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Chapter 17

Ari P.O.V

"Vic!" I gasped. I launched myself at him and wrapped my arms round his neck.

"Hey kitten. Come on, I think we had better get out of this pool, or one of your friends is going to crash into us."

We both pulled ourselves out of the pool, just as Cari came hurtling head first out the end of the slide. She waded over to the edge and pulled herself out.

"You lot somehow planned this, didn't you?" I asked both Vic and Cari.

"Your mam was responsible for most of it." Cari admitted. "But we've all been in on it." she was grinning ear to ear.

"She's even letting me stay at yours, no, scratch that, she insisted on it." Vic chuckled. "Something about her wanting you to get a decent nights sleep on Christmas Eve?"

I gasped. "You're staying for Christmas?" I asked hopefully.

"I go back January third." He answered, grinning.

"There's the Ari we all know and love!" A voice said. I turned round to see Mark standing in the water. I hadn't noticed that Faith and him had come down.

I laughed when Paddy came down and crashed into Mark, sending him headlong into the water.

The two climbed out of the pool and the six of us walked over to the main pool, Vic had his arm around my waist. My incredibly good hearing picked up a voice I recognised. Edith.

I peeked round the corner and saw her and two other girls lounging in the pool. They were all wearing so much make up it was unbelievable. I mean, you don't wear make up to go swimming!

I couldn't help my self, and apparently neither could Cari. We grinned wickedly at each other and I pulled away from Vic. The two of us took a running start and jumped into the large pool, yelling "CANNON BALL!"

The splash we created was big enough to completely douse the three unsuspecting girls. They squealed and both me and Cari came up laughing.

Mark Faith and Paddy followed and only Vic was left, looking at us curiously.

"Jump in Vic! It's fun!" I said, smiling up at him.

He shrugged and jumped in, landing beside me.

"What the hell!" Edith yelled at us. "Why did you do that for?"

"Fun." Cari answered. "Don't tell me you've forgotten how to have fun?"

"Our make up is ruined!" One of the other girls, the blond, wailed.

"What were you doing wearing make up to go swimming anyway?" Cari asked.

"Make up makes you look better." The blond replied in a 'duh' sort of tone.

"Well, if it helps, you lot had so much on you looked plastic and fake. Also, make up clogs up the skins pores, causing spots. So, we did you a favour, helping you wash it off." I said.

"Why do you have to spoil everything?" Edith demanded angrily.

"Uh, if I remember correctly, it was you who used us. We were more than willing to be friends with you, but friendship is a two way street, you obviously thought that it was all about you. News flash, it's not. You thought we'd answer your every beck and call, well we never would, we aren't blind sheep, and that is where you messed up." My tone was low, and dangerous.

"You're a bitch, you know that, don't you?" the other girl, the brunette said.

"Woof." I replied. "Takes one to know one, right?"

The girls jaw dropped and she started to splutter.

"Word of advice, you play with fire, you're going to get burnt." Cari grinned.

"Why don't you just go back where you came from, freak?" Edith growled, well attempted to. It was nothing compared to the growl that had built up in Vic's chest, and forced it's way out his chest.

He came up behind me and wrapped an arm round my waist.

Edith's eyes snapped to him. She took in his face and then his well defined muscles. A look entered her eyes that I recognised all to well. It said that she was moving in to grab a guy.

Before she could speak however, Vic beat her to it. "At least Ari's her own person, not a sheep."

Edith looked taken aback. Mark dove in. "Yeah, you used to be your own person. At least Ari hasn't become one of the crowd. None of us have. We are who we want to be, not who others want us to be. I think that makes you the freak."

Edith's eyes narrowed, but she remained speechless. The two girls that were with her didn't speak up, either.

"Come on, this corner of the pool's no fun." Faith said. Her and Paddy managed to drag us away, not literally, before a physical fight broke out. Vic was still growling.

"I don't like her." he said.

"Join the club." I said bitterly. "She used to be nice, before she left for college."

"Wait, that's the girl who used to be one of your best friends?" he asked, incredulously.

"Yep." I said bitterly. "She's been a real bitch for a bit over a year now."

"Do you want me to threaten her for you?" He offered.

"No need." I said.

"We are perfectly able to do that ourselves." said Cari.

"I can imagine." Vic replied.

I decided to lighten the mood, so I splashed all of them.

"Hey!" Vic said. He soon had me round the waist and was tickling me. I shrieked and flailed around the water.

"Stop! Please!" I yelled.

"Apologise." Vic said.

"Never!"

"Kitten." He growled as he continued his merciless tickling.

"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry!" He stopped and I pulled away, and dived under the water.

I came up on the other side of Paddy and poked him. "Tag. Your it." I laughed.

Two hours later the six of us exited the pool and I noticed Vic's bike in the parking lot. "We'll drive to your place Tiger, and you show Saber the way?" Mark asked.

"Sure." I said.

"Give us your bags then." He took mine and Vic's bags and walked to his car, where he threw them and his in the boot. Vic led me over to his bike and I got on behind him. As he drove, I gave him directions by just tapping his left or right side, depending on which way I wanted him to turn.

We got there before the others, so we waited a minute for them to turn up. When Mark turned up, only he got out. "We're going to head back, do our work, and leave you two to catch up." He said. He got out our bags and handed them to us. "See you Monday." He said.

I nodded, smiling. I wasn't going to complain.

As they drove off I turned to Vic and smiled. "Mam isn't going to come back till seven, so…"

"I think I know what we could do with our spare time then." Vic half growled, half purred.

I laughed and led him inside, and upstairs to my room.

I jumped on him when my bed room door closed, and our mouths met. He laughed against me as he set me down onto the bed. He pulled my top off me, and then my jeans. I did the same for him and soon found myself pressed into the mattress, my body completely covered with his. I moaned in anticipation as he removed our underwear.

"It's been too long kitten." Vic growled.

I just moaned in response, wishing he'd use his mouth for something other than talking right now. I placed my hand at the nape of his neck and brought his lips down to meet mine. He positioned himself in between my legs and thrust quickly into me. I moaned into him, and he took the opportunity of my open mouth to slide his tongue in to map out my mouth. Vic moved in and out of me with a hunger, like a starved man being presented with a feast. He moved his mouth away from mine and down my neck. When he reached it, Vic's teeth latched onto the mark he'd left on me before. He bit down, just enough to draw blood, just as we both came.

He rolled over, so he was on his back, and I was laying on top of him. We were still entwined, and he was still in me. I sighed happily and rested against him. I closed my eyes, and tried to regain full awareness of my surroundings.

A/N: please review! I hope you enjoyed, any feedback is appriecieated.