting late and it's still so hot" Sayid said as he took a sip from his bottle of water.

Maddison just looked at him. "Man up Sayid it isn't that hot" she laughed as she strolled along beside him with a cardigan and jeans on. "Ahhh well it's been an action packed weekend, shame we have to go back to lessons tomorrow" she said with a groan as she ran a hand through her blonde hair.

"Tell me about it" Jack said as he ran his hand along the railing.

Megan looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Wow Jackass here doesn't want to go to a Medicine lecture" she said with a smirk and punched him lightly in the arm to show she was just messing.

"You are such a funny girl you know" he said with a mock laugh but smiled anyway.

"You don't need to tell me that, I already know" she grinned as her eyes flashed in Claire and Charlie's direction and the smile fell instantly as she watched them walk tightly together hands linked. Her hands tightened at her side as she kept her eyes focused directly ahead of her not daring to look back.

"Woah did I just notice a sudden mood change" Chrissie said with a smirk as she tried to read Megan's face but that was impossible. Megan just shot her a glare which abruptly silenced the artist.

"Hey guys I'll catch you up" Maddison said swiftly as she broke away from her friends and headed further down the beach where she could see a familiar figure sat there, as well as someone else. Her blood began to boil once again but sucking in a deep breath she continued onwards.

"I think I'll leave you guys to it okay" Lexi said as she gingerly got to her feet as she watched as Maddie got closer to them. She knew that the two needed to talk. Josh nodded but didn't release her hand and instead squeezed it slightly as a silent thank you .

Maddie stopped a metre or two away and her eyes instantly flashed to their interlinked hands. She looked at Josh trying to read his face and then glared at Alexis but she found her gaze softened ever so slightly and she winced as she took in the girls bruised appearance. You should be glad she had a beating a niggling voice was screaming at her but she knew that she wouldn't really wish it on anyone, not even her.

"I'll see you later" Alexis said hoarsely as she turned her back on the two and parted with them and headed up onto the beach where she could see Nicky stood there waiting to escort her back to the campus. Jesus he's taking this guard dog thing really serious she mumbled as she reached her brother and headed off.

A silence still lingered over the siblings as they stood there both trying to read each others emotions, trying to grasp at anything that would give away their emotions playing out behind their eyes. "So…." Maddie said with a cough deciding that the tension was becoming all too much. "How are you today?" she asked deciding small talk was the first step forward.

"A bit better thanks, sore as hell but hey I'm doing okay" he shrugged back as he sat back down on the sand fiddling with the strap on his guitar. She placed herself down gracefully next to him.

"I'm glad" she responded with a small smile on her face. "Look Josh about last night, I'm sorry yeah it's just my head was all over the place and I needed to find someone to blame" she said sincerely as she looked at her fair headed brother.

He looked at her and smiled slightly. "No Mads it's me who should be apologizing I stepped way out of line last night and you didn't deserve that, no matter how much time has passed it's still raw, for both of us" he said back as his eyes swapped between the sparkling blue ocean and his sister.

"Yeah it is" she said her hands unconsciously rubbing the tattoos on her stomach with a quiet sigh. "I wonder where they are right now? What they're doing?" she added her eyes instantly flicking upwards at the sky.

"What they usually tended to do, cause mischief and trouble" Josh said with a light chuckle as he looked at his sister who had a ghost of a smile of her own on her lips.

"You're probably right there" she said her eyes still facing upwards. "Six years and it still feels like it was yesterday" she shuddered slightly and Josh patted her leg in reassurance.

"Tell me about it" he said his voice barely above a whisper. "I reckon they're happy now though, they can do whatever the hell they want without mom yelling at them" he said a lobsided smile on his face as he remembered the scolding's the two used to get off their mother.

"Yeah but now A.J and J.J have got dad to deal with up there" she said with an eye roll. He was so soft on them it was funny. None of his kids could do anything wrong in his eyes. Let's just say he didn't wear the trousers in the family.

"Like that'll stop them, he's so laid back he'd fall backwards" Josh answered as he pushed his feet into the sand letting the warm grains gently bathe his feet.

"And once again you're right on the money there" she said and finally a chuckle escaped her lips. "Do you think mom's alright back home, sure she's got the other's but still you know" she said and Josh just shrugged.

"She'll be fine Maddie, she's a trooper and Rebecca and Ben literally live down the road!" Josh said reassuring his sister that their mother would be fine. Their other siblings were only five minutes away if she ever needed something.

"Suppose" she shrugged as she took a fistful of sand and let the grains slip from her grasp. "Come on how about we head back?" she asked as she pushed herself to her feet and Josh followed suit smiling at his slightly younger sibling.

"Maddie listen to me when I say you're not going to lose me okay, I'm still your brother no matter who my friends are so stop feeling so threatened okay" he chuckled lightly back at her as he slung his arm over her shoulder.

She nodded not wanting to voice her opinions on her insecurities and instead just stayed silent as they strolled back towards the campus the waves crashing onto the shore behind them.


So another one down guys, I do hope you are enjoying because I'm not getting many reviews for the last few chapters so please just leave a few words to let me know if you want me to continue! They'll give me a massive boost! Thanks again guys!