Hey guys! I'm back! I am SO SO SO SOOOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. BELIEVE ME, I'VE BEEN BUSY. I was traveling in Puerto Rico and let me tell you, it was B-e-a-utiful!

Ok, this chapter was supposed to be called "Rumours and First Day on the Job" but this is going to be two parts, so I'm simply going to call it "Rumours".

This is Chapter 15 and I hope you like it!

P.S. Just to let you all know: this story is NOT ON HIATUS!

At Charlotte's house...

(Guitar starts to play)

Wake up in the morning

All think about is you

It's true

I look into my mirror

And all I see is you and I wonder

Why I feel this way

When nothing feels so right like the day that you are mine

And I can't fight this feeling anymore

I say hey

I won't walk away

I will always fight to save our day

I say hey

I can't walk away

I just hope that you come back someday

Baby, I won't walk away...

(Guitar stops playing)

"Alright, how was that?" Charlotte asked through the phone as she put her guitar to the side. After that night at Paradise, she had felt very...inspired. So, with her mom's permission, she was driven home by Karen and the moment she stepped through the door, she grabbed her notebook and started writing.

"Well... I don't know? Why don't you let me record you and send it to a record producer because you're FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC !" Alaine exclaimed from the other side of the phone. Charlotte chuckled.

To say, it's surprised a lot of people that she and Alaine had become friends, was an understatement.

Those two other girls that Charlotte had seen around Alaine on her first day, whose names she had learned were Willow and Tessa, dumped her out of the blue like she was yesterday's trash and quickly found a new friend to replace her. Charlotte, being an innocent witness to the entire thing, was all too familiar with the pain of being rejected and replaced. (1)

So when Alaine had nowhere to sit at lunch that day, she was very surprised when Charlotte offered her a seat at her table. After a brief talk and, without spilling the secret, Charlotte told her a different version of what had happened between her and the girls and despite it all, how she accepted it.

And she, Charlotte Watsford, is still shell-shocked on Alaine's response.

"They were idiots," Alaine had said casually, but caused Charlotte to choke on her drink.

After swallowing, Charlotte asked "What?"

Alaine collected her thought for a moment and said "Well, it seems to me that the only reason that they didn't accept you was because of two reasons: 1. You were dating one of the girls' exes. So, to me, I'm sensing a little Edward-Bella-Jacob thing going on. 2. All you did was just got something that practically tied you to your grandmother.

So, as far as I see it, they think that you're the selfish one but they had the nerve to treat you as if you're some wannabe and they're the perfect princesses or something."

Charlotte shook her head. "I know that one of them is extremely hot-tempered. She'll probably burn you alive for that princess comment."

Alaine just shrugged her shoulders, mumbling "I call them as I see them," and continued onto a different subject. But something was on Charlotte's mind.

"Alaine?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you seriously just compare my love life to Twilight?" (2)

Safe to say, though she's still not over the Twilight comment, with their schedules mixed with choir and softball practice, it wasn't long until the two outcast girls were joint to the hip. For example:

By choir, Alaine felt that Char-Char, her new nickname for Charlotte and one that probably wouldn't last, had potential to make it in the show-business while Charlotte said that she could practically see Alaine on Broadway.

In softball, Charlotte had told Alaine that she would make a great coach on a major league softball team, much due to her helping Char every day with her pitches and throws. Alaine said to her that though she might lack a little edge to the sport, she could see her doing track.

So, to put it simply, the two have grown close and could easily rely on each other. The only problem was trust and the problem in that was Alaine's mom. But she had to put that aside for another day.

"Oh come on, Al," she heard Alaine growl at her new nickname through the phone, "if I didn't know any better, I saw you sing at the church you invited me and my mom to last week. And I must say, compared to you, I would lose my voice if I tried the high notes that you oh-so-well mastered effortlessly."

She could practically feel Alaine smirk at her comment.

"Don't go Jell-O on my beautiful voice! I'm not the one who met some beach hottie and won't even tell her home-girl his name!" Alaine said dramatically.

Ouch! A playful yet direct hit at once.

"All right! I won't tell you his last name, but his first name is Riley," Charlotte said with a dopey look forming on her face slightly. But before she could enter Lalaland, Alaine spoke.

"Riley? That's it? I expected to hear more of an Eric or Brandon or something, but I think I know a Riley! Anyways you told me you had some big news?"

"Yeah, you see, the day I met Riley, I-" suddenly there was a screech on Alaine said in the background.

"ALAINE MEREDITH WILLIAMS! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING TO ON THE PHONE? IT BETTER NOT BE THAT CHARLOTTE GIRL OR I'LL-" Alaine's mom screamed. Alaine quickly said that they talk at school and hung up the phone.

Yep, Charlotte was sure that Alaine's mom had unresolved issues.

After doing her morning routine, she decided to put on a white blouse with no sleeves, a black skater skirt with a belt, blue sneakers, and added a coral flower necklace and shades for accessories. For some reason, she felt like dressing cute.

At Valencia High...

As Charlotte got off the bus, she spotted Alaine waving at her from the distance. Her hair was in a one-sided messy pigtail, but what she was wearing was a different story.

She had on a long sleeve shirt and her jeans were tight-fitting. Why would she wear long sleeves when it was 60 degrees?

Wait a minute?

Long sleeves...60 degrees weather...?

Alright, she had to push that conclusion aside for now. When she got closer to Alaine, they both hugged each other and headed into the school.

"So tell me, what were you trying to tell me earlier?" Alaine asked. Though Charlotte partially wanted to ask her what went down between her and her mom, she decided against it and told her, in her version, about how she got her "job" at Paradise.

By end of her story, the two were in the school hallway and Alaine started to laugh her head off.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that the only reason you even got that job was because of a certain lifeguard named...Riley," she teased, emphasizing his name.

It was, to be honest, to whole days since Charlotte agreed to undergo mermaid training with Laguna and to be honest again, she wasn't too thrilled about it.

According to the agreement between Charlotte and the immortal mermaid, every day after school, someone, most likely Phil, would take her to Paradise, where she would start working there as a waitress for the café. By the end of her shift, which was either before or after 7 pm, she would be taken to the Cove Residence, where she would start her training.

It was going to be difficult with softball practice and choir rehearsal, but now her schedule was officially closed. The only days off she had been her weekends, and those were the days she spent doing mermaid training 24/7.

"Alaine, are you serious? Riley's kind of cute, but I barely know him. Sure I'll be working close to him, but we're not dating," Charlotte explained.

But the African-American rolled her eyes and said, "Sure...", meaning she'll believe it when she sees it, "but do you know what school he goes to at least?"

Charlotte shook her head. "To be honest, no. And besides, the last time I talked to someone I barely knew anything about him, I was nearly sexually assaulted and was running for my life! The only good thing I got out of that was when I got Thomas and took him in."

Alaine gasped. "Say what now?!" Her face expressed how shocked she was.

Charlotte cringed and mentally slapped herself upside the head. She forgot that no one knew what had happened that day. Not even her mom. All she told her was that she hitched a ride and went to the mall, and improvised that Thomas followed her home.

And now Alaine was going to give her hell when they got to lunch period.

"Should I be worried that Thomas didn't come with you today?" Alaine asked hesitantly, her eyes looking at Charlotte worriedly.

"You have nothing to worry about. This morning, he found out that he was going to the vet to get the shots that he needed. But from what I can tell you, he wasn't having it."

Then Charlotte started to laugh. "You should have been there. No matter how much I and my mom pulled and tugged on his leash, he sat on the ground, refusing to even move into the car. Then our neighbors came and practically threw him into the car and shut the door quickly," suddenly both girls were laughing as she continued to finish," by the time I got on the bus, Thomas looked at me like he was given the death sentence."

By the time the girls had stopped laughing, everyone was looking at them, but they ignored it.

"Alright girl, I gotta head to my locker before I have to make up some excuse on why I'm late for class. I'll see you at lunch and we will talk about Riley," Alaine said in a teasing tone as she trotted off. Charlotte was tempted to chase her but decided against it.

As she turned around to head to the locker, as Fate would have it, she bumped into some hooded guy and the books she was carrying went flying all over the floor.

"Sorry," Hooded Guy muttered as he bent down to help her pick up her stuff.

"It's okay. I just had rotten luck...and I wasn't looking. Are you okay...Riley?!" Charlotte said in surprise as she looked up to see it was Riley indeed.

He had on a faded long-sleeve hoodie that looked like he was trying to hide his face and dark jeans. The combination was not something anyone would wear in this sunny weather.

"Riley, you got here?" she asked as she gathered her books and the two got up. She got a better look at him and saw that he had a black eye. "Ry, what happened to your face?"

She reached out her hand to look at it, but he leaned away. So she brought her hand down and changed the topic.

"I mean, you work as a lifeguard in Paradise, but I didn't know you lived so far away," she said, trying to avoid looking at his eye. He smiled.

"Yeah, I work there during the week, but to get there on time, I have to leave early," he said, "but I can't believe that you go here too!"

"I didn't know you did either. But I did a little research before I enrolled in this school. For your amusement, can you name a celebrity who went here?" she asked.

"Yeah. A guy named Taylor Laughtner and some blond named Ashley Tissings or something," he said.

She chuckled and corrected him. "Nope. It's Taylor Lautner and Ashley Tisdale. I swear you would know Taylor because he plays Jacob in Twilight and Ashley from that old show about the twin living in a hotel."

Riley laughed. "Wow, you're a Twilight fan? Who knew you were a sucker for crappy love stories. HAH! I bet you're on Team Jacob!"

Now, he was just making fun of her. And if she wasn't trying to be a newly changed girl, one would only hope to pull her from him when she was through with him.

So, taking a deep breather, she said "So, just because I spent half a year around arrogant snobs who constantly fight over two guys who wear too much makeup and don't even exist, it means I'm into that stuff?!"

Riley stopped laughing and looked at her to see that she was serious.

"Charlotte, I-"

RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGG!

"Listen, this sucker has to get her stuff and head to class. I'll probably see you in Paradise," she said as she turned her heel and walked away from him.

For a second, she heard him say to himself "Great, you try to talk to the girl and you end up making a fool out of yourself. I'm an idiot."

Yeah, you are, she thought.

At lunch...

Charlotte would've been lying if she said that she wasn't happy to see Alaine.

Honestly, until today(it's Monday in this chapter) she had not only discovered that Riley went to her school, but he was pretty much in all her classes. She didn't want to think about it, but she was pretty sure that he was stalking her.

By lunchtime, she quickly got her food, sat down with Alaine at their usual table, and explained what had happened.

"Are you serious!? Riley Byrnes!? I should have known! Paradise Cove, Riley The Heir living out of the district..."

"Wait? Why did you just call him an "heir"?" Charlotte asked, "is the royalty or something?"

Alaine looked alert. Her eyes widened and looked around to see if anyone was watching them until she leaned in close to Charlotte.

"Trust, this might be my second year here, but let me tell you this: Gossip is as fast as texting."

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the comparison and continued to listen.

"You ask me if Riley's royalty, and honey, he is. He's the type of royalty you DON'T want to get mixed up in. You see, Riley's dad was into some seriously dark stuff over the years, if you know what I mean. He's been in jail so many times that the list is as long as my two arms.

At first, it was just small stuff like graffiti, robbing drug stores, and things like that. But then it seemed that he started joining gangs and," Alaine gulped, "raping and killing people. To be honest no one knows why he's still out of prison. Some say it was because he was buddies with the wardens but others say... it was because of Riley."

Charlotte did a double-take. "Are you serious?"

Alaine nodded. "It's gossip. It might be true, it might not be true. All I know is that people like to hear drama. Anyways, the word is that Riley was born from this rival gang member's girlfriend, possibly the leader's girl, and after Riley's dad had gotten drunk one night, he got completely wasted, saw Riley's mom, nobody knew her name, and Badda bing Badda boom, Riley was unwillingly conceived.

Turns out she was the leader's girl and he had feelings for her. And when she told him about the kid, he thought Riley was his and was happy about it. But unfortunately, he had to find out from an old friend who Riley's real dad is and went ballistic. He started abusing Riley's mom and stressing her out in the process. Since she wanted to keep her baby, the leader wanted her to miscarry."

"So his mom wasn't safe?" Charlotte asked.

"For a while, but it ended when Riley's dad and his gang sieged the rival's place. His mom had a very visible 4-month baby bump, scared to death, and was bruised up from the abuse when Riley's dad personally found her hiding in a closet. Long story short: After telling him her story and pleading for protection, in less than a week later, she became a bride.

Though she didn't want the marriage, she was glad her son got to live at all, and soon enough, she tried to reclaim her life, like studying to get her GED and stuff. And over time, Riley's dad developed feelings for her. But, like some stories, something tragic happened. When Riley was six, he was helping his mom making dinner when his dad came into the kitchen. Riley was told to leave, so he did, but instead of leaving completely, he entered a see-through closet as quietly as he could to listen in. Anyways, his dad finally told his mom about his true feelings about her. And, though I would've reacted the same way, she was shocked. After being forced to marry him for six years, he liked her back. But like I said, all she wanted to be was for her son to live and be taken care of. She told the old man as well as other reasons to turn him down. I heard the dialogue part and thought he would've taken it well.

Keyword: Thought.

But he didn't. You see, he..." Alaine trailed as she started to squirm in fright, "to say in kid version: He slaughtered her. It was completely unexpected. At first, he looked calm, then out of nowhere, he grabs her by the neck, pushes her against the wall and starts to punch her repeatedly in the face. Then he lets her go and watches as she slides down the wall. Then, he starts to kick her from the head to the stomach and her face was NOT easy to look at. Then, he pulls her up from the ground and grabs a knife. She made direct eye contact through the closet and looked into Riley's eyes. He looked at her with tear-filled eyes as she mouthed "I love you so much," to him as his dad stabbed her in the chest repeatedly."

Charlotte looked terrified as her friend continued.

"By the time it was over, the police had busted through the door and his dad was arrested. Another officer found Riley a few minutes later. It wasn't an easy thing for the cops to deal with, but could you blame them? A six-year-old saw his mother's murder and probably needed intense therapy to get over it. After the trial was over, it amazed everyone that the man ended up raising him. People figured he tried to fix his act and all, but gave up and became a drunk. The reason Riley is called 'The Heir' was because he probably has the potential to do things that surpassed his dad. But he formed a tough shell around himself and became as hard as a rock. He knows martial arts and hand-in-hand combat, so he's a badass. He completely works out, so he's fit. And he's known as a smart mouth...so he's a jerk."

And that doesn't sound like the Riley I met, Charlotte thought, until now.

"So, around here, he keeps to himself a lot. But I'm warning you, stay away from Riley. He's bad news," Alaine concluded. She almost looked relieved to finish her tall tale. Guess it's better to hear a story instead of saying it with your mouth.

Like she was coming out of a trance, which was happening a lot lately, she regained her posture and shook her head.

What am I even thinking, she thought, it's just a silly rumor.

"I don't know, Alaine. When I met him, he seemed like a gentleman. Maybe his dad is the one with the bad rep and he's overshadowed by it," Charlotte suggested.

Alaine looked at her and shrugged. "Your right. Maybe it's just a rumor, but you never know. So just heed my warning, o.k?"

Charlotte nodded and started into another topic.

"Hey, what songs do you think Miss Analies will have us do for the showcase?" She asked.

Alaine's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"Well, I was thinking she might do something like classical music, but people today are such a critic..." Alaine said.

After that, Charlotte stopped listening. As much as she did want to hear her friend's suggestions, along with her mind, her eyes wandered over to a table far away from the rest of the cafeteria and saw a hooded figure eating lunch. And for a second, she could have sworn he looked directly at her! Charlotte has a feeling in her gut that, like her misadventure in Australia, she had yet to uncover the mystery of Riley Byrnes.

"HEY!"

Charlotte jolted and looked at Alaine, who looked slightly pissed.

"How dare you distract me like that! In case you forgot, I told you that you had to tell me about your little 'assault' at the mall you told me about earlier," Alaine said with a 'Don't-you-dare-lie-to-me' look on her face.

Charlotte mentally whacked herself upside the head.

This could take a while.

To Be Continued...

Okay! So far, we have gotten a little info on Charlotte's mystery guy. Is he all he says he is or does he live up to the rumor?

1)Alaine is a character I created to show that, in a way, Charlotte's not the only one to do bad things and get cast aside. Though some of you know most of her actions were doing to her mother and all, I believe even people who live ordinary lives can make mistakes.

2) Review if you caught my Twilight References in this chapter. Lately, I've been read Twilight Fanfiction and while I love the series, I can now see why people dislike the movies and the book, and to be honest, I feel sorry for Edward and Jacob.

Jake could have found any girl. Heck, I think he could have set aside his anger towards Leah and got together with her, in my opinion, and Eddie could have found a mate in someone else. To me, for both guys to fall for a girl who was responsible for so many deaths and torn apart families, I can see why Bella's so disliked.

And what do you think of the characters so far, like Alaine, Laguna and her family, and most of all... Charlotte!

Don't reply to me with a 'good story' or 'I like it' or ect. Tell me how you honestly feel about it.

READ AND REVIEW!

P.S. The song at the begining is called I Won't Walk Away from Kate Alexa.