Disclaimers: These are my characters, all mine, even if they bear a striking resemblance to a certain warrior and bard. Sorry MCA/Universal you should know by now that I can't resist. But, so ya know, in no way do I make money from this. It's just my own sick, twisted fun.

Sex/Violence: Lots. More then the usual eps of Xena, and more then my usual stories. This is a tough city, a tough neighborhood where just about anything does and will happen. This story depicts love between two members of the same sex, so if this is illegal or offensive, read elsewhere. This story also depicts an act of rape, but no graphic sex scenes. Sorry folks, just not my style.

Anything else? Don't know about that yet. Guess this story has an R rating because of the violence and potty mouth language. Um, that'd be all now. Go ahead and read. Delve into my twisted mind, if you dare! :)

Chapter Six

I'm not eating lunch in the cafeteria again, Tony sighed. There was a mass exodus out the front doors as the seniors raced off campus for lunch. Tony was a lowly freshman and not allowed off campus.

Bet that never stopped Shane, she thought dryly. Well, I'm not Shane. Tony decided that an empty set of side stairs would be good enough.

She'd just taken out her sandwich and cookies when the short hairs on the back of her neck quivered.

"Hi," Shane sat casually beside Tony.

"Hey yourself," Tony replied softly, the tingling intensifying then dying suddenly as she looked over at Shane. "What the heck happened to your face?" Tony blinked, taking in the split lip and thin scratch across Shane's cheek.

"Nothing much," Shane lied, fingering her lip absently.

"Uh huh, and what does the other person look like?"

"Worse then me," Shane grinned, but it slowly faded as Tony frowned.

"You like hurting people?" Tony asked.

What the fuck does that matter to you? What if I told you I was defending you? What would you do then? "Yeah, I like hurting people. It's my specialty." Shane's lip curled in anger.

"Why?" Tony's voice was soft.

Afraid? You should be. "What does it matter to you?" Shane sneered, thinking she already knew the answer.

"It does matter," Tony shrugged, "I don't know why." I see something in you, Shane. "I just hope you know what you're fighting for."

Shane's eyes widened.

"What?" Tony asked skeptically. "Do you know what you were fighting for this time?"

"I- I... um..." Shane looked everywhere but at Tony. "Casey and I got in a fight... over you," she admitted slowly.

"Me?" Tony stared at Shane. "Why, Shane? Why?"

"Casey wanted to harass you," Shane tried to defend her actions, "so, I-"

"You what? You hit her?"

"Yes," Shane stood suddenly, "I was angry and I hit her."

Tony sighed and stood to face the angry girl. She reached out a hand to touch Shane's arm then withdrew it hastily as blue eyes pinned her down. "I'm not worth fighting for. There's always another way."

"What other fucking ways are there for a girl like me, Tony?" Shane spat out.

"Talking," Tony said softly.

"Yeah, well there are some things worth fighting for." Shane clomped down to the last step.

"Yes there are," Tony waited for Shane to stop and turn around, "but I'm not one of them."

Shane remained silent, impassive, her eyes a steel wall that couldn't be broken. How could she explain to Tony that Yes, she was worth fighting for?

"We could talk now," Tony offered.

Shane's shoulders straightened and tensed. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Are you going off campus for lunch?" Tony looked down from her top step vantage point, Shane seeming small and fragile.

"No," Shane glanced right and left, eyes narrowed, then went back up the stairs and sat on the step next to Tony's open lunch bag.

"I thought all the seniors would jump at the chance." Tony sat again and picked up her sandwich.

"I'm not all seniors," Shane said with a wry glance at Tony.

"That's true," Tony grinned, trying to diffuse some of the tension.

"Why don't you go off campus?" Shane studied Tony's profile and settled on the small bruise almost hidden by her shirt collar.

"I've already got lunch," Tony held up her bag of chocolate chip cookies.

"Obviously, but if you wanted to would you go off campus?" Shane asked.

"It's against the rules," Tony answered.

"Rules my ass. Do you think all of the people leaving now are seniors?" Shane waved her hand out to the parking lot that was slowly emptying as kids jumped in cars and took off.

"Well, of course not. But I would like to think there are some people who follow the rules in this stupid school," Tony snorted and bit into her pb and j sandwich.

"Are you calling my school stupid?" Shane challenged.

Tony stopped, mid bite, and looked curiously at Shane. "Your school?"

"My school," Shane confirmed proudly.

Tony took a minute to savor the peanut butter sticking to the roof of her mouth. Gram must have opened a fresh jar this morning. "Mmm," she mumbled, peanut butter refusing to let go, "I wouldn wan thith school, even if you paid me."

"What does that mean?" Shane asked dangerously.

Tony took a swallow of luke-warm soda. "The teachers don't teach, they can't teach without textbooks and lab supplies. You're two years behind everything I was learning before." Tony began to pick items off on her fingers. "The cafeteria serves stuff I wouldn't feed to my dog, if I had one. The nurse's office is vandalized. The bathrooms are filthy. The halls are covered with-"

"Dammit Tony, enough. I get your point," Shane grumbled, looking down at her biker boots, "but so what?"

"So what?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Yeah, so what? No one here will ever amount to anything anyway." And what would the little spitfire say to that one?

"Don't be stupid, Shane," Tony blurted, then paled as Shane's icy eyes narrowed on her. She rushed to continue. "They won't amount to anything with attitudes like that and an environment like this."

"We're in the fucking ghetto, Tony. Open your eyes." Shane stood and waved an angry hand out over the city surrounding them on every side.

"My eyes are open." Tony shook her head, gathered her lunch back into her bag and headed up the steps to the school. And I've seen too much already, she sighed.

Shane held her tongue, biting the inside of her lip. Stupid little girl, she fumed, but she found herself calling out to the departing brightness. "What am I suppose to do then?"

"It's your school, you figure it out." Tony called over her shoulder and disappeared into the school.

Damn right it's my school. But somehow she felt she'd missed something in the conversation and it pissed her off. She stormed out to the parking lot and revved the Harley to life, peeling out in a squeal of tires and burning rubber.

Why the hell does talking to Tony always make me feel like my heart is ripping out of my chest?

Tony was shaking as she walked into the school. The door clicked behind her and she couldn't help but feel as if she couldn't turn back from whatever course destiny had set her on.

And what if I don't want to? Tony flung her lunch into the nearest overflowing trash can. It bounced off the filled top and crashed to the floor. She took a few angry steps before she turned back and picked it up, stuffing it far down into the trashcan.

So, what do I do about it?