Hey guys! This is the next chapter to the story, but a word of warning, I'm not really that happy with it, so you all might think it's rubbish! I put it up because I wanted up update today, so please forgive me if you don't think it's that good.

Anyway, read and review please.

Disclaimer: I own nothing….unfortunately

Chapter 5

I was standing in the kitchen of my old home up North, staring out the window onto our dead back garden. No one looked after it since Mum left…apparently that had been her job. I was relishing in the brief solitude of the evening, dreading Dad's return.

All too soon I heard his car pull into the garage and his heavy footsteps as he made his way to the house, banging the door as he entered.

I was cringing on the inside. I don't think I can handle another fight, I thought. My body won't take any more beatings. My ribs were still bruised from last week and my hand was starting to scab over from the hot poker burnt into it. I don't think I could stay conscious if he tried it again, and he hates it when I pass out.

A voice came from the kitchen door that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Cam, I want my dinner," he stated. "Tonight I want those little chicken pieces with some mashed potato and bread."

We had some cheese and crackers in the pantry. Nothing else. Dad hadn't given me any money to go to the store today, so we had no food, and now I had to tell him that.

"Dad remember you were meant to give me money this morning to go to the store? You must have forgotten, so I didn't get to go."

"What? So I'm just going to have to starve then?"

"I don't-" I began, but was unable to finish due to the thump I received to the back of my head. He began shouting, "You're completely useless you know! You'll never make anything of yourself! You're a stupid, silly girl, and I really pity any boy that ends up with the likes of you!"

I fell onto my hands and knees, disorientated and exhausted. There was nothing I could do. I just had to take it, and pray he would stop before he killed me.

I woke up sweating and panting heavily with tears streaming down my face. My body was not physically broken or bruised like I thought, but covered with the scars of my Dad's abuse. It took me a while to remember where I was and what happened. Then I remembered: I came in here after I ran out of dinner with the Goode's and must have fallen asleep. I was still in the clothes I wore to dinner and so got up from my bed and turned on my bedside light.

I padded across the bedroom into the bathroom and turned on the light as I entered, catching my reflection in the mirror. God, I looked a mess. I was a mess. My hair was soaked with tears and hanging out of the ponytail I had fastened it in. My eyes were black due to my running makeup and my face was ghostly pale.

I decided just to wash off the remnants of the day's makeup and grab a pair of pyjamas to wear quickly slipping them on before retrieving a book from my desk. There was no way I would sleep now. The nightmare was still too fresh. I looked at my alarm clock which read 1:10am. Jeeze I must have slept for a while, I thought. I eventually settled into my bed and began reading, but it wasn't long before I was disturbed by a light tapping at my window.

Zach's POV

I still feel really bad. I mean I know that I didn't know that Cameron was physically and emotionally abused by her father, and that what I said would just bring all of those old feelings she had about herself to the surface, but I still was an a**hole.

I waited until my parents had gone to bed before I made my move. It was after 1:00am when I quietly slipped out of my bedroom, down the stairs and out the front door, over to Cameron's house.

I could see a light on in a room at the side of the house, so I took my chances in assuming it was hers. I grabbed a few small pebbles from the ground and began tossing them at the window, praying that I had the right room.

Cammie's POV

I peeked out from behind the curtains only to see the figure of the one person I didn't want to see at that moment: Zach. He was standing just outside my window with a handful of pebbles in his hand. He was about to throw another one when I pulled open the curtains and lifted up the window.

"What!?" I said with a sigh. I was tired of fighting and playing games, especially with the likes of Zach Goode.

"I'm sorry."

That's all he said. Those two words, and then he walked away. He said all those horrible things to me, and only "I'm sorry" as an apology. Is he kidding me?

"Hey Zach?"

"Yeah?" he said stopping in his tracks and looking around to my window.

"You're a jerk," and with that I gently closed my window and pulled the curtains closed.

Zach's POV

"Hey Zach?"

Yes! She was going to forgive me! At least that's what I thought, until she said, "You're a jerk" and closed her window.

"I know," I said quietly, but it was too late for her to hear.

Cammie's POV

The next few weeks flew by. I didn't see much of Zach in school despite being in so many of his classes. We always just managed to stay away from each other, which was a good thing- I think.

To be completely honest, I don't know how I feel toward Zach. I don't hate him anymore, but I don't particularly like him either. He's keeping a very low profile at school and strangely there hasn't been any substantial gossip about him since he arrived, which is strange because he's new…and hot!

Hey, I may not like the boy, but I can't pretend that I don't find him physically attractive to say the least!

Today was Friday. There was a big party over at Grant Newman's house and the girls really wanted me to go.

"It'll be fun Cam!" Bex explained.

"For you, you mean. You just want to go because you're after Grant and you know it!" I retorted.

"Aw, come on Cam. Liz and I are going too! It'll be a girlfriend thing, I promise," Macey reassured me.

"Oh, alright, but please don't leave me alone like the last party. I don't think I can handle another two hour conversation about atoms and bonds with Freddie Harper again!"

Bex starting laughing, "I don't know why you just didn't tell him to shut up Cam! You could have saved yourself a whole lot of problems."

"I wasn't going to be rude Bex"

"Oh, Cam, you're too sweet…but then again you're not. Have you still not forgiven Zach yet? Give the boy a break! He's been watching you since he got here…it's getting kind of annoying."

"He has not Bex," I replied. Had he?

I know this may sound kind of obnoxious, but I really hadn't noticed.

"Cam are you serious?" Macey exclaimed, exasperated. "The boy it totally crushing on you! A blind person could see that. Heck everyone can see it…except you!"

"He hasn't even spoken to me since that night he came to my window though!"

"You obviously scared him Cam. Or gave his confidence a shake, 'cause something tells me that the real Zach Goode is not this boy we've been seeing"

Zach's POV

I haven't spoken to Cameron in weeks. It's killing me. I know that sounds kind of creepy and weird, but there's just something about her that gets to me. She is singly the most infuriating, yet fascinating person I have ever met. But I blew it. She's never going to get over what I said to her, and I really don't blame her.

My friend Grant Newman is having a party at his house tonight and the whole year is going. I don't really want to go, but Grant begged me, so I said I would.

I arrived at around 9:30 just as things were kicking off. It was actually pretty good. I was having a good time and actually managed to forget about Cameron for the first time in weeks. That is until I went outside for fresh air and saw her sitting on the swing set crying. Oh boy…

Cam's POV

The party was a disaster. As soon as we got there Bex and Macey ditched me and Liz wasn't far behind. I was left to wander the rooms of Grant's house by myself trying to keep a low profile, but unfortunately was not successful.

"OH MY GOD! Is that Cammie Morgan? It is! Cammie over here!"

These were the excited shouts of Tina Walters, a girl who used to go to the school I went to up North. I have no idea what she's doing in Virginia, or why she's at Grant's party, but here she is, and she's calling me over to her.

"Cammie, I didn't know you lived here. I'm down for the weekend visiting my cousin. You just left Washington without any goodbyes, no one knew what happened! Although, I don't suppose you had many goodbyes to say…you didn't really have many friends did you Cam?"

It was then that I caught the smell of alcohol from Tina's breath, and started to dread what she would say next. No one here knew about my life except Macey, Liz and Bex, and I wanted to keep it that way.

Tina continued, "Cam remember when you would come into school with bruises all over your face and how you would hide during P.E so you wouldn't have to change in front of everyone and risk them seeing your scars and bruises. We all thought you were depressed Cam. We thought you cut yourself or hurt yourself or something. But we never thought your Dad hit you! Like what did you do to make him to that? Your dad was always so nice and sweet when we saw him, so it must have been something you did to make him do that. Why couldn't you make him stop by just being better Cam?"

It was at this point that I realised the room was completely silent and all eyes were fixed on Tina and I. she still continued on and I knew she wasn't going to stop, so once again I ran outside and burst into tears. I collapsed onto the swing set and put my head between my knees trying, and failing, to calm my breathing.

I was sitting there for several minutes trying to stop crying when I heard a noise at the back door, and looked up to see Zach staring at me with a look of hurt and concern in his eyes.