I know, I know, I haven't updated in forever and I'm really sorry but I have lots of GCSE's coming up, so that means lots of homework and lots of revising. Sorry guys, I'd never thought I'd say this but... school comes first.
Also, big thanks to the few people who reviewed my last chapter: LandOfTheLivingSkys, moon-called-princess, Bookninja15, walliezinga and XNatsumiX ... You guys are the absolute BEST!

Changing the Future

I wanted to scream, kick, cry, shout and stamp my feet like a child, standing here on the side of the road with an out of gas car and only half the money that I originally had in the first place. I suppose I brought this upon myself, I was so mad that I had my foot on the gas pedal too hard and therefore ran out of gas. Well, seeing as Rae's the reason I was mad, I think I'll just blame her instead. So here I am, sitting on the hood of my car on a particular hot day, wearing jeans, on the verge of tears, no water and in the worst mood imaginable. I got a few curious look as very few cars passed by which really didn't help my mood and I didn't know why. It's like when you're in a bad mood and the smallest of things seem to piss you off. But what really peaked my temper was when a couple of boys decided to 'help' me out.

As I was sitting on my car propping myself up on my elbows and my legs out stretched , randomly day dreaming about all the harsh words I could say to Rae if she ever crossed my path again, a loud car decided to disturb my thoughts. The deep bass of the stereo got louder and louder as a red convertible, that was too shiny, sped down the narrow two way road. I glared at it as it got closer, hoping it would blow up with the force of my glare. I expected it to speed right on by but when it stopped on the other side of the road I glared even more. Two boys sat in the red convertible; they looked about 19, maybe 20. One had neat blond hair and the other had stylishly spiked brown hair. They were dressed like rich kids, with fashionable shoes and shirts; maybe they're just coming home from some rich college. They both got out of their car and put on their expensive Ray Bans and crossed over to my side of the road, strutting like a couple of peacocks while they did so. My glare intensified.

The blonde one whistled in awe. "That's a nice car you have here."

"Thanks," I replied curtly, wishing they would leave. If they want to chat me up then they have another thing coming.

"It's very unique, right Austin?"

The spiky haired one—Austin—wasn't looking at the car but rather looking at my sprawled out body on the hood of my car. I didn't realise how my position could look like in the eyes some people, especially boys like these guys. I quickly sat up and put my jacket on, despite the hot weather. "Never seen anything like it," said Austin, still looking at me rather than the car.

"Sorry, you must think we're really rude; not introducing ourselves," the blonde one stepped forward and offered me his hand. "I'm Tyler and this is Austin," he gestured back to his friend, who was still starring at me. "And you are...?" he asked with a charming smile.

"Not interested," I tried to put as much ice into my voice as possible but it didn't seem to reach these guys.

Tyler's mouth quirked up at the corners but his brow furrowed. "You have an interesting car, what kind is it?" This guy does not give up!

"The out-of-gas kind."

They both chuckled as if I said something really funny. "You're out of gas? That's too bad, maybe we could help you out?"

I couldn't help giving them an interested glance. If they have any gas then I could be on my way. Austin smiled snidely, seeing my reaction. "Maybe we could give you a lift?" Austin suggested, gesturing back to their shiny convertible.

Any interest I had in them vanished instantly. "No thanks," I looked away from them and hoped they understood that meant that I didn't want to talk anymore.

"Aw, c'mon, we don't mind. Anything to help a damsel in distress," Austin persisted.

I scoffed at his words. "I'm no damsel and does it look like I'm distressed?"

They chuckled again and moved closer to my car. "No, really, we insist. It's no trouble," Tyler said, his voice no longer had a charming lilt to it.

"No, really, I must decline," I said in a mocking polite way. Tyler and Austin looked at each other and seemed to come to some sort of silent agreement. They stepped closer to my car and I tensed, ready to fend them off if they tried anything, but they didn't come any closer when the familiar purr of an engine came down the road.

It was like my car, like a drag race car with flames on the side, only red. It was one of Crazy Dave's cars. I couldn't see inside, the windows were tinted, but I had an annoying suspicion who was in it. The red car pulled up behind mine but whoever was in the car let the engine run and stayed in the car.

"Friend of yours?" Tyler asked, looking between the almost identical cars. I didn't answer, just waited for whoever was in the car to emerge. Eventually the engine shut off and Rae stood behind the car door, copper curls bright in the sunlight and a 100w smile that wasn't fooling me.

"Chloe!" She said in relief.

"Ah, Chloe is it?" Tyler said, all traces of hostility gone from his face and the charming smile and demeanour was back in place. Rae shut her car door and hurried over to my side. I stepped back from her and put my glare in place again.

"Chloe," she echoed. "I've been looking all over. What happened to your car?" Rae asked as if we were still friends and she never betrayed me.

"She seems to have ran out of gas," Austin said before I could.

Rae looked over to Tyler and Austin and raised her eyebrows at them. "I'm sorry," Rae fake smiled, "I don't believe we've met, who might you be?"

Tyler extended his arms like he did for me. "Tyler and this is my friend Austin. We were just offering Chloe—right?—Chloe a lift to wherever she wanted to go, seeing as she seems to be in a bit of an awkward situation," he offered a charming smile to Rae. She smiled at him, as if flattered by his smile, but I could tell by the steel in her eyes that she saw through him.

"Aw, that's so sweet of you, but there's no need now. Thanks anyway," she smiled sweetly, and nudged me in the side to do the same.

Grudgingly, I smiled my sweetest smile at the two. "Thanks for the offer but I'm fine now, thanks."

I hoped they would take that as their cue and leave but they just wouldn't give up. "Well why don't Tyler and I help you get on your way, I'm sure we have something in the back of our car that could help you out," Austin offered.

Rae and I protested at the same time. "No really, we're fine."

"Please," Tyler smiled, "we couldn't possibly leave two beautiful women, such as yourselves, alone without making sure they're fine first." They both headed back to their car and Rae and I we're left on our own.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I rounded on Rae. "When I walked out the door without you I would have thought that you would have understood that I don't want you with me."

"I know, I know, but I had to get to you. I have the details and I have the guns and I have to apologise until I'm blue in the face,"

"Give me the guns and the details and you can apologise until your blue, pink, purple, orange— I don't care — just go away!" I tried not to shout because Tyler and Austin were only a few paces away.

"I can't because I promised you I would stick with you until the end."

I looked at her perplexed. "... No you didn't."

"Well not you but the younger you. She said I had to ask for forgiveness, even though I don't deserve it and that I have to somehow prove to you I'm worth forgiving."

That does sound like something I would have said. I sighed, frustrated and annoyed. I paced back and forth a bit, trying to figure out whether I should forgive her or not. "You're not forgiven," I told her finally. The hurt in her eyes could not be hid but she nodded none the less. "But, you can prove to me that you can be forgiven."

The relief showed in her shoulders as if a great weight had been lifted off her. "I will, I promise."

I was stopped from replying when Tyler came up to us, Austin was nowhere in sight. "Ladies," he said. He had a coil of rope in his hand.

Rae laughed nervously, "I'm pretty sure rope can't fix a car."

"No," he agreed with an amused smile. "But it can help us tie you up."

"Wha—" My words were cut off as a clicking and sizzling sound came from behind me. Rae fell to the ground with a surprised cry and before I could react a sharp sting went down my neck and everything went black.

I'm surrounded by pure, white, light with no ceiling or floor. I'm in the Heaven but not Heaven place—again! Last time I was here I saw Derek. I spun around on the spot, my eyes sweeping over the empty space until I spotted my Derek... only I didn't. I was alone.

"Don't be stupid, of course you're not alone, you'll never be alone," a familiar voice said from beside me. I whipped my head around and saw him standing just a few feet away from me, unlike last time when I literally had to leg it to reach him. Wearing the same clothes as last time, he walked casually towards me.

"Am I dead?"

He chuckled and reached out his arm towards me and I automatically went into his embrace. "No, you're not dead, are you gonna ask that every time I see you?"

"Well I'm in a place that looks kinda like Heaven—"

"How do you know what Heaven looks like?"

"—and then I see you, so I immediately jump to that conclusion. This is a dream again, isn't it? So it isn't real?"

Derek sighed and played with a strand of my hair before he answered. " 'Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?'"

"In other words you don't know. Stop speaking in riddles and give me a straight answer. Is this inside my head or not?"

"Okay, okay... what is it that guy said in that film you made me watch that one time? 'Of course it's all in your head, but why should that mean it's not real?' Does that answer your question?"

"Harry Potter? You're quoting Harry Potter?"

"I couldn't think of a better way to explain this. In other words, it's real if you want it to be."

"But it's in my head at the same time?"

"Yes."

"So it's not real?"

"It is if you want it to be—I thought I went through this?"

"But, you're confusing me."

He laughed his deep laugh and held me closer to him. He leaned down until our lips met and that familiar feeling of heat coursed through my body. He kissed me like the first time, like he never wanted to stop—I certainly didn't want to stop. Screw needing air.

Eventually he pulled away and I pouted in protest. He chuckled again and held me close. "Are you in trouble again?" He asked with his arms around my waist and my arms around his neck.

"Me? In trouble?" I scoffed. "Never." He gave me a disbelieving look and I rolled my eyes. "Okay, so I'm in a tad bit of trouble, but I'll pull through. For you."

He smiled a smile that made my stomach do flips. "I know you will. Just remember that as soon as this whole thing is over you and I are finally going to be together. Nothing's going to stand in our way."

"Nothing," I promised.

"You need to go back now," he said regretfully.

"Reality sucks," I complained.

He chuckled. "Agreed. I'll see you soon, I love you." With those last words he gave me a small nudge and I was pulled back into the real world.

I slowly opened my eyes and was met by... darkness. I couldn't see a thing. And to top that off I had a splitting headache. I blinked a few times to make sure my eyes were actually open. I tried to sit up but my head hit something solid.

"Ouch!" I growled.

"Chloe, you awake?" Rae. She seems panicked.

"Yeah, what happened?

"The douche bags tasered up from behind. How the hell did he get us from behind? We would have seen him move."

"I'm not sure."

"Well anyway, they've obviously tied us up and put us in the back of their car." I didn't realise that what she said was true until I felt a tight rope tying my wrist together and the occasional bump of the car as it moves on the road. All I could make out in the dark was Rae lying next to me, my ankles and wrist tied up and I'm guessing she's in the same position. "Who do you think these guys are?"

"They're either creepy normal people who have kidnapped us or the Edison Group in disguise."

"Do you think we could get out of this?"

"Maybe when the car—" My next words were cut off as the car lurched to a stop and Rae and I both banged our heads on the top of the trunk of the car. "Ouch," we both grumbled.

Rae and I lay perfectly still, listening carefully. I heard the muffled noise of two car doors slamming but then all was silent.

"What do you thinks' happening?"

My heart was beating double time and my breathing got heavy. "I don't know," I breathed. "Do you think you can burn these ropes?"

"No, I've tried. When they tasered me it must have messed up my head because I can't concentrate on my power. Even if I could, I just realised that would mean risking burning us both up. What about you? Can you cast any hexes?"

"No, same problem as you, my head really hurts."

"Damn—" The sound of voices cut off Rae's curse. We stayed perfectly still and waited.

The voices got closer and the sound of someone opening the trunk had my heart beating faster than ever before. We were completely powerless.

The trunk opened and light poured in, making Rae and I blink rapidly at the changes our eyes had to make to adjust to the light. "You did good boys," a sly, slick voice praised, "a job well done."

I would recognise that voice anywhere.

Jasper O'Neil.

So here's the chapter that I've been waiting to write, but had to keep putting off because of my school work... anyway, I hope you like it and could you be so kind as to REVIEW this chapter? I really want your feedback on this one, please...So can anyone tell me who said those two quotes I put in? They're two of my many favourite quotes. I'll update as soon as I can and don't forget to review please! Until next time..x
PurpleFire...x