CHAPTER TWO

Laura and Jacob have been in Summer Bay for a week. There really wasn't much to see in Summer Bay as they found out. They checked out the touristy spots and a few historical sites.

The following Monday it was time for school. Jacob woke up with butterflies in his stomach. He felt nervous but he wasn't about to show it. He reached for his new school uniform and tried it on. He fiddled with his tie before heading into the kitchen.

Their new apartment was starting to look more of a home. The boxes were pretty much gone now.

" Want some brekky?' his mother asked as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

" Some cereal-I'll get it." Jacob went to the pantry and took out a box of cornflakes and helped himself.

" Excited?"

" No…it's just school." Jacob said flatly as he sat at the dining table. He dug into his cereal.

Laura smiled, he was nervous. She could tell because when he's nervous he ate quickly. Jacob gave her a quick kiss goodbye before leaving. School was only a fifteen minute walk.

Jacob hitched his backpack up higher as he followed the school principal Barry Hyde to the lockers. He chose one and began storing his textbooks inside. Hyde was explaining he had Ms. Fletcher for his first class but as she was on leave, he would have Dan Baker instead-for all of Ms. Fletcher's classes.

A blonde boy and a girl walked past them and Hyde called out to them. " Matilda and Lucas."

They turned. Lucas was holding Matilda's hand-they were obviously a couple.

" This is Jacob Tate. He's new…I'd like for you two to show him around." And they did, chattering on about the classes and teachers. Jacob took one look at them and decided these two were too dorky for his liking. Lucas was a pretty boy. Jacob needed find real friends.

On the way to his second class he was tripped in the hallway. He stumbled but managed to catch himself. He turned and glared at the boy who tripped him. " Saw you hanging with the goody-goody two-shoes Lucas and Matilda."

" I wasn't." Jacob replied, " they were showing me around that's all." He started to go into the classroom when the boy grabbed his arm.

" A group of us are going to the diner after school. If you want real friends, hang with us."

Jacob studied the boy. He was tall with messy brown hair and wide grey eyes. His tie was crooked and shirt untucked.

" I dunno."

" I think you will." The boy decided for him and walked into the classroom, bumping into him on the way in.

The kid was clearly a bully but if he were to have real friends, this kid is it.

Hours between 3 and 4pm were always busy at the Diner. That was when most of the kids came from school to get a snack or just hang out. Irene had made a new rule long ago that if you weren't there to eat or drink, then "skedaddle". But some kids ignored that rule. Especially Tim Morally and his gang.

" How many time do I have to tell you lot?" Irene asked the kids as they sat at a booth, " Either order somethin' or get out."

" Chill Ms. Roberts," Tim answered, " We're gonna order hamburgers."

At that moment, Jacob arrived. Irene took their orders and disappeared into the kitchen.

" What's wrong?" Leah asked her. Irene looked slightly flustered.

" Tim and his group are here." She frowned, " and Jacob Tate is with them. Doesn't he know they are a bad lot?"

" Jacob's the son of Laura isn't he? I don't suppose he knows. Should we tell him?"

Irene peered out and saw Tim ribbing Jacob. " Let Jacob find out for himself." Irene said grimly. " And he will-sooner rather than later."

" Okay," Tim said as he slurped nosily at his thick shake, " If you want to become part of my group you have to do an initiation."

" An…initiation?" Jacob repeated warily.

" We all had to do it." David piped up. Jacob had disliked him from the moment he met him. He sucked up to Tim a lot.

" That's right, you won't get any special treatment because you're new." Tim thought for a bit until his eyes lit up when Morag Bellingham entered the diner. He loathed that woman-ever since she put his dad behind bars.

" I want you to puncture someone's car tires."

Jacob stared at him, stunned. " Whose?"

" I'll show you which car. If you won't do it then we'll know you're chicken and too much of a city boy to fit in." Tim sneered.

Jacob swallowed. What if he got caught? I'll worry about that later. He decided.

" Well? You gonna do it?"

" Can't I have time to think about it?" Jacob tried to reason with him.

" No." Tim smirked.

" Okay…I'll do it."

The boys cheered and Tim shushed them. He and Jacob slid out of the booth and went outside to the parking lot. He handed Jacob a pocketknife and directed him to puncture a silver Mazda.

" I'll keep a look out." Tim said and Jacob looked around. Nobody was in sight-for the moment. He knelt and jabbed the knife into one of the tires. He heard the soft whistle as the air slowly went out. He did the same to the other three until all four tires were flat.

" Quick, someone's coming!" he heard Tim hiss. Jacob leaped up and ran for his life-until he heard Tim burst out laughing.

" Jeez Tate, you're easy."

Jacob stopped running and glared. Nobody had been coming-he felt like an idiot. But he was proud of himself.

" The first phase is complete." Tim declared.

" First phase?" Jacob groaned, " There's going to be a second phase?"

" Yup. It's in three phases. If you can do phase one, the next two will be easy as pie."

Jacob didn't believe him.

Author's Note: Thanks for the kind review. This fic may contain spoilers for non-Aussie viewers as it takes place around the time Josh West was murdered. You have been warned!