Alright guys. These next few chapters are going to be mini chapters about how Eyrie's American friends became family. We are starting with Blake, the southern one that made the bet with Eyrie. I hope you guys like these! Anyways, Enjoy!

Hi. I'm Blake. Blake Orion. Yes like the star. But if anyone wants to call me sparkly I'll knock their teeth out. I've lived in this tiny town since I was seven and my Ma ran out on my dad and I. It was in middle school when I first became the head of a gang. I had just finished knocking out two guys for talking trash about me when this lil wisp of a guy, Quentin, walked up and asked if I'd like to be someone important. Who's gonna refuse something like that; am I right?

Before I knew it, I was head of a small gang. It didn't have a lot of members but I know a lot of under-the-table stuff happened, so we are considered important. Not that I know about all that; I'm just the muscle. I mean I knew that's why Quentin wanted me on board, to be a tough figure-head for the gang while he ran things backstage. I didn't really mind. As long as I got my cut of the profit, I didn't really care what the squirt did.

We became actual friends due to our mutual hatred of Eyrie Omorfie. It was for different reasons but still; she was a thorn in both our sides. He hated her because she beat the snot out of his go-betweens on a regular basis. Obviously threatening didn't help and outsmarting her always led to a dead-end, even for Quentin.

My reasons are less material. I always see her strutting around with that bored look on her face, her friends laughing like they don't take down drug dealers and rough-housers in the dead of night. Despite all that, despite the fact that she fights as much as I do, people like her! I mean sure, they're usually too scared to approach her when she's alone but still. Everyone had something nice to say about her. I mean, I guess she did have her moments but that doesn't matter! If I tried to walk around like that with the people in my gang, everyone would run as soon as they saw us coming. And then there was her mom! That woman was so carefree and happy. Like life HADN'T handed her the short straw. Who was she to be happy with her lot when other people were still struggling to accept theirs?

Anyway. I took comfort in the thought that I was thiiiis close to stealing that little one, Beth, away from her. She had been the first to approach me and we were going pretty steady now, secretly, as far as I was concerned at least. Beth hadn't outright told me that her friends didn't know but I thought that it was implied. Originally I had been happy because I saw it as a way to get back at Eyrie for being so...so...HER; now, though, I am genuinely developing feelings for her.
A couple of weeks after the tongue/belly piercing insistent (we're still laughing about that, amongst ourselves) Quentin asked me for a favor. Apparently an especially big exchange was going down in about a week and he needed me there to back him up. Obviously I accepted. Beth didn't have to know. In fact no one did.

"Hey man! Focus!" Quentin hit the side of my head lightly and I snapped out of it to look at him across the table that sat in a favorite hangout spot of the local teens. "Do you see her looking at us? She's probably waiting for us to mess up so she can throw us out."

I looked over to see that Eyrie was watching us while her friends and their groupies goofed off at their usual table. Her mom was on the other side of the room with her own crowd. I gnashed my teeth at Eyrie, who smirked and raised a brow; the same way an adult dealing with a dramatic child would. I nearly got up and clocked her right then. The only thing stopping me was the cute little strawberry blonde that was sitting next to her. Eyrie finally turned away and, from what I could see, started teasing both the boys and girls that had wandered over. She started playing with a girl's hair and getting close to her face. The girl's boyfriend just sat there, enthralled. I hurried to the bathroom as one girl swooned. When I walked out, she was waiting.

"What do ya want?" I snapped. We were out of sight from the others and this was my perfect opportunity.

"How's your dad?" She tilted her head and gave a small smile. I started slightly. That wasn't the direction I thought this conversation would go.

"He was just fine last time I saw him! I don't see how that's any of yer business though!" I said indignantly. She eyed me curiously.

"Yea well. I just wanted to make sure. Last I was over there he seemed worse than usual. You should spend more time with him. That would make him happy." She disappeared before I could say anything.

My old man was the town drunk and would tell anyone with an ear about his time in the army. Now that I thought about it, he did ask about Eyrie the other day. I hadn't noticed since I was so busy with my gang. I didn't have time for my Pa lately.

"Alright. You ready?" Quentin looked up at me with gleaming eyes. We were in a small, abandoned house, in the middle of the ghetto. Guys in jumpsuits were filing through the door, looking ridiculous. They all surrounded a medium, plain man who was carrying a satchel. I held something similar but I'm sure that their contents were different. Quentin swaggered over, grabbing the bad from me. The two started talking in hushed tones. I started analyzing the other guys in the room, realizing that they were all huge and outnumbered me and the two other guys I had brought along.

The whispers in the center of the room gradually became more heated. Suddenly all hell broke loose and Quentin and the other guy were grappling. Suddenly his bodyguards pulled out guns and everything froze. Quentin backed away slowly. The guns stayed up.

"Alright fellas. No need for those now right?" Quentin said in a soothing voice. The guns stayed. Suddenly the guy by the door fell with a thud.

"I believe what he was politely asking was for you to put away your toys before someone gets hurt." Eyrie's voice slid over our spines in a cold chill and she strolled into the middle of the room with Grey. They both looked around with cruel glares plastered on their faces.

"Who the f-" the man was cut off when Eyrie kicked one of his bodyguards, causing him to drop the gun without harming anyone. Grey followed her lead, knocking out guys left and right. Random shots were fired in the pandemonium but the men were too frazzled to take aim so it was ineffective.

"Are you alright?" I looked to my left to see Eyrie weaving between two enormous guys, taking them down with two or three pokes and prods. When she was done she looked at me with an intensity and she walked over and put a hand on my forehead. "Well you aren't sick. That's good. Just immobile? I guess I'd be more worried if this didn't bother you."

She smiled at me. I looked over at Grey. He was tossing my gang members out.

"Why...?" I said numbly.

"Well a certain blonde wouldn't like it if you were hurt." She gave my a reprimanding look, making me feel like a scolded child. "And your dad doesn't see you enough as it is. Can you imagine if he lost you? It would be a shame if the only reason you were in one place long enough to hear his stories were because you were six feet under."

"Ire!"

Grey's sudden roar startled me. Eyrie whipped around in time to see one of the previously unconscious bodyguards raise his gun and point at her. Instead of moving, she shoved me to the side as a shot rang out.

A week passed. After getting Doc Allister to remove the bullet from her upper thigh, my Pa and I went to see her every day. I started getting used to seeing her as a friend rather than an enemy. Beth and I brought our relationship to light, resulting in me finding out that she had already told her friends as soon as we had started dating. I was gradually able to get myself out of the gang and into Eyrie's family. Surprisingly, they all let me in with opened arms, even her mother.

It made me see her for what she was. She was the rain. She washed away my past and let me see that I could have a beautiful future.

Alright so what did ya'll think? Interesting? Even though it isn't really part of the main story, please review! Anyway, thanks for reading!