Warning: there's a little violence and weird violence in this chapter, and a mention of drugs, but not serious drugs.


There were some regular photos. Normal ones you'd expect a teenager to have. A group of friends messing around, in what looked to be a warehouse, smiling and laughing.

Then…there were others.

A picture of a forearm with cuts up it.
There was a picture of someone who looked to be wrenching someone's arm from their socket, laughing, the other being held down.

There were others of a bruised chest, a bruised stomach, more and more photos of abuse amongst a group of people.
And one of them, Kai could see in a few photos, was Rei.

The only way to describe it was gang violence. The kind of thing Kai had heard so much about and knew was going on. But he never knew that Rei had something to do with this kind of violence.

"Kai?"
Before Kai knew what was going on, he was bowled over, hitting the foot of the wardrobe hard.

He stood up, ducking as a fist flew to his head.
"Rei!"

He grabbed Rei's wrist as the boy threatened to punch him again.
"What are you doing!" Rei yelled, his grip extraordinarily tight on his wrist for someone who was supposedly ill.

"Rei I-"
"What were you doing! Did you go snooping around and find those!"

"No!"
Kai was having a job keeping Rei from pummelling him. He tackled Rei as the boy slammed tried to slam a knee into his gut. He grabbed hold of Rei's upper arms, holding on tightly.
"Rei!"
"Let go of me!"

"Listen to me!-"
"What were you doing!" Rei was furious. He tried to get away from Kai so he could hurt him, he wanted to make Kai pay for seeing everything Rei had tried so hard to bury and forget.

"Rei, calm down!" Kai barked. He was going to hurt himself at this rate.

Eventually, Rei calmed, becoming limp in Kai's hold, his head dropping forward, feverish sweat on his forehead.

"Kai," he croaked, softly, his eyes screwed shut.
Kai eased Rei to the ground, so that he was sat up against the bedroom wall.

"Rei…Rei," Kai got Rei to look him in the eye. The Chinese boy looked listless and exhausted, his eyes hollow. He looked haunted and harrowed, as if years of nightmares had thrown themselves in one big go onto his back, and had dug deep holes in his mind.

"Rei…what are those pictures?"

Rei looked pained. He shook his head, drawing his knees up to his chest and burying his face in them.
"Rei?"
"No,"
"Rei?"
"No! Stop it!" Rei screamed, "Leave me alone!"

Kai stared.

What was he to do? Despite what it looked like on the outside, the pair were good friends. And Kai couldn't stand to see Rei like this.
Eventually, Rei looked up.

"I'm sorry Kai," he whispered. His eyes were brimming.
"You've got nothing to be sorry for,"
"Those pictures…I…really didn't want anyone to see them. I've hid them for the past nine months. I've never had the courage to get rid of them, I wanted to keep them but forget about them,"
"Rei what are they of? When did that all happen?"
Rei looked Kai in eye.

His honey-coloured eyes met Kai's crimson ones.

He was finally going to tell someone.
Finally.
After all these months.

And what did Rei feel?

Terror. Fear. He was terrified of spilling his secrets, but was fearful that if he didn't they would swallow him.
Consume him.

I tried to kill my pain

But only brought more

So much more

I lie dying and I'm pouring crimson regret

And betrayal

"Kai…I've never told anyone this before. Can I tell you?"
Kai nodded.

"Tell me Rei,"

Rei paused before he spoke. Softly…

"My family moved away from China. Me, my older brother Len, my step-dad Shing and my Mum. I never told you, but my cousin is Lee. And he and his family had moved to America about a year or so before us. We were the best of friends, Lee and I. But when he left, we stopped being in contact. He never wrote, or called, and I didn't speak to him. When I got to America, we visited Lee. We had moved in close by. I thought it would be a great place to start our friendship again but he wouldn't even look at me," Rei choked on tears, on his words, "I don't know why, but he wouldn't talk to me, he left me on my own. And two days after we arrive, my brother passed away. He had had severe food poisoning, and it turned into something worse. I felt so alone. Lee still wouldn't talk to me, I had no friends, and I had no brother now. I started at the high school not so far away. I couldn't seem to make friends. I found it hard. So I was amazed when Morgan came up to me,"

playground school bell rings again

rain clouds come to play again

has no-one told you she's not breathing?

Hello I'm you're mind giving you someone to talk to

Hello.

"I was pretty much written off as a weirdo at school, but Morgan was so nice to me. He made me laugh. I found myself becoming friends with him. He introduced me to his friends. They took me in, we were all friends. I couldn't believe it. But I suppose I was just an easy target for them. I was still upset about my brother, I was lonely and wanted friends, so I did anything to keep their attention on me. Anything…"
Flashback

"Do I have to?"
"Yes, now go and do it,"

-

"When?"
"Now, go now,"
-

"Go on Rei! Do it!"

"Come on mate we're right behind you!"
-

"Try some,"
"No,"
"Rei! Try some!"
"O-OK,"

End Flashback.

"I became known throughout Morgan's group of friends as someone who would do anything for Morgan. So everybody took advantage of it. I found myself doing things for people I didn't know, just to make sure I stayed in Morgan's good books. I was terrified of loosing a friend. Things got really nasty. And Morgan kept taking photos. When he hurt me, or made me hurt myself, he always took a photo. He gave me them, telling me it meant we were true friends. He'd give me presents, like my guitar. That's why I want it sold, it reminds me of everything I did, everything that happened.

After months of this, my mum and my step-dad found out. They were furious. They took me out of that school, and banned me from leaving my home. They were frightened of what I would do if was with Morgan. I became a different person with him. I didn't care when I was with him, I would do anything. So they kept me away from him, and we moved away, even closer to Lee. That was nine months ago. And a couple of months ago, I started at Clerkdale High. I didn't want anyone to know about what I had done, what I had let myself be dragged into. I didn't want to be cast out. I didn't want sympathy. I tried to be happy, to make friends,"

If I smile and don't believe

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream

Tears wet Rei's cheeks, and he clasped his knees tightly to his chest. A few bangs of hair stuck to his face from his tears and fever from fear. But he didn't feel them tickling his smooth skin. His eyes seemed glazed.

"And today…I've found out that my other cousin Mariah came to see me nine months ago, just as I moved away. She met Morgan and he promised her that they were moving down this way to find me anyway, so she could tag along. And now Morgan's here. But I don't know where Mariah is. I hope she's safe," Rei gave a little sob, his body shaking, "I don't trust Morgan. I don't know if she's safe or not. And now Morgan's here. He's already being trying to hurt me again. Making it out to Lee that I never snapped out of being loyal to Morgan,"

Rei shook as his sobs took hold and he hid his face in his knees, "I can't handle Morgan again. I'm not strong enough. I don't want to go back to it all, I don't want to do the things I did back then. But Morgan will make me. I know he will,"

Rei felt an arm around his shoulders, and as he sobbed he moved close to the warmth of Kai's body.

Kai had no idea why he was hugging Rei. It was just…when Rei talked about Morgan, and everything that had happened…he had looked so vulnerable. Expose and alone. He had stripped down the walls he had built around himself to keep people from seeing how vulnerable he was really, to prevent from being used again.

Now the walls had fallen Rei looked so naked to Kai. Stripped off his security. Bare and exposed.

And Kai knew that feeling, all too well.

I wake up in the morning
Put on my face
The one that's gonna get me
Through another day
Doesn't really matter
How I feel inside
'Cause life is like a game sometimes

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

He held Rei until the sobs had gone from his body, then made Rei look him in the eye again.

It was that fact, that he knew how Rei felt, that made him say what he said next. Something out of character for Kai, but heartfelt.

"Rei, I won't let Morgan get to you again, do you hear me? And nor will Max. You do realise we're you're friends, don't you Rei? I know we've not been so close but we are friends. And I know Max won't let anyone touch a hair on his best friend's head,"
"Best friend?" Rei said, with a little laugh. Even Kai smiled.

"I've heard Max say it. And Max doesn't talk lightly about friendship. Together we've missed too much of it,"

"I didn't know you had a heart Kai," Rei laughed, wiping away his tears. Kai smirked.
"We've all been hurt Rei. But it's not an excuse not to help,"

"Thanks Kai,"

(A/N: yes, Kai is a little OOC but…I don't know really. He has been a little bit OOC for most of this fic. But hey ho)

I slept better that night. Kai left for home, with his usual stoic expression fixed upon his face. Kai had slipped so out of character in front of me, but I realised that really was him. And I didn't mind if it was only brief. I kind liked the mix of the icy stoic enigma and the boy who cared and protected.

The latter side of him, reminds me of my brother.

Walking to school, I encountered Lee. On his own.

My stomach clenched with fear. What if he tried to do what he had done to me last time we met alone?
"Rei,"

Lee's voice was serious and strained.
I bit my lip, waiting in dread as he walked up to me.

I closed my eyes, waiting for a strike…

But felt none.

Was I delirious, or did Lee just not beat me severely for being in his range of vision?
"Rei,"
"Lee?"
"We need to talk,"


A Senorita: oh no, I think my chapters are getting worse! I need some reviews to know what you guys think though!

TTFN