"I'm going to kill you" written in big red, bold letters on the community centre walls isn't exactly something you really want to see first thing in the morning. However, thats exactly what I saw outside the community centre first thing in the morning.

"What the fuck?" I asked, looking wide-eyed at the large lettering.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Nathan answered, turning to look at me. Curtis, Kelly and Alisha were with him, also talking about the violent message.

"Thats one word for it."

"This is a joke, it must be," Curtis whined, glaring at Kelly.

"Don't look a' me. I didn't do i'," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Simon suddenly appeared beside me and I flinched, not expecting it.

"I'll tell you who did it, it was that Banksy prick. There's a hidden meaning," Nathan said, lighting the cigarette in his mouth.

"Yeah, because there must be a hidden meaning in "I'm going to kill you." You know, especially with the word 'kill' underlined three times like that," I joked. He shook his head.

"Whatever. Look, I'm tellin' ya, someones trying to mess with us," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"How do we know its even about us?"

Nathan didn't reply. Instead, he watched as our probation worker appeared from around the corner.

"Right, come on, you lot. Go get changed."

No one moved.

"Have you seen this? Someones taking the piss," Curtis said, pointing at the wall.

"Yes, terrible, isn't it. All this anti-social behaviour," he answered, glancing at us. I scoffed. Being sociable was what got me into this mess.

"Oh," Nathan spoke up, cocking his head slightly. "Is he having a dick at us?"

Nobody had a chance to reply before Alisha's phone rang. She looked up at Tony.

"Right, thats it! Everybody give me your phones. No one is making any more calls today," he hissed, holding his hand out.

"Are you allowed to take our phones?" Alisha asked, grinning as she took a photo of him. He let out an aggravated grunt and snatched her phone away, much to her amusement.

Curtis gave his phone over hesitantly and Tony just glared.

"Wha'?" Kelly asked when he looked at her expectantly. He rolled his eyes and reached around to yank it off her.

Simon also gave his phone over quickly and hurriedly looked at the ground.

"I'm expecting a call from my mum," Nathan protested, phone in his hand. Tony said nothing, just yanked it from him. Nathan's mouth opened a little in shock. "Okay, take a message."

I dug my phone out of my pocket and looked out the corner of my eyes as he took it off me, his burning gaze making me feel uncomfortable. What was his deal anyway? Alisha didn't actually answer the call, did she.

"Wanker," Kelly hissed as she walked past him. I saw his jaw clench and I hurried past without another glance. He'd obviously woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

In the change rooms, I quickly got changed into the now clean jumpsuit. I had taken it home last night to wash it. I knew that was probably against the ASBO terms but I couldn't stand the smell of it.

I wonder if I should dye my hair, I wondered to myself while looking into the mirror.

"I reckon you should go blonde. It'd suit you," Kelly said, appearing at my side. My eyes widened. I didn't say that out loud, did I?

"Uh, right, thanks," I said, watching as she smiled and walked outside. What the hell?

I looked at the mirror again, trying to imagine myself with blonde hair. Suddenly, as if I had dyed it this morning, my hair turned blonde. I shrieked, peering at my hair with wide unblinking eyes. What the actual fuck?!

Everyone else had left by that point but I was too busy looking at my now not brown hair. What the hell just happened?! I closed my eyes tight and took a deep breath. My hair is brown. My hair is brown. Opening my eyes, I saw my hair was, in fact, brown. I shook my head. Maybe I was losing it.

"Mara, come on!" I heard someone yell. I flinched and tore my gaze away from the mirror. Yep, definitely losing it.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back, making my way for the door. I picked up a bucket on the way, as the others had done.

I found the others outside. They were beginning to clean the message off the wall.

"You alright?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," I answered distractedly. No, I'm not alright. My hair just changed colour in the change rooms and I think I'm going mental, I thought to myself, coming to a stop to her right and raising the sponge out of the bucket.

"You know after the storm, did any of you's start acting like dead weird?" Kelly asked, stopping her scrubbing for a moment.

"Yeah," Nathan answered. "I had a strange tingling sensation in my anus."

I huffed, rolling my eyes. Twat. He grinned and turned back to the wall.

You know, having your hair change colour before your very eyes probably counts as "dead weird," I thought, scrubbing at the red paint.

"What, did something happen to you's two?" She asked, looking from me to Simon a couple of times.

Nathan beat me to answering. "What, you don't want to hear about my anus?"

"Do you really need to ask that question?" Curtis asked, breaking away from his flirting with Alisha for two seconds. Nathan merely grinned sarcastically.

"Something happened," Simon said in his soft voice.

"Whats that? Squeak up!" Nathan said, turning his attention to the strange boy. I glared at him.

"Something happened to me," he said again, louder this time.

"Are you a virgin?"

"No surprise there, really," he added in a whisper to me. I frowned, much to his amusement.

"Shut up!" Kelly yelled at him. His smile dropped and he turned back to the wall.

I zoned out at this point, just wanting the day to be over with.

"Hey, Mara? Hello?"

"What?" I hissed, looking at Nathan's pale green eyes.

"Jesus, touchy, I was just tryin' to have a conversation," he scoffed. I sneered at him.

We worked in silence for a few more moments before Kelly was suddenly walking past me and shoving Nathan. I watched in stunned silence as Nathan started to protest, asking what the hell had her panties in a twist. Curtis and Alisha merely laughed as he regained his footing.

I watched as Kelly stalked off. Was she alright? What happened?

"Wait, wasn't there another guy supposed to be with us?" I asked, suddenly realising that the kid with the cap, the wannabe gangster wasn't here. Odd.

"Who cares. He was a wanker," Nathan said, annoyed. I hummed in agreement. He was still required to be here, no matter whether he was a wanker or not. Its in the terms of his ASBO.

~~~~

"It's a shame more women don't commit crime. Why is that?" Nathan asked as he and Curtis played fooseball in the main area of the community centre.

"Because crime is wrong?" I suggested, taking a sip from my water bottle.

"Because that explains why you're here, doesn't it," he said, looking at me with a smirk. I sighed.

"Why does it matter?" Curtis asked, playing back just as hard.

"Not that our situation really applies, but some poor wankers miss out when they all get split up," he answered.

"What?"

"I'm talking about sex," he said as though that would be obvious.

"There was four of us," Simon spoke up.

"Well, you can have him if you want. Then theres two girls for me," Nathan said, winking suggestively.

"Jesus," I hissed, scrunching my face up in disgust.

"Anyway, how are we going to do this, man?"

"Do what?" Curtis asked.

"Divide 'em up. Because I got to tell you, I don't see me and the curly haired one getting it on," he said, gesturing to his hair. I shook my head. Could he ever not be such a fucking wanker?

"Because she's beautiful?"

"Nah, she'd be too much work. You'd have to take care of her and shit," he scrunched his face up as though it was the worst thought he'd ever had.

"But, uh, the other one. The one with the hair," he started clicking his fingers, trying to remember her name. I raised my brow.

"Kelly," Simon told him.

Kelly, yeah! A couple Bacardi Breezers and I reckon she'll be good to go. I might need more than a couple myself but hey, who's counting?"

"You're such a fucking twat," I said, glaring at him.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about you. There you go, weird kid, you can have that one."

I stepped forward and slapped him, the sound echoing through the room. An angry, red print showed up on his cheek and I glared at him, tears threatening to spill.

"You know, if you weren't such a fucking prick, people might actually like you," I hissed, all but running away. I heard him let out a whine of pain just before I got outside.

The hallway was quiet, which was good. I didn't know how much more I could take. It was what, two days into our service and already I was getting bullied for my looks. Well, Jesus, I'm sorry I don't have big tits, a small belly, bleach blonde hair and a shit ton of makeup on! Sorry if I don't want to be perceived as a slut.

Not even a minute later, Nathan was walking out of the main area, smirk in place. He saw me and stopped. He looked me up and down, licked his lips and smirked.

"Hey, whats wrong, babe?"

What the fuck does he mean whats wrong?

"You, you fucking prick!"

"Sorry love, but we've never met. I think I would have remembered you if we had."

"You're such a cunt! Just leave me the fuck alone!" I screached, shoving past him towards the change rooms. The fucking nerve!

The shoes on my feet clacked against the tiled floor and I stopped in front of my locker. I wiped my eyes and saw my mascara running down my face. Shit!

I walked over to the mirror and sniffed, rubbing my nose.

"What the fuck?!" I yelped, gripping at my face. I-I wasn't me? The woman standing in the mirror wasn't me. Sure, she had my jumpsuit on but it just wasn't me.

She had long blonde hair and running down her face was a months worth of makeup. I looked like a whore. What the fuck is happening to me? I was skinnier too, if that were possible.

I twirled away from the mirror, pushing the palm of my hand over my eyes. It hurt but I didn't notice. First my hair and now this?

What the hell is going on?!

(a/n: it's a bit of a long chapter this time so I hope that's a good thing. I feel like this chapter gives us quite a lot of insight into Mara and what her power is and I hope I haven't overplayed anything. Aside from that, what do you guys think of this chapter? Any questions, queries, comments, concerns?)

Updated on the 29th of February, 2016.