"What's wrong guys?" Kevin asked when he saw their troubled faces.

Brian answered, "AC told us that after her parents let her move to Florida they moved but didn't tell her where and she's never spoke to them since."

The guys looked shocked.

"That's not all," Nick added,"I was teaching her to play Nintendo and when I gave her a hug she jerked away and ran out of the room. Then Brian was comforting her about her family and gave her a hug and she jerked away from him too. I'm a little worried I mean in the few hours we've known the girls they've become like sisters to me."

"They're like sisters to all of us," Brian said.

"Her family probably hurt her really bad when they left. Just give her a little time and she'll probably be fine," Howie told them.

"I doubt it Howie," Brian put in, "When she jerked away it was like she had expected us to hurt her."

"I know you guys won't like this theory but... never mind," AJ said.

"WHAT?" Nick asked curiousley.

"Maybe she was abused." He said it in a rush and Brian looked at him in shock.

"Who would hurt her?" he asked not wanting to believe that some one could hurt a person like that. "Look let's just ask her groupmates if they know anything about it," Nick said sensibly.

"All right let's go I think they've moved to the living room," Howie agreed.

"Ariana can we ask you and the other girls something?" Brian asked.

"Sure."

"You've known AC a long time has she mentioned being abused."

"No why?"

"Whenever someone touches her she jerks away like she's expecting pain."

"She's been like that ever since we've known her," Ash said indicating her and everyone else but Ariana, "we didn't think much about it and just didn't touch her much."

"Ariana what about you?" AJ asked.

"They do,"she said in almost a whisper.

"How do you know?" Howie asked.

"When I was 15 we were late getting home. Her parents were mad. They said they needed to talk to her alone but I followed cause I could smell beer on their breath. When they got to her room they started yelling at her and hitting her all over. I was scared that if I told anyone what I saw they would hurt her worse or they would hurt me. I was so relieved when she moved to Florida." When she finished her story she was crying.

Kevin was comforting her but the others just stood there shocked at what they had heard. They just thought about everything they had heard.

"What if her family wants her back?" AJ asked.

"We won't let them have her," Zoe proclaimed, "Ariana's dad is her uncle he could get custody or something.

"Actually," Ariana began, "he knew about the drinking and abuse too and tried to get custody but he can't because I've got 7 brothers and sisters and the courts don't think it would be good for her."

Brian was about to say something when they were interupted by a scream from my room.