Hi there! Thanks for sticking round to read the next chapter. I'd like to thank rapunzel101, Dancinconverse, kamikaze-djali and my friends on Wattpad for your reviews. This chapter is a bit of a filler, and will have an element from the book.

Well, open up your mind and see like me,

Open up your plans and damn you're free.

Look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love.

Listen to the music of the moment, people dance and sing, we're just one big family

And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved

So I won't hesitate

No more, no more.

It cannot wait,

I'm sure.

There's no need to complicate.

Our time is short.

This is our fate,

I'm yours.

I'm Yours- Jason Mraz.

I slept well that night, and woke refreshed and ready to take on the day. I skipped around my room, throwing on clothes and tidying up, then skipped out to the kitchen to make breakfast. My sisters found me humming show tunes and joined in, and when mum came out and told us to get ready to go, we were a full on musical. I guess it was a good thing that they joined in, because otherwise my unusually chipper mood might've attracted attention. As it was i had to restrain myself from delightedly telling everyone what had happened the day before.

When i got to school, however, my mood changed. There was no Quasi at our lockers to keep me company, and this was strange, because he had made a point of doing so in the last few weeks. I waited for a little while, but i knew it was pointless. He was always dropped off at exactly the same time every day, so if he wasn't here by now, he wasn't coming. A heavy lump of dread settled in my stomach. When i said that nothing could bring me down, i had forgotton about the problem we still faced.

I couldn't stop the tears welling up in my eyes, nor could i stop myself from slamming my locker door as hard as I could. I was angry and afraid, and I must confess that it was as much disappointment in not being able to see him after finally getting all our feelings out as it was fear for his safety. But as the warning bell rung, I took a deep breath and got ahold of myself, steeling myself for the day. I would be fine. But Quasi's absence only reinforced the fact in my mind that i needed to act, and soon.

I was going to get him out of that house if it was the last thing i did.

After school i tried to get the usual homework to deliver, but was told that since we were so close to the end of school, there really wasn't anything worth delivering. There was no point anyway, since the next week would be catch-up time and he could do any outstanding work then. But... I had to see him. I had to know he was ok.

Gathering as much schoolwork-related paper in my bag as possible, i straightened it all out, grabbed a few more from the notice board as i passed it, and paperclipped it all together to look like homework. Then i sped out to the waiting car and asked, very sweetly, if we could have make a detour.

Crap.

I peered out the car window, holding the papers tightly in my hands as i assessed the situation with all the calm i could muster.

"Well?" mum asked impatiently. In the back, Katie started to complain about being bored and hungry. "We all want to get home, Mich. You getting out or not?"

I looked in the rearview mirror, dumbly hoping for some encouragement from the kids in the back, but all i got were Angie and Del's blank stares. Of course they couldn't help. I looked outside again, at the house i had been so eager to get to before. Frollo was out the front, sitting on the front step having a beer.

Bollocks.

Bloody hell.

What am I supposed to do now?

Gulping, I opened the door and slid out of the car. This was why i brought the papers, but i hadn't counted on actually facing Frollo. It had been so long... And now i knew the truth... How could i speak naturally to him?

I wanted to jump back into the safetly of the car and tell mum to floor it, but I couldn't back out now. We were here, he had seen us, mum wanted to get it over with. In short, I was stuffed.

I forced my legs to move and hurried across the road, stopping at the gate. Frollo squinted at me from his spot in front of the door. "Yeah?" he asked abruptly, his cold, sharp voice chilling my bones. I shivered in the early summer heat and realised i was petrified.

Unlatching the gate, I stepped through and forced my voice to behave itself. "I, uh, have homework. For Quasi. W-what he missed today." I held out the bundle of paper close enough for him to reach out and take, but not too close.

He took them and narrowed his eyes at me. "You... You're the girl."

I took a step back and tried to smile politely, but my lips felt rubbery and foreign and the result was probably grotesque. "What girl?"

"The girl he was talking about... Yeah, you're the nice girl." He took a swig from the bottle and laughed unpleasantly. I felt a pounding in my head and a sour taste in my mouth as he continued on. His voice had lost it's amusement and was now threatening. "The tart. You're seducing him and filling his head with rebellion, you and your offers of friendship and love. He doesn't deserve them. Stay away from Quasimodo, little girl."

I couldn't speak. My tongue was dry and heavy, stuck to the roof of my mouth like too much peanut butter, and my legs felt weak. He knew. He knew about us. He had probably beaten it out of Quasi. The thought made me feel sick. I wanted to scream and scratch his eyes out. But then-

"He... doesn't... deserve it?" The words made their way out of my mouth by themselves. Anger clawed at my chest like a beast desperate to get out. "What do you mean- Of course he deserves it! He's a human being who needs love and friendship more than any other person i know, and I'm not going to-to... to let him suffer any more." I paused for breath, tears pushing at the edges of my vision. "I don't care if you are a policeman. You're a...a...a bastard!" With that, I turned on my heel and ran. I don't know what Frollo did. I know i had this idea that he might chase me and try to grab me or something, but there were too many witnesses on the street to ever risk it. I got to the car safely and told mum to floor it. She drove out at a sensible pace and i tried to calm my racing heart and shaky legs and answer her questions through the mess of tangled thoughts that had overtaken me.

Through it all, one thought haunted me, making my gut churn in fear for what was to come.

I'm such a bloody idiot.

The weekend could not end fast enough. I ran anxiously throught the gates on Monday morning and almost cried with relief to see Quasi waiting for me at out lockers. As it was i couldn't stop myself from throwing my arms around him and hugging him fiercely.

"Hey..." He hugged me back gingerly, the confusion evident in his soft voice. "What...?"

"I'm sorry." I sighed and pulled away, feeling stupid. I was so emotional and clingy lately, and it was driving me crazy. Where had the old me gone? The one who didnt need anyone and scoffed at those girls who had to be with their boyfriends all the time? With a start, i realised that she had disappeared ages ago. I was different now. I shook the thoughts out of my head and brushed a lock of hair out of Quasi's eyes. "Are you ok? I was so worried when you didn't come in last week."

"Oh..." He looked away, face falling. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"What happened? I went to your house and talked to Frollo and he..." I swallowed, my heart clenching. "He knows about us. How does he know ? Wh-what did he do to you?"

He shrugged, not meeting my eye. "I-I guess he noticed that I was happier than usual. And..." He winced. "He might've s-seen some drawings. He s-scared me into telling him... and he said some awful things about you."

I nodded, noticing that people around us were starting to stare. We were making a scene. I pulled away and opened my locker, willing myself to ignore them. "I, ah, talked to him on Friday and he said them to my face." I snorted. "It didn't end well."

"What... What happened?" He looked like he was dreading the answer.

I gave him a condensed version of Friday's events and finished with a worried look. "And... then i called him a bastard. I'm... I'm sorry if that got you in trouble. I didn't think."

"It didn't. I didn't see him much over the weekend."

"Good." I stopped rummaging in my locker and sighed, glancing over Quasi and noting how his shoulders drooped and his expression was guarded. I wanted to tell him then and there that things were going to change soon, that he would be happy, but i couldn't. The timing had to be perfect, and who knew what might happen between now and then? I shook my head again and cleared my throat. "What's he going to do? Now that he knows about us?"

"I don't know. I think..." He bit his lip, clutching his books tightly in his arms. "He said some horrible things, tried to convince me that you... you don't really..."

"He's wrong." I was startled by the amount of vehemence in my vioce. "You know that, right? Whatever he said about me, about my real feelings and motives, is wrong. He's trying to mess with your head. Don't let him."

"S-so you... so you still...?"

I turned to face him, my jaw dropping. "How can you even ask that? I don't regret a single thing i said or did on Thursday. That was the happiest day of my life!"

He looked stunned, his cheeks slowly warming as he flounded for something to say. I leaned against my locker, just watching him be a complete dork and looking adorable while he did it.

"I'm hoping..." I said finally, when the silence had gone from bashful to awkward and i decided that he had suffered enough, "That you don't regret it either. I really, really hope you don't. Because i meant what i said, after school. I really do... you know..." I paused and cleared my throat self-consciously, cheeks tingling.

Quasi was red and speechless, but he managed to get a few stammering words out. "Of course... M-me too..."

I smiled, warmth blossoming in my chest and starting up the butterflies as I wondered if it was possible to be any happier than i was in that moment.

The bell chose that time to ring, of course, breaking up another little moment like it usually did. We grabbed our stuff and headed towards our respective classes, melting into the crowd and into another school day.

We met up again in art class. We were finishing up our last official assessment pieces for the year, the subject being 'representation or concept', and really I was only about halfway through. I had originally planned on a representation of Romeo and Juliet but with trees, in a kind of Aboriginal style, a reworked version of a piece i had done in 8th grade. But as I surveyed the half-drawn trees and the gaudy reds and yellows i was about to mix, I was struck with a flash of inspiration. One glance at Quasi next to me, who look to be almost done with his painting, and it was decided. I painted over the canvas with white, grabbed the blues and black instead, and started over.

Some time later, nearly at the end of the lesson, while other students had presented their works to the class and made their speeches, I stepped back from my canvas and nodded, dropping the brush into the water. I had always worked better under pressed and in one sitting, and I felt that this was no exception. A tree, bent and crooked, jutted out of the ground, which grew transparent to show the roots deep underground. Lightening flashed out of a dark, stormy sky, multiple bolts hitting the tree, while hurricane-worthy gales of wind and rain lashed at it, but still the tree stood strong. Though the picture was crude and imperfect, the message was clear, and it was as good as it was going to get.

"Ok, who else is ready for presentation?" called the teacher from her desk, and I shrugged and raised my hand. Might as well get it over with.

She called me up, and I walked out to the front, painting held in front of me. Looking out at the 30 or so students in front of me, i found most of them engrossed in their own work or talking with friends, so not many were paying attention to me. I turned to face the teacher instead, and began my speech.

"My painting is a representation of a trait i admire," I began, glancing around the room. A few had looked up and were watching me, bored already. Quasi was looking, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious standing up there, about to talk about something to do with him. He would realise it, for sure. Wondering if anyone else would be able to figure it out, i took a deep breath and continued on. "As you can see, this tree is under strike from a heavy storm. Lightening, wind, rain." I pointed out each element. "But the tree stands firm. It's roots run deep, and nothing will sway it. Nature is a wonderful thing. But it's not just to look at. Nature can be copied, and it has been, many times. But this tree... this tree... this tree is a person, you see. A person with the world against them." I looked at the picture, trying to put the words together in my head. "We all face trouble. Things happen to us, or we make things happen, or maybe you just have a bad day. You know what I'm talking about. But we have a choice whether or not to keep going. This tree... it's had everything thrown at it- nature can be a bitch sometimes." The teacher cleared her throat, and I winced. "Sorry. I'm nearly done." Someone laughed, and I took that as encouragement to keep going. "The point I'm trying to make is, not everyone can take the heat. But some can. Some people can have the worst things happen to them, and feel like no-one cares about them, but they soldier on. They look for the positive. Like the tree, they keep going in the face of opposition. And I think that's awesome." I stopped, smiled. Caught Quasi's eye and winked. Then, with a small "Thank you", i hurried back to my place.

The teacher made a comment, something about 'deep subjects and encouraging others', then called for another presentation. I was proud but a little surprised when Quasi's hand went up almost straight away. I studied his painting before he took it, impressed by the amount of detail he had put in. Two vases, each with flowers, stood on an indescribable surface. One was crystal, shiny and intricately detailed, and the other was made of what looked like clay. The crystal one had a crack in it, draining it's water into a puddle around it, and the flowers inside were shrivelled and dead. The clay one, though not as lovely, was whole, and the flowers inside were bright and healthy. A message. He took the canvas before i had worked it out, but i had the general idea.

He stood in front, face set with determination. I imagined that it was hard to be at the centre of attention after a life of being ridiculed, which made it all the more special to witness. He held his painting in front of him and took a moment to prepare himself, and when he glanced my way, i gave him double thumbs up for encouragement. Maybe that was all he needed, because when he spoke, his voice was firm, hardly a stutter in sight.

"My painting is about an issue i have faced my whole life." He paused, held the canvas higher. "Here you see two vases. They represent t-two types of people. In this one," he pointed to the crystal and withered flowers, "The vase is beautiful. But it's cracked, ruined inside, and what results? The flowers are dead and worthless. But other vase," he pointed to it, and met my eyes from across the room. "The other one is plain, ugly. But it's whole, and the flowers inside are beautiful. If you saw b-both of these vases in a shop, you would most likely choose the crystal one and ignore the clay. After all, the crystal is so beautiful. On the outside. Now apply this to people. We're drawn to the most beautiful, the most popular, even if they are cruel and s-selfish. And we are moved to ignore or pick on those with a less-pleasing outside, not bothering to see inside. Society has been trained to exult the beautiful and crush the ugly. I-I have experienced this too many times in my life. It's not right." He stopped and glanced around the room, and i followed his gaze.

Everyone had abandoned their own activities and was looking at him.

He had the attention of the whole room.

I turned back to him and found him starting to shrink under the unexpected attention. He looked at me again, and i gestured for him to wrap it up. Freezing up there was not an option. He nodded and lowered the painting. "We... need to be aware," he finished, and fairly ran back to his easel, trying to escape all the eyes that were suddenly on him.

There was silence for a moment, and then the teacher started to clap. I quickly joined in, and pretty soon everyone was applauding in appreciation. Shocked by this result, Quasi stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do next. Thank god for the bell.

As everyone packed up their stuff and stacked their canvases in a corner of the room, i approached him and, disregarding my feelings about the amount of affection we showed in public, pulled him into a hug. I heard a few 'awws' from the people around us and closed my eyes, blocking them out.

"You did good," I whispered, rubbing his back. "I'm proud of you."

He tightened his arms around me a little and then let me go, ducking his head sheepishly. "Th-thanks."

I smiled and picked up the picture, tilting my head. "It's very good. When it's hanging up in the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, what will you call it?"

"I-I was thinking of 'Earthenware and Crystal'." He smiled one of those bashful little grins that made my heart flutter, and I felt my face start to heat up. Uh oh. I let out a breath and took a step back.

"I-I'll just put this with the others for you."

He nodded and started to organise his paints, and I grabbed my own painting and deposited both with everyone else's, stacked up against the wall. I took a moment to breathe, and when i was ready, i headed back, only to find two girls talking to Quasi.

Now, I'm not jealous by nature, but my protective insticts must have kicked in when I recognised them from the group that had humiliated Quasi at the Halloween Dance many months ago.

I hurried over and stood behind him, hands in pockets and a determined stare fixed on them. They were from the drama club, two blondes whose names i had forgotton. Perky, annoyingly pretty, and usually found embarrassing less-fortunate girls. Esme's followers. If i was a dog, my hackles would've been raised.

"I just wanted to say sorry for everything we ever did to you," one of them was saying, genuine remorse in both their faces. "That stupid song and dance thing. It wasn't fair to treat you like that."

"We should never have agreed to do it," continued the other one. "Can you ever forgive us?"

Quasi nodded vigorously, to my surprise. "O-of course."

Well that was unexpected. I frowned at them. "Why this sudden change of heart?"

They exchanged glances and eyed me warily. At length, the first one spoke. "The painting. It... made me realise... I never thought of how he'd feel..." She stopped, looking completely ashamed. "I thought it was just a bit of fun, but it wasn't. I'm so sorry. I know words aren't enough, but it's true."

The other girl looked on the verge of tears. "We've seen how you two stick together, and we realised that you're just like everybody else. You don't deserve to be treated like that. I never thought of myself as a bully, but i am. Well, I was. Not anymore. I don't know if we can ever make it up to you, but if you could forgive us..."

Quasi was looking at me, and i could read his expression easily enough. Forgive them.

I sighed and nodded grudgingly. "I guess if he can, i can."

The relief on their faces was overwhelming. They thanked us profusely and left quickly, and we were left alone again, a little stunned.

"Well, that was unexpected." I hoisted my bag onto my shoulder and draped an arm around Quasi. "But good. Looks like you're getting a little respect." I paused. "But... you forgave them so quickly. How can you...?"

"I-If i held a grudge on everyone who ever hurt me, what good would it do?" he answered seriously. "I would be even more unhappy than i was before. I don't want to do that."

I smiled and, realising that we were late for our next classes, steered both of us out of the classroom, which even the teacher had vacated while we were talking. "I wish i had met you sooner, Kaz. You could teach me some things, i think."

He ducked his head, abashed by my praise, and we separated in the corridor to go to our respective classes.

I hope those paragraphs weren't too big. Could you read that all right?

You should totally read Part 9 of the book if you get a chance.

Just an FYI, you know the confrontation i mentioned in the last chapter? That wasn't it. I'm planning something bigger for later. And Thanks for your great suggestions on that point kamikaze-djali.

I think we've only got a few chapters left, you guys!

Thank so much for reading! See you later!