HEY :)

Omg what's this? An update? I must be getting better at these.

SO I want to say a massive thank you to all of you!!!! I can't believe how big this has become, it's crazy, and I can't believe it. I love reading your comments every day, and laughing at the jokes you come up with, and how close you get with the characters are amazing.

10 000 more reads and we hit ONE MILLION READS!!!!!! WOW! shout out to the people who were those first ten readers or so, to the time when I could actually keep up with your comments, this is crazy!!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!! xxx

P.S-next chapter I will have a determined cast list. If anyone has recently sent me a cover they have made for this story, could you please resend them? I will be uploading them with chapters soon :)

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I came home to find Quentin carrying boxes into the house.

"Grab that one." He grunts, pointing to a large suitcase.

"Are you really moving in?" I ask nervously, picking it up.

"If you must know, yes." He says, dumping the stuff in the hall. "I really can't avoid my landlord anymore, so I told him to stick it."

"Maybe if you had a job you could pay him." I murmur under my breath, as I walk down the hall.

"Excuse me?" I freeze, realizing my murmur was still loud enough to be heard.

"Nothing." I say quickly, heading for the stairs.

"Stay." He growls. "Turn." I slowly turn around, looking at him, fuming. "Say it again."

""I said maybe if you had a job you could pay him." I grit, knowing it would be worse if I pretended he misheard.

"Get up stairs." He says sternly, slamming the front door shut. I obediently got upstairs as quickly as I could. I try to come my nerves down, but my heart is beating so fast.

Come on Harper. You knew this would happen eventually. Just get through it.

He gives me no time to flee anyway, following me into my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Where's my Mom?" I delay.

"The hospital." He says. "She won't be home until morning."

"Dad?"

"He's out, won't be back til late." You mean he's at some hotel with a girl and Mums credit card.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Shut up." He says. He walks closer, until he's only an inch away from my face. I can see the bloodshot eyes, the specks of grease in his hair, and can practically taste the beer on his breath.

"What you need to understand." He says finally. "Is that this time, your Father and I are going to be around for a long time. So you need to start accepting it, and things will be easier. Your Mother is going to work, and support us because that is what she has to do. You are going to do the same, by behaving and doing what we tell you. Do you understand?"

I stay silent. I don't want to agree, I don't want to say yes, I don't want to nod, I don't want to-

I hear the sound of flesh hitting flesh long before I feel the stinging pain on my cheek. He painfully rubs his fingers across the injured cheek, staring hard into my eyes.

"Do you understand?" He asks. "Or do I have to hit you again?"

"I understand." I say hardly. No emotion. No care. No nothing.

He takes a step back, looking at me up and down.

"You know." He smirks. "You sure have grown. I remember when you were born. You were so tiny. And I would always match your punishments to your age." He picks up a stuffed owl on my bed, that Bianca once gave me, squeezing it gently.

"And now look at you!" He exclaims, grinning at me. "You're gorgeous! Fully grown, a young adult. And now, your Father and I believe you need to learn how to act responsibly, and how to behave. Your mother is such a bad role model for you, she teaches such bad habits. A terrible mother."

"She's not." I growl. He better not. He better not go there.

"Now, now." He says smiling. "Let's not bring up Derek."

"Derek wasn't the problem." I say. "Derek was-"

"The man your Mother cheated on your Father with." He says sternly. "Like I said. A bad mother, teaching her daughter the same values. So your Father and I will always try to change that."

He steps closer to me, presses the owl into my hands, and resting his hands on my shoulders. "From now on, I promise you. The punishment will always fit the age. For your own good." He steps away, and leaves, shutting the door behind him. I sink to the floor, terrified. I hug the owl to my chest, and breath.

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When my Father first left, he stayed away for the longest period of time so far. During that period, my Mother met a man named Derek.

Derek was amazing. He helped out with school runs, babysat countless times when Mom had to work. He could cook. He would make me the best mac and cheese I have ever had. He would stay over at night because at twelve you don't want to be alone. But he was respectful, and slept on the couch. I would always wake up to breakfast.

He made my Mom happy. Even at twelve, I could see how her eyes lit up when he called. When he stayed, when I begged him to play another game of monopoly with us. And he knew about my Father. At about the month mark, that all came out. And he didn't judge us. He didn't leave. He didn't let it get in the way.

Even though he knew we were struggling, my Mom would never accept his money, and he never pushed it.

We were all on the right track. We were moving, he was dating my Mother, my Mother had filed for a divorce.

When my Dad returned, it all changed I guess. About two weeks after he returned, they accidentally met, and it didn't end well. I spent that night in my tree. My Mother broke up with Derek, for his own safety. She didn't feel right to expose him to the danger. And I know some don't agree with this. But we do what we have to do to protect those we love.

<><><><>

I yawn, slamming my locker shut. I barely slept last night, when I'm stressed I study. At least I'm prepared for algebra. I managed to avoid Evan all morning, because the football team had the morning off, to visit the local college team as a field trip. However it was slightly hard to focus with Alex's eyes trained on the back of my head.

However my next class has both.

I enter the class, and head to the front, conveniently sitting in a seat surrounded by people, leaving no room for either.

"What are you doing?" Evan whispers in my ear, leaning in behind me.

"Algebra." I say, playing dumb.

"No shit." He says. "Get up. Go to the back." I sigh, and get up, swinging my backpack onto my back. If I'm going to do what he says I'm at least going to show a little attitude.

"Frosty this morning are we?" He grins, sitting next to me. "Pretty anal aren't you?"

"Like your face." I grumble.

His jaw drops, and I can see a few people chuckling, enjoying the moment. 

"What?" He says shocked.

"You didn't expect me to be polite did you?" I ask. "If I'm going to do what you say, you can't have both." He nods slowly.

"Ok." He says. "You don't have to like me. But you will respect me." I snort, and open up my textbook. If I didn't know any better I could have sworn I saw Alex grin in the corner of my eye.