Author's Note: Hmmm. Well in my last author's note some of you got the idea that it was the LAST chappie.. *cough* Rain.. *cough* Shaily... *cough* I was talkin about the previous chappy to the last one. Ok? Hmmm not much to write here... lol.

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

Chapter Seven: Time To Choose

Brianna slowly let her eyes rest back upon the glimmering blade. She flipped it and put her new switchblade into her back pocket. She placed a strand of her chesnut brown hair behind her ear. She turned to Squid and smiled mischieviously. Squid stared, "What're you thinkin'?"

"Nothin'," she replied in a mock innocent tone. He watched her walked away and he soon followed. "We've gotta go to Shail's house. C'mon hurry," Brianna whispered to Squid after realizing he was following her. He nodded though she did not see it. They began to walk torward Shaily's house.

***

Shaily, Zig Zag and the girls were all sitting on Shaily's porch talking. Shaily had told Zig about Marla's passing, so he understood what they were talking about. Shaily and the other girls were remembering every fun time they had with Marla. They laughed, cried, sighed and carried on about Marla. It was horrible loosing her, especially since they had lost two members already.

Charm and Mischief.

***

The sun began to sink below the horizon as Brianna and Squid reached Brianna's house. Squid watched the brillant sun dip down behind the horizon and the sky begin to turn a dark midnight blue. The stars began to pop up everywhere shining down onto the earth. The moon beamed lighting their way to Shaily's porch. They both heard the girls and Zig Zag talking.

Brianna grinned, "Hey girls! Got room for two more?"

The teens on the porch looked up at Brianna and the girls gasped. They got up and ran to her amazed she was out of the hospital. "Charm! What the hell are you doin' out of the hospital!?" Michelle blabed out.

"Well I-" Brianna started to say but was cut off.

"You should still be in the hospital Bri!" Shaily gasped.

"I know but,-" Brianna tried to explain again.

"You're in no condition to be out!" Kayla stated. Brianna opened her mouth but was cut off again.

"You're still hurt!" Susan cried out.

"GIRLS! SHUT UP!" Brianna shouted, finally so irritated by them that she yelled. "I know I should still be in the hospital but you know me... You mess with the bull, you get the horns. Yes I found out about Marla. There is something called the news. I also know it was Mad Dog... He found out I'm still alive and he's comin' afta me."

"Brianna," Squid said sounding a little alarmed. "Calm down."

Brianna grinned and glanced at Zig Zag. He stared at her looking hateful. Brianna's grin slowly faded. She was already regretting that job. "Hey there Zig... Uhm, hey.. I'm really," she started to say but he cut her off.

"No," he muttered. Shaily glared. "You robbed my house Bri. There's no way you could ever apologize about that! How Squid can like a girl like you is beyond me! AND STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT SHAILY!" Brianna's eyes widened slightly in shock. Tears welling in her eyes. Squid glared at Zig Zag and quickly walked to Brianna and took her by the shoulders.

"Don't cry," Squid whispered to Brianna. She shook her head.

"No," she whimpered. "You really do deserve better than me. I'm sorry Alan..."

"NO! Now you stop that! I desverve you just as much as anyone and-!" but she stopped him.

"I might as well admit it... Mad Dog is the only person low enough to deserve me..."

"STOP THAT!" Squid shouted. Brianna fought her way out of Squid's grip and ran off in the other direction. Squid tried to go after her but she shouted, "NO! DON'T YOU FOLLOW ME!" Squid shut his eyes and walked over to Zig Zag.

"Good going! Now she's gonna get hurt even more thanks to you!" Squid shouted outraged. The girls sighed knowing what was going to happen. Shaily's eyes went from Zig Zag to Squid anxiously. There was going to be an arguement.

"SHE STOLE FROM MY HOUSE SQUID! HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT HER LIKE THAT!?" Zig Zag shouted.

"EASY! I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT HER THAT YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND YA DAMN PYRO!"

"I STILL DON'T CARE!! I CAN'T TRUST A THIEF LIKE HER! OR ANY OTHER FOR THAT MATTER!" Zig soon regretted that comment because all the girls and Squid glared at him. "Oh no not again! Shaily please! You know I didn't mean that toward you!"

"I know... but they don't," Shaily said simply pointing behind her to The Strips. They stared deathly at Zig Zag.

"You know what I meant! You girls didn't steal from my house, Brianna DID! There's a differance!" Zig Zag protested as Kayla stood up from her seat. She pulled out her switchblade and in a flash the blade was out. Squid blinked and Shaily looked horrified. Kayla approached Zig Zag and put the end of the blade to his neck.

"You're lucky you're Shaily's boyfriend... Because if you weren't you be dead. No one and I mean NO ONE messes with any of us!" Kayla hissed in a low tone. She pulled the blade from his neck and turned around. Kayla led the other girls away from Shaily's house, leaving Shaily, Squid, and Zig Zag in their wake.

"Erm..." Squid said not knowing anything else to say. For once in his life he was speechless (*snicker* yeah rght..).

"Ricky!" cried out Shaily. She ran to him and checked his neck. Nothing was there. "Oh my God, you're lucky she didn't kill you. You've gotta watch what you say around them... Kayla's not as merciful as Brianna was..." Shaily added. Zig looked down at her as if to say, 'No really?'

"Hey," Squid said interrupting Shaily and Zig. "I think we should find Brianna. Mad Dog's still out there!" Shaily nodded and drug Zig Zag along with her. They went in search of Brianna.

***

"How stupid am I to think I could possibly be worth anything to Alan?! How could I actually begin to believe that?" Brianna shouted at herself. She did not realize she was saying this out loud. She paced back and forth thinking of everything she had put Alan through. He didn't need that. She was also starting to blame herself for Marla's death. Was it her fault? If she had been there to stop Mad Dog would she still be here? "Am I to blame for her death?"

"I told you... Once a Scorpion... Always a Scorpion..." hissed Mad Dog's voice.

"Hey Marcus..." Brianna whispered not daring to look behind her. She lifted her head from the ground to show she was somewhat listening to his words.

"Look at me!" he commanded. She didn't obey. "You turn around or this little peice of shit gets it!" Brianna smirked. He was bluffing. There was no way he had something of importance to her until...

"SIS! HELP ME!" her little brother, Jason cried out. Brianna's eyes widened in fear. The first time fear had reached its peak in her. She had felt it before but it never showed on her face. SHe turned and saw Blondie with Jason.

"JASON!" she screamed. "Mad Dog let him go! Your fight's with me not my little brother!" Mad Dog smirked and apporached Brianna and circled around her. His eyes roved over every part of her body. She never flinched. He stopped and stared into her emerald eyes. She dared not look away from his. "It's time too choose..."

***

Squid, Shaily, and Zig Zag were still searching for any sign of Brianna Lyn Barlow-Synch. They hadn't found a single clue to where she had run off to. Squid was worried that Mad Dog found her. Shaily was thinking the same thing. What if she was hurt? Zig Zag hoped she was hurt. He still couldn't trust her. There was no way he could trust a thief.

"LET JASON GO!" shouted a female voice from two allies away. Squid faced Shaily and nodded. That was unmistakeablely Brianna's voice.

"Jason?" asked Shaily. "They've got Jason!? Oh no! They got her weak point. We gotta get there before they truly destroy her." Squid led the so called rescue crew to get Brianna.

***

"Come now Brianna... D'you actually think I'd want you dead? Of course not. That would be the last thing I'd do. I just thought you might need a little modivation to come back to the Scorpions." Mad Dog explained.

Brianna stared into his icy blue eyes. "You're sick you know that!" she shouted in disgust.

"I prefer a genius because it got you out of hiding didn't it?"

"Bastard!" Mad Dog pulled out a gun and aimed it at Jason's forehead.

"C'mon sweetheart... Tell me your answer..." he hissed his finger itching to pull the triger. Brianna panicked.

"BRI!" screeched Shaily's voice. It was music to Brianna's ears even though usually it was not the most beautiful sounding thing to Brianna. Shaily shoved Mad Dog aside and he dropped his gun. It went into a small space between to boxes and a wall. Shaily pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed a number. "KAYLA WE GOT A CODE 543! BRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!" shouted Shaily into the phone an dtunring it off quickly after.

***

Kayla hung up her phone and stared at everyone in the room. "We got a Code 543! Bring the guys!" Kayla intstructed. The girls there nodded and ran out the door. About five minutes later they appeared outside Kayla's house with their own boyfriends. The only boys that weren't there were Armpit and X-Ray. Kayla called them up and had her boyfriend Caveman wait outside wit the others. When Kayla got outside X-Ray and Armpit joined the group. THey headed to the fight.

***

"Oh great..." hissed Mad Dog. "Your cavarley has arrived."

"Oh you shut up!" growled Brianna.

Mad Dog slapped Shaily off of him and stood up to charge at Brianna. He lifted his arm, forming a fist. She got ready to take the blow. It was about to strike her when Squid jumped in front of her and grabbed his fist. He threw Mad Dog onto the ground and Brianna gasped. "ALAN!" she screamed.

"YOU AGAIN!?" hollared Mad Dog kicking Squid in the legs knocking him over.

"Damn!" Squid cursed. Soon the two were in a raging fist fight. Brianna was screaming for Alan, while she ran to Shaily and helped her back to her feet. Shaily charged at Blondie.

"Give Jason to us." commanded Shaily. "Or I'll beat your ass like I did before..." Blondie didn't even think before she backed away from Jason. Jason ran to his sister and hugged her legs tightly.

"Shail take Jason back to your house ok?" asked Brianna glaring at the approaching Scorpions that were waiting in the wings. Shaily nodded and obeyed. She led Jason back to her home. "Well well well... Lookie at what we got here..." Brianna muttered cockily.

Mad Dog finally got a good grip on Squid. Mad Dog swung his elbow in Squid face knocking Squid backward onto the floor. Brianna noticed and she let her guard drop completely. She ran to Squid lifting his head up. "Oh shit," he mumbled. "THat hurt..."

"Quiet!" growled Brianna wiping the blood from his face. Zig Zag bent over and looked up from Squid to Brianna.

"What happened?" Zig asked.

"You idiot! I got elbowed! Dumbass," yelled Squid frustrated by Zig's question. "You ask another stupid question I'll-!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT YOUR TRAPS!" bellowed Brianna. This silenced them both. "Zig stay with Alan. I'll take care of Mad Dog."

"Yousure will won't you Bri?" asked Mad Dog grinning insanely. Brianna noted the gun that had found its way back to his hand. She took a step backward. "Charm you stay still.. I'll finish these two first. Starting with you since the other moron can't go anywhere, anytime soon." Mad Dog muttered pointing the gun at Zig Zag. Brianna looked on in horror.

***

Shaily had Jason in her hands when she ran into the girls being led by Kayla. "Where the hell are you goin' Shai- JASON?!" shouted Kayla shocked.

"I've gotta take Jason back to my house..." panted Shaily. Kayla glanced at X-Ray.

"X, take Jason back to Shail's house ok?" commanded Kayla. X-Ray nodded and had Jason follow him to Shaily's house. Kayla nodded in the direction of where the fight was heating up. THey all began to run. If Brianna died truly this time... Kayla couldn't live with herself knowing she could've stopped it. "HURRY UP! C'MON!" shouted Kayla making everyone run faster. By the time they got to the fight a gun was being pointed at Zig Zag.

"RICKY!" cried out Shaily.

"Dammit!" Michelle cursed.

"WHat're we gonna do?" asked Susan.

"I'm not sure..." mumbled Kayla.

Mad Dog grinned at the other girls and guys that had come joined the fight. "It's good to see all of Bri's friends are here to see her betray you," he said coolly. Brianna glared deathly at Mad Dog. "Now as for you..." Mad Dog said returning his tare upon Zig Zag's face. "It's time to die..." He pulled the trigger.

"NO!" screeched Shaily and Brianna. Kayla and Susan held Shaily back but Brianna jumped in front of Zig Zag knocking him out of the way.

BANG!

"BRIANNA!" everyone except the Scorpions shouted.

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

Author's Note: Oooooh! How's that? Pretty good huh? CLIFFHANGER! lol! I betcha loved that huh Rain lol. You said you might come after me if I had another cliffhanger... ^^;;; *random ppl start apporaching her with pitchforks and tomatoes* AAHHH!!!!!! *runs* I"LL UPDATE SOON!!!!