Christine's Pov

As I took a break from soccer practice I looked over at the football team, since we were training on nearby fields. See my school had both a football field and a soccer field that were pretty close to each other, but unlike tryouts I could look across now. Michael was practicing different plays with his team and was doing really well, so was Darius and Ford. He caught the ball easily in his hands and quickly passed it back as he kept moving. Happy that he was trying so hard with his team, I turned back to mine. Two girls were still running laps as they had done what our coach had said not to do and turned up late.

"Okay girls, line up. Felicia, it's between you and Jamie who will be our goalie so you're up first – get in front of that net and do your best." Coach Haven said and Felicia ran over to the net.

I was at the head of the line, so when coach blew the whistle I ran forward and kicked the ball and it sailed into the goal, just being missed by Felicia. The rest of the team went and Felicia blocked a lot of the balls and then it was Jamie's turn. In the end, coach decided to make Felicia the goalie for our team.

By the end of our training session we pretty much knew how this team was going to work and while I wasn't going to say we were a close team, we were beginning to get along now. No one seemed to have a problem with me being captain or Danika being vice-captain, so that was a good thing.

We went into the locker rooms once our practice ended and I took a shower, since soccer was tiring and made you sweaty as hell. I mean I loved it so I didn't care at all. I changed into my clothes and put my soccer uniform back in my bag. My uniform mainly consisted of black cleats, a crimson short sleeved shirt with black on the sides and black shorts. Our uniforms were close but slightly different to the football team, basketball team and the cheerleaders – they all consisted of crimson, black and white.

"See you Thursday, if not in the halls." Danika said as she passed me, causing me to nod as she took off. I grabbed my gym bag and school bag and headed out of the locker room, simply heading back out to the football field where Michael was standing, dressed in casual clothes, with Ford and Darius.

"What's going on?" I asked as I approached them and Darius was the one who turned to me, since Michael and Ford were so engrossed with what was going on.

"One of the new guys, Eli, kept messing up today and now Coach Jackman is letting him have it." Darius explained and I looked over at their coach, who was yelling at the guy. Thing was, despite the fact that we called him the devil coach, he was acting more intense than he normally did.

"Um, you spend more time with him than me, but he seems more intense and well… scary than he normally does." I said and Darius chuckled.

"Yeah, not sure what bug crawled up his ass, but he we being a real hard-ass today. I know he wants us to win the championship again this year so he has five in a row, but this is ridiculous – football may be his life, but he can't expect us all to be perfect at it." Darius said and I had to smile at that. You had to love Darius – he was the good, kind guy who wasn't afraid to tell things how they were.

"He shouldn't expect us too, but I'm pretty sure he does." Michael said as he finally turned around. "Now, aren't we all supposed to be going bowling?"

"You know, I'm agreeing to go with you guys, but not all of us are so smart that we can do our homework in seconds. Evil teachers, it's only the second week of school and we already have homework." Ford complained and I had to smile at that, while Michael pattered him on to back.

"Yeah, can't be easy taking Calculus when you suck at all math." Michael teased and that caused Ford to start chasing him, which made Darius and I laugh.

"You know, that's kinda easy for Michael to say when you guys are good at all math, literature and biology." Darius said and I shrugged.

"That kinda can't be helped. We both have been around scientists our whole lives, people with multiple doctorates, and our parents are all smart – logically we were bound to end up with high from more than just genetics." I said and Darius shook his head.

"Yeah, kinda got that from Michael and you never getting anything less than an A in years. I appreciate the help you two gave me and Kate with our studies." Darius said as we headed toward the parking lot, following the mucking around two boys. "Speaking of Kate. You know how her birthday's the weekend after the homecoming game right. She's planning to throw a big party at her house."

"Well I'm assuming her parents aren't going to be around at that time, because if Kate is saying big party, they wouldn't agree with whatever she's planning." I said, since Kate's parents are kinda… well they aren't the best parents in the world. Bluntly, they're kinda dicks.

"Pretty much. Kate could care less that they're missing her birthday this year. She just wants to have a fun time." He said and I nodded, before I saw that Michael and Ford were still going at it. "Those idiots." Darius muttered before heading over to him. "Okay you two, break it up."

"Did I miss anything?" Kate asked and I just shook my head. "Really no point in explaining." I said. "So, how did cheerleading practice go?"

"Well, it went as good as it could, and when I say that I mean I was able to refrain from killing that bitch Mariah because I'm too pretty to end up in jail and she's not worth the time. Plus, I'm no killer." Kate said and I looked at her as we headed over to our cars, leaving the boys to finish what they were doing.

"What'd she do this time, other than be her normal, charming self." I asked, sarcasm heavily included because Mariah was anything but charming. She was one of those people that thought that if you had good looks, that's all that matters. She thought if she was a ten, that was enough, but in truth despite her experience, which she turned inappropriate, her personality was a two – so she was basically just a two because personality was more important than looks as far as I was concerned. I mean sure, looks were an attracting factor, but if you had a horrible attitude and personality then your appearance is all you have going for you.

"Well, let's just say I don't get why the coach let her onto the team when all she did today was mess with the routine we were practicing. I mean the homecoming game isn't that far away and I have to deal with her crap and the crap of the two brainless bimbos that follow her like loss puppies." Kate said and I just shook my head. Kate had been like this for years, it was one of the reasons we had become friends. She stuck up for me when we were young and right after she said she was going to be my best friend, which is exactly what she became.

"That girl needs a reality check." I said, then I looked over at the boys who were finally done messing around and coming over to us. "Hey, look who finally cut it out."

"Well, Anna, Stacey and Layla are probably already at the bowling lanes, so I figured we better get going before Stacey kills me." Ford said and I nodded, because Stacey would definitely do that.

"That we agree on." I said, looking at Michael who picked me up for school today.

X

We got to the bowling lane, all in separate cars except for Michael and I and went in, finding the girls were already here. We paid for lanes, side by side to each other and four of us sat on each side. Michael, Darius, Kate and I would be bowling in one lane and Ford, Anna, Stacey and Layla would be bowling in the other. We'd be playing a total of three games, and I was looking forward to it because I was actually good at bowling thanks to dad and Grandpa.

I slipped on my shoe's as Kate and I shook my head at the boys. They were making another bet – which lane would win each game. I didn't hear what the winner got, but this was childish.

"We're not joining in on Ford's and Darius' betting, okay." Anna said and Kate nodded, while I smiled.

"I came to play, not make bet's." I said happily and Michael patted my back.

"I'm agreeing with her on this one. Bets are stupid." Michael said and Ford looked at him then.

"You just think that because of the last bet we made, which was about you and Christine." Ford said and Michael began to glare at him.

"You're actually reminding me of something I should make you all pay for, considering we're people and you shouldn't bet on our lives." Michael said and Kate raised her hand.

"Um, that excludes Layla and I because we were smart enough to stay out of that bet." Kate said, earning a glare from the twins and a nod from Layla.

"Okay, how about we actually bowl instead of fighting about an old issue?" I offered and from the corner of my eye I saw Michael smile at my attempt to calm things down.

My attempt worked and we started bowling and well, nearing the end of round one Ford was being to regret making the bet with Darius, I could see it. I was first on my team and we were up to the tenth bowl, which we got three turns at if we got a strike or spare. I bowled my first bowl and managed to take out every pin, but two, but thankfully the two were close. I waited for my ball to come back and then I bowled again and successfully took out the two pins. On my last bowl I got a strike, which made Darius and Michael cheer. Darius went next, then Kate and finally Michael and when we tallied our scores against the other team, we won.

"Why did I agree to a bet with you when you and Christine know how to bowl so well?" Ford groaned and Darius smirked.

"Really want me to answer that one." He asked and Ford just gave him an unhappy look. "Well, the deal was whoever loses the first round buys the pizza and drinks. And don't bitch, because you agreed to the teams and both you and Layla know how to bowl too." Ford groaned, but conceded.

"Okay, what do you all want?"

We made our orders and Stacey went with Ford, getting teased by Anna as she went which made her stick her tongue out. In the end we got a mixture of coke's and Fanta's, two pizzas' and two baskets of fries. Our next game went by with a lot more joking and fun. We ate our food and really enjoyed ourselves, talking about school the sports teams we were on. We were all on some sort of athletic team now, including Kate because cheerleading counts – Darius, Ford and Michael football, Layla basketball, Kate cheerleading, Anna and Stacey were on the swim team and I was on the soccer team. Ford complained about his homework again, which Stacey told him to stop being such a crybaby about because we all had homework and to top it off, we all had teams we had to focus on. In the end though, our game ended with the other team winning, so now it was one – one.

"Michael." A familiar voice shouted and I turned just in time to see Michael's sister turn up, a smile on her face, and Hodgins not far behind her.

"Katherine, Dad, what are you doing here?" Michael asked and Hodgins rubbed his neck.

"I hate to do this to you, but I forgot that I promised to take your mother out tonight. I even made the reservation, so I kinda need you to watch your sister." Hodgins said and Katherine looked at her dad.

"Dad, I'm eleven, Michael doesn't have to watch me all the time. It obvious he'd rather have fun with his friends." Katherine said and Michael went over, patting her head.

"Oh, come on, you know that's not true. You'll have to watch us play, but hopefully you'll get to see us kick ass." Michael said and I saw Hodgins smile. "Go take Mom out to dinner Dad, I'll get her home tonight."

"Thanks buddy." Hodgins said, before taking off, while Katherine just sat down in the seat Michael was sitting in a moment ago, taking a book out of her bag and starting to read as our third game started.

X

In the end we won the third game, making it two to one and meaning Darius now had bragging rights over Ford and her was using them. Those two had a very weird friendship. Kate offered to take me home since Michael now had to drive Katherine and I accepted, since I knew that Kate wasn't one I could say no to because she wouldn't take no as an answer. So, I grabbed my bags from Michael's truck and with a quick goodbye, since Katherine was complaining about getting home, I made my way over to Kate's car and climbed in. The drive back to my place was filled with chatter and planning Kate's party – well it was more Kate telling me her ideas, like themes, and me giving input. By the time we got to my place, I think she pretty much knew what she wanted to do for her 17th, but I also knew she had something planned that she wasn't saying.

I climbed out of the car, and went to grab my bags when I noticed Kate getting out too."What are you doing?"

"You're the genius, I thought it was obvious I was coming in for a moment to say hi." She said and I just shook my head, slipping my backpack onto my back as I slung my gym bag over my shoulder as I fished my keys out of the left front pocket of my shorts.

I reached the front door and opened it up, stepping inside the house, but before I called out to my parents I heard a noise coming from upstairs. I looked at Kate, who seemed miffed by what it was, and listened closely. That's when I unfortunately realized that the sound that I was hearing was the load creaking of a bed and floorboards and moaning, which made me shiver in disgust.

"Are your parents doing what I think they're doing?" Kate asked and even though I was uncomfortable as hell right now, I nodded.

"For the sounds of it, but I'm not going up there to find out." I said, because despite knowing a lot and seeing dead bodies, I was not about to stay here and listen to my parents have loud sex. No thanks, I did not need that mental trauma – I had already heard this before, but they'd never been this loud.

"Want to come stay at my house? My parents aren't there, you can wear a pair of my pajama's and I'll bring you back to change before school tomorrow." Kate offered me.

"Deal." I agreed immediately and I quickly turned on my heel, leaving my gym bag inside near the door, and shutting the door once Kate was out. I locked up and quickly followed Kate, 'cause there was no way I was staying here right now. I mean, obviously I knew my parents had sex, but I didn't need to hear it.

"Promise me you'll give them hell for this later." Kate said as she drove off and I looked at her.

"When I recover from what I just heard, maybe." I said, because honestly, what teenager wants to hear their parents having sex. I mean, at least I didn't walk in on them having sex, because I don't think I'd be able to look at them for a while.

X

When we got to Kate's I sent my parents a text to tell them that I'd be staying at Kate's house the night, which Mom was confused about when she finally texted me back, but didn't tell me I couldn't. Kate and I ended up spending sprawled in her room, watching an old T.V series called Pretty Little Liars and eating junk food. It wasn't my type of show, but I didn't hate it so I could easily watch it as I did the homework I already had. Kate had homework too, the same homework I did, because we were both in the same class – algebra. Kate hate's algebra, along with a lot of other subjects. I was fine with all the classes I got this year and I planned to get A's in all of them, and by A I mean A+ or A, and at worse A-.

"Argh, I can't do this!" Kate complained as she flopped back and I looked at her.

"It's not that hard Kate; I'll give you a hand." I offered and she sat up again, looking at me.

"Well that's easy for you to say, you're good at all our core subjects – Math, English, Social studies, Science, foreign language which you've now taken two off because you luckily got into the Japanese course and will stay in it till you graduate, and art." Kate said and I just kept looking at her, waiting for her to stop ranting, which I knew she hadn't done yet. "All the subjects you got this year, you should easily ace."

"Do you want me to help you with your algebra, or not?" I asked and even though she got a grumpy pout on her lips, I knew she did.

"Yes please." She said softly, so softly that I just heard it over the T.V, and I smiled at her.

"Okay then, listen closely." I said, because I knew Kate well enough to know that it took a lot to get her to focus on any sort of math – Kate was more of an artsy person.

X

Kate dropped me off home early the next morning, though it took me a lot of prodding and a hot coffee to get her out of bed in the first place, and then left because I said I'd ride to school. I liked riding my bike, I liked being fit, so I'd be fine. I made my way to the front door and unlocked it, praying that maybe Mom and Dad had gone into work early today, but as I went in they were both in the kitchen. Well, this wasn't going to be awkward at all.

"Christine, what are you doing home? I thought you would have gone straight to school with Kate." Mom said and I smiled as best as I could as I dropped my bag on the floor.

"I needed to come home and change my clothes." I said simply and mom looked me up and down.

"Why didn't you just pick any up yesterday?" Dad asked and I shrugged.

"Didn't feel like making the trip home and Kate was willing the lend me." I explained quickly. "I'm gonna' change and get to school." I said before racing upstairs.

I quickly changed into a knee length dress that was black with white flower, a dark blue denim jacket, black stockings and knee high boots before brushing out my hair and putting a black headband in. I headed back downstairs and grabbed my bag, heading straight for the door, but of course I shouldn't have expected she'd let me get away that easily.

"Christine, you said you didn't come home yesterday, but your gym bag was on the floor near the door. I already washed your uniform." Mom said and I wanted to curse, but instead I decided to be honest like Mom.

"Okay, honestly, I came home, heard you two having sex and decided I didn't want to listen to that, which I would have had to because you were being so loud, so I went to Kate's. She heard you too by the way." I said bluntly and the look on Dad's face when I said that was priceless. Even Mom seemed a little surprised by how blunt I had been and what I had said. "Now, I'm going to head to school."

With that I headed back out the door and headed to the garage, where I grabbed my bike and came back out with it, placing my backpack on my back. I took off riding before Mom or Dad could talk to me about what I had just said to them and road my way to school, which didn't take me too long. I was able to get to school before it started, actually with time to spare. When I got there and got to the bike racks, Michael was waiting for me with a smile on his face.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked him as I got off my bike and started locking it up.

"How'd it go with your parent's?" He asked and I looked at him.

"I didn't..." I started, before I realized how he knew that even though I hadn't told him that. "Damn you Kate." I cursed under my breath, before I noticed he was still grinning. "Stop grinning like an idiot already."

He followed me as I walked off. "Oh, come on, it's a little funny."

"You didn't hear how loud those two were." I said and he kept grinning as a laugh slipped from his lips, which made me smack him upside the head. "Laugh about your girlfriend's mental trauma, that's real mature."

He just ignored me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "You know you're cute when you're annoyed."

"Is that why you constantly annoyed me in that past?" I asked him in curiosity, because it actually sounded like something he would do.

"It was one of the reasons. The other was that you were my best friend and it was fun, especially changing your password." Michael said and I just sighed. He could be a real pain in my ass, but I couldn't help but love him.