^ there's a picture of Avery, and you of course know that there's a video too ;) ^

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H o l l o w s   I n
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"And your dietician said you should eat all the healthy stuff to start off with?" Avery asked as we pushed our trays down the surface, collecting more food as we went.

"Nutritionist, but yeah." I responded.

"Same thing!" Cassie sang as she jumped the line, reaching the front with a flourish of her hand. We chuckled but didn't follow her, seeing her get in an argument with the guy behind her.

It was two days after the 'pranksters' had broken my window, and apparently spray painted on the wall next to my window—about me. According to Toby's Guardian, it was all positive stuff. Now I'm wondering who Toby's Guardian is.

I had half the day off school yesterday, only because Jameson had said so. Of course. But I was back for the whole day today, and so far I had conquered the morning, now I was dishing up my lunch, with a whole lot of problems on the side to indulge in.

"Who cares?" Saph yelled in my ear as she leaned across the counter to pick up a bowl of cake, even though I had some on my tray already. "Pile it up!" She threw her hand out, and nearly whacked Bria in the chest.

"Oops, sorry." She apologised, "almost hit the rest of your boobs off." She snarked before sauntering off in front of us, mingling with some random guy.

I frowned, turning to Bria. She looked furious. But she also looked hurt—in a lets-murder-Saph kind of way. Then I realised something that was different between how she acts, and how I had acted at fifteen. She's a revenge kind of girl. She uses more words on your words, because she gets so hurt that it kindles a fire inside of her. Until she spontaneously combusts in your face.

I, however, would've took the bad with the good. Unfortunately, Saph thinks my figure is horrible, fortunately, insulting friends proves that they are in fact your best friends. Unless you insult strangers on a daily basis.

Nowadays I take the bad with the bad. Then you'll see me "pile it up."

Bria noticed me staring, and as Avery marched up to Saph, probably to force her to apologise to her adopted daughter, I leaned over.

"You look fine the way you are." I whispered, "and," I carried on, watching Bria stare uncomfortably around us, "fortunately for you, you look beautiful despite the fact that you're a slow developer." Bria stared at me, eyes curious. Then a blush came to her cheeks, but a grin grew on her lips, as if I had just given her the best compliment in the world.

"Thank you." She whispered, shying away from me. Then I realised.

I had fixed a part of her. A self-conscious part. Was I a step closer to fixing myself?

I shrugged as if it was no big deal and walked around her to get to the cash register, where I met Saph and Avery, squabbling like children. Cassie had, surprisingly, waited for all of us, and was staring at the menu on the door, totally immersed. I easily pushed in front of Saph and Avery and paid for my food, but jumped as someone shouted.

"How the hell?" Cassie was standing right next to me now. I frowned up at her as Avery slowly moved over to the cashier, glancing at Cassie worriedly.

"What?" I asked her.

"You have so much money on there!" She exclaimed, and Avery, who had finished paying, clamped a hand over her mouth.

"What does she mean?" I asked Avery but Saph responded instead.

"She means when you pay, your account balance shows up. Something else they need to fix." Saph sighed as she picked up her tray to leave. Avery stood in front of her and gestured to Bria. Saph huffed and glared at Bria's tray.

"But why do you have so much?" Cassie asked.

I frowned, "I thought I had the same as everyone else."

Cassie snorted. "Well you definitely didn't. If I had that sort of money–" she paused. We all stared at her. "I wouldn't be here." She finished; I stifled a laugh.

"It's probably nothing, Cassie." Avery said, going to help Bria.

"Yeah, maybe a malfunction or a technical difficulty." Saph said, balancing her tray so that she could peer down at her nails.

Cassie frowned, but soon got over it. "We're going to get a table!" She announced, even though Bria was just about to pay. She looped her arm through mine and dragged me out. As we walked out into the lunch hall, everyone stared at me.

I had received this all day. It was as if no one knew who I was. I raised my head a little higher, making sure that it was clear to everyone that whatever they said to me, or did to me, did not affect me in the slightest. It was a warning sign, almost like those animals who have a built-in defence against predators. They would not succumb to them. And I will not succumb to clueless people who follow each other in waves. Waves of people, waves of rules, waves of social expectations.

And sometimes, you drown.

Cassie and I soon found a free space, and we sat down opposite each other. I was taking my plates off my tray when Cassie suddenly reached out and grasped onto my arm. I jumped, then rose my eyebrows at her.

"I have something to tell you." She whispered with a matter of urgency, practically lying on the table as she leaned in. I leaned in too, nodding. She stuck her hand in her pocket, then pulled out a slip of paper. She flashed it to me quickly, before we heard the sound of Saph's cackles.

I read what it said. But only just. Cassie ripped it from my hands and slipped down, back into her seat. And I thought about the note, about what it could say once unfolded.

'From,
Harry.'

It had read. What does that mean? I eyed Cassie curiously. It couldn't possibly mean that she'd forgiven him? No. No I don't think so. Maybe it's part of his community service, some owning up and saying sorry bullcrap. Like that would save anyone. Jameson has told me he's sorry multiple times, yet I don't see those malicious memories magically misting out and away, leaving no trace; no scars.

No. Because saying sorry can only help to a certain extent. It can only help you to deal with the hardship you went through. But it doesn't make the hardships disappear. Because, unfortunately, the only way to get rid of the memories of that hardship is through amnesia, or dementia—or death.

Cassie didn't make any signal that she was thinking about it for the rest of lunch, and so we all sat and ate our lunch. I listened to their conversations, barely joining in. But I ate, though. Which was a good thing. Whilst fixing others, to fix myself, I would simultaneously fix my weight. Hopefully.

Suddenly, something wet was splashed over me. I was soaked. I choked.

"Oops!" Cassie shrieked jumping up and running around, her arms waving around in the air. Saph was cackling to herself, whilst trying to film me, whilst attempting to pull tissues out of a packet. Bria, who was sat next to me, jumped up so fast that it startled me, brushing the few droplets off her jeans. Avery rushed over with a nearly finished packet of tissues. And, worst of all. Everyone was laughing.

Whilst Avery dabbed at my arm with every effort she had, Bria leaned round her, grabbed my arm, and charged out of the hall, whilst tugging me along.

Once we had reached the toilets, she led me over to the sinks, where she left me as she ran off into the first cubicle. I heard bashing and jumped. Then I looked in the mirror. The substance wasn't sticky, so I assumed it was water, but my hair stuck to my scalp like I had washed in superglue, and worst of all, my makeup was ruined. My clothes were the least of my problems, but the top of my t-shirt was drenched.

Bria reappeared, holding two rolls of toilet roll. Obviously. She froze for a moment and assessed me. Then she grimaced. But it was gone in a flash and she started to wipe away the water. And my makeup.

"You'll have to wring out your hair and your top." She told me as she wiped the water off my forehead.

She pulled away and checked me over, nibbling at her lip. She leaned behind me, and pulled out her bag as if it was a magic trick. She dug through it until she found makeup wipes. Wait, was she going to–

I jumped away. Bria froze, her arm outstretched as she held a wipe. She couldn't take off the makeup. The makeup hid the proof of what happened to me for those frightening five months.

Bria frowned, "I was just going to wipe your makeup off. It's ruined anyway." She told me, confused to why I stood two metres away, back pressed against the wall—because of a makeup wipe.

"You can't." I told her. Her frown deepened.

She flexed out her arm so that it reached out farther. "You do it then."

"I can't." And I couldn't. I wouldn't. She couldn't know. No one could know what happened to me. No one would want to know.

"Well, if you can't, and I can't, then who will?" She asked. I looked away.

"Look, Sky, I think you're beautiful."

I looked up. She had come closer.

I shook my head. "That's not it." I told her. The crease between her brows was sure to become permanent.

"Then what is it?" She asked. I exhaled. She was so innocent. She didn't need to see this.

"I'm not going to hurt you." The world stopped. That's exactly what Jameson had said. Was that where my problems rooted from? From fear? Fear of being hurt. Fear of eating. Fear of gaining the weight I lost. Fear of loving what I had lost. Fear of gaining what is lost. Fear of my memories. Fear that those memories would become real life.

The only emotion I know is fear.

I looked at Bria again, shrouded in all her innocence. And I took steps toward her. As I came close, she had to look up. And I took the makeup wipe. And I wiped away all the armour.

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Bria is so extra she didn't actually need to take off the makeup

Poor Sky like stop attacking her

There should be some sort of restraining order like this is harassment

Winnie The Pooh

Doesn't Avery remind you of Winnie The Pooh I'm dead

I'd make an edit but I cbb

-be bothered

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Next update: Friyay
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR SPOILER:

Chapter thirty-four continues on from the exact moment that thirty-three left off.

What will happen when Sky takes off her makeup and reveals the bruises and scars of her past?

How will Bria react?

And most importantly, will Sky continue to heal?