A/N: R/R please.

Chase was waved over by Andrea from where he was sitting at a Lunch Table. Chase sat. To the right was Andrea and Cat. To his left was Jade and Beck. He stared at his peanut butter and jelly in silence. Everyone else was talking, Jade and Cat discussing the upcoming karaoke-dokie song later, while Andrea was talking with Back on the upcoming plays. Suddenly, someone whispered in his ear. "Chase?" Chase looked around. Now everyone was silent. Tori looked strange. Worried, almost. Almost. "The Dean told me this is for you." She handed him an envelope, which looked like it had been opened, then the letter stuffed back in with haste. He nodded in thanks and looked at it. He realized why it had been searched.

To: Chase Brighton, HollyWood Arts High Skool, California. (His father was as illiterate as him)

From: Detroit County Jail

The only reason he could read it was because he had gotten a letter with the same stuff written on it, minus the Hollywood Arts part, back when he was 8. He had never read it, his Grandma just told him what was on the envelope. He opened it and sighed in Dismay. He layed it facedown and started to eat again. "Well?" asked Jade, "What does it say?" Tori glared at Jade. "It's his business! He'll tell us when he's-" "I Can't read it." Chase cut Tori off in a mumble. The table went silent. Jade was looking at him, torn between amusement and concern, Cat looked at him Blankly, Andrea and Beck looked away awkwardly, and Tori was staring in Concern. She stood up and said "Come with me." She Beck and Andrea starting a hasty conversation, and Jade staring at Tori in rage.

The arrived in a deserted hallway. "Do you want me to read it?" Chase clutched it tighter in panic. "NO! you'll laugh and make fun of me and you'll tell every-" Tori put a finger to his lips. "You know I won't do that, Chase. I won't even tell anyone back at the table if you don't want me to." Chase looked at her. Was he trusting enough. He sighed. "Fine," he said, shoving the letter at her. She looked at him thankfully. She then read it aloud;

"Dear son:

Sorry I sent this through the Goddam school, but I don't know your knew address yet. Anyway; How's school? You got a girl yet? Had babies? I wouldn't be surprised if you did, your so handsome. I know you hate me for doing that crime, but she was asking for it! I heard you were forced to go to that acting school or else, well, I won't say for luck. *Knock on Wood*. Write me back, bud, I still love you, and I know deep down you love me to. The reason I didn't write for so long was because I had to learn to write so I cood write it, instead of my cellmate. I Love you, you're going to be a great actor, and don't you ever forget it.

Love,

Tom Mathew Brighton"

Tori looked at Chase in shock. His Dad was in Jail? What did he do? How long? Why was Chase forced to go here? Chase was looking at his feet in silence. He whispered, "I- I hate him." His voice rose. "I hate that Bitch!" And Tori walked over and Hugged him tight, and he cried. He cried hard. He cried harder than when the Gang beat him up. He cried harder than when he cut himself. He cried. Suddenly, Tori let go and screamed, "SinJin!" SinJin was standing there, shocked. Tori hissed, "You heard it, didn't you?" SinJin nodded. Within seconds, he was against a locker, Chase was holding him there by his collar. Tori shrieked and tried to pull Chase off. "You can't tell no one, got it MotherFucker?" SinJin was in shock. "Say it, or Imma make you forget!" Chase shouted, raising a fist. Suddenly, two strong hands pulled him off. Chase fought it, but this man was huge. He looked up to see Smith. He snarled and tried to get out of the grip. Tori was in a haze of confusion. Why was a random police officer doing In there school. "STOP!" growled Smith. Chase growled and spat, but he fell limp. "Good, I'll be seeing you in the principal's office. Said Smith, shoving Chase in that direction. He helped SinJin up, brushed him off, nodded to Tori, then headed off after Chase.

Chase sat in the restroom, crying. One Strike. These words kept replaying in his head. He had two more until he was heading back to Detroit Juvenile Detention Center. He looked at the sink. He pulled out a knife. Then he pulled up his sweatband to reveal two small, parallel scars. He aligned he knife right below his second one. Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door. "Chase!" no response. "Beck, Andre, please go get him." Chase immediately put the knife away and pulled down his sweatband. He felt two hands grab him around the shoulders. He tensed He was being choked and dragged to a porta-potty near a construction sight that had recently been used. Beck and Andrea set him down by a locker and turned to Tori. "Why was he crying? What did the letter say?" Tori looked at them defiantly. "I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone." Andrea and Beck nodded understandingly. After they left, Tori reached out to help him up. He avoided the hand and stood up by himself. "Do you want me to walk you home?" She asked sweetly. 'So it's the end of the day." He nodded and Tori took his hand and walked him outside.

Jade was at the gates, leaning against a pillar. "Hey, Vega, I'm taking him home!" Tori just gave her a bittersweet smile as they continued walking. Chase looked at Jade apologetically and she shrugged and walked off.

Walking with Tori was different then walking with Jade. Jade like to talk, but Tori was silent. The one question she asked was "Why is that Cop Car following us?" Chase just shrugged. Unlike Jade, Tori didn't stop at the complex doors, but followed him up the 5 flights of stairs. Chase nodded at Tori and said "Thanks." As they reached his front door. "Wait!" Tori said. Chase watched with a raised an eybrow as she rifled through her backpack and pulled out a strip of paper. She scrawled a phone number on it and said, "Text Me!" Chase nodded. He didn't have the heart to tell he didn't have a phone. Tori stopped and listened at the door for a minute. "I'm home!" she heard Chase call. "Get me a Fucking beer!" She heard a raspy voice say. "Shut up, Bitch!" Chase shouted back

Jade and Chase were the only ones at the lunchtable, as they were early. She was watching him do his homework. "Why is it you can write, but not read?" She asked suddenly. Chase looked up. "If it makes any sense, I can only read it if I write it. If Sikowits writes 'Remember', I don't know how to sound it out because I use memory. I remember a certain set of words= remember, but only if I write it." Jade stared at him. "That- doesn't make any sense." Chase just nodded. Minutes later, Cat was on his left and Andrea to his right. "Hi, Chase!" Cat shouted. "Watcha doin? Chase grunted "Homework," "Hey, That sounds fun! Can I have a hug?" Chase looked at her surpising question. Her brown eyes were full of 'please?'s. Jade spoke up, "Cat, I don't think-" Andrea silenced her with a hand, to which she glared and looked away. Chase slowly wrapped his arms around her, and she eagerly returned the hug. Chase tensed. He tried not to let his memories take over. She was full of a strawberry and hair dye aroma. He was being punched in the stomach repeatedly; he could feel the vomit making it's way up his throat. He realized Cat had let him go and he let go to.

Sikowits called Chas and Robbie up front. "Chase, you're a gangster threatening Robbie, Robbie you're a wimp trying to get out of this situation. 'Pff, This'll be easy," Chase thought. All he had to do was thinking about his past. Robbie immediately put his hands up, begging mercy. "Please, don't hurt me," Chase looked at him with steely eyes that held no regret. "Imma make you bleed, boy." He said taking a step closer. The class gaped. He was a great actor! "Please, I'll give you my money!" Robbie continued, taking a step back. "I don't want yo money, I want your arm!" Chase said, cracking his knuckles. "No!" Robbie said. "Yes," Grinned Chase. Jade took out her notebook and wrote: Great Actor "Eerily realistic, but good job boys!" Called Sikowits. The boys sat down.

Tori was sad. She didn't know why. She had seen Cat and Chase hug and she was grouchy. It made her even angrier that Chase had not texted her. She wondered if he texted Cat. Of course not, She thought, He can't read. Still, he could've called me, She was in Mrs. Anderson's class, reading some lyrics by some pop felt bad for Chase, who was concentrating hard on his paper. He was trying, trying so hard it hurt to even watch him. After class, she meant to talk to him when she spotted him around the corner talking to Jade. She hid and listened. Jade was handing him something. "Here's my number. Call." Chase looked ashamed as he mumbled, "No Phone. To Poor." Jade looked away. "Oh. Do you have a Slap? A Splashface." "No Computer" Jade sighed and wrapped him in a surprising hug and walked away. Tori felt bad for being angry. Now she knew why Chase couldn't call her.

A/N: So I'm not really sure where the story should go from her: suggestions?