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Dedication: IIXxPurple_NinjaxXII for the awesome cover on the side. Thank you heaps, it's awesome. :)

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I was so hungry, I could eat a horse.

"And chase the jockey." Dad's voice whispered in my mind. He used to find that ad on T.V hilarious. The volume would be raised but you could never hear the joke over Dad's laughter. I shook my head as I replayed the scene in my head.

I continued to stumble disorientatedly down the hallway of Downright High. My stomach was growling at me so intensely, I wouldn't be surprised if security came barrelling down the hallway, thinking someone had thrown a hand grenade. Raking my hands agitatedly through the angry snarls of my hair, I rounded the corner and tripped towards the lunch room. Pushing by anyone who got in my way. I managed to make it although the process was slow.

The selection was pretty poor but I didn't care right now. I loaded up my place with anything that was available. Grabbing a handful of biscuits, I headed towards the lounge, where I could sprawl out and enjoy my feast.

"Munchies?" Jeremy sniggered at me, materiaising in front of me.

"Surprisingly no." my voice slurred.

"Woah. Are you drunk?"

"No."

He snorted, folding his arms across his chest. "Yes you are. If you threw a party and didn't invite me, I'm going to be very cross with you."

"I didn't have one."

He pursed his lips at me. "Was it a house party or pity party?"

"Unless you call attending a funeral a house party, I would say option two."

His eyebrows shot up in the air as his mouth opened and closed several times. He stared at me for a moment. I think he was wondering whether I was actually being serious or not. When I didn't crack a smile or roll my eyes, he slowly sunk down beside me. His body was stiff as he half turned toward me, a frown dented across his face.

"Sorry."

I half-shrugged. "You didn't know."

He gave me a tight-lip smile and awkwardly dropped his eye contact. "Who?"

"My grandmother. The only person I got along with."

He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "I understand now why you're so hammered."

Letting out a whoosh of breath, I reclined back, so that I didn't have to hold my head up anymore. I let my eyelids flutter close for a moment.

I'll just rest my eyes...

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"Is she awake?"

"Not yet."

"Should I nudge her?"

"Just poke her in the face."

"She will bite my hand off if I do that."

"Fine. I will."

"Colin don't-"

"Ouch!" I snapped, slapping Colin's hand away from my face as his finger sharply jabbed my left cheek.

"Told you." Imogen laughed, smirking.

"Welcome back to the land of the living!" Jeremy cried out dramatically, his voice unusually deep, his arms spread out wide.

Frowning, I attempted to sit up, but was unsuccessful as black dots rushed into my head, disorientating my vision. With a groan, I collapsed back down into a limp heap. My head was hammering inside my brain to the extent I felt like beheading myself.

I had all the symptoms of a hangover and it sucked majorly.

"How long was I out?" I asked, my voice coming out raspy, due to the lack of water I've consumed within the last twenty four hours.

"Couple of hours." Imogen answered. "We didn't have the heart to wake you. Well, until now."

She frowned at Colin who I only really just noticed properly. He was standing against the wall, one leg propped up, his arms folded neatly across his firm chest. I let my eyes dip over him, once again, impressed by his dazzling appearance.

"Yeah. Thanks Colin."

"Welcome."

Slowly, I reeled forward and this time, managed to actually sit up. I let myself fall forward and hung my head in between my knees. I sighed heavily, letting my eyes close again. I wish I had just stayed asleep. The emotions of grief and devastation were restlessly swirling around inside my chest, swelling to the point that it might suffocate me.

"Can I have some alone time guys?"

"Not a chance." Imogen replied swiftly, making me give her a disapproving look.

I stood up and planted my hands on my hips angrily. "I don't need a baby sitter."

"We're not your 'baby sitter'." Colin barked at me, making me flinch in surprise. "We're your friends, trying to look after you. Stop being a brat."

My mouth fell open at his outburst. His lips were twisted into a scowl and his arms tightened their stance. I opened my mouth to retort, but no words came out. Colin just admitted we were friends. Most of the time he argued that we were 'nothing'. Upon hearing him state that, well, it left me speechless to be honest. We stared heatedly at each other for several moments, before Imogen carelessly broke us out of our trance.

"I'm actually pretty keen for tomorrow." Imogen said, collapsing beside me on the bed and stretching out. I heard the bones in her back crack as she let out a groan, before falling backward and spreading out unattractively.

"What's tomorrow?"

"Those schools are coming to see how 'rebellious' us teenagers us." she laughed. "Half of them sneak off and party with us anyway."

My stomach clenched painfully as my mind automatically switched towards Gabe. He would be here. Tomorrow. With the rest of my friends. They don't even know I'm here. Hell, I haven't spoken to them in God knows how long. Suddenly, this hangover felt like nothing in comparison to what I was feeling now. My mouth began watering as I rolled off the bed and onto my knees. I fumbled for the bin and vomited, dry heaving until I fell to the floor, gasping.

"Um, are you okay?" Jeremy asked, painfully reminding me that I was not alone.

My hands trembled as I tried to keep calm.  The word 'okay' wasn't in my vocabulary any more. Tears burned at my eyes as I rolled onto my back, trying not to have a full-blown breakdown in front of the small crowd gathered around me. I pressed my palms to my forehead, feeling sweat gather across my forehead.

"I need to leave. Now."

"What? Why?"

"I can not be here tomorrow when they arrive." I groaned, the pounding in my head only increasing the more I thought about my situation.

Scenarios began bombarding my brain of them seeing me. Would they hate me? Of course they would. I abandoned them without so much as a note goodbye. This was going to be a disaster.

"Can you elaborate?" Imogen butted in, confusion lacing her voice.

"My old school." I choked out, trying to refrain from being sick again. "My old friends..."

They fell silent. I sniffled, hastily wiping at my eyes. 

"Wait, I'm lost. Why don't you want to see them?" Jeremy asked cluelessly.

"I just left. No explanation. No goodbye. Who knows what horrible thoughts they have about me."

"Well, we can hide you, but we can't get you out of the school. Trust me, I know all the places and so do the guards. I've been busted one too many times trying to escape this place." Imogen sighed.

"Really?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow, momentarily forgetting my crappy situation. "You rebellious teen."

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, it's not going to be that bad. I'm sure they'll be glad to see you."

"That's debatable."

"Who cares." Colin shrugged, making me furrow my eyebrows at him. "They'll be here for a day. That's all. Then you'll never have to see them again."

At those words, my stomach clenched again, making the temptation to vomit increase. What if I saw them again and it becomes evident how much I miss them? How much I still care about them? How desperately I want to go back in time to have my perfect world again?

I need some fresh air.

"I'm going to take a walk." I croaked out, clambering to my feet.

"Not alone you're not!" Imogen barked out immediately.

"I'll accompany her." Colin cut in smoothly. He steadied me, sending electric tingles shooting up my body at his touch. I gulped, pulling my arm out from his grip.

"Thanks."

I slipped into the bathroom, scrubbed my teeth, before letting myself shoulder past Colin and out the door. I began striding away, ignoring my slightly blurring vision, until his fingers latched onto my skin, successfully stopping my movement.

I sighed, turning towards him. "Yes?"

"It will be okay." he said, his eyes boring into mine with such intensity I thought I was going to fall over backward. "It will."

Not being able to stand the determined stare of his eyes, I dropped my gaze and bit my lip softly, trying not to cry.

"We'll see about that..."

Surprisingly, Colin threw his arm around my shoulder and began steering me down the hallway. I turned my head to him and gave him a grateful smile.

The large, wooden doors that barricaded us from the outside world swung open and I trailed wordlessly behind Colin. I stared pathetically at the barb wired fence that trapped us in here. If only that could be torn down, allowing us to be free.

"Do you want to come back to mine this weekend?"

"What?" I asked, snapping myself back into reality.

Colin said what now?

He laughed, before repeating himself. I stared at him, just blinking, waiting for him to just say he was joking. When he didn't, I gulped nervously.

"You want me to come over?"

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise." he pointed out with a smirk.

"Um, sure."

The idea of spending time with his family excited me. I thoroughly enjoyed it last time and no doubt would again. I could already taste the home-cooked meals in my mouth and the aroma of Miranda's chicken. My stomach growled hungrily at the thought.

"I'd like that." I mumbled.

"Me too."

Tiredly, I ran my fingers across my face. Colin was so pushy and arrogant around others, but when we were alone, he could be so surprisingly sweet that the feelings I had towards him would accumulate rapidly.

Whilst drowning in my thoughts, I hadn't realised he had inched towards me. I rolled back my head and stared up into his bright, blue eyes. Before I knew what I was doing, I stood on my tip toes and pressed my lips to his. My whole body froze at what I had done, before my arms wrapped around his neck and my body crushed against his. Our lips moved together, sending tingles shooting down my spine. I ran my fingers gently down his skin, loving the feel of it against mine.

Breathlessly, we parted and stepped back from each other. My lips felt swollen just from the brief kiss we shared.

"Got enough air?" he breathed, breaking the tension that had begun to form between us.

"Yeah. I think so."

Without another word, we both turned and re-entered the school of doom. I couldn't resist the smile that found itself on my face. Until, I realised why I needed air in the first place. My stomach dropped at the thought and suddenly I felt sick all over again.

I wish tomorrow would never come...

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What do we think of Gabe and all her other friends coming to the school? ;)