A/N: I own nothing. Thanks everyone for the reviews. I'm sorry I didn't update last week. I was going through some stuff with my parents, and it wasn't pretty. So just a note, this is not a romance, but it is a strong 'lean on me' friendship. I'll try to avoid as much cheesiness as possible.

"Because my dad beat me twice as much as he usually does."

"Why would he do that?" Ms. Kratze asked calmly

"Because I got up late. He called me worthless." Maureen didn't falter as she told everyone what her father had done to her. In fact she didn't seem to be affected by it at all; physically or emotionally.

She never came to school sad, or even remotely calm. And Roger had never seen her in any physical pain before. Or maybe she had been. Maybe she had been showing signs this whole time and no one had taken the time to notice it. Not even April or Mark.

"Getting up late, is not a pticuarly good thing. But even if she were to skip school that is no excuse for her father to beat her." Roger was looking at Maureen the whole time.

You would have never guessed a person like her would have problems like him. They were complete opposites Maureen the prep, Roger the flunk, Maureen the popular girl, Roger the bad-boy; the only common ground they shared were April and Mark.

"Have you talked to anyone else about this problem?"

"The police got called once, but since then, nothing serious enough has happened for me to do much."

"Maureen a father hitting his child is very serious."

"That's not what the police say." She said flatly "Unless there is physical proof of the beating they can't do much."

"And is there ever proof?"

"He usually doesn't use his fists. Mostly he just makes me skip a meal or locks me in my room."

"But you said he beat you twice as much, as he usually does."

"But no one can see it; he grabbed my head and must've hit it against something. The next thing I knew I was being shook awake being told to hurry up since I was late for school."

"What did you tell the principal?"

"The truth. That I slept in." there were a few light chuckles, but were cut short with a look from Ms. Kratze

"Okay Maureen we'll come back to you later. Roger how are you feeling today? I haven't seen you in a year."

"I don't know. Okay I guess." He said still slumped in his chair tearing his gaze away from Maureen

"That's it, just okay?"

"Better."

"Better than what, can you elaborate for us?"

"Better than I have in a while. My band is going somewhere and my dad may be moving out."

"That's good, why is he moving out?"

"My mom is sick of him always being drunk, and not doing anything."

"That's wonderful, so how do you feel now that he may be gone?"

"Good, scared, confused."

"Why are you scared?"

"Because if they get a divorce that means a shared custody. And that would mean I'd be in a house alone with him."

"But that's happened before hasn't it?"

"Yeah, but he was always careful so the neighbors wouldn't hear."

"Where would he be moving to?"

"I don't know. Probably a small town out of the state where there is no one. So in other words a place where he can beat the shit out of me and no one will hear me."

"Okay but do you know what to do if he hits you?"

"It's like Maureen said, unless you have physical proof you have squat."

"So he's never hit you hard enough to leave a mark?"

"He has, but I get into fights at school, it's hard to distinguish which marks come from who."

"But you know who they come from."

"I always know."

The rest of counseling passed by everyone either introducing themselves or Ms. Kratze introduced them. Everyone seemed to have problems: addictions, sexual assaults, pregnancy, problems with their sexuality, but most were just attitude adjustments, grieving, or being sick.

"Okay everyone, on the table back there I have some snacks for you, take fifteen to talk amongst yourselves. Then you can leave. Next meeting is on Monday."

Immediately everyone rushed to the table, except for Roger and Maureen. Who had been, throughout the session, glaring at one another.

"What are you doing here?" Roger asked

"I already explained myself; I'm not going to do it a second time." She said and got up to go to the snack table, where Roger promptly followed.

"You know for someone who hates my guts I would expect you to avoid me at all cost." He said scratching the back of his head.

"And for someone with no emotions I would've guessed you'd be smoking away your problem; but instead you're here: holding hands and singing kum-bay-yah around the campfire." She said picking up an apple and taking a loud bite into it

"My, you're touchy." He said

"And you're a jackass." She responded without looking up from her plate of accumulating food.

"Listen, no offense, but you don't seem like the type who would be, you know-"

"Abused by her father? Yeah well, welcome to my life." She said grabbing her plate of food and sitting on the floor in the far corner.

"It's my life too ya know." She looked up at him "My father hits me." He was standing in front of her hands shoved into his pockets. Of all people he never thought he would be telling Maureen about his problem.

"So I've heard." She said taking another bite out of the apple "Is this your first time? I never saw you in group last year."

It was weird. Talking to Maureen, and the fact he was talking to her about going to group therapy. Roger had never been able to hold a real conversation with Maureen, and now he was talking to her about his darkest secret. April didn't know and neither did Mark, they couldn't know.

"I took it on Wednesdays. But now I got tutoring on Wednesdays so I had to take the Monday/Friday group. Since when do you take group?"

"Since my dad lost his job. And became a part-time drunk." She took another bite "and you?"

"Since my grandpa died."

"Does April know about it?" she asked casually

"No, and it's staying that way." His tone was dark.

"I may not like you but I would never sink so low to sell you out." she said bitterly "Group secrecy remember?"She held her hand up in the star trek symbol "Nothing that comes in goes out."

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"I don't have cooties if that's what you mean."

"No I mean, everyone in here knows me as the kid who dad beats him, you're the only person who knows me."

"I don't know you Roger, I'm just forced to tolerate you because my best friend is dating you and my boyfriend is your best friend."

"It's the same for me you know."

She looked up at him. "Fine whatever you can sit." She said scooting over farther into the corner making room for Roger.

"Thanks." He said sitting down

"Roger?"

"yeah?" he turned to face her, their faces were a few inches apart he hadn't noticed how close they were.

"You're sitting on my leg."

"Oh sorry." He put a hand on her leg and lifted himself off of her. She flinched at his touch. "You okay?"

"Yeah just sore from gym." She said rubbing the bruise hidden beneath her tight jeans

"You don't have to lie to me." He looked at her brown eyes, pleading to reveal the rest of her story locked behind her happy façade.

"Yes I do." She said leaving Roger to his own thoughts.