Sorry it has taken a while to get this chapter up, I'll try get the next one up quicker.

Thank you to amiinii and Islanda for reviewing.

Was also wondering if anyone had any ideas of how the Baker's could get revenge on the bullies who were picking on Mark and Kenneth, if you have any please let me know.

Chapter 20

It was the last class of the day and Jessica and Kim were in Maths. They sat quietly as they teacher began writing algebra equations on the board and explained how to do them. Kim and Jessica knew exactly how to do it and even noticed the teacher making a couple of mistakes but only corrected her once as they didn't want to embarrass their teacher again.

Jessica felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She watched the teacher carefully until she turned her back to write on the board before she took her phone out of her pocket. She looked up again and waited for the teacher to turn back again and write on the board. As she did Jessica read her text message. It was form Ryan saying to meet her at the front of the school once school had finished. Jessica began to type her reply.

"Jessica Baker," the teacher said and Jessica quickly looked up, "Is that a phone you're using in class?"

Jessica never answered as it was obvious that the answer was yes and it was too late now to try and hide it and deny that she had a phone.

"I expected better from you Jessica. Now hand it over, you know the school rules, any cell phones used in class are to be confiscated," the teacher said as she put her hand out.

"Sorry Mrs Whyte," Jessica said as she handed over her phone.

Kim looked at Jessica, surprised she was texting in class as Jessica always followed school rules.

"Who were you texting" Kim whispered.

"Ryan," Jessica whispered back.

Kim's face lit up, "Why?"

"He was telling me where to meet him because we are going to his house to study," Jessica replied.

"Jessica Baker, is that you talking now as well?" Mrs Whyte said looking cross, "I am very shocked at this behaviour from you". Jessica looked down to the floor she didn't want to be cheeky and start arguing back, that it was Kim who asked her a question and also she didn't want to drop Kim in it.

"Sorry Mrs," Jessica said.

"Well I hope to see better behaviour from you or else I'll be organising a meeting with you parents," Mrs Whyte said. Jessica didn't think that it was exactly bad behaviour talking and using a phone and defiantly did not need her parents to come in for.

Jessica sat quietly the rest of the lesson trying her best not to get in any more trouble before Mrs Whyte gave her a detention. It was nearly the end of the school day and everyone began t pack up their stuff and stood waiting for the bell to go.

"I can't believe you got told of twice today," Kim said, "Me and you are like the only ones who never get in trouble in our family, but I suppose now I'm the only one if you continue to text Ryan in class". Kim was really jealous that Jessica was texting Ryan, and going to Ryan's house and spending lots of time with him. When Ryan basically didn't even know about her existence. She kept wishing that it was her who was partnered with Ryan for the biology project and she would be spending lots of time with him and texting him, and going round to each other's houses.

"You better not tell mom or dad about me using my phone or anything," Jessica said, "I know they are use to most the others getting in trouble but if they knew I got in trouble they would probably give me some crap punishment".

"Okay I won't say anything," Kim agreed.

The bell went and everyone started to make their way out of class.

"Jessica I need to speak to you," Mrs Whyte said as Jessica remembered that Mrs Whyte still had her phone.

She opened her draw and took out the phone but stopped and spoke first before handing it over.

"Now you know I really expect better from you Jessica," Mrs Whyte rambled on. Jessica watched the clock and realised she had been standing listening to Mrs Whyte for four minutes now, "Right I hope I don't have to see any more of this behaviour form you anymore," Mrs Whyte finished saying before handing Jessica her phone.

Jessica hurried along to corridor and out the front of the school to see Ryan sitting on the steps by the door.

"Finally," Ryan said, "I wasn't sure if you were coming because you never replied to my text".

"Sorry," Jessica said out of breath from rushing out the school, "I got my phone taken off of me before I had a chance to reply then Mrs Whyte lectured me for about 5 minutes before she would give me my phone back".

"Mrs Whyte's a bitch," Ryan said, "I once throw a pen off one of my mates and she went crazy mad at me and chucked me out her class. I had to spend the rest of the year getting taught from the head of maths by myself".

"Oh really? She is usually quite nice to me," Jessica said as they started to walk to Ryan's house.

"Yeah but that's because you're a brain box and you never misbehave, you and Kim are like the teacher's pet," Ryan laughed.

"No I'm not," Jessica said. She hated how everyone always called her the teacher's pet.

"You are a little bit," Ryan said.

They walked for about another ten minutes until they arrived at Ryan's house.

"Please mind my mom, she can be a little embarrassing at times," Ryan said as they walked up the path to his house.

"It's ok, she can't be any worse than my family somebody always embarrasses me," Jessica giggled.

They walked into Ryan's living room. It still had the smell of new paint as it had just been decorated. The house was much fancier and very up to date compared to the Baker's house. Everything looked like it was top of the range. The sofas were black leather and the walls were painted white and one of the walls was wallpapered with a black and white flower design.

"Your house is really nice," Jessica complimented.

"My mom is very house proud, she loves doing it up and being having all the current in things," Ryan replied. He walked through to the kitchen and Jessica followed. Again the kitchen was very fancy and up to date.

"Hiya Ryan," Ryan's mom said as he stood leaning against the kitchen worktop with a mug of coffee in her hand.

"Hey mom, this is Jessica, my biology partner I was telling you about," Ryan said introducing Jessica.

"Hey Jessica I'm Kris," she smiled, "It's nice to meet you".

Ryan grabbed two cans of juice form the fridge before taking Jessica upstairs to his room so they could study.

"Your mom seems really nice," Jessica said.

"Yeah we get along quite well," Ryan said as he took a box out from under his bed which had his biology books in it.

"Are you and your mom close?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah we are actually really quite close. I'm all she's got," Ryan said, "My dad past away when I was ten, he was in a car accident," Ryan's eyes saddened.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jessica had never heard Ryan mention his dad.

"It's ok," Ryan smiled, "I just hope that I've made him proud".

"I'm sure you have," Jessica said.

"I'm not too sure," Ryan replied. Ryan had never been one to be perfectly behaved, but when his dad passed away his behaviour got worse. He stopped sticking in as much at school and paying attention in class. Still now he didn't. He began to become disruptive and not always turn up to school. Then he started to get a lot of attention from girls because of his looks and he become even less interested in school work.

Ryan started to discuss topics in their project moving the conversation on before he got upset talking about his dad. Ryan would never usually open up to people about his dad.

Ryan's mom shouted on Ryan and Jessica that supper was ready. They walked into the kitchen to see that Ryan's mom had set two places at the table. She had made them a pasta dish.

"Are you not having supper mom?" Ryan asked as he sat down.

"No I'm away out for something to eat," Kris replied as she put her jacket on.

"Who?" Ryan asked.

"Just some guy I met a few weeks ago," Kris said before she left.

"Another loser I bet," Ryan said under his breath. Ryan didn't look very happy. He didn't like that since his dad had died his mom had dated quite a few guys that Ryan thought were all jerks and that his mom could do far better.

"Is it hard to see your mom date other guys?" Jessica asked.

Ryan took a few seconds to reply, "Yeah it is, but I know that she is allowed to find love again. I just wish that she would stop wasting her time dating a bunch stupid guys who end up cheating on her or treating her like rubbish or are just genuine idiots. I just wish she would find some decent guy".

"Maybe this new guy is decent," Jessica said being positive.

"I doubt it, but I do hope so," Ryan said as they continued to eat, "As long as he are nothing like the first guy she dated after my dad died. Those were the worst six months of my life".

"Why? What happened?" Jessica asked.

Ryan looked frightened when Jessica asked. He didn't want to tell her he had never told anyone, but at the same he trusted Jessica and since she had confided in him about Elliot he felt he could confide in her about his dad and his mom's ex boyfriend.

"He hated me," Ryan said, "He hated that my mom had a child. He felt I got in the way. After she had been with him about a month and he would be round quite often, my mom would leave him with me so we could bond. But he really disliked me, even before he met me, he basically hated me from the second my mom told him she had a son. He would call me horrible things and tell me that one day him and my mom would live happily without me then he started to hit me".

Ryan got very emotional, "It was whenever my mom would say something like we can't do that because we don't have a babysitter or I don't want to leave Ryan at his grandma's house again. He would then shout at me tell me my mom didn't really love me. One day he even hit me when my mom refused to move to France when he got a job opportunity there because she wanted to keep me close to like her family and especially my dad's side of the family because I was like something left of him. He would always say that one day my mom would see me for who I really am and she's run away with him and leave me." Ryan had a tear roll down his face.

"That's terrible," Jessica said.

"Eventually my mom seen him shout at me and threaten me and hold me up against the wall. She saw how much I feared him. I then told her everything and she called the police, and he was sectioned in a hospital as he was deemed mentally ill and he was also charged by the police,"

Jessica didn't know what to say. She was shocked to hear such things. She never imagined someone like Ryan who's loud spoken and cocky to have been through so much. She leant over and hugged Ryan as she could tell he was getting upset talking about it.

"That must have been so hard for you," Jessica said, "It's shocking what he did to you, how much times did he use violence against you?"

"I'm pretty much over it now, I'll never forget it though and it brings back haunting memories talking about it and it upsets me as well because it was the worst six months of my life, but it made me stronger," Ryan replied, "It was only a few times and it was never a serious beating or anything".

"Yeah it sounded as if it were awful," Jessica said. She was still shocked and didn't know what to say.

"It was bad times, I think my mom found it really hard to deal with after she found out. It took me a while to you know be back to myself. I still don't think I am back to the way I use to be. My dad's death came as a huge shock and I've never probably got over it. I just miss him so much. I sometime talk to him for like a split second I forget that he's not here and I actually expect to hear him reply, then I remember that I'll never hear his voice again"

Jessica tried to comfort Ryan but she knew there was nothing she could say that would make him feel any better. Ryan tired to be strong but he still let a few tears fall from his eyes.

"How long was it after you dad died that your mom met this new man?" Jessica asked.

"Only a few months. I think it was just her trying to move on and fill the pain in her heart. She definably move on to quickly. It was a horrible year after my dad died having to deal with his death and then for that man to just come along and try take my mom away from me and make my life hell".

Jessica tried to find her words but she was so shocked by what she had heard that she stuttered to try find something to say.

"Do you mind if we talk about something else, I don't like talking about it? Actually I never talk about it. No one knows about it apart from my mom really. You're the first person I've told, but it was good to speak about it because my mom and I never really talk about him, it think she feels bad and that she is too blame because she brought him into this house but she didn't know what he was really like." Ryan said as he tried to move to conversation on.

"I'm always here if you need to talk about anything," Jessica smiled, "and I'm glad you trust me to tell me, considering we've really only knows each other for such a short time," Jessica was surprised Ryan had actually opened up to her. They had only been doing this project nearly two weeks but she already felt as if she had known Ryan for years by the amount of stuff he had told her. Jessica know really knew she could trust Ryan.

"You opened up to me about the whole Elliot thing and no one really ever opens up to me. I have friends like a lot of them but I don't have one close friend that I open things up to. I guess by you opening up to me it made me feel like you trusted me and I really trusted you," Ryan smiled.

Ryan cleared away their dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher before they went back upstairs to work on their project.

"We've only got a little bit left to do, should only take us another one or two evenings to do," Jessica said.

"Really, I'm actually so pleased with the amount I have learned doing this, I am really proud of myself," Ryan said really chuffed.

"So you should be, you've come on so far, Jessica smiled.

"And the best bit about all this has been getting to know you, you're the first person I have been able to open up to in a long time, "Ryan said.

"Thanks, it's been good getting to know you to, I like how we've become close friends, through this project," Jessica blushed.

Please Reivew.