Chapter 15: All good things come to an end…

(Ian's POV)

After a long day of Jared gushing about Mel I did nothing but sleep for half of Sunday; until a round of high pitch squeaky giggles woke me up.

'…great that can only mean the bobble-twins are here.' I grumbled as I shoved a pillow over my face to try and drown them out.

Ever since they grew out of their grunge-emo-goth phase it's been non-stop girly crap that drives me insane. My head was already pounding after the many drinks I had last night… Jared said we'd go in to a local bar for one but ended up staying until closing, I'm surprised we both made it home unscathed.

I could still hear drone of female voices chattering away even with the extra barrier…curse my room for being near the front of the house. Sighing I rolled up to a sitting position, my legs swinging round until they found purchase on the carpeted floor. I waited for my stomach to stop swaying before I grabbed some jeans and a sweatshirt and headed toward the bathroom for a shower. Which of course meant crossing the hall, in full site of whoever was in the front room…I was in no state to be hurrying either I'll just have to deal with them seeing me in my boxers, it's not like they haven't before.

'Ooooooh~ Sleeping Beauty is awake' I could tell apart Jodi's whiny voice from anything.

'Where have you been hiding those muscles!'

'Wanda sure is a lucky girl‼' Great now Kyle's joining in, jeez can't a hung-over guy get a little break.

'OOOOH!~~'

I quickly shut the bathroom door before they could call anything else over; although hearing Wanda's name and thinking about how she could be something more made me get nervous and excited at the same time…which did little to help my rolling stomach. I hadn't seen her since last weekend, that's 6 days too long…

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After going out with Kyle to eat greasy food that always amazingly makes me feel 100x better when I've been drinking, we went back home to the girls painting their nails and talking. We both plopped down on the couch and turned on some sports, half watching – half in a conversation with Jodi and Lacey.

'What did you guys do yesterday?' Kyle asked them half-heartedly before punching the air as someone scored a goal on TV.

'Oh, we had a great day, me Jodi and Wanda went shopping – isn't that great! I really want us all to be friends if she's going to be hanging out with Ian. Jodi what did you think?' They went out with Wanda?! What? Since when did they know how to contact her?

'She's so nice! Although it got a little serious at lunch, the shopping was perfect – we even persuaded her to try a few dresses on, she looked gorgeous!' They carried on talking about what they tried on and how they looked.

'…so what happened at lunch?' I tore my gaze away from the TV and saw them shoot worried looks at each other – Jodi looked like she wanted to run away and hide. This must be something bad.

It was Lacey who finally spoke, 'Oh, erm. Ya'know, we were talking about what happened the other weekend…with her and that kid Bernard.' She couldn't even look at me…

'And…' I prompted, knowing that isn't the entire story.

'Well, Wanda noticed that you recognised him…and asked how…so I told her.'

'WHAT?! How much did you tell her Lacey?' I stood up and started pacing around the front room, the girls moved over to the couch Kyle was sitting on so they're weren't in my path.

'Well, she didn't know about anything Ian. You should have told her! But she looked like a little lamb, I couldn't lie to her!'

'GOD! You told her that we were orphans and everything?' Jodi nodded this time; I don't think either of them wanted to say another word. 'What is Wanda going to think of me now?! Some skinny, dirty kid who can't look after himself! WELL THANKS ALOT.' I screamed at them…I probably shouldn't have, but they might have just ruined the one good thing going for me.

I stormed out of the house, I didn't know if I wanted to see Wanda or avoid her. Why would she even try and find out behind my back? Surely she knew it was a big deal and that I didn't want her to know yet…this day is going from bad to worse. I decided I needed to speak to Jared, he whined on about Mel enough last night to hear me whine about Wanda now… shit I left my phone. He was working today though right? I remember making fun of him last night after the 7th beer about it.

Yes. I'll go to the diner and tell Jared about it, get his opinion – he'll know what to do.

(Wanda's POV)

I scraped the spoon along the bottom of the sundae dish sat in front of us. Again, Mel and I had nothing to do with our Sunday so we decided on the diner – Mel had gotten a call this morning from Jared saying he was here working and very hung-over, he needed us here to give him a boost and keep him from falling asleep.

I had spent the last hour sat across from Mel telling her all about my shopping trip yesterday, she liked that I was meeting new people…I can tell she worries about me sometimes in the friend department. I told her all about Jodi and Lacey, but carefully leaving out what they told me at lunch – by the time I had gotten in last night, and showered, I was ready to pass out so I promised Mel I'd tell her all about it today.

'-maybe you could introduce me to them, they sound great – oh, IAN! Hey! Come over!' She called out and waved to the other side of the room. I whipped my head round to see a wide-eyed Ian staring back at us, oh god. I don't know what to say, should I tell him I know? Or just wait and see if he tells me himself? But then wouldn't I be lying? Ugh!

Ian held up one figure in the give-me-a-minute way and continued walking over to Jared. I could see him whispering something and Jared go just as wide-eyed as Ian was – they both quickly went to the back room.

'Weird…' Mel shrugged her shoulders and went back to finishing her ice-cream.

Does he know I know? No…surely not, how could he? It's something else…it has to be.

(Ian's POV)

I ran my fingers through my hair and walked back towards Jared for the hundredth time, I had just finished telling him what happened.

'Shit.' Jared always had a way with words. He knew how much my past meant to me, there's a reason I don't go broadcasting it around town…and unfortunately he knew how much Wanda meant to me…oh god oh god oh god. I couldn't stop chanting those two damn words in my head since Lacey confessed she told Wanda all about my life. God! How could she?! Does she even know me at all!?

'Look, just calm down, there's no point in getting mad about it, what's done is done.' I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but if anything he was just making it worse.

'How can I calm down man? Seriously, if Mel knew half the shit I do about you, you wouldn't be singing and dancing either.'

'Well, being stuck in here isn't doing you any good, I say talk to Wanda…get it all out in the open, and try not to lose your head.'

Jared left me in the back room for a minute, I took a few deep breaths and went through what I'd say to Wanda…I didn't want to lie to her, I wanted to tell the truth.

They were both staring out of the window talking when I walked up to their booth; I coughed slightly to get their attention. They both jumped and turned around, Wanda's blonde curls flying everywhere – I wanted to laugh but I couldn't muster it.

'erm…Wanda, could I maybe talk to you outside for a minute?' she looked like a deer in headlights…she could barely look me in the eye for more than a few seconds, god I'm going to kill those girls…

'Sure' she mumbled and shuffled out of the booth. We walked side by side through the diner, I held open the door for her as we went outside – she instantly shivered as the cold wind whipped at her hands and face, I wanted to comfort her and hold her cold hands but I couldn't…it was taking everything in me to not explode and get angry at the devil-twins back on the couch.

'So, I spoke to Lacey and Jodi this morning, they told me about yesterday.' I started talking, knowing that she would probably just listen to what I had to say. She looked across the street, her already pink cheeks turning red. 'I know about what they told you…well – they shouldn't have told you okay?' I tried to keep my voice level but the anger at them was clear.

I took a deep breath but before I could continue Wanda turned to look at me, her eyes narrowed, 'So what? I was just never going to find out? You definitely weren't going to tell me, were you! You tell me to stay away from Burns and don't even give me a valid reason! Yet you must have known if you'd have just told me about what he did I wouldn't have any more to do with him!' Her voice was raised and straining as if she wanted to shout, I'd never seen her like this.

What the hell?! She was mad at me?!

'Why are you so angry with me?! I haven't done anything! So I wasn't ready to tell you every tiny detail about my past?! It's not like you've opened up to me! What was I supposed to say?! That I almost died getting bullied by that jackass? That I was poor and couldn't stand up for myself? That even my brother wouldn't get involved to defend me when I got beat up, but he would pull my unconscious body out of a burning building? You don't know what it was like Wanda!' I was shouting now and I was beyond caring.

'You want to know why I didn't tell you? Because I didn't want to see the look on your face I'm seeing now. I don't want your sympathy Wanda; I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I wanted you to like me for me. If that makes me selfish then so be it, but I didn't want your feelings for me to be out of pity – which they clearly are now…' I took another deep breath and turned away, I couldn't see her standing there anymore looking at me like I was some lost little boy …shit, she's never going to want to see me again.

'YOU'RE AN IDIOT IAN O'SHEA!' She shouted after me, I could hear her voice breaking when she said my name. I didn't look back; I didn't want to see that I made her cry…the one person I never want to see crying is now in tears because of me. God, I'm such an idiot.

(A/n – soooooo what do you think?)