April's POV

Diego and Beau were still laughing, 10 minutes after the embarassing incident. Emma had immediately asked what had happened - Aiden didn't say anything and just walked out - I barely knew the guy, but couldn't help but inwardly groan and think: how predictable. Shrugging, I sunk in my seat, burning with embarrassment.

I didn't belong here.

It was all so so fast, so unexpected - so strange.

Isn't it funny how life can flip you upside down in one moment?

Looking up, I chewed on my lip. They all looked so natural standing there - they were all friends, they knew each other, loved each other. I didn't know these people and I felt as though I was intruding, despite being kidnapped. It was so ridiculous. I stood up quietly and headed to the door - I needed some time to think. Was I even allowed to leave without their permission?

Of course you can, you fool.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Emma asked, tugging me back.

"I-I was just going upstairs to that room."

"No. Stay, come on, it'll be fun," she cajoled.

Fun? I repeated inwardly, flabbergasted. In which way was being taken against your will and forcing a self-proclaimed introverted teenager to socialize fun? Usually, sadists ideas of fun were really not fun. I swallowed hard, prepared to knock this beautiful red-head out if I needed to.

Instead, Emma grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet in a dizzying rush. I grimaced and followed her reluctantly. Looking up, Daniel smiled at me sympathetically, shaking his head.

My mind was still on Aiden - I was still fuming at him. How could he just leave? He probably ran away from all of his problems, like the coward he made himself out to be. And I am not boring - he's boring. It's not my fault at all that my thoughts didn't coincide with his thoughts.

And now, I had to deal with all of his friends. These people may seem friendly, but they did help Aiden with his sick little plan, meaning they weren't all sunshine and daisies. There was something off about them, but I couldn't seem to figure out what it was and it was driving me mad.

I grumbled silently and lifted my head to see Emma had led me into a huge living area. There was a TV in one corner and two comfy black and white couches in the other; several plump, tangerine coloured seats were dotted around the room and the only source of natural light filtered down into a pool in the centre of the room.

Surely my friends would have realized I was missing, right?

My family must have called me a few times only to realize I wasn't there.

What about my room mates? They can't be that oblivious.

I shook the thoughts off, diverting my attention to my surroundings. I couldn't deny that the interior of the room was sleek. Almost like a mini movie theatre. Emma had released my arm from her grip and I wondered in, gazing at the room around me.

I heard chuckles from behind me and spun around quickly, remembering where I was. "Cool right?" Diego smiled, showing off the dimple in his cheek.

"Yeah. It's nice."

"Sit. Don't worry, we don't bite." He chuckled dryly to himself. "Much."

"Diego, that's not funny. Don't scare her like that." Emma smacked him on the head as she fell back onto the sofa next to him.

She's talking about me like I'm not even here - as though I need verbal protection from people I don't even know. I hesitantly walked over to the nearest sofa and perched down on it. Daniel and Beau wandered over and sat on the same sofa. I instinctively inclined away from them.

"Emma, you always make us watch things like The Notebook and Titanic. It's our turn to choose the movie, and don't even think about giving Carlos the puppy eyes!" Daniel complained.

"Oh give it a break Daniel. Beau loves those movies. Don't you Beau?" Emma snapped. Beau looked torn and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he looked towards Daniel, who was nodding at him excitedly and pointing to a Terminator movie and then back to Emma who was giving him puppy eyes.

He stumbled over his words in a rush. "I don't know. The Notebook makes me cry but Arnold Schwarzenegger is the man. Why do you always make me the chooser?" He paused. "Why doesn't April choose? It is April, right?"

Panic gripped me for some reason and I froze. After a few awkward moments, I managed to splutter out. "Yes, it's April. And... I don't really care."

"Oh come on April, just choose! Ryan Gosling is hot, how can you resist him?" Emma shrieked at me, thrusting the DVD in my face. I leaned out of the way just in time to avoid having Ryan smashed into my face and ended up crashing into Daniel.

"No April. It's all about the Terminator. How can you resist the Terminator!" He cried, shaking me by the shoulders as he did so.

"No! We've seen that movie a hundred times already." Emma shot back.

"Well we've seen The Notebook a million times as well, Emma!" Daniel replied holding up The Terminator DVD. "Please Emma?" He whined.

Oh God.

Why am I here?

Watching a bloody movie with my kidnappers. They're arguing like children - how dangerous can they really be? Sure, Jerk- I mean Aiden is an idiot, but does that mean his friends are too? They didn't come across as murders. But at the same time, I was no expert at interpreting people; even the people we think we know can turn out to be the most unexpected of persons.

I couldn't let my guard down. It would be stupid to.

It was overwhelming with the bickering between Daniel and Emma. It was weird that they acted so normal when this situation we were trapped in wasn't. I didn't know these people, and I certainly didn't want to be watching a movie with them.

I stood up quickly whilst Emma and Daniel were still arguing and said quietly to Diego. "Um, I have a headache. Do you mind if I go to my room?" He just gave me an understanding smile.

I was about to walk away when I saw Diego stand up too from the corner of my eye.

He grinned sheepishly, "I'll come with you. Aiden doesn't want you trying to escape... And I'll show you where everything is, since you may be here for a long time." He said apologetically. I turned away, horrified.

Is Aiden keeping tabs on me? God, he's irritating. I started walking away and felt Diego's presence keeping close to me on the other side. Tilting my head to one side, I highly doubted that I would outrun him or even disorientate him for a few moments, long enough for me to escape.

After a couple of minutes of silence Diego spoke up. "Look. I know this is hard for you, I mean we kidnapped you and we told you that you had to change your entire life for us. I get that you're mad. You must hate us. And... on behalf of Aiden and the rest of us, I apologize. I'm sorry this happened to you, it's not fair, I know, but it's... necessary."

I was shocked by his speech. I appreciated his apology - he sounded as though he meant it - he seemed a hell lot nicer than Aiden. Aiden was just a stuck up jerk who wouldn't know what nice was, even if it hit him in the face. Maybe I'll hit him in the face the next time I see him.

I looked up at Diego. "It's okay. Well, no, actually, it's not okay. What I mean is that it's not your fault. It's that jerk's. I appreciate you apologizing - but wasn't it his idea, not yours. But then, you did help him..." I trailed off. I realized it was beginning to sound like an accusation, which I didn't need Diego getting worked up about.

I turned to him fully now, my eyes set. "Actually, what am I saying? You can't just kidnap people, whatever your situation - you can't just expect me to fit the mould you made for your own gains - I had - have - a life I need to go back to. This is so wrong. I don't even know what I'm doing here or who you people really are. So I'm not going to be friendly with you or that damn jerk."

"I wouldn't call Aiden a jerk. He's - he's been through a lot. It's complicated." Diego replied, his tone suddenly defensive. Why does everyone keep saying Aiden's been through a lot. Even if he has, he has no right to mess up other people's lives.

We were halfway across the passage now and approaching the front hallway, where the main doors were. I eyed them hungrily - out there was my freedom... And a hell of a lot of trees. We were about to emerge from the dark passageway when a voice called out from behind us.

"Wait. Don't leave." I recognized it immediately. "Turn around please."

I slowly turned around and saw a tall, dark figure in the hallway some way off. He was leaning against the wall, and I could already see the bubble of cigarette smoke around him. Gross. I wasn't sure what to do so I just stood there and looked at him then down again, at him then down again. Where do I look, where?

"Come here." He said again, his voice low. I didn't even realize Diego had moved. Diego was now standing next to Aiden and I could hear them whispering to one another angrily. Aiden thrust his cigarette into Diego's hand angrily. Diego let out a huff and threw an apologetic glance over his shoulder as he walked back into the living area.

Ah crap. It was just him and me now. Did he hear me call him a jerk? Keep your mouth shut, April.

I slowly began the long march back to him. With every step I recited a childhood rhyme my mum used to sing to me, which was oddly comforting considering I was making my way to person so heartless he probably crushes little children's dreams. I stopped when I was at least a meter away from him.

He raised an eyebrow, one corner of his lip quipping up. "Stop acting afraid. I told you that I have to get to know you - we have to pretend to be mates - and that means getting to know my friends, what part of that is hard to understand?"

"Fine. But stop saying mates." I mumbled, so quietly he probably didn't hear me.

"What did you just say?" He said coming closer to me and leaning down so he could hear me. I could almost feel his body heat radiating off him.

"Nothing." I muttered as I side stepped him.

"Uh-uh. Speak up next time. I know you can shout." He smiled wolfishly down at me, reminding me of our argument. "And from now on, you have to refer to us as mates. Don't ask why, you'll find out soon enough. But you can only refer to us as mates, okay?"

"Fine," I said quietly over my shoulder as I kept walking. Suddenly, two strong hands grabbed me from around my waist and pulled me back, until I hit something hard. I gasped and I turned back, only to face the dark material of his shirt.

I was still in his firm grasp, but I tried to wriggle out of his hold until I realized it was hopeless. He was too strong. I leaned my head back so I could see him in the darkness of the passageway. His expression was unreadable, and his pink lips were curled upwards, his eyes still clouds in the dark. That was the only thing about him that never changed - the expression in his eyes never changed.

He sighed. "Look, we need to pull of this act, which means we have to play the part. So play the part." He leaned down and whispered in my ear. I shivered and I felt goose bumps from where his breathe had just been. He loosened his hold on me, his cold gaze haunting.

I quickly looked away and shook my head, getting those crazy thoughts out of my head. I was not going to feel any sort of emotion for this guy. Not anger, not sadness, not irritation. The moment you showed emotion in a time of great crisis, your heart would interfere with your mind. And then your decisions become reckless.

His expression changed to one of mischief and he grinned, showing off his smile as he cocked his head to the side staring at me intently. "How about we put on a little show? Would you like that?" He asked, grinning at me like a kid in a candy shop.

"What do you mean?" Was he going to perform some circus act where he cuts me in half - literally? Was he going to throw pies in my face, make me the butt of the joke?

"Let's just say, I think the act should begin effective immediately. If we need to act like we're in love, then let's act like we're in love." He said, his lips curving upwards. If I was a normal girl, maybe I would instantly fall for his charm and smile, but thankfully I wasn't. Thank you mum and dad for producing a child who was not normal but totally awesome. Not that it got recognized half the time.

And don't think I didn't miss the glint in his eye as he said these words... What was Aiden's take on being in love? I wasn't prepared to find out... April Evans. What are you in for? I thought to myself as I built a mental barrier towards the psychopath.

He leaned towards me again, his expression slightly darker, "And you really need to quit calling me a jerk - it's getting old."