Thanx a lot for the reviews!

Okay, here we go with the second chapter!

Hope ya like it!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that English isn't my mother tongue, so please don't be too hard to me. My grammar still is not as good as I'd like it to be…;)

(Disclaimer: chapter 1)

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But then you came around me
The walls just disappeared
Nothing to surround me
And keep me from my fears
I'm unprotected
See how I've opened up
Oh, you've made me trust

Later that day, when Kate had finally gone home, she curled up on her sofa and thought about Tony. She often did. The difference was that she felt hurt and vulnerable this time.

Sure, Tony knew how to push her buttons, but he had never been really mean before. Kate knew that Tony hadn't been totally serious, but it hurt to hear things like that from him, nevertheless.

Closing her eyes, she thought about how much she had always enjoyed being with Tony. There had never been a reason to act. He had accepted her. She had even thought that he liked her – at least a little.

She sighed. There was no sense in thinking about it anymore. She had never been able to create long lasting relationships with men. She just hadn't trusted them. There were so many women around who were much prettier, funnier or more intelligent, so why should they stay with her? Kate knew it was stupid to think so. But somehow, she couldn't help it.

But she had trusted Tony. She was sure she had. Even though he was loud, childish and proud of having more women than he could count, she had trusted him. Until he had said she was selfish and want-to be-perfect. He couldn't have known, she told herself, she was more than just sensible when it came to personal things. She took it very personal when someone said she was bitchy or… want-to-be-perfect. Working hard and long was one thing, not being accepted for it and being teased about it another. Again, she thought back to a long passed day.

"Hey Kate. There's a party on Friday at Emma's…" Susan, one of her friends, began.

Kate made a face "So what?"

"Oh c'mon Kate. It's gonna be fun."

"You better go there with Mary and Eliza. I don't know if I can come. I have tons to do."

"Gee," Susan rolled her eyes "Why is it that always you do the whole work – no matter in which group you work."

"Because everybody else is busy with looking good and going to parties to be cool." Kate sarcastically answered, raising an eyebrow.

Susan knew where this was going. Every time Kate wasn't going to tell her the truth about her reasons, she raised an eyebrow and said something about things that pissed her off generally.

These things always were part of her reason, but never were the main point.

"And" Kate continued "As you know, I don't like parties. At least not this kind of parties."

Susan sighed. Kate was a good friend. She always tried to help and defended her friends, she listened to them and secrets were safe with her – but she almost never told something really personal about herself. She didn't share her feelings with her friends- and that was what made her a little scary. Not to mention her habit to be very sarcastic, especially about herself. And that was exactly what Kate was about to do now.

"I am neither blonde nor cool enough for that party."

"Emma likes you, she'd be upset if you didn't come."

"I don't like her enough. I mean, she's okay. She's a nice girl. But unfortunately with a lack of brain. I'm not in the mood to hear stories about her latest boyfriend, so just tell her I was terribly sorry, but I – unfortunately- had so much to do that it was impossible for me to come."

Susan was sure everyone except for her closest friends would buy that one. Kate was good at acting, and if she hadn't told her once that she liked to be alone on weekends, simply reading or having a walk through the forest, thinking about everything and nothing, Susan would still be thinking Kate was indeed doing a lot of work at weekend.

"So what are you gonna do instead?" Susan asked.

"Work."

Susan knew her friend was lying, but she also knew she wouldn't get any further if she told her that. Kate did do a lot work, but no one would work that much.

"You know you don't have to pretend to be the perfect one, don't you? Nobody is perfect, Kate."

Glaring at Susan, Kate coldly answered "I'm NOT pretending to be perfect. I'm just doing what is necessary."

"See you on Monday. And, Kate, think about coming to the party again."

Kate recognized that it had begun to rain. She listened to the rain for a while. She had always loved this weather. Though most people didn't like rain, she thought it had something peaceful. When it wasn't raining too much and it was autumn, it was great to have a walk, smelling the leafs and the trees. When it was really raining, it was very comfy and warm to lie on a sofa and relax, just listening to the rain, how it sounded at the windows.

Suddenly her phone rang. Kate needed a few seconds to realize it, because she had focused on the rain and everything else had seemed very far away. Slowly she stood up.

"Todd?"

"Hey Kate." sounded a familiar voice.

"Tony? What's the matter?"

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