Author's Note: This part of the story goes into a bit of an R rating due to mention of suicide and murder, and severe language (worse than what I've written before ^^;;;)

Chapter Four: One Blow To The Heart

Brianna wiped the sweat from her face. It was so hot. The hellish sun wouldn't let her forget it either. She stopped feeling too tired to finish. She looked at her shovel and measured her hole. It was five feet across but she still had to dig one more foot deep. "Damn it! Almost there," she whispered. Brianna continued to dig and sighed. While she was digging she couldn't help but think about her past. She still couldn't remember exactly how she ended up here.

* Flashback *

"Bri! Yo Bri!" shouted Mel running up to Brianna with a piece of paper in her hand.

"Yea? What?" asked Brianna looking at her fellow gang member. Mel smiled and handed the paper to Brianna. She took it and unfolded it. "What's this?"

"The JCP Plan you wanted me to get," was Mel's only answer. Brianna smiled looked down at the paper. She quickly read through it and cocked an eyebrow after reading it. She read it over. She still didn't understand it. She read it again. It still seemed ridiculous.

"What the hell are they trying to pull?!" Brianna said shocked after reading the plan five times. "This'll never work. They'll get caught within what fifty seconds!"

"I know I know... But ya know Terry, he's a complete idiot," Mel sighed shrugging. Brianna laughed and began walking down the street with Mel. They were headed to their gang's territory. They controlled most of the central part of New Orleans. "So what're we going to do today Bri?"

"Uhh. I'm not really sure but I think the Scorpions are planning a jump on us. Well that's what our buddies The Bloodhounds told me. So I guess we better stay in our territory for a while. I'm not going back to that damn juvie jail. That was one hell hole!" Brianna answered laughing slightly. Mel smiled and they finally reached the park in the central part of the city. The two girls walked through the gate and many people gave them glares. They were gangsters and well they did look the part. They both had ripped up jean bell bottom pants, old shirts and Brianna wore a jean jacket her brother used to own before he was killed.

"Bri! BRI! We've got a problem!" cried out Kayla running up to Brianna.

"What?" asked Brianna.

"The Scorpions! Their coming onto our territory! We tried to stop'em but they won't listen!"

"Oh wonderful," Brianna added sarcastically. She pulled out her switchblade and put it where she could reach for it quickly if she had to. She seldom ever used it. It was usually just there so she could back up her threats. Brianna looked at Kayla. "Where are they?"

"They want us to meet them in the ally. You know what one."

"Ah, well ok then. Kayla get the rest of our gang together and we'll just go and see what The Scorpions want." Brianna said. Kayla nodded and obeyed. "Mel burn the JCP Plan. They're probably after that, since we did kinda took it from them." Mel smiled and nodded as well and went to burn the paper. Kayla was back in five minutes, with the rest of the gang with her. Mel joined them soon after. "Ok is everyone here?"

"Shaily here," Shaily said winking.

"Kayla Marie ready to go!" Kayla said bubbly.

"Michelle," Michelle said simply.

"Susan ready and waiting," Susan said smiling.

"Marla!" Marla said giggling.

"Melanie aka Mel ready to kick ass," Mel said cracking her knuckles ready to fight.

"Ok! Good! We're ready. Let's go and kick some serious ass." Brianna said smiling. She then led her gang toward The Alley. The Alley was an area where the Scorpions did most of their dirty work. Brianna's gang didn't do so much dirty work as the Scorpions; the only thing The Strips were good at was shoplifting. They didn't do the drug selling like the Scorpions. They weren't like that.

As the girls were getting closer to the Scorpion territory, Brianna stopped quickly. She turned to her gang and said, "Incase this gets ugly I want you guys to make sure ya've got your blades in a reachable area ok?" Her gang nodded and pulled out their switchblades.

* End of Flashback *

"Brianna! YO! Brianna Lyn Barlow-Synch! Earth to Brianna!?" shouted Kayla.

"Oh! What?" Brianna said blinking and snapping out of her flashback. Kayla shook her head and motioned to Brianna's hole.

"Hey, you're hole's been done. You can stop now." Kayla said laughing at her leader. Brianna smiled and winked sheepishly. Brianna climbed out of her just as Magnet finished his hole.

He spit in it and said, "Done."

"Oh that's disgusting." cringed Brianna. "I hate when guys spit. It's so... gross."

"It's a tradition Brianna. All of us to do it," said Squid looking at Brianna. Brianna rolled her eyes and shook her head in disgust.

"It's nasty! It's disgusting! It's gross! It's something boys do because of their stupidity!" she said angrily and glaring at him. Squid blinked and shook his head.

"Females," he muttered.

"Males," Brianna muttered. She took her shovel and walked with Kayla back to the Camp. When she got back there she immediately went into the tent and grabbed her backpack. She pulled out a picture of her family. Her family before her father ripped it apart. She gently ran her fingers over the picture and sighed. She couldn't believe what her mother went through. "Mom, I'm sorry... I should've killed him when I got the chance." she said quietly. She felt tears tugging for release. She wouldn't let them shed. She doesn't cry.

"Hey Bri?" asked someone.

Brianna turned and saw Shaily with an envelope in her hand. "Yea? What?" Brianna asked. Shaily bit her lip and walked into the tent more and sat next to Brianna and gave her the envelope. "What's that?"

"Read it. It's for you." was all Shaily could say. Brianna blinked and flipped the envelope over and ripped open the top. She pulled out the paper in side and read it. It said:

Dear Miss Brianna Lyn Barlow-Synch,

This is a letter sent to you by the New Orleans Police Department. We regret to inform you of the terribly death of you mother. Your mother was shot with a sniper and killed instantly. We suspect that your father may been the murderer. We need to know if you know of anything about him. We must track him down and punish him. If you have any information on your father Daniel Carlos Synch please write us about it and send it in. We apologize completely and give you our best wishes. Our deepest sympathy goes out to you. Your little brother has been sent to leave with your aunt and uncle's so don't worry about him. We regret to inform you this about your mother. We're so sorry about your loss.

Sincerely,

The New Orleans Police Department

Brianna felt her face flush in horror. "No... no... NO! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! NO!" Brianna cried throwing the paper down in fury. Shaily took her friend and embraced her. "Oh God! Oh God! That fucking bastard! I'll kill him! I'll kill him! I SWEAR I WILL!" Brianna cried out in utter pain about loosing her mother. "Shaily... Oh God no. First I loose my brother, then it's Sarah, then Mel, and now my mother! Oh God dammit!"

"Calm down Bri. It's going to be ok." Shaily whispered. "You'll be fine."

"Fine? FINE! HOW THE FUCKING HELL AM I GOING TO BE "FINE" AFTER LOOSING MY MOTHER!!!!!!" Brianna said screaming. She pushed Shaily away and went over to her bag. She pulled out her switchblade. She flipped it open. It started to scare Shaily. Shaily ran out of the tent in search of her gang members.

"KAYLA! SUSAN! MICHELLE! MARLA! GUYS! GET HERE QUICK! BRI'S ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC!" cried out Shaily waving down her fellow members. THe boys of the D-Tent looked confused. The girls all ran inside and saw Brianna holding her switchblade. Brianna had it dangerously close to her skin on her left arm. Brianna was pacing across the tent and tears were streaming down her face.

"Bri! Don't!" cried out Kayla.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!" shouted Brianna in a tone none of the girls had ever heard before. "I've lost my mother today! Dammit! I lost everything today! I might as well loose my fucking life!" Brianna growled. The other girls were growing afraid of what Brianna might do to herself. Michelle tried to take a step toward Brianna only to get a swipe of Brianna's switchblade to make her step back. "You know... When I think about my life right now I realize... I've been dead for a long time. Ever since my dad walked out on us... I've been dead." Brianna realized the words 'I've been dead for a long time.' were the words Kissing Kate Barlow had said before getting bitten by a yellow spotted lizard.

"Brianna! What the hell are you doing?" said Squid blinking madly at this scenario. She rubbed her head and stared at her blade again. "You can't do that!"

"The hell I can!" she shouted back. "I'll kill myself and no one'll have to hear about my pathetic life again! DAMMIT!" Squid looked shocked at Brianna's change in attitude. He glanced at Shaily who bit her lip.

"Her mother was killed," Shaily whispered over to Squid. He blinked and looked back at Brianna.

"Don't do this," he said simply.

"Fuck off!" Brianna screamed. Brianna felt tears staining her eyes again. She let them fall. "Life is so worthless.." she whispered. She sat down on her cot and dropped her switchblade and buried her ace in her hands. Shaily was about to walk over to Brianna but Squid stopped her.

"Don't." he whispered. Shaily smiled and pushed the girls out of her the tent.

"HEY WAIT! I WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPENS!" cried out Kayla as Michelle and Marla drug her out of the tent. Squid rolled his eyes, shook his head and smiled. Squid walked over to Brianna and sat next to her.

"Brianna, you going to be ok?" he whispered to her.

"What d'you think!" she whimpered. She finally rose up from her hands and Squid saw the tears that had fallen down her face. It hurt him to see her like this. She wiped away her tears and picked up her switchblade.

"Whoa, no common. You really don't need to start this again."

"I'm not going to do it. I'd never have the guts to cut myself to death. I could kill myself but never with a switchblade. It just makes me feel a little better." she whispered putting the blade back into her backpack. She rummaged around her back for a while looking for something. She found it. She pulled out a little blue book and a red pen.

"What's that?" Squid asked.

"Just a book a write in. Kinda like a diary or journal or whatever you call it. This has my entire life in words from when I was only in sixth grade. It has every damn detail about my life in it." she said opening it. She flipped to a page in the middle. "Age 13; Grade: 7th; Today was a normal day for me. The scorpions being a pain in the ass again. God I could just kill'em. Shaily's getting on my nerves lately. Everyone does... What can I say everyone in school thinks I'm a JD... Well hell... I am!" She looked up from her book and smiled. "See I've lead a criminal life. I'm not ashamed of it. It's just I regret some of the crazy things I've done."

"Like what?"

"Not killing my bastard father when I had the chance!" she cried. "I hate him I hate him!"

"Why?"

"He killed my mother!! I know he did! The NOPD knows he did too! He hated everyone! He hated her! He hated me!" cried Brianna taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself down. Squid couldn't think of anything to say. "But listen to me talking about my life. I'm probably wasting your time," she whispered.

"No, you're not," Squid protested. Brianna turned to him and blinked. "You'll never waste my time." She looked him in the eyes and suddenly her lips broke into a smile.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem," he replied. She grinned and grabbed her backpack. She pulled out a mirror, lip-gloss, black eye liner, and other make up.

"Hey would you hold my mirror?" she asked him tossing it over to him before he could answer. He rolled his eyes and held it up. She gently put on her black eye liner on her eyes. Then she put her lips gloss on and then put her blush and other makeup on. When she finally finished she looked like she had never cried that day. Squid tossed her back her mirror and she gave him a look.

"What?"

"Oh never mind!" she said laughing a little.

Squid smiled and looked back at her. "Hey is that lip gloss flavored?"

"Yea, cherry. Why?" she said looking confused. He grinned and got a little too close for Brianna to endure.

"I've always wondered what lip-gloss tasted like," he answered grinning. Brianna rolled her eyes and turned away from him.

"That was the worst pick up line I've ever heard!" she said flatly. Squid blinked but then realized what she meant. He laughed and kissed her cheek. She smiled gently and kissed him on the lips.

"Ouch! SHAIL! THAT WAS MY FOOT!" shouted Michelle from outside the tent.

"Dammit! Susan!" Shaily cried out.

"I can't see anything except your head Marla!" shouted Kayla.

"WAH! OW!" Marla shrieked.

"What the hell! Move over Marla!" Magnet grumbled.

"I CAN'T! MICHELLE'S IN MY WAY!"

"WELL TELL HER TO MOVE OVER! I CAN'T SEE A THING!"

"HELLO! SOMEONE BETTER WATCH THEIR HANDS!" shouted Susan.

"All I see is the back ya's heads!" barked X-Ray. "OW! God dammit!"

"What happened?" asked Armpit.

"Someone fell on me!" X-Ray barked again. Everyone groaned. "Who fell on me. OW!"

"Oops." Said Marla. "Sorry! Magnet pushed me into Michelle and she fell on me knocking me over. Gah! Why does everyone pick on me!" she whined afterwards. "All I'm doing is trying to see what's going on in there! And I can't see any damn thing!!!"

"We can't either!" the rest said in unison.

Brianna broke the kiss after hearing them. Squid rolled his eyes and got an idea. "Bri, I've got an idea. Ok?" he whispered to her hoping the others wouldn't hear him. She smiled and nodded. He whispered his plan to her and she giggled. They both got up and went through the back way of the Tent. They went around and stood behind everyone.

"Hey there not there!" shouted Michelle.

"WHAT!?" the others shouted.

"I'm serious there not there! Look!"

"What're you boy and girls doing?" asked Brianna in a loud tone. They all turned around and fell over when they saw Brianna and Squid standing behind them.

"Uhm, I don't know!" Marla said trying to look innocent.

"Uh huh. Sure," Squid said looking at them.

"Strips! Why don't you all go back to you right tents and stay there. Behave too!" Brianna commanded her gang. They all looked sheepish and obeyed her after hearing her orders. Kayla and Shaily went into the D-Tent. Susan, Marla, and Michelle all went into their tent. The D-Tent boys looked at one another and then went into the Tent. Brianna rolled her eyes and turned to Squid. "Leave it to my gang to try and get into my personal life," she sighed. Squid laughed. "They did this the last time I had a boyfriend."

"You had a boyfriend?" asked Squid. "Who?!"

"Why? Does it surprise you…" Brianna said feeling as if he slapped her.

"No," he replied.

"Oh then your jealous."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"I am not!"

"You are too! End of discussion." Brianna said folding her arms and smiling in triumph. Squid sighed. "But now why d'you need to know who my ex-boyfriend is? I doubt you know him. He's back in New Orleans…"

"Oh," Squid said. Brianna smiled and was about to kiss him before some came.

"Brianna!" shouted Mr. Pendaski. Brianna groaned. She hated this guy.

"Yea what?" she said back to him.

"You're being sent home."

"Oh why?" she said blinking.

"Your… mother's funeral," he said rather quietly. "You will be returning a week after the funeral. So I'd say you'll be gone for two weeks. So you'll need to pack your things and get ready to leave. You will be going home tomorrow morning."

"Great… I'm leaving at friggin four in the morning…" she grumbled. "Just wonderful!" she added sarcastically. Squid snickered at her remark. Pendaski gave her a look and she shut her mouth. "Fine! I'll go pack my stuff… I'm going I'm going…" she said turning around toward the tent. Pendaski shook his head and walked off. Squid jogged back up to Brianna.

"Hey wait!" Squid said.

"Hey what?" she answered him stopping and turning around.

"You're going to be gone two weeks!"

"So?" she said looking a bit shocked by Squid's reaction. She cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "You'll see me in two weeks. It's not that long."

"Whatever," he said walking into the tent. She stared at him and followed him inside and told Kayla and Shaily about her leaving. Shaily gapped at her and Kayla started whining.

"Well, we'd better get Michelle, Susan, and Marla. I've gotta tell'em," Brianna said having Kayla and Shaily follow her outside over to the Tent the others were in. She called them out and looked at them and smiled. She explained what will be happening. The three girls' jaw dropped. "I know I know! I'll only be gone for two weeks and I need someone to be in charge. Someone responsible, and able to control themselves and the others. Also someone who can tolerate the others stupidity when they do something stupid. Hmm, so let's see," Brianna said looking at her gang. "Let's see I choose Kayla! You're in charge until I get back."

"AH YEA!" Kayla said jumping up and down. Brianna explained to Kayla what she was expected to do. Kayla nodded. Brianna then told the others to go back to their tents and Brianna went back to the D-Tent. She packed the few things she brought and looked at her watch. It was about nine o'clock. She decided to go to sleep since she was getting up so early to leave. She got into her cot and fell asleep.

Squid looked over at Brianna. To think all this happened in one day! She went from homicidal, to suicidal, to hurting, and now she was happy again. She sure had some mood swings. But now he was hurting. She hurt him. How? She was leaving and seemed as if it was the greatest thing in the world; even if was for two weeks. That made him think these past two days were worthless to her. Well she did say she didn't believe in love so maybe that's why. But he thought he changed of that. "I guess girls like her never let anyone get too close," he said. He began to feel tired and slowly got into his cot and fell asleep.

* The Next Morning *

"Oh common Bri! Get up!" shouted Shaily pulling the blankets from Brianna. Brianna rubbed her eyes and got out of her bed. She grabbed her backpack and went outside. She was greeted by Pendaski and Squid standing behind him.

"Brianna, the bus will be here in about five minutes. I'll get you when it arrives." Pendaski said. She nodded looking annoyed getting up this early. Pendaski walked away again and Squid walked up to Brianna.

"Hey there!" she yawned.

"Hey," he said.

"What're you doing? Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave-?"

"I couldn't… Not without saying goodbye," he whispered.

"Alan, er- Squid, I'll be gone for only two weeks. It'll go by fast." She said smiling. Squid blinked at her using his real name. "What? Oh you're upset about me using your actual name. Well just to tell ya I like the name Alan. You should use more than you do." She said grinning. He blushed.

"Yea sure whatever," he replied. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Brianna! The bus is here! Common!" shouted Pendaski.

"Here," whispered Brianna grabbing her pen. She wrote on Squid's hand her address. "Write me. The mail is pretty quick here. I'll write back. Promise."

"BRIANNA!"

"I'm coming!" she shouted back. "Bye," she said before kissing him on the lips and running off to the bus. Squid smiled and blushed.

"BYE BRI!" he shouted to her she stuck out her head and waved before the cop pulled her back inside. He laughed her.

"ALAN! GET OVER 'ERE!" barked Mr. Sir. Squid blinked and walked over to the truck and walked with the boys to dig their holes. X-Ray glanced at Squid's hand.

"What's that?" X-Ray asked.

"Nothing," Squid said rather quickly. Suddenly Kayla was looking at his hand. She burst out giggling like mad.

"That's Bri's address to her aunt and uncle's house." She said giggling. The boys all stared at Squid and howled. The girls were huddled together giggling except for Michelle who was laughing. Squid felt embarrassed and didn't pay any attention to them. All he cared about was Brianna getting back.

Meanwhile, Brianna was sitting on the bus back home. She couldn't believe she was going to have to have a funeral for her mother. "I'll be fine. I'll be fine." She kept telling herself. Even to her it sounded fake but it was the best thing she could now. "I will survive. I'll tough it out… Oh God! Listen to me! I'm reciting song lyrics!" she shouted at herself. "And I'm talking to myself!" She decided she'd look out the mirror and not pay attention to anything. But her mind was wondering back to Alan. She smiled and remembered some of the things he had said. It made her laugh. She felt a little more relaxed. She could survive this. She's make it. Even if this was one blow to the heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Sorry this is so long! Omg! This is what happens when I listen to the Hole Soundtrack while writing… ^^;;;;;;; lol! This is what I get for listening to "I will survive" by Stephanie Bently and "Dig it" form the D-Tent Boys.. ^^;; Buh bye!