Chapter 2 – Trouble

A/N: I was amazed by how well received chapter 1 was. I had so much fun writing it that it meant allot that it was liked!

EA-CJ: Thank you. I hope you like this chapter. Chazny: I agree, I'm so sick of Charlie and Brax. SallyAnn: I'm glad you loved it. HappyHereford: I joined you in your CJ dance. Mad: I'm glad you love it. Here's some more =)

I don't own Home and Away obviously or Joey would still be there and they wouldn't have Charlie with a guy. I love Home and Away but it insulted gay people everywhere the way they dealt with Charlie's sexuality after Joey left. But I LOVE the show!

Last time: "Oh and Ruby?" Joey called after her.

"Yeah Miss Collins?" Ruby turned to face her new teacher.

"Don't let me catch you kissing your boyfriend in my classroom again."

XoxoxoxoxoxoxoX

Ruby was still laughing to herself over Miss Collins parting remark when she finally caught up with her friends.

"Hey Nicole. Don't pay attention to what that fool says. Everybody knows that he's a douche. Nobody likes the guy." She put her arm around the blonde, drawing her into a hug.

"Thanks Rubes, but that doesn't stop them from looking at me differently, I mean half the bay saw me having sex with him. That's what they see now when they see me."

"Awww Nic. That's not true. No-one thinks any less of you. But they do think even less of Trey if that's possible. Come on babe, he's a brainless boy. Don't even think about him. Don't give him the satisfaction." Ruby squeezed her friend tighter.

"Ruby's right Nic." Romeo squeezed the blondes shoulder comfortingly.

"Can you guys cover for me? I think I might just head home. I need a lie down." Nicole smiled at her friends, offering them a small wave before heading in the direction of the caravan park.

Ruby turned to her friends. "Ok, that's it. Something needs to be done about Palmer. I can't watch Nic like this anymore."

"What can we possibly do?" April asked her best friend.

"I didn't get that far." She shrugged. "But we will think of something right?"

"There's no way your dragging us into one of your crazy plans Ruby." Dexter added. "My dad would kill me and Marilyn would kill him for getting blood on the floor."

"I'm not that bad." Ruby argued.

"Yes you are. Last time you had a 'plan' we all got detention. For a month!" Casey laughed at the expression on his girlfriends face.

"Fine. But if that creep says anything to Nicole or about her or anyone for that matter, I will . . . do something." Her friends laughed.

"Oh Ruby's mad. Trey better watch out." Casey teased, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Yeah he better." She laughed. "Do you think I could take him?"

"Ruby!" April chastised, "Fighting won't do anyone any god, especially not Nicole."

"Well, it will make me feel better." Ruby could just see herself giving Trey a good kick.

XoxoxoxoxoxoxoX

Joey couldn't help but smile as Ruby walked out of the classroom. She had a feeling she was really going to like this little town. Ruby seemed lovely and if the rest of the people were anything like her she could easily see herself making a few friends.

She just hoped that Ruby's evident loyalty and feistiness wouldn't get her into trouble.

After packing up her belongings at the end of the school day Joey made her way out of the building, just as she was closing the door behind her she heard shouting from behind the building.

"You're such a pig! You don't know what you're talking about Trey so leave it the fuck alone." Joey recognised the voice as Ruby's so she hurried around the corner.

"Whatever Ruby, go on go cry to your sister. Oh sorry, you're mother." Trey could be heard shouting at the young girl as Joey hurried up to them.

Ruby threw herself into a punch forcing Trey backwards into the wall.

"Hey." Joey dropped her satchel. She quickly caught hold of the girl who was ready to throw another punch.

"Trey. Get out of here. I will deal with you later. You will be required in my room at 8:30 tomorrow morning." Joey glared at the scowling teenage boy, making sure he left before she let go of the struggling teenager in her arms.

"What was that about?" Joey asked.

"None of your business." Ruby spat, she was so wound up, how dare he say those things about Nicole and then bring her mother into it. He had no right.

Joey blanched at Ruby's harsh tone. Ruby noticed and immediately felt guilty.

"I'm sorry. Miss Collins. It's just ughh he's infuriating!" Ruby's anger soon turned to tears as she thought about her mum, she loved that Charlie was her mum but bringing up the past had caused Charlie to have nightmares again. It had also ended her relationship with Angelo leaving her mum a little down, although she tried to hide it from her.

"Hey, hey Ruby." Joey let the teenage collapse into her arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ruby silently cursed herself for crying in front of the teacher. "He just said some stuff that hurt. But I can handle it."

"Throwing punches is handling it?" Joey teased. "You know I'm going to have to talk to you parents about this right?"

"I only have a mum. And no please, you can't tell her. Please." Ruby begged she didn't wasn't her mother worrying.

"Why not, I'm sure she'd want to help. She'd want to know if you're in trouble. Ruby I have a duty to alert your mother that your were fighting on school grounds."

"My mother's just going through some stuff at the moment ok. I just . . . can you not tell her, please?" Ruby continued to beg.

"How about we compromise, I won't make it official but I will have to phone your mother to organise a meeting. If you want you can be there and tell your mum yourself."

Ruby thought about that for a minute, at least that way she would know what was said and make sure Charlie knew that she loved that she was her mum, and was just defending Nicole; she didn't have to know it was about her aswel. It was Treys comment about Charlie that had caused her to lash out.

"Fine." Ruby surrendered.

"Ok. I will phone your mother tomorrow after I have spoken with Trey and we will talk about it ok?"

"Okay." Ruby was dreading this, no matter what Charlie would be disappointed in her for fighting. She really didn't want to disappoint her mum.

"You go on home now then Ruby." Joey picked up her satchel. "I'll see you tomorrow."

XoxoxoxoxoxoxoX

"Mum, I'm home" Ruby called as she walked into the kitchen. She aimed for the fridge. "Um, yogurt? Yep sounds good."

"You have a good day at school?" Charlie asked as she walked into the kitchen to greet her daughter with a kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah about that. You may get a phone call tomorrow." Ruby mumbled.

"What did you do?" Charlie gently scolded her daughter.

"Nothing, I just had a . . . disagreement with Trey." Ruby skidded over the truth.

"Disagreement?"

"Yeah, that our new Maths teacher happened to witness. Ughh I can't stand him." Ruby moaned.

"That's the kid who made the tape of Nicole?" Charlie asked, passing Ruby a spoon before pouring the now hot water onto two coffee mugs.

"Yeah. Miss Collins knows about that but she has to talk to you anyway. Something about her duty as a teacher. I duno." Ruby clarified, scooping yogurt onto her spoon. "Mmmmm this is good."

"Do you like this new teacher?"

"Yes, she's really nice. She's funny and she's really good at telling Trey off. You should have seen him; I think she's the only person apart from you that made him shut his mouth." Ruby smiled, thinking of the look on Treys face when Joey told him off the first time. Priceless.

"She sounds great." Charlie smiled, glad that her daughter liked her new teacher, she was fed up of her complaining about the old one from last year.

"Yeah she is, all the boys think she's hot. And you know Freya? Xavier's ex? I heard that she hit on her at lunch." Ruby gossiped. "Apparently she smiled at Freya and told her she was flattered but she was too young for her."

"So she's gay?" Charlie asked intrigued.

"I'm not sure. She was really nice though. Maybe you could be friends. She doesn't know anyone; she only knows Sally and Miles from a conference."

"You want me to be friends with your teacher?" Charlie was shocked; she leaned forward to press her palm to the curly haired girl's forehead, "Are you feeling ok?"

"Haha mum, I just feel sorry for her. She doesn't know anyone. Just introduce her to some people or something, it's not like your gay and going to date her, now that wouldn't be cool."

A/N: So tell me what you think =)