SPECIAL FEATURE:

Caleb's POV

"Stop fidgeting! You're wrinkling your tux!" I yelled at Pogue for the 5th time. We sat together, drinking inconspicuously at yet another pointless formal party at my mother's house.

"I'm sorry! Jeez, relax would you? Calm down, God! Can we go yet? I'm bored, and hungry!! When will you finally convince your mom to serve edible food?! I haven't eaten in, like, an hour!"

I raised my eyebrow at him as he held a small sandwich between two fingers, a huge bite on one end. He shoved it on a plate that was in the hands of one of our butlers and he grabbed my arm, pulling me into the hall.

I nudged him, "C'mon man, just do this one thing for me." I hissed in an undertone.

He rolled his eyes, "I can't take too much of formal parties. Dude, holidays are up… staying in is totally overrated." I gave him a look that was crushing his ego. He sighed, "Fine man… five minutes."

"Ten."

"Deal." He slapped my hand lazily and we wondered back in. Seven of the whole ten minutes and he was starting to sweat and pull at his clothes.

The party was starting to get kind of quiet and we snuck out the back to get air. Pogue turned to me, "No way am I going back in there!"

I ignored him and sat against the brick wall, taking off my coat. I sighed, "Do you think you could… pretend… to enjoy it?" He rubbed his forehead and sat on one of the outside chairs, leaning back. We both sat in awkward silence for a while before I sighed, "We should practise."

"Should we?" He frowned, "Guess your right..." We both slid inside and up the stairs to my room. Pogue laughed, "You're the only freak of us who swims almost every day."

I shrugged, "It's a stress reliever."

We both went out to my car and slipped in; the rain was only light but it was dark now. I parked the car in the shadows of a big tree, outside the parking lot of a local pool. Pogue went to the door and looked over his shoulder. I looked straight down on the lock that clasped onto the wire of the fence. My eyes flamed up and the lock clicked.

Pogue pushed open the gate, letting me in and then shutting it. We hung by the pool, stripping down to our swim shorts and plunging into the black water. The dark had never really scared me. It had never scared any of us.

I raised my arms over, drawing them into the icy water like needles. Pogue kept up a fair fight, pumping his arms in butterfly style.

I reached the end with Pogue and turned, quickly swimming back.

I clung to the side of the pool and Pogue dived under, coming up and flicking his hair, making sure to get me in the eyes.

I chuckled and splashed at him, then turned and sat up on the side of the pool. I sat there for a moment, just thinking.

Pogue spoke, "Hey man, do you still think about her?"

"About Sarah?" I asked softly, waiting for my throat to cave in. Pogue nodded and I breathed out slowly, "All the time."

He nodded and looked down, trailing his finger through the surface of the water. I waited, but he didn't say anything. I tilted my head back and slid half back into the water, "Why?"

He shrugged, "Caleb… maybe it's time you sort of, forget about what happened back with Chase-"

"Forget? Just forget?" I asked, my throat closing in.

"No. Not forget. I didn't mean," he started to reason but I shook my head, ran my fingers through my hair and dived back into the water.

I did three laps before stopping and looking at Pogue. He bowed his head and sat on the stairs.

I swam back over, "Sorry… I just-"

"No, man… It's fine." He shook his head.

We both kind of stayed there for a while. I slid under the water and back up, shaking my head and looking at Pogue. "How's Rachel?"

He looked at me sharply, "Fine… I haven't seen her today."

I grinned, "How come? You're usually attached to her?" He shrugged again. I grinned, looking at him but he was avoiding my eyes. "You spending the holidays with her?"

"Yeah… gonna go stay at her place."

"That'll be fun." I laughed, pulling myself out of the water and sitting on the side. Pogue folded his arms on the edge of the pool and put his chin on his arms.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Me?" I frowned.

"No, the other guy." Pogue rolled his eyes, "Yes you."

I shrugged and paused. I waited for a moment before asking, "Do you think I should move on?"

Pogue's eyes moulded over and he bit his lip, "I don't know what to say, Caleb. It's not like you're gonna forget about her."

I nodded slowly, maybe it was time to swim another lap.

Rachel's POV

I grinned, turning down the radio on Tyler's Hummer (that word just buzzed happily in the back of my throat) and grinned at the lady in the window.

"Can I take your order?" She asked sleepily, her eyes drooping.



I sighed, looking at Tyler, "What do you want Baby Boy?"

He rolled his eyes, "I'll take some of whatever you're having."

I wrinkled my nose, "No way… get your own."

He raised his eyebrows, "I think you owe me some of your food after tonight."

I laughed loudly, "I don't think so!"

"Just order." He pinched the bridge of his nose, resting his elbow against the window.

I opened my mouth and close it again, frowning at the screen. "'Kay well… I think I'll just go with a double patty burger and large fries, thanks."

Tyler slapped the wheel of his Hummer and stared at me, "See! Not that hard."

"Don't hurt Hum-Bug." I slapped his hand.

Oh yes, it was never his car. It was always his Hummer. Tyler's Hummer. Yes, I can see it in gold letters in my mind.

"Who?" He looked at his hands like they were melting into toxic liquid.

"Hum-Bug… the car, you dork." I leaned forward and flicked through radio stations. Tyler sighed big time and ordered another burger and then drove on. We waited and he stared at me as I frowned at his Hummer's panel.

"Dude… what does that button do?"

"Air conditioning."

I frowned, "No… the one with a red cross."

He laughed, "Oh, that was Reid's fault."

I grinned, "I like it. It's one of those buttons that tells you not to press, but you have to press it." I frowned at it, "May I press it?"

"No." He smiled sideways at me as he got the food and pulled it to sit on my lap.

"Why not?" I frowned, hunting for my burger but still determined to find out the secret about the button.

"Reid said he could 'fix' my Hummer's radio stations or something… they weren't broken in the first place."

"How can you break a radio station?" I frowned, shoving my burger in my mouth, putting the bags between us and putting my feet up on the dashboard.

"That's what I said… still, he tweaked around with it and ended up crapping the thing up anyways. That button doesn't work."

I pouted, "That wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought it would be!"



"No." She shook his head, "But Reid got a good kick in the ass for it."

I nodded intently, "I'm sure he did… uhh… got napkins in here?"

"Ah, don't get it on the seats!" He leaned over, his head flicking back from the road and to me quickly. He leaned over, one hand searching for the glove box and pulling out white tissues.

I grinned, wiping the seat between my legs. Tyler stared and I slapped his arm, "No perving on the hungry girl. Eyes on the road, Baby Boy."

He leaned back muttering, "Why does everybody give me that line…?"

He drove us back to campus. I shoved the rubbish in the bin and joined Reid and Alex on Reid's bed. They were talking, and looked pretty innocent.

Tyler lay on his bed, stomach to the ceiling and forearm over his eyes. I grinned at the small bit of navel exposed. I leaned over and trailed the edge of my nail up to his belly button, making him jerk and roll over.

He moaned into the bed, "Leave me alone…"

I grinned, "Well, uh… mighty fun as this's been… I'm off to bed."

"Liar." Alex mumbled, starting at the TV.

I shrugged, "Fine… just don't open the door without knocking… god knows what I'll be doing…"

She snorted, "Glad to know.. uh, I don't have my keys… so please don't fall asleep and let me in later."

I shrugged, "We'll see… night guys. Thanks for dinner, Baby Boy."

I slid out of the dorm room and through the halls until I came to our room. I fumbled with the keys, looking over my shoulder automatically a few times before letting myself in.

I wondered around the lonely room for a while and then turned on the CD player. Alex had left some rock band in there and I wasn't planning on changing it.

I changed into shorts and a long sleeve, tight shirt. Odd, but comfy. I started to pain my toes, humming along to the beat of the music. I lay there on my back for a while, just lying there, thinking.

There was a knock on the door and I jumped. Opening it, I saw Pogue leaning one hand on the wall, his hair drying and coat over his arm.

I grinned, letting him in, "Hey."

"Rach," He grinned, putting the coat to the side and staring at Leah's bed that was flooded with nail polishes.

I grinned sheepishly, "Uh… Yeah, I had time to spear."

He jerked his eyebrows and started walking towards me, "You still have time to spear?"

I shrugged, "Depends… did you bring me cupcakes?"



He frowned, "Do you want some?"

Swinging an arm around his neck and leaning over to turn off the light that was on our desk, I grinned, "No, it was a rhetorical question."

I grazed his lips lightly and fell back onto the bed. He climbed over me, leaning one arm to the side of my head to prop himself up, his other hand on the exposed skin on my right hipbone.

"Why'd you stop by?" I grinned, twirling a stand of his long hair between my fingers.

"I missed you." He kissed my nose.

"I would miss me too."

He nodded, "Now you know why I stopped by."

I giggled, "Promise me something?"

"Hmm?" He bent down and kissed the hollow of my neck softly.

"Miss me more often, 'kay?"

He nodded, kissing my neck with more passion than my lips had been given. His hand trailed down my exposed thigh to my knee and then around my calf, bringing it up so that his knee rested between my legs and mine was almost over his hip.

I arched my back, pressing my chest to his as I knotted my fingers in his long hair. He groaned, my fingers tailing down over his chest and down to his hip, sliding back up under his shirt.

I pulled at the material but didn't pull it off. I raised my hands back to his face, my legs curling around his hips as he moved over me in motion.

My hands went down to his belt and I unbuckled it quickly, attacking his buttons. "Rach... wait, Rach..."

I almost didn't hear him as I sucked on his neck erotically. He pulled back, breathing heavily. I bit my lip cheekily and looked him up and down, "Yeah?"

"Don't you think we should wait? Maybe in the holidays we can find somewhere different."

I frowned, thinking about his words for a moment and then grinned slowly. Many images of different places came in to mind and I caught on to exactly what he meant. I nodded at him, "Definitely."

He leaned forward, kissing my nose, "Cool…"

I pressed a fingertip to his collar bone and kissed him for a moment before pulling away, "But that doesn't mean we can't fool around, right?"

He smirked and then jerked his eyebrows, "Guess not." He leaned forward, hard enough to push be back into the mattress, his hand groping me at the chest roughly as I clung to him.

-

I woke up alone in my bed, sun streaming through the curtains and making my bed glow yellow. Leah's bed was clean of nail polish and there was a huge lump in Alex's bed, a foot out the end.



I chuckled to myself and rolled over, closing my eyes.

Thump. Thump, thump, thump, thump... THUMP!

I sat bolt upright, hair all over my face. I blew it out of the way, throwing off my sheet and slamming into the door, my hand buzzing and aching.

I opened it, clutching my hand to my chest. Reid's elbow was against the door way, his other free hand at his lips, fingertips brushing his bottom lip.

I scratched my head, "What do you want?"

He looked in, "The boys were gonna play a bit of ball on the field."

I swayed in front of his view, "She's sleeping, let her sleep, no one sleeps when you're around." I folded my arms, leaning against the door and trying to stare him down, even though he was taller than me.

"'Course they don't." He smirked at me, "So you two girls gonna come?"

I smirked at him, "I don't know, are we?"

He mirrored my sly smile and leaned forward slightly, "We want you to come."

"You want us to come?" I asked him, smiling and desperately trying to stand there casually as he leaned over me, the intimidating freak he was sometimes.

"Shit, just make this easy and wake her up..." He whined.

"Fine... we'll be out in ten- no fifteen."

He nodded, "Fine, se-"

I shut the door, laughing. I skipped over to the CD player and turned it on. All American Rejects played out making me smile. I turned it up louder and went over to Alex's bed and jumped onto it. I shook her shoulder violently and leaned over her, "Wake up sleepy!"

She mumbled something and rolled over.

I grinned at her and stripped off her sheet, climbing under it and next to her, "I'll keep you my dirty little secret." I whispered to her, poking her stomach.

She yelped, tossing as I tickled her, "You dick!"

I giggled and hugged up to her, "Wake up sleepy."

She pulled the sheet off of her face, looking slightly towards me as I spooned her from behind, my chin on her shoulder. The dust particles floated around in the golden light and she smiled, "Guess we slept in, didn't we?"

I nodded and yawned, "We did... Listen, the guys are gonna play ball. Are you in?"

She yawned and stretched, "Yeah, sure, i guess."

"Oh good, I told him we'd be out in fifteen." I grinned and then added in an undertone, "He misses you."



She laughed, "He always misses me."

"True... now let's get up and go!" I smacked her on the thigh and rolled out of her bed and hobbled towards my drawers, pulling out a long, silky green dress.

Alex changed quickly into shorts and a tank top, "Dude, it's really hot today."

"I know, it's weird." I nodded and then looked at her, "Heat wave!"

She snorted, "Like we'd have one of those here."

"Hey..." I did the buttons up the front, "...you never know. It could snow here the next day."

Alex wrinkled her nose, "Please don't say that... I don't like snow."

"It's good for a day or two." I said, "We used to go skiing a lot."

"You're dad and you, you mean?" Alex asked and then bit her lip, "I mean-"

"No, yeah. Dad used to take me." I smiled and grabbed my phone, "Come on... the boys are waiting."

Caleb had turned up in his car for the first time and my jaw was hanging against my collar. It was the prettiest thing I'd seen in a while... well... one of.

Pogue was leaning against his bike, Tyler chatting happily with him. I grinned at them, nudging Baby Boy's shoulder and then leaning over to Pogue, slipping my hand into one of his back pockets and kissing his nose. "Morning."

He grinned, "Don't worry... me too."

Alex was on Reid's back as he gave her a piggy back around the car park. Caleb walked up behind her and tickled her back, making her scream and squirm, almost knocking Reid off balance. He wasn't wearing his beanie today, but he wore a tank top and his gloves, making me smile.

Actually... all the boys were in normal band shirts and jeans, making them look very... boyish, instead of the abnormal unnatural hotness in dark colours and mystic looking jackets and, well in Reid's case, fingerless gloves and beanies.

I grinned at Tyler, "Have you spoken to Leah?"

"Yeah, actually I did," He grinned and turned to me, "she's there, arrived this morning and staying in a hotel. She's going shopping with her grandma while her grandfather's getting them a car."

I grinned, "Oh cool. She's gonna have loads of fun."

"God knows what she'll bring you back, Baby Boy!" Alex yelled, laughing and swinging around on Reid's back.

He chuckled, glancing over his shoulder and then back at me. He shoved his hands in his pocket, "Hot today, huh?"

"Yeah... all due to me though." Caleb walked over, leaning a hand on Tyler's shoulder and grinning at me.

I laughed, "Boy, I don't think the ice cubes in drinks have melted yet. What are you doing wrong?"



He rolled his eyes, "Well aren't you the happy person this morning."

"I am." I smiled, playing with a few strands of Pogue's hair. I gasped, bringing myself back down to Earth, "So, we going?"

"We are." Tyler nodded.

I turned to Pogue and stared at his bike, "Oh, uh... I don't think I can ride in a dress."

"Unless you want to end up in an accident, I'm not even going to let you sit on it." He pushed me against it, pinning his front to mine and smirking at me, "Too much of a distraction."

"Hey! Before I vomit!" Caleb threw out the door.

I pursed my lips and then gasped, getting an idea, "Hey! Alex has always wanted a ride, why don't you take her?"

"Are you sure she can handle it?"

"Is there anything she can't handle?" I cocked my eyebrow. I waited for a moment as he seemed to have a war inside his head, finally he smiled and I turned slightly, "Alex!"

"Yeah?" She grinned, hanging out of Tyler's Hummer.

"C'mon out here... Pogue's gonna take you for a ride."

"Oh, my god... Really?" She gawked, jumping out of the car and running over, "No bull, seriously, you're gonna take me?"

"Sure, if you want." He nodded.

"Oh good! I mean, yeah I want to- oh thank you!" She squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. He passed her a helmet and climbed onto his bike. Alex jumped on the back, holding onto his shoulders and grinning stupidly at me.

I smirked, "You're gonna have to hold on tighter than that, midget."

She poked her tongue out at me and then slid her arms around Pogue's waist. He started up the bike and Reid nudged my shoulder, running off to the car and climbing in. Caleb was in the passenger's seat and Reid sat with me in the back, laughing and turning up the radio. I beamed, running my hands over the leather seats, "I love your car, Baby Boy."

"I love it too." He grinned, only glancing over his shoulder for a moment before returning them to the road. I smiled.

-

The car stopped and Reid was climbing out of the car before I could take my seat belt off. Caleb took his off and looked over his shoulder at me, frowning as I struggled. "You need help?"

"No!" I snapped, growling at the belt as it would not give way. I got fed up and my eyes shifted over, the belt clicking itself free.

I got out and saw Pogue and Alex driving quickly up the path, her hair blowing out from under the helmet. Her stopped the bike and she pulled the helmet off, her eyes sparkling. She looked at Reid, "I want one for my birthday!"



Everyone errupted into laughter and Reid helped her off, sliding an arm around her waist quickly and kissing her for all to see. I walked over to Pogue as Reid pulled Alex away, Tyler and Caleb at the car. I smiled at Pogue, "I'll bet she's glad you took her."

"Yeah..." He was putting his helmet away.

"What's wrong with Reid though?" I frowned, trailing a finger down the back of the bike.

Pogue gave out one single laugh before sighing, "He's just jealous," He got off the bike and curled an arm around me, "something Reid's good at."

"I'll bet." I rolled my eyes and started walking.

-

I sat to the side, under a tree as all of the boys played ball, throwing it around to each other and hitting it with a bat. Caleb hit the ball a little too hard and it hit Reid in the back, sending him into fits of anger as he yelled. Tyler put his hand out but Reid only pushed it away, pointing at Caleb again. Alex ran out to him, trying frantically to do something. I just smiled and watched. I pulled a bottle of scotch out of my bag and handed it to him.

"Here you are buddy, drink up!" I yelled. He nodded gratefully and threw his head back and took a swig. I grinned, "Alcohols the best drug."

He nodded with a mouthful of the liquid, passing it off to Tyler. Caleb grabbed it quickly and pulled it away, "I think not..."

"Oh come on!" Tyler looked like he was almost about to stamp his foot and cross his arms. He glared at Caleb and held his hand out, "Give it."

"No." He smirked, an amused smile wide across his face.

"Yes!" I frowned at Caleb. Why was he being an idiot?

"No." He growled.

"C'mon, Caleb... You're being an ass." Reid dropped his arms to his side

Tyler darted forwards, grabbing for the bottle and then taking a drink. I grinned as Caleb sighed and leaned back against the fence, his head bowed. The others ran after Tyler like fourteen year olds and were all laughing, I looked over my shoulder at Caleb as he stared down at his hands.

My smile faltered and I went over to him, leaning against the car, "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Nothing." He looked up, smiling at me.

I was watching the others as I poked, "Don't think I'm stupid. I notice these things," I looked at him and paused before poking his chest, "and something is wrong. Tell me."

He sighed and shook his head, "It's just stuff with my mom."

I nodded slowly and decided that he didn't want to spare me the details. I bit my lip, "I heard about your ex girlfriend Sarah. Does it still make you sad?"

"Of course it does." He said roughly, "Every night. You guys sort of remind me of her sometimes."



"What happened?" I asked lightly, not sure at all where I'd go or what I was getting into.

He pursed his lips, "She uh," he cleared his throat, "she got killed in a fire. The fifth son turned out to be a bit of an asshole and... he wanted my power and all, so he took Sarah away from me. I couldn't get inside again in time before the whole place exploded."

"And the son?"

He shrugged, "We don't know what happened to him. He's never bothered us again, so we think he was killed also."

"Good-" I smiled, "-well, i mean... not good, but- you know what I mean." He nodded and we sat there for a moment. I couldn't help but dig up a little more, "And your mom?"

He cleared his throat again, turning his face from me, "She has a bit of a problem."

"Like... physical?" I frowned, moving small strands of red hair from my face, the wind tossing it around playfully.

He shrugged one shoulder, leaning back against Tyler's Hummer's hood. He looked far away as people usually do when re-telling their past or an upsetting story, "She's an alcoholic... has been ever since my father-" he paused, "-passed. But now she's been prescribed these new pills from the doctor and they make her sort of," he searched for a word, "apathetic."

I nodded again, thinking over what he said. I sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

"The other night, when I got home she had doused herself in oil and was attempting to light up a cigarette. I was able to pull her out of it and-" he smiled, looking down, but it didn't look quite happy. "She said it wasn't an attempt suicide."

"But you don't believe her?"

"Not at all." He shook his head.

I sat there for a moment before hoisting myself to sit up on the hood of the car, rubbing my arms in the late afternoon chill. "Well if it makes you feel any better, my dad would rather me not even be related to him."

"What?" He turned, frowning up at me.

I shrugged, "Ever since I was seven, it's like he didn't know me; like I wasn't his daughter. A stranger who just stayed with him every summer holidays."

"That's awful,"

I shrugged, "He's an asshole too."

"Why?" Caleb asked, curiosity showing in his voice this time.

I sighed, getting ready to tell my life story, "Well see... my mom and dad never got on. Ever. I was probably some mistake of hormonal teenagers. She had a huge fight with him one night, not something that was uncommon, and decided to run away. Though she tried leaving me behind in my room, she got in the car and started to drive. Dad got in his and started chasing her, only to end up in a huge car accident." The memories were very sharp in my mind as I had watched from the back seat of my dad's car. "She got hit head on by a drunk driver, my dad swerving and the cars only hitting the side of us."



"Wait, you were in the car?"

I bit my lip, "Yeah... but we were fine."

"And your mom?"

"Died." I finished, glaring at the grass. "He's been a bitch to me ever since."

"I'm sorry..." Caleb whispered to me.

I looked up and smiled, "Nah, we all just have to stick together. Y'know?"

"Does Pogue know about your dad?"

"No." I looked down, twiddling my fingers, "I haven't told him."

"Do you think it'll come as a shock?"

"A bit of a surprise maybe..." I tilted my head to the side, "but I don't think dad'll try anything on me if Pogue's there."

"HEAD'S UP!" Someone yelled and I glanced up quickly. I cringed as the ball almost came head on, but then stopped directly in front of my face and then dropped into my lap. Alex ran over, "Ah shit, i'm sorry... that was totally un-called for."

I laughed grabbing the ball and throwing it over to Tyler who caught it. He grinned, "Anyone hungry? I got stuff in the back."

"Thank the lord," Reid rolled his eyes big time and made his way to the back of the car. Pogue grinned, shoving Reid's shoulders playfully.

They pulled out some food, throwing it opportunely at each other and laughing. We all sat amongst the grass, my back against Baby Boy's and taking a drink from a coke bottle and passing it back to Caleb.

Alex jumped, looked at her phone and beamed, opening it and pressing a button, "LEAH!"

"Hey dudesters..." Leah spoke out of the phone as it was on loud speaker.

"We're here with everyone, how are you?" Alex grinned.

"Hey Quincy," Reid grinned, his arm around Alex's neck.

"Sup girl!" I called.

"Leah, what's up?" Tyler grinned.

"Hey," Caleb and Pogue smiled at the phone.

"Hey guys! I'm totally tired, but I thought I'd call before I went to sleep." She laughed into the phone.

"You're going to sleep?" I scoffed.

"Yeah, I'm really tired."

Tyler leaned forward grabbing the phone, pressing a button and putting it to his ear, "Sleep tight, 

angle from my nightmare."

I looked at Alex and her to me quickly, we sheared a look that made us smile big time. We both knew that Leah and Tyler's song was I Miss You by Blink 182, that time they slept together.

Everyone said goodbye to her and then we all started to get ready to go back.