AN: Thank you for all the views and a special thank to KayEff for the feedback and support. This chapter will introduce new characters to the story. Hope you'll like it!

Disclamer: Skins doesn't belong to me, only my characters do.

CHAPTER 2

A moment after they reached a location just outside of town, where supposedly Royals should not go unless they had higher business to attend.

Emily asked her cousin unsure, "Ahm, Cassie, where are we? I've never been here before…"

"Of course you haven't Ems, this is forbidden territory." She answered Emily calmly.

"What?! You brought me to forbidden territory? What were you thinking?" Emily asked angry.

Cassie took a deep breath and said, "Look, you said you were willing to try something different right? So here it is, a new club. Now come on, it's freezing cold outside."

"Something different yes! Not some outsiders' club! You know what they are going to do to us?" Emily yelled.

"Calm down Emily! Do you really think I would bring you to some dangerous place? I come here all the time; I know very well what these outsiders will do to us." Cassie tried to reason with her cousin. When Emily just looked at her scared, she simply said, "Look, just come inside with me and you will see how nice it is. The mood is great and people are spectacular. Trust me."

"Ok, lead the way. But at the tiniest thing I dislike I'm out of here."

"Deal!" Cassie said giving her an assuring smile.

They entered through a silver metal door and once inside Cassie led Emily until they reached the bar.

"Cassie! How are you this glorious night little lady?" A young man, around his twenties with dark short hair and greyish eyes greeted her with a big smile.

"Hey Aldous! I'm good and you?" Cassie answered him smiling back.

"Wonderful as always! And who is this fine little bird you brought along with you?" Aldous asked gesturing to Emily.

"Oh this is Emily, my cousin!" Cassie said smiling, "She is new here so treat her right yeah?"

Aldous said mocking a hurtful look, "But of course! What kind of monster do you take me for?" He said laughing.

"The kindest of them all!" Cassie answered laughing along.

Emily cleared her throat to catch her cousin's attention. Cassie looked back at her and said to Aldous, "Aldous, can you bring us the usual please, we will be on the booth right around the corner, as always."

The young man nodded and got back to his work. Cassie led Emily to the booth. After they sat in front of one another Emily asked "So… Who is he? You seemed very friendly with each other."

"Ah that's Aldous; he is the bar tender here so he is used to dealing with all kinds of people every night. He has been nice to me since the first time I came here, always has been."

"Oh ok. Is he a… you know, outsider?" Emily asked lowering her voice.

"Depends, on what you consider an outsider." Cassie said lowering her voice as well in a mocking tone.

"You know! Someone who doesn't belong in our town, someone who is bad!" Emily insisted.

"I don't know about you Ems, but I think Aldous is a pretty wonderful person, I see almost no bad in him." Cassie said nonchalant.

"Almost?" Emily asked concerned.

"Yes Emily, he is a nice guy, but he also has his bad moments, like we all do, but that doesn't make him a bad person. It just makes him… Aldous." Cassie said a bit annoyed.

"I understand… Sorry, I did not mean to upset you nor offend him, let that be clear. I am just trying to understand all this… different ambient." Emily explained.

"I get that, it's ok don't worry. To be honest, when I first started coming here it was difficult for me too. To feel at ease, to fit in. However, I think it is important that you know that once the feeling of strangeness fades away, you cannot get enough of these people. You just can't." Cassie said smiling softly. "You will see." Emily smiled back at her.

She loved Cassie; the girl was everything to her. However, she often wondered how she could love someone so different from her. Was it good for her to love someone who almost did not fit on the parameters they were raised to believe in and follow through? Maybe she just had to trust her guts.

Emily was brought back to earth by Cassie's waving hand in front of her face, "Hey, Emsy, are you there?" She asked with a goofy smile.

"Hm? Ah yeah, just deep in thought that's all." She answered half smiling.

"Here you go ladies! Enjoy your drinks!" Said a young woman approaching them with a tray of beverages.

"Thanks Alana!" Cassie said smiling to her. The woman winked and smiled back.

Cassie started sipping her drink while Emily stared blankly at hers.

"You know, you can drink it Emily, it's not poisoned." She said mocking her.

"It's purple. And it has fume coming out of it." Emily motioned to it confused.

"Stating the obvious. Just try it, you'll like it!"

"Ok." Emily said unsure while raising her glass and taking a tiny sip. "Hum… It is good! Wow, it really is!" She continued admired and sipped a bit more quickly this time.

"Hey slow down, it's your first drink so go easy ok? Don't want you to get massively drunk on your first night out with me yeah?" Cassie warned.

"Pft, as if!" Emily said with a goofy laugh.

Cassie laughed along, "Ahah, it's nice to see you relaxed."

They both fell to a comfortable silence until Emily started speaking again, "This place is very well decorated. It has a good vibe." She proceeded observing her surroundings.

"I'm glad you like it!"

"Cassie! You came!" A boy with a huge grin on his face said approaching them and hugging Cassie.

"Tony! I've missed you!" She said hugging the boy back smiling. "Have a seat!"

He sat down next to Cassie and motioned to Emily, "Hey! You're new here aren't you?" He asked her curious.

"Yes!" She paused a bit to look at him better and added giggling, "You have funny eyebrows!"

Tony looked at Cassandra with a puzzled look on his face, "Well she is direct isn't she?"

Cassie answered smiling, "Don't mind Emily; she had a bit to drink."

"Ah ok, got it. Well Emily, I'm Tony, nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you as well, Tony with the funny eyebrows!"

Cassie laughed a bit hard this time at seeing Tony's expression, "She has a point, you do have funny eyebrows!"

"Yeah ok I get it!" He said a bit embarrassed. Cassandra sensed her friend's discomfort and changed the subject, "Where are the rest of the gang? Didn't they come with you?"

"I lost track of them in the crowd, they're probably around." He said looking at the dance floor behind him and at that instant raised his hand and two young girls started to come their way.

"Ah Tony there you are!" A girl with curly hair and bright eyes said, sitting on his lap and throwing her arms around his neck, "We thought we had lost you!". Cassie face lit up at seeing both of them and happily said, "Girls! It's so good to see you, sit with us!"

"Ah! I told you she would come tonight! You owe me five pounds!" the other girl with piercing blue eyes and light brown hair said smugly to Tony. "Fine, I'll buy you a drink then!" He answered a bit annoyed.

Cassie burst out laughing "Ahahah! I cannot believe you bet against your sister! You of all people should know that Effy always knows everything upfront!"

"My dear brother seems to forget my gift from time to time. Not my problem, it's his loss!" she added smiling and then turning to Emily said, "And you must be Emily…"

Emily gulped feeling nervous with the girl's piercing eyes who seemed to look right through her and said shortly, "Yes, I am…"

"Oh I'm so sorry; I forgot to introduce you! Emily, these are some of the wonderful people I told you about earlier: Tony's girlfriend Michelle and his sister Effy! Girls, this is Emily, my cousin and best friend!" Cassandra said full of pride.

"Welcome to the group Emily!" Michelle said smiling kindly while Effy just continued to stare with her smug expression.

"Hey, nice to meet you all!" Emily said smiling kindly.

"So, Cassie, are you ready for tonight?" Tony asked her friend with a grin.

"Oh yes! I can barely wait! I am so excited!"

"What is it about tonight?" Emily asked unsure.

"My dear friend, just the best night of your life! The best band in the place is about to go on stage!" Michelle said to Emily.

Suddenly, the music stopped and the lights on the club went out which caused some people to ask what was going on and others to whisper asking for silence. Emily felt a bit frightened with this sudden change of ambience, but when she looked at her new friends and saw them with huge grins on their faces, especially her cousin, she started to relax and even get a bit curious about what all the commotion was, and she herself was smiling along. After a while, a small stage in front of the dance floor illuminated and the sound of drums started slowly, and a small light was cast to a boy playing the drums. After came the sounds of a guitar and a bass, and another light was cast, this time to two other boys, facing each other with their instruments. Finally, a voice in a low tone said to the mic "Good night outcasts! We are the Monsters, and welcome to our world!", and the music started:

"Another head hangs lowly,
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence.
Who are we mistaken?

But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying...

In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?

Another mother's breakin'
Heart is taking over
When the violence causes silence,
We must be mistaken.

It's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen.
In your head, in your head they're still fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are dying...

In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?"

When they finished the crowd went wild, people were jumping and screaming, Cassie and the rest of the group were ecstatic and applauding, but Emily was different. Emily just stood there in dumb amazement, mesmerized by the beautiful creature where the voice came from. Yes creature, because no human being could have such a perfect voice, let alone such presence. Emily could not believe her eyes. She did not even realize when Cassie asked her if she was all right, all she could hear was the amazing singer saying her thanks to the crowd and go inside with the rest of the band.

"Who was she? The singer?" Emily asked Cassie.

"Ah that is Naomi, a friend of ours. Well, they all are." Cassie explained to her, "Why? Liked what you saw?"

"Yes! She is… I mean they are amazing!" She said amused.

"Well let's meet them shall we?" Tony said to Emily smiling.

The girls nodded in agreement and went with him through a door that led to a room backstage, where the band was now.

A cheerful boy with scruffy dirty blond hair came to Tony saying, "Ah my boy! There you are!" Giving him a bear hug.

"Hugh Cook, you are crushing me!" Tony said joking with him.

"I missed you too Tony!" The boy said laughing.

"Cook! It's been so long!" Cassandra said hugging him immediately.

"Oh Cassie I almost thought you were dead or something! Don't go disappearing for so long bird!" Cook said to her smiling kindly.

"I'm so sorry for worrying you, but it's been hard to come here… I'll explain it later! Now, I want you to meet someone." She then turned and gestured to Emily, "Cook this is my little cousin Emily. Emily, this is Cook, a big friend of mine." She said smiling.

"Oh wow it is a pleasure to meet you Emily, you look proper fine, with your bright red hair and everything!" he said to Emily smiling widely and extending his hand to greet her.

She blushed profusely while shaking his hand in return and said stuttering, "Thank you… Nice to meet you as well."

"Oh and she's cute too. Cassie shame on you for taking so long to introduce her to me." Cook said half-joking.

"To you and to us all I must say!" Tony intervened joking along with his friend.

"Oh well better late than never, as it is the old saying." Cassie said to her friends smiling.

"Hey what are you talking about over there guys?" A tall boy with dark black hair and greyish eyes approached them. "Oh we have a new girl in town have we?" he said turning to Emily and smiling "What's your name doll?"

"Emily…" She said half-whispering and embarrassed.

"Sorry? Couldn't hear you, you'll have to repeat it louder please." He said with a smug smile.

"Nathan, another one of your conquests? Leave the poor girl alone!" A girl said from behind him.

"Ah Naomi my beloved sister…" He said rolling his eyes and stepping aside.

A girl almost as tall as Nathan, with light blonde hair, almost white, and eyes of a piercing clear blue, so clear that Emily felt like she was looking directly at the sky and could not avoid staring at them.

The girl cleared her throat, "Ahm… Do you want to say something? You are staring." She said a bit annoyed.

Emily snapped out of her gaze and realizing she was staring could only say, "Oh no I'm sorry, I got distracted…"

Cook intervened, "Oh come on Naomi! Don't be so grumpy, we just met Emily and she seems like a fine gal!" He said smiling at his new friend.

"Oh ok sorry, I thought you were another one of my brother's bimbos! Nice to meet you then Emily, I'm Naomi." She said smiling to the red headed.

"Likewise Naomi." She said smiling back.

"So now that is settled, we will go for drinks yes?" Cook asked cheerfully.

"You bet we are mate! Cassie you are coming too right?" Tony asked turning to her friend.

"Hell yes! Only the Gods know how I've missing going out with you all."

Tony and Cook laughed along with her, called for the rest of the group and told them their plans. Once all had agreed to go, the two boys led the way.

AN: The lyrics sang by character Naomi belong to the music ZOMBIE BY THE CRANBERRIES. Go check it out if you'd like to. Thank you for reading and for your reviews! I continue to insist, any more reviews will be most welcomed, as it is my first story, I'm a bit insecure about it, so I would love to hear your opinions on it! :)