A/N-sorry this has taken so long to update(Beth kept on bugging me to get it done, gosh, every day it was "have you updated? Have you updated?") YES I HAVE UPDATED, OK? Goodness. As I described this chapter to her, I think it's a little. . . strange. I dunno, that's just what I think. I'm sure you'll probably like it. And, the song is by Def Leppard-"When Love and Hate Collide" and I think there might be more songs by them in the future(yes, I like that band). Now, what you've all been waiting for. . .

Chapter Eight: Without You

Ellie relied on Jack's need for speed, which was a great one, to get her to the school as quickly as possible. The blaring of System of a Down filled the car, making conversation almost pointless. Ellie just stared at her cell phone, as if she was waiting for a call or something else and Jack just kept his eyes on the road, except for the few worried glances he took of Ellie. In ten minutes, they had completed the twenty minute drive to the school, and Jack pulled up along side of Ellie's Sentra.

"Thanks Jack" Ellie said, hopping out of the convertible with her backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Any time" he said. "Hey Ellie" he called out, thankful he had the top down. She turned and looked at him, keys in hand. "If you ever need anything, that's what we're here for."

"I know Jack" she smiled in a sad manner. "Thanks" and with that she got in her car and sped off towards her home. Jack headed back to Spot's, music off and absorbed in the sounds of the wind whipping by his ears and ruffling his hair.

Beth paced on the deck, hoping to hear from Ellie, much to the annoyance of everyone else out there. Everyone was of course concerned about Joy's help, and understood that's why Ellie had left so abruptly, but Beth was almost loosing it.

"Damn it Beth!" Dru, who had returned with Skittery not too long ago, exclaimed. "Just sit down. Everything's fine. Plus, you're making me dizzy."

"You sure that's not the drugs?" Mush muttered so only Byrne and Blink, who laughed, could hear him.

"How do you know?" Beth snapped at Dru, her patience running short. "She just up and left. Maybe something horrible happened, maybe that's why she left so quickly. We don't know what happened, if everything IS ok. Maybe. . ."

"Beth!" Classic cut in. "Breath, just breath" Classic got up and led Beth to a seat. "Everything's fine. So just breath, it helps" at that moment, Beth's cell phone began to ring, Classic stopped with her breathing speech, and everyone stared eagerly at Beth as she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe" Ellie's voice responded, and Beth sighed a little, glad to know it was her.

"What's going on? What happened?"

"Everything's fine. It was just a bizarre drug reaction. She's alright. A little out of it but no more than usual."

"A what reaction?"

"Her medications and the NyQuill she took this morning didn't really agree with each other" Ellie explained.

"Oh" Beth sighed again. "Good, good. I was. . ." Beth stopped, looking at her friends around her. "We were worried."

"I know. Well everything's fine, sorry I left so abruptly."

"Don't worry about it. You coming back?"

"No, I gotta baby-sit now" Ellie sighed unenthusiastically.

"Oh, that sucks" Beth said, not really knowing how she should respond. "I'm sorry. . ."

"Whatever. Make sure you tell everyone that everything's just fine. Talk to ya later babe."

"Bye" Beth hung up and looked at her friends anxious faces. "Everything's fine. It was just a medication reaction."

"Well that's good" Byrne said cheerfully.

"So you're done pacing right?" Blink questioned. "You were giving me a headache" Beth nodded with a laugh and a good amount of people let out sighs.

"I suppose we should probably be heading back about now" Dutchy said, looking at his watch. "It's about dinner time" a few others murmured in agreement or nodded.

"Yeah" Jack, who had returned about a minute before they heard from Ellie, agreed. Everyone said their good byes and separated off into the proper cars, leaving Spot alone on the deck. He sat there, lost in his own thoughts, for a few minutes before his eleven year old half0brother wandered out onto the deck.

"Hiya Josh" he said, sitting down across from Spot, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Hi Derek" Spot replied unenthusiastically. To be frank, his half-brother really annoyed him and he didn't want to talk with him.

"You sure had a lot of friends over."

"Yeah" Spot said brusquely, hoping Derek would get the point and leave him alone.

"What were you guys doing?" Derek kept pestering, looking at Spot with an almost look of adoration.

"Is this really any of your business?" Spot said coldly, getting up to leave the deck and Derek. "We were doing big kid stuff" he walked through the glass door and then headed up the curved stairs to his large bedroom. He turned on his stereo with the remote and cracking his knuckles, he sat down at his computer and signed onto AOL.

RacetrackStar05: sorry I missed the big get together

Guitarst4rmhe11: no prob

Guitarst4rmhe11: nothin happened

Racetrackstar05: I highly doubt that

Guitarst4rmhe11: not in the mood

Spot put up his away message with a sigh, feeling a little conflicted. He picked up a picture frame on his desk and stared at the photograph. It wasn't a particularly flattering picture of him but Ellie looked amazing. The picture was from a summer ago, not to long after Spot and Ellie first started dating. They had taken the photo at an amusement park where the gang had gone to celebrate their summer freedom. An almost look of longing appeared in Spot's eyes as he looked at Ellie's picture, her curly hair pulled away from her face, her eyes slightly crinkled and her smile wide. The two of them were standing in front of the park's biggest roller coaster, and Spot had his arm around Ellie's waist. He slammed the picture down on the desk in a rage. He was the asshole who had gone and screwed everything up then, and he still screwed them up. Now, he didn't even know how to describe their relationship. It was. . . complicated. He sighed and propped his feet up on his desk. It was only the beginning of the school year and he already knew things were complicated, and they were most likely going to stay like that for the rest of the year unless he did something about it.

"What am I doing?" he muttered to himself. "What am I doing to myself and how the hell is it helping me or anyone else?" his eyes flickered up to the ceiling in thought. 'It's on again' he thought. 'But for how long? How long til I get jealous, or do something incredibly stupid. I long til I screw up again?' He picked up the picture again and touched Ellie's face. 'She was so happy then, I was happy too. How can I get that back?' Spot closed his eyes, lost in thought and eventually drifted into sleep, to the sounds of Def Leppard and a song that just summed it up all too well.

"You could have a change of heart, if you would only change your mind

Instead of slamming down the phone girl, for the hundredth time

I got your number on my wall, but I ain't gonna make that call

When divided we stand babe, united we fall

Got the time got a chance gonna make it

Got my hands on your heart gonna take it

All I know, I can't fight this way

You could have a change of heart, if you would only change your mind

Cause I'm crazy 'bout you baby, time after time

Without you

One night alone

Is like a year without you baby

Do you have a heart of stone

Without you

Can't stop the hurt inside

When love and hate collide

I don't wanna fight no more, I don't know what we're fighting for

When we treat each other baby, like an act of war

I could tell a million lies and it would come as no surprise

When the truth is like a stranger, hits you right between the eyes

There's a time and a place and a reason

And I know I got a love to believe in

All I know got to win this time

Without you

One night alone

Is like a year without you baby

Do you have a heart of stone

Without you

Can't stop the hurt inside

When love and hate collide"