It was Phoenix's idea to go to Fyn's. No one disagreed with him so there they were, standing in front of the old tavern. Dakota glanced at Magnolia, a grin playing on his lips. This is where they first encountered each other, and where Dakota practically dragged her away. Magnolia bit her lip, ducking her head, reminded of the face she needed to hide.

Dakota noticed, pulling off his hat and placing it on her head. It didn't fit, but it definitely did the job to cover her face. He leans down, his dark waves falling onto his forehead, his deep voice whispering, "Not that I agree with covering up your face."

Magnolia rolls her hidden eyes as he reached onto the door and held it open, allowing everyone to stampede inside. The tavern was hot and sweaty, crowded with people like always. Phoenix went up to the counter to get drinks while the rest of them found a free table. It seemed as if everyone didn't care or even noticed the seven teenagers that just strolled inside. Magnolia sat next to Hudson, looking up at Dakota, the hat's bill hitting her nose. She slid it back up, mouthing, please sit. Dakota nodded solemnly, sitting down next to her, resting an arm around the back of her chair, trying to be the least bit relaxed. River's eyes widened in shock, and then smiled at Magnolia. She then grabbed Slate's hand under the table, resting her head on his shoulder, her long straight hair falling down the back of his chair.

Phoenix came to the table, carrying five glasses of water and handing them out before retrieving to the counter to get the last two. Everyone took a few sips from their water before they took out the canteens and filled all of them to the top. Hudson bent down a little, whispering in Magnolia's ear. "We may be the only one's here that aren't a drunk mess."

Magnolia slightly grinned, nodding. The tavern was full of mostly men, maybe a few women. They all were loud and definitely drunk, all banging on the tables in laughter. Magnolia wondered what they were getting drunk for. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the middle-aged man come up and place a hand on River's shoulder, who was falling asleep. River turned around, eyes slits.

He grabbed her hand and yanked her upwards, placing one hand on her shoulder and one in her hair. His eyes were wild, never resting on one thing. He opened his mouth to say something when Slate jumped up, his chair making a loud screech across the wooden floor.

"Get your bloody drunk hands off of her!" He shouted, placing two hands on the man's chest and shoving. The man went stumbling backwards and fell into a table, looking confused. Everyone in the tavern turned and focused on Slate and the random teenagers they hadn't noticed before. A man with black and gray speckled hair stood up, looking back and forth between Slate and the drunk man lying on a table.

"You guys want trouble, huh?" The pepper-haired man slurred out, and Dakota narrowed his eyes. The man looked so much like his father it was making Dakota cringe, and he had to look away. Slate shrugged, stepping in front of River, "Just making a statement that you drunks need to keep your shaky hands to yourselves."

The pepper-haired man whistled as he took a step forward and stumbled a little. "Wow. You really know how to be disrespectful to your elders, don't you?"

"If elders act the way you do, I guess I don't see a need to respect them." Slate shot back, folding his arms across his chest. Magnolia looked at Dakota, who was squirming in his seat, looking like a little kid who had to use the restroom.

The old man came running at Slate, and all the runaways shot up from their chairs. Dakota reached the man before the man reached Slate, shoving his body backwards and into the wall. Dakota plummeted his fist into the pepper-haired man's stomach, which made the man curl and hurl. Magnolia furrowed her eyebrows in shock, as Dakota didn't walk away from the sickened man.

Three more men jumped up from their seats, sensing a fight brewing. The bartender ran outside the back door immediately, not having the stomach to watch teenagers get beat up. But that was where he was wrong. It wouldn't be the teenagers getting hurt, it would be the old men.

And then it was chaos.

Brylee charged after the closest man to her, immediately getting into a hardcore fight. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it fast, flipping her body around with it, causing the man to hit his knees to the floor yelping in pain. Brylee threw a punch and hit him directly in the nose, kicking his gut with a grunt.

Another man went darting after her, furious. That must have been his friend or brother she just took down and the look on his face gave it all away. Brylee laughed, and it sent shivers through everyone watching. But she immediately stopped her laughter when the man took out his knife, just causing her took click her tongue.

Phoenix shoved River out of the way of the third man, yelling at her to get back. She shook her head, refusing, "I'm not a little girl anymore, Phoenix! Let me fight my own battles!"

Slate looked back at her in sympathy, "I hate to do this, Riv, but I... agree with your ugly brother."

Phoenix laughed, ducking a drunkened man's punch. "You're just jealous because your looks aren't as near as good looking as mine."

Slate opened his mouth to fire back, but River groaned in frustration, interrupting him. "Are you guys seriously fighting about this right now? Ugh!"

She clenched her fists, annoyed. Phoenix shot Slate a glare before continuing his fight with the man. Slate nodded to himself as if he finally decided on what he needed to do, rushing over to River and kissing her passionately. River groaned at him, shoving him backward, "Get off me, you-"

"What were you gonna say?" Slate smirked, inching back closer to her.

"Ugh!" River groaned again.

"Ugh!" Slate mocked, chuckling.

"You're an idiot."

"You love it." Slate stepped into the space separating them, running his finger along her large scar down the side of her face. He then kissed her again, pushing her body up against the wall as she raised her arms around the back of his neck and kissed him back.

 

Magnolia was confused. Dakota was beating the crap out of the pepper-haired man, who looked like he was breathing his last breath. Phoenix was still fighting the same man he had been fighting for the last five minutes, and Brylee was struggling to win a fight against a man with a knife. While all of this is going on, River and Slate are sucking off each other's faces. Magnolia cringed, unable to just sit and watch Brylee almost lose a fight, even though she knew that everyone wanted her to stay back. It was so annoying, following orders. Hudson was still seated next to Magnolia, tightening a hand on her thigh as if to tell her, stay put.

"Don't do it." Hudson muttered under his breath, reading her mind.

Magnolia watched, seeing that Brylee had a fault in her steps. A fault that Brylee pointed out about Magnolia's steps the day before. Magnolia threw Dakota's hat down on the table, not hiding anymore as she rushed after the man fighting Brylee. He had a knife against her throat now, and she was struggling to get out of his grip, gasping for breath. Magnolia came up behind him, grabbing his arm that was holding the knife and lifting it up high, twisting his whole body so that he was facing her now.

She could see that he immediately recognized her, and the distraction worked as Brylle kicked his feet from out beneath him and he went tumbling to the floor, bringing Magnolia with him. He quickly pulled her against himself, knife slowly coming up to her neck.

"No thanks." Magnolia grunted, lifting the knife and using all of her muscle to jam it into his own neck. Blood splattered all over, spraying across her face.

"Ew." Magnolia said, scrunching her nose up in disgust. Brylee looked down, and slowly smiled. Before Magnolia knew it, they were both cracking up in laughter, tears ringing in their eyes. Brylee helped Magnolia up off the ground, patting her back.

"I would say thanks but I'm the one who saved us."

"Oh. Yeah. Totally." Magnolia rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm not kidding. I'm the one that trained you into a mighty fine kickbutt fighter." Brylee smirked, and  Magnolia would've said something back if it weren't for Dakota, who was now screaming at the man, telling him it was all his fault. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU KILLED HER!"

Magnolia slowly walked up to him, swallowing, almost scared to get too close. "Dakota?" She said softly. He halted, and silenced himself, turning. His tan cheeks wet with tears and sweat, his big curls stuck to his forehead. His eyes were narrowed, his face turned into a scowl. He clenched his fists tightly, knuckles bruised.

Magnolia carefully put her hand on top of his fist, tucking her fingers inside his palm. "Are you okay?" She whispered, trying to ignore the fact that the pepper-haired man was dying and covered in bruises.

His gaze softened, and he looked confused, as if he just woke up from a dream that seemed so real at the time. "Oh. Um, yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. It's fine. Uh-" He took his hand out from hers, rubbing his forehead viciously. Running a hand through his sweaty hair, he grabbed his hat from the table and placed it on his head. The rest of the people in the tavern must have ran out when they got the chance, because it was only them, and the four men lying on the floor. Slate and River had stopped their moment and had watched Dakota in shock, who just had a psychotic episode.

Dakota charged out of the tavern, whipping his backpack over his shoulder, knowing the others would follow, as they always did.

But Magnolia didn't know what to do, or what she was getting herself into. She was falling for a man that was hiding a whole prison of secrets. She couldn't control her feelings, though, and he couldn't control his secrets. For they were too large and painful to bear.

 

Slate grabbed a glass full of an unknown substance, drinking half of it before handing it to Magnolia. "Blood looks good on you. It really brings out the color in your eyes." He smirked, wrapping an arm around River and heading out of the tavern. Magnolia looked at the drink, the smell very strong. She shrugged before swallowing down the rest of it, coughing and chucking the glass down on the ground, sending it breaking into pieces.

Magnolia used the sleeve of her dress to wipe the blood off her face while Hudson waited for her at the doorway. Handing her her backpack, he shook his head at her and chuckled, "You shouldn't have drank that."

"It's a bit late for the big brother speech, Hudson. But thanks anyway." Magnolia said, not exactly knowing why she was so mad. Shrugging it off, Hudson followed her out and into the windy cool air.