REGRET

James chuckled. "It's nice to see your friendship fall apart. Now I'll accept your challenge, just make sure you don't bore me."

"I won't," Mark smirked before he charged at him. He tried to land a punch on him but he swiftly dodged it. Mark dodged a punch that James threw on him then he elbowed him on the gut, James fell on the ground. Mark went near him to force him to stand up when he was suddenly attacked from behind. He grunts and sees that it was Adrian that attacked him.

"Play fair you idiot," he spat. "You'll gain nothing from this!" Mark said, his voice cracking.

"Oh yes we will gain something," Adrian said as he forcefully made Mark stand. "Alice," he smirked. After that Edmund and Adrian began punching and kicking him repeatedly.

The others tried to help Mark but Michael and Dan were watching them while Kristoff was currently fighting Grant. Grant was fighting normally when James suddenly hit him on the head using a baseball bat. "Consider this a warning, you don't stand a chance against us." James warned as he faced the other guys.

Alice stared at the scene in horror. She was glued to her place, she didn't know what to do. "So sorry Alice, you look surprised, it seems that you don't know how our gang likes to play." James mocked.

"What do you want? If it's a fight you want then beat me up while I'm still defenseless," Alice sulked.

"Wrong, I changed my mind, Alice. I don't have to beat you, I just want you to be a..." he cupped Alice's face and he stared at her mocha-colored irises. "Member of my group," he smirked.

"Why would I?" she scowled.

"I'm pretty sure you do not want your friends to be in any more harm than they already are right?" Dan smirked.

Alice looked down and froze. "Alice! Don't listen to them!" Grant groaned as he tried to get up. Then they saw droplets of tears fall on the ground. Alice saw all of her friends looking at her worriedly. All of them were injured while she was there watching everything.

It felt as if something in her snapped and all she saw was red. She quickly stood up and she jumped on James. The other guys took advantage of the distraction and used it as a time to fight the other members as well. Alice was struggling to take the bat away from James, she punched him and she took away the bat.

James was able to throw a punch on her but she still kept her grip on the bat. She swung it and she hit James with it. The latter fell on the ground and she hit him repeatedly until he was nearly unconscious.

She faced the other delinquents and she pointed the baseball bat at them. "So? You still want to fight?" she said with a fearful look on her eyes.

"If you don't want to end up like James, I suggest you leave. Take him with you and don't ever show me your pathetic faces to me again!" The other gang members looked at the situation. James couldn't even get up and they also happened to be outnumbered. With one last glare at Alice's direction, they all took James then left.

Alice looked at her surroundings. It wasn't good, they were all injured and hurt and she knows that it was all to be blamed on her. The guilt crept to her like poison and it wasn't a good feeling. She feels nauseous and she wanted to throw up, it's a wretched feeling.

After a few moments of dreadful silence, she saw Mark stir. Alice immediately approached him. Mark's eyes opened then he sat up and groaned when he felt pain at his stomach. It was the area that Edmund and Adrian kicked repeatedly.

"I'm so glad that you're fine," Alice said in relief. She placed a gentle hand on Mark's back but the other pushed it away.

"Don't forget, this could've never happened if it wasn't because of you," Mark said coldly.

"I'm sorry Mark, I really am." Alice apologized. "Please let me explain,"

Mark stood up and turned his back on her. Suddenly his eyes widened in shock when Alice hugged him from the back. Warm tears soaked the back of his shirt.

"Mark, I'm sorry, I know it's my fault. I made a huge mistake I'm sorry for being selfish, I'm sorry I got you all involved. I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me anymore, I can't stand it. You're important to me, I don't want you to hate me." she cried. "I regret it all so much."

Mark just placed his hand on top of hers, then slowly, he removed Alice's hands and he continued walking. "I'm not in the mood to talk. I need to be alone Alice," he said without looking back.

"What have I done?" Alice sobbed. Her knees buckled and she fell down onto the ground.

"Alice, calm down. It isn't your fault. You never wanted it." Grant limped as he approached her.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry!" she cried as more tears flooded out of her eyes.

"Calm down, it sucks to see you cry. Please Alice, we know it isn't your fault." Alex said as he too comforted her.

The others approached Alice and they tried to calm her down but she still kept crying. "Mark hates me, he despises me. I've never seen him that angry before." she sobbed.

"Mark just needs to cool down, give him some time okay?" Gerald patted her shoulder.

Alex went near Alice and he handed her a handkerchief. She used it to wipe away her tears and she eventually blew her nose on it. Alex blinked in surprise.

"Here, thanks for letting me use it," she handed him the now wet piece of cloth.

"Y-you're welcome," Alex said as he secretly threw away the handkerchief.

Alice wiped away the last of her tears. "Please forgive me guys, I'm so sorry that I got you all hurt. I'd understand if you'd be mad at me like Mark is." She snivelled.

"Stop apologizing already, it's alright. We know it's not your fault and I'm sure that deep down, Mark knows it too. He just needs some space for now." Josh explained. Alice slowly nodded but it didn't look like she completely believed it at all.

"Let's go to sleep. It has been a long day. I'm sure you're exhausted." Angela said. Alice nodded.

"Everything will be fine tomorrow," Jayne comforted. Alice gave a half-hearted smile and she entered the tent.

"I wonder where Mark is," Vincent asked

"I'm here," they all looked towards the direction where the voice came from. Mark was just right behind a tree.

"Dude you were here the whole time, how can you just watch Alice break down like that?" Lance asked.

"Stop being an ass Mark. Alice never wanted the fucking situation to happen. Man up and forgive her. James and his gang were the ones that set her up, she really meant it when she said that she didn't want any of you to get involved. She just wanted to settle things on her own." Grant told him.

"Trust me, it pained me to see her like that, it's just that I still can't forgive her for the things she did," Mark sighed.

"But can't you see how sincere she is? It's the second time I've seen her like that. The first time was when she blamed herself when Mia had a boyfriend." Josh said softly.

"Alice cries because of you. She cries for you." Therese frowned.

Mark's eyes widened. "Wait, you can't blame me." he exclaimed.

"We aren't blaming you, Mark. They have a point, can't you see it? The usual reason for Alice's tears is Mark." Joanna pointed out.

"So what's your point?" Mark's eyebrow rose.

"Earth to Mark, Alice cares about you! She's not the type to cry all time, she seldom cries. So the fact that she is crying because of you is a big thing. You mean something to her." Angela explained calmly.

"Perhaps it's just a coincidence." Mark scoffed.

"Dude, you must be so insensitive if you think what we're telling you right now is complete bullcrap. Alice may have her flaws but she cares for all of us and she definitely cares for you a lot, perhaps more than all of us." Gerald explained.

"If she really cared then she wouldn't have kept secrets from us. If she really cared, she never would have done something to break our trust... my trust. Call me a jerk but I can't just forgive her so easily, not now at least." With that, Mark leaves them and enters his tent.

The rest of them look at him in disbelief. "Let's give him some time, he just needs to cool his head off. I'm sure he'll come around tomorrow." Jayne says with a sigh.