7 6

Amira was reading a book while eating her lunch. It was an unofficial paperback book by Wen Jilde called When They Rose. She had used the school library to print out the e-book to keep from having her tablet taken away.

She was so engrossed in reading that she failed to realize she had company until she reached for a fry from her tray and the tray wasn't there. She looked to where it was and saw Marcus Sinclair, the grade SS douche of Harbor Point high. He stood beside her with a mischievous smirk while his posse stood behind him.

"Amira Scott," he began, "I've been meaning to talk to you since your first day."

Mira scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Why can't you people take a hint and leave me be?"

Marcus chuckled and passed the tray to his nameless friend. He leaned down to be eye level with her, only a breath away.

"Amira, you're too sexy to be the loner type," he said to her, "what do you say in being my girl? I can make you the most popular and untouchable girl here."

The red head narrowed her eyes and turned her body so that she was straddling the chair.

"Look," she began as calmly as possible, "I don't need ya to make me popular or untouchable. I'm popular enough from embarrassing those two assholes of girls that are glaring over at me as we speak."

Marcus looked over to see Gena and Jena glaring their way then smirked when he looked back at her.

"I could keep them off your back."

"Ah, that bring me to me next point about how I'm already untouchable. You see, in the short amount of time that we've talked, I've come up with four ways to shut you up. One: tell you that I can smell the alcohol on your breathe that you tried to hide with that gum in your mouth."

Just like that, the smirk on Marcus' face had dropped. Amira took note of this and tilted her head a little.

"I can also tell you that you can't hide the fact that you just had some type of sex with another girl before you made your pretty li'l way over to me. I can smell her cunt on your fingers. Might want to go get tested for an STI by the way. It isn't smelling too good. Next is the obvious daddy issues-"

Marcus grabbed Amira by the shirt and pulled her from the seat, making the entire cafeteria fall to silence.

"One more word and you're dead Scott."

Amira scoffed and grabbed his wrist.

"I've been watching you, Marcus Sinclair. I've seen you torment students everyday and for what? To ease your inferiority complex?"

"That's it."

Marcus went to hit her but Amira was faster and punched him in the throat. He let her go and held his throat while trying to breathe. His friends looked at him then at her.

"That was tha' fourth way."

"You're dead bitch."

Amira was prepared to fight but the two froze when they looked behind her. She was confused until an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her behind three massive bodies.

"I suggest you take Marcus and leave," Dean said. Somehow, she saw a light shone from beside them that made them all look like sexy angels.

She looked to see the biggest one, Elijah, flexing his muscles, ready to attack and another boy she hadn't seen before.

The new boy had short brown hair and brown eyes that held a dangerous glint inside of them.

Dean, however, was the one that stood out to her for some unknown reason. He looked as if he stood taller than the other two, but he wasn't. In fact, he was just as tall as Elijah. He looked buffer than the three when he was only toned like the new boy. He looked more dangerous but was probably the most gentle hearted of the three and that's what shook her. Her heart pounded, deafening her to other things around her. She couldn't see or hear the newspaper club recording or taking pictures, she couldn't hear the students buzz with gossip, she couldn't hear Marcus threaten to make her pay tenfold for punching him. All she could see was Dean friggin Evans.

A tap on her shoulder made her look back and see Kaia, breaking her trance. She waved sheepishly at her but Amira looked at her with confusion; not because of her appearance but because of the state of trance she'd managed to break. Why did she see Dean in such a light?

When the idiot boys took Marcus away, the three bad boys that scared them off looked back at Amira. Dean turned her towards him and looked her over for injury.

"You okay? I swear if that asshole put even a hair on you I'll kill him."

Amira pulled away from the boy and glared.

"I could 'ave handled them fine on my own," she said to him with a blush.

"Yeah well, a guy shouldn't hit a girl, anyway," the boy she never met before said. He stepped in front of her and smiled down at her.

"So this is the Robinhood of Harbor Point high. Fiestier in person I see."

"Leave her alone, Vic," Kaia told him.

Mira rolled her eyes and looked to Dean.

"Look, I can handle three douche bags alone. I could 'ave fought them all at once if I needed too. Next time just mind yer own business yeah?"

With that said, Amira grabbed her things and went to leave but was pulled back by Dean.

"What the fu-"

"Sorry folks, me and this one need a chat so I'll get with you later." He pulled Amira from the lunch room and down the hall, ignoring the stares they got from the students and her struggles to get free.

"Evans if you don't let me go right now I will fill yer guts with quicksand and watch it swallow you from the inside out."

Dean paused and looked back at her.

"I find your creativity highly impressive," he told her. Amira rolled her eyes and pulled away from him when his grip loosened.

"Look Dean, I understand that we're friends and all but-"

"Wait, pause, hold on. Are you freely admitting that we're friends?"

Amira rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yeah I'm bloody admitting it so do me a favor and zip it or I'll take it back and kick you."

Dean smiled but put his thumb and index finger together and rubbed them across his lips as if zipping them literally.

"I get that we're friends but you don't need to protect me from the bullies here. I can take care of meself if need be."

Dean stood there in silence, staring at her and she looked at him in expectation. After a moment of silence she waved her hand in his face then snapped.

"Aren't you gonna say anything? Were ya even listenin' to a word I've said?"

Dean smirked then pretended to unzip his lips. Amira rolled her eyes then gasped when he pulled her close then enclosed her between himself and the lockers.

"I love how your accent comes out when you show a bit of emotion but you've probably have forgotten that I want to date you."

Amira's face went up into flames and she gave a half hearted glare as she went to push him away. He took her hands and pinned them above her head, making her a brighter red than her hair.

"I'm just gonna remind you of this. I like you, Amira Scott. I'm glad we are friends but because of the fact that I like you, I am going to protect you even though I know first hand what you could have done to them."

He laced his fingers with hers and she found herself being lost in him.

"I'm going to help you through everything, because I like you. Even if you put up a fight with me while I do so."

Amira looked from his eyes to his lips, which was now a breath away from her own. He smiled when he saw this and pulled away from her.

"Now that that's settled, I'm going to my next class."

He let her go and watched as she shook her head, as if clearing her head. He took her hand and kissed it before turning to leave. Just then, the bell rang and Amira stared after him, confused about what she was feeling.

School was over now and the keychain swayed with Amira's keys as she walked home. She was reluctant but Laurette kept badgering her to put it on her keyring. The apparition was so needy and demanding that Mira often found herself giving in.

"I wonder what Dean is up to," Laurette spoke.

"Why are you thinking about him?"

"That's a great question, Reed. Why are you thinking of the sexy popular outcast?"

Mira remained silent, earning a smirk from Laurette. Both knew that Laurette was her thoughts made "physical" so to say. A projection of her inner thoughts. Why was she thinking of Dean? Is it because she hasn't seen him for most of the day?

"Dean and Mira sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Amira glared at her ghostly best friend and came to a stop.

"I do not like Dean Evans, Laurette."

"Oh really now? Well he's right over there."

Mira glared at the apparition but ran into a hard body, not paying attention to where she was walking. Arms circled around her to keep her steady on her feet but smelled his scent and relaxed a little.

"Well hello to you too, gorgeous."

The girl rolled her eyes and pulled away from him but he didn't release her from his arms.

"Would ya let go?"

"Now why would I do such a thing," Dean asked her with s smirk.

She glared at him, making him chuckle but let her go. Amira went to continue walking but he draped an arm around her and held her close.

"What in the shit are you doing, Evans!"

He gave her a fake frown and pulled her closer, making her widen her eyes in shock.

"I'm cold," was his only words as he deepened his frown. She tried to pull away a few more times but gave up with a huff and continued walking.

"Whatever, ya bloody idiot."

Dean smiled when he saw the small, barely noticeable smile, on Mira's face and they both continued walking.

Amira arrived home and, to her surprise, she wasn't greeted at the door. She turned to Dean with a confused frown.

"Usually Sheila's yelling from the kitchen or over on the floor panicking. Wonder where she went off too."

Dean entered the house and looked around as if looking for the dark skinned woman. Amira sighed and turned to the stares.

"She probably went to get me a damned cake. I told her I don't want anything but does anyone listen to me? No I don't think no one listens to me but me."

"Are you talking to Laurette or yourself," Dean asked as he followed her, "either one is fine but I wanna know."

Amira turned to see Laurette smirking at her while draped over Dean.

"Which is it, Reed? Are you insane from seeing a dead girl or insane for talking to yourself?"

Amira stood tall and held her chin up at the girl.

"Technically she's my subconscious so I'm talking to myself either way."

She stuck her tongue out and turned but lost her footing doing so. She fell backwards and braced herself for a fall that never came. She slowly opened her eyes and met those of Dean's his brown orbs made everything around them pause. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her lashes.

His lips were so close to hers but neither of them made the first move.

A few more moments had passed before the sound of the raven brought them from their bubble.

Dean righted Amira on the stairs and she mumbled a quick thanks before continuing up. Dean smirked at a thought that he'd had and decided to get her reaction.

"I knew you'd fall for me, Scott."

Mira tripped over a step but caught herself and looked back at him with narrowed eyes.

"Watch it, Evans. I'll kick you a new arse."

His smirk deepened as he checked her out.

"Oh I'm watchin it alright."

Mira rolled her eyes and marched to her room. When she opened the door, however, she was greeted with streamers, kazoos, and her father, who was accompanied by Sheila, Everly, her parents, and Liz.

"Surprise," they all shouted, making Amira scream and back away.

"Oh sweetheart," her father chuckled at her. When she realized he was standing there, she wasted no time tackling him into a hug.

"There's my girl."

Both Amira and her father sank to the ground when she began crying silently.

Seeing her father after weeks of no communication had taken its toll on Mira, but she hadn't realized it until she saw him in her room with a black, glass magnolia flower. She didn't care that he smelled of fish and sea and booze, she didn't care that everyone was there watching her as she cried, she only cared that her dad was home after the three most roughest weeks of her near adult life.

He pet her hair and kissed it, comforting her as she didn't let go of him. Since leaving Harbor Point, her father had been her one rock that she couldn't let go of. During the processes she went through since she began couciling, she would always cling to her father. When he left for work, she would fall into a deep depression that kept her under constant observation in the clinic. She would eat less, drink water more to sustain enough health to live, talk to her psychiatrist less, and see Laurette allot more than anyone would like. When he returned to her, she would perk up and stay with him no matter what. She refused to be from his side for more than an hour growing up and it would start back over again when he'd leave. Luckily she grew out of the habit but it still didn't mean she didn't miss him like she did when she was a kid.

"Alright, kiddo. My knees are killing me on this hard wood floors we 'ave."

Everyone chuckled at him but Amira couldn't bring herself to let him go.

Everly had never seen Mira look so vulnerable before. She hid it well but when faced with something that pulls at her heart, she would remove her mask. The blonde took note of this and smiled. Dean smiled down at Amira from the doorway then looked up at her father. His smile vanished when he notices Jerry Scott giving him a glare. The boy stood tall and cleared his throat, now realizing he was about to meet her father. Slowly and awkwardly, Dean made his way behind Sheila, who noticed what was happening and sent her future husband a look. Just like that, Jerry went from glaring to looking like a hurt puppy.

Amira sighed and pulled away from her father and turned to see everyone staring at her. She cursed and tried to hide the blush with her hair but her father placed his hands on both her cheeks, making her pucker her face like a fish.

"Oh don't be shy now, girly. Everyone already saw that tough guy act leave!"

Amira glared playfully at her dad and went to tackle him but he quickly had her in a head lock.

"Damn it old man!"

"Nice try but it'll take me to be a thousand years old before you can get me."

Sheila smiled then clapped her hands together to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright, you two," she began, "dinner is gonna get cold if we stay here much longer." She turned to Dean and Liz who both nodded in understanding. When she stood to her feet, Dean wrapped his arms around Mira from behind.

"What the actual hell Evans! Let me go!"

Liz stood in front of her and smiled as she wrapped a blindfold around her head to cover her eyes.

"We were ordered to make sure you don't ruin the surprise by being you," Dean stated. Amira huffed, knowing Sheila was behind this. She could feel the matchmaking woman smirking as he carried her out of the room and down the stairs.

Jerry looked at Sheila but she glared at him, letting him know if he ruined her plans then he would pay.

Once down the stairs, she felt Dean stop moving before hearing Sheila run pass them, the perfume giving it away.

"Alright, handsome, just sat her down in that chair and everyone else find a seat."

Dean did as he were told and sat her down. Liz sat her her right and Dean to her left. Everly was next to Liz and her mother while Sheila sat between Dean and Joel, blocking the older man from messing with Dean.

"Alright, sweet girl. Take the blindfold off."

Amira grumbled and ripped the cloth from her eyes. Her sight adjusted and she was left speechless. There beside her was the most delicious spread of all her favorite foods. On one table there was Shepherd's pie, southern fried chicken with lemon pepper seasoning, oven baked mac and cheese, string beans, yeast rolls, collard greens, and baked beans with bacon littered on top. She looked to her left and saw trays with different fruits and the ingredients for buidling her own salad. At the very end of the table sat a beautiful white cake. Half had icing while the other half was plain chocolate, since plain is how Amira preferred it.

Tears of joy came to her eyes when she saw the food and she turned to Sheila.

"You did too much for a stupid day," she stated, holding back her tears.

"Its not stupid, Reed," Laurette said from beside her.

"Your birthday isn't stupid," Liz stated. Everyone nodded in agreement and Amira smiled, shocking everyone in the room.

"Thank you then. I'll be sure we don't have any left over."

The table laughed at her antics but when she stood to get her food, Dean stopped her while Liz rushed to the table.

"You aren't moving from that chair, gorgeous; Sheila's orders."

Mira looked to Sheila who only sipped her wine while looking away from her.

Liz brought a plate before the red head, however, making her forget how to form a proper sentence.

"Oh sweet Annie that smells good."

Everly mentally counted down from four and right on cue, Amira began eating like a pig. Everyone went to get their food and ate also. Dean and Liz watched the Scotts eat like wild animals. When their first plate was finished, Jerry went to fix them seconds. Amira waited for her father to sit down after he gave her the plate and they both had a stare off. Dean and Liz shifted their eyes from one to the other before they dug into their foods, racing each other. Liz looked around to see everyone around them acting normal before locking eyes with Dean who looked just as lost as she was.

When two finished, they grabbed their drinks and guzzled it down. Joel had his beer while Amira had water in a beer glass. Their drinks spilled from the corners of their mouths but neither stopped until it their drinks were all gone. They slammed there glasses on the table and cursed.

"I almost had you, old man."

"Ha! You were tied with me and you will only ever be tied with me."

Dean couldn't help but smile, noticing the drastic change in Amira. She looked over to him and gave a small smile before looking over at everyone. She hated this day the most but they made it one of the happiest moments of her life. She felt so many positive emotions surround her thoughts that she became a bit overwhelmed. She almost forgot why she hated this day so much until she finally remembered and felt pain in her chest. Subtly she winced and tried not to grasp at the ace that hurt so she cleared her throat before getting up.

"Well I'm off to the bathroom," she said before speed walking out of the dining room. Dean and Everly were the only ones to notice that something was really wrong with her but remained seated to not alarm anyone.

Dean looked around the table until his sight landed on her father, who was sending him menacing stares.

"Oh leave the boy alone, Jerry," Mr. Addams stated' teasingly, as he continued eating, "so he has interest in your beautiful daughter."

Jerry looked to his old friend then back to Dean.

"So what if he does. My little girl wouldn't spare a lanky lad like him a glance."

Liz and Everly both scoffed, earning everyone's attention.

"What? Its true! My Mira wouldn't fall for this kid."

Everly went to speak but Liz stood to her feet and spoke.

"Dean is probably the better qualified one of anybody! He has a 3.5 GPA average, he used to play sports all around, he's kind and not a douche like the other kids, not to mention-"

Dean coughed loudly, interrupting the rest of Elizbeth's talk. She looked at him then around the table before quickly sitting down.

"Sorry. I'll just go find Amira."

Liz quickly left the room, leaving an awkward silence. Mrs. Addams cleared her throat and looked to her daughter. Everly looked up at her mother who was notioning towards Jerry. Everly groaned inwardly and turned to him with a small smile.

"So, Mr. Scott, tell us about your journey at sea."

This broke the tension at the table as the man began to tell one of his fantasy journey stories.

Amira paced the floor in her room while trying to will away the chest pains and her memories of that day. She walked back and forth until the room slowly began to morph into the room she never wanted to step foot into again.

"Reed," Laurette said. When Amira looked up, she fell back in horror. Laurette was before her in tears. Blood flowing from her wrists and staring at her while crying.

"Why did you do it, Amira?"

Mira shook her head in disbelief and shock. Laurette grabbed her and shook her violently while crying.

"Why, Amira? Why!?"

Mira screamed and pushed the apparition away violently. Laurette fell to the ground, giving Amira time to scramble to the corner while hyperventilating. She felt as though no air was comimg into her but she knew that she was breathing. She closed her eyes and prayed that everything would go back to normal but it got much worse.

"Mira?"

Amira opened ger eyes and in the middle of her room hang her friend with a noose around her neck. Blood dripping on the floor into a bigger pool.

"Why did you do it, Amira?"

The Irish girl looked down at her hands and saw both scissors and her hands covered in blood. She could feel how warm it was and smell its scent so vividly that she wanted to puke.

"Why, Amira!? Why!? Amira! Amira!"

Suddenly, her voice was drowned from Mira's ears and began to be replaced by a deep, calm, and familiar voice.

"Amira? Come back."

She looked up and saw Dean walking around Laurette's hanging body and a light shined behind him to block out her dead friend completely.

"Come back to me, Red."

Suddenly, the scent of blood was gone and Amira was surrounded by her her family and Everly's family. She was covered in sweat and shaking badly. Dean held her in his arms and she went to push him away, still in shock by what she saw. The pain in her chest slowly began to fade as she stared into Dean's eyes.

"Shh, I'm here now. Calm down for me, okay? Just calm down."

Dean kept speaking calmly into her ear until she slowly calmed down and went to sleep. Sheila had escorted Everyone out of the room, leaving Dean to put her on her bed. He sat next to her and watched her as she slept. When Liz had rushed in with a bloody nose and bruising face saying that something was wrong with Amira, he didn't waste a second getting to her. They gave her a sedative when they saw her gripping her chest and she began to relax slowly.

Dean went to go talk to her parents when she had rolled over and held his hand. He was suprised until he saw she was still fast asleep. Her hands trembled until he wrapped his around them and they slowly calmed down. After a few moments, her father and Sheila came in with worried expressions.

"How is she," Jerry asked as he went to her other side.

"She hasn't fully woken up yet."

The older man sighed and rubbed his face in thought.

"Sheila told me you know what happened to her."

Dean nodded and looked down at her.

"I've been trying to help her also but she has to be the most stubborn person I know."

He chuckled before petting his daughters head.

"So was 'er mother."

Sheila looked down at her future husband then rubbed his shoulders to comfort him. He had never brought up his first wife willingly before.

Jerry looked up at the boy with a small smile.

"She has these episodes when something triggers it. I knew that when she got up from the table that she was a bit overwhelmed but I didn't think she was triggered again. I hate giving her those sedatives though."

Dean nodded slowly and tried remember if she wrote it down in her journal.

"She never wrote it in her journal," Sheila stated, giving Dean a bit of confirmation, "she figured if she wrote it then they'd lock her up in a padded room and keep her sedated; something that would have never happened to her. Eventually she'd just not remember them when she came to her senses.

"I don't know if she told you but she was the one that found her friend."

Dean tense, not remembering seeing that either. He looked up at Jerry as he continued speaking.

"She found Laurette the day after her birthday and we don't know the rest of the details. When the Addams got home they were trying to figure out what happened to them but Amira hadn't said a word. Even when they were grieving their daughter, the Addams had been worried for Amira and visited her everyday. The doctors said that she was in a deep state of emotional shock. She'd have nightmares every night, she wouldn't drink or eat anything so they kept her until she did, she'd have fits of anger, which was probably the scariest thing for those quack doctors. If they tried sedating her they'd get bitten into, beat up, she even threw a scaple once. I'd always have to rush there to tame her while they sedated her and she'd never notice them do it. It was probably the hardest weeks of my life. She never got the chance to go to the funeral, hence the angry fits. Since Everly looked like Laurette the doctors said it would be best if they didn't see each other until she was a bit better. I didn't know what to do or how to help her at all so I listened to the damned fools when I should have let the two see each other. Maybe it would have given 'er a bit of temporary peace. Maybe she would have said the goodbye she never got to say."

The man stood and ran a hand over his face while facing that past. Sheila hugged him from behind and he turned to hug her back while calming his emotions.

"Lets go down stairs, Jerry. Help me clear things down there, yeah?"

The Irish man nodded before going to kiss his daughters forehead and leaving. Dean had never seen a family so broken yet so put together. They'd got through so many shattering things due to one major event and yet, they slowly pieced themselves back together again as best they could and all alone.

The boy looked down at Amira then sighed and pulled her up so that she were sleeping on him as he held her.

"Ah, little Red. You really do know how to keep a man worried."