AN: Again, I'd like to remind people that I'm not overly familiar with the show, and therefore the characters. If they don't seem to be following canon I apologize. If you have an issue with the way I portray them, then I humbly request that you don't bother reading this story. Other then that, I wish you all the best! Now, on to the next chapter!!
H2OOOOO
It was another gorgeous day in the Gold Coast, scarcely a cloud in the sky and so hot the ground baked the flesh of ones bare feet. This of course meant that everyone was irritated and snappish and taking refuge indoors, under shade, or in whatever clean body of water they could find. So of course the girls were hiding out in the juice shop, trying to avoid the mob of kids outside that were happily lobbing water balloons at passer-by's.
Zane, of course, was just happy to have a rare afternoon off from the marina, and had celebrated by buying them all their favourites and slouching as low as he could in his rickety wooden chair. Honestly, if he hadn't been coming to this place for years he would have avoided it for its sheer lack of taste long ago. Well, that and the easy atmosphere was a nice change from all the expectations settled on him virtually everywhere he went.
He sank deeper into his chair and took a deep drink from his icy orange juice. This was heaven.
"Honestly Zane, if you sink down any lower you'll be needing a chiropractor for life," Emma rolled her eyes at him dramatically, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder and picking at the fruit salad she'd been working on for the better part of an hour. He lolled his head in her direction and smirked.
"You sure you wouldn't want to adjust me yourself Emma?"
"Oh grow up Zane, or I'll do more then adjust you," she snapped back, narrowing her eyes a little as Rikki snorted in amusement beside her.
"I wish you would," he gave her his most charming grin and she glared even more fiercely, before giving up and laughing herself, throwing a grape at his head and missing by about a kilometre. Lord knows she might be a great athlete, but her aim was absolute crap.
"You know, I think the only thing I'm not going to miss is your terrible innuendo," Cleo announced abruptly and he turned to look at her now.
"Well then I guess I'll just have to make a point of visiting you every chance I get," he reached forward and stole a fry off her plate.
"Please don't, I'd like to retain my dignity while away at school," she huffed a suffering smile.
"Please, my presence could do nothing but help you build popularity. One weekend with me around and you'll be the most sought after girl on campus," he sat up and leaned in her direction then, easing the slight twinge in his back from slouching so long. "You'll be beating the crowds off with sticks you'll be so desired."
"Which would be just fantastic considering that she should try and keep as low a profile as possible," Lewis suddenly cut in and then drew up the empty chair beside him and sat down, setting his ever present backpack at his feet.
"Spoil sport," Zane grumbled, but without heat, shifting over a bit to make room for the guy. Lewis looked at him quickly and nodded his thanks before picking up the ragged menu they always kept around and doggedly pursuing it. It was difficult for Zane not to notice how his tall frame hunched over and his shaggy hair fell about his face, partially obscuring his features.
"Hey, have a seat Lewis, join us for a spell," Rikki invited sarcastically, a bite of irritation that wasn't very uncommon for her these days slipping into her tone. Instantly, there was a tension about the table that hadn't been there before, and though Lewis did a great job hiding it Zane saw his shoulders tense behind the menu. He doubted the girls noticed.
"Thanks," Lewis responded, as though he didn't pick up on the sarcasm at all and Rikki rolled her eyes at him before picking up her soda and stirring it with her straw.
"We're not monks Lewis, we're not going to hide ourselves away and miss out on life all the time just because you think we're going to do something as foolish as exposing ourselves," Cleo suddenly hissed, just loud enough for their table to hear only and Zane actually looked at her in shock. Cleo? Really? But the dark haired beauty seemed unaware of his surprise as she glared at Lewis in irritation and the guy finally had the presence of mind to drop the menu and look at them for the first time since he'd arrived.
He had dark, tired bags under his eyes, and for a moment he looked shocked and hurt by her outburst as he stared, speechless back at Cleo. And Zane could understand why. Cleo and Lewis had been friends the longest out of this group. They'd even dated for a while the year before, before deciding that they were better off as friends. Zane had been well aware of the tension between Lewis and the girls the last few months, these last two weeks in particular, but he had had no idea they were this upset with each other.
Lewis looked away, towards the bar and a group of surfer's laughing loudly, than stiffened and quickly ducked his head back to his lap. Zane could see his hand form a white knuckled fist, hidden from everyone else under the table.
Cleo immediately looked regretful, her cheeks flushing with colour despite the fact that both Rikki and Emma seemed more then willing to support her point of view. Ever the pack, Zane thought, shifting quietly in his own seat and waiting to see how this would play out.
"Lewis," Cleo started, remorse clear in her tone but Lewis quickly held his hand up, forestalling any apology she was about to launch.
"No, no. That's alright," he announced, voice unusually flat and guarded. Zane felt a headache coming on as he watched his friend (and over the last year and a half his occasional partner in crime and confidant, despite their differences). Lewis ducked his head again, and then quickly cut his eyes back to the bar before coming to look at the girls once more. Zane frowned and looked towards the bar, the group of surfers, wetsuits half pulled off and dangling at their waists, and a few other people sipping at their drinks; And one man, his clothes pressed and hair carefully styled to look as though he paid no attention to it, carefully sipping at what looked like a coke. Zane frowned at him; he didn't look like he was from around here.
"No Lewis, its no-"
"Besides," he cut her off sharply and pointedly placed the menu on the table with a slap. "It's not like it matters, what with all of us heading off in three days time." He announced, and calmness seemed to fold around him, along with a smug air that was so out of character for him that Zane stiffened in his own seat and the girls narrowed their eyes once more.
"Does this mean you've decided to go off to school then too?" Emma asked carefully, her hands folded calculatingly on the table and Lewis looked at her with a crooked, sour grin.
"I am. I've been accepted to ANU," and he looked pointedly at Rikki then. "Full scholarship."
Zane could not believe he had just said that, and Rikki leaned back like she had been slapped in the face. Hard. Everyone knew she was struggling to be able to afford college. Zane was about ready to jump up and hit the guy himself, except he could still see Lewis's hand beneath the table, clenched white as a ghost and shaking harshly.
What the hell was going on here?!
"You complete and utter ass," Cleo hissed, shock and anger on her face and Lewis looked at her, eyes going wide a moment before shuttering again and he swallowed thickly and shrugged.
"Well, you asked," he pointed out and suddenly Rikki was reaching over and grabbing the small carafe of ice water Zane had asked for what felt like hours ago, her intention to throw it at Lewis very clear.
"Don't!" Lewis hissed sharply, so sharply in fact that several tables nearby instantly stopped their conversation to stare at them and Rikki's hand froze in mid air a moment, before her own temper carried her to picking it up regardless of his warning. Beside her Cleo and Emma had gone silent, wide-eyed and angry. Lewis looked Rikki right in the eye and leaned forward. "Throw that at me, and I'll return the favour."
Cleo went white as a sheet in shock. Rikki's eyes narrowed in absolute fury.
"You wouldn't," she hissed, almost silent and a few people turned back to their conversations, figuring the show was over.
"Try me."
For a long moment, one that Zane thought would permanently suspend them in time, no one moved.
"Leave this table," Emma suddenly announced, her fingers wrapped tightly around each other and Cleo looked close to tears. "Right now." There was absolutely no room for argument in her tone and Lewis, as though suddenly realizing the extent of the threat he had just muttered, stood hastily and grabbed at his bag. Zane did not miss the quick look he sent towards the bar.
"I'm sorry," Lewis muttered, shouldering the pack.
"It's a little late for that now isn't it?" Emma returned, her hard stare not wavering.
"Probably," he had the grace to look ashamed, before sucking in a breath and standing tall. The guy was a good two inches taller then Zane now, and he was using every millimetre to his advantage now as he looked down at the girls. "Just-" he hesitated, the corner of his mouth twitching unhappily before smoothing out. "Just take care of yourselves, okay? Don't do anything stupid."
"That'll probably be easier without you around," Rikki bit out sharply. Lewis snorted, his lips curving into a bitter smile. He looked towards the front door, where the kids were still obviously waiting around with their water balloons, and left the restaurant through the kitchen doors, to the protest of the bartender.
"What the hell was that all about?" Zane finally found his voice and looked at them, to see them all in one state of miserable anger, slumping in to comfort each other.
"Who cares? He's an insufferable prat and I'll be glad to never see his ugly hide again," Rikki hissed and Cleo let out a hiccup that sounded closer to a sob.
"Oh come on guys, something is obviously wrong here!" he insisted, leaning closer so they wouldn't be overheard. "That is not the Lewis we know."
"No, it's not. But people change Zane, sometimes for the worst," Emma said sadly, now holding Cleo's hand in support. Zane looked at them, took a breath, and then pushed away from the table to chase Lewis out the kitchen's back door, ignoring the bartender's irritated yell.
The heat outside hit him like a fullback but he ignored it as he stepped out into the busy, sun drenched, street. It wasn't difficult to spot Lewis, already quite a ways down the strip, with his floppy hat and tall frame and Zane took off after him, ignoring the protest of an older couple as he ducked around them.
When he finally caught up he grabbed Lewis by the arm and swung him around, feeling his friend's muscle bunch beneath his hand as he tensed and it took Zane a ridiculously long moment to realize that Lewis was waiting for him to hit him. And apparently he wasn't going to try and stop him. Zane huffed out a couple breaths, shook his head, and looked at the guy. Lewis looked so bloody tired that Zane was suddenly worried he would fall down and pass out any moment.
Lewis watched him back wearily, until it became clear that Zane wasn't going to hit him. Then he shrugged off his hand and turned to continue walking.
"Would you stand still!" He demanded, once again taking a hold of his friends arm and Lewis turned on him, his blue eyes flashing with emotion Zane couldn't decipher. For a moment he thought he saw hints of silver, before he blinked and figured he must have been seeing things.
"What do you want?" Lewis asked, obviously trying to project anger into his tone and failing miserably. Zane coughed out an incredulous laugh.
"What do I want? Are you serious? I want to know what's wrong with you!" He demanded more then asked and Lewis looked away.
"Nothing. I'm absolutely fine."
"You do realize that I practically invented lying, and therefore know when someone else is trying to pull one over on me, right?" he scoffed and Lewis just shrugged, looking away.
"Not my problem if you don't believe me."
"It sure as hell is my problem," Zane insisted. "You just threatened Rikki in there, and don't think I'm not aware that you deliberately provoked them into that absolute farce of a fight. What the hell are you trying to achieve here Lewis?"
"Last I checked fights don't really achieve much of anything, and I hardly think it's any concern. It'll blow over in a few days time," he shrugged and turned to walk away again. Zane stopped him once more.
"It won't, not unless you go back there right now and try to make it right."
"I don't have time right now, sorry," he said insincerely and Zane shook his head in disbelief.
"You don't have time? For three of the most incredible people you will ever know? Three people who you care about deeply and, just let me remind you, have actually risked your own safety for on more then one occasion? You don't have time for them?"
"No. I need to get home and finish packing. I'm heading out tonight and have things to do."
"Tonight?" Zane didn't really know what to say to that.
"Yes, tonight." Lewis sighed then, and looked at Zane. "Look, just take care of them, all right? And yourself. Last thing I need to hear about is you drowning in some ridiculous boating accident or getting hit by a taxi."
"You do realize that we take care of them together right? And who's going to watch my back when you're gone? Who's going to watch yours?"
"Please, as if I've ever needed a caretaker. I'm moving on with my life Zane. I have too much potential to spend my days chasing after three girls who rarely listen to what I have to say in the first place. I want more then that."
Zane stared at him in silence. This wasn't adding up, something about this didn't feel right at all. Then Lewis was turning his back again.
"Don't call me," he ordered over his shoulder. "I'll be too busy to bother answering."
This time Zane didn't stop him from walking away, he just watched him until he disappeared around a corner.
His chest was tight with unease.
When he went back to the airy beach restaurant he sat down with the still fuming girls. They refused to talk about it.
He looked at the bar, and noted that the well groomed stranger was gone.
When he went by that night to call on Lewis his mother had distractedly told him that Lewis had already left, and she couldn't recall how long ago, before closing the door on him and going back to her soap operas.
It was a long, long time before he found him again.
Tbc.
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! They are all terrific! Unfortunately I don't have the time today to respond to them individually, but I'll try to do that in future chapters! And, you might be glad to know, I've changed the spelling in Rikiki's name to the correct version. Thanks for the heads up on that one! :D