The school seemed different. It felt like everything had turned a shade of grey. Tracy walked slowly into her school, alone. She walked aimlessly towards the big grey building. Everyone was smiling, after all it was a Friday and the Corny Collins show would be back on air today. The last thing Tracy wanted to do was dance with Link on that show, she could imagine that huge fake smile she would have to plaster over her face, usually it was genuine but she knew today it definitely wouldn't be. Students were laughing and chatting all around her. She saw a couple sitting over on one of the walls holding hands and kissing. It made Tracy sick to think about anything like that. She walked through the big wooden doors and walked down the long, busy corridor. Then she saw those blonde bouncy pigtails towards the end of the corridor and that short dark black hair. Seaweed and Penny turned and waved at her smiling weakly. Penny had heard everything from her over the phone and she guessed that Penny had told Seaweed this morning. How else could have he found out?

"Hey Tracy how are you this morning?" asked Penny

"Been better." She said smiling a bit at Penny but only managing it.

"Well we've got maths first class this morning Tracy, so hopefully that means another relaxing class in detention." said Seaweed trying to cheer Tracy up.

"Yeah well I've actually got my homework …. What on earth are you two staring at?" she said as she looked at their gaping mouths and their wide eyed expression. Tracy spun round and saw exactly what. Link was walking down the corridor slowly weak looking. He had a huge black eye and a cut across his neck that he had tried to cover up by tucking his collar up but it was still slightly noticeable.

"L…Link." Stuttered Tracy as he walked toward them, he then looked at like a puppy that had just been kicked. Tracy felt the tears well up in her eyes and sting them. She had though for a moment that he was going to stop but he walked on past.

"Excuse me ladies." said Seaweed, pecked Penny on the cheek and walked after him.

"Link dude, wait up!" he shouted and Link seemed to walk on faster round the corner.

"Tracy don't worry, everything will be fine." Penny said hugging her.

"Did, did you not see him? He's really hurt." whispered Tracy and she watched as Seaweed ran round the corner trying to catch up with Link.

"Penny I've really screwed up" Tracy said choking back her tears.

"No Tracy don't say that, everything will be fine. Sure Seaweed will talk to him and everything will get back onto the path of normality." Penny reassured her.

"Yeah" muttered Tracy trying to look positive but she felt the complete opposite. Her whole world was crashing and burning around her and there was nothing she could except stand there and watch it all happen. Why couldn't have Link just told her, they could be sorting everything out by now. But they weren't.

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"Link will you stop running from me!" yelled Seaweed. The large crowds were finally disappearing into the classroom which left Link and Seaweed alone in the corridor. Seaweed finally caught up with him and stopped him in his tracks.

"Dude what happened to you?" Seaweed asked.

"Aw I don't know, maybe my girlfriend just ripped my heart into shreds and this!" he shouted and pointed at his black eye.

"Link I was only asking! I was actually worried about you! You didn't even bother to stop and talk to us so what do you expect. It's not normal for someone to come into school with a huge black eye and not tell his friends what is going on!" he snapped back. Link could see Seaweed felt guilty after shouting at him but Link didn't want his pity.

"Well unless you haven't noticed my ex-girlfriend who just broke up with me was standing right there. What was I supposed to do?" he snapped back at him.

"I know you are going through a tough time. I understand." Seaweed said calmly and patted his shoulder. Link jerked away almost immediately.

"You don't have a clue what I'm going through! You don't what it is like to lose the only people you cared about and have a violent monster living with instead of a father!" he shouted at Seaweed. Crap he shouldn't have let the word "people" slip.

"No, Link. Maybe I don't know what your going through but how I am supposed to, give me some credit I can't just guess what you are feeling if you don't tell me." Seaweed shouted and his voice echoed off the empty corridors.

"What can I say? Oh Seaweed by the way I get beat up at home, just to let you know."

"Okay maybe you don't have to say anything to me but she would if you actually let her into your life!" and he pointed directly behind Link. Link turned round instantly and there he saw her standing a couple of feet behind him. Tracy was clutching onto her books tightly and there was fear in her eyes.

"How much did you hear of that?" Link asked.

"Enough" she muttered and looked up at him like he could jump out at her at any moment and Link hated that she was scared of him; she should feel protected around him not fearful.

"I've … I've got to go" he said and hurried past her.

"Link you can't keep doing this!" she shouted as he headed down the corridor. She was right, he couldn't keep running but what else could he do? He'd already screwed his life up enough.

"Tracy you were the one who left me." He said blankly.

"With good reason! How could you keep something like that from me? Do you not trust me?"

"What was I supposed to say Tracy? It's not the easiest thing to say to someone you love."

Tracy looked up at him through those big brown eyes and he couldn't have felt anymore guilty at shouting at her.

"I have to go." He muttered and then pushed on past Seaweed. Tracy shouted out his name but he just walked on.

"Link." She said quieter but he still didn't turn around. Once he reached the end of the corridor he glimpsed round and saw that her books were scattered across the ground and she had her head buried into Seaweed's shoulder, if only that could be him instead of Seaweed.

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Tracy walked slowly into her fifth class that day. It was history and it was usually a class for dozing beside Link. It was the only class her and Link shared that day and she didn't know how she could cope after the incident on the corridor. The words "violent monster" had echoed through her head for the past couple of hours. How could have she been so blind? It was staring her right in the face but she didn't see it. She thought about all that he'd been through and all she had done was made things worse. She walked in and sat down but the desk which Link usually sat was empty and he was no where in sight. Tracy stared at the door for the next five minutes, just longing for him to walk in. Finally after most of the class had entered and sat down Mr Flak stood up and shut the door.

"People could still be coming." She said loudly and she put her hand over her mouth, she wasn't meant to say that aloud.

"Well Miss Turnblad unless you want to get up and check for yourself, I would rather start the lesson than wait on any late comers." He said cheekily and Tracy heard a few giggles from the back of the room. Tracy then felt a thud at the back of her head and a small scrunched up piece of paper landed in front of her. She opened it and read it,

So Link finally get fed up? Hopefully his father will help him through this hard time.

Also tell him to give me a call on this number 0800 KISS MY ASS

Tracy scrunched up the piece of paper again and stuffed it in her pocket. She turned round to see Amber grinning widely and laughing.

"Oh yes Miss Turnblad could you please tell me where Mr. Larkin is at this present moment." said Mr. Flak looking her up and down judgementally. Even the mention of Link's name made her heart leap.

"Sir, no one has seen him since this morning. I think he went home." Brad piped up and smiled at Tracy. He obviously heard that they weren't an item anymore and saved her from the awkward "I don't know" reply. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. He's away home, his house where his father is. The words "violent monster" flashed it big bright writing in her mind again and she stood up without even knowing it.

"Tracy could you please sit down, now I know that the history of the White house is very interesting but there's no need to get over excited. Then she started to run out the classroom and down the corridor.

"Tracy Turnblad where are you going!" yelled Mr. Flak. Then Penny walked out of the girls' bathroom and saw Tracy running past her.

"Tracy where are you going? Tracy!" she shouted but Tracy ignored all there calls she turned her head round and saw her Amber and a couple of others watching her from the classroom door and Mr. Flak and Penny running towards her, so she sprinted on. She ran out as fast as her legs could carry her and she pushed out all the thoughts of pain and tiredness from her mind and kept going. Link needed her and nothing was going to stop her.

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Hey readers I'd like to thankHippogriff-tamer, FelineMimiDavis74, googoogrl007 Wild320 and Michael Teleoglou because I noticed they have been reviewing me along the way thanks so much and to all my other reviewers too. I'm not done writing the story yet so don't worry just thought they deserved a special mention. Might not be able to update quickly unless I write a chapter tomorrow but might be unlikely, I'll try! Please, please keep reviewing, it really inspirers me to write on xxxx