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By the next morning, she was over it. She was all cried out, and was grumpy. The kids were avoiding her, and the worst part about it?

She could feel herself being unreasonable. She wanted to hide away in the bathroom, before they killed her. She was not fit for human company.

It wasn't the kids' or Garry's fault that she and Edge hadn't had any contact in four years. It wasn't their fault Edge had turned up out of the blue (although technically it was). She knew they were avoiding her, and they had a good reason to.

The boys' had missed the entire ordeal. Garry and the girls were quick to fill them in. No one went near Bec's room for the rest of the night. They were scared she might kill them. With an eyeliner or something.

She cried herself to sleep that afternoon. Bec fell asleep on top of the scrapbook, and when she woke up because she was in pain (at around two a.m), she cried again. The girls were worried. Garry was worried. The boys hadn't seen the extent of it until she walked down the stairs that morning.

"Whoa!" Garry had said, backing away.

"Leave it, Garry".

She had checked her appearance in her bathroom mirror, and it was not pretty. Her cheeks were tearstained and her eyes were red and puffy.

And she'd lied to the girls, telling them she was completely over Edge. She thought she had been, but then he went and turned up on their doorstep, bringing back extremely unwanted memories. Memories that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Bec, we're heading into town to see a movie", Cassie said. "Want to come?"

Bec did her best to smile at the younger girl. "I would, but I've got bills to pay and paperwork to fill out. Thanks for the thought, though".

"It's cool. Bye!"

She heard the screen door slam, and Garry lounged in the doorway. "Care to explain what happened yesterday afternoon?"

"Not really".

"Let me rephrase that- please explain what happened yesterday afternoon?"

"To cut a long story short, Edge broke my heart four years ago and now he's back".

Garry looked taken aback. "Wow. That was... unexpected".

Bec didn't look up from the computer screen.

"You cut a lot out from the yelling we heard yesterday".

"Do you want to get hurt?"

"No, I'm serious!"

"I wasn't yelling!" Bec protested. "I was simply making a point. A very loud, strong point".

"Alright then. Well, if it's alright with you, I'm going to head over to Ashleigh's place. She's making dinner, and then we're going out to watch a movie. Are you going to be alright here by yourself?"

"Garry, I'll be fine".

"The kids won't be back for a while".

"Garry, I'm twenty years old. I think I can look after myself for a couple of hours!"

I am so not fit for human company.

"Ooh, feisty!" he teased. "See ya".

"Bye".

When she heard Garry's car pull out of the driveway, she closed down the computer and headed into the kitchen.

In all honesty, she was feeling fragile. When Edge went on the pro circuit, she found out that the only thing that had helped her feel better was cookies and cream ice cream. There was always a tub of it in the freezer, because Garry and the kids loved it. It was one of the only foods Charley could eat when he got sick, without hurting his throat.

She dished some into a bowl (normally she'd eat it straight from the tub but she lived with six other people and had to act human-like sometimes) and headed into the lounge room. Bec settled onto the lounge (she was wearing her favourite track pants and shirt), putting 10 Things I Hate About You into the DVD player. It was a movie that she could watch over and over again without getting sick of it.

She was licking her spoon and really getting into the movie when her phone started to ring. Groaning, she set the ice cream aside and paused the movie.

"Hello?" she snapped, annoyed at the unknown person for interrupting her time with Heath Ledger.

"Hi, Bec", Edge said pleasantly.

She was disgusted. "What do you want?"

"Look, about yesterday-"

That was when she realised something that would add a twist to the story.

"Wait a minute! You've had my number for four years and decide to use it now?" Bec shrieked. "That is wrong on so many levels!"

"Bec, I'm sorry!" he exploded. "You have no idea what it's like on the circuit, how busy you always are! I missed you so much! At first I didn't know how I was going to live without you!"

"Then why did you stop the contact?" she asked.

She was tired of being angry. All she wanted was answers, for closure.

"I don't know! I was stupid!"

"You were", she agreed.

"Meet me for dinner tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Please? Just so we can catch up- and dinner as friends, I absolutely swear. Although it will be my treat. I insist".

Bec considered this- it was the least he could do. "Fine. Where and when?"

"How's the Purple Iguana?" he tried. "Say, six?"

Bec was absolutely silent. The Purple Iguana was a small cafe on the main drag- it had the best hot chocolate, thick as treacle, for a really cheap price. For her year, all the Solar Blue birthday dinners had been held there, and she continued the tradition with her first lot of intakes, starting with Adam. Edge and Perri had worked there as a waiter and waitress, to earn some extra cash. But what Edge had failed to remember that the Purple Iguana had been the setting for their very first proper date. "Um..."

"Sorry, sorry", Edge said quickly. "That was stupid of me, I know. What about the boat club? Six thirty?"

"Fine".

"I'll see you then?"

"Sure".

She pressed the red 'end call' button and tossed her phone to the side. Sinking deeper into the lounge pillows, she pressed the play button on the DVD remote and watched Heath Ledger march across the screen.

What have I done?


There was a creak from the hallway and Bec jumped, surprised. She had been hearing only the tapping of the keyboard's keys for the past hour, and that late at night it had startled her. Bridget creeped past the office, a sheepish look on her face- it took Bec the whole of a second to work out what had happened. The third last stair had a creak.

"Bridget?"

Bridget leaped into the air, clearly not expecting it. She grabbed a pen off the bench and spun around to see who was behind her.

"Oh. Hi Bec. I didn't know you were up".

"Why aren't you in bed?" Bec wanted to know, putting an arm around the younger girl's shoulder.

"I can't sleep. I wanted a drink".

Bec nodded.

"Why are you up?" Bridget asked.

"I had to finish off some of the work I've been putting off. I was about to turn off the computer, anyway. Is everything okay?"

Bridget nodded firmly. "Yep. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because you're acting all weird, and quiet. No offence, Bridget, but being quiet is Loren's job".

"I've just got a lot on my mind", she said quietly.

"Why did Edge come back?" Bec asked.

Bridget shrugged- a little too quickly, for Bec's opinion. "I dunno. I don't know him, do I?"

"Bridget".

It was clear Bridget only had brothers. Bec only had brothers, and in her year, was the troublemaker of the girls. Fly had six sisters, Perri had a sister, and Anna had a brother significantly younger than herself. Therefore, it was up to Bec to plot against Matt, Heath and Edge.

"Technically it wasn't my fault", Bridget procrastinated.

"You're not in trouble".

"Okay, then it kinda was my fault but kinda not?" she said. "Know what I mean?"

"Nope".

"It was Cassie's idea to involve the boys".

"Cassie", Bec growled and Bridget jumped.

"You said I wasn't in trouble!" she almost wailed.

"Oh, no, honey, you're not", Bec assured her. "Keep going, babe".

"Well... Loren really had nothing to do with this. She just thought it was sweet, the story".

"Loren is gorgeous".

"Yeah... but we didn't expect him to come over, seriously, Bec!" Bridget sounded panicky. "That part wasn't in the plan, I swear".

"I believe you, darling. Edge does things sometimes that are unexplainable".

"Everything happens for a reason".

It was something Bec had said many times, throughout the year. She didn't think the kids were listening. Maybe she had been wrong.

"You should be in bed, shouldn't you?" Bec asked.

Bridget hugged Bec and leaned her head on her shoulder. "What are you going to do about Edge, Bec?"

The brunette sighed. "I don't know".

Even in the dark hallway, Bridget could see clouds of worry floating in the older girl's hazel eyes.