Thanks Me and I for your review, thanks for pointing out that weird thing with the fonts, hopefully it's all better now :S

so this is chapter two.

I crawl into bed at nearly two. I know I left Flick's at like five thirty, but I needed a break. I didn't want to come home. So I sat in a park, wandered around a little....

"Luke?" I jump out of my bed at the sound. I look over to Brit's bed and see her sitting up and looking over at my bed, her hair a mess. I know that some nights she stays up, unable to sleep because she's worried for me. And I know that other nights she simply wakes up when I accidentally fling the window too high. But tonight, she simply stayed up.

"Hey Brit. You okay?" I see her sillouhette shrug and not for the first time I wish I could do more to get us out of here.

"Yeah... just worried about you. Dad didn't ask but that doesn't mean anything.... I know he gets so angry for nothing." I flinch as the words bring up memories of beatings, thrashings I had never deserved. But Brit had always gotten me through.

"Yeah...." I hesitate before going over to her bed, sitting awkwardly. I was never comfortable around a girl's bed. Except Flick.

"Lucas.... Why do you keep leaving? Dad doesn't even yell that much anymore, he hasn't hit you in ages..." I shrug, hiding a wince as I realise she really doesn't know...

"Cos I never liked it here, Brit. You know that. I miss mum, and I love you but I need space.... and you know how I love the ocean." Even though it took mum away from us. Brit nods and I go back to my bed.

"Get some sleep, Brittany." She sghs and lays down, and I fall asleep soon after I hear her begin to snore faintly, alone with my dreams.

-

I wake up late, and when I rush into the kitchen I see Brit smirking at me. I take a seat slowly, all thoughts of being late gone as I pour a glass of juice.

"What?" Instead of an answer, all I get is a shake of her silly blonde head as she finishes her cereal.

"Excursion today." Dad says, and then I hear his footsteps hesitate in the doorway. My back stiffens and I fight to swallow my juice. Brit looks up from the sink and smiles tightly at him over my shoulder.

"Yep. I was thinking of going to Ashliegh's after, cos it's supposed to be really hot today and she has the air-con and..." I tune her out again, not with any real distaste, just sick of the topic already. Dad sits at the table smiling at her as though we're a happy family, completely ignoring me. I silently get up, wash the glass, and go to our room to get changed for school.

-

Andrew picks me up for school and when we arrive, I sit on the grass and stare at the already pale blue sky. I hate the heat. But I love the sea. And you can't have the sea unless it's hot, and I don't know how you would put up with the heat without the sea. Poor city kids don't know what they're missing.

"Earth to Lucas!" I look up just in time for a soccer ball to hit my face. Ouch. "Heads!" I look over at where Flick is standing with Anthony and Bianca acting completely innocent.

"Flick, I know that was you." She grimaces.

"Yeah... but still. Did it hurt?" I raise an eyebrow and she giggles, along with Bianca. I cringe inwardly at the thought of dealing with Bianca today. I've always been good at getting girlfriends, but getting rid of them is another story. And if I don't have a girlfriend then none of the girls leave me alone. It sucks that I'm attractive. Yeah, I know, I'm a concieted arsehole, but it is the truth. Well, if I'm not attractive, how do you explain all the girls who keep trying to hook up with me?

"Hey, Lucas... I actually wanted to talk to you about tonight." She said. This time i didn't hide my cringe. Dammit!

I get up and follow her lead, going to a place by the car park where people can't see us really but it's technically not out of bounds.

"Ummm.... Lucas, do you still... Like me?" I sigh, looking at the ground. This was the hard part.

"Well, um, Bianca, the thing is..." She looks me in the eye.

"I only ask cos I don't really want to be going out with you anymore. I know I seem like a bitch, but that's the truth. You always blow me off and half the time you don't answer my calls, when you do I wish you hadn't, and to be frank I don't get on with you at all." I shrug, kind of hurt but relieved at the same time.

"Okay then... Well I guess the feeling is mutual." She nods and we hug, then walk our separate ways.

---

CHANGE OF POV

I get off the bus to a wave of heat, making me check that it's only eight am. I hate the heat. I hate Tuesdays. I hate just about everything about today, really. First I sleep in, I miss my early bus so I can't go to the cemetery, then I forget my phone... great. I have no idea how I'm getting home this afternoon. I'll probably just catch some random bus.

I see my face in the windows, the reflection distorted but still clear... I look like a mess. I tried my best to cover up the bruise, but my face still looks kinda purple... where there isn't thick black eyeliner, and where my hair doesn't conceal it completely.

I sigh. At least noone pays much attention to me.

-

"Isadora?" I look up at the mention of my name. Oh. Roll call. Right. The teacher continues to call out names and I wish I could change mine, become someone else. Not for the first time I open my tattered blue notebook and start writing, sketching to help me imagine the places, the people, the scenes...

"Isadora, pay attention." I look up in time to snatch my book from the table and act like I had been taking notes, and the teacher sniffed disdainfully but went back to the front of the room.

"Now, as I was saying, their were many reasons the U.S government gave for using the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, such as..?" I raise my hand, weary of this topic. We had studied this in my tutoring class a few weeks ago... either that or I had read something about it.

"Isadora?" I ignore the snickers.

"Hey Dora, I seem to have missed my lesson in spanish, what's loser?" I hate the references to the stupid TV show. Dora the Explorer should never have been invented.

"They said it would shorten the war, although Japan was on the verge of losing anyway, they didn't want Russia involved, although that failed anyway, and they needed top show their power in the pacific so that they could go back to being a peaceful and uninterfering nation again." The stupid teacher looks surprised and starts talking again. I go back to writing, certain I won't be bothered again. I've always been timid, I'm just better at hiding it these days. As long as noone actually touches me, I'm okay.

The bell rings, startling me and I pack my things hastily, heading to the door after all the other students.

"Isadora? Can I talk to you?" I look back at the teacher, already walking back into the room.

"Yes?" She sighs and I realise that even with my quiet voice, she knows when I'm impatient.

"It won't take long. I've been noticing the nasty comments some of the boys have been making, not just in my class but in the playground... and some of the girls, as well. I don't need your approval for this, but I have been considering reporting them to the deputy for some time now. I just wanted to ask you if it will help." I sigh, shaking my head slowly.

"No, I don't think it will. there are too many of them to make a difference, anyway." She smiles at me as she picks up her folder and bag, and we leave the room, me to the buses and she to the staff room.

"Whoa!" My books go flying as I am thrown to the ground by someone running to the buses. I barely register the fact that I have no idea who's voice it is, as I feel my skin tear open on the asphalt. Ouch. I feel the tears start to form but I force myself not to cry, pulling myself up and going to get my books.

"Hey! I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I look up, completely astounded that he's talking to me. Most of the time if I get shoved like that they just ignore me and walk away. Once they wouldn't let me back up. The strange guy grabs my shoulder, and I flinch instinctively.

"Um, yeah. Sorry." I reach over to get my books, the ones I can reach, anyway. He frowns but kneels and helps me, making me frown in confusion. Won't he miss his bus?

"You're bleeding!" He exclaims, and I look at my arm where he's pointing. Sure enough, I have a massive graze and it's bleeding. I close my eyes in distaste, grimacing. It doesn't hurt, but I hate blood.

"Yea... On my legs as well." I regret saying it instantly, he must think I'm so ungrateful for his help! "Thanks so much for your help, I'm sorry I was in the way." He hands me my books, frowning. I lower my eyes once more.

"It's ok. I'll probably catch the bus anyway, my friends will have left by now. Are you hurt badly?" I shrug. I made him late for his friends? What if he tells them and they come after me?

"No. I'm so sorry, please, I really didn't mean to make you late to meet your friends, -"

"Hey. No worries. What's your name?" He asks, and I blush.

"Isadora." I whisper it, mortified.

"What was that?" I blush even deeper. Why did they give me such an embarrasing name?

"I-Isadora." He smiles.

"You're so quiet!" I bite my lip. "Isadora's such an unusual name... my mum wanted to call Brittany that, but dad wanted boring, normal names for us. I suppose I don't regret it, I would've been Conan or something... She was a weird one, my mum." He laughs a little and I smile, just a bit. He didn't mock me and he even complimented my name!

"T-thanks."

"Hey, it's no problem. I knocked you down, after all. The least I can do is help you get up and make sure you're ok. What bus do you catch?" I shrug.

"I don't know, I normally get a taxi home, it's so far out. I live near the beach... I left my phone at home today, so I couldn't call." He grins for some reason, and it does sort of intimidate me.

"You live near the beach?" I nod. "That's awesome! I live around there too, you can catch my bus, and I'll get you to your house after that. Okay?" I nod and he grins wider.

We sit under the trees at the bus bay with all the other kids, and I get alot of stares.

"Hey, this is gonna sound kinda weird, but are they staring at me or you?" I look down again, blushing.

"Um, both... I don't have many friends."

"I figured." I look up sharply, and I'm amazed that he doesn't know me. I could've sworn that all the guys in my year knew me to pick on.

We sit there awkwardly for a while.

"Why doesn't anyone hang out with you?" I stare intently at the ground. 'cos I'm a loser, I want to say.

"I'm not like them. I moved here from ...another school. I never fit in here."

The bus comes just then, and I'm so grateful because it means he can't ask me any more questions.

I guess when noone wants to listen to you, you stop wanting to tell people the things that matter.

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked the second chapter! I hope to be able to get another one up soon... key word being 'hope'! Please leave me a review!

luffs lea xx