Chapter 8 was intense. I loved writing that chapter, because of the scene between Paige and Johnny.

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw nothing but sparkles. She tried to sit down, but it was more like a stumble and fall that left her in a trembling heap on the rug. Paige felt her butt hit the ground and her hands crawl on the floor as she back pedaled into the wall. Her breathing was wild and she could only stare up at the name tag and the smile of her father. He looked so happy, and it confused her, how could he be happy in ROR? How could he manage such a large grin when everything ROR stood for created frowns on the faces of others? Her heart hammered in her chest as she managed to stand on her own two feet and stumble towards the door.

"My...dad...he's a ROR. He's a bloody Roar Omega Roar guy." Paige mumbled to herself as she shoved the door open with her sore arms. She raced down the hall and back to the stairs that over looked the lounge where Johnny and Naomi were hugging one another. Paige halted her trek down the stairs by kneeling behind the small posts in the stairs. Johnny's arms were wrapped around Naomi as if he was trying to pull her into him and she giggled the entire time with a sugary smile on her thin lips. She brushed the back of her hand against Johnny's cheek fur and said male purred in response to the gesture. Paige rolled her eyes and swallowed her vomit.

"So are you alone now?" Naomi asked in a sweet voice. Johnny grinned before twirling her in his arms and picking up a remote on the table. He pressed a button it and the lights in the lounge dimmed suddenly and slow music played. Naomi laughed loudly and Johnny grasped her shoulder then her hip and began to slowly dance with her around the room. Paige refused to watch with jealous eyes and decided to try to sneak her way towards the front door and escape. Naomi giggled again as Paige crept further and further to the bottom of the stairs and was almost around the corner.

"I love you."

Paige struggled to breathe for a moment as if someone had kicked the wind out of her and she turned to face the owner of the voice. She felt sick; at the fact Johnny had admitted to love or the feeling in her stomach. The stuck up president, Johnny, had muted the music but still swung to the inaudible music. Naomi turned as well until her face was facing the direction of Paige and she herself looked dazed. Her cheeks were tinted with a blush and her mouth was hung open like an o. "Johnny, I-I..."

He stopped dancing abruptly and took a hand and placed it on her magenta skin. "I'm sorry...let's forget I said that, sorry." Paige looked from the door to the couple and slowly got in closer to them. " But...Naomi, I meant it."

She sighed sadly before unwrapping Johnny's arms from around her waist and stared into his large eyes. "I know, Johnny. But you're leaving this year, I'm still a junior. I still have so much more to do before I make any commitment. What am I supposed to do when you leave? Stay faithful to someone who's probably going to forget about me? Or turn down any chance I have to be happy, just because I want to be with you when you're out there? In the real world."

"You wouldn't wait for me?" Johnny's voice sounded like one of a child who had his favorite toy taken away. "Don't you care about me?"

"Of course I do!" Naomi reassured quickly and held Johnny's hand, but was unable to look into his vibrant eyes. "But, I want to live you know? I want to be young while I still can and make mistakes then learn from them. I want to date and smile and see someone everyday, someone different."

"So, you want to whore around?" Johnny whispered bitterly and smacked away Naomi's hands off his own. She gasped in shock and Paige could see the tears form in her eyes from her own hiding spot. Naomi shook her head viciously while whipping away the tears from her pretty little eyes. "Naomi, what do you want from your boyfriend? From anyone, actually. Roar Omega Roar doesn't have time for people like you, we don't need someone to tarnish our name."

Naomi's three eyes flashed from their normal color to a bitter red and she hissed in response. "As if you could talk. What about Paige Jordan?"

Johnny pointed a furry finger at her and shook his head. "Don't bring her into this. She has nothing to do with us." Page could have thanked Johnny for defending her if she wasn't hiding. "Bones isn't special. When I'm finished with her, then I'll never have to talk to her again. I don't like her, Naomi. I never did. Sure, she's pretty, but she's not you."

"You're so full of it, Johnny," she growled. "Why do you call her Bones anyways? That's so lame. She's just some little girl. You're only interested in her because your father knew hers!"

Paige's eyes widened in surprise. "That's not true, Naomi, and you know that."

"You're such a bad liar, Johnny. You just want to know what happened to your father after he-"

"Is there a problem here?" Javier interrupted from the second floor and he stared down at the couple with bored pink eyes. His eyes flicked up to Paige and back to Naomi. He looked annoyed and a thick scent wafted into the home as soon as his door opened and Reggie, and Chip crawled out of their rooms to see what the fuss was about. "Naomi, leave Johnny alone, or were kicking you out of here."

Naomi glared up at the bug. "Bite me."

"Not even if you payed me." Javier quipped back. His eyes flickered over to Johnny to see if his brother was uncomfortable with his presence and Chip coughed awkwardly into the silence. Paige stared up at Javier whose eyes looked murderous and stoned, a strange combination but he still looked intimidating, even to her.

"Oi, Naomi," Chip sang and the occupants of the room glanced over at the wanna be chef. "Would you like some cookies?" Their questioning looks changed to ones of annoyance and Naomi rolled her pretty little eyes irritated. "Is that a no?"

"I don't want any of your cookies, Chip." Naomi shot back icily. "Johnny, you have to forget about your father. He disappeared years ago and he's-"

"Johnny, what's going on?" Chet asked from behind Paige. "Why is Bones hiding behind the stairs?" Paige tensed up and glared behind her at the maroon crab who looked as clueless as everyone else in the room. Paige slowly stood up from the hiding spot to see the hateful glare of Naomi and Johnny's confused expression.

"Johnny, what's going on here?" Paige whispered quietly into the awkward silence Chet had created. "Do you know what happened to my father?" Her voice was hopeful, she needed to know, she had to know. Johnny froze in place, biting his lip and didn't meet her intense gaze. "Please, Johnny, tell me what you know."

"I don't know okay?!" Johnny shouted, grasping his head in pain. "I don't know anything about your father or mine. I don't even care about your father, but he...he did something to my dad. Whatever happened to my dad, it was because of your old man!

Paige grasped the sides of her head as her bone horns grew and shrunk in an uncoordinated pattern. She shook her head in denial and tried to calm her rattled nerves. Paige saw Javier across the room and his once lazy eyes looked alert and worried. "Miss. Bones?" Johnny called in a worried voice and began to make his way across the second floor hallway to the stairs, but Paige shook her hands in front of her face wildly.

"Stay away...I...I" Paige stuttered and pushed off the floor to a full-fledged sprint to the door of the fraternity. None of the present members of the popular fraternity attempted to stop her and even Javier didn't call out to tell her wait, she wouldn't have listened either way. She shoved the doors open with strength she didn't know she had and breathed heavily while taking the stairs two at a time. She didn't pay attention to the time, she didn't care if it was dark or evening. The only thing she knew was that she had to run. Had to run as fast as her short legs could take her and as far from the Roar Omega Roar home as she could go. Her lungs screamed with effort and sweat gathered on her forehead, but she refused to stop for a moment.

Paige had no destination in mind as she sprinted down the street, leaving monsters in the dust and angry pedestrians behind. A few called out to her, but she ignored them and continued to fly across the ground. "Paige, wait!" A voice shouted over the roar of the wind passing by and Paige glanced back to see Logan looking at her, confused. She slowed down to a walk and then a stop, not facing the other monster. She could hear his soft footsteps on the street until he was right behind her. His cool breath ruffled her hair and she could smell the distinct scent of monster munchies and musk. "What's wrong?"

"It' nothing."

"Yer lyin', Paige." He said.

"It's none of your business, why do you care anyways?" She snapped, still not facing the southern accented monster.

"Cuz yer my friend, Paige. And I care bout you." He answered truthfully and Paige turned slowly to face Logan. He looked concerned, worried, she could tell by the way his perfectly shaped eye brows creased in worry. But he also looked nervous and unsure. His face was flushed and his eyes were filled with an emotion Paige couldn't define.

"I'm just so confused, Logan." Paige admitted as she leaned into Logan's chest and stuffed her face into his Farmers; someone has to feed you people shirt. "My mom never mentioned my dad when she could avoid it. She never brought him up. And I guess, I was hoping that I would know what happened to him by now."

"Why don't you call and ask?" Logan questioned as he brushed the hair that her mask didn't cover. "I have a phone." Paige pulled back and nodded her head. Logan pulled out a small silver device from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. Paige quickly flipped the phone opened and dialed the number her mother made her remember by heart. She placed the device to her ear, listening to the dial tone and waited patiently for her mother to pick up.

Hello?

"Mom?"

Sweetie! How's university? Who's phone is this?

"It's okay, I guess. And this is Logan's phone."

He sounds cute. Are you dating him?

Paige looked up at the smiling form of Logan before whispering back into the phone. "I wish, but no. I have to talk to you about something."

Sure, anything! Make it quick though I have to stop Alex before he starts a frosting throwing contest with the kid next door.

"What happened to dad?" The silence that ensued was awkward and deafening, but Paige waited.

Why do you ask about him?

"I was just wondering. I mean, I just found out dad was in Roar Omega Roar, so I was just thinking about how you never really told me what happened to him."

It's not something I want to discuss, Paige. Please believe me when I say that one day it will all make sense. For now, I want you to forget about your father. He's a good monster, but he's had his flaws. And one day, I promise will sit down and talk about it.

"O-okay." Paige answered unconvincingly into the phone.

I know it's all confusing to you. Trust me, Paige, I still think about it. Your father told me to tell you when you were ready to know and that I would know when you were.

"Do you know what happened to Johnny Worthington II?"

Yes...and no. I never get along with him and neither did your father. Even befo-

"Before what?"

Nothing. It's nothing. I have to go, little one, but promise to call me okay?

Paige had already hung up on her mother and didn't fear the wraith of a woman who would have to drive for one day before scolding her. She placed the phone into the expectant palm of Logan who pocketed it and frowned. "Everythin' alright?"

"Yeah, just peachy." She lied but Logan knew her better. He slung an arm around her shoulder and walked down the sidewalk beside her blushing form. Paige swallowed, looking back and forth from Logan to his arm slung around her. He smiled down at her, pulling her in closer and moving his hand down to her hip while bringing her closer to him. Logan's scent filled her small nostrils, winter peppermint, and she breathed it in. Paige hoped she wasn't that much shorter than the accented monster and was relived when she was able to rest her head in the crook of neck and on his shoulder. He shivered involuntarily and she smiled again. It seemed to be one of things she did more and more often around Logan, she realized.

Suddenly, Paige lurched forward in pain and her wrists screamed in agony. Logan grasped her by her sides, his voice filled with concern. "Paige? Paige?!"

Paige felt herself violently shake and her entire body scream in pain from the feeling in her wrists. She looked down at them, they were blue and darker than usual. Paige cursed herself for being so stupid; she hadn't even checked to see the damage done to her wrists before dashing out of the fraternity house. It was clear from the bruising that Johnny had harmed her far more than she had realized. "I'm...I'm fine. Honestly, Logan."

"Liar." Logan whispered in a harsh tone, but he gently pulled her up and inspected the bruising on her wrists. He cradled them carefully and held them as if they were glass, ready to shatter in his hold. "Paige, what the hell...did...did he do this to you?!" Logan looked at her, fury clear in his lovely eyes. Paige avoided his intense gaze and said nothing. "You have to tell the dean."

Paige's eyes flared with worry and she grasped his own arm, even though pain shot up her own appendage as a result. "NO! You can't tell anyone, especially not the dean."

"Why?!" Logan asked, horrified. "Why would I not tell her that Johnny hurt you, that he would even lay a hand on you. I can't just sit by Paige, I can't let him get away with harming you. Ever. And it would be the same for anyone else."

Paige was touched by the gravity of his words but still shook her head. "Please Logan, respect my decision; don't tell her anything. Don't tell anyone, please, please, I'm begging you." Logan stared at her in confusion and she stepped closer to him, closing the distance between them. She looked at him with pleading and imploring eyes. "Logan, if you're my friend, then please promise me not to say anything."

He was reluctant to listen to her. He looked furious, more so than Johnny had. His eyes flickered from her eyes, pleading, to her sore wrists, before her nodded. "Fine. But only because you asked, I'm not doing this to protect Johnny." Paige smiled warmly at him and he smiled back before his face twisted with seriousness. "Can I at least take you to the nurse or something? You could be really hurt, you know?"

She nodded and massaged her wrists. "Sure. They do hurt."

"Why are your protecting him?" Logan blurted out suddenly.

Paige blinked in surprise, then scowled. "I'm not protecting him."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you, Logan." Paige snapped. It didn't at all and it wouldn't have hurt to explain it to him.

"Easy, Paige. I'm just asking, that's all." Logan soothed and grasped her arm gently before puling her with him towards the direction of the nurse's office. "But you would tell me if it was really bothering you, right?"

Paige said nothing. She trusted Logan, but she wasn't sure if she should share information that had to do with her and Johnny. But she nodded and he gave her a reassuring smile in return. "Yes, I would tell you."

The two monsters walked in comfortable silence, until Logan reached out for her hand and squeezed it tightly in his own. Paige blushed furiously and looked up at the male who had grabbed her hand so tightly yet kindly and affectionately. She leaned into his shoulder ever so slightly, until her head rested comfortably on it. Neither of them noticed a figure watching them from the sky.

Dean Hardscrabble stared down at the two students with cold eyes. Her wings beat against the wind as she followed closely on their heels and fluttered after them. She heard laughter and jokes from the duo, but her face stayed expressionless all the same. Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from the pocket of her coat that made her poke a hand into it and pull the device, a phone, out.

"Yes?"

How is she?

"I'm watching her just as you asked."

Good, good. Is she alright?

The dean sighed in exasperation. "Yes, she's fine. But she did have a run in with his son."

I see. Did he harm her?

"I don't know, but she does seem on edge."

Do you know if they have made contact with one another yet?

"No, but I will do whatever it takes to prevent it."

Thank you, Dr. Abigail. I appreciate what you are doing, please protect her.

"It's no problem...Mr. Jordan."

She flipped the phone off and stared down at Paige Jordan, the cause of the uproar in her life. She stared sadly down at her. "Be ready, Miss. Jordan, a storm is coming that even I can't protect you from."

"Excuse me?"

A single eye poked out from behind the desk, staring at a maroon colored girl and a tall fanged monster. She looked from monster to monster before sighing and making her way out behind the desk. The female was small, only a couple of inches taller than Mike, and had one blue eye poking out of her slug body. She had a pale yellow coat, that was printed with dark orange spots. She inched her way over to the duo and stood behind them with a bored expression. "I have no more morning after pills, you'll have to go to the hospital."

"Wh-what?!" Paige screeched as her cheeks heated up. She looked at Logan who looked just as flustered as her. "N-no! I-I th-that's not wh-what happened!"

"Oh." She said simply her lips curled up in amusement. "My apologies; that's what most couples come in here for."

"We-were not a c-c-ouple either!" Paige cried out waving her hands frantically in front of her face while Logan stared at the floor.

Her grin widened. "I'm only teasing you, sweetie. What can I do for you two today?"

Paige cleared her throats as she tried to rein in her anger and embarrassment. "I, umm, hurt my wrists and I was wondering if there was something you could to make them feel better."

The slug woman reached a squishy hand up and gently held her two wrists. She flipped them carefully and looked at the bruising with calculating eyes, her gaze occasionally flickering towards Logan. She took a deep breath and led Paige by the wrist to the dark room behind the single desk in her office. She opened the white door, turned on the lights and gestured towards the single cot sitting in the corner.

"Well, however did this," she glared over at Logan, "sure did a number on you. It's swelling worse than most of the bruises I have seen before. Do you know who did this to you? They will be suspended immediately."

Paige sucked in a breath. "It was me, my fault."

The nurse crossed her pale arms across her chest. "Don't lie to me, miss...?"

"Jordan, Paige Jordan."

The nurse's eyes widened in horror and she began to scoot backwards, staring at her in fear. "Yo-your a Jordan?" Paige wasn't sure if she should own up to the name, judging by the look in the woman's eyes. "Wh-what are you doing here?!"

Logan and Paige exchanged confused looks. "Going to school?"

"Where is your father?" She asked. Paige stared suspiciously at the woman who suddenly seemed less emotionless and more nervous than Alex on bath day.

"My father...did you know him?" Paige asked, hope in her voice and eyes. She hoped off the cot and walked towards the slug woman who backed away. "Please, what do you know about him?"

"I-I can't say." She answered sadly. "You shouldn't be here. You...you have no idea what you have done by coming here! You should have stayed away from this school." The woman paced slowly back and forth, leaving a trail of slime, as her face twisted with worry.

"Why? What do you know?" Paige would have jumped up and down or danced with Logan if she could. Finally, someone who knew about her father. And maybe with the right amount of encouragement she could get the woman to tell her everything that her mother wouldn't.

The woman shook her head quickly and unlocked the door. "I have to go!" Logan and Paige watched her slowly make her way out of the door and stared as she made no real progress. "If you really want to heal your wrists, put a cold compress on them for twenty minutes and then remove them. Tomorrow use hot compresses. I would recommend wrapping your wrists up as well."

"But!" Paige shouted, reaching out to touch the slug by her shoulder. The woman whipped around and slapped Paige's hand away, causing the teen to hiss in agony.

"Don't touch me, yo-you human enthusiast!"

Paige wasn't sure what do do. Her mouth was open slightly and shaking like she was trying to say something but couldn't find the words. Her eyes became wide and staring. Her breathing became short hard breaths as if she was drowning. Her tongue became thick in her mouth as if it had swelled like her wrists.

"What did ya call her?" Logan shouted in anger.

The woman scowled back at him. "You heard me! Don't defend that thing."

"She's not a thing! She's a monster, just like your or me!" Logan defended and stepped towards the woman with stompy strides. He pointed a finger at down at her, since he was much taller, and jabbed it into her forehead. "How dare you?! You dare insult her?! You dare insult what is mine?!"

She sneered before slapping away Logan's hand as well. "You'll be rejected from society if you stay with her! She's the scum of our world, she shouldn't be here!"

"SHUT UP!" Paige screeched, and both bickering monsters stopped to stare at the female on the ground. She stood on shaky feet, almost falling again. She stared at Logan with tear filled eyes and tried desperately to brush them away with her sleeves. Logan turned to face her and tried to hold her, but she shied away from his touch. "Didn't you hear her? I'm...I'm a human enthusiast. You'll be put in prison because of me."

"Paige, that's a load of garbage!"

She pushed past him and the slug woman on the ground who stared up at her in disgust. "I-I need time to think." And with that, the maroon skinned monster took off and left.

Logan watched the fleeting form of Paige before turning back to the woman who was smiling in satisfaction. Logan yanked her off the ground with his well-built arms, startling the nurse. "Wh-what are you doing?! Drop me this instant!"

"No!" Logan shouted venomously. "What did ya mean when you said "human enthusiast?"

She snickered. "You really have no idea what her father has done, do you?"

OMG and epic twist! For me, this is when the story will starting to get really exciting! I loved writing it. Thank you for the reviews; the more the better!