Brooklyn's point of view

"So you're going to the boardwalk after school with us?" Amelia asked and I nodded. "Sweet." She said and suddenly, a really cute red headed boy came walking over.

"Hi Mela," he said and she smiled. "Who's this?" He asked and looked at me.

"That's Brooklyn, I've told you about her." Amelia said and he nodded. "Brooklyn, this is Jake. We're uh-"

"Dating." Jake said with a bright smile. I nodded and shook his hand. "Oh, I uh I have to go. See you later Brooklyn, talk to you later Mela." He said and walked away quickly.

"What's up?" I heard Nate ask and I turned around. "Who was he?" He asked as he pulled his bottom lip with his teeth.

"That was the boy you punched not to long ago." Amelia said as she rolled her eyes. "He just wanted to say hi but then he got scared because he saw you."

"Better be scared." Nate said and pulled his red flannel down. "Anyways, you up for later on?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, as long as I text them back when they message me it's fine." I said and he nodded. "So right after school?"

"Yep." He said and nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. "Come on, let's get to class before little miss Brooky is late." He said and Amelia rolled her eyes.

"You? Saying we should be in class before the bell? Damn, that's some shocking shit." Amelia said as we made our way to our first period.

"I have a question." I said as I looked at Amelia and Nate. They hummed and told to to tell them. "What's a Def Leppard?" I asked Amelia.

"Oh my god, don't talk to me."

-

"It's breezy." I commented as we walked along the boardwalk, the wood creaking a bit underneath our feet.

"Good thing you didn't wear a skirt." Nate said and I agreed. "Shorts aren't that much better but it's a step up." He said and I nodded.

Jake tugged Amelia away from us and she just giggled and followed him to a bench. "I'm not sure about him still." Nate told me and I just nodded, following him. "I still think he's a bad guy."

"He doesn't seem like it."

"No one is how they seem." He told me and I agreed. "How did you get into the adoption center?" He asked me out of nowhere and I looked at him.

"What?"

"You heard me." He said and shrugged. "How did it happen?" He asked me and I pulled on the hem of my tank-top.

"I um, my mum died during pregnancy and my dad just didn't want me." I said and shrugged. "I came out fine though. I'm not too troubled and yeah..." I said.

"Ever wonder if your real parents are looking for you? Well, your dad?" He asked me and I shook my head. "You don't want to know?"

"Not one bit because if he didn't want me, that's his loss." I said and looked at my boots as I walked. "I'm... I'm amazing and I don't need to dwell on him." I said to him and he nodded.

"You have a rather positive outlook and reaction to this." He noted and I nodded. "I thought you'd get all defensive and shy and maybe shed a few tears."

"It's like you want to see me break down." I told him and he shook his head. "Why would you ask?"

"I was curious." He said simply and stopped at the edge of the boardwalk. "The thought has been bugging me since I found out your adopted."

"I see." I told him and chuckled. "I have to tell you something." I said and he looked at me, nodding slightly.

"What's up?"

"The guys' manager thinks me and Michael are going to end up dating and that rumors will spread, claiming were together." I said and he laughed.

"As if me, Ashton, and Luke will let that happen." He butt in and I nodded ad I looked at the water. "Why does he think that?"

"I don't know. I guess we're close but it's not like I want to suck his dick in his bedroom while the guys are sleeping." I told him and he rolled his eyes.

"Watch your language, you shouldn't know about that." He told me, pointing a finger at me.

"You shouldn't either." I told him and he was silent. "So, anyways, I'm not aloud to be around Michael in public places anymore. That sucks." I told him.

"That's ridiculous, honestly. A nineteen and twelve-"

"Fourteen."

"-year old in a couple is like against morals." He told me with a laugh. "He should know better than to date an underage girl, I hope. I mean, there are a lot of things you can't do if you're dating an underaged person."

"He's Michael, he's an idiot but he knows what's illegal and what's not." I said. "At least I think he does because holy shit that boy is so hot and cute sometimes that it is illegal." I told him.

"Crushing on your parents' best friend eh?" He said and I shook my head. "Don't date him, please. You'll both just get screwed over." He told me.

"I wasn't planning on it." I told him and shrugged as he threw an arm over my shoulders. "Besides, he can get some model that's his age." I told him and he just nodded.

We stood beside each other in silence, not knowing what else to say or not needing to say anything. It wasn't that awkward until he stumbled somehow and almost fell over the railing and into the ocean.

"What the fuck?" He yelled and I pulled him away from the edge. "Dude!" He said angrily and I turned around. "Stop laughing!" He snapped at me.

"Look, I'm sorry man." A familiar voice said and I saw the guy Amelia was with. "I wasn't looking, I didn't mean to. If it makes you feel better, if you fell in, I would have aswell." He said.

"I will fucking punch you in the nose you little-"

"Hey!" I said and ripped Nate's fist away from the guy's collar. "I'm sorry Jake, he has some anger issues." I said and he just nodded.

"I-I um I'll go. I'm s-sorry." He stuttered out before quickly walking away to Amelia.

"You need to control yourself." I snapped as I dropped Nate's wrist. "You need to learn how to stop trying to hurt people okay? I haven't known you too long and I've already seen you pissed angry like five times. You need to calm down."

"And you need to stop trying to tell me what to do." He said and fixed the collar of his dark denim jacket before walking away from me. "You're not my mother or my girlfriend. You're just some girl I hang out with."

"Yeah I am but it seems that maybe there's more feeling behind it because you treat me so much differently." I said and he just kept walking. "I'll just take your advice and stay away from boys." I yelled and he gave me a thumbs up.

"Dick." I said and then pulled my phone out. I dialed Luke's number and then I pressed the phone against my ear.

"Hey darling, what's up?" He asked and I heard laughter. "Do you need to be picked up right now?" He asked me.

"Yeah, Amelia is with her boyfriend and Nate is being a dick." I said and my eyes widened. "I mean he's being irrational and irritable and it's annoying me." I told him.

"Me and Ash are a bit busy so um is it okay if Michael picks you up? He's just playing some video game." He said and I chuckled.

"Busy doing what?"

"Confidential." He answered and I laughed. "Michael will pick you up. Just text him. Can't leave the room right now."

"Okay Luke." I said and hummed. "See you later and get some!" I yelled before hanging up. I chuckled and sent Michael a text that I needed to be picked up.

I began walking away from the edge and then I saw a few older guys standing by the edge with Nate. I slowed down and watched them confused because they seemed like friends and these guys seemed like bad influences.

I mean, one was smoking, another had a beer bottles, and a third had just popped some brightly colored pill.

They looked over at me and one winked. I looked down, a bit afraid, and walked faster, pulling my phone out.

I called Michael as he began walking over and then he picked up. "I should be there in like ten minutes." He told me and I nodded. "What, need me already?"

"Actually, yes." I said and Nate was yelling something at the guys. "I'm a bit afraid, and by a bit, I mean I'm about to piss myself." I told him and the guy was in front of me, making me stop.

"What are you doing here alone, especially dressed like that?" He asked me, raising an eyebrow at me and giving me a smirk.

"Michael-"

"Get away from her!" Nate yelled and I looked at him. He was running towards us. "You said the girl was eighteen she's fourteen! Step away from my friend!"

"Fourteen is even better." The guy said and pulled me closer. "Means you'll be so much tighter and scream so much louder." He told me.

"Michael-"

"I'll rip your fucking ear in half." Nate growled, his finger curling around the hole in the guys' ear. "You touch her and your ear is gone."

"I'm coming okay? I'll be there in a bit, though it seems as though someone had it under control?" He told me and I rolled my eyes.

"Not the time but I'll uh see you soon." I told him and then hung up. I looked at Nate and he was yanking on the guys' ear.

"Go get Amelia and her mutt, we're all leaving. Now." Nate told me and I nodded. I quickly walked away from them and ran towards the girl with brightly colored hair.

"Amelia! We're leaving! Now!" I yelled and she turned around. "We have to go, something happened." I said and she nodded.

"Come on." She said and Jake held her hand. They walked behind me and she gasped. "Nate! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You fucking say that about my best friend again and I will smash your head against these wooden floor boards and you know that I will." Nate sneered and the dude cried out in pain as Nate yanked on his ear harder.

"I don't care if you're my cousin, I'll murder you with my bare hands." Nate said and the guy agreed quickly. "Now, apologize to her or else you will be missing an ear and a few teeth."

"I-I'm sorry." The guy said to me, his teeth grit. "I'm sorry for being a pervert!" He cried as Nate pulled on his hair roughly.

"Now scram before I tell my aunt that you're a fucking disgusting waste of a human being who would fuck an underaged girl." Nate said and the guy ran away from him.

"Woah." Amelia commented and I ran up to Nate, giving him a hug. "He what?" She asked and Jake asked the same, sounding upset.

"Our family is fucked up." Nate said simply as he hesitantly hugged me back. "We'll leave once Michael gets here. If his friends see her, they will no doubt try something aswell."

"I'm cold." I muttered because being by the ocean meant a lot of ocean breeze. Nate hugged me tighter and then pulled away.

"Skinny jeans is a good idea for the next time you hang out with us, if there is a next time." He told me as he handed me his denim jacket.

I took it and then out it on since he had a long sleeve and I didn't. "Probably not for the next month or something. Luke and Ashton were already hesitant on letting me this time. After this? Ha, fat chance." I told them and he nodded.

"That's Michael." Amelia said and I looked. I saw him walking towards us and I ran up to him. I gave him a hug and he hugged me back.

"Where is he? Do I have to beat some ass?" He asked and I shook my head. "Who's jacket is that?"

"It's Nate's." I answered and he walked up to me. "And Nate scared the guy off. He's pretty intimidating and scary when he's mad." I said and Michael nodded.

"Seems like it." He told me and I nodded. "Are you okay? He didn't touch you did he? You didn't let him touch her did you?"

"He couldn't move with the grip in had on his hair and my fingers about to rip the hole in his ear." Nate said and Michael nodded. "Trust me, he barely laid a finger on her."

"I'm trusting this little dude even more each time I see him." Michael said and I rolled my eyes. "Let's go home. We can keep this a secret so you can still go places okay? Just, be more careful. If guy touches you, whip out your belt and beat his ass okay? I give you full permission."

"Yes Michael." I said and laughed as I nodded.