"Mom, I'm now leaving." I said as I bounded down the stairs to my mom, who was running her fingers over her new Braille book – brought by Moose – and she turned in my direction and smiled.

"Okay, honey. Have a nice day at school." She said in her usual soft tone.

I walked forward, pulling her into a sort of one arm hug and kissing her forehead.

"I know I've already told you, but in cause you forget, I'm sleeping round Nicks tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow after school, okay?"

I could have jumped off of a cliff when I realised what I said – well, not the La Push cliff. All I'd get was wet. Although, I can't swim that fantastically, so it probably would have a similar effect.

She didn't seem to nice the 'see you' and just smiled at me, raising a wary hand up, inches from my face. I lifted my own hand, guiding her hand to my cheek and she stroked her thumb along my cheekbone. "I remember. Have a nice time, Zoë."

Just as I was walking out the front door, Sophie was coming in. "Morning." She said happily and I smiled, nodding to her as I hiked my bag onto my shoulder, jogging over to where Moose was sitting on my wall, cross-legged.

"Alright, Mol-chops?"

She opened her eyes and grinned. "Sure am, Zorin-Rochelle." Moose also enjoyed merging Zoë and Erin together, to form Zorin. She seemed to like it. Although, I'm sure she prefers Zorro. The Mask of Zorro is her favourite film. But that's just because she wants to have hot Spanish sex with Antonio Banderas.

We started our walk to school, talking about random things. Although our friendships are a lot more intense than most high school girls', we usually talk about pretty laid-back, pointless stuff. We like to make our lives at least seem simple when we're together – try and keep our minds off the fact that everyday we have with Nick may be our last. There just isn't a cure for the disease she has. Sure – the doctors have tried, and our still trying, to find a way to help her, it's such an

"Yo – my bitches!" Moose shouted in her 'gangsta' voice. Some kids on the way to school turned and gave us a weird look as Nick, Annie, Ava and Babs made their way over to us so we could finish our daily journey to school.

We didn't particularly care about the other kids staring at us. We're happy and laughing, why should we care if people we don't know don't like us?

After a random chat about what life would have been like if people never started talking when humans evolved, and how we'd have to find other ways of communicating, like grunting and stuff, we made our way to our first classes. I tell you, we have the most interesting conversations ever.

Moose's POV.

"I need to pee." Zoë said as she stood up abruptly and I snorted as the girl next to her – Summer? Autumn? Her names something like that – turned and gave her a weird look.

Zoë walked the front of class, said something to Teach, and then slipped out of the room, less than a minute later, the bell going off.

"For fucks sake." I mumbled as I started packing her shit up, as well as my own.

"She forgot her bag again?" I heard an amused voice say and I turned to Brady.

I nodded, staring at him, trying to figure out what he could possibly want.

"Collin told me you 'fancied' her." I said and he seemed to choke on air.

"What? No. Noooo! I don't 'fancy' her."

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay, 'cause, I love that girl, more than you could imagine, so you better leave her alone, 'cause you're not gunna be coming in, trying to get her to like you, and then as soon as she does like you, you start fucking with her head, you silly little pretty boy."

His eyes widened. "I never said I wanted anything – why would I 'fuck with her head'? – it's not that I don't like her, I just never said I did like her – and – wait! I'm not a pretty boy!"

I laughed and his frown seemed to melt away a little. Collin walked up to him, smiling brightly. "Alright, bro'?"

Brady punched him in the arm and Collin rubbed the spot with an "ow".

"Why the hell did you tell her I 'fancied' Zoë, you twat?"

Collin snorted. "'Cause you talked about her pretty much non-stop for half an hour the other day."

Brady's eyes widened again and he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "All I said was she was funny!"

Collin smirked. "And that she was – and I quote," he said, turning to me, "Actually really pretty with quite bloody fantastic tits." Brady glared at him, trying to get in a swift slap to the back of the head, but Collin dodged it.

I punched Brady in the arm and he frowned, as his hand instinctively went to the place. "Aw! What the hell was that for?"

"For being disrespectful about Zoë! She's my bitch – you can't talk about her like that."

He rolled his eyes. "What are you, their pimp?"

I just stared at him. He blinked.

"I am in fact their pimp." Well, not really. But I was like the momma of the group. We were all pretty protective, but I was definitely the most. I would risk my life every second of the day for those girls. I'd do absolutely anything. Especially Zoë.

"Aha! Mooseface!"

Speak of the devil, and thy devil shall rise.

Not that Zoë's the devil. I just think it's strange that she gallops in when we're talking about her.

And she literally galloped in. Like a horse.

She grabbed her gunk out of my hand. "Cheers, my darling." She said in a low, husky voice.

I winked at her over dramatically and Collin and Brady laughed at us. Zoë turned, only just seeing them and smiled politely – although I could see she was a little wierded out as to why I was talking with them.

"Whoa – did you grow over night?" She asked, bouncing on her tiptoes in front of Brady, taking in her height against his.

She wasn't particularly short. Quite tall, actually. Not monstrous, though. Like five six/seven or something.

He laughed his deep, low laugh, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, it feels like it."

She smiled at him what he would have thought was just a nice little smile, but I could see it was her 'this is gunna get awkward in the next four and a half seconds and I'm thinking about bolting as far away from you as I can get' expression, before her eyes widened and she turned to me.

"Right, as I was saying; Mooseface! I had the weirdest dream last night! I forgot to tell you." She said as she grabbed my arm and started pulling me away, telling me all about how a couple of mushroom and a slice of Swiss cheese all turned into teenage mutant ninja turtles and saved her when a mermaid tried to kill her.

"I love you, you retard." I said and she grinned at me.

"I love you too, man-arms."

I rolled my eyes at the old nickname. Just because I pack a good punch. I mean, really? And because I'm probably the most violent and out spoken one, and I use my superior force on them all daily. Pfft. Why should that give them a reason to call me man-arms?

Zoe's POV

"Don't make me go in there!" I screamed as I clung onto the doorframe with my fingers. Moose laughed menacingly as she pushed my back forwards, into the classroom.

"It's physics!" she said in an evil murderer tone.

"Kick her butt!" Ava screamed as they all jumped up and down behind Moose, egging her on.

"Back of the knees!" Kat shouted. I really hate them.

Moose decided to take both of their advice and I fell on knees, just in front of Brady, who was walking over to the front.

He laughed and helped me up as the girls giggled loudly and I turned around, sticking my fingers up at them. "Thanks," I said to Brady. "But do you fancy helping me kill them? That would be much more appreciated."

He grinned at me. "Sorry, I'm not the 'killing girls' type."

"Damn it." I said, fisting my hand up in frustration.

"Come on," he said, dragging me by my elbow to our seats at the back, "or Muff will have you' ass."

I shrugged. "I could take him on."

"I heard he was a wrestling chap when he was younger." Brady said, staring over to Mr. Muffin who was giving out instructions as we sat down. "Much, much younger." He added and I laughed.

"Brady, Zoë, be quite or you're both in detention. I'd like to remind you that if you get another detention Zoë, that you're in deep trouble." Mr. Muffin-face said and I pulled a face at him. He narrowed his eyes but carried on talking.

"Ooh, so you're a rebel?" Brady whispered in amusement, obviously not believing so.

I rolled my eyes. "No." I scoffed. "Just this one time me and Moose locked this guy in the girls toilets for a whole day because he was getting to pushy on Kat and she didn't want it. We then told his mom about it and he hasn't been allowed to even look at a girl since." I smirked, remembering back. "And there was this one time Mark Boyle started picking on Babs, and we torched his football shirt." He stared at me wide eyes. "He wasn't wearing it when we set it alight." I said and he laughed and sighed in fake relief. "But it was his 'lucky' one, so it was then our fault when the school lost their next match."

Brady nodded, all of a sudden quite sullen. "I know, I'm on the team."

I shrugged, unaffected. "You should get better team mates."

He grinned. "I know."

"Anyway, there was also this one time Rwanda Grey tripped Nicks and called her a freak. Then, the whole of us jumped on her."

His eyebrows rose, "How did you get off of that?"

I tapped my nose. "Eh, me little friend, dat is a secret I vill never tell!" I said in a French accent and he laughed.

We spent the rest of the lesson coming up with different ways that the world could end. It was actually quite enjoyable. He was really imaginative for a 'normal'. By the time the bell went, we both had tears of laughter rolling down our cheeks.

I walked out the classroom, grinning to him. "I'll see you later," he nodded to me as Babs started walking over to me from down the hallway.

"If we don't get eaten my giant pickled onions sent my Mr. Potato Head."

He laughed. "What? I have a fantastic obsession with Toy Story. Sue me. It's a great film."

I shook my head, smiling. "I won't – it's actually my favourite film ever." He raised an eyebrow and I nodded. "Yup, I made Ava watch it with me twenty times last year."

He grinned. "And there's a third one coming out!"

I shook my head, eyes wide. "I know! I'm so going."

He laughed. "Same – we'll have to go together."

I nodded with a laugh as Babs stopped in front of me, eyebrows raised.

"Hey, Barbie." I said and she nodded, linking her arm around mine.

"Bye." Brady said and I nodded to him.

"Farewell, fellow Toy Story fanatic." He rolled his eyes and with a wave, he turned in the opposite direction.

"Zoë." Babs said slowly and I raised an eyebrow at her tone. "You just made a date."

I snorted. Loudly.

"You did."

"Think about what's you're saying."

"It was totally a date."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a idiot. That was one of those 'lets do it!' but it never actually happens, things." I said and she looked at me disbelievingly. "It's not even out yet. And won't be out for a while." She shrugged, still disbelievingly. "This isn't some sort of love story, Babsy-cakes. We're not going to fall madly in love and have millions and millions of babies. We were talking about Toy Story, you hopeless romantic. I'm actually embarrassed because you're so wrong."

She shook her head. "True love shall conquer all." She whispered and I laughed, patting her shoulder.

"You keep believing that, honey bunch."

She didn't understand. Stuff like that doesn't happen to me. I'm just average, weirdo Zoë.

"Anyhow, we're off to Nick-nick's." She said, linking her arm through mine and we skipped to the entrance of the school and around the corner – where we meet up after school everyday.

"It's Moo-moo." Babs whispered in my ear as we skidded to a stop. She was standing with her back to us, all the others having noticed us but kept quite.

We both turned to each other and grinned before running full speed at Moose. The other girls noticed and dived out the way. Moll-face, however, remained oblivious until the last moment. The moment just before we jumped on top of her.

With a loud groan and a couple words too foul for my innocent ears, we crashed to the ground.

"Urg." Babs moaned as we both got up, rubbing random places of our bodies that ached.

I nodded. "Why did we ever think that was a good idea?"

Babs shrugged and then Moose got up slowly, glaring at us with her death glare.

"Fucking run, you fools!" Kat screamed and Bab's and me didn't need to be told twice – we were fucking out of there.

"You can't run forever!" Moose shouted after us as me and Bab's pushed forward. And as usual it started raining, so by the time we'd ran to Don's we were absolutely soaked.

"Urg." Babs moaned once more as she flicked her arm, water splattering against the porch before she brought her hand up to knock on the door.

Don's wife, Louise, opened the door, smiling with a laugh as she took in the sight of us.

"Ah, girls, stay there one moment." She said, reappearing a little while later with a bunch of the towels. "I'm assuming from your red cheeks and slight breathlessness that you had to run here?"

Babs and I nodded as we took a towel, walking inside and thanking her as we patted ourselves dry.

"I'm guess you two got on the wrong side of Moose?" Dom said as he walked through, smiling.

I grinned at him. "Dom! You know us so well!" I said in a joyful tone, reaching my arms out for a hug.

"Not looking likely, kid." He scoffed and I feigned hurt.

"Dump you shoes by the radiator and then you can nab some of Nicola's clothes." Louise said and we smiled at her and did as she said, traipsing upstairs to the spare room Nicks was occupying, before raiding her closet.

"How are we going to convince Moose to not kill us when she gets here?" Babs asked and I pulled a face as I thought about, biting the inside of my lip. As I took my wet top off. I'm so soaked

"Ew. Ew. Ew." I groaned as I dumped it in Nick's washing basket, dried myself and pulled a clean, dry top on. "Anyway, we'll see if Dom 'nd Lou have any strawberry yoghurt."

"Aaaah! Good thinking, batman."

"I try my hardest." I said in a goofy voice and Babs smacked me around the back of the head as I had started to try and peel my wet jeans from my legs – resulting in me falling on my face – and on top of Bab.

We only stopped our hysterical laughter when we heard the girls' voices from ourtide the window. With a squeal each we quickly pulled the clothes on and raced down to the kitchen.

"You alright there, you two?" Louise asked with a raised eyebrow at us as she started filling some mugs up with boiling water from the kettle.

"Got any-," I started but cut off when I heard the door open, my eyes widening.

"Strawberry yoghurt?" Babs filled in urgently and Louise laughed and just walked over to her fridge, not even bothering to ask why. She rooted around for a moment, me and Babs jiggling nervously from foot to foot as we heard their voices coming through, but sighed with relief when we heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Here," Lou said as she handed a small yoghurt pot to us and Babs and I let out a noise of appreciation and relief.

"You are a godsend." I said as Babs took the pot, holding it in her hands like you would something precious. Sort of like how Gollum holds the ring in Lord of the Rings. Ah – and I said precious! You know, like Gollum calls it? Yeah?

"Are you laughing to yourself again?" Babs asked and my eyes widened innocently at her and I shook my head as I sobered up instantly. She rolled her eyes and I cleared my throat awkwardly and then turned to Louise, thanking her.

She just smiled. Oh, how I love Louise and Dom. They are truly beautiful people. They're so kind and generous and just genuinely nice, what with the way they've taken Nicks in like their own. And us, really. Wherever one of us, the rest follow. We're pretty much a package deal. Ain't nout gun' be splittin' us up, as Kat sometimes like to say. I don't know why. She just does. Mostly when she's peeling a banana, she sings it to the banana peels.

By the time the girls came back down we were standing at the bottom of the stairs, yoghurt and spoon in hand as we kneeled down. Moose came and stood in front of us.

"Forgive us?" I pleaded and she grumbled something, but took the strawberry yoghurt. Babs and I grinned and stood up. We know the way to her heart.

We grabbed some hot chocolate from the kitchen, and then went up and settled on Nick's king sized bed.

"So, guys," Bab said and we all turned to her as she smirked devilishly at me. "Guess who our own little Zoo-zoo has an itsy bitsy crush on?" she said in a stupid little baby voice I groaned.

"For fucks said, Barb, I'm going to kill you." I groaned, rubbing my temples as they all started talking about Brady. I'm fifteen, for the love of god. Only eight year olds have 'crushes'.

"Zoë?" Moose said, dragging my attention from the window I was contemplating jumping out of. "Do you have any feelings for Brady?"

I looked her straight in the eyes. "No I do not."

She lifted her arms up in the air and shrugged in the 'what more can I do?' way. "There you have it, ladies."

They all grumbled something unhappily and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, come on, Zoë!" Ava moaned. "You two would look so adorable together."

I scoffed. "The day I ever look 'adorable' is the day hell freezes over."

"She could have just lied to you, you know." Annie said in a bored tone as she tried balancing her mug on her knee and Moose just shook her head with a shrug as she laid down, her head on my hip.

"She wouldn't ever lie to me." She said confidently and I nodded to them.

It was true. Never in my life can I remember ever lying to Moose, and never would I ever. Not even if she asked if her arse looked fat in her jeans, I'd tell her if they did. Not that Moose is the type to ask 'does my butt look big in this'.

Moose has been through shit loads of stuff, we've been through shit loads of stuff together. She trusts me completely and I've never given her, and will never give her, a reason not to.

"Ah! Sweet baby Jesus! That's freaking hot!" Annie shouted and we all started laughing at her pain. She'd spilt hot chocolate down herself.

We're such lovely friends to her.

Okkaayyyy, did you like it? Hate it? PLEASE REVIEW!

So at the moment, Zoe really doesn't like Brady, and he's starting to get attracted to her. How do you like the introduction to the characters? Who do you like? What about all the mystery? Can you tell there are story's to come out? Just generally, what are you thinking of this? Anything you particularily want to happen?

Okay, I think that might be enough questions. For now.

Thanks for reading! Please review!

Kimmmz :)