The next day, I let Alessia take control to sit her Biology exam. Yesterday evening was a dream from a sleep I've been drowning in for a long time.

Dylan had chosen that film he had wanted to see. He bought the tickets, the drinks and the popcorn, and waited for me outside of the screen door. As ever, he was impossibly kind and caring, asking how I was before talking to me about the revision he's done for Biology. At my uncertainty, he went over a few things to fill in the gaps in my memory and then promised that we would meet up before the exam this morning.

Alessia walked in now, seeing him just a few metres in front of her. When he sat down, he searched the incoming pupils for someone. His eyes landed on Alessia and he smiled. Alessia took her seat, though Dylan's eyes were still scouring the crowd. Alessia's eyes watched stonily as Olivia started for the aisle, seeing Dylan's face brighten.

Olivia shot him an uncertain look, and I could suddenly remember feeling all kinds of nervous for this exam back when I had her life. Olivia wasn't particularly good at Biology or maths, but she could sail comfortably through pretty much anything else. This was one of those subjects that she just didn't excel in, and both she and Dylan knew that. Dylan flashed her a reassuring smile, eyes gleaming with full and total confidence in her.

When Olivia was my life, I had never noticed that gleam before, but I think Alessia usually recognised it in Dylan's eyes when Olivia was around. That, and also a dazed and dreamy look that normally crossed his face. I was slowly realising that Dylan probably had liked me—likes Olivia, just like everyone keeps saying.

When the exam began, Alessia tried to rid her mind of thoughts about Olivia and Dylan and got straight to work. She sailed through the questions, which I was stunned at. She lost concentration midway through the paper, though, glancing up to see Dylan working in a similar way to how she had just been. She admired him for a few seconds, before smiling, and then glancing away. Her eyes landed on Olivia, who was stationary, save from the pen she was tapping against her chin.

It was a habit of mine—of Olivia's—to tap my pen against my chin when I was particularly stuck. It got so bad during the exam period, that I actually came out of the exam hall with red marks along my chin.

I let Alessia work as I thought back to that time. I remember coming out of the second Biology exam, which had been my hardest paper to date. Stressed, I had tapped viciously at my chin, leaving red marks on my skin, which Dylan had spotted when he found me outside. I remember the feeling of his thumb against my chin as he brushed over them gently, telling me that I had to stop with the pen tapping.

I lost myself in Alessia quickly, wanting to avoid the peril that was suffocating memories that didn't even seem like mine anymore. But when I looked up at the real Olivia Clark, I could practically envision myself in her body once more. It was weird and very, very confusing.

Soon enough, the exam ended, and Alessia finished the paper with a flourish. Looking down at her work with the perspective of Olivia Clark, I could be pretty sure that Alessia would achieve an A, or maybe A* grade on this paper. It would be impossible for her not to—her answers were almost impeccable.

We were dismissed row by row, and Alessia watched as Olivia and Dylan shared a quick look when she rose. Next, it was my row, and I took back control, pushing back out of my chair and following the stream of people out of the door.

Someone tapped my shoulder when we reached the corridor. "How was it?" They asked. I turned to see Dylan smiling at me.

I laughed. "Good for you, I see." He looked down modestly, though too shared a laugh.

"It was a good paper." He said, raising his head as he suddenly started to search the crowd ahead of us.

I hummed in agreement, "It was. I was surprised by how much I knew." I said, watching him smile.

"I told you that you could do it." He said, making me blush.

I laughed awkwardly as it became my turn to duck my head. "Maybe," I admitted, hearing him chuckle.

When I looked up again, I saw his eyes frantically searching around in front of us. I held the door open for him, and he shared his gratitude before he continued to look around.

I cleared my throat, clutching onto my pencil case tightly. "Are you looking for Olivia?" I asked hesitantly. Feelings of envy sparked in Alessia, but I was much too curious to care.

Dylan smiled absentmindedly, "Yeah," he said, before glancing over to me, "sorry, she was just so nervous before this exam; I want to see how she did...and if she's okay."

Something in my heart grew wings and flew away.

"Have asked her to Prom yet?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

He beamed but quickly turned his head so that I wouldn't see his cheeks flushing. "Yeah," was all he said, and I smiled.

"Took you some time, how did you ask her?" I asked.

"I was nervous, okay? And nothing special, really." Whilst I was secretly in love with his 'nervous' comment, Alessia wondered whether he kept the details to himself to save her pride. She was, after all, obsessed with him.

I nodded, catching the door to our registration class corridor, holding it open for him.

"Did she say yes?" I asked him, watching him stay back to hold the door open for the others that were behind us.

He smiled. "You make it sound like a marriage proposal," his eyes became distant at that, but not sad. I watched him with confusion. I could read Dylan, of course; he's been my best friend for years. But this look was odd.

"But yeah, she said yes." He told me. That smile never left his face.

I didn't ask him any more questions, not even about the details of his Promposal. It was mainly because he seemed hesitant—and I already kind of knew how he had asked Olivia. Since I had once been her.

It was a Saturday, and Dylan and I were just having a casual day out—sometimes it was to the park, sometimes it was to the cinema, sometimes it was just at home. This time, it was at a theme park that I had wanted to go to for ages. It wasn't until the end of the day, though, that he had finally asked me. It was simple, really—he had bought me the gemstone necklace that I had been admiring, and casually asked me as he passed me the bag after the checkout.

Times were easier then—easier when I was Olivia Clark.

When we got to our registration class, it was empty. The rest of our class had either already gotten here, or were yet to come. Alessia's locker was still battered, but the teacher let her switch temporarily to one on the bottom.

"I'm sure Olivia is around here somewhere," I assured Dylan when I saw him anxiously checking his phone.

He smiled up at me, "Well, yeah, I promised her I'd give her a lift; I don't think she'll be leaving without one," we both laughed at that, but I sobered as I locked up my locker.

"I don't think that's the only reason she'd wait for you," I told him, rising from the floor and slipping my bag onto my back.

He frowned at me, slipping his phone into his blazer pocket. "Maybe." He said, before turning to his locker to pull out his own bag.

We were soon joined by people, but only a few. I tried to ignore the looks I was getting, that Dylan wasn't. I was simply waiting for him, yet they acted as if I was shovelling dirt into my mouth.

I was suddenly shoved, and I fell backwards, where I hit the radiator with a bang.

There was a moment of silence, and then people started to laugh.

"Who did that?" A voice suddenly demanded. I looked through the cracks in the crowd to see Dylan, face stern but eyes flashing. "Anyone?" He then asked, having gotten no responses.

A boy, Charlie Smither, scoffed. "The slut was probably just tryna bend over," he said, making everyone laugh, "weren't you?" He taunted, grabbing me by the hips suddenly.

And then, just as fast, a hand wrapped around one of his arms, ripping it and Charlie away from me.

"Don't touch her." It warned. I stared at Dylan, utterly confused and startled. I hadn't realised he even knew Alessia, never mind been this protective over her.

Another boy stepped forward, Jake Gardy, "Come on, Dylan, chill, it's not like she doesn't deserve it,"

Dylan's jaw clenched at that, but before he could say anything, another voice chimed in.

"How is life out on the corner, Alessia? That's the only way you'll stay in your house, right? If you trade your body for money?" It was Katy, and it made Alessia freeze. She was suddenly overcome with heavy emotion, just wanting to wrap herself up into her body and hide.

"Enough–" Dylan began, but he was cut off as he was shoved.

"Get out, Dylan, let us take out the trash," it was Charlie again, who grabbed me once more and threw my body into the lockers.

"Though, who'd want to wake up to something that ugly?"

Alessia had no idea who had said what as she was suddenly sinking, and sinking into a place with no oxygen and with no light.

And then a fight broke out.

_________________________________

oh

WE'RE HALFWAY THEREEE

OOOOOooooooOOOH

LIVIN ON A PRAYER

-can u tell I've been listening to 80s songs

FABULOUS SONGS

Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
Praying - Kesha
Bela Lugosi's Dead - CHVRCHES
Low - Lauren Aquilina
Why Try - Ariana Grande
Genesis - Ruelle
Human Nature - Michael Jackson
Promises - Aly & AJ
Frozen - Sabrina Claudio
Mended - Vera Blue
Rival - Ruelle

END OF FABULOUS SONGS

Date written:
11/10/18

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Next update: Tuesday
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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO SPOILER:

Fully immersed into Alessia's life, Olivia is no longer a spectator.

She feels Alessia's pain as if she is the girl herself.

🕊

CHAPTER COUNT UNTIL THE END OF THE BOOK:
nine & epilogue