"What do you mean she's gotta testify?" Cheryl screeched.

Brax and Heath sat around her in the empty restaurant. Ada stood behind the bar putting clean coffee cups on top of the machine.

"They think she'll make the old man look good." Heath explained.

"Fat chance of that." She spat. "There's nothing good to say about him. He was a waste of space, a good for nothing-"

Brax interrupted. "Yeah, we know that, Mum. They're just gonna ask questions about our childhood and move on."

"Well," Cheryl twisted in her seat and stared Ada directly in the eye. "You better not say too much. I don't want cops and lawyers poking around in my business."

Ada rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know, Mum."

Cheryl rose from her chair and strode over to Ada. "I mean it." She hissed. "I don't want my dirty laundry hung out to dry for everybody to see."

"Ah, give it a rest, will you?" Brax piped up. He stood to his feet.

Cheryl didn't move. She glared at Ada. "Did you hear me?" She asked. Her tone, threatening.

Ada stiffened.

Kyle appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. He froze, watching the stand-off.

"Yeah." Ada said, finally, breaking the silence. She looked to the ground. "I got it."

"Good." Cheryl forced a smile.

Kyle stepped from the doorway onto the restaurant floor.

Cheryl's glare snapped to him. "Well, well… what do we have here?"

Brax lifted a hand to his forehead and rubbed it furiously. He sighed.

"Don't tell me." She continued. "You're the scum that kidnapped Casey."

"You must be Cheryl?" Kyle remarked plainly. He stepped towards her and extended his hand.

She looked at it with disgust. "It's Mrs Braxton to you." She hissed at him. "You really have got some guts showing your face around here."

Brax stepped forwards. "Leave him be, eh?"

Cheryl whipped around. "I suppose this was your brilliant idea?"

"He's helping with the case."

"Yeah, too right he should be! But I reckon he'll stab you in the back the first chance he gets."

Brax raised his voice. "Well how about you just let me deal with it!?"

"Fat load of good that's doing!" Cheryl shrieked. "The trial's in two days and where's Casey? Nowhere to be seen."

"He'll be alright! He's just blowing off steam, Mum."

"You better hope he is."

"Or what?!" Brax shouted. "Are you going to meet the lawyer and pay the legal fees?"

Cheryl scoffed.

"No." Brax spat. "I didn't think so."

Heath stood up and took Cheryl's arm. "Mum, how about we go get some lunch, eh? My treat."

Cheryl dropped her beady glare. "Fine. I know where I'm not wanted." She picked up her bag and pushed it onto her shoulder. As she passed Brax, she paused. She leaned towards him and murmured. "I'm warning you, you better not stuff this up for our Casey."

"C'mon, Mum." Heath pulled her along. "Let's go."

As Heath escorted her out of the restaurant, Ada let out an audible sigh.

Brax pulled himself together with a sniff. He walked forwards and lent against the bar. "Don't listen to her, alright?"

Ada nodded.

"I'm meeting the lawyer." Brax told them. "You got things here?"

Ada didn't say anything. She stared into the distance, distracted.

Kyle stepped forward. "Yeah, go. We're alright."

Brax looked him up and down. "Yeah, okay." He said with a nod and then paced out of the restaurant.


Kyle hovered behind Ada as she re-laid a table with cutlery.

Sensing him, she threw a glance over her shoulder. "Congratulations. You survived the wrath of Cheryl. Well, this time at least."

"She's intense."

"That's an understatement."

"I heard what she was saying to you, about testifying."

Ada strode away from the table, towards the bar.

Kyle trailed behind her.

"You wanna throw your two pence in too?" She snapped at him. "Tell me what you think I should or should not say about Daddy Dearest?"

"No." Kyle answered honestly.

Ada relaxed. She took a breath. "Sorry." She rubbed her face with her hands.

"It's alright." He said softly.

"Do you mind if I take off?" She pulled her apron off. "We're basically done here."

"No, sure."

Ada picked up her bag and moved into the storeroom.

Kyle stepped around the bar and keyed open the register. The tray sprung open. "I'll cash up and close." He called out to her.

"Alright." Ada called back.

Kyle's ears pricked at a clinking sound coming from the storeroom. He abandoned the register and sprung into the doorway.

Ada was forcing a bottle of liquor into her bag. She yanked on the zip, trying to force it closed.

"What are you doing?" Kyle stared at her, his brow furrowed.

Ada shrugged. "Perks of the job. Don't worry, Brax doesn't count the stock, no point with Heath and the boys around."

She went to walk out but Kyle blocked the doorway. "You're underage."

Ada scoffed. "You're kidding me, right?"

"You should put it back." He said calmly.

She scoffed and stepped to him, her glare burning into him. "Move out of my way, Kyle."

His face remained stern. "Give me the bottle."

Ada scowled.

Kyle didn't budge.

She yanked the bottle out of her bag and slammed it down onto the shelf.

Kyle stepped to the side.

She barged past him and stormed out.


At school, Ada closed her locker and pressed her forehead against it.

Jaxson slid up against the lockers. "Hey."

She turned her head and stared at him. "Hey? You've been dodging my texts."

He shrugged. "I wasn't over it."

She nodded. "I am sorry. Seriously, I never should've got you involved."

"You used me, Ad."

"I know." She confessed.

He took a breath. "Though, I'm not completely innocent. At the beginning, I used you too, I only wanted to hang out with you to get at Casey."

She scoffed. "No kidding." She said with sarcasm.

"You're not mad?"

She chuckled. "You really think I didn't suss you out?"

"That's not all of it."

"I know, you wanted to get with me so that you could shove it in Marco's face too. They're the only reasons you wanted me to tutor you."

"Was it that obvious?"

She smirked. "Did you really think you could win me over?"

"I should've known you were a complex chick."

She couldn't contain her laughter. "You didn't stand a chance."

He shook his head and pressed his tongue into his cheek. "I guess not." He studied her face. "It's nice to see you smile. Although, you look rough as hell. The old me wouldn't have even tried to hit on you."

She shoved him playfully.

"What's up?" He probed.

Her face fell. "Casey's trial is tomorrow."

"Ah."

"I have to testify for the prosecution and, depending on what they ask me, I could help put him away."

Jaxson's gaze looked her over. "How does Casey feel?"

She shook her head and pondered his question. "I don't know."

The bell rang and the corridor filled with students.

"C'mon, mate" he said, putting his arm around her, "Let's go learn something!"

She giggled, wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed.

He grinned and led her down the corridor.


Ada shuffled down the beach towards Casey. He sat on the shore, throwing stones into the sea with abandon.

She perched down next to him.

"What do you want?" He grumbled.

She didn't answer.

He scuffled to his feet.

Ada reached out and tried to pull him back down. "Don't leave." She begged. "Please."

Casey sat back down. He sieved through the sand and retrieved another stone. He slung it into the water. "I'm going to jail, Ad."

"Maybe."

Casey hung his head.

"Case," Her voice wavered. "I need to ask you something."

He looked at her cautiously. "What?"

"There's something I could say tomorrow… when I'm on the stand."

"What are you talking about?"

Her breathing slowed. She swallowed.

"It's about Dad." She fiddled with her fingers, trying to ignore the tear that had escaped and was rolling down her cheek. "It's a secret that I've kept for a long time. And, this secret, Case, it could change everything." She looked him dead in the eye. "It could ruin everything."

Casey stared at her, stunned. "I don't understand." He mumbled, searching her face for answers.

She wiped the tear away but more rolled down her face. "If this could give you a chance, if it could help you… do you think I should say it?"

Casey mouth gaped open. His skin had gone pale. He stared at the floor and fingered the sand between his legs.

Ada tried to breathe steadily.

After what felt like forever, he turned to her and held her gaze.

"Don't say anything." He whispered, then got up and walked down the beach.