Wifi in my Hotel in Munich, so I'm able to upload another chapter. I'm going to the airport tomorrow so if I can I'll try to put the next chapter out tomorrow. Sorry for not responding to any of your reviews (as I usually do), but with limited internet I just wanted to get this chapter out.

Chapter 16 Words Hurt More Than Sticks and Stones

October 17, 6:26 P.M.

Nina's P.O.V.

"Debbie, don't take it personally!" I said desperately and guiltily, "It's just one night!"

"I know dear, I know," Debbie said sniffing, sitting at the kitchen table with Sophia and me were trying to comfort her. Everybody else, minus Michael and Alan who were shut up in their room, was in the living room across the foyer, but could probably hear everything that was being said judging by the ranging groans and sighs I heard from their direction. "It's just that… that…" Debbie continued, "I feel as though you don't like my cooking! And that's why you're spending the night with that Fabian!"

"Debbie, Fabian's my boyfriend." I explained again, slightly frustrated. For some reason Debbie can't seem to understand that Fabian and I are in a relationship. She isn't stupid or anything, she just seems to like to forget that part of my life. "And besides… I… I like your cooking!" I exclaimed.

Sophia shot me a look that said 'you're an idiot Martin!', and the loud groans and shouts from the other room seemed to back up Sophia. I shrugged helplessly, I hate seeing people suffer and I'm a horrible lair. 'You'd think I'd be better after last year.' I thought to myself.

"Well...(sniff)… I guess you can go out tonight…" Debbie seemed to cheer up automatically, "And I'll make you one of my favorite desserts for when you get home!"

"Oh Debbie, I don't think that's necessary." I began to protest.

"Oh I'll get started right now!" She said, bounding out of the chair and into the kitchen. I heard the click as the stove was turned on, which sounded like a death sentence to me. With Debbie's cooking it could be.

"That's what you get Martin." Sophia whispered, before picking up her Women's Health magazine and moving across the foyer to sit down in the living room. Sighing, I pulled out my phone as I walked to the foyer and called Fabian.

"Hey Nina! Did Debbie give you permission to come over tonight?" Fabian asked eagerly. I smiled just thinking about his face.

"Ya, but I have to suffer through her dessert when I get back." I replied glumly, grabbing my set of house keys off the key holder near the door and my jacket which was lying nearby.

"Well I think I can find away to make you feel better." Fabian said mysteriously.

"Oh! Fabian! That sounds very promising!" I said excited, my smile getting larger by the second. Unfortunately, that attracts unwanted attention, specifically from the playboy of the house.

"What's promising Nina?" Tony said lightly, sleazing his way in between me and the door. "Fabian going to ramp things up tonight?"

"Well if you don't move, I guess we will never know." I responded coldly. I don't think I've ever met a sleazier person than Tony. Maybe Joy, but she's just mean while Tony is… well Tony.

"Oh that's good Nina," Tony responded, "Very good." He began moving himself forward, closer towards me. I began taking steps back instinctively.

"Nina, is everything alright?" Fabian asked on the phone. The voice startled me and I jerked back to reality. Tony laughed. "Come on Fabian, your scarring your girl!"

"I think that's enough Tony." Sophia said with an edge in her voice. She had risen up off her seat and was standing next to Tony. Although I knew nothing was going to happen I was still feeling a little scared.

Suddenly a door slammed behind us, effectively ending our staring contest at each other. Michael appeared, head down, looking angry.

"What's the matter Michael? You and your boyfriend have a fight?" Tony asked, eager to change his mocking course now that Sophia was here.

"Shut up Tony, I don't want to deal with your crap right now." He grumbled, moving past Sophia and I, but Tony stood in his path. Tony was smiling again, however his smile was no longer suave but instead was crooked.

"Did I upset you? Well I'm sorry, seems to be a trend for you. Alan upsets you, I upset, and probably Tori and Mitch too I guess. But of course their Nina and Charlotte, isn't there?"

"Move Tony." Michael said, his voice trembling with rage. "Tony, not now!" I pleaded.

"Nina? Is everything ok?" Fabian said through the phone.

"Not now Fabian!" I said a little too harshly. Now Tony smiled at me now with that crooked grin of his that he loved.

"Or maybe it isn't anybody in this house… is it Michael? Maybe it's some guy in a house all across campus?" Tony began to laugh as Michael tried to control himself. "That house, or at least the people in it, seems to be causing you a lot of grief, don't they? This year and last year right?"

Tony moved closer to Michael, but unlike me Michael stood his ground not even flinching. "Last time I'm asking you." Michael said, a dangerous edge in his voice. Everybody was now out of the living room and in the foyer, watching the scene play out. Tony sneered, leaning closer to Michael so he could say something in his ear. But it was still loud enough for us to hear.

"Is that what you said to Charlotte before she tore you a new one with the harsh reality that you could never get her, or any girl who was as shallow as her?"

What happened next was so quick I had to have Sophia explain it to me later. Michael grabbed Tony around the neck and hit him square in the gut and then square in the face. Michael let go of him and Tony stumbled back, landing on the floor. He recovered quickly and tackled Michael into the stairs. Michael kicked Tony off of himself and kicked him in the groin, then jumped up and resuming a fighting position.

Sophia was faster than me and she jumped in front of Tony and grabbed his arms, spinning them around his body to stop him from attacking Michael. Sophia explained to me that she expected me to do the same thing with Michael, but I was too in shock to do anything. I had never seen a real fight before. Michael was able to get in a cheap shot at Tony's stomach and was about to hit his head when Alan appeared and tackled Michael to the ground.

"STOP!" I heard Debbie shout. We all turned to her, with her face full of red rage and her eyes on fire. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" I had never seen Debbie so mad, the last time she had been sorta mad was when Tony brought up Victor on the first day of school. We all stood or lay there in shock, Fabian's voice through the phone asking what was happening sounded like an annoying fly at that moment.

"Debbie! We can explain-" Sophia began, but didn't get far when Debbie held up a hand for silence.

"You can explain to the head master! I will not tolerate fighting in my house! Not in Odin House!" She declared, "Now let go off each other and get in this kitchen!" As soon as everybody was untangled from everybody Michael stormed away from the group, throwing open the front door and running out.

"MICHAEL!" Debbie screamed at the top of her lungs, "YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"It's ok Debbie!" I said, trying to calm her, "I'll go get him." I grabbed my coat and Michael's and rushed out the door, eager to escape from that house. Luckily the sun hadn't set quite yet so I could see Michael running towards the school. Remembering Fabian, I raised my phone to my face and responded.

"Fabian, I'm going to have to call you back!" I declared, hanging up on my boyfriend. 'I'm going to regret that later.' I thought as I chased after Michael.

6:31 P.M.

Alan's P.O.V.

It took me a while to convince Debbie to let me chase after Michael and Nina, but when I finally was able to she made me promise to be back in twenty minutes or else. I've never seen Debbie this mad before so I decided to be quick about it.

After doing a brief scan of the woods, I concluded that they weren't there. That only left about two dozen more places to look. I wish I had a WI-FI tracker with me, man that would convenient.

I decided to skip all the other dorm houses and to just head to the school. Of course most of the school was locked down, and after about five minutes I was able to find a way in through the drama department. I was sprinting down the hallway when I saw the door to the auditorium open. Slowly I opened the door and saw Michael and Nina, sitting in some of the seats directed towards the main stage.

Cautiously I entered, not wanting to interrupt them. They were talking quietly, making it difficult to hear what they were saying. I was tempted to move closer, and while I may be quiet they would definitely see me coming.

So I took a seat about ten rows back and ducked down behind the seats in front of me. I tried to concentrate hard enough to hear what they were saying, but I wasn't having much luck.

I started to crawl across the floor towards the other side of the auditorium, and once I got to the end of the row I started moving down. About four rows away from them I decided that I was close enough and re-entered the rows and started moving closer. Finally able to make out some of their conversation, I listened closely.

"…If this is about Charlotte-" Nina whispered kindly.

"Of course it is!" Michael whispered back with some edge, "Everything now is about her isn't it?"

"Well I don't know, is it?" Nina said, unfazed by Michael's attitude.

"I… I don't know Nina. I'm just, confused over some stuff." Michael said weakly. I mentally groaned to myself. 'What a stupid move Michael.' I thought.

"What stuff?" Nina asked. I could just see Michael cringing over that and realizing what he just said. I heard Michael sigh softly.

"It's nothing Nina, don't worry about it."

'Another stupid move Michael, Nina's a caring person. Now she's never going to let this go.' I thought.

"Michael I want to help you. I really do." Nina responded. It got quiet after that for a couple of seconds before Michael responded.

"I know you do Nina." I heard Michael say kindly, "But please, you already listened to my story about Charlotte and that was good enough." I could just see Nina squirming to want to help, but not willing to go against Michael's wishes.

"Ok," Nina relented, "But if you ever need anything, I'm here for you."

"Thank you." Michael said. I don't know if they hugged after words, but I didn't hear any sound so I don't think they did. "We should get back to the house. Debbie looked like she was freaking out."

"Ya, I think we're in a lot of trouble." Nina responded.

"'We're'?"Michael asked, "I think it's just me and Tony. You were just a bystander."

"Ya your probably right." Nina said.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to do your date thing with Fabian." Michael said sincerely.

"It's… It's fine. I'm ok without it." Nina said uneasily.

"Really?" Michael asked.

"Really. And maybe I won't have to have any of Debbie's dessert." Both of them began to laugh and I heard their seats recline back as they stood up to leave. I saw them walk by towards the exit when Michael stopped and stared at the door.

"What is it?" Nina asked. Michael continued looking at the door, and then around the auditorium. "Michael?"

"It's… nothing. I'm just having a de jia vu moment I guess."

"Oh, well then let's go. Those always freak me out." Nina left and Michael looked around one last time before leaving himself. I stayed in my position for about another minute just in case either of them came back. I got up then, my whole body aching from lying in such an uncomfortable position for several minutes.

I moved quickly out of the room to try and catch up to Michael and Nina now. I didn't want to enter Odin House alone, and I could tell them the truth that Debbie sent me to find them. After a longer route out of the school, I was able to catch up to them.

"Alan!" Michael exclaimed shocked. "What are doing here?"

"Debbie sent me out to look for you. Where have you two been?" I said. I'm usually not a good liar, but I guess I fooled Nina, and that fooled Michael as well.

"Just out, I found him nearby the school and we've been walking back to the house since" Nina said casually. That I was shocked by, the Nina I had come to know would be a bumbling mess trying to think of an excuse or lie. Maybe Michael was giving her some sort of super power.

We were quiet as we made our way up the last couple of meters towards the house, but when we entered the house Debbie pounced on us.

"There you are!" She declared, "All of you, inside NOW!" We all complied and entered the foyer with everybody else already there at full attention. Even voluptuous Tori and down trodden Mitch looked to be paying full attention and not bored. Tony had a smug look of satisfaction on his bruised face.

"Now, this altercation is a series problem in our house." Debbie said sternly, "You all know that I hate playing the nagging mother part, and that I given you guys have more freedom then most houses keepers here would allow. And clearly I have been going about thing the wrong way."

'I do not like where this is going.' I thought to myself. I could see that several other people were thinking the same thing.

"I have already called Mr. Sweet and we have set up an Student Court session for this entire household to be part of." Debbie continued, I heard Charlotte scoff. "Is there a problem Charlotte?"

"Ya, it was only Michael and Tony who were in a fight, not all of us. Why should we have to go through this process?" Charlotte asked defiantly, Debbie's nostrils flared with fury before responding.

"It is school policy that when an incident occurs within a boarding house that all house member be part of the proceeding." Debbie said, "And for that reason, all of you are banned from any extracurricular activities until the honor court session." Everybody was shocked, even Tony who probably didn't expect this.

"But Michael and I have play practice to do!" Nina protested.

"I have sports practice! The first game is next week and I need to play this week if I want to make first line!" Sophia said horrified.

"Everybody here has stuff they have to do!" I protested. I had considered going out for the debate team just to get some points on my college resume, but this pretty much ended that hope since try outs were this week. "When is this hearing?"

"This Friday." Debbie said. Everybody began shouting, minus Mitch who stayed quiet as usual. Debbie raised a hand and everybody fell silent. "Do not try to fight me on this! Now all of you! Go to bed… NOW!" Everybody began moving towards their room's at that moment. Michael was the fastest, walking past Tony who looked smugly at Michael.

I entered our room and closed the door, locking it. "Don't say anything." Michael asked softly.

"Ok." I responded, and went to go get changed.

Pretty much all action this chapter. Next chapter is the Student Court hearings, where you will get a lot of drama. There is a reason this story is 'Love and War' not 'Love and Roses'. Next chapter hopefully tomorrow!

And REVIEW!