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Shout outs

Snickers0: I'm sorry for killing you hun but I'm glad you like the chapter!

Hopelesslydevoted12:I'm glad you thought that was funny. I was toying with the idea of keeping it because I had written half of it and then realised that the stairs were too narrow!

Marcy Bayd: Hooray! More cookies for you!

Mellowyellow36: Hey. When I read your review I was really shocked and now I don't know what to say apart from I'm really sorry and I hope stuff gets better for you. I can't really pretend to know how you feel but I'm not going to just carry on like other people. I'm just going to leave it at that but if you feel like reading on with the story, drop me another review. This chapter is especially for you.

Chapter eight

Tuesday, 20th December

'ohmigodohmigodohmigodohmigod...' Katie's mind was racing as she sprinted up the stairway to the apartment. Pushing the door open she made a beeline for Laurie's room. There wasn't a practise scheduled for that day but she had to talk to Laurie.

"Laurie!" Katie flung herself on the figure that was splayed out on the bed reading a book.

Laurie jumped out of her skin but resumed her normal pose when she realised that Katie was a in a rather jumpy state.

"What is it?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows. Katie flung her arms around Laurie in a big bear hug "I kissed Zack!"

Laurie sat stunned for a moment before Katie rocked back and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes bright with excitement. Laurie stared at her friend "So... This is a good thing?"

Katie nodded her head excitedly "Yes! He's taking me out for a Pizza tonight!"

Laurie smiled widely. She loved seeing her friend so happy "What are you going to wear?"

"I don't know! That's why I'm here! You always dress so pretty!" Laurie looked down at her torn T shirt and grey jogging bottoms. Looking back up she saw Katie smirking "Well... maybe not today."

Laurie thwacked Katie with a pillow "What kind of look do you want to go for?"

Katie shrugged and gestured to herself "Just different from this I guess. Something pretty."

Laurie frowned "Now we have a dilemma on our hands."

Katie gave her friend a light shove "Thanks!" Laurie giggled.

"You know I don't mean that. I mean," she said, hopping off the bed and heading toward the window to open the curtains "We have what Zack fell in love with right here," she gestured to wards Katie's clothes "However, you have to ask yourself- would you be happy with what you wore tonight if you were trying to please him? If not, this means that you have officially made a mistake in what you wear. Many wise fashion gurus have said wear as many styles as you want during your life. You don't need a trademark one. Also, you must never wear what you hate to please someone. Hmm..."

Laurie sighed and flopped down on the bed next to Katie, who looked thoroughly confused. Suddenly, Laurie's eyes lit up "I know!" she jumped off the bed, pulling Katie with her.

Laurie dragged her friend into the kitchen and stood her in the corner "Don't. Say. A word."

Grabbing the phone from its cradle Laurie dialled Zack's cell phone number. When he answered she replied to his 'hello?' with a nonchalant 'Hey Zack. How you doing?"

"Hey Laurie." Zack smiled into the phone. Nothing could spoil his mood today "I'm good. And yourself?"

"Can't complain. But sometimes I still do." Katie heard Zack chuckle faintly on the other line and felt her heart swell with excitement.

"Anyway," said Laurie conversationally "What's this I hear about you and Miss Katie Andre? Planning on treating her right I hope?"

"Of course."

"Good to hear." Laurie began pouring glasses of diet coke for herself and Katie "Now, I have a burning question I need to ask. What made you fall for Katie?" Laurie could practically see Zack grinning from ear to ear and waited patiently for his answer.

"I guess it was her beautiful personality. It's like... It's like her soul's shining through and that light... it's so bright. It's like you're out of the tunnel. And she's so small-I just wanna hold her every time I see her. Her fingers are so perfect as well. In fact all of her is perfect. I wouldn't care if she was wearing a sack of potatoes."

"Aww that's so lovely!" Laurie could feel happy tears building behind her eyes "Are you going to tell her that?"

Zack frowned on the other end of the line "You think I should?"

"Hell yeah. Well.... Except maybe the last part." Zack laughed "Alright. Well... Maybe."

"OK then cloud boy. I'll leave you to daydream a bit longer. Speak to you soon." Laurie hung up the phone and turned to Katie, who was biting her nails anxiously.

"You're a very lucky girl." Laurie pulled her friend into a hug, "What did her say about me?" Katie asked excitedly. Laurie shook her head and mimed zipping her lips. "Can't say. Come on-Let's find you something that'll knock his socks off!"

After two hours of careful deliberation over Laurie's wardrobe. The girls finally chose a cream roll neck sweater and teamed it with a beige stretch mini skirt and beige suede knee length boots. There had been some debate about wearing a mini skirt on the 20th of December but it had really suited Katie and she really wanted to wear it.

Sitting Katie down at her cluttered dressing table Laurie pulled Katie's hair up into a messy bun, and using curling gel she gently curled random parts of Katie's hair that were left down. Pulling a small bag out of her dresser drawer Laurie threw in a tube of clear mascara (In case of rain) a blush stick and a tube of clear lip gloss. Throwing that in the bag with the clothes she turned to Katie "That's you all set. Don't put the blush on too heavily-you know that right? What time are you meeting Zack?"

Katie checked her watch "At about four thirty. I've got an hour and a half."

Laurie nodded "OK. Go home. Get dressed and have a great time!"

Laurie ushered Katie out of the apartment and giving her one last good-luck hug and promising to call in the morning for details, Laurie shut the door behind her.

Leaning her back against the door Laurie sighed and stared around the empty apartment. Ned and Dewey had taken Juliet out for a walk so she had the apartment to herself.

It was so quiet. Not something Laurie usually associated with the apartment. Seeing the debris that littered the floor in the form of nappies, towels and empty bottles, she slowly walked around picking up random bits of rubbish.

The shrill ringing of the phone made Laurie jump three feet in the air. Skidding into the kitchen she managed to grab the phone of its hook before ending up on her back on the floor.

"Hello?" she gasped, rubbing the back of her head.

"Laurie?" her mother sounded concerned. Laurie's eyes widened.

"Mum! How are you?"

"Not too good, baby."

Laurie's heart sank. She hoisted herself up just enough so she could lean her back against the refrigerator door.

"They're letting him out?"

A long silence on the other end "Yes."

Laurie buried her face deep in her hands "How can they do this?" she moaned into the phone. Penny sighed.

"I don't know baby."

Laurie bit her lip so hard she drew blood but she knew that she mustn't cry. That was weak. And stupid. Only Babies cried.

Freddy hauled himself up the stairs with great difficulty on his crutches. Joy had insisted that he went to the doctor that morning who had re-strapped his ankle and given him crutches to walk on until it was better. He had been adamant that his mother stopped by Dewey's on the way home so he could collect his Less Than Jake CD that Dewey had borrowed.

Finally reaching the corridor, Freddy hobbled along to the apartment door and pushed it open gently. It looked empty. Deciding that he didn't really want a confrontation with Laurie, Freddy slipped inside silently and limped over to the CD rack. He picked out his CD, turned to leave and then froze.

Through the archway to the kitchen Freddy could see Laurie sat with her back to the refrigerator, staring blankly at the opposite wall. She had the phone nestled in her lap and the dial tone was bleating on endlessly. She had not even noticed Freddy had arrived.

Instantly Freddy was torn between wanting to know what was wrong and wanting to turn around and leave her alone. It could only end in another fight... couldn't it?

As quiet as a mouse, Freddy hopped over to the door and shut it quietly behind him.

'She'll be OK. If I go and interrupt she'll hate me for it.' He thought to himself.

What if she does something stupid?

'She's not going to do anything stupid... right?'

Hobbling to his mother's car Freddy made a snap decision. Motioning for Joy to lower the window he handed her his CD and told her he would be staying for a last minute jamming session. Joy frowned but didn't say anything.

'This doesn't mean anything.' Freddy told his mind fiercely as he struggled up the staircase 'I don't like her, I'm just concerned for her.'

Yeah yeah.

Freddy hobbled all the way back up the stairs and into the apartment, as if he was just arriving. Looking into the kitchen he found Laurie in exactly the same place, the exact same expression plastered on her face. A heartbroken expression.

"Hey." He said quietly. Laurie stirred a little and looked at him "Hey." She whispered.

"Whatsa matter?"

Laurie shook her head. Freddy came further into the kitchen and sat himself down (with great difficulty) on the floor next to her. Taking a deep breath Freddy reached out to touch her hand, hoping that she wouldn't jolt away.

Freddy larger hand enveloped Laurie's smaller one and held it tight. Laurie's hands were soft but under his finger's touch Freddy could feel a small scar at the base of her thumb. Her hands looked so pale next to his, and her wrists were so thin. Her fingers felt cold as ice underneath his.

"Laurie, what happened?"

Laurie was staring at Freddy's hand cloaking her own. His hand was rough and slightly calloused, the fingers long and graceful in that strange masculine way that only few men have. It was like there was a baby flame laid over her hand. She looked up into Freddy's face. For the first time, Laurie saw genuine concern in his eyes-and it unnerved her. Sniffing a little she pulled her hand away-but gently, removing Freddy's hand with her free one and giving it a small reassuring squeeze.

"It's nothing." she said quietly hauling her herself to her feet and offering Freddy a hand, which he took. Pulling himself up Freddy grabbed hold of the counter for support "Is it about your dad?"

Laurie froze for a second and then turned herself around slowly "How do you know?" She asked weakly. Freddy suddenly twigged that even though Zack and Katie told him, it might have meant that he wasn't supposed to know. Deciding to make a weak attempt at saving his friend's asses he tried "It's pretty easy to guess Laurie."

"Zack and Katie told you didn't they?"

Freddy hung his head "Yes."

It was then that Freddy noticed that Laurie was biting her lip very hard. A thin line of blood was appearing at a split.

"You're bleeding." He stated simply. Laurie nodded.

"I know."

"Why?"

"Because my dad's being let out of prison..." Laurie whispered. For a second she appeared to be the frail, skinny, under-developed child Freddy had seen in the pictures. Leaning back against the counter he exhaled heavily "Shit."

Laurie snorted "How d'you know?"

Freddy studied the small girl in front of him and said the first thing that came to mind "Are you going to cry?" 'Great Jones. Real mature.' His conscience smacked him upside the head.

Laurie shook her head stubbornly. Bringing her thumb up toward her bottom lip she gently wiped away the blood.

"Why not?" Freddy asked, perplexed.

"Because only weak little rabbits cry that's why!" She whispered fiercely and stomped out of the room, Freddy as fast on her heels as he could go with a bad leg. His crutches stood forgotten in the kitchen.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Laurie stopped, and turned with such a force that if her arms had been stuck out she might have taken off.

"I mean I'm not weak, and since only weak pathetic stupid people cry, I'm not crying!"

"That's Bullshit Laurie and you know it!" Freddy's voice began to rise and he held out a hand to steady himself.

"It's not!" she yelled back, turning to leave. A sudden lunge meant Freddy could grab hold of her arm. Laurie flinched and began to struggle against Freddy, frustration beginning to take hold as he was obviously quite a bit stronger than her.

Freddy had hold of both her arms by this time "Let go! Freddy just let me go! I hate you!" Laurie refused to look him in the eye and Freddy kept a firm grip on her arms.

"It's not stupid to cry Laurie and you know it!"

"It is! It's stupid to cry and I'm stupid!" Laurie wouldn't give up struggling although now big fat tears were making their way down her cheeks. Freddy suddenly jerked his hand up and roughly pushed some of the hair out of her face "Never say that again!" He said hotly "You're not stupid and you're not weak!"

"Yes I am!" Sobbed Laurie, collapsing forwards, burying her face in Freddy's chest "Yes I am and I hate you."

Freddy wrapped his arms around the distraught girl and whispered gently to her, stroking her hair "You're not Laurie, You're not. You're strong."

Laurie's sobs seemed to shake her whole body, the weight of her trauma multiplying and falling down her cheeks in clear droplets of crystal, dampening Freddy's shirt.

Freddy led the featherlike girl to her own bed where she lay, completely exhausted and sniffling.

"Don't leave me." She whimpered, reaching out blindly to catch some part of Freddy. Freddy stared at her flailing hand for a second and then caught hold of it in his own grasp. He lay down on the bed beside Laurie, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Freddy listened for her breathing to steady and watched Laurie sleep.

Gently he untangled his fingers from hers and left her to slumber peacefully on her bed. Slipping out of the apartment, Freddy walked home deep in thought. Why had he gone back to help her? Why had he been so afraid that she would do something stupid?

"This," Freddy muttered as he let himself into his house "sucks."

End of chapter!!! Please review!!!!!!!!!

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Officer BudBabe