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A/N: Please review, otherwise I won't know if you like it and will be less inclined to update

CHAPTER THREE: TWO NEANDERTHALS AND A CAVEMAN

"Are you sure, you're okay?" Natalie took her eyes off the road to glance worriedly at me. She was behind the wheel of her old, but she assured me, reliable, navy blue car. She was driving me home, despite the fact that I'd told her a hundred times that my house wasn't far from Degrassi and that I could walk.

And to be honest, I was really appreciative right about now as my left side, the side that hit the lockers, was starting to become painful again as the numb feeling began to fade.

"Just a little sore," I answered massaging my left arm.

"Those guys are jerks," said Natalie angrily. I noticed a tiny scar close to where her right eyebrow started, visible only when she furrowed her brow in angry or worry. I couldn't help but smile a little to myself. Oh brother…

"Yeah, they are," I agreed, because I couldn't think of anything witty or charming to say. After all, Drew was the one that was good with girls.

"What did you ever do to them?" My heart leapt nervously when he heard the question, despite the fact that he was pretty sure it was rhetorical. I was born a girl, I thought bitterly.

"They're just couple of Neanderthals," I said, instead. "So I haven't seen you around before?" I added, desperate to change the subject.

"Yeah, that's because I'm new," she told me. "Today was my first day".

"Cool," I said. She doesn't know, I thought, a little too excited. She doesn't know my secret because she's new. I cleared my throat, trying to keep my cool. "My house is the one with the gray van," I told her, as we pulled into my street.

Natalie pulled the car into the driveway next to the van.

"Do you need help inside?" she asked.

"It's alright, I'm feeling way better" I lied, "You've done a lot already".

"Okay…" she trailed off, reluctantly. I reached over to grab my bag out of the back seat, and tried to hide the involuntary wince I gave as the pain shot up my arm. I glanced at Natalie, she didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks for the ride," I said, "…and everything".

"No problem," she said, smiling, "Anytime".

"See you around, Natalie," I liked the way her name sounded when I said it.

"Bye, Adam," What I liked even more was the way my name sounded when she said it.

God, now I'm giving myself the runs…

I shut the door behind me, and gave a little wave as she pulled out of the driveway and made a U-turn back to the main street.

As I watched her disappear around the corner street, I couldn't help but think that universe had given me a second chance by sending me a nice, pretty girl who didn't know what I really was. Then, as I made my way inside, I also couldn't help but think that if she didn't find out today, it was only a matter of time that the school gossip would reach her and she would find out…

I slipped off my shoes and dropped my backpack by the door, next to Drew's football bag that told me he was home. Aside from the old, family van, there were no other cars in the driveway which meant that our parents weren't home.

I breathed a sigh of relief; I really hadn't wanted to deal with one of my mother's freak outs right now. She'd gotten super sensitive since the last time I came home all scrapped up—Owen and Fitz had thrown me into a door for using the guy's bathroom when Bianca told them (and everybody else) what she'd seen when she ripped open my shirt.

That time, Drew had gotten pretty messed up too for trying to defend me, which made her even more upset.

Since then, I feel like I've made real progress with her, she hadn't invite Grams to dinner for a while and even stopped having pronoun problems…In any case, I didn't want this little incident to mess up all that progress so I'd have to get myself cleaned up before she got home.

Until then, I was wanted to lay in bed and rest for a while and I'd been able to for a whole 4 minutes until Drew bound through my door.

"Good, you're home," he said, "I'm going out with Alli tonight…Which shirt to you like?"

I lay very still, keeping my eyes closed. I was so tired and my body hurt.

"I'm pretty sure the door was closed, Andrew," I said, trying to move my lips as little as possible "Ever heard of knocking?"

"I know, I'm sorry," he said, quickly. "But listen, which shirt do you like?"

"I don't know," I answered shortly, eyes still closed.

"C'mon, help you're bro out," he said, jabbing me playfully in the ribs. Unfortunately, with my eyes closed, I hadn't seen it coming, and was therefore unable to stifle the cry of pain, which ended up, involuntarily erupted from my mouth at the contact.

I sat bolt upright, but I knew it was too late the minute we locked eyes. Drew and I weren't biologically related but we were as close as brothers could get. He knew, immediately.

"They're messing with you again?" he said darkly, the tone of his voice doing a complete one eighty from the last time he spoke. His eyes were narrowed, flashing dangerously. It was a look so fierce, had I not been his brother, I would probably be afraid.

"It's nothing," I said quickly, clutching at my self defensively. Drew didn't speak, but he was advancing on me. Gently but firmly, he wrestled me out of my hoodie and my flannel shirt until I was down to the gray short-sleeved shirt I was wearing over my tank top and binding. To be honest, it wasn't very difficult given my current state.

Drew's expression became even more fierce as he caught sight of the sickly, dark bruises already forming all along my arms—I knew I would discover more along my sides and legs went I went to take a shower later.

"Fitz and Owen did this," said Drew—it wasn't a question.

"Andrew, please," I pleaded, "Don't do anything stupid".

"Those assholes," he said, ignoring me. He seemed distant, lost in thought.

"How many times do I have to tell you this isn't your battle?" I said, louder…I had honestly lost count.

"You're my sis—" he caught himself, "brother," he corrected himself quickly. "How many times do I have to tell you, if somebody messes with you, it automatically become my battle".

"Drew, please," I said again, "You know what happened last time. They beat you to a pulp. You can't take both of them, you know you can't. Just leave it. Please".

"You know I can't do that, Adam," said Drew seriously.

"Stop being so dramatic, Andrew. Geez." I said, getting annoyed. "You have to leave it. Besides, somebody saw what they did to me. I promise I'll have her tell Simpson if it continues. But I have a feeling it won't. I heard Owen say they have only one strike left before they get expelled".

This wasn't entirely a lie…I did hear them say that whether or not they would keep harassing me, I couldn't guarantee.

"Fine," said Drew, "But I'll be keeping an eye on them".

"Yeah, okay. Down boy," I said.

"I'm serious," Drew assured me.

"I get it, caveman. Grunt grunt sniff grunt" I said pushing him towards the door and trying my best to lighten up the situation. I grinned at him and Drew's hard countenance cracked and he gave me a small smile as he headed out the door

"You should go get cleaned up," he called from the hallway, "Mom and dad'll be home soon".

"Okay," I called back, "And Andrew?" I added, picking up the shirts he'd left on my bed.

"Yeah?" he said, reappearing at the door.

"Wear the blue one," I told him, throwing the shirts at him. He caught them grinned at me.

"Thanks, will do," he said, winking and vanished once more.

A/N: Again, PLEASE REVIEW!