Their Violence, Your Silence.

Where was she? Worried I looked at my watch for the umpteenth time, she should have been here by now. She was at least twenty minutes late...

Marley had sashayed past me quite a few times now, a few times even going as far as to brush past me with a hand or even her hip. She seemed to relish the fact that I was standing around the refreshment table like a loser apparently being stood up by my own girlfriend.

'She'll come,' reassured Shane me with a pad on my shoulder. 'You know how Cas likes dramatics... She's watched way too many romance movies,' he added with a sour look. Obviously Cas had made him watch them with her.

I nodded, it was typical of Cas to force Wins into some sort of scheme to satisfy Cassie's own romantic idea of how things should go. Wins was way more sensible than that but she'd just follow along probably. No harm in it anyways right?

I breathed a sigh of relief when I noted that Marley wasn't in the gym any longer. Probably off with some guy...

'I'll be right back kay? Need to pee,' said Shane from beside me all of a sudden, before he hurried away at my nod. I barely registered it, to intent on finding Wins in the throng of people.

I spotted Damien across the dance floor and had to force myself to breath slowly and unclench my fists. I still didn't trust myself anywhere near that guy and I definitely didn't trust the smirk he wore on his arrogant face now.

Damien was up to something, or maybe he just knew something I didn't? My thoughts immediately jumped back to Winter. Had the bastard done something to her?

Just when I was about to stride over to him to wipe the arrogant smirk of his face when I noticed a head of familiar red hair. Taller then usual but I supposed she was wearing heals.

My heart jumped into my throat in relief, finally!

She wore a simple floor length black dress, it touched the floor to hide the heals and had already collected a little confetti and other party decorations. I couldn't help but smile at that.

The mask she wore covered most of her face and looked a bit to large and out of place amongst all the other beautiful contraptions other girls wore. I guess this was the first dance she'd ever attended though...

At least her red hair was as always, hanging down her back to her tailbone in long wide curls. A bit messy on top. Large thick glasses in front of the mask.

I smiled at her as she approached me. Her face tilted downwards as usual, the way she tried to avoid looking anyone in the eye. Her shoulders more hunched then usual as if she was very nervous, I couldn't blame her, a lot of people were looking and pointing.

When she reached me I quickly wrapped my arm around her shoulder to shield her from the onlookers. Glaring at those who kept staring fiercely in the hope they'd get the hint and leave us alone.

'Hey Wins, I missed you,' I told her, wondering a bit about how tall the heals were she was wearing. She reached easily to my chin now but normally she came up to my chest so that I had to lean forward a bit if I stood behind her to rest my chin on the top of her head.

She didn't reply but wrapped her arms around my waist burying her face in my neck. Worried I patted her hair, 'You alright Wins? Did something happen? Did Damien hurt you?'

I pushed her back a little to look into her eyes but she wouldn't let me, turning her head sideways. I followed her line of sight and saw that she was looking at Damien, who had now crossed the dance floor.

What had the asshole done now? I pushed Wins behind me to face Damien, anger already boiling in the pit of my stomach at just the thought of him hurting her again. The fierce need to protect her was more important then actually holding her.

I felt a hand on my wrist and a soft tug, Winter behind me was shaking her head softly still with her eyes downcast. But I guessed she didn't want me to cause trouble here...

She tugged on my wrist again and then started walking in the direction of the locker rooms. I hurriedly followed her while keeping a close eye on Damien.

'What's wrong Wins?' I asked her again as the door closed behind us shutting out the worst of the noise. A foreboding feeling had settled in the pit of my stomach now. Something about her behavior was off... She walked differently, way more hunched then usual but she still seemed so much taller.

Had Damien done something to her? Is that why she wanted to get away from there? But why didn't she talk to me?

She opened a door to one of the locker rooms and motioned me to get inside. I obeyed, concern and anger towards Damien winning out over the strange feeling and the strange behavior Winter was displaying.

'Wins? Talk to me?' I asked again as the locker door closed behind me.

Winter was standing with her back towards me at the other side of the room. Studying the hooks on the wall for towels and clothes. Her hair looked weird now, duller then usual in the stark light.

Something was definitely off...

She still hadn't said a word but she'd turned her body a little and held out a hand silently asking me to come closer. Her other arm she'd wrapped around her torso as if she was cold.

That was a little weird, the lockers and the gym were really hot with all the people packed inside and she wore a long sleeved vest too...I'd missed her though and I didn't know what had happened to her the past few days. Besides if Damien had done something to her she might not even be cold, simply upset.

I stepped closer and took her hand in mine, 'Wins I can't help you if you don't talk to me... Did Damien do something?'

'Did he hurt you? Or did something happen at your aunts?'

Winter was still looking down, refusing to meet my eyes but she was inching slowly closer as if seeking solace in my presence. I didn't refuse her and softly wrapped my arms around her waist tugging her into an embrace.

Fleetingly I wondered: did she gain weight? But then I heard Damiens voice shouting: 'I wouldn't do that if I were you!'

Before I could react to that Winter pushed me back against the wall hard, attaching her lips to mine with a passion that surprised me.

'Caleb!' I heard Winter yell and for a moment I thought; finally she's found her voice! But then I realized that couldn't be her talking because she was still kissing me.

'Caleb,' I heard her say again, softer this time and now sounding confused instead of elated.

I pushed the Winter that was kissing me away from me and looked at the door, confused by what I was hearing and what was happening. No one was behaving as they should tonight.

My eyes found a girl in the doorway to the locker room. A beautiful girl with long beautiful red hair pinned up in curls and twists, hidden gems sparkling in between.

A knee length dress in red and black hugged her waist and curves but left her shoulders and arms bare. Showing off a long stretch of beautiful pale leg and dainty little feet encased in simple black heals.

A black silk mask across her features adorned with red gems did nothing to hide her beautiful features. I breathed out in amazement and relief for a moment, a very short moment. Then reality crashed down on me and I pushed the girl I was holding away from me as if burned.

'I told you, you didn't want to see this Winter. I'm sorry,' Damien said to Winter, taking hold of her hand and tugging her out of the room. He sounded so sincere for once that I knew he'd known all about this from the start. Damien was a damned good actor if he wanted to be...

Realization of what had transpired just now dawned on me and the force of my anger nearly had me staggering.

'You!' I shouted at Damien, forgetting all about the girl that had lured me here. 'You asshole! Stay away from her!' The thought alone that I'd lose Winter to that slimy asshole made me charge towards him aiming a furious punch at his face.

Damien dodged me but didn't strike back, he didn't have too. I'd seen the look on Winters face, my Winter. She'd flinched as I'd charged, as if she expected me to hit her instead of Damien. The fact that she'd think that hit me like no blow from Damien could have.

'You're the asshole Caleb, cheating on your girlfriend like that... On the day she gets back from surgery too...Tssk! Come Winter, you don't have to stay here,' Damien pulled on Winters hand again and she followed him. She looked utterly lost and confused and I couldn't blame her, so did I...

'Wins! This... This isn't what it seems!' I told her as I turned to face her. This couldn't be happening! I couldn't lose her...

'Leave me alone Caleb!' Winter said to me, her voice shaky as if she was about to cry. Seeing the pain in her eyes brought a whole wave of agony to me, and guilt. How could I have thought that girl behind me was Winter?

I'd been noting the strange behavior the whole time but I hadn't once thought it wasn't her... Idiot! And now Winter was walking away... and she never know how much I cared about her. Would she ever give me the chance to explain what happened?

'I thought she was you! Wins! Winter! I love you!' the desperate words wrenched from my chest and I realized tears were falling from my eyes. I hadn't cried since my mother died.

The words fell flat when the door slammed shut behind her. Effectively shutting Winter from my life.

I clenched my hands to fists and stared at the door, remembering how beautiful she'd looked tonight. Damiens words echoing in my head now: Cheating asshole. I was... I kissed another girl...

Then I realized he'd said the word surgery too. What surgery? But before I could think about it further I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. 'Ssh... I didn't think you'd care that much. The ever impassive Caleb, crying !'

A hot flare of anger made me jump to my feet and turn on the girl behind me. I should have known it was Marley. My fists still clenched I swung full force at her mocking face. Satisfied when a fleshy thud echoed through the hall.

Marley cried out and then stumbled backwards a few steps, utter surprise at the hit written all over her face.

She'd taken of the mask and the red wig, they lay discarded on the floor and I felt so completely, utterly stupid at falling for that simple ruse...

'You... you hit me...' I heard Marley stammer and I directed a glare at her face again, glad to have a focus point for my anger, other then myself.

I had never hit a girl this way before, having come close only once with Winter. I'd felt so horrible guilty about that for weeks... But I knew I would never regret this. Not even if she filed a complaint about it with the police.

'You bitch! Why? Why did you do this?' I asked, my voice hoarse and scratchy in my own ears. Tears still streaking down my cheeks.

Marley laughed, a nasty evil sounding kind of laugh that I'd never heard from her before... 'You humiliated me Caleb, you and that stupid whore of yours.'

I hit her again harder then before, no one called Winter a whore!

Marley took the hit and sagged down against the wall, still laughing, somewhat insanely now. I knew she was wacky, always had been, but this showed me clearly just how insane she was.

I turned around and looked at the door to the gym, hearing the mocking music coming from behind that door. Winter was possibly out there, with Damien, or god knows where... Maybe he'd convinced her to get into his car.

The protectiveness flared up again and I strode to that door, promising myself to leave her alone. I'd just take a peak to make sure she was safe.

I couldn't care less about the stares people were giving me as I strode across the gym, searching for her. I couldn't care less about the fact that tears were still tracking down my face or that the green silk of my mask was probably tear stained by now.

I couldn't find Damien, nor Winter... But Shane and Cassie were gone too..

Hoping she'd gone with the later I got into my own car. Speeding home so I could clear my head with a long intense swim.