Bart's P.O.V

"Hey, Jas - wait up!" I called down the hallway of Hollyoaks Sixth form as I saw my gorgeous girlfriend making her way to class. She looked around, confused, until she saw me and smiled. God she had an amazing smile. Get a grip, Bart, I thought to myself. All that slushy shit was alright when she first came back. It's been over a week now - what's your excuse?

I was fully aweare that I was turning into a right cheesy bastard, since her return my thoughts had become even more Jasmine-filled than they had been before and all I could think about was how beautiful she was, how lucky I was to have her. I'd even found myself thinking about our future together as I drifted off to sleep. If I wasn't careful I was going to turn into Justin Bloody Bieber.

As soon as I reached her I wrapped my arms around her, taking in the sweet scent of her trademark floral perfume. In small doses, like perfume and the occasional bit of mascara, it was true that Jas had gotten more girly since her decision to stay as Jasmine, who she'd always been in my eyes, but not so much that it changed the girl I'd fallen in love with. And that just made me love her even more. She returned the hug then broke away from our embrace, I had to remember that she wasn't comfortable with PDA's - anything other than a hug or holding hands was off limits until we were alone - in some ways I'd gotten too used to being with Sinead.

"You're looking amazing today", I told her. "As always".

"Cheers", she smiled, blushing slightly. "Not looking too bad yourself".

She really did look great. She wasn't dressed that different to usual, in loose fitting demin blue jeans, a top and blue baseball-style jacket with minimal make-up. Yet she still managed to easily out-shine the numerous girls who probably spent at least an hour getting ready for college every day.

"What have you got first?" I asked her, taking her hand as we continued to walk through the corridor.

"Psycology", she replied, grimicing slighty. "It sounded so interesting when I chose it. I didn't realise we'd have a seating plan. In sixth form".

"Just ignore her", I told her, knowing exactly what she was referring to, or rather who - Maddie had been assigned the seat next to Jasmine, and I knew how much she dreaded the lesson because of this. "She's not worth even thinking about".

"I know. But it's easier said than done".

"Listen, right - no-one gives a damn what Maddie Morrison thinks anymore", I comforted her.

It was true. In a weird way, framing Jasmine with the pills had worked in her favour - those who had origionally had a strong hatred towards her due to the Sinead incident now instead felt sorry for her, and the only people who hadn't turned their backs on Maddie were George and Tilly. I loved Jas, and I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, but it was nice in a way that she could no longer spend every spare moment with me - that she made plans with other people than just me and her twin brother. She was finally comfortable in her body, she had me, she had Seth - as much as he could be annoying with his protective brother act at times did really care for his twin - she had a few good friends - I didn't think I'd ever seen her happier.

"You're right", she agreed. "I shouldn't let her get to me. I've got so much more I can be happy about instead".

"Oh yeah? Like what?" I knew I was being a tease but she had no idea how much it meant when she talked about me like that, whenever she said those three little words.

"Well I think I saw some fit guys checking me out earlier, so I might have a chance with them", she smiled, knowing exactly what I was playing at. "So that's something to be happy about".

"Hilarious", I laughed. If any other girl had said that to me I probably would have been at least a little pissed off but there was something about Jas that made everything she said automaticly adorable.

"This is my class", she told me, slowing down to a stop outside a classroom door, removing her hand from mine.

"I'll see you later then".

"Yeah".

I gave her one last smile before walking away.

"Bart wait".

"Huh?"

I turned back around to face her as she wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"See you later", she smiled. "Love you".

Pulling away, her cheeks tinted ever so slightly with a rosy pink as she did so, probably at the thought of the affection she'd just shown in public, she headed towards the classroom door.

"Love you too", I announced, loudly. I didn't care who heard it - to be honest I wanted people to hear it - to hear that Sinead was nothing but a vague memory while Jasmine was the present aswell as the past, and almost certainly the future also.

She turned back to give me a quick smile and wave as she opened the door and walked through. For the next hour she'd have to endure Maddie's pathetic attempts at apologies and people asking stupid questions - she didn't really have any friends in that class, but she was putting on a brave face and getting on with it. I was so proud of her.

"Bart, man", Jono exclaimed, thudding my back. "Long time no see".

"We talked yesterday", I replied, confused.

"Yeah, me you and Jasmine. It's been ages since we hung out, just me and you. You finally managed to pull yourself away from each other I see".

"We're in different classes", I explained. "Look mate I'm sorry I've been a bit A-WOL lately - we'll hang out soon yeah?" I added, feeling a slight pang of guilt at how I'd been neglecting my best mate recently.

"Alright", he grinned. "Neil was going to come round mine tonight for an Xbox tournament if you want to join".

"Mate, come on", I laughed. "Me against either of you - you can hardly call that a tournament. It's just a chance for me to kick your ass".

"Your a twat man", Jono informed me. "But it's good to have you back".

I laughed and made my way to my first class, History. I didn't mind the subject that much, however sitting next to Seth could prove troublesome at times. As just the two of us, we got on fairly okay, in Greece in particular we'd gotten along really well, but with Jas back he was firmly in Jasmine's-brother routine. I couldn't say I really blamed him - he must have seen her in tears over our relationship more than once over the years.

"Alright?" I asked him sitting down.

"Alright", he replied. "You seen Jas this morning?"

"Yeah. She is my girlfriend". I liked to fit that last word into conversation whenever possible.

"So you know about this weekend then?"

Suddenly I found myself paying a lot more attention to Seth Costello.

"No", I replied, slightly suspiciously. "What's happening?"

"We've got the pub to ourselves", he told me. "Riley's away at football training and Mitzeee's got a modelling job somewhere. We were planning on having a party or something".

"Sounds good", I replied, my mind quickly filling with thoughts. Why hadn't Jas thought to mention everyone going away? Would having the adults out of the house for two nights mean we might get the chance to take our relationship to the next level? Was Jasmine not mentioning it to me a sign that she was most definatly not ready?

I was distracted from my thoughts by the ammount of gasps coming from the entire female population of the class. Looking up, I saw what they'd been suprised at. Sinead O'Connor was walking slowly into the classroom, her face pale and limping slightly, clutching at her crutches tightly for support. She looked terrible. I didn't mean that in a harsh way - she was still as pretty as she always had been, but she seemed so fragile, like just one touch could knock her to the ground.

Instinctivly, I stood up, ready to go and help her. Seth shot me a warning look. Idiot. Wanting to help Sinead didn't mean I had any feelings for her in that way - it simply meant I felt sorry for any-one in a situation like that. Especially if the reason for their current state was entirely down to me.

"Sinead - are you alright?" I walked to the front of the class to meet her.

"What does it look like?" She snapped. "Are you happy now eh?"

She slowly made her way to her seat at the back of the class.

"Sinead please", I pleaded. "I never meant for anything like this to happen".

"Why?" She challeneged. "Because you love me?" She only waited a split second for a response. "Thought not", she shot at me, sitting down. I sighed.

"Look can we talk?" I hated how I'd acted towards her the night of the accident - how I'd told her I'd never been in love with her, that she'd been nothing but a meaningless rebound. In a way it had been true - no matter how hard I tried - and believe me, I had - I could never love her or any-one else the way I love Jasmine. But a part of me had had feelings for her, even if I'd be lying if I said the magority of them were nothing but love for a friend that I'd just about managed to convince myself had been something more. Still, no-one deserved what I'd put her though. Sinead had given me her heart and soul and I'd discarded it like trash before stomping all over it and smashing it into a million pieces.

"We have been talking. Now the conversation's over. Bye Bart".

She turned away from me, the other girls at the table giving me looks of death. I stayed stood there for a moment longer before finally deciding that my being there was doing more harm than good and returned to my seat by Seth.

The teacher came in shortly after. I couldn't concentrate on one word of the lesson. The whole hour through I kept stealing glances at Sinead - every time she caught me looking she turned away, clearly hurt. I couldn't stop thinking about how terrible a person I was to have broken her down like that, so that she was hurting not just internally but physically, too. And worst of all, I hated myself for the knowledge that, despite what I'd put her through, as it meant getting Jasmine back, if I was to go back in time I'd do it all again.

Jasmine herself was doing her best to stay well away from Sinead. She'd already informed me of how well her visit to Sinead's had gone, and she didn't seem in a rush to conflict with her again. She'd had been waiting outside my class for me at the end of the lesson, but as soon as she'd seen Sinead emerging from inside, had quickly made her way out to the courtyard.

"She's been through enough", she explained to me as we sat opposite ends of the picnik bench outside the college, holding hands over the table. "I know how hard first days back can be - every-one gossiping about you. I don't want to make it any worse for her than it has to be".

"You're beautiful, you know", I told her, thinking aloud. "Inside aswell as out".

"Well I don't know about the out", she admitted, laughing slightly. "But thank-you".

That was one of the many, many things I loved about Jasmine. She was such an incredible person in so many ways, yet she was completly unaweare of it.

"Your welcome", I told her. "Anyway - why didn't you tell me about this weekend? Riley and Mitzeee going away?"

"Oh yeah", she remembered. "Riley's training and Mitzeee's going away with Nancy for the weekend".

"Nancy?" I asked, confused. "Seth said it was modelling".

"Well yeah, Nancy's going with her". She shot back the answer quickly as though she had no time to spare. I thought about questioning her sudden act of defensiveness, as it was unlike her, but decided that given the events of last week it would not be a good idea to doubt Jasmine's words again.

"So", I grinned.

"So?"

"So we've got the place to ourselves".

"Seth's going to be there. But you can come round too - it'll be fun".

"What, with your brother tagging along? Yeah, it sounds it".

"He's hardly tagging along Bart", she scolded. "It's his house too".

"Well can't he just sleep at Jono's for one night?"

"Bart I'm not kicking him out of his own home".

I was starting to get slightly irritated now. Even if she didn't want to go all the way, didn't she still like the idea of a night to ourselves? And kicking him out? Really? It was one fucking night! She seemed to sense my frustration.

"I'll ask if he's making any plans", she relented, smiling and taking one hand away from mine to reach for her phone, presumably to text Seth.

"Oh look at love's young dream". A voice I recognised as Maddie's smirked behind me. I turned around to see her watching us, her arm linked around Sinead's, who smiled slightly at her comment. "What's up, Jasmine not wanting you around for the night? Well, who can blame her?" She came closer to us, looking directly at Jasmine. "Why would she want to go anywhere near your parts? She's only just stopped wanting some of her own".

I glanced quickly over at Jas, she looked about to burst into tears, as if she no longer had the strength for anger.

"You want to be careful what you're saying Maddie", I warned. She simply gave me her trademark smile and continued walking, still arm-in-arm with Sinead. I was relieved - not only because she was leaving Jasmine alone but also because she wasn't the only one tired of the constant fights.

"So much for being sorry then", Jas sighed.

"Yeah". I paused, desperatly thawing my brain for something helpful to say. "It's just Maddie", I came up with eventually. "And she's just jealous because you've got everything she'll never have".

"Oh yeah, like what?"

I hadn't really thought my statement through at the time of speaking - it had just seemed like a sensitive thing to say.

"Well, you're stunning, funny and kind too - something that seems to be a bit of a foreign concept to her", I replied, hoping it was a decent enough answer. Luckily it seemed to please her.

"Seth's texted me back", she announced. "He's making the most of a night with no curfew and going into town with Neil, trying to sneak into the clubs".

"Oh, cool", I replied, trying hard not to smile at the idea of Seth and Neil trying their luck with the bouncers. There was no way they were getting in.

"I'm glad you find my brother so amusing", she laughed.

"I don't".

"Uh-huh". She nodded sarcasticly, her eyebrows raised. "Anyway, so we should get going to class".

"Feel like skipping it?"

"Bart".

She got up and stood in front of me, holding out her hand.

"Fine", I smiled, taking her hand and heading into the main building with her.

Seth's P.O.V

Jasmine was by the enterence to the college, walking hand in hand with Bart, who looked very happy with himself, presumably Jas had allowed him to stay the night at the weekend. I'd recieved a text from her pleading with me to do something out of the house, which I'd agreed to on the condition that there was money supplied. I couldn't help be a little worried as I watched them - my sister had been to hell and back, and judging by the fact that she hadn't been the first to inform Bart of our vacant house this weekend she wasn't entirely sure about sleeping with Bart. I just really hoped he got the message - the last thing she needed right now was some asshole putting pressure on her.

"You don't have to watch her 24/7, you know", Tilly told me, arriving at my side.

"I don't", I replied truthfully. "I'm just a bit worried about her at the moment".

It was true. It wasn't just the possible events of the weekend ahead on my mind - it was the cover Jas had given Bart as to why Riley and Mitzeee both needed to be away at the same time. We hadn't actually discussed our cover yet, only that one was needed. I just prayed that Bart hadn't questioned it, or brang into conversation the story I'd spun. Judging by how happy they both looked, I was optimistic that this was the case.

"Well keeping tabs on her isn't going to help any-one", Tilly stated. "Me and Jono were going to skip last period, feel like coming to the coffee shop with us? You could use a break - it's just a guess but all the family drama must be pretty stressful".

"What drama?" I asked, instantly on edge.

"Well you know, everything that's happened with Jasmine these last couple of weeks", she replied.

"Oh, yeah", I smiled, sighing with relief. "Coffee sounds good".

"This village isn't half weird", Jono laughed as we walked to Tony's cafe.

"A bit of an understatement there Jono", Tilly smiled.

"No but I'm serious", Jono replied. "That's like the tenth one of those things I've seen left lying around today".

I followed the direction his finger was pointing in, to a single chess piece standing on the ground.

"Weird", Tilly agreed.