"Oh gosh, I'm late!" I exclaimed and sped toward the theater.

"Hey, relax. We're nearby anyway," Kayden tried to reassure me.

"Yeah, but I was late the last few times. Christine is going to kill me!"

"I hope she will. There would be one less moron in the world." Hayden's harsh voice was like a slice of a knife to my fragile heart. It was ridiculously easy for him to send me spiraling into darkness.

My anxiety proliferated. I started crossing the street, typing a text for Christine to tell her I would be there in a few minutes, when a car horn ripped through the night air. I knew what I was going to see next. My chest filled with horror.

Two bright flashes of light blinded me before the car swerved to the side, heading for Hayden. Kayden moved to shield him, but he wasn't quick enough, and they got both hit and crashed to the ground.

The sight put shackles of pain on my heart and mind, and my world crumbled. They didn't move, both lying in a pool of their blood. I approached them in daze of desperation, noticing how the night changed into the day, and the scene transformed into a more recent one.

My gaze flickered between them before it settled on Kayden, whose limbs were spread at odd angles. His empty eyes drowned me in despair, and I burst into tears, dropping to my knees. I grabbed his arm to shake him and called his name repeatedly, but it was useless. I saw this moment many times, but it was always the same. Kayden would never come back. He was dead.

Dead.

Dead.

Never coming back...

"You killed him," Hayden accused me, and I whipped my head at him, quivering in wrenching tears. He now stood right next to me, with the crimson blood surrounding the scar on his face. His cold eyes that were so similar yet so different than Kayden's warm ones bore into me, reminding me I had done this. "This is all your fault."

"I'm sorry," I cried out. I clutched my chest and bent over when fresh pain hit me. "I'm so sorry, Hayden. It was just a mistake... I was careless."

"It was a stupid mistake! We got into an accident because you didn't pay attention, and now he's dead! I'll hate you forever!"

I jumped to my feet. "Fine! Then I'll hate you too because you did the same thing! You were blaming me all this time, but you made the same mistake. How could you be so careless?! You went into the street without even looking!" I let out a wail, unable to control myself anymore.

Everything was silent. All the people around us were frozen in time and space, reminding me of my mistakes and regrets.

"Now I don't know if you're ever going to wake up again..." My voice broke, and I reached out to him, but he began fading away.

"And now you're going to lose me too. I'm not coming back."

NO. No, no, no.

Don't leave me!

"NO!" I rushed to him, but he was already gone, leaving devastation in his wake. My blood ran cold as I looked back at Kayden...

Only he wasn't Kayden anymore. He was Hayden, who lay unconscious on the street in front of the hospital. A huge wound opened in me, and there was nothing I could do about it...

I fell to my knees and grasped his shoulders. "Please, wake up. Wake up, Hayden."

Please, wake up.

Wake up...

I snapped my eyes open. I was panting and covered in sweat. I tried to erase the horrible scene from my mind as I blinked to clear my vision, relieved that it was just a nightmare. It wasn't real.

It wasn't real.

I got out of my bed when my pulse got back to normal, reminding myself that Hayden was going to be all right. He was going to wake up any moment. I checked my phone for any messages or calls from Carmen, but there were none. She was in the hospital all the time these days, and she'd promised me she would notify me if there were any changes. I moved quickly as I got ready for school, impatient to get out of here.

Everything had changed in such a short period of time. I didn't consider this house my home anymore, and the room that had been my only sanctuary now felt like a confinement. It served as a reminder that I was stuck in this house with my mother, and I was counting the months until I could get out of here and live my life the way I wanted, starting with college.

I took off my pajama top and looked routinely at the bullet graze wound on my right upper arm in the mirror. It didn't hurt anymore and was healing quite nicely, so there wouldn't be much scarring, much to my relief. The memories of Brad were scarring enough. Satisfied, I dressed and went downstairs.

I ran into Lydia, Patricia's caregiver, on my way to the kitchen. We hired her soon after Patricia got out of the hospital because she had casts on both legs and needed assistance. "Good morning," I said.

"Good morning, Sarah." She gave me a beaming smile, but I found no strength to return it.

She was a charming lady in her fifties who always smiled, so I wondered how she endured my mother's moodiness. Patricia wasn't exactly happy-go-lucky. She was more surly than usual these last few days, mostly because she couldn't have any alcohol. I didn't hang around her. I wanted to avoid her as much as possible, especially after how she treated me during and after Brad's kidnapping.

The kidnapping was the final straw, and I'd stopped trying to make things right between us. She showed she didn't respect me or care about me, and I had enough. I'd let her selfishness win too many times. I wasn't going to let her ruin my life just because she was my mother. I had my own life to live, which didn't include her anymore.

"I was just going to see if your mother woke up. Are you going to school?"

"Yes. My friend is about to pick me up."

"Have a good time."

Absolutely. She had no idea. "Thank you."

She headed upstairs as I continued to the kitchen. I made a sandwich and forced it down, grimacing because I had no appetite, as usual, and all food was tasteless. My life took a turn for the worse with Hayden's distressing condition, my mother's bad temper, and midterm anxiety, so it didn't come as a surprise that I had recurring nightmares and couldn't eat well. It was hard for me to smile, and I had difficulty focusing on anything other than Hayden.

Mel and Jess were trying to cheer me up, sending me funny texts all the time, but it felt empty. Everything felt empty when Hayden was in that hospital bed, trapped in a coma.

My phone vibrated, and I opened a text from Jess.

"I'm waiting in front of your house."

"I'm coming."

I texted her back and went to grab my jacket, feeling grateful because I could rely on her.

We had to sell our cars so we could pay for Lydia and our other expenses. My mother took a sick leave, but since she wasn't able to work for at least a few more weeks, we were badly strapped for cash. She even suggested that I start working full-time, which was out of question. I wasn't able to get angry at her anymore; I was already used to her outrageous propositions.

Mrs. Black offered me money, but I didn't want to accept it. Still, she insisted on helping me, so I came up with a win-win solution. She was spending all her time in the hospital, so she needed someone to take care of the housekeeping. I told her I would only take her money if she let me help with the cleaning a few days a week, and she reluctantly agreed. She couldn't know how much I needed this as a distraction. It was too cold and snowy for me to run, so work relieved me from the pent-up stress.

"Hey," Jessica greeted me when I got in her car.

"Hey," I replied and put on my seat belt. I was already shaking from the cold. A thick blanket of snow had covered the streets and houses, and its glimmering white matched the depressing gray of the morning sky. We hadn't seen the sun for the last few days, which was seriously affecting my mood.

Jess started the car and turned on the radio. "How did you sleep?"

"I had another nightmare."

She glanced at me before she headed down the street. "I'm sorry. I know we talked about this and you refused, but are you sure you don't want to take any pills? They could help you—"

"No. No pills. I can handle this."

"I get that you're against them, but they can help you—"

"As I already told you, Jess, I don't want to take those things."

"Okay. I understand you. You remember what I told you about my therapist? She can recommend a therapist to visit—"

"I know, Jess. You don't have to remind me," I interrupted her again and regretted it immediately. I wasn't being fair. She didn't have to put up with me. "I'm sorry, Jess. I'm not a great company at the moment but still... I'm sorry. Besides, you know I'm hard up these days. More than usually, anyway."

She heaved a long sigh, casting me a worried glance. "Yeah, I know. Sorry. And I know you won't accept my offer to help you pay for a session, so I won't ask you again."

A couple days ago, Jessica had offered to pay for me in case I wanted to start therapy, but I couldn't accept something like that. I hated being treated like a charity case.

I appreciated that she wanted to help me. My social anxiety had become worse, and I was more withdrawn, so there was no way I could allow anyone to examine me like I was some experiment. I refused to think about this possibility. I was stressed out just imagining it.

"Thanks, Jess."

"So how's Hayden?"

"Same. I keep reminding myself that's a good thing because it means his condition didn't deteriorate."

"I wonder if he's dreaming. I read a little about comas last night, and I found some pretty interesting stories."

"Yes?"

She turned onto a new street. "Some patients experienced strange dreams or nightmares during their coma. They saw some unimaginable things. Others saw flashes of light. And some people could hear people next to them, but the real voices were mixed with the twisted reality of their own world."

"I've read something like that too."

"It's fascinating."

"Yeah, but it's also scary. Imagine being able to hear everything or feel everything, but you can't wake up."

"Maybe Hayden will wake up but won't remember anything that happened during his coma. Maybe he'll feel like only a moment has passed."

"I hope so."

The snow started falling again, forcing the vehicles to slow down. The cheerful sounds of the indie pop, Jess's favorite, coming from the radio did nothing to improve the way I felt. In fact, I needed silence, but I was already hard to be around enough, so I didn't say anything. She'd told me once that music was a cure for her problems, but I couldn't relate. Right now, the artist's words about her undying love only brought heart-rending thoughts, so I shut her voice down and focused on the snowy canvas outside.

The nightmares sucked the last ounce of positive energy out of me, and all that remained was a depressed shell clinging desperately onto hope that Hayden would wake up and get out of this without major consequences.

The somber atmosphere between Jess and me was too heavy for us to pretend everything was okay, so we remained silent for the rest of our drive.

**************

School was a completely different experience now that I wasn't bullied anymore. It was unusual, and I had yet to come to grips with the fact that I was able to walk through the school without anyone attacking me. People didn't stop gossiping about me, though; their curiosity was boosted by Masen's and Blake's change of heart, and I knew better than to hope they would stop.

As for Masen and Blake, they didn't change their attitude toward Jessica and other "less privileged" students. Masen wasn't as much of a problem as Blake, so when Jess and I reached the lunch line in the cafeteria, I looked around for any sight of him. These days, he tended to let out his frustrations by bullying various students, usually in the school's backyard, and Jess was one of them.

Just as Jess and I took our trays of food, Blake and Masen passed us, and Blake bumped into her with his shoulder before she could see him. Some contents of her tray fell to the floor, instantly making her the main attraction of the lunchroom. She bent her head and hid her red face behind her hair, frozen in place.

"Oops. My bad." He sniggered and continued to the lunch line.

I glared at his back, about to tell him off, but then he stopped at the end of line, and I was finally able to see his face. He looked horrible. The shadows beneath his dull gray eyes were a clear sign of a sleepless night, and it was painful to see.

I was supposed to be mad at him for how he treated Jess, but the longer I watched him stare at some spot on the ground, the more my anger dissipated. The tormented look shadowing his face twisted my stomach. He didn't even try to hide it, and I couldn't help but pity him. He and Masen were constantly visiting Hayden, and my heart broke a little each time they cracked some joke for his benefit with eyes that showcased their pain.

Jessica looked like she was about to start crying, but I hugged her and whispered into her ear, "Everything is going to be all right. Don't pay attention to them. This is nothing."

She nodded. I helped her pick up the food from the floor and threw it into a trash can. She repeated her order to the young counter attendant who looked warily between her and Blake.

"Go to our table. I'll come in a minute," I told her and marched over to Blake.

He raised his gaze from the floor and frowned at me. "Sarah?"

I ignored the mad pounding of my heart. "What you just did isn't right. I know you feel bad because of Hayden, but Jess doesn't deserve this."

My anxiety rose, just like it always did during confrontations. People near us broke into hushed whispers, and I tried my best to ignore them.

"I already told you once that what I do with her is none of your business."

"It is my business. I can't just stand aside while you harass my friend. Stop doing that to her—"

He took a menacing step toward me; his face was a mask of rage he always carried when I made his hackles rise. "Sarah, I don't want to do this with you right now. You're Hayden's girlfriend, and I agreed to start treating you differently, but don't think for a second you can tell me what I can or can't do. Now be a good girl and go to your table before I snap and do something Hayden would beat me for."

I swallowed and glanced at Masen who observed our exchange silently. He just shrugged his shoulders like he wanted to say "You better listen to him." A hint of sympathy crossed over his face, but it did nothing to soothe my frayed nerves.

"Look. I don't know you, but I respect you as Hayden's friend, so I'm going to say that what you're doing to Jessica is disgusting. You don't know what she's going through because you don't see further than the end of your nose. I just hope that one day when you finally realize how wrong you are, it won't be too late." I turned on my heel and strode to my table, not giving him a chance to reply.

There were so many things I could tell him, but I felt conflicted. He was Hayden's friend and they cared about each other, but Jess was my friend, and I was right in the middle of this unexplainable mess.

"Why did you talk to him?" Jess asked me when I took my seat, looking in Blake's direction with a deep frown.

"Because I'm tired of his bullying. You didn't deserve that."

"I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. I already told you that you don't need to speak up for me."

"But Jess, I can't just stand and watch—"

"You only make it worse," she gritted out, and I winced. She looked away, trying to hide her face from me, but I didn't want to drop this that easily.

"What? Why?"

She cast a glance at Blake and then looked back at me with dread filling her eyes. "I... It's nothing."

"It's not nothing, Jess. Tell me."

"It doesn't matter. Things won't change if I tell you." She fiddled with the ends of her long hair.

"Jess? Please. Is he... Is he bullying you more because of me?" Her eyes fell to her lap, and she gave me a terse nod. Fear pierced me. "How... What is he doing to you?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied in a clipped tone, and I knew she wouldn't tell me. I understood her attitude because I was the same when it came to divulging things.

"Okay. Just know I'm sorry. I don't want to make it worse, so..." My voice trailed off when a student I'd never seen before entered the cafeteria.

He was tall and scrawny, and he wore stone washed jeans and a blue plaid shirt that looked baggy on his thin body. The black framed glasses and styled wavy hair suited his cute boyish face perfectly, completing his hipster look. His blue eyes darted around as he walked, revealing insecurity and shyness, and a bad feeling filled my chest.

"Who is he?" some people around us asked.

"A new transfer student," someone said.

"He's weird."

"So skinny."

"He looks like he's going to shit himself."

A relentless round of giggles ensued. Some students pointed at him, while others just stared at him the same way they stared at me. He was fresh meat. It was sickening.

And it was like a cruel reminder of Jessica's first day in this Hellhole.

I snapped my head to Hayden's table, and my heart leapt to my throat. Blake, Masen, and two guys from the football team stood up and headed to the new student with menacing steps. The attention of the whole cafeteria was on them now. A few students had already prepared their phones, standing close to the boy.

"What do we have here?" Masen said with a smirk.

"I'm not sure if he's a guy or a girl. He looks girly to me," Blake said, scratching his chin. "Does he look girly to you, Mace?"

"Totally. Look at that shiny hair and those girly glasses. What, your mommy picked them for you?" Masen grabbed the boy's glasses and snatched them off his face. The boy paled, hunching as he took a step backward. Bile rose in my throat, and my limbs went cold. Blake and Masen followed him, refusing him the distance.

"P-Please. Give them b-back," he stuttered, his voice high-pitched and soft. The students around them snickered.

Blake snorted. "Of c-course. You'll get them b-b-back," he mocked him, and I clenched my jaw. Jerk. "If you tell us your name first."

He lowered his head and began twisting the hem of his shirt. "Kevin. Now, give them b-back."

"Kevin what?" Masen asked.

"Kevin Burks."

"We want to throw you a welcome party, Burks," Masen told him. Not again. No.

My stomach twisted, and I looked at Jessica. Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't believe they're doing this again," she whispered.

Kevin was rooted to the spot, gaping at Masen and Blake. "Th-That won't be necessary. Now, I'd like to eat. P-Please."

Blake and Masen erupted into chuckles. "Did you hear him?" Blake asked Masen and the guys from their football team. "Please. So sweet." His eyes narrowed as he looked back at Kevin. "I think it is necessary, Kevin. You see, we can't let you start your new life at East Willow High without a party, right, everyone?" He looked at the students around them for support, who, as expected, inched closer to Kevin, preparing to throw whatever they had on their trays.

"What do you mean?" Kevin was visibly shaking, and I grew more restless.

"You won't need these for now," Masen said and let Kevin's glasses slip from his hand. As soon as they hit the ground, Masen stomped on them, breaking them into pieces. Kevin cried out, looking in horror at Masen and Blake.

I jumped to my feet; every inch of my body buzzed with adrenaline.

"Sarah?" Jessica mouthed.

"This is so wrong," I told her in a shaky voice.

"Yes, but—"

"No," Kevin shouted, and I turned my head to find the first projectiles landing on his chest. He bent and tried to cover himself, but it only encouraged more students to join this abuse. Kevin fell to his knees and shielded his head, whimpering after each hit.

No, no, no. I looked around the cafeteria, waiting for anyone to interfere, but all people stared at them mesmerized—some of them amused, some of them with blank faces, but no one moved. Pain, fear, and rage amalgamated into a burning ball that shot through my veins and reached its bursting point.

Damn it!

I was already half way there before I realized I'd moved, sensing Jessica right behind me. Just like that day when Blake threw the "welcome party" for Jessica, I stopped right in front of Kevin and protected him with my body as I faced Blake, Masen, and their friends.

"Stop! No more!" I glared at each of them with my heart pumping furiously. I trembled hard, barely able to stand with all those eyes on me. My chest rose and fell quickly with increasing fear as I waited for Blake and Masen to react.

"What the fuck?" Blake spat out and took a step toward me. "Step aside."

Masen stopped next to Blake with arms crossed over his chest. "Sarah, get out of here. This is none of your business."

"Can you stand up?" Jessica asked Kevin in a tiny voice, and I looked over my shoulder to see her helping him up. He looked at her with a mix of awe and gratitude, his cheeks slightly colored as she held his upper arm for support.

"Th-Thank you," he muttered to her.

I took in all those phones directed at me. I didn't want to think how many times the videos or pictures would be shared online or what kind of comments they would post. I fixed my gaze on Blake.

"This is inhumane and completely wrong," I said, hoping my voice didn't reveal how shaken I felt. "He doesn't deserve this."

Blake took another step to me. "Step aside if you don't want to get hurt. If you think you can suddenly play tough just because you're Hayden's girlfriend, you can forget it. You can't order us around, so step aside." His eyes were full of venom, and the message was more than clear. If I didn't move away, I would pay for it.

"No." It was Jessica who answered him this time, leaving me flabbergasted. "We won't let you hurt him anymore." Her wavering voice complemented the fear on her face, but I was so proud of her for standing up for Kevin. "Come on, Kevin. Let's get you out of here."

She moved, but Blake was quicker. He grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. "Step away from him!"

"Let me go," she shrieked.

"You're going to pay for this, Fats. You'll regret the moment you opened your ugly, fat mouth—"

"Get away from her!" I pushed him away with all my force, managing to make him stumble because he wasn't expecting it. I stepped between them, shielding both Jess and Kevin. "I won't let you lay a finger on her!" I motioned to Jess and Kevin to follow me. "Let's go."

"You're not going anywhere," Blake hissed.

"The hell we aren't," I growled and grabbed an orange from the floor next to my foot. I swung it at his head hoping to distract him long enough for us to leave.

I glanced at Masen and noticed something in his eyes that was close to wonder, but I didn't wait for it to soak in. I swiveled around and headed to the exit, followed by Jess and Kevin, and as if someone had pressed a switch, the whole cafeteria erupted into laughter and shouts.

"Sarah, the savior!"

"Jessica, the savior!"

"Call Sarah Decker when you need help!"

"We don't need Batman! We have Sarah! And Jessica!"

"Batman v Sarah!"

Geez. They were nuts.

We rushed through the empty hallway, trying to put as much distance between us and the cafeteria as possible. For some miraculous reason, Blake and Masen didn't come after us. We actually managed to get out of there unscathed.

A part of me was terrified at the prospect of getting punished by Blake and Masen, but this time I refused to let it rule me. I would definitely regret it when they retaliated, but now I had to be strong for Jess and Kevin.

No one uttered a word until we reached the second floor. I took a good look at Kevin, saddened to see him in this condition. His shirt was completely ruined, covered with multi-colored splashes, and his face was smeared with liquid that slid from his hair down his cheeks. He was squinting slightly, and I assumed his vision was blurry without his glasses.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through this," I told him, offering him a soft smile. "This isn't about you. They're just jerks who like messing with everyone."

He looked furtively between Jessica and me. Even though he was much taller than my 5' 9" frame, he seemed like a lost little boy. "Th-Thank you. You two are amazing." He was speaking to both of us, but his gaze was solely on Jess.

"It's nothing. Are you hurt?" Jessica asked him, inspecting his body for injuries. "Can you see without your glasses?"

He sighed and looked down his shirt. "Everything is b-blurry, but it's not like walking-into-walls blurry, s-so don't worry. I'm fine. However, my ego is not."

"They did the same thing to me, so I feel you."

Kevin gaped at her. "They did?" She nodded. "But why? You're s-so perfect!" I was a second away from a huge smile. He blushed, which only made him look cuter.

Jess blushed too, smiling at him as she stared at the floor. "Yeah, well, that monster doesn't feel that way," she muttered. Her smile dropped, and my heart dropped too.

Monster. Once upon a time, I thought the same of Hayden, and it was something I wanted to erase from my memory. Had Blake gotten under her skin that badly?

Kevin looked befuddled. "Monster?"

"It's a long story," I replied instead of her. "Anyway, I'm sorry. We didn't even introduce ourselves. I'm Sarah."

"And I'm Jessica." His smile matched hers, and I was glad to see him a bit calmer. He looked all too innocent, which made him a perfect target, and my chest ached because he had to go through this too.

"I'm Kevin." He scratched his head. "I think I should go. I..." He pointed at his clothes. "I can't walk around like this, can I?" He chuckled, but the sound was empty, and a heavy silence settled between us.

"Yes, of course," I answered. I could see we were making him uncomfortable, which was understandable after what he'd just gone through. "Are you sure you aren't hurt? If you are, we can take you to the school nurse."

"No, I'm okay. Th-Thanks."

"You know...," Jess started, glancing at me. "You can hang out with us if you want." Her voice revealed her insecurity, and I was surprised but all the more glad she'd suggested it. He was new and already bullied, so he needed our support and friendship. Besides, he seemed like a good kid.

"Yeah. That would be great," I added, feeling excited for the first time after a long time about making new friends.

Kevin clearly hadn't expected this, but he looked at us with gratitude, his eyes lingering on Jess. "Th-Thank you. I think so too."

-----------------

Hello, ello!! *slides out of her evil cave* Thank you for reading this chapter! "Sarah, the savior" huh? Gotta love those overdramatic students :D I hope you enjoyed this part! Let's proceed to the next one! <3

Love ya,

Vera