Chapter 14

As soon as I woke up from a sound slumber, I was instantly hit with a sickening, stomach-churning feeling. Everything hurt. My mind was a foggy mess, my sinuses all might as well have been crammed with cotton wool and every one of my muscles were aching so bad that I worried I might have been trampled by an elephant in my sleep. The worst thing about waking up from unconsciousness? Remembering everything that had happened the night before...

Last night's antics caught up with me fast. Although it was a bit of a blur, I remembered more or less everything that had transpired and knew instantly that I'd taken things way too far. I'd fought with Anya, got caught up I a police chase, kissed a River Boy and puked all over my brother's car. I didn't think I could bare the embarrassment or guilt of it all.

Annoyed with myself and the mere contemplation of facing the day ahead, I buried my face in a pillow and muffled a bearish groan. I shouldn't have drunk so much. I shouldn't have gone to Mangrove River. Hell, I shouldn't have even left school in the first place! Unable to bare stewing over it, I overcame the discomfort and forced myself to shamefacedly slink out of bed and hole up in the bathroom. After all, a shower was the best remedy for a hangover.

When I was on my feet, I noticed that Kyle had left a glass of water and some painkillers for me on the bedside table. I recalled that he'd been the one to help me into bed, by washing off my makeup and getting me to drink water and ordering me to sleep on my side, so that if I was sick again, I wouldn't choke on it. He had stayed with me most of the night, talking me to sleep with anecdotes. Trying to let this thought comfort me rather than make me feel downright mortified, I drank the glass of water and took the painkillers before moving on into the bathroom.

When I caught sight of myself in the mirror, I got the shock of my life. There were bruises and cuts all over me. My wrist had swollen and the skin around it was tender and warm to the touch, clearly sprained. My lower lip had been split by Anya's knuckles and the area surrounding it was tinged in a pink glow. Tired, dark bags looped my eyes and my hair was a jungle of blonde frizz. I was still wearing Brody's leather jacket and my white dress from the night before, so I hung the jacket up and threw the dress into a washing basket.

After the shower I felt a thousand times better, but still groggy. I smelt and looked a whole lot better too. After throwing on some clean clothes, I decided it was about high time I went out and faced my family. When I strolled into the kitchen, I instantly recognized Kyle and Phoebe making coffee and tea by the counter as Heath was hunched over the table, gobbling down a fry-up breakfast. Meanwhile, Harley was on a fold out baby play-mat that had been placed on the floor and was on his back, giggling to himself as he reached for the colourful, musical soft toys and rattles dangling over him. Other than them, it came as a surprise that no one else was around. Darcy and Josh must have already gone to school and Bianca probably had done too. The fact that my new surfboard was leaning up against the wall all by itself led me to assume that Brax had taken his and gone for a surf early this morning and since Ricky was nowhere to be seen, I guessed that she had more than likely tagged along to take photos or something.

When I came in, Heath was mopping up the last bit of egg on his plate with a triangle of toast, He chose to look up and notice me just as he was shovelling it into his mouth.

"Hey! Look who dragged themselves out of the gutter!" He called joyously, grinning smugly at me and succeeding in getting Kyle and Phoebe's attention to settle squarely on me. I swear I wanted to punch him for it. "Have a nice night's sleep did you, trouble?"

Kyle didn't hesitate to stand up for me. He fired his older half-brother a stark look. "Heath. Don't."

"What? I'm just making her feel as welcomed as I'd make anyone else in her situation." Heath answered, still smirking like a muppet. "Oi, Alex, I'm going to the fridge. Want me to grab you a beer while I'm there?"

"Heath, let it go!" Kyle fumed, glaring at him.

Unfazed, my teasing brother made his way over to me and clapped both his large hands onto my shoulders. "Or better yet, we could hit the bar at Angelo's if you'd prefer that. How about it, Lex?"

"Get lost, Heath." I growled, shrugging him off and wanting nothing more than to run straight back into my room and hide away under my bed sheets for the remainder of my life.

He just laughed in response. "Good morning to you too."

I was on the verge of scurrying back to my room to lick my wounded ego like an injured dog but Kyle's warmth kept me from doing so. My softer-hearted brother made me a cup of tea and urged me to sit down with him and Phoebe for breakfast. Unfortunately, I didn't have much of an appetite and could barely stomach the mere sight and smell of buttery toast, runny egg and sizzling, greasy bacon. I could have had granola or muesli instead, but I couldn't bring myself to touch a crumb of either. When my belly grumbled, I wasn't sure if it was because of hunger or sickness at the thought of eating food. After that, the three of us moved to sit outside in the garden and have tea or coffee. The sun was warm on my skin and the refreshing soft breeze helped clear my head of all the thoughts that had amassed there, like dust particles collecting on a window ledge. I had a feeling that it was going to be one of those beautiful blue-skied days and wondered if I'd be able to enjoy any of it when I was feeling so rough.

"So... how are you holding up after last night?" Kyle asked softly, purposely keeping his voice low.

"I'll feel a lot better once this is nothing but a distant memory." I said tiredly, running a hand through my hair which was still slightly damp after the shower.

"Like we're ever going to let you forget about it." Phoebe snorted, winking at me good-humouredly. "I thought I was a rebel when I was fifteen. Until I met you."

"You? A rebel?" I questioned groggily, settling back against the chair and making myself comfortable. "But isn't your dad a rich, high-class lawyer? And I thought you were sent to an upper-class private boarding school and everything."

"I was and they all expected me to be a good little girl." Phoebe answered with an edge of bitterness to her voice, then her tone dropped to a whisper and she leaned forwards as if she was sharing some kind of secret with me. Her eyes twinkled. "But I tried not to conform."

"What did you do?" I probed, hoping to elicit some juicy stories that would keep my mind off of the present.

"Well, for a starters, I dated this handsome guy right here." Phoebe smirked, moving to cuddle up on Kyle's lap. She wrapped an arm about his neck and affectionately ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. The two of them smiled at one another for a silent moment, seeming miles away. Then they came back to earth and Phoebe sipped a mouthful of her coffee. "That was back in high school. The two of us formed a band and I used to sneak out of the house to go play gigs and stuff." She chuckled. "It used to drive my dad insane."

"Really?"

"Totally cray cray." Phoebe averred, crossing her heart.

"Mark - Phoebe's dad - never really took a shine to me." Kyle added in explanation. "Remember the time he briefly fostered some guard dogs from an animal rescue shelter, just so that they would chase me off the front porch when I was dropping you off back home after our gigs?"

"Oh, yeah! I remember that! That's really saying something too, because he absolutely hates dogs." Phoebe sniggered.

I quietly watched and listened to them as they relieved their past, laughing at funny memories they'd shared. Though a part of me was pleased to see them so content in each other's company, another side of me felt undeniably sad, like I was missing out on the something that they had. In truth I was in admiration of Kyle and Phoebe's relationship and was admittedly feeling kind of jealous of how easy they had it.

Just then, a gust of wind blew through the garden, making me shiver. I fleetingly considered going inside to switch my thin top for Flynn's T-shirt and to wrap up in Brody's leather jacket. Straight afterwards I came the conclusion that I should never wear those two items of clothing together, at the same time. Not ever. It just didn't seem right to me.

"High school sweethearts, huh? It's an impressive feat to be so in love even after all this time." I spoke up, wanting to distract myself from my own imagination.

"Oh, you know how it is." Phoebe shrugged like it was nothing big. "Sometimes you just get lucky and you meet someone who makes you happy."

"I'm the one who's lucky." Kyle disagreed sweetly.

I loved this side of Kyle. Sometimes he was completely unafraid to show his kinder characteristics and softer nature. It was the same Kyle who I guessed Phoebe had first met, back when he was my age and completely himself. Back when he had never met our Dad or got caught up in jobs or been introduced into the criminal world that all Braxtons seemed to get sucked into like metal to a magnet or moths to a flame. The only times I ever really got to see him like this was when he was alone with me or Phoebe.

"If we get any soppier, I think we're going to make your sister puke again." Phoebe laughed in response.

"Nah, you two carry on being revoltingly adorable. I don't mind being made to feel like I don't exist." I joked sardonically running my nails along the arm of the chair I was sat on. "I'll just sit here and try not to feel incredibly awkward... or like vomiting my guts out all over again."

"Aw, come on. We're not that bad." Phoebe grinned, wrinkling up her nose. "So, Anyway, what about you? Have you got your eye on anyone in the bay? Is there a certain guy that we need to know about?"

At her words, my mind broke out into a chaotic battleground as Brody and Flynn fought to take over my thoughts. I couldn't decide which I should be thinking about and instantaneously felt annoyed with myself for thinking of either of them at all whatsoever. Flynn was and always had been just my best friend until two days before I left the city, when he decided to kiss me. And Brody? Well he was just a... an associate. And a temporary distraction from real life... And a real pain in the backside for complicating my life further.

I winced as if I was in pain, which I suppose I was given the headache I was experiencing. "Erm... I don't really want to talk boys in front of my big brother."

"Good idea. I think that's a conversation I'd rather be kept out of." Kyle cut in, grimacing. His eyebrows arched. "But... out of interest... you're not dating anyone, right?"

I found it funny how alarmed he seemed at the prospect.

"Don't worry. I'm single. For now." I chuckled.

"For now?" Kyle repeated, rolling his eyes. "Here we go..."

The three of us laughed and then the conversation slowly moved back onto the topic of how Phoebe used to go out of her way to make life difficult for her dad by being a bit of a rebel and walking on the wild side every now and again. Apparently, she hated the boarding schools she was sent to and tried to run away and get kicked out a good few times. Unfortunately, Mark just threw around a wad of cash and the academies ended up being bribed into letting her back in.

"Once, I set off the fire alarm." Phoebe told me. "You should have heard the other girls squeal when they were drenched in water from the spray system. It was hysterical."

"Classic." I giggled, tickled by the thought of all those stuffy, prudish, snobby girls screaming as they were showered in the downpour. I shook my head. "Phoebe Nicholson, you little menace."

"Are you kidding? That's nothing compared to getting caught up in a police chase after getting drunk and fighting at a party." Phoebe asserted defensively. "One thing's for sure. You're definitely your brothers' sister."

I fell quiet as memories of last night swam back into the forefront of my mind, filling me again with that nagging, guilty, embarrassed feeling.

Seeing that I was brooding over it, Phoebe smiled warmly and rubbed my arm. "Hey, don't feel bad, Lex. It's not a big deal. You had one night of letting loose after years of having to work nonstop and look after your mum. I think you're entitled to some teenager time."

"Hmm..." I pursed my lips doubtfully, my eyes landing on Brax as he walked shirtless through the open garden gate, surfboard in hand, his hair glistening with sea water in the morning sun. Ash shadowed him through, shortly followed by Ricky and Bianca, who were both deep in a conversion that came to an end as they entered the garden and spotted me. It really surprised me that Bianca wasn't at work yet. It was pretty late.

A scowl formed on Brax's face when he noticed me on the decking, and I felt my tummy twist into a knot as he made his way over. No doubt this was going to be a very uncomfortable next few minutes.

Keeping my voice low, I mumbled to Phoebe. "I'm not sure that he's going to agree with you on that one."

Brax stopped in front of me and the both of us stared at each other. I was getting myself ready for a lecture when Heath came out from the house holding Harley to him and smirking.

"Hey babe," he grinned, pulling Bianca in for a kiss with his free hand.

"Hi." She replied, tickling under Harley's chin. "Did the little man behave himself for you while I was gone?"

"Good as gold. Just like his dad, eh?" Heath beamed proudly, then he turned his attention on Brax. "I'm surprised that you're back already. That was short surf." He commented as my toddler nephew babbled gibberish in his arms.

"Surf was rubbish." Ash answered casually, leaning his board on the garden fence. "Wasn't it, Brax?"

My oldest brother didn't answer. He was too busy glaring at me. I could tell what was coming next even before it came. Brax was going to confront me about what had gone down last night.

"Get inside." My older brother ordered coldly, gesturing at the house, his gaze intensely burning into me. "We need to straighten a few things out."

"Brax, about last night, I can expla-" I began to say before he cut me off.

"Now, Lex."

He sounded so mad that I hadn't the heart or courage to protest against or question him again. Quietly, nervously and somewhat sulkily, I pushed myself up from my seat on the decking and forced myself to walk into the kitchen with my head held high. Kyle gave me an encouraging nod as I passed. Heath just seemed to find all of this amusing and simply threw me a wink and sarcastically wished me luck, warning that I was going to need it. Talk about reassuring.

Once we were in the kitchen alone, my brother turned to glower at me, a reproachful gleam in his green-blue eyes. He crossed his arms over his broad, tattooed chest. Before he had the chance to say anything, I cleared my throat and jumped at the opportunity to justify myself.

"I'm sorry, Brax. I never-"

"So you should be." He threw back.

I sighed, realising that it was going to take more than an apology to win over my brother's forgiveness. Unfortunately, words were all I could offer.

"I really am sorry for yesterday." I pressed insistently, looking him square in the face and hoping he could see just how remorseful I was.

"Which part exactly?" Brax scowled, and as he spoke, each syllable started sounding louder and crosser. "When you disappeared from school without telling me? When you ignored my calls? Or maybe you mean when I had to drive out in the middle of the night, leaving my pregnant girl alone so that I could pick you up drunk from Mangrove River."

"Actually, I was just going to say that I was sorry for throwing up in your car," I smiled sheepishly, attempting to lighten the mood, but Brax wasn't falling for any of it. There was no way he was letting this one slide easily. As he tensed his jaw, my weak grin died on my lips. "... but, now that you mention it..."

"Don't get smart with me, Alex." My brother frowned. "This isn't a joke."

"I know." I sighed, growing serious at the tone of his voice. "I'm genuinely so sorry for everything I put you and everyone else through yesterday. The last thing I wanted to do was be a burden on this family."

"You're not a burden." Brax interjected, his voice surprisingly soft though it was still forceful. "You're my little sister. I'd go anywhere and do anything for you. Same goes for the others. It's just that..." Brax trailed off in a tired sigh, clearly not knowing how to put what he was thinking into words. "I need you to promise me that you'll never disappear like that again. When you have a problem in the future, you come straight to me with it, understood?"

"Loud and clear." I nodded.

"Good. And just in case you're thinking about vanishing again - don't. The next time you do, I'll throw you off Angelo's balcony myself, got it?"

"Really? You're threatening to kill me if I snub your calls?" I laughed. "Don't you think that's a bit drastic?"

"Got it?" Brax repeated, his eyebrows raised. He didn't even crack a smile. My laughter quickly faltered.

I bit my lip and resignedly threw my hands up in surrender. I was at the point where I would have said or done anything to get him to go back to treating me the way he used to - before he was annoyed with me. I much preferred it when we were on good terms.

"Whatever you say goes." I answered quietly, shrugging a shoulder.

"That's finally dawned on you, has it?" My brother countered, watching me with narrowed eyes. "I'm glad to see that at least some of the rules of this house are starting to rub off on you. Better late than never I guess."

There it was again. That assumption that Brax controlled everything that happened in and outside this house and everyone that lived in it. The Braxton family ran on his terms and everyone was expected to jump at his word. It reminded me of what Olivia had said before about Brax being the kind of bloke who usually always got what he wanted in the end, one way or another. He was used to being in control and he liked to get his own way a lot. That's just how it was.

It was comments like that that made me want to say something back. I practically had to bite down on my tongue to stop myself from starting up an argument and making the situation any worse than it already was. As much as I hated it, Brax had full reign over the family, which now included me. As my oldest brother and the one in charge, I'd have to answer to him and abide by his rules, no matter how restricting or annoying I found them.

It was incredibly difficult for me to acknowledge that I was placing my independence and my freedom in someone else's hands and letting them entirely take over my life, but it had to be done. I knew that at the end of the day, Brax was my brother and despite all of his faults, he was a really good brother to me. He'd taken me in, given me a home, given me a family, fed me, clothed me, gone out of his way to ensure my happiness and now he was just trying to give me the best education he could. The only reason he seemed so full-on was because he cared about me so much. My safety was paramount. That's why it was such a big deal to him that I stayed in touch and that I followed his rules. After all, they were only there for my protection.

Right?

"Another thing I want to know is since when have you been hanging round with the kids from Mangrove River?" Brax interrogated.

"Not long. I just met them in class yesterday and they invited me out with them. That's all." I shrugged, trying to make it seem like less than it actually was. I figured if I tried to under-emphasize the situation to Brax than he might forgive and forget much quicker. Despite knowing how badly it could backfire, I decided to lie to him.

"Really?" Brax crossed his arms apprehensively. "Because you looked pretty chummy with Matt Page and Brody Johnston yesterday when I picked you up."

I maintained as straight a poker face as possible. "Matt used to work for you and he knows Phoebes and Kyle pretty well. He probably felt like he had to help just out of common decency. As for the other guy - Brody Johnston - he was just there." I took a breath. "I barely even know them."

Brax regarded me with suspicion and I could tell that I hadn't quite won him over yet. "The Mangrove River kids are bad news, Alex."

"Erm... didn't you used to be one yourself?" I frowned.

"Which is why I'm the most qualified to say it." Brax fired back firmly. "I want a better life for you than the one I had, and you're not going to get it with mates like that lot. Just look at what they dragged you into yesterday. Alcohol, drugs, police, fights, crime... It's not happening. This family has gone completely legit and I want you as far away from that kind of lifestyle as possible. I don't want you hanging around them from now on. They'll just drag you down. Take it from someone who knows; you're better off staying clear."

As my brother's speech came to an end, I felt a part of me freeze over. It took me a second to realize it was my heart. Stay away from Brody? How was I supposed to do that? And from Matt who'd helped me out when I'd really needed him and made last night a laugh? To keep away from Amy and her friends, Stella and Jade, who had been the only ones in my class at school to show me any kindness and acceptance? What Brax was saying meant that the only friend I'd made that he was allowing me to keep was Olivia. That was all.

No matter how much I loved my brother and wanted to be as little trouble as possible to my family, this was asking for far too much. I couldn't have my friends picked out for me and given the stamp of approval by my brother. It didn't work like that. I was entitled to be friends with whomever I liked, and I just so happened to like the Mangrove River crowd. They were my kind of people. Besides, what right had Brax to be such a hypocrite? He'd been one himself - the leader of the gang at one point!

The thing was, I knew that my brother was deadly serious about this. If I wanted to stay friends with the guys and girls from Mangrove River, then I was going to have to smarten up about it. That would require me to lie. For a second, I battled with my morals, but then I figured the risk was worth it. I would still hang out with my new friends. I would just have to make sure Brax didn't know about it. And so long as I was careful about not getting caught up in anything too extreme, then maybe eventually - hopefully - he would see that they aren't so bad after all.

I nodded numbly and tried to act like I didn't care in the slightest, even though I most certainly did.

"Yeah. Course." I answered, trying my best not to let my real emotions show. If I gave the game away, then Brax would be watching me loads closer and would basically go out of his way to ensure I never saw any of them again. I didn't think I'd be able to bare that. "Like I said, I'm not even friends with them. I just hung out with them once."

Brax seemed to look deep into my eyes that were a spitting image of his own, searching for confirmation of the truth or any shadow of a doubt. Apparently he found nothing out of place.

"If I find out you're lying to me, Alex..." he warned, leaving the threat hanging.

"I'm not." I promised, beating down my nerves. "It was just a bad call on my part, okay? It won't happen again."

"It better not."

"It won't."

There were a tense few seconds that passed as slowly as if I was spending them watching paint dry or grass grow. After a while, Brax nodded his head and backed away from me, seeming to unwind a bit. "Righto. I believe you."

Beyond relieved that he'd fallen for it, I tried out an apologetic smile on my still frowning big brother, trying to butter him up. "So does that mean that we're good now?"

Brax shook his head. "Nah. You're not getting out of it that easy. I've got a list of things for you to get through before I even come close to letting last night go." I bottled-up the impulse to groan and roll my eyes in annoyance. "First things first - you're still going back to school. End of discussion."

"I was planning on going back anyway." I muttered to try and save face.

"And you're getting a tutor." Brax added, catching me by surprise.

I stared at him like he'd just said something in an alien language. I felt my jaw drop open.

"What?" I yelped. "Why? Who?"

"Jett Palmer from next door."

"No!" I protested.

"Yes." Brax corrected determinedly. "There's no point in arguing. He's coming over every Tuesday night. Maybe Wednesday and Thursday as well, depending on how well the first few sessions go. This'll be good for you Alex. It'll help you to catch up faster and it'll make the lessons at school easier for you. Besides, Jett's a good kid. You'll like him."

Something about the look he was giving me told me that he meant every single word and I could visibly see how much more relaxed he was in the knowledge that I would be getting extra tuition from here on out. I tried to tell myself that having a tutor wasn't the worst thing in the world. Even though it would bite a huge amount of time out of my social life and would probably end up being so boring that I'd want to throw myself off the balcony at Angelo's.

"Fine." I grumbled reluctantly through gritted teeth, grudgingly seeing that this was actually in my best interest. Maybe it would mean that there would be no more lessons like the one I'd had with Mrs Finch yesterday morning. The work might actually start to make sense to me if I had someone like Jett Palmer going over it with me beforehand.

Just then, everyone else crept into the kitchen from outside, obviously unsure whether or not it was safe to come inside or if they were walking in on some kind of war zone. Luckily for them, I was trying my best to avoid a situation in which my brother and I would end up turning the house into a battle field. It was better for everyone, me included, if I just accepted that this one was on me and that I was in the wrong for having bolted from school yesterday. The best way to go from here was to try and make it up to my family in any way possible. Even if that meant rolling over and showing my belly and agreeing to every one of Brax's terms... Or at least pretending to agree to them.

Brax's eyes briefly flitted to the rest of the family before focusing back on me. He shared eye contact with Bianca and the two of them seemed to have some silent conversation between themselves.

Finally, she turned to smile at me. "Hi, Alex."

"Hey." I answered half-heartedly. "Why aren't you at work yet? Won't you get in trouble for being late?"

"Leah and Zac have got it all under control." She told me. "Anyway, I needed a chat with you before I went. To clear things up."

I tilted my head to the side. "What did you want to talk about?"

Bianca took a deep breath before continuing.

"Alex, I talked to some of your classmates yesterday after you left." She said carefully, "Most of them had similar stories about what had happened in the science lesson. I need you to answer me honestly. Did Mrs Finch treat you unfairly in class yesterday?"

I shrugged and leaned back against the table. "Yeah. I guess."

"Do you think you were right to have a go at her? To call her a bad teacher?" Bianca asked it in a casual way, with no judgement in her voice.

I chewed on my lower lip. "I think so."

"Think so?" Heath repeated.

"I mean... I probably wouldn't have said it otherwise." I explained. "But maybe I was a bit too... you know..."

"Keen to get out?" Bianca guessed.

"Yup." I nodded slowly. "I think I would have taken any excuse to get out of that first day back. It took so much for me to even go in the first place. Then there was that whole thing with Anya... And when Mrs Finch started barking down my throat for no reason, I guess it was just the last straw. I wanted out."

"What did she do exactly that made you want to leave?" Bianca questioned.

"Made me feel stupid and small in front of everyone." I frowned at the memory. "It's not my fault that I didn't get the work, but she seemed to believe that I was purposely being awkward or something. Like she thought I was trying to make a scene."

"I'll be sure to have a word with her about it." Bianca assured me. "I'm sure that after a consultation between the three of us, she'll accept you back into the physics class. I may need you to apologise to her face to face though."

"She'll do it." Brax answered on my behalf, before I had the chance to refuse or argue. I stared at him offended, but he just levelled my gaze, challenging me to disagree with him. Considering how much trouble I was already in for yesterday, I decided against it and let the subject slide. It seemed I was just going to have to swallow my pride when it came to that meeting.

I was biting my lip absentmindedly when it suddenly began to sting afresh. It was burning feeling, like it was on fire. I automatically reached up to brush it with my fingers. They came away crimson. I had totally forgotten to take care with the split lip Anya had given me. Because I had been obliviously grazing it with my teeth, it had started bleeding again.

"Ah." I winced.

"I'll fix it up for you." Kyle offered helpfully, going to the freezer to grab a bag of ice and then a first aid kit, in which there was some soothing cream and a plaster. He then led me over to the sofa and took care of it for me as everyone else hung around looking either sympathetic or concerned. Once Kyle had finished up with that, he moved on to my other grazes. There were plenty on me from when I had fallen from the top of the barbed wire fence. My knees were particularly bad, as was a cut on my elbow. The palm of my hand had also been scuffed a little. The cream seemed to take the sting out it a bit, and the plasters made me feel less exposed and vulnerable. But it did make the injuries unbearably itchy.

"What was the fight about?" Ricky quizzed after Kyle had finished patching me up.

I decided to play dumb. "No idea. I tried to stay out of it."

"You didn't exactly do a great job of that." Phoebe commented drily.

"Yeah, tell me about it." I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "Everyone was fighting everyone. I was... too drunk at the time to really know what was going on. Everything had been fine two seconds earlier. Then the police showed up and I got the hell out of there. Brody Johnston and Matt Page found me. They phoned you to come and collect me." I leant back into the sofa, clapping my hands together. "And that's the whole story."

"The real one?" Brax pressed. Ricky shushed him with a fierce look.

"So who hit you?" She asked softly. "Someone from Mangrove River?"

"No." I answered, then realised I'd said it a bit too quickly. I tried to cover up. "I'm pretty sure that she was from Chatworth."

"Did you recognise her at all? Anyone you might have seen from school?" Bianca asked.

"Nah. I didn't get a very good look at her face. It was dark by then."

Brax pulled a face and I got the feeling that he knew I was covering for someone. Surprisingly, he didn't ask me to elaborate. Everyone except Heath seemed ready to let the subject drop.

"She's worse off though right?" He was grinning jokingly, but I could tell that he genuinely wanted to know.

"Heath!" Bianca scolded, but almost everyone else except for Brax was wearing a smile.

I scrunched up my forehead in concentration as I tried to remember the parts of the night that had been shattered into fragments of blurry memory. I found it hard to piece them back together and put them in order. Had Anya come off as bad as me or was she worse or better? And what had happened to everyone else too? Did Amy walk away scot-free? Was Jackson one of the guys who were caught by the police? Had Brody given Gaz as good a thrashing as he deserved? They were all pretty good questions that I didn't have any answers to because I'd left after having only seen Brody and Matt after the brawl and they both seemed okay. I hadn't heard from or seen anyone else involved since.

I laughed quietly at the curiosity lighting Heath's face as he eagerly awaited a reply.

"I think we both walked away pretty much the same." I decided, unable to determine what injuries I'd caused Anya. A black eye? I remembered one extraordinarily good punch in the nose. Did that do much damage? "From what remember it was an even fight."

He seemed disappointed. "That all?" He snorted, bunching his giant hands into fists and pretending to punch me. They were the softest blows ever. I giggled as he ended up putting me in a loose headlock and tickling me instead. "Gonna have to teach my little bubba of a sis how to fight, then, huh? Make a real Braxton out of ya."

"Oi. Don't encourage it." Brax broke in, glaring daggers at his younger brother. I could tell from the tone of his voice that he meant it.

My laughter faded as Heath slowly let me go and faced Brax, levelling him with daring stare. He sighed heavily, his mouth just a thin line.

"'It's just a bit of a biff. It's character building.' Isn't that what you always used to say to me and the boys?"

"Not when it comes to her." Brax snapped tersely, signalling at me.

"Whatever." Heath sniffed and went to take Harley out of Bianca's arms before throwing me a wink. "Catch ya later, grommet." His eyes jumped to Brax. "After the silverback gorilla over there has finished banging his chest that is."

Once Heath had gone, I posed the question that was hanging on my mind. "So... what happens now?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to take a shower." Ash grinned, walking passed me towards the bathroom and pretending to sniff his own armpit.

Ick. Men.

"I'm going to go to work." Bianca said, checking her watch.

"What about me?" I turned hopefully to look at Brax and Ricky. "Do I get the rest of the day off?"

"Just for today." Ricky replied, sharing eye contact with my biggest bother. "You're in no shape to go to school and we don't want anyone finding out that you had anything to do with last night's crusade in Mangrove River. Otherwise we'll have social services right back on our doorstep."

Admittedly, there was a part of me that had hoped I would go to school because I knew that if I did, then I might see Brody there. And Matt and Amy and the rest of the River kids too. At the same time, I couldn't have been more grateful to be as far away from that institution as possible. After a little reflection, I came to the decision that I was actually really glad I didn't have to go. I tried unsuccessfully to fight the smile off my lips at the notion of an extra free day from school. I didn't do a particularly good job at hiding it though, because Brax was quick to notice and have a dig.

"I don't know what you're looking so happy for." He said wickedly. "All that means is that you've got plenty of time go over all of your school work and finish your assignments that you missed yesterday. And before you do any of that, you're going to clean up the mess you made in The General."

My face dropped. "What?"

"And whilst you're at it, you might as well do the whole car." He commanded. "I want the inside hoovered, the dashboard dusted, the bodywork washed down with soapy water and a sponge before being hosed and then waxed. Don't forget to polish, clean and oil down under the bonnet either. And remember to do the wheels too."

"You can't be serious." I stared at him.

"You want to make it up to me after the stunt you pulled last night?" Brax quizzed. "Consider this a step closer to that goal. Have fun."

I looked imploringly at Ricky for help, but she just shrugged, smiling. "You'd better get cleaning, girl."

*

Five hours later, I was unquestionably exhausted. I'd spent all day doing jobs for Brax. Apparently, the car had just been a starting point. Once I'd finished cleaning out the Ute - which was the most disgusting job ever - I had to then move onto clearing the garage out and then scrubbing down the Barbie, which was a really taxing job.

Once I'd ticked all of those off my list, I ran into the shower to get all of the sweat and grime of the day washed off of me. I then got stuck into my school work, happy to do anything that wasn't physically strenuous. When Brax had suggested studying, I'd leapt at the idea.

By the time Jett Palmer finally came knocking at the door for our tutorial session, every one of my family members were out eating at Angelo's. I hadn't been allowed to join them, but Brax told me that if the tutorial went well then he'd bring me home whatever takeaway Italian food I wanted and a desert to go with it. I supposed that was a good enough deal for someone who was currently in the dog house. After all, I was practically dying of hunger after the hard day of labour.

Finishing off the sentence I was writing in my essay, I hopped up off my seat and strolled over to the door after the first round of polite knocks. I pulled it open to reveal the neighbour I'd met a few times before.

Jett Palmer was a nice enough looking guy, but not really my type. He was kind of tall and lean, with a generally narrow build. I had to admit that he had a great smile and big brown eyes that I bet could make a girl melt.

"Hi." He smiled, his face lighting up when he saw me.

"Hey. C'mon in." I greeted, standing to the side and holding the door open for him to pass through.

"Awesome. Where should I set up?" Jett asked waving his laptop and bag full of school books at me.

"Just there, next to my stuff." I replied, leading him into the kitchen and pointing at the mess sprawled over the surface of the table. It was a bombshell of papers and books from a mix of different subjects that I hated. History, Maths, science, foreign languages... the list went on. The only topics I didn't downright hate were English, Art and design, Design and technology and most importantly, my favourite; catering. I couldn't wait until I started that class.

"I'm not too late, am I?" Jett asked, bringing me out of my daydream of cake making and biscuit baking and all kind of marvellous cooking.

"You came just on time actually." I told him as I put the kettle on to boil. "I was just about to make a start on a chemistry essay and I could really use your brains. You want a drink or anything before we get started?" I offered.

"Nah. I'm good, thanks." Jett said, looking around the house. "Is it just us?"

"Yup. For now." I sighed in answer.

"Why? Where's everyone else?"

"They're all at Angelo's." I said with a heavy sigh. "Except Josh. He's with Evie."

"What? They're all at Angelo's and you weren't invited?" Jett raised his eyebrows, laughing.

Smiling, I bit my lip. The sharp sting that followed reminded me not to, so I quickly stopped. "I guess you could say that it's some form of punishment."

"You've been grounded?" Jett enquired uncertainly, as if he couldn't quite imagine it happening. I guess that until today, neither could I. The term didn't really exactly register with me. I'd never had to deal with anything like it before in the city, when almost every moment was my own to do whatever I liked with.

"In a way, yes." I explained hesitantly.

"For doing what?" Jett asked, switching on his laptop and logging into his user account as I came to sit beside him.

"It's a pretty long story." I warned.

"Something to do with that I'm assuming?" Jett quizzed, gesturing at my sore, cut lip.

"Clever boy." I commended, nodding.

He smiled at that. "Do you ever just have a quiet day at the Braxton house?"

"Not really. We don't exactly do quiet. Gets boring." I winked to let him know I was joking. "What makes you say that anyway?"

"Well, I live right next door, so when something happens here I'm pretty much the first to know." He reminded me. "After all, I'm the one that found you passed out on the breezeway when you ran away from the care home, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right, isn't?" I smiled. "I never got the chance to thank you for that."

"Ah, don't mention it." Jett waved away my thanks. "I didn't really do anything except call for help. Anyone would have done the same in my position."

"Yeah, maybe." I sighed before shuffling through some of my worksheets spread over the table. "So, let's get this out of the way shall we? Sooner we start, sooner we finish."

"Okay, cool. Let's do it." Jett agreed, leaning over to look at my laptop screen. "This the assignment on molecular bonding?"

"Yup. The very one." I yawned.

"I'll just read over what you've done so far and then we can add to it and amend it afterwards. Sound good?"

"Sounds positively riveting." I said sarcastically, putting on a geeky voice. "Nothing quite gets my blood pumping like a chemistry dissertation!"

"Come on, don't be like that." Jett chuckled before getting started on the mountain of work. "It's not as bad as you might think. Once we get going and the work starts to sink in, then everything will end up making perfect sense and you won't hate it as much anymore. You'll see."

As I watched Jett get started on the assignment and point out some of the things I'd missed or forgotten to add, or had done wrong, I realised that I was pretty lucky. Jett was a nice enough guy and the two of us fell almost instantly into a perfectly comfortable understanding with one another. He didn't laugh at or ridicule me for any of my many mistakes. He didn't think I was stupid. He just calmly explained them without getting worked up or frustrated with my lack of knowledge. He was composed and easy-going and he made the whole thing ten times easier. I could see the start of a good friendship blossoming. The worst thing about the whole situation was that I was going to have to accept that Brax had been right all along.

Everyone came home from Angelo's at the very end of my session with Jett. Brax looked over the moon when he saw us next to each other, heads together, solving the mathematic formulas on one of my handouts. I'd gotten most of them right. At the start of the night, I hadn't even known the equation existed.

"Jett!" Darcy just lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of him and bounded across the room with a massive, beaming smile plastered over her face. She perched herself on a chair at the table and rested her chin on her hand, gaping intently at Jett with the biggest pair of puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen. There was almost more admiration there than when she looked at me. I realised as I looked between them that I was being tutored by the person Darcy had a crush on.

Jett looked undeniably uncomfortable being scrutinised like a scientific specimen. "Hi, Darcy."

She seemed to just gush when he said her name.

"Oi. Leave them alone, Darce. They've got a lot of work to get through and don't need you ogling at them the whole time." Heath grunted as he walked into the room.

Darcy's whole expression changed to one of sadness as she spun to face her father and plead her case. "But dad -"

"Nah, c'mon. Go get ready for bed. You've got school in the morning." He reminded her.

Darcy pushed herself up onto her feet and trudged away, dragging her shoes along the floor with every hesitant step. She threw me and Jett one last, long, miserable look of sulkiness.

"See you, Alex. Bye Jett." She muttered dejectedly, just before being ushered away by her dad.

"Actually, Brax," Jett swivelled in his chair to face my eldest brother. "I think we're just about done."

"Oh, yeah? Already?" Brax asked.

"They've been at it all night, Brax. Don't be such a slave driver." Ricky laughed, coming forwards to supportively rub my arm. "You've had a tough day, Lex. You must be beat. Why don't you chill out and watch some telly or something? I'll go get your dinner and desert ready. It's still hot, fresh from Angelo's."

My stomach rumbled at the mere thought. I gave Ricky an appreciative smile.

"Thanks, Rick. I owe you one."

"You owe me a million. Now, go on. Get." She urged, playfully smiling back.

Brax paid Jett for his night's work tutoring me whilst I crashed on the couch. Jett left to go back to his house next door and I busied myself with tucking into my food once it was ready. It was divine.

As soon as I'd finished stuffing myself with the delicious Angelo's takeaway, I felt my eyelids go heavy, warning me that I needed sleep. Choosing to act on my instincts, I told everyone I was going to get an early night and then retreated to my room, where I almost immediately slumped onto the bed. Before I got the chance to sleep however, there was a knock at the door. When I called for whoever it was to come in, Brax nudged the door open and popped his head in.

"Lex," He greeted. I noticed that there was a temperate tone to his voice. The kind that made me think that maybe he was in the mood for rebuilding bridges. "You alright?"

"Yup. I'm good." I yawned. "Just tired."

"Dead set. I'll bet you are after last night." Brax grinned. Then he grew serious again. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that."

"Oh, yeah? What about it?" I asked, reading myself for another interrogation. It never came. Instead, my big bro came over to gingerly sit on the edge of my bed next to me.

"I know I seemed a bit full on earlier and I get that it might come across like I'm suffocating you sometimes, but..." He trailed off, unsure how to finish. Finally, the words seemed to come to him. "I'm just looking out for you, Alex. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I can see that." I replied, nodding slowly.

"It's just that Dad took everything away from us. That dog ruined all our lives one way or another and I hate him so badly for it. But he's gone now and I can't make him pay for what he's done to us - to Kyle, to you, to Casey and Heath... But I can make it right. I've done everything I could have for the others. Now it's your turn. I want to give you everything I can, Lex."

Brax rested a hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. His eyes were completely focused on mine, as if we were the only two people in the entire world. In that moment, I saw just how much he cared about me. "A home, a family, an education... Most importantly, I want to give you a future. Me and you? We're blood. You're my sister now. And you're always going to be. Nothing can ever change that."

Once the speech was over, Brax wrapped me up in a tight hug, before getting up from the bed and sauntering off towards the door.

"Brax?" I called him back, once he had reached the exit.

He paused to look over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." I said, swiping away at a warm tear as it rolled down my cheek and hoping he hadn't really noticed it.

"For what?" My brother asked.

I laughed softly, trying not to choke up and shrugged. "Everything. I guess."

For a split second, Brax seemed extremely happy, but then something changed as my words clicked into place. I noticed a cloud cross over his features as he took in what I'd said and processed it. Something about the conversation had obviously put him out, but I couldn't be sure what. Before I had the chance to ask, my brother was gone. The door closed with a small clap behind him and I was left sat on the end of my bed, wondering what I'd said to make him look so... Confused? Sad? Uncomfortable? I ran the last few lines over in my head and couldn't find anything wrong with them. Coming to the conclusion that I must have been imagining it, I shrugged it off and focused on the positives.

Mine and Brax's relationship was back to normal. In fact - no. It was better than before. Especially now that we had accredited just how strong the bond was between all of us Braxton siblings. It was a powerful thing. Completely irreplaceable and absolutely unbreakable.

I had decided that I didn't care anymore about having to go to school or staying out late. I mean, so what if I wasn't free to do as I pleased, like I was in the city? I would never trade the endless list of things I had now for what little I had back then. If freedom was the price of feeling like I belonged in beautiful Summer Bay, among loving family members and a group of friends, then it was worth it. Back in the city there was no curfew for how late I came back home after being out, because no one was really there to care. So if all I had to do was follow Brax's instructions, then so be it. No more running away from school. No more dodging calls. No more late night crusades around Mangrove River or getting roaring drunk.

I was going to try my best to be good for once in my life.

Only it wasn't that simple. I was about to discover that being good did not come naturally to me. Whether I wanted it to or not.

I was smiling at myself in the mirror that hung on my bedroom wall, with a newfound energy and a determined mind set, when there was a tap on the outside of my bedroom window. I turned and peeked curiously over in the direction it had come, wondering what could possibly have made that noise. The rapping on the glass pane occurred again and I found myself frowning in confusion. There weren't any trees outside the window that could be knocking against it. And tonight was a balmy night. It was still and tranquil outside. There was no breeze.

"What the...?" I whispered, as I got up from my bed and crept towards the window. I grabbed at the string hanging by the side and pulled at it to open the blinds. I was met by a face looming in the darkness outside, the manic eyes and the glinting teeth lit only by the light cast by my bedside lamp.

Terrified out of my wits, I screamed and stumbled backwards, before recognising the gleaming sea blue eyes, filled with amusement at my reaction. And then that smile. That egotistical, annoying, sexy smirk. I'd have known it anywhere.

"Brody!" I steamed, picking myself up off the floor as he laughed himself stupid, barely able to cling to the window ledge he was chuckling so hard.

He gestured for me to open it for him. Though I was slightly miffed, I complied and he pulled himself through the gap and into my room, until he was stood right in front of me, trying to wipe the joyful tears out of his eyes.

"Oh, that was priceless. You should have seen your face." He grinned, still giggling.

"Idiot." I snapped, hitting him in the arm. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "Not my fault your face is enough to scare me half to death."

He just laughed some more at that.

Before either of us could react, there was a sudden knock at my door and I didn't get the chance to do anything more than shove Brody onto the floor before Heath came bursting into the room carrying a baseball bat threateningly over his shoulder. Brax and Kyle were right behind him, all on high alert and looking ready to kill. Brody, thank god, rolled just out of sight, under the bed.

I stared wide eyed at my brothers as they collectively scanned every inch of my room with their eyes.

"We heard screaming." Heath explained as he searched around for the threat, his bat raised menacingly in the air.

"What happened Lex?" Brax quizzed, obviously still anxious.

I got the feeling that my brothers were used to screams meaning big trouble at the house. From the stories I'd heard before about shootings and break-ins and even an obsessive creep spying on and abducting phoebe, as well as a drug gang kidnapping Evie and Josh, I could understand why they would all be so worried if they heard the bloodcurdling screech I had just made. That made it all the more embarrassing when I had lie to them and say the following.

"Oh. Erm..." My face blanched and I stuttered a bit as I desperately struggled for a story. "... I-I saw a-a spider."

Heath relaxed his tensed arm, dropping his baseball bat so that it hung by his side, facing the floor. Brax snorted and turned his face away, grinning. I supposed he didn't want me to see that he was laughing at me. Behind them, Kyle just looked at me in disbelief, like he thought I might be lying about the real cause of my scream... which I was.

"It was... a HUGE spider." I tried to justify, feeling more embarrassed by the second. I used my hands to make a decent cat-sized shape in the air. "Like, no joke, it was massive. I've seen smaller dogs." They all continued to watch me from across the room and I felt the urge to exaggerate just a little bit more. In a small voice, I added, "... It was hairy too. And ugly as hell."

"A spider." Brax stated smirking. "Really?"

"A big one." I corrected. "Yes."

"That's all it was?" Kyle pressed.

"You sure?" Heath double-checked, looking a little disappointed that there was no one around to disfigure into a mashed up pulp with his baseball bat.

Biting my lip, I nodded quietly.

"Girls..." Brax sniffed sceptically, shaking his head amusedly as he left the room.

"Where'd he go?" Heath quizzed.

I pointed. "Under the bed."

"Want us to catch it for you?" Kyle asked, moving forwards.

"Just give the word and I'll smash it." Heath vowed loyally, hoisting his baseball bat back over his shoulder, swinging it in the air.

"No!" I yelped quickly, hastily shaking my head and barring their way to my bed. When they gave me suspicious scowls, I just smiled weakly and shrugged. "Don't worry. It's fine. I've got this. He's probably gone into hiding and I don't want you two tearing apart my bedroom looking for him. But if I see him again... I'll give you a shout." I beamed sweetly. "Okay?"

"Your call, sis." Heath shrugged. "But just so you know, I'm an excellent bug killer. Just ask Darce."

"I will definitely keep that in mind." I declared. Happy with that, Heath grinned and left the room. Kyle loitered in the hallway for a second longer, his eyes narrowed at me.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked doubtfully.

"Positive."

He relaxed a bit and offered me a smile. "Alright then. G'night."

"Night."

Once they had all gone and the coast was clear, Brody crawled out from under the bed. He was holding in laughter as he propped himself against the bed and pulled me back to him in one swift move of his big strong arm.

"Tell me again how badass the spider under your bed was?" He asked me to elaborate.

"Alright, Johnston, did you come here for any particular reason or just to annoy me?" I challenged.

Brody crinkled his nose up. "Mostly just to annoy you." He winked, before wrapping an arm around my waist and drawing me nearer. "Actually... I wanted to talk to you."

"What about?" I asked, my mind reeling because of the closeness between us. As always, he smelt like the ocean, which was reflected in his sea blue eyes.

"First, to check that you were okay after last night." Brody said, tilting his head to the side and looking over my cut lip. "Are you?"

"Yeah I'm okay. I'll be even better after a good night's rest and sleep. By morning I'll be right as rain." I shrugged it off and lost myself in the depths of Brody's sparkling turquoise eyes. They really were such a magnificent, electrifying colour.

"Secondly," Brody continued and I saw that his smirk was widening. It might have been my imagination, but I could see some colour creeping up his neck and ears, a blush of pink. "Lex, I wanted to know if there was any possible chance at all that you would want to repeat what happened last night between us, now that you're sober."

I pretended to play dumb. "Remind me again what happened?"

Brody laughed somewhat nervously and shook his head at me, obviously unused to having girls toy with his emotions and put him on the spot for a change. I believed that this embarrassed, exposed, vulnerable feeling was very new to him. And the tough bad boy gang leader didn't like it.

"Aw, come on, Lex." He pushed, almost desperately, almost moodily. "You know what I mean. The moment we had. The kiss."

"Kiss?" I feigned a perplexed expression. "Moment? You know, I don't recall..."

"Guess I'm just going to have to remind you then." Brody answered with a shrug, having finally had enough of being strung along like a cat with a ball of yarn.

With ease, he closed the distance between us and settled one of his strong hands down low on my waist, pulling me into him, locking me into his embrace. The other one gently traced along my chin, tickling my neck before finally cupping my face. I was all but consumed by the scent of the sea and a mix of emotions raged inside me. A sound like crashing waves roared in my ears. My heartbeat skyrocketed, but when I placed a hand on Brody's chest I found that my quickened beat perfectly matched his. He was as caught up in the moment as I was. That was somehow reassuring. And then, before I had the chance to register anything else at all, Brody's lips met mine for the second time and stole away all the storming thoughts in my head, leaving me in a tranquil daze.

Brody's minty lips on mine moved timelessly together, in perfect rhythm. Our kiss was hot and full of passion. The fierce zealousness of it along with the way his hands and mine caused flickers of intimate touches between our entwined bodies, left me totally breathless. The cut on my lip stung substantially, but I mentally numbed myself to the pain - it was worth it. The heat between the River Boy and I made me feel like I was the most powerful girl in the world and yet weak as a kitten, all at the same time. Brody gave me the sensation of being completely desirable. I didn't even know I could be made to sense those things.

When Brody and I finally - reluctantly - pulled away, I found myself hungry for more. By the look on his face, he yearned for it just as badly. We were both breathing hard, like we'd just ran a marathon. Eventually, we ended up smiling at each other, eyes agleam.

"I should go. It's late. And your brothers could walk in any second." Brody said, though he made no effort to move away from me. Something told me he hadn't the will to leave.

"Much as it kills me to say it, you really should." I pouted, having to force the words out.

An impish grin swept over Brody's face as he dramatically knelt on the floor, took my hand in his and theatrically pressed his lips to the back of it. He put on his best Shakespearean accent. "Until the morrow, my dearest."

"Brody, get up, you idiot." I laughed, pulling him back to his feet, embarrassed of being made such a fuss of.

Brody laughed as he made his way back over to my window and climbed onto the outside of it, hanging on by an arm. He paused to watch me for a second, before he disappeared into the night.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sweetheart. Sleep tight." He flashed me a mischievous wink. "Dream of me."

My River boy vanished into the dark of outside and I was left alone with only the balmy breeze of my open window as proof he had come at all and I hadn't made the whole thing up in my head. I stared at the spot where he'd been two seconds earlier, feeling afloat with dreaminess.

My voice was nothing louder than a whisper.

"I will."

And sure enough, I did.

---------------------------------

Hey :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I realize that not a whole lot happened in it, but I needed to put in a quiet chapter in between all the busy, fast-paced ones. Apologies if there are any mistakes at all. Next update will be better. Thanks loads for all the comments and the votes - it means so much to me. Keep leaving them when you can! Let me know your opinions on what's happening so far and what you want to see more/less of. Much love and appreciation - TheSnowWolf Xx