Thanks for all the readings :) Hope you've liked it so far :D

Here's chapter 2 :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fallen series!

"Catching up"

She was still hurt. Cam had always been quite effusive with his feelings, but she still felt surprised for his reaction the night before. She had to admit to herself that her heart stopped when she saw him. So many years running away from him and meet him again in a reform school.

So many years resting wherever the hell she wanted and walking around some of the greatest cities in the whole world to now attend a reform school in Georgia, sleeping in the worst bedroom she had seen in years and with her heart hurt.

She could feel the sunrise. Unlike her fellow friends, she still got up to watch the sunrise every single day. She stood up and let the light that came with the new day filled her every bone. She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders.

"I supposed you'd be here"

Arriane. She looked up at her with an amused smile on her face and shaggy hair.

"You get up early now?" Izzy began to descend the stairs to meet with her.

"Not really" she said sitting on the grass "But I didn't expect you to come back. Don't get me wrong"

"How could I get that wrong?" She looked at Arriane with feigned annoyance and sat down at her side.

"Daniel needs you"

She knew that, that's why she came back. She had tried staying away from Cam for a reason, but she couldn't let Daniel fighting on his own, because he was starting to back down.

"I wouldn't come all the way to here and waste all this years trying to let go of Cam, if Dan didn't need me and I didn't need him"

"There's something weird about Luce" said Arriane, running her fingers down to her now short hair "She likes me more than she likes Gabbe and that doesn't really happen"

"Maybe it's because you copied her new hairstyle" Arriane looked at her reproachfully "Don't get me wrong"

"Dan's just gonna give up" continued Arriane playing with the grass "He's willing to let it all slipped through his fingers"

"He won't resist much"

"How can you be sure about that?"

"I don't really know how much I can resist being away from Cam having him around…" She could lie to herself, but she couldn't lie to Arriane. She poked her slightly with her hand and gave her a smile "Anyway, it was so hard staying distant: all the parties and the hot guys…" They both laughed for a minute.

"Cam would die of jealousy if he finds out"

"If he ever dies from jealousy, it'll be for Luce" she said with bitterness. More bitterness than she expected.

"He looked out for you, Izzy"

"I know" she glanced down at her watch "I think it's time for breakfast"

"I can see you have learned the art of evasion, Young Izzy" said Arriane in Chinese, while standing up.

"I hope so" responded Izzy as they started to walk towards the building.

oOoOoOoOo

She said goodbye to Arriane that left running to meet Roland on the way to the gym. She stopped for a minute to stare at the big all building that now function as a gym: a church. She had never put a foot on one. She couldn't do it even if she'd wanted to. Somehow, with just the thought of getting in gave her chills. She remembered how much she had learned in India, meditating from the moment the sun rise until midday.

James had tried it to with far less success, but that managed to move her even more.

"Izzy!"

She turned to see Daniel walking towards her. She noticed that he was wearing jeans instead of the sports pants and carrying a bag over one shoulder.

"I thought you still got up earlier than the others"

"I have my mind somewhere else, lately" said her brother.

"Doesn't it seemed odd to you?" asked him Izzy as they entered the approached the gym.

"What seems odd?"

"The fact that this actually was a church at some point"

She pointed to the top of the tower dome and Daniel looked up. He smiled for himself and gave her a little smile "Easy" he said and put him arms around her shoulders to hold her.

"Can we talk later?"

"Sure"

On the entrance they found Randy standing in front of them holding a list on her hands "Grigori, Daniel… ropes"

Daniel glanced at her one last time before walking to the dressing room.

"Grigori… speed" Randy raised her head to look at her "Through the back door" she pointed at a big door on one side of the building. It was almost as big as the main entrance and it was made entirely with metal. Izzy nodded as she started walking.

She pulled out a hair band out of her pocket and wrapped up her hair in a ponytail leaving her bang loose. She had always like running and the weather was just perfect for it. She tried to open the big heavy door, but it didn't take long for her to realize it was locked. She leaned one shoulder strongly against the door and after pushing a few times, it swung open roughly.

She heard a moan and a few giggles behind the door.

"Please, excu—" she started, peering behind the door to find Cam rubbing the back of his head. Everything was perfect.

He looked at her, annoyed "Don't worry"

"I wasn't going to, anyway"

She walked passed him and went down to the racetrack. She recognized a few guys from the party last night as a few girls, too. The racetrack was an oval and made with gravel and clay, and it must've had two hundred meters.

Izzy bent down and put one foot over a step to tie up her shoe laces.

"It's your first time here?"

She glanced up to meet someone's pretty brown eyes staring at her. She got up to face him. Izzy recognized him from the night before. He had caught her eye: nice eyes, brown hair and athletic.

"Yes"

"What brought you here?"

"If you stick around, you'll know soon" Cam said it walking pass behind her. Izzy turned upset, but Cam was already turned back.

"I guess you've met before"

She nodded "Unfortunately" she said smiling "Izzy"

"Connor" Izzy shook his hand and he smiled back.

"Everyone get down here!"

The coach was a pretty tall and muscular man that Izzy assumed must've been an athlete in his youth, due to his good look despite his grayish hair. He carried a notebook under one arm and blew his whistle to make them hurry.

"Ok. For the new ones: I'm coach Fellon and everyone runs three laps, no exceptions" As soon as he said it, most of the class started to reply. They were talking so loud; the coach blew louder his whistle this time "Before I turn them into four, volunteers"

Connor took one step closer, followed by the more guys in similar shape. They must've all been athletes at the school or they were really good running away from the police.

Cam also took one step forward and turned to look at her.

"Very well, whe—"

"Wait!" she barged "Me too" she took one step closer and placed next to Cam.

"Well, well" Coach Fellon rolled his eyes around her "Are you sure? Girls like you don't usually volunteer"

"Sure"

"Fine" the coach write down their names on his notebook and pointed the racetrack "Everyone starts on one track, after the first hundred meters you can switch. Try it in less than ten minutes"

They all took places on the track and Izzy noticed that they had left the inner one for her.

"Don't try to hard" said Connor, leaning down on the track next to her.

Izzy placed her eyes on Cam, running in the last track "As long as you are ok with a girl kicking your ass" she blinked at him and bent down.

The coach blew the whistle and they started running. She liked the fact that she really didn't have to try that hard to keep on with her mates. Once they reached a hundred meters, everyone started moving towards the inner track, so she sped up a bit to leave them behind. She managed to keep Connor and the other three guys fighting to reach up for her, trying to run faster. But Cam didn't try hard in order to run by her side.

She didn't turn to look at him and focused on running faster. No matter how fast she ran, Cam reached her in a second. She knew he was doing it to mess up with her and he was getting that, which only messed her up even more. Cam knew her competitive side too well.

Neither of them noticed that they were ahead of the competition for almost half the track. Neither of them was tired, either.

"Hey…" she could feel Cam's eyes on her, but she didn't dare to stare back at him.

"What?"

"We should tune it down a bit; otherwise we'll really stand out from the others"

"Then tune it down"

Cam snorted and put his eyes back on the track "I had forgotten how childish you were" that said he speed down.

She turned back to look at him, but Cam didn't look at her.

"Grigori!"

She turned quickly, but it was too late. She couldn't see Connor bent down in front on her, adjusting his shoe laces.

Izzy crashed with Connor, falling hard against the gravel ground. She tried to stop, in order to stand up and she felt a strong burning on the back of her hands. She stood up, realizing that her clothes were completely covered in dirt, and she reached out to Connor lying on the ground rubbing his left ankle.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled as she bent down on one knee near Connor's foot, leaning one hand in his ankle "I'm truly sorry, are you all right?"

"Your knee"

Izzy stare at him confused before glancing down to her knee: she had her pants torn and from her knee a big amount of blood flowed between the dirt attached to her injury.

"Allow me, Grigori"

The coach bent down, leaving his notebook aside on the ground. Izzy looked up and saw her classmates staring at her from the doorway while all of the boys, including Cam, stood around her and Connor.

Coach Fellon grabbed her knee "Sit down" Izzy nodded and sat next to Connor. The coach held her leg and raised up her pant to see her knee and her leg covered in blood "It looks quite worthy of a trip to meet the nurse"

Connor held her left arm and he snapped his tongue "This looks pretty bad, too" She got rid of his hands and realized her elbow was wounded too and filled with blood.

"I'll need someone to walk you to the nurse" said coach Fellon.

"I will" She didn't even have to turn to recognize Cam. She knew he was actually doing that, because she wasn't putting a foot inside the nursing. She didn't need to. Everything she needed was a shower, change her clothes and wait for the wounds to heal by the end of the day.

"Fine, you carry her" The coach grabbed his notebook and he suit his jockey "I don't need any more lectures about over demanding the students"

Cam nodded and took a step closer to Izzy at the same time Connor reached out to her and help her stand up.

Izzy smiled at him and grabbed his hand. With one fast movement, Connor lift her up "Thank yo—"

"I can handle it from here, O'Brien"

Cam interrupted her as he moved his hands under her back and her legs to lift her up. She turned to look at him upset, but having him that close made her heart beat faster. Izzy noticed Cam's jaw tense and fist his hand. Cam carried her towards the gym not saying one word. Unlike her, he opened up the big metal door easily, to then shut it down behind them and letting Izzy down on the floor gently.

"Thanks" she spit as soon as she recovered her breath after Cam took one step away from her.

"It's fine"

Cam stared at her, confused. "What?"

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Izzy glanced up meeting Cam's tired and honest green eyes.

"No" Yes.

"All right" Cam started walking to the man's dressing room.

"You're not gonna apologize?" asked Izzy, annoyed.

"Apologize!" He turned back angrily"Could you please tell me why I should apologize?"

"I fell because of you; I think I deserve an ap—"

"You don't deserve anything" Cam took one step closer to her enraged, allowing Izzy to see true anger in his eyes. "You left without telling me, you came back without telling me and then when you get hurt, I'm the one who has to apologize?"

She knew what he meant.

"Sorry" answered Izzy, getting near him. "I thought you weren't that childish"

"I thought you were clever"

Their eyes met again only for a second, but they still met. Izzy turned and she saw her reflection on one of the windows: she was wearing her uniform, that had been black, completely covered with brown stains and her hair filled with dirt. She also noticed how close both were from each other.

"I thought so too" she said, distancing from him and turning to walk to her bedroom and get change.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Away from you, I've had enough"

"Yeah, well, I haven't"

Cam held her strongly by the wrist, forcing her to turn. Izzy tried to break loose, but Cam only held her with more strength and closer to him.

"You're gonna leave me a bruise"

"You won't even notice it with that look"

"Thanks to you" she said, moving her arm roughly. "It hurts, Cam"

"I'm not worried about your pain right now"

"No, you just care about yours"

Upset, she pulled out strongly, getting rid of Cam's arm.

"The only thing that really matters to you has always been yourself"

She didn't dare to look back at him, she was run away fast. She knew he wasn't gonna run after her.

oOoOoOoOo

"Daniel!"

She knocked a couple of times, before Roland appeared behind the door.

"It's Izzy!" he said when he saw her.

"And you aren't Daniel"

"Funny" said Roland as he stood aside for her to come inside.

"Don't bother, I'll wait out here" said Izzy, consulting her watch. "We're running late, anyway"

"I'll go get my stuff, if you put it like that"

"Since when do you actually attend school?" Izzy looked at him, amused.

Roland picked up a black sweater from behind the door. "That's what you do for your friends" he said, emphasis on the word 'friends' "I'll see you then"

"Yes"

Izzy leaned on the wall in front of Daniel's bedroom door and slide down. She crossed her legs and left her bag aside. She wanted to wear a black skirt, but she went with pants because the wound on her knee was worst than she expected. She looked at the back of her palms and saw how the bruises could barely be noticed.

Cam's face appeared in her head. She liked the way he looks with short hair; last time she saw him, he had it a tiny bit messier and the bangs didn't let her see those amazing green eyes she loved so much. She felt like a fifteen year old when her heart started beating like that every time she thought of him. No matter how much she tried to stop it, thinking about Cam always made her smile at the same time it left her with a bitter taste on her mouth.

"Hey, what are you doing down there?"

She hadn't realized that Daniel came out of his bedroom. He was looking at her confused and he bent down in front of her.

"How are things working out with Luce?"

Daniel's eyes turn dark "Not very well. And Gabbe hasn't been much helpful"

"Arriane told me that they were getting along very well"

"I know. That just makes it even weirder…"

"You can't back down on her" she said it harshly than she expected to.

"You don't have to remind me of that" Daniel drop his black bag and adjust his red scarf around his neck "But I've had enough and she… she des—"

"She deserves you" Izzy grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to face her.

"She deserves better"

"There's no one better for her than you"

"You know? I really don't need this right now" he spit tired, standing up.

He didn't stop to look at her; he just started walking to the stairs.

"Don't do this!" she yelled, running after him.

"Drop it" said Daniel running fast down the stairs.

"Dan!"

She went ahead and stopped in front of him one step lower. Izzy leaned one hand on his chest to stop him as Daniel taking one deep breath.

"You can't leave her alone" Daniel wasn't looking at her. "You don't deserve what you've been through, but you deserve each other. You're technically letting Cam to get her! You can't just forget everything you've lived together and just back—"

"Oh, stop it!" Daniel got rid of her hand, pushing her strongly. "You have also back down on the one you love and yo—"

"I told you why I left, Dan!"

"But you back down on Cam" he spit angrily. "So don't you dare telling me that I can't let Luce alone, at least I'm around in case she ever needs me. You just vanished, went directly to England without even saying goodbye and left Cam on his own all this time!"

"Stop pretending that you care about Cam"

Daniel stared at her for a moment, before he left. Leaving her alone and worried.

oOoOoOoOo

He was upset. He had been so close to kiss Luce.

And Gabbe showed up at the right place in the right time to ruin it.

He'd know have to figure out a new plan to get sometime alone with Luce. Especially now, that Daniel was backing down.

Luce would've accepted his kiss and that was everything he needed.

He swung the library's door and let Gabbe and Luce walk inside. The three of them walked towards the computers section were Miss Sophia and the rest of the class, were attending.

Miss Sophia barely even looked at them. She gave each one a computer and kept on talking. Cam walked towards the number thirteen and stopped when he noticed Izzy sitting next to it. Cam moved his chair sharply, surprising Izzy. She glanced up upset and she opened up her mouth to say something, but when she saw him standing there she didn't say anything.

Cam sat down and turned his chair in order to see the board and he found Luce sitting a couple of desks away from him, chatting with Penn. He had been so close.

Izzy poked him softly with her elbow, distracting him.

"Sorry" said Izzy, slightly looking at him over her shoulder.

Cam turned and saw Izzy drawing fast lines with a piece of charcoal... He had to admit that Izzy and Daniel were very similar.

"Let's get down to work!" said Miss Sophia, extremely loud.

Izzy left the charcoal aside and bent down to pick up her bag. Cam noticed that she was drawing the small tree he could see from the window and it was actually a pretty nice drawing. But that wasn't what really caught his eye. He realized that her notebook was plated with leather and that, as a sheet separator, it had a piece of violet lace.

Cam reached out and grabbed her notebook.

"Give me that" said Izzy, but he showed her his back.

He held between his fingers the piece of violet lace "Is this—?"

"Stop it" Izzy ordered and Cam noticed how her cheeks started to blush as an agry grinn appeared across her face.

He pulled himself back and started to turn the pages. There was a drawing of Daniel wearing the army uniform he wore on Milan and one of the park he met Luce in that life. There were drawings of different beaches and he recognized a few he had seen with her. He stopped on one of Gabbe wearing a big bulgy dress: Helston.

"Cam, give it back"

"No"

The notebook slipped and he managed to grabbed it from the cover and stop it from falling. He opened it up and found a drawing of him on the last page. He was sitting on a bench, with a cigarette on his lips and one leg resting above the other. He was wearing the same leather jacket he was wearing in that exact same moment and a couple of black shoes he had thrown away a few months ago.

"Whe—?"

Izzy pounced to him and managed to grab her notebook. She slammed it and put it inside her bag.

"Answer me" He looked at her, strongly. "When did you draw it?"

"Which one?"

"The one on the last page" he spit, quietly. Izzy's eyes looked up for his. "I was in Helston a year ago and you cou—"

"Hush" Izzy seemed worried.

"You just stood there drawing, but you couldn't dare talking to me?" He grabbed her by the arm. "Are you really that coward?"

"I'm not a coward" she said quietly, "I was afraid. And frankly, I'm getting tired of all this fighting"

"And me of you running away, coward"

"There's a difference between cowardice and fear" Izzy looked at him, hurtfully. "Coward is playing behind Daniel's back, hiding in the cemetery. Fear is what I feel every time I'm with you: you can play behind my back on anytime".

Hope you like it :)

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xoxo !