"So, what's happening with you and weird-o?" Jennifer laughed wickedly as she followed Kennedy to the bathroom.

"Have you recently turned lesbian? Following me to the bathroom and everything…sort of weird. Probably wouldn't have minded if you asked first." Kennedy shrugged as she went into the stall. When she was done, Jennifer was still there, except she had Elle and a few more girls standing around. Kennedy looked around, and she knew exactly what was going to happen, and no-one would believe her.

Jon was waiting in literature, but Kennedy didn't show up. This wasn't normal, at all. She was an honour roll student – she attended every class – and if she didn't she sure did make up for it. Kennedy walked in fifteen minutes late, and she slumped down to the desk that was spare. Jon looked at her face as she looked up, and he noticed that her lip was beginning to swell, along with her eye. She'd tried to cover it up with make-up, but it didn't work.

The teacher didn't ask her to read, or to participate in the conversation, because he thought she was having an 'off' day. After collecting all her work that she needed to complete, the teacher let everyone out a little early.

Kennedy stormed out of the classroom faster than a wild-fire. Jon tried to chase after her, but as he made it to the end of the corridor, she was out of sight.

He walked around the school trying to find her – and he saw that her car was still there, so she must be still on the grounds. After walking around after the bell rang, he walked out, almost giving up. He saw her sitting under a tree, hugging herself. He walked over, and just sat with her. He didn't say a word.

"I don't want you to see me." She mumbled, as she sniffled.

"What happened, Kennedy?" he asked, rubbing her hands. "Kennedy, show me."

She slowly lifted her face up, and his face said it all. Her eye was quite swollen, along with her lip. Jon suspected there was more damage, but he didn't press the issue.

"Come to mine, I'll look after you." Jon offered. Kennedy stayed quiet. "I won't bite, don't worry." Kennedy stayed silent, and the two walked to her car. She started the ignition up, but kept the radio off. She followed his instructions on how to get to his house. "Before we get out," Jon spoke quietly. "Was the reason of all of that me?"

She shook her head. "It could never be you." She looked at him before opening the car door and getting out. Jon followed suit, and pointed out the shack that he called home.

"Mom isn't home at the moment, she's, erm, scoring." Kennedy didn't ask, but Jon felt like he needed to explain. "She's a junkie and a drunk." Kennedy nodded, as she looked around. Jon walked to the kitchen, where there was basically nothing. He pulled out some ice from the ice-chest that they had in the kitchen instead of a fridge or freezer. He wrapped them in a small tea-towel, to which he placed on her face gently. He noticed she was beginning to cry. He pulled the ice off of her face, and just pulled her into his tall frame. She began to cry harder, as he just rubbed her back.

"You don't need to be strong all the time," Jon mumbled into her passionfruit scented hair. "I kind of like it when you hug me like this."

She pulled away and looked at him. "You just need to ask." She whispered softly before holding him again. He smiled weakly when he heard the front door slam.

"JONATHAN." A loud voice came through the house. "Some bitch parked her car on the cur-" His mother walked into the kitchen and saw Kennedy standing there with a bruised eye and a swollen lip. "What the hell happened to you, honey?" Jon was confused. Was this his mother? "You're a girl at Jon's school, but what the hell happened to your face? Jon, give her the ice!" Jon handed Kennedy the ice and Kennedy placed it on her face. "Hold it on your face for 10 minutes, honey. It should hopefully go down before you go home." His mother softly caressed Kennedy's face, before turning back to go to the loungeroom.

"She seems nice," Kennedy mumbled as the two sat out the back on the grass. "Is she usually like that?"

"Nope, that's the problem." Jon raised an eyebrow as he looked at the sky."She's either sober, or she's not my mother.."

Kennedy arrived home, alone. She walked inside, and her mother gasped when she saw her face. "Did that boy do that to you!?" She screamed.

"No, he didn't." Kennedy rolled her eyes as she moved her keys around. "Jennifer actually did."

"I don't believe you." Her mother sternly responded. Kennedy shrugged. She'd told the truth, but there was obviously not much more she could do. She turned and walked upstairs to her room and put the stuff down on her bed. She walked into her ensuite, and looked at her face, and how bad it was.

Kennedy looked at her phone and saw a text message from an unknown number. 'Hope you're doing okay – just letting you know your face is still beautiful to me.' Kennedy smiled – he didn't need to even say who it was.

There was a knock on Kennedy's door, and moments later the door opened, her father walking in. "Kennedy?"

"Papa!" She smiled, weakly. His face fell the moment he saw her face.

"What the hell happened!?" He yelled. "Who did this?!"

"I told mama, Jennifer did." Kennedy could tell from his face that he couldn't really believe that Jennifer did it .

"So it isn't that boy your mother is so angry about you seeing?" He asked, sitting on the end of her bed. "She's really angry – apparently he isn't… popular."

Kennedy shook her head, slowly. "No, he isn't. But he's what I think I need." She felt her stomach begin to flutter thinking about him. "He's not like the other boys I've dated."

"Are you sure?" He asked, looking at her. "If you are, I want to meet him. I don't want your mother to know, though."

"Why, papa?" Kennedy asked, looking at him.

"Because I don't need her getting angry for nothing." He shrugged. "So call him up and we'll go get dinner or something."

"It's 7:30." Kennedy looked at the clock. "You sure?"

"Again, yes. Let me know when you're ready." He turned around and walked out of the room. Kennedy called the unknown number.

"Sup gorgeous?" Jon smiled through the phone. "What can I do for you today? More ice?"

Kennedy shook her head. "No.. my dad wants to meet you." She spoke slowly. "Jon, you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." He mumbled. "Are you sure about this?" He was concerned. He'd never actually dated anyone before, let alone met someone's parents.

"Honestly?" Kennedy sat on her bed. "I'm scared as shit. I'm freaking out. But the one thing that's pulling me through is the fact that I can see you."

"You see me every day," Jon smiled through the phone. "I don't even know what to wear."

"Jeans and a top. I'll be at yours in about twenty." Kennedy smiled before hanging up the phone.