All praise to me, for tis a new chapter which I give to you today . . . just like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that.

Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Four Brothers, but I own Evy and if you rip off my characters, I'll rip off your plots, MWWAUHAHA!!!!

Enjoy!

"Evy! Evy, over here!"

Evy looked round and saw Amelia waving to her from the other side of the cafeteria. She grinned and waved back. She grabbed a bag of chips and reached for the last ham sandwich on the tray, but someone else reached over and grabbed it. Without thinking, Evy snatched the muscular arm and glared up at the guy who'd cut in front of her. "That was mine," she said smoothly.

The guy grinned. "Was it now?" He turned the sandwich around in his hand. "Don't see a name on it, but if you want to give me yours I can check again."

Evy snickered. "Is that the best line you could think up?" she asked him.

He grinned again. "I've never had the occasion to pick up a Gothic girl, forgive my inferior technique."

She smiled at him. "I'm Evy."

"Evy, that's a nice name. I'm Chris. So, you wanna get a table or something?" he asked.

Evy snatched the sandwich out of his hands. "Nope, but thanks for asking." She sidestepped Chris, trying not to laugh at the taken aback look on his face. She handed the lunch lady her money and turned around to find Chris standing right in front of her.

"You aren't very friendly," he said, his deep voice slightly wounded.

"Aw," she said sympathetically, reaching up and patting his cheek lightly. "You'll get used to it, jock"

"Hey, how can you tell I'm a jock?" he called after her.

"Radar," she called back with a smile. "See you around."

"I'm looking forward to it!" he replied.

Grinning to herself, Evy dropped into a chair next to Amelia. "Chris Hagen, nice choice," Amelia said with a sly smile.

Evy laughed. "Who is that guy?"

"Only the hottest guy in school," one of the other girls at the table said, her face wistful as she looked over at him. Evy followed the girl's eyes and gave a Chris a good once over. About 6'2", dark curly brown hair a little on the longish side, broad shoulders, muscles that rippled along his arms and back. Not bad at all. And blue eyes, she could remember. Deep blue eyes.

"I guess he's not bad," Evy said evenly.

The other girls stared at her in shock, but Amelia laughed. "Bullshit, cuz, you're hot after him."

Evy just grinned. "Have you got any manners at all?" she asked Amelia. "Do I have to introduce myself?"

Amelia stood and bowed mockingly to Evy. "But of course, m'lady," she said pompously. "Allow me to introduce Her Grace, the Lady Evy Mercer, mine dear cousin, daughter of Jack Mercer."

The others giggled. "That's Lacy," Amelia said, pointing at the girl to Evy's left, a pretty brunette with freckles all over her face. "And Yvonne is the one in love with Chris." Evy smiled at the girl who had spoken earlier. "Jessica, Bernice, and Traci." Two pale blondes sitting on either side of a very black girl waved and gave shy grins. Bernice gave a quick grin and looked away. "Forgive them," Amelia said. "They're those quiet intelligent types. I haven't shocked them out of their shells yet."

"It's nice to meet you all," Evy said.

"Nice to meet you too," Lacy said. "Amelia tells us you're from California, where at?"

Evy shrugged as she opened her chips. "All over really. I was born in LA and I lived there until my mom died. After that it was San Francisco with my grandmother. And after that I start to lose track. Fresno was where I lived last."

"Wow," Jessica said quietly. "Why do you lose track after San Francisco?"

Evy forced a smile. "I moved around a lot," she said flatly. "So, any of you on the hockey team?"

"All of us actually," Yvonne said. She smiled at the mild shock on Evy's face. "Girls sports aren't a huge deal here," she explained with a shrug. "We all have fun doing it and we're good, so the coach doesn't feel the need to really bulk up on the team."

"Not that he could even if he wanted to," Bernice snickered. "Hardly any of the girls play hockey. They all want to do basketball. There's only four others who play, but they're all second string cause they don't play as hard as we do."

Evy mimed barfing in her chip bag. "Basketball isn't near as much fun as hockey," she said. "Soccer is about the only other sport I get into."

"You play soccer?" Traci said, grinning widely. "So do I! You'll have to join the team."

Evy smiled, feeling more and more at ease around these girls. Suddenly, Chris dropped into an empty chair across from Evy. Traci and Yvonne stared at him like he was a mutant, but he didn't notice.

"So I've been thinking," he said. "I think you should go on a date with me."

"Are you some kind of masochist?" Evy asked.

Chris appeared to consider that. "Maybe," he said. "But frankly baby I'd be anything you wanted if you'd give me just one date."

Evy forced herself to keep a smile plastered on her face, but she felt like she was about to explode. She would have to be alone with him, it might be dark, he might hurt her, he might take her to a party and there might be drugs. Liquid panic was making a whine in her brain. "I'm not dating right now," she said, keeping most of the tremor out of her voice. Amelia heard it and glanced at her cousin, but didn't comment. "Maybe in a few weeks."

She looked down at her food, but her stomach rebelled against the thought. "I'll see you guys later," she said quickly, shoving her stuff onto the tray. Grabbing the tray, she shot a smile around the table and hurried toward the exit doors. When she got to the trash cans, she missed and her chips scattered across the table next to them where she was supposed to leave the tray.

"Fuck," she muttered, feeling dangerously close to tears. She tried to sweep the chips into the trash, but her shaking hands just smashed them into more pieces.

"Let me help you." Chris's voice was quiet right in Evy's ear. She jumped and turned to look at him. His eyes were soft and kind and she had to bite her lip to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Evy stared blankly at the floor until Chris took her arm and gently led her outside. It was snowing softly and most kids were inside, so there was only serene silence around them.

"I'm sorry," Chris said quietly. "I didn't mean to push you too hard." Evy shook her head. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered.

Chris stood there quietly. "I should have been able to tell that I needed to back off," he said finally. "I- my sister was raped a few months ago. You'd think I'd be able to tell when that's happened to someone."

Evy looked up at him, shocked. "How could you tell?" she breathed.

Chris smiled bitterly. "You got this look in your eyes like you were suffocating. You were probably flipping out imagining being alone with me or maybe even more worried that I might take you to a party and do something worse."

Evy felt like she might blow up as she listened to him tell her what was in her own head. She needed to get away; she needed to find someplace peaceful and quiet where she wouldn't have to hear his fucking understanding. "I need to go," she said quickly. "Thanks for getting me out of there."

Before he could say anything, Evy dashed across the courtyard, her Chucks sliding on the snow, her safety pin decorated messenger slapping against her thighs. She ran into a bathroom and dove into a stall, slamming the door just as the tears overflowed. She dug frantically in her bag, almost missing the secret pocket she'd cut into the side. Pulling out a razorblade, Evy pulled her sleeve up and ripped off the black armband she was wearing. Relief flooded through her as she dug the blade into her skin.

The bathroom door slammed open and Evy pulled her knees up onto the toilet seat, making sure that her bag wasn't visible. Pain ripped through her arm suddenly, making her cry out and fall to the floor.

"Evy?" Amelia's voice called, filled with panic.

Evy gasped, blinking back tears, she stared at her wrist. The razor was embedded in halfway up her forearm, blood spurting out of the deep cut in a steady stream. Amelia kicked the stall door and swore as she looked at the blood.

"You idiot, you fucking idiot," Amelia said, ripping the blade out of her cousin's arm and splattering the wall with bright drops of blood. She grabbed the tight armband that Evy had been wearing and shoved it around the wound, cutting off the circulation. She clamped her hand tight around the armband and dragged Evy to her feet. She hugged Evy tightly as the girl stared in shock at her own blood on the walls.

The bell rang to end lunch, shortly followed by the start of sixth period, but Amelia didn't speak or move. After about 45 minutes, Amelia pushed Evy down onto the toilet seat and lifted the armband off so that she could see the cut.

"The bleeding stopped," she said quietly.

Evy nodded, shame making it impossible for her to look Amelia in the face. "You were raped by your foster father, weren't you?" Amelia asked quietly.

"Jesus," Evy rasped. "Does everyone know I was raped?"

Amelia just hugged her. "It was just a guess," she said. "The way that you liked Chris so much, but seemed so against being alone with him. Don't worry, no one else noticed."

"Thank God for small mercies I guess," Evy mumbled, grasping Amelia's sweater with weak fingers.

"C'mon, let's get you home," Amelia said quietly. "Uncle Bobby will call and excuse us."

Evy shook her head violently, gulping. "Bobby'll kill me," she said, her eyes wide with fear. "They don't want me to cut, they'll be so pissed and they'll yell at me like they did the other night and it'll just make everything worse, just worse!"

Amelia crushed Evy to her chest as mania twisted her cousin's mind. "It's okay, baby," Amelia whispered. "They won't yell at you, it'll be okay. I promise it'll be okay."

- - - -

Bobby shut Evy's bedroom door quietly and came down to the living room. He sat in an armchair across from Amelia. "Speak," he said.

Amelia shrugged helplessly. "This guy was totally flirting with her and she loved it," she assured Bobby. "But she started to panic when he asked her out. I don't think she's ready to consider being alone with guys other than her family."

"How did she get cut so deep?" Bobby asked.

"I think I startled her," Amelia answered softly. "I saw her run into the bathroom and I followed her. I think she was trying to hide and forgot that she was holding the razor."

Bobby nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I'll call the school and excuse you guys." He got up and walked toward the kitchen.

"Uncle Bobby?"

He turned to look at his niece.

"Did you kill the bastard that did this to her?"

He nodded curtly. "She doesn't know."

Amelia understood. "I won't tell her, but I had to know that you and Dad and Uncle Angel took care of it."

Bobby frowned. "Why?"

"Because if you hadn't, I would have. It's one thing to beat a kid and walk away," she continued. "But what he did to her is going to haunt her forever." Amelia looked out the window, watching the snow drift passed the windows.

As he walked into the dining room, Bobby heard her whisper, "No one this young should have so many demons."

I love Amelia. She's so cool.

Anyway, please review. Next chapter should be up in the next few days.