The Beach House

[Red Ranger 1]

Oh my god!!!!Was not expecting that ending at all, have they actually...done what they seem to have done?Guess a Xapril reunion's too much to hope for but a boy can dream...Liked the chat between Irene and Bianca, hopefully they'll track Paul down soon.

[pembie]

I hope Paul doesn't do something silly to get into more trouble with Heath hopefully he will be tracked down soon

Great update

[Miranda]

I've missed a lot of this! So many twists and turns, glad I've caught up. Too much to comment on really, so just to say 'well done' Oh except that Ruby was really nice to try and help Paul that time, she was unselfish for once.

[Perry]

THIRTY-ONE

IRENE, BIANCA, APRIL & PAUL’S STORY

“Have you completely lost your mind?” Bianca yelled at her sister.

“Um, haven’t left the room yet.” Xavier reminded the girls of his presence. He finished off getting dressed before awkwardly leaving the bedroom. He walked out of her bedroom and into the lounge room and walked passed Irene. “See yah.”

“Bye love.” Irene tried not to laugh.

Xavier walked outside just as Paul was arriving home, they passed each other, Paul giving the older boy a glare as he walked away.

“Where the hell have you been?” Irene asked as Paul walked inside.

“Uh…” Paul tried to think of a lie.

“And what the flipping heck happened to your face?” Irene walked over to him to check out his injuries.

Paul had the drive back from Mangrove River to think of a good excuse but instead he joked around with Heath. “I…”

“Did Heath Braxton do this?”

Paul shook his head.

“Then what?”

* * *

“…Well? I’m waiting!” Bianca stood over April with her arms crossed and a look that could kill. It was almost as if she was wearing her teacher hat. “Are you back together?”

“No!” April shook her head. “Bianca please, I don’t…”

“So you just used him?”

“No…” April turned away from her sister and looked out her open window. “…It just happened.”

“How?”

“Well we were talking at the surf club until late and he walked me home said our goodbyes at the door, went to bed and he knocked on the window came in and said he needed to talk and wanted to get back together, I told him that we were over but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“He forced himself on you?”

“NO!” April snapped. “He kissed me to like show that we still had a spark or something but it wasn’t there but I didn’t want to hurt him.”

“So you did use him?”

“Yes ok?” April began to cry. “I messed up. I’m messed up right now.”

“Is it your HSC? Your OCD? Paul? What’s going on April?”

“IT’S ****ING EVERYTHING!”

Bianca jumped backwards, shocked by her sister’s aggression.

April hyperventilated, she leaned herself against the window sill.

“April, slow your breathing down.” Bianca walked up behind her sister and gently tickled her back. “What’s happened to you?”

* * *

“Don’t get mad, I went with Heath to the Mangrove River RSL Club last night…” Paul began his lie.

“Oh love, you’ve got court tomorrow. You could spend up to five months in a juvenile detention centre…”

“I know, it was stupid, but I played one of the pokies and got the jackpot…”

“So you were drinking and gambling?”

“I just wanted some friends…”

“Well I thought you had more sense then to hang around with Heath flipping Braxton.”

“He’s actually… he looked out for me.”

“Yeah…” Irene scoffed. “I can see that.”

“It would have been worst if it wasn’t for Heath.” Paul continued with his lie. “Someone at the club must have seen how much I won, I went to leave to get here but some guys jumped me, tried to take my wallet. Heath stepped in, he saved me.” Paul thought he might have gotten carried away but then he looked up at his grandmother.

“Oh love.” Irene hugged Paul. “You really need to be careful from now on.”

“I know.” Paul took out his wallet from his pocket and pulled the money out of it. “I want you to have this.”

“Oh no I can’t love.”

“I don’t have a job and I want to do something cause you’ve been good to me and given me somewhere to live. Please take it.”

“I can’t love.”

Paul tried to force the money into her hands. “I want you to have it mum.”

“I can’t take the money love.” Irene stepped backwards. “And please stop calling me mum, I’ve been your Nan for sixteen years, why should it change now?”

“Because you are my mum…”

* * *

April now had better control of her breathing but tears were still escaping her eyes.

“What is going on?” Bianca cuddled her sister. “I’m your sister, you can tell me.”

“Yes you’re my sister…” April giggled. “You should know me… Isn’t it obvious?”

* * *

“Love, we’ll put the money in the bank for you, save up for a car.”

“Just take the money.” Paul began to get aggressive; he almost shoved it in her face.

Irene pushed the money away. “Come on mate, we’ll get you cleaned up.”

Paul threw the money at her and the notes flew all over the room he punched a hole in the wall and left the house.

Irene held her tears in as she began picking up the notes, she bent down to pick one up near the stairs but collapsed to the floor she sat herself up on one of the steps and cried.

* * *

“You haven’t been the same since you came back from Europe.” Bianca commented.

“Oh well done…” April laughed. “I thought you would have figured it out a lot earlier. I don’t want to be here. I want to leave Summer Bay.”

[lozlovesh&a]

Great chapter. Continue please.

[Red Ranger 1]

Ooh, pretty intense chapter.Paul and April both seem to be losing it and really wasn't expecting that ending...

[HighwayUnicorn]

That was another brilliant update! I loved it! Fantastically written as always.

Really well done.

The ending seems interesting ...

Carina xxx

[Perry]

THIRTY-TWO

APRIL, RUBY & PAUL'S STORY

"April?" Ruby placed her heavy books into her locker and closed it and was able to give her friend her full attention. "That's not like you at all."

"You're starting to sound just like Bianca." April could see Ruby roll her eyes at her. "Look I know I've done the wrong thing, I'm not looking forward to having that conversation with Xav at all..."

"I wasn't judging Apes..." Ruby clarified. "Leading Xavier on we've all been there, I just thought that you know- a little smarter then that."

"Oh thanks..." April choked before acting offended.

"Look I meant..." Ruby hesitated before deciding to continue with what she was saying. "...I didn't think you were even having sex with him when you were together."

The two girls continued down the corridor, April was a little cut by Ruby's comment but didn't let it effect her. "Well just because I don't tell everyone when and where I'm doing it doesn't mean I don't. It's not like I'm Prude McPrude."

Ruby giggled. "Right, but be gentle when you tell him you only boned him to stop him from crying."

As the girls began heading upstairs they both noticed Xavier heading down towards them.

"I'd be gentler if I can avoid doing it right now." April scoffed under her breath.

"Hey." Xavier greeted both girls with a smile. "Mum's grounded me forever for not coming home last night..."

"Right..." April tried to walk past but Xavier was unintentionally road blocking her. She began to groan.

"Xav, we're having private girl time right now." Ruby almost snapped.

"Righto. Sorry..." Xav with his head down began walking off. "See you in class."

When he was out of his earshot April cackled. "And I thought I was being harsh."

"I couldn't help myself it's like he's turned into a woman or something it's depressing. You've broken him bad. He wasn't like this when I broke up with him and let's face it I did some pretty messed up **** to him."

"How to make a girl feel worst- glad I came to you for advice."

The girls walked past Liam Murphy. Ruby giggled. "Well next time you come to me to talk I'll just have sex with you just to avoid it."

"Yeah but then you'll never call me." April continued the joke.

Liam looked twice to see if he had heard what he thought he had heard. "I'll just pretend I didn't hear that."

As liam walked away, April was left red faced. "My sister's boyfriend just heard us."

"And yet he's the one picturing the two of us doing it right now."

"That's just gross... I mean Liam picturing me having sex with anyone is gross not that having sex with you would be gross not that I would..."

"Am I going to have to have another it's okay to be gay talks? because the one I had yesterday didn't turn out so well."

"Who's gay?" April smiled at the sound of possible gossip.

"Nobody, just a friend of Casey's..." Ruby tried hard to give a generalized response and moved on. "Look the computer rooms open, want to wait in thee for class to start?"

Ruby didn't wait for a response from April and just walked straight into the classroom. April followed her in but responded awkwardly when she saw Paul sat at one of the computers.

"I might wait outside, one awkward encounter with an ex is enough for one morning." April commented to Ruby.

"I, like can hear you." Paul told April.

"I, like don't care." April responded.

"Oh FYI we were like together for two hours so that didn't make us an item."

"Like? FYI?" April mocked Paul. "What are you a Gossip Girl?"

"Gossip girl?" Paul flexed for April. "More like Superman."

April scoffed before leaving the classroom. Ruby sat down next to Paul and had a look over his shoulder at what he was doing on the computer.

"I'm just doing some homework for Mr Murphy." Paul told Ruby as she read through his lyrics.

"Paul this is incredible, you should be busting out songs like this on stage not busting up peoples faces in a boxing ring..." Ruby looked up to him. "Speaking of yours looks pretty busted up. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I just had a thing happened and it went thing." Paul who was over lying gave it his best.

"Did this thing happen near the rubbish tip? You stink? Have you had a shower since yesterday?" Ruby moved her chair away from Paul, away from the stench.

"Is there a reason why you are here?"

"Is there a reason why you are such a downer? Boohoo I'm gay boohoo."

"I'm not gay, shut up."

"I get not wanting people to know but this whole complete denial of who you are must be really damaging to who you are."

"I'm not gay okay look I'll prove it..." He opened up the search engine and typed up a word and after a few seconds a website came up with a picture of a man with a ripped body.

"What's accoral?" Ruby asked while reading through the information. "I don't think they let you look at gay porn on these things."

"I've been taking it, it's what they give women who want to get a sex change, raised their testosterone levels."

"Steroids?"

"They don't make my muscles bigger."

Ruby laughed. "They don't make you straight either. So you get all the side effects of taking steroids like the small dick and the aggression and it doesn't even increase your muscle mass, no wonder you've been a cranky ****."

"You don't know anything." Paul scoffed, closing down the window.

"No because you didn't hit on my boyfriend yesterday and you didn't hit Dexter for no reason. Those pills must be working fine."

"Ruby Buckton, Paul Roberts out of this classroom! Now!" Principal Palmer stood at the door peering down at the kids as if she was above them.

Ruby instantly stood up but Paul stay seated.

"I said now Paul!" She then looked down to Ruby as the teen tried to make her exit. "You know you aren't allowed in the classrooms outside of class times and you are setting a bad example for a younger and newer student. I SAID NOW PAUL. I expected more from you Ruby. PAUL?"

"I'M TRYING TO PRINT OFF MY HOMEWORK!" Paul responded with as much volume and attitude that was given to him.

"Why wasn't your homework done at home?"

"Because I don't have a home right now!" Paul responded hoping the bullying teacher would back off.

"Well if you want to be schooless as well as homeless keep going the way you're going." a heartless Gina told Paul, Ruby looked up, quite bemused. "It won't be too long until you'll have both in prison."

Paul grabbed his things and took off like a rocket not wanting to give the educator privilege of being able to see him cry.

Gina looked down at Ruby. "There is just something about that boy I don't like."

"You know..." Ruby shook get head in disbelief. "...I wonder how many people said that about your son before they realised he was diagnosed with autism."

Gina shot her nose up and walked awa.

[lozlovesh&a]

Ooooh I liked Ruby telling off Gina with a shot at Brendan...

Good chapter, please continue.

[Miranda]

Oh, April and Ruby's talk about being gay etc. made me laugh! Glad she told off Gina, she was really nasty to Paul, not things a teacher should say.

I like this fic cos the drama comes from people's relationships and feelings, not murders and kidnaps and melodrama.