Author's note: I wanted to get this chapter up a few days ago, but my computer had a virus and wouldn't let me connect to my school network, therefore taking away my internet access.  But now I'm back with a new chapter.  The next one should be up in a few days, depending on the response I get to this one.  As always, thanks for reading guys, and a please review!

            "There couldn't be any more tension in this room, could there?"  Daisy pointed out the obvious as she glanced around at her friends.

"It's not everyday our friend tells us she was raped.  I mean, she could have told us when it happened.  We could have helped her." Ezra's voice was filled with bitterness.

"Just like you could have helped David?" Auggie shot back.

Time stopped as everyone turned to stare at Auggie.  There had been an unspoken agreement amongst the Cliffhangers that no one would speak of David's death.  Not in the way they wanted to.  They hadn't allowed themselves to push the blame onto the people they held responsible, and Auggie was breaking that rule without the slightest hesitation.

"Auggie-" Juliette warned.

"Stay out of this Jules," Auggie continued.  "I want to take a second to say what everyone is thinking.  It's your fault Ezra.  He wouldn't have died if you hadn't noticed the signs.  He wasn't eating, he was cutting himself, he stayed locked up in his room.  He was barely alive Ezra, how the hell could you not notice that?!"  Auggie blew up, releasing the anger that had been stored inside for months. 

"This is about Shelby," Ezra muttered, not able to look at Auggie.

"Fine.  Let's talk about Shelby.  We all knew that this was coming.  I mean, she was falling apart even before she got out of here.  It's no surprise that she went back to what she used to be.  She's a slut and we all know it." 

"Shut up Auggie.  Look at you! You have no right to say anything to anyone here.  Have you even looked at yourself lately? At what you've become?  Oh that's right, I forgot.  You don't even own a mirror." Daisy was standing now, fire in her eyes, as she moved towards Auggie.  "When was the last time you stayed in your own home, Auggie?"

"I don't have to put up with any of this shit." Auggie mumbled as he too stormed from the building.

"Pretty soon there's going to be no one left in here."  Juliette whispered.

Melissa and Amy were still sitting on the couch in shock, staring in fear at the people around them.

"I need to go find Scott. I need to make sure he's okay," Melissa spoke for the first time in hours.

"He's fine," Juliette answered immediately.  "He's with Shelby."

"How do you know?" Melissa questioned suspiciously.

"There's nowhere else he could be."

            "I want to be sure they're not-"

"He's not cheating on you," Daisy cut in.  "He's in too much pain right now to think about anything other than that."

"But how can you be sure? I mean, you heard what Auggie said about Shelby."

"This has nothing to do with Shelby.  She would rather be a thousand miles away from him right now, so that's not your concern," Daisy defended her friend.

"Melissa we've seen Scott at his very lowest, when he had no one.  Shelby pulled him out of that state.  If he's anywhere near her right now, all he's doing is returning the favour.  If you interrupt them you may as well kiss your boyfriend goodbye, because he'll beat himself up about failing her for the rest of his life.  When he looks at you he won't see you, he'll see the person that stopped him from helping her."

"So I'm just supposed to sit here?" Melissa whined.

"I suppose you have a better idea?" Ezra asked sarcastically.

"We could continue with the conversation," Amy suggested.

"Right, because what we all need is to have our hearts ripped to shreds," Ezra responded without thinking.

Silence settled again over the group as they all settled back into their own thoughts.  After a few minutes Juliette rose from her seat and slid out the back door, with a slight wave to the group.  No one said a word, for they knew where she was going.  No matter how hard she tried, her soft spot for Auggie wouldn't go away.

Juliette found Auggie ten minutes later, in one of their old classrooms.  She shook her head silently as she fingered the door handle that the young man had broken to enter the room.  He was standing by the window in the dark room, the moonlight casting a soft glow across his face.  He didn't look up from the book in his hands when stood next to him.

Juliette's hand shook as she reached for the book, recognizing its cover instantly. 

"You had so much trouble with that," she whispered, glancing at the aged copy of Frankenstein that lay in a pool of moonlight on the floor.

"Don't you ever mind your own business?" Auggie snapped, dropping the book to the floor and turning his back to her.

"I just want to help," Juliette replied hesitantly.

"Go back to your school," Auggie replied tersely. 

"But I just-"

"I don't need you."

"Maybe not, but I need you."

"Look at me Juliette.  I live in the streets, I'm in a gang-"

"Not by choice."

"That doesn't matter.  I can't leave."

"You already have.  No one is making you go back."

"Juliette I'm a wreck.  You don't want me," Auggie muttered, his voice barely even a whisper. 

"Self pity doesn't look good on you." Juliette refused to buy into his pain.

"Cutting doesn't look good on you." Auggie shot back.

"That was years ago," Juliette brushed off the comment.  Auggie shook his head.

"I mean the cut on your arm.  Just below your shoulder on the inside of your right arm.  You tried to cover it with your t-shirt."

Juliette stared at him in disbelief, tugging at the sleeve of her shirt self-consciously.

"I cut myself shaving," Juliette argued weakly.

"What are you doing to yourself Jules?" Auggie asked sincerely. "I thought the cutting had stopped years ago."

"And I thought we'd be together forever," Juliette answered, allowing her eyes to meet his.

Auggie leaned against the windowsill and chuckled bitterly to himself. 

"What?" Juliette asked defensively.

"Look at us Jules.  How did we get so…lost?"  Auggie asked.

"I don't know," Juliette moved closer, hesitantly leaning on the window next to him.

Naturally Auggie's arm found its way to Juliette's shoulder and he pulled her to him without a second thought.  She buried her face in his shirt, breathing in the scent she had missed so much over the years.  The couple stood in silence for a long moment, time seemingly suspended, as the moon slowly made its way across the sky.