We didn't say anything while we waited. When the last person came out we went in. I sat on the counter while she closed the door. She walked across the small bathroom and stopped in front of me.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine, really." I faked a smile. "Geez hasn't anybody ever seen two people hug."

She gave me a look that said "Even I'm not that stupid."

"I'm serious we were hugging." I reassured her.

"Really because the hugs that I get and that I've seen usually don't involve pain." She crossed her arms.

"I'm not in pain." At least not now I thought. "I promise."

"Okay." She gave me a small smile.

"Um I kinda have to use the bathroom…"

"Oh of course sorry." She said as she walked out the door. I locked it behind her, and went to the mirror. My face turned into a grimace as I lifted up my shirt to see if I had a bruise. Oh boy did I! Each side of my waist had a bluish blackish handprint from Scott that matched the one on my arm. Plus they kept throbbing every time I breathed. I put my shirt down and walked out of the bathroom. "America's Suitehearts" by Fall Out Boy was playing. I saw Scott, but he dint see me, he looked like he was looking for me. I melted into the crowd so he couldn't see me, I didn't want to deal with that idiot. Someone grabbed my arm and I spun around to see Kyle.

"Hey." I breathed.

"Hey, were all out at the bonfire." He gestured outside.

I nodded and he led the way. When we got outside Alex, Erik, Nathan, and Anna were surrounded by people.

"I had to leave the mob to come find you." Kyle pointed out. I grinned. "Alright everybody keep moving!" Kyle shouted. Everyone dispersed, closer to the bonfire, except Abby who was currently talking to Nathan. Me and Kyle walked over to where Alex, Erik, and Anna were standing.

"He looks a bit uncomfortable." Kyle mused.

Alex chuckled. "Yeah a bit."

I grinned but I couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy. Wait why was I jealous? Anna's gaze flickered to me then to her brother.

"Nathan doesn't seem too interested in their conversation." Anna whispered in my ear. "Considering he is looking at you."

I blushed, and looked at my feet. A gush of wind caused me to shiver like crazy. Kyle noticed.

"Come on lets go sit in front of the fire." He said. We all sat on a log next to the fire. But it wasn't helping. Erik was sitting on the other end next to Anna who was sitting next to Alex, and he was sitting next to Kyle who was sitting next to me. Nathan came over and sat next to me. Which filled up the seats for this log. There was a lot of talking and you could still hear the music from the house.

"Hey." He said and smiled.

"Hi." I smiled and blushed. My teeth chattered a little and Nathan seemed to catch this. He glanced down at me out of the corner of his eyes. All of a sudden it seemed like the fire reached out and covered my body in heat. It felt so warm.

Nathan leaned down to where his lips were at my ear. "Do you want my jacket?" His lips brushing my ear caused me to shiver.

"Um no thanks." I smiled. "Surprisingly I'm warm." But then my warmth was suddenly gone and I was freezing again.

"Are you sure?" He asked again.

"Actually, if you don't mind…" He smirked and took off his leather jacket, and slipped it on me. I put my arms through and hugged myself. I don't know if it was because I had his jacket on now that my warmth came back, or it came as freaky as it did before, but it came back.

I glanced at Kyle. He had a huge lopsided grin on his face. I elbowed him in the side, and he chuckled. I laid my head down on his shoulder and almost fell asleep. When I would peek over at Nathan he was watching me through the corner of his eye. It seemed almost in a protective way. A couple minutes later Anna cleared her throat awfully loud, Nathan looked around a little and stiffened. The next thing I know I'm being pulled up from the log from behind.

"I need to talk to you." Scott said in my ear.

He led me to where we were covered by some forest, where no one could really hear us.

I stepped away from him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"What?" I asked.

"Don't give me that." He said and grabbed my wrist. I jerked away from him.

"Don't. Touch. Me. " I said through clenched teeth.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but he looked at Nathan's jacket on me.

"Why are you wearing that?" He asked.

"Because I was freezing and I didn't want to freeze to death before you offered me yours."

"Take it off." He ordered stepping towards me.

"No." I stood my ground

"Why?" He was an inch away from me.

"I'm cold."

He sucked in a breath and pulled back his arm like he was going to punch me.

I laughed a menacing laugh. "Go ahead do it, then see what happens."

He put his arm back down by his side and stepped away from me.

"Scott its over." I said in a lazy tone. "Just go."

"What?" He got mad all over again. "Your breaking up with me?" He was now towering over me again.

"Is there a problem?" A voice said a couple feet away.

"No its fine Nathan, I was just leaving." I walked past Scott and he caught my wrist.

"No your not."

"Let go of me." He only squeezed tighter. Then Nathan's hand was suddenly over Scott's wrist in a death grip. He dropped mine and I stepped back. Scott let out a cry of pain.

"Nathan?" I asked. He let go of Scott and turned to me. His eyes were menacing, but I swear they were like fire. They softened when his eyes met mine.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah." I said looking to Scott who was on the ground apparently in pain. "Come on lets go."

We went back to the bonfire and sat back down.

"You okay?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah but, Kyle?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm gonna need a ride if you don't mind."

He smiled. "I knew he was a jerk." I smiled back at him. "But there's a little situation with the seats."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Come on." He stood up. "You guys ready to go?" He asked all of us. We all nodded in agreement.

When we got to the van I immediately saw the problem. The instruments and amps and everything for the band were in his van. Alex got in the back next to the guitar case. Kyle handed him a medium sized amp to hold. Erik got in next to him and Anna sat on his lap. Oh no that means I'm gonna have to-

"Come on Mace, and Nathan." Kyle said from the drivers seat.

I glared at him as Nathan got in the passengers seat. He smiled back at me. I crawled in the van and carefully sat on his lap, so I wouldn't squish him. But I instantly melted against his body. It was so warm. He reached around me to buckle the seatbelt. The shoulder strap was hitting me in the face so he took it and but it behind him.

As the van started moving it became a little awkward. I started to squirm on top of Nathan.

"Here." Nathan said to me. He spread his legs apart so I was sitting in between them but still on the seat. I smiled up at him.

Eventually my eyes started to droop and my head was bobbing. Nathan leaned forward a bit so his lips were at my ear. I shivered again.

"You can lay your head on me, if you want." I nodded and laid my head in the nape of his neck. I drifted to sleep perfectly happy, maybe it would chase away the nightmares for one night.

Same night, just a few hours later after she gets home and went to bed.

I sat up straight in my bed waking up from that horrible nightmare. My breathing was shallow and uneven. Tears were still running down my face. I glanced at my clock it was 1am. I get for school in 5hrs. Duke was on my floor now, apparently I thrashed around in my sleep and he got tired of it. At least I didn't scream this time. Before I went to bed I changed into these loose, comfy football pants that were kinda big on me and a brown tank top. I put my hair in a bun/loop and put my sidesweep bangs back with bobby pins.

I got up and headed for the door. Duke got up and went downstairs with me. I walked outside to let him go to the bathroom. He just laid down in the front yard. I smiled and walked over to him. His tail started wagging. I laid down on my back next to him. It's a really nice night out I thought. The stars were so beautiful.

I sighed. "Why is the world so filled with evil, and hate?" I asked Duke. He just looked at me. I obviously knew I wasn't going to get an answer I just like talking to him, he's a good listener. "I mean I know theres happiness and joy and love, but it seems like all of the bad in the world out ways the good." I looked over at him and he was content where he was. "Too much pain and sorrow." I paused and looked at the stars. "You wouldn't know what that's like would you?" I asked him, and again he just looked up at me with those blue eyes. "Animals don't judge people the way people do." His tail wagged a little, and I smiled at that. "Sometimes I wish I lived in the world the way you see it. Innocent and carefree, with people that love you, who shield you from the bad."

He whimpered a little and I frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He barked and was alert and up on all fours in front of me in a second. He was growling at the side of the house where it was dark, where the porch light couldn't get to.

"Is someone there?" I asked, not Duke, to whatever he was barking, and growling at. I knew someone or something was there because he doesn't just bark at anything. I got no answer. I was just about to walk over there when headlights suddenly appeared on the streets. They were headed into my driveway. They turned off the car and stumbled out of the drivers seat.

"Baby is that you?" A slurred voice called. I squinted a little to see in the dark who it was.

"Scott?" I asked

"Yeah who else?" He sounded drunk. He was getting closer to me, with each wobbly step he took.

"Are you drunk?" I asked crossing my arms and backing up towards the side of the house a little. He just shrugged. "Who gets drunk the night before the first day of school?"

"Listen I-"

"No I'm not going to listen to you." I said cutting him off.

"But I-"

"No."

"Come on-"

"No I won't listen to-" He cut me off by slamming me against the side of my house. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. Duke showed his teeth and growled at him. "I wouldn't if I were you." I said to Scott.

"Come on baby." He slurred, and took both sides of my face and crashed his lips to mine. I broke the kiss by turning my head away.

"What was that?" I asked my voice dripping with venom.

"I need you to tell me what I do to your body." He told me in a husky voice. All I thought was EWW!

"You really want me to tell you?" I asked. He nodded and I pushed him away so he was a couple feet in front of me. Duke positioned himself in the space between us. "This" I said as I lifted up my shirt so he could see my bruises. "is what you do to my body."

"You little bitch." He spat. Then he kicked Duke to the side, and he came right up to me.

"DON'T EVER KICK MY DOG!" I screamed at him.

He slapped me across my face. I punched him in his face. He grabbed me by my throat and pinned me against the house. I grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding my throat. His other hand was on my lower stomach holding me there.

"HEY!" Came a very angry voice from the porch. It was Chris. He ran from the porch to Scott so fast it was inhuman. He grabbed Scott by the back of the neck and threw him on the ground. I fell down on my hands and knees gasping for air. He punched Scott a few times, but stopped and looked down at him.

"Get out of here, before I kill you." Chris said. Scott scrambled to his feet with blood rushing out of his nose and mouth. "And don't ever come near her again." Scott drove off.

I slowly got up and faced him. He pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged him back.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He asked, still hugging me.

"I didn't know he would choke me." I said and pulled away from him. "Duke?" I called out.

"He's in the house." Chris told me. "He came and woke me up to help you."

I smiled.

"Are you okay?" I saw sadness and concern in his eyes. I nodded. "How long has he been abusive?"

"That assignment that you guys just came back from" He waited for me to continue. "When you guys were gone that's when it first started."

"What did he do?"

"I didn't fall down the stairs, he pushed me."

His fists clenched. "Did he do anything else?" He asked in a tight voice.

I sighed and lifted up my shirt. I heard him suck in a breath. "He did that tonight at the party." I told him. He squatted down on the ground to get a better look at the bruises, but his face was level with my stomach which made it kind of awkward.

"Why did he do this?" He asked as he took my hips and turned me around to look at my back. I blushed.

"Nathan and I were talking, and apparently I flirted with him." I honestly did now that I think about it.

"What a bastard." He brushed his fingertips over my skin. I shivered.

He straightened up and I turned back around to him. He looked at me intently.

"Does it hurt?" He whispered. I bit my bottom lip and looked down. I nodded. "Damn it why didn't you tell me before?" His voice rose a little.

"Because the first time it happened I already knew I was going to break up with him it was just a matter of when."

"Come on." He led me back into the house. "Get some sleep before school."

"Gee school!" I said sarcastically. He laughed a little.

I went up stairs but stopped at the top and looked down at him. "Thank you for everything it means a lot to me."

"Your welcome."

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Macer0307 =]