Author Note

Sorry for the long wait for an update, my laptop died- won't even turn on! - And I'm sick. That's why you're getting so many updates today before 11 p.m.! Home sick… bleck. I noticed in the last chapter that when they were at SASSI that Missy accidentally introduced the Laurence's as the Baldwin's… bad Missy! I seem to be doing that a lot in my stories, calling someone the wrong name I mean.

I SHOULD be updating my other story, Dirty Little Secret, but I really want to update this one! Shhhhh don't tell anyone! lol, hope you like this chapter. Review! –Steph

Important: Ty's actually going to be a senior and Amy's a junior.

Disclaimer: All original people, places and events were created and are owned by Lauren Brooke.

The Peak

Chapter 6

"Ty we need to talk you," Brad told his son.

"Okay," Ty said calmly, seeming to have already forgotten the group of people sitting in his kitchen. He turned and started to walk out of the kitchen.

"Now Ty," Brad added.

Ty stopped and turned back around. He didn't walk back into the kitchen; he just leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. "Later," Ty said casually. "I'm taking a shower."

Brad seemed about to argue some more with Ty but Jane put her hand on his arm said as calmly as she could, "Alright Ty take a shower. Just be quick about it."

"Oh I can be quick," he said. He winked at Amy and sauntered off to the upstairs. Amy blushed and looked down at the table, again.

"Kids these days," Jane laughed uncomfortably.

Everyone that was sitting around the table stared at the couple sitting on the bar stools. Lee looked up from where he was standing at the counter eating his blueberry muffin.

"So that's Ty?" Jake asked in a voice that was filled with forced calm. "He's…" he trailed off as if searching for the right word to describe his feelings. "Different," he finally concluded.

"Well what do you expect?" Brad replied indignantly. "He's not 15 anymore, he's grown up. He's a 17-year-old boy; of course he's going to be different than you remember him!"

Jake shook his head sadly. "I never would have thought… not the Ty we used to know…"

"Does he often do this?" Lou suddenly spoke up. "Get home at noon? Not know where he was during the night?"

"I do not see how that is any of your business," Brad responded harshly.

"You said you were going to tell us about him and I thought you just said that you had nothing to be ashamed of with Ty? So why are you keeping something from us?" Scott said logically.

"Yes I did say that we would tell you about Ty but I did not say that I would tell you every last detail about my son," Brad answered.

"We've already told you that we have acknowledged the fact that he likes to party," Jane cut in, her light brown eyes blazing. "He likes to have a good time. Is there something wrong with that?" she asked primly.

"So you don't care that he spent the night at some girl's house, whose name he can hardly remember?" Tim asked.

"I did not have you over my house to listen to you criticize my son!" Brad exclaimed again. "If you have a problem with him than that's fine, you're entitled to your own opinion but the fact if you don't know Ty. You know the old Ty, the one from two years ago; the one that you're convinced would never have changed. But who's to say that if the accident never happened and he remembered all of you that he wouldn't be how he is now?" Brad paused his ranting for a moment and look around at all the people sitting at his table. "You're making him out to be some kind of criminal but he's not a bad person."

The room was silent. The silence was only broken by the sound of claws scrapping across the stone tiled floor. A moment later Phoenix came scampering around the corner into the kitchen. He cocked his head at all the people and his tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth, in a kind of dopey smile. After a moment he trotted over to where his food and water bowl was sitting.

45 minutes later Ty finally reentered the kitchen. His brown hair was still damp and he was wearing a baggy pair of dark Lucky Brand jeans that fit in all the right perfect places. He had a black t-shirt slung over his shoulder leaving his lean, muscular and defined chest bare and exposed to everyone else. Amy couldn't help but stare at Ty's chest; Ty noticed and grinned wolfishly at her. Amy quickly looked away.

"Ty where's your shirt?" Jane asked tiredly.

Ty dangled the black shirt around, "Got one." He began looking around the kitchen for something that he wanted to eat. Finally he pulled a bagel out of the bag and not being bothered enough to cut it, toast it or add butter and cream cheese he took a bite out of it.

"Put it on please," Jane told her eldest son.

"Fine," Ty said. He pulled the black fabric over his head. The shirt fit him perfectly, accentuating his muscular upper body. Somehow it managed to wonderfully define his muscular torso without actually being tight. It left you wanting to see more… "There, happy now?" Ty said and took another bite of his bagel. He effortlessly pushed himself on the granite countertop. "So what's up?"

"Ty there's something we, your mother and I, need to tell you that we should have told you two years ago."

"Shoot," Ty said casually as he looked out side the sliding glass door that led to the backyard and the pool. The bright Arizona spring sun was glinting down on the water in a way that made it very inviting. Ty grinned widely as a thought struck him. "Hey we should go swimming. It's fucking hot outside, who's in?" he paused and if possible grinned even water. "We could go skinny dipping…" he slyly suggested.

"Ty this is serious," Jane said tiredly.

"Fine," Ty said. "What's up?" he asked again.

"There's something that you need to know about you accident. You… Ty where are you going?" Brad called after Ty.

Ty had suddenly jumped off of the counter and swiftly exited the room and climbed up the stairs. He walked into his room and moved over to his desk where he picked up the lone 5-Star notebook lying forgotten there. He searched through the pages briefly, trying to find something. Finally he extracted a piece of paper and gripped it tightly in his hand as he dropped the notebook and headed back downstairs.

He slammed the picture down next to his father's hand before he again sat in his spot on the granite countertop.

"What's this?" Brad asked as he examined the picture, Jane was right besides him.

"Does whatever you want to tell me have anything to do with that?" Ty asked as he leaned back casually against the cabinet drawers.

"Where did you get that?" Jane asked in surprise after she had determined what the picture was a picture of. She passed it to Lou who in turn looked at the photograph and passed it around the table.

Ty shrugged noncommittally. "Found it in one of my books when we moved here."

"Why didn't you show it to us?" Brad asked.

Ty laughed at the seriousness present in his father's voice. "It's just a picture dad."

"No Ty, it's not just a picture," Brad told him.

"Looks like one to me," Ty said. "But what I don't get is why am I with…" he trailed of and looked around the table, his eyes falling on Amy, "Her, Amy. I've never met her before… unless, were you in Malibu last spring break?" Amy shook her head in confusion. "Oh good," Ty said sounding relived. "I was going to feel really stupid if that was where I met you. Besides, I don't think I'd forget you…" Ty trailed off suggestively. Amy blushed madly when she got what Ty had been implying and suddenly became very interested with the napkin in front of her.

"Ty you do know Amy… and all of the other people right here," Jane said quietly.

"Well yeah I knew that already," Ty said nonchalantly.

"You did?" Jane asked Ty is surprise.

"Yeah, I met them a few weeks ago at the Peak."

"Oh," Jane sighed. "That's not what I meant. You knew them before… before we moved here, before you accident."

"Did I?" Ty asked not sounding overly interested. "Let me guess I wasn't actually injured in a car crash was I?"

"How did you know that?" Jane asked suspiciously.

Ty looked up, only looking faintly surprised that he had been right. "Uh I didn't. I just said that. But how was I actually injured than?"

"Well there was a tornado…" Brad began.

"A tornado?" Ty asked excitedly. "This is already sounding better than a car crash."

"Serious Ty," Jane reminded him.

"We'd better start at the beginning," Brad suggested. "Well you see Amy's family owns this horse farm called Heartland. You had worked there for about two years I think it was and…"

"Whoa hold on," Ty said holding up a hand. "I worked at a horse farm?" he snorted. "I don't know what's funnier the idea of me scooping horse shit or working in general."

"Anyway," Brad decided to continue and pretend like Ty hadn't just said anything. "One day two years ago there was a tornado. A tree was knocked through the roof of the barn and you and Amy went in to get out the horses. Something happened and the roof collapsed, taking you with it. Everything from that point is true though," Brad added. "After I was offered the job at the firm here I had you transported to a hospital out here. When you woke up you didn't seem to remember anything about all that and so it was just easier for us to not tell you."

Ty was silent for a minute before he said, "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes Ty but…" Jane started to say.

Ty cut her off. "Great than I'm outta here," he said as he jumped off of the counter and walked towards the door.

"Ty where are you going?" Jane asked her son tiredly.

"I was supposed to meet Mick and the guys at the Peak awhile ago. I'll be home late, don't wait up!" he called out as he reached for the door handle.

"Ty get back in here!" Brad yelled after him.

Ty sighed but went back to the kitchen anyway. "What?" he asked irritably.

"We just told you something huge about your life Ty don't have any questions?" Jane asked in surprise at Ty's attitude.

Ty paused and his eyes swept over the people sitting at the table. "I do have one." His eyes landed on Amy and Soroya, "I didn't go out with either of you do anything with you did I?" Amy and Soroya's eyes widened in surprise but they both shook their heads anyway. "Great," Ty seemed satisfied. "I'm out." He started to back away again.

"Get back here Ty," Brad said again

"What now?" Ty asked.

"I…" Brad began to say.

"Is that all you have to say to us Ty?" Jake spoke up, the hurt painfully present in his voice.

Ty slowly turned to face Jake. "Sorry what did you want me to say? Did you want me to say that I suddenly remember all of you and than throw myself at you?" Ty's eyes swept over them critically. "Well guess what? The fact is that I don't remember any of you so that's that."

Amy slowly stood up. "Ty we just..."

Ty held up a hand for her to stop. "Before you say anything else think about what you're going to say, Amy. Out of all of your friends you're the only one I can stand, you're the only one who wasn't giving me shit about what I said my name was that day. Just don't say anything that will take you off of the list of people I like. Because the truth is I do like you, you're nice. I'd like to get to know you better and I can see myself as once being friends with you." Ty paused in his little speech. He looked at Amy and met her eyes. Than he continued in a quieter voice, "But I just don't remember you. I'll tell you one thing though, out of all of you," he gestured to everyone else sitting around the table before looking back at Amy. He pointed at her, "Out of all of these people you're the only one that I actually regret not knowing and for that I am sorry," he said sincerely.

The room was silent as Ty stopped talking. Everyone was staring at him, even Lee.

"There are you happy now?" Ty said after a moment. "I've said something. Now I'm going," Again Ty tired to walk for the door.

But again he was stopped. "Ty wait!" Amy's voice called after him.

Ty sighed and turned around, again. "What?"

Amy took something out of her pocket and thrust it at him. "Here."

"What is it?" Ty asked suspiciously as he turned the envelope around in his hands.

"It's an invitation to my sister, Lou, and Scott's wedding. It's in a week, you should come."

"Thanks but I don't think so," Ty said and tried to give the card back to Amy.

Amy's gray eyes flashed with hurt but she smiled anyway and forced him to keep it. "Think about it than."

"Fine," Ty tossed the card on the counter. "I'll keep the card but don't expect me to be there," Ty said. His voice hardened. "Let me make myself clear. I meant what I just said but that doesn't change the fact that I don't remember any of you and most likely never will. Just have your little wedding and than go back to Virginia. Forget that you ever saw me here and just forget about me. Just get out of my life and stop bothering me! Every since you people have gotten here everything's been fucked up!"

The front door could be heard opening and than slamming closed. Mick walked into the kitchen casually like he was just always walking into Ty's house, which he was so no one was surprised. "Yo Ty what's up? You were supposed to meet us at the Peak an hour ago!" he glanced around at all the people. "What are they doing here Ty?"

"They were just leaving," Ty said coldly. He looked at Mick, "Let's go." He started to follow Mick towards the door but stopped, again. Though this time no one made him stopped. He walked back over to the table and picked up the photograph that was lying on the glass top. He picked it up and ripped it down the center before tossing it into the air. The two halves floated down to lie dejectedly on the table. "That's what I think," Ty said before walking out of the door and jumping into his Ferrari. He roared off down the road.

And this time no one stopped him.

The Peak

After Ty's dramatic exit everyone was silent and starring at the spot where he had last been standing. Amy was the first to recover and faced Lee. "Lee can I talk to you for a sec?" Lee turned his head to slowly face her, "In private?"

"Uh sure…" Lee said slowly. He gestured for her to follow him.

Before following Lee Amy said, "Roya, Matt come on." The three friends followed the younger boy out of the room leaving the adults alone.

Lee led them into a small theater room and switched the light on before closing the door behind them. "So what do you want?" Lee asked as he eyed Amy.

"Is Ty going to another party tonight?" she asked purposefully.

"Uh yeah, I guess," Lee said looking surprised at what was going on. "Why do you want to know?" he asked warily.

"Where is the party he's going to?" Amy asked.

"I don't know," Lee said suspiciously but you could tell that he was lying.

"Please just tell me," Amy pleaded.

"Okay…" Lee said doubtfully. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen off of the table next to one of the huge couches. He scribbled an address down on it, folded it in half and reluctantly handed it to Amy. She accepted it and stuffed it into her jeans pocket without looking at it.

Lee edged out of the room and disappeared to wherever.

"Amy what was that for?" Matt asked after a moment.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Amy said to Matt and Soroya. "We have to find Joni and Tom and tell them that we're going to a party tonight."

The Peak

Later that night

The party

"Are you sure about this Amy?" Soroya asked her best friend. The group of five friends was standing on front stoop of the house Lee had given them the address to. There were a lot of fancy sports cars parked along the house and in the driveway and the music blasting through the still closed door was enough to assure the friends that they were at the right place.

"Yes," Amy said firmly. She'd gotten this far and she wasn't about to back down now. After all, Ty had already admitted to everyone the he liked her and that wanted to get to know her again, and she was sure that that hadn't been an easy thing for Ty to do. Not with how he was now at least. And he was only a doorway away, literally.

"You know he's not the same as he was before Ames," Matt said comfortingly for about the fiftieth time that day.

"I know," Amy sighed. "I know he's different and that he's changed, a lot, but he's still Ty. I've wondered where he's been for two years and now that I've finally found him I'm not just going to forget about him and let him go again. I just have to know if what he said is true and if he's actually…" she paused before continuing, "And if he's actually all that different under it all."

"Well if you're sure." Matt reached out and put his hand on the doorknob. "Should we do this than?"

"Let's go," Amy affirmed.

Matt pushed open the door to reveal the entrance way to the house they were in. There were people milling around holding drinks in their hands. Amy, Soroya, Matt, Joni and Tom pushed their way through the crowd until they were facing the main part of the party. It was packed full of people, all of whom were drinking, and music was pulsing through the whole house, shaking the walls.

At the center of the room there was a group of skimpily dressed girls dancing in a sexually explicit way around two guys to the song Time to Dance by Panic! At the Disco (a/n: P!ATD is the BBBBEEEESSSTTT! You haven't heard good music till you've bought their CD, video and listened/watched all of them 50 zillion times! I'm listening to them right now! LOVE THEM! erm sorry… cough cough, I'm supposed to be sick. Tis a fucked up day is what it is, I'm all hyper) Amy's mouth dropped open when she saw that one of those guys was Ty's friend, Mick Laurence and that the other was…

Ty

Amy's heart thudded in her chest as she watched Ty smiling and laughing, obviously loving being the center of attention. She didn't know what she had been hoping for when she'd come here to find Ty tonight but she felt all of it fall apart. She felt like she was going to start crying right than and there as she watched Ty's arms slip around the impossibly skinny waist of the big busted blonde that was closest to him.

Once the song ended Ty and Mick walked off of the dance floor, much to the blondes chargin, obviously she had been hoping that tonight it would be her turn to score with the infamous Ty Baldwin. Tonight was not her night. She sauntered over to one of Ty's hot football playing friends deciding to try her luck out on him.

Ty and Mick headed towards a table where the drinks were being served. As soon as Ty was in front of the table one of the guys behind it handed Ty something that was in a shot glass. Ty accepted the glass and swung back whatever type of alcohol had been in it without even bothering to asked what was in it. He let out a loud "WHOOP!" and slammed the empty shot glass on the table. A fresh group of partiers congregated around the drink table wanting to try whatever Ty Baldwin had liked so much.

After having two more shots apiece Ty and Mick left the table and seemed to be headed right in their direction. Amy had the sudden urge to run away and hide under the covers of her plush queen sized bed at the Scottsdale Princess but she stood her ground and stayed right where she was.

Ty and Mick were strutting over to them like they owned the place, which even though the house the party was in was owned by neither of them they were the life of the party. The party was for them, well as far as anyone present was concerned. If you didn't have Ty Baldwin and Mick Laurence, the two hottest seniors at Scottsdale Academy, than your party was nothing and you were shunned by the entire school population. Of course it didn't matter who you were, if Ty and Mick heard about your party and they thought it was worth it to go you were immediately in. (a/n: I have to think of something everyone calls Ty and Mick… anyone got any ideas?)

As the two closed in on the group of friends from Virginia Amy noted that both Ty and Mick appeared very drunk and wasted. Silly, dopey grins adjourned both their faces and their eyes were dancing and glassy. Amy was reminded on the face Phoenix had made when he entered the kitchen earlier that day when she looked at Ty. Like owner like… dog.

Ty's smile was whipped completely off of his face when he saw who he was walking towards. He had originally thought that they were just some new comers. The girls were hot and that was the only thing that registered in Ty's plastered brain. Much the same could be said for Mick.

"I thought," Ty said loudly to be heard over the blasting music. "That I told you to leave me alone!" surprisingly Ty was hardly slurring his words at all. Guess that's what happens when you drink this much almost every day of the week, holidays included. Albeit there was a slight slur in his speech, but it was hardly noticeable.

Amy just stared at the boy… man standing in front of her. She'd always imagined that Ty would look amazing but she never thought… not this good. Amy was surprised at her thoughts but finally managed to say something. "Ty I…"

Ty appeared to have already lost interest in them and was wondering off towards the center of the room.

Mick stayed behind his friends for a second and turned to the group of five. "I don't know what you did to Ty but stay away from him!" Mick yelled at them before loping off after Ty.

The opening chords of There's A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet by Panic! At the Disco was just beginning to blast through the speakers. (a/n: ah I love this song!)

Amy's heart lurched again when she saw Ty and Mick again surrounded by the same group of girls as before, plus some this time though. Before she could comprehend what she was about to do Amy stepped forwards, heading purposefully in the direction of Ty.

Once she reached his side she ran her hand lightly up his muscular arm and around his broad shoulders. Feeling her touch Ty turned away from whatever girl he'd chosen to dance with this time and faced Amy. His glassy eyes seemed to light up when they lay on Amy. His eyes ran up and down Amy taking in her casual flip-flops, patchwork Bermuda shorts and white t-shirt with a little pocket on the left side of her chest, both purchased at American Eagle. She'd opted for just a touch of eyeliner and lip-gloss and her long, light brown hair was left down so that it flowed in shimmering, straight sheets down her back. She'd gone for a casual look, not wanting to look like she'd tried too hard and Ty liked what he saw. She stood out from all the other girls there, the other girls were like plastic, all the same and though beautiful they were boring. This girl was different, her brown hair stood out amongst the sea of blondes and Ty liked it. She wasn't dressed in microscopic clothing that looked like it had been purchased in the toddlers section of whatever store she shopped at. She was beautiful, in a way that stood out among the others but easily surpassed all of them, her body was made of luscious curves but she didn't flaunt them and put them on show like all the others.

For the first time in his life, at least the part he could remember anyway, Ty felt something in his chest. He couldn't describe it and he didn't know what it was. But there was one thing that he knew for certain, it had something to do with the girl standing in front of him.

And for the first time since he'd moved to Scottsdale and become best friends Mick and established his reputation as a partier and someone that wasn't scared around women, he didn't think, just acted the way his body told him to, he found that he didn't trust himself. He didn't trust himself to be around Amy, didn't trust himself because of what he knew he'd end up doing. For the first time he found that he actually cared about her feelings and that he didn't want… well he wanted that but he didn't want to hurt her.

For the first time Ty Baldwin was scared of himself and his actions.

And he did the only thing he could think of at that time, he turned and ran away. Leaving Amy behind him, in the middle of dance floor, tears burning in her eyes.

Ty pushed through the throng of people trying to take him back to the dance floor and people trying to get him to drink something that they had just concocted and girls suggesting that they do inappropriate things to him. Ty ignored everything and everyone that he would normally have stopped for and walked down the hall to where he knew the bathroom was. He opened the door and than locked it behind him. He sat on the floor, his back against the door and dropped his head into his hands. All he could see was the hurt look shinning in Amy's gray eyes as he left.

And for that Ty wanted to hit himself.

a/n: whatcha think? Review! –Steph