A/n: No, Lieren is NOT playing hard to get. She is…well PMS-ing. It is indeed a hard time… The thing about Lieren is that she is young. She is different and cute and doesn't understand so much. Atem on the other hand knows it all! He is NOT innocent (but he is extremely sexy and manly and proper and polite and broken and….the list goes on and on!). He may be clueless about the whole "woman thing" but he knows a lot about everything else! Lieren knows very little. Yet we all know she is not so innocent. Her innocence fades as this story progresses. As her secrets and his unfold, clues will come together and you'll say:

"OMG! I KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!" or something like that! (I know because it happens to me all the time!)

Any way, Lieren has her issues. Atem has his. It's a lose/lose and a win/win situation here. Both teenagers are broken. Both are scarred forever and both are in love. (Not to mention that both are hormonally active!) Atem wants things… and Lieren wants him to be happy… Since neither will open up nor say what is wrong or what has been locked up inside them, neither will get what they want. See where I'm going with this? ( If "NO." Please ask me in the review!)

This story originally was not going to be this complicated. But SURPRISE! It is… The ending, however, will be pleasant and enlightening. (That's a first, huh?) So, sit back and enjoy the drama peoples!

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!

La La Child Play…

"I'm sorry for moving so fast, Lieren."

"It's ok."

"No. It isn't. That was very wrong of me…"

"No it wasn't. You're a guy…"

"So?"

"So…It's ok….really."

"It's ok because I'm a guy?"

"No…It's ok because…you have needs."

"What?"

"Well…umm…forget it."

"Why is what I did ok?"

Lieren looked away and sighed. She slipped. How could she have been so stupid? How could she let that out so easily and unaware? "Please…"

"Please? Please what?"

"Please let's forget that tonight …almost happened."

"Almost happened?" Atem thought for a while. "'Almost' as in almost having sex?"

Lieren gave a slight nod.

"Lieren, are you a virgin?"

Lieren gasped slightly and shifted so that she was no longer facing him. Atem's eyes widened. "oh my Ra…You're not? Are you…?"

"Word is she's a slut…"

"Yeah. She sleeps all over Cairo."

"Lieren, I deserve to know…"

At this point Lieren let go of what had been eating away at her. Tears filled her eyes as she dropped to her knees. "I am a whore!" She cried. Atem's face grew pale. This child…had had sex? How many times? "I-I…I was raped…" She screamed. "I was pulled behind the alley and was touched and felt. I couldn't talk. I couldn't move. They had me surrounded. They took off my clothes. Took me away from my home…from my town. I-I couldn't stop them… I felt so weak Atem…" She clung to his pant leg. "They brought me to a club. Told me to dance. If I didn't they would shoot my parents! I-I was so helpless…" Atem cringed. He was a monster. He made this girl spill her darkest moments. He felt ashamed.

"What happened?" He whispered as he stroked her hair.

"Well…one night while the man was asleep, I untied myself and found his gun…I shot him through the head…." She cried harder. "I'm a murderer and a ho!"

"No! You are not either! You didn't want to shoot him…you had no choice." Atem looked down at the blonde. "How old were you?"

"T-Twelve!" She punched the ground. "Why did it have to be me! Why not some other girl?..."

Atem put his hands underneath her arms and picked her up easily and gently. She was so small… He held her close. " It's alright now, Lieren. Everything will be ok."

"How will it! I'm a runaway! I should be in an orphanage but no! I had to be stupid and fly to Japan… " She gave a slight smile. "Somehow…I knew you would be here. Waiting for me…" Atem held her closer. "And you were…"

"Say you'll never leave me!"

"Ok. Ok. Let go now!"

"Say IT!"

"I will never leave you…"

TO BE CONTINUED…