And I'm still updating – I'm so proud of myself! Anyway, this chapter, the story starts to gear up a little more.

Enjoy!

I woke to my mother's shrieking. Obviously Dad was winding her up about something – not that that was something new. I grinned. At this rate we would be thrown out of the hotel before the party. Dragging myself out of bed, I dressed in what my mother termed my 'daggy' jeans – threadbare hems and cut knees, as well as my favourite Guns'n'Roses t-shirt and Converse. I have a collection of Converse shoes – I can't help it, I've always had a love for the shoes for some reason. David Tennant wearing them as The Doctor only reaffirmed that love. And yes, I am a Dr. Who fan-girl, but that's not a crime is it?

I slouched into our temporary living room. My mother was flustered, arms waving and still yelling. Dad just sat there at the table reading the paper and occasionally looking up in bemusement at her. I slid into the seat opposite him at the table. My parents had obviously ordered up a tray of breakfast stuff, so I grabbed a bowl and dug in as I watched the scene my mother was creating.

I had nearly finished my cereal and was reaching for a piece of toast when she finally noticed my presence. I was immediately appraised.

"Dear why do you insist on wearing those jeans – they're so tacky" she said. I mock pouted at her, glancing at my father who looked mildly relieved that she had found a new target.

"But motheerrrrr…" I dragged out the sound "I spent ever so much time and effort making them look like this"

I kept my best mock innocent look on my face, pretending that I wasn't purposely winding her up. What can I say, Dad's a bad influence on me.

My mother scowled and opened her mouth to reprimand me yet again on my supposedly screwed up fashion sense, before I interrupted her again as I finished spreading jam on my toast.

"I'm going down to the uni – Kyle and Jason are going to introduce me to some of their friends and their siblings…." I trailed off.

My mother predictably froze with her mouth open. She grabbed my jacket for me and thrust into my hands, before literally shoving me and my piece of toast out the door without so much as a good bye. I grinned at my escape.

I loved my mother, really I did, it was just too fun to wind her up sometimes. With a shrug, I bit into my toast as I stepped into the elevator. I ignored the dirty looks I managed to incur from the other, more businesslike, occupants of the elevator. But really, as if I cared what they thought?

After a pleasant stroll to the uni, complete with detours along the Thames, I met Kyle and Jason down at the oval, greeting them with a hair mussing and an impertinent smile. They good-naturedly swatted my hands away, before each picking me up and twirling me round in a hug. They know I hate it when they do that.

Standing a little way away were a group of guys and girls chatting, all except two. Jason led me over and introduced me.

"Everyone, meet Lauren, who is…" he started. I cut in. They may be his friends, but for crying out loud, this wasn't primary school – they didn't need my whole profile and what other embarrassing facts Jase was going to announce.

"Just Wren…call me Wren" Jason rolled his eyes, not putting up a fight to my foiling of his predictable plan, and I sarcastically gestured for him to continue the introductions.

"Ok, this is Benjamin Jameson…" a smiley strawberry blonde guy raised a hand in greeting "…and his sisters Kara and Lila" The two untalkative girls looked me up and down disapprovingly, flipping their long blonde hair over their shoulders as they did so.

Honestly, think about all those American TV shows you've seen, especially the ones set in highschool – there is always that blonde girl. You know, the shallow one, the bitchy one – the one who thinks she's queen of the world. Well lets just say I was seeing double of that stereotype.

Not that I was jumping to conclusions or making assumptions or anything.

I gave them a sugar coated cyanide smile, before Kyle elbowed me and Jason continued with the introductions. Next were 2 brunettes – a girl and a boy.

"This is Luke and his older sister Chandra" They gave me identical smiles, before Jason continued

"And last but not least, Darryl and his younger sister Jenna." Darryl nodded at me, and Jenna smiled shyly. I noticed Benjamin couldn't take his eyes off her.

We stood around for a while just chatting, before the boys found a football and started kicking it round. We girls kept talking.

Once the boys had gone, Kara and Lila flounced off – obviously the drawcard had dispersed. Okay, I was definitely right on the shallow thing.

"So…" I began "who's in what year, or year to be?"

"I just finished 3rd year " said Chandra "how, I don't know, but I have managed" This made me laugh, and Jenna gave another small smile before saying

"I'm starting this year…I'm doing an arts literature degree"

"Wow, talented" joked Chandra "I'm doing a boring old commerce degree. A double in Economics and Accounting. How about you Wren?"

"Starting this year…Doing a Criminology Arts Double Degree" Chandra pulled a face, and I laughed "yeah, I know, I'm ever so slightly suicidal."

"Are you going to the party tonight" asked Jenna, looking a little worried. Chandra and I looked at each other

"Definitely – I think my mother would kill me if I tried to avoid it. It's all she's been talking about for the last month or so" I said

"Wouldn't miss it for the world'' said Chandra, "But it's not like I have much of a choice either. By the way, it's nice to know it's not only my mother who acts like that."

I laughed. Jenna breathed a sigh of relief, indicating how worried she was of not knowing anyone.

"Tell me, did you ever get the 'we-need-to-get-you-a-boyfriend' speech?" I asked

"Oh yeah, I get that all the time. I had a boyfriend for a while, he was a bit of a tosser, but now I'm happily single again. And, heaven forbid I not be tied to some ignorant male who thinks he knows better than me." Chandra complained with an eye-roll.

Jenna flushed slightly "Mother always encourages me to, but I just haven't really found anyone I've liked that way"

I grinned at Chandra, before flicking my eyes to where the boys were playing, specifically at Ben Jameson, before turning back to Jenna.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry if I were you, I shouldn't think Mr. Right is too far away"

Jenna looked slightly confused as Chandra and I tried to stifle our giggles. Jenna was really sweet, but I just knew Chandra and I were going to get on like a house on fire. Suddenly a yell came from the guys. It was Kyle.

"Hey Wren…This lot don't think that girls can play football", he said, jerking his thumb at the other guys, as they all walked towards us. I raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Oh really…can I ask what era they're living in?" I said, not bothering to keep the contempt out of my voice. Darryl laughed.

"Seems you've got a feisty one on your hands Jase".

Jason coughed, and narrowed his eyes at him.

"That is my sister you're talking about…might be best to watch what you say"

Darryl actually looked scared. I turned to Jason.

"And what is your sister supposed to think from that statement? That she can't defend herself?"

Now it was Jason looked scared. I suppressed a smirk, before Kyle stepped in as the peacekeeper.

"Wren…you know he didn't mean it that way and…"

My laughter stopped him

"Kyle, Jase…when your digging yourself a hole…just stop digging…Now are you gonna let me show this lot that they are completely misguided apes?" I grinned.

There are not many things I love more than a challenge on the football field, but a challenge on a football field against guys who don't think I can play does best it. Jenna looked at me like I was from another planet. Chandra raised an eyebrow at me before giving me a smile, her eyes flashing with laughter. Darryl and Benjamin both looked sceptical. I sighed. I took the ball from Benjamin

"So you guys ready to be proved completely and utterly wrong?" I challenged

Chandra and Jenna watched from the sidelines, as I teamed up with Kyle and Jason. Laughter rang out as they watched their brothers get completely and utterly out classed. Their facial expressions ranged from surprise to shock and amusement. Kyle and Jason looked as smug as the cat that had got the cream. 20 minutes later Ben, Luke and Darryl collapsed on the ground, begging for a break and I grinned triumphantly. Chandra shook her head a t me.

"Girl, you are one whacked out creature" we laughed and all were chatting again, Ben and Darryl both apologised for their misguided beliefs. As we started to walk off the oval in search of some warmth, Jenna caught me and Chandra by the arm. We gladly linked arms and walked through the University as a trio, leaving the boys arguing about some nonsense behind us.

"It's so nice knowing someone other than my brother now." She sighed happily "I was so worried I wasn't going to make any new friends. We can be friends, can't we?"

Okay mental note – Jenna is not just a sweet girl, she is an insanely sweet girl, with a slight lack of self confidence.

But personally, I was delighted by her comment. Chandra smiled down at her as well.

"You reckon we can catch up later in the holidays? You know, hang out, shop, things like that?" she asked hopefully.

I wrinkled my nose slightly at the word 'shop'.

"Of course, I'd love to" I said, "But I don't live around here you see..." I trailed off, my look of disappointment matching Jenna's. She didn't say anything, just look thoughtful.

We found our way to a quaint little cafe on a side street, continuing to create friendships that, hopefully, would last a lifetime. Upon seeing that it was 1pm, Chandra and Jenna both started flipping out about getting ready for the dance, and dragged their brothers off, with promises of seeing us tonight. I decided that I had better be going as well. Ben waved us good bye with a goofy grin at Jenna. As Kyle and Jason walked me back to the hotel, I decided that I would satisfy my curiosity about something

"Jase?"

"Yeah..."

"What are Kara and Lila really like? I mean they came across all stuck up, and yet Ben's so nice and open...and do you have any idea why they just upped and left?"

"I can answer that", said Kyle "Their mother spoiled them, much like ours does to you, 'cept they started to see it as their due and their complete and utter..."

"Bitches" filled in Jason. "What? It's what you were thinking!" he said in response to his twins glare.

"And no, how they are related to Ben, is a mystery to me...but don't let the fact that his sisters are what they are rile you up...I watched you, Wren...you were about to go and take them on, and I have a feeling that it wouldn't have ended with the best of impressions with the others. And then what would mother say?" said Kyle said teasingly

I'll be the first to admit I have a short temper, and can be quite volatile at times, well, most of the time. I get really wound up, but it comes in different forms, depending who I'm dealing with – sometimes sarcasm, sometimes physically, and sometimes like what nearly happened today – sugar-coated bitchiness.

I nodded my head, ignoring the teasing tone. My temper had got me in trouble on more than one occasion.

As we reached the hotel, both Kyle and Jason left me, in order to escape mum trying to prepare them for the evening ahead. I glared at them as they ran off, shouting their sympathies.

My mother was not pleased at my state of disarray as enter our rooms. Maybe the game of football wasn't such a good idea...

She wordlessly set a sandwich before me. I ate as slowly as I could, with a wink in my father's direction. He chuckled quietly before hiding behind his book from mums glare.

After my plate was cleaned, mum turned around.

"Well, lets start getting you ready to break some hearts" she said, with an ever so slight maniacal glint her eye.

I gulped...this was not going to be fun.

Yay! Another one edited – and this one was atrocious! I'm actually horrified at myself. I'm so glad people are reading this again, I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed doing fanfiction.

Thanks to the following people who added this story to their alert list;

brunette7856

fishistix

Pluxu

GeoregeKirrin

- It's really good to know that you guys want to keep reading

And to those who reviewed:

brunette7856: I'm glad I'm back too! But I'm gladder that your glad I'm back, if you get what I mean.

Pluxu: I'm glad you find it interesting! And as to how it turns out, you'll just have to keep reading won't you? :P

Lena: Thank you! I'm glad you like it – and now you've met my Charlie equivalent. Darcy will turn up in a couple of chapters, being his usual arrogant self, so you have that to look forward to!

Anyway, please, anyone, leave feedback. I'll accept flames, but do be aware that I'll take it to heart and rework everything...

So, til the next chapter, which is hopefully super soon,

Kylara-Jade