She glared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes shifting back and forth across her face staring intently at the scars lining both her eyes. It still hurt to look at them, it still killed her to remember what had happened. She knew everything was going to work out, she knew that they would find him one of these days, she just couldn't wait much longer. She needed to see him behind bars, she needed to know that the person who killed her brother was never going to see the light of another day.

"Miranda" Her voice was soft and raspy as she knocked quietly on her bedroom door pulling her attention away from the mirror turning to face the door

"Come in" She watched as the blonde walked in quietly, giving her a small smile as she descended onto the bed looking towards Miranda her eyes full with worry and fear "I'm fine" She reassured her sitting beside the older girl playing nervously with the bracelet on her wrist

"Are you sure you're ready? I mean you don't have to go back yet, you can wait a little while longer"

"I need to go back now, if I stay home any longer I think I may go insane" She chucked at herself feeling amused by her words "I promise you, I'm ready for this"

"If you say so" She pulled her daughter into her arms feeling as she dropped her head on her shoulder rubbing her back gently as she spoke "I'm so proud of you Miranda, you've come so far this summer"

"It's all thanks to you Mom, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you"

"I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like, and right now there's a steel knife in my windpipe, I can't breathe but I still fight while I can fight, As long as the wrong feels right it's like I'm in flight, High off her love, drunk form her hate, It's like I'm huffing paint and I love her the more I suffer, I suffocate And right before I'm about to drown she resuscitates me she fucking hates…"

"Victoria!" Aria shouted in response to Tori's language

"Sorry Aunt Aria" She apologized pulling the headphones from her ears "I didn't realize I was singing out loud"

"You weren't singing" She laughed picking her head up from the window turning to face Tori "You were rapping"

"Did I sound good?"

"No" The girl's replied together each wearing the same smile on their face

She sat in silence, her legs cramping from the confined space of the car, her back stiff from the strenuous ride, she couldn't wait to be back home, she couldn't wait to rest in her own before she had to return to the hell also known as high school. She looked over towards Emma who covered herself with her blanket hiding herself from the world, hiding herself from anything and everything. It hadn't been the same since last year, Emma was quiet and withdrawn, she only spoke to Miranda and Noah and on good days her parents. Ella on the other hand was as perfect as she could be, she was filled with life once again, finally letting the events of the previous year go.

"Were home!" Ella shouted excitedly throwing herself out of the car as it rolled into the drive way "Thank god!" She laughed falling to her knees her jeans becoming damp with the early morning dew as she lowered her lips to the ground kissing it violently "I have never loved this place as much as I do right now! If I had to listen to you two sing for a minute longer I was sure my ears would burst" She confessed pointing towards her parents who shuffled out of the car Aria holding tightly to her purse while Ezra grabbed a few bags from the trunk "No offense"

"None taken, your father can't sing to save his life" Aria chuckled walking over to Ella pulling her up from the ground and leading her to the front door "Aren't you glad to be home?"

"Hell yeah, but I have to admit I'm gonna miss Iceland. I really love it there" She followed her mother's lead the two entering the familiar house, the house that they hadn't seen for an entire summer, the house that held so many perfect memories, the house that held so much love

"So do I"

The school doors burst opened students flooded in for the first time since last year, everyone sporting a different look each student growing up over the summer. She moved quickly to the front office hoping to catch her guidance counselor before she was overwhelmed with freshman who she needed to help.

"Jessica" She smiled brightly motioning the young girl to take a seat beside the desk "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping we could modify my schedule" She asked nervously knowing that scheduling was meant to be done weeks ago rather than the first day of school "I really need my afternoons free, but I can still come in the mornings is that at all possible?"

"I'm sure we can work something out, I know your situation at home so I'll do everything I can do to help make this easier" Jess watched as the older women clicked quickly away on her computer checking which classes were full and which could make room for at least one more student "Here we go, all set"

"Thank you so much Mrs. Fuller, this means a lot that you could do this" Jess got to her feet strapping her bag over her shoulder shaking Mrs. Fuller's hand loosely in her own before turning to head back into the hallway "Sorry" She apologized sweetly after bumping into a small student

"Its fine" She groaned rubbing her shoulder momentarily a slight stinging sensation shooting through her arm "Jess?"

"Tori?" She asked shocked to see the young girl, after not seeing her or hearing from her for an entire summer "Jesus Christ your alive!" She pulled Tori into her tight embrace "Where the hell have you been?"

"Iceland" Tori chuckled as Jess released her "I went with my Aunt Aria and Uncle Ezra, my dad hasn't been back since last March so they kind of adopted me I guess" She grinned as she began walking avoiding the students who rushed past the pair desperate to find their classes before the bell rang "So how have you been? I feel like we have talked in forever"

"Cause we haven't" Jess said sadly coming to a stop as Tori discovered her locker bringing the post it note with the combination to her eyes before opening the small storage container "You literally dropped off the face of the planet, I had no idea what happened to you"

"Me? What about you? I mean everything that happened with Liam…" She stopped when she noticed the pained expression on Jess' face "I'm sorry"

"It's okay, I need to be able to talk about it. I can't ignore it forever" She stared past Tori as another familiar face approached "Speaking of ignoring"

Tori turned around her heart leaping in her chest as she caught sight of her. Her dark brown hair gone now replaced by her bright blonde hair, her blue eyes popping in the florescent light of the hallway, she wore long sleeves even though the weather outside was warm, Tori knowing she was hiding her scars, the scars which forced her to think of her troublesome past, the scars which brought her so much pain even at the slightest glance at them. She couldn't breathe as she noticed she was growing closer, her heart beat was insane, her hands shaking violently her mind incapable of forming a coherent sentence.

"Hi…" She stuttered

"She's gone Tori" Jess laughed noticing her friend's odd behavior completely understanding her anxiety at seeing Miranda for the first time in months "So I guess, you're not over her?"

"No I am" She tried to convince herself her voice betraying her "I am" She repeated trying to further convince Jess who looked at her with uncertainty "I think I am"

"You're not" Jess declared turning on her heels as heading down the hallway disappearing into a nearby classroom finding herself sitting in the one of the only seats available, next to Emma.

She looked different, her normally piercing green eyes were sad and tired, her old red highlights now none existent, her hair tied up in a messy bun her head resting comfortably on her hand as her eyes locked on the top of her desk.

"Hi Emma" Jess greeted attempting to break Emma from her thoughts "Em?" She reached across the desk tapping Emma lightly on the shoulder causing the small girl to flinch under the weight of her hand "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to say hey"

Emma gave Jess a small wave her eyes darting to the door as she watched him stroll inside. His dark hair styled in his normal fauxhawk, his perfect eyes shining in the bright light of the classroom, a leather jacket clinging on his chest, while a plain t-shirt hid beneath it, dark blue jeans hugging his legs tightly, he gave her a large grin before taking the final seat in the room behind Emma.

"Hey baby doll"

"Hi" She whispered quietly her voice barely audible as she turned to face him, feeling herself finally relax at the sight of him

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay"

"Good" Noah nodded pulling a pen from his bag "I'm glad your back, I missed you like crazy this summer"

"We talked like every day" Emma observed her voice raising slightly as she became more comfortable with the conversation

"I still missed seeing you, you're a very missable person"

"I know" She leaned forwards planting a soft kiss on his lips her hand tracing over his own as she sunk into the kiss, the sense of normalcy returning to her, her memories of the previous year flooding back to her. Suddenly it all came back, all the fears, all the tears, the fights, the drama, the attack. Everything. She pulled back rapidly breathing heavily as she glared deeply into his eyes, he looked back with sympathy understanding what she was feeling knowing that she was still going through a hard time.

"its okay" He reassured her "When you're ready"

The school day passed in a blur, every class seeming to fly by more quickly than the last. Everyone hustling outside to escape the confining walls of the high school desperate to return back home, students already sick of the school even though they had only been here for one day.

"Were on for tonight right?" Tori asked nudging Ella in the rib pulling her attention from a fellow student "Ella?"

"Yeah?" She turned to the sound of her name being called tearing her eyes away from the young boy who leaned on his locker casually looking her up and down causing a small smile to form on her face "Oh right tonight, yea it's still on if you want to do it"

"Oh I want to, I think it's best for everyone"

"So do I"

She stumbled up to her bedroom throwing herself onto her bed exhausted from the school day, wanting nothing more than to drift off into a deep sleep.

"Emma!" Ella shouted bursting into her sister's bedroom tripping over the pile of clothes on the floor falling flat on her face "Damn it" she whined climbing back onto her feet rubbing her sore head which smacked against the ground forcefully "Come on, Em get up were going out"

"No"

"Yes we are" She grabbed her sister's arms pulling her onto her feet "You need to get out there, I didn't come back from boarding school to see you sit on your ass for the entire school year, I came here to help you get back into society"

"Urggg" Emma groaned reluctantly grabbing her Bo$$ beanie from her desk placing it over her head covering her messy black hair "Let's go"

"Wow" Ella said happily watching as Emma walked slowly towards the door "That's the most we've talked since I came home"

"Well, maybe that'll change"

"I certainly hope so" Ella grinned throwing her arms around her sister pulling her into a tight hug "I missed hearing your voice"

"Sure you do, you little toad" Emma chuckled pushing Ella off of her "Now where are we going?"

"You'll see"

The moon rose high in the sky, everyone gathering around the ware fire Tori wrapped comfortably in her soft blanket her eyes locked on Miranda who sat across from her toasting a marshmallow over the raging fire, Jess making baby noises at Jamie who gurgled happily in her arms.

"This is a sight to see" Emma giggled walking up on the group

"Emma, hey" Noah said happily giving her a quick hug before returning back to his seat beside Tori holding his hands just above the fire warming them up as he waited for Emma to take her seat

"This is fucking hilarious" Tori blurted out breaking the few seconds of awkward silence "I mean look at us" She almost laughed pointing to the group "We have the teen mother, the PTSD victim, the previous drug addict, the cheater and then me.." She trailed off slipping out of her chair as she continued to laugh

"I think Tori had a little too much to drink" Jess observed peering over at Tori who laid in the sand the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile as she attempted to get back into her chair

"I understand what she's saying though" Miranda admitted blowing out her marshmallow failing at not setting it on fire for the second time in a row "I mean look at us, were probably the most problematic and drama filled teens in the entire city"

"I guess" Emma said quietly leaning her head against Noah's shoulder taking her hand in his "But I like it like this, we understand each other, we understand how hard it is to go through hard times. That's what makes us such good friends" She looked around at the group taking in all the faces of her friends her mind travelling back to the events of the previous year, Jess' pregnancy, Ella's drug problem, Miranda's medical diagnosis, Liam's medical condition, Tori's mother's death, her own attack. Everyone she surrounded herself with seemed to have problems just as big as hers, maybe that's why they were friends, maybe this is what kept their friendship so strong.

"I like it to" He admitted slowly approaching the group his head covered with a tight black hat his hands hidden in his pockets "We really do understand each other"

"Liam" Jess squealed excitedly jumping to her feet quickly running over to Liam hugging him tightly suddenly remembering that she was still holding Jamie "Honey, say hi to daddy"

"Hi baby girl. How are you?" He placed a delicate kiss on Jamie's head before moving his lips to Jess' "I love you"

"I love you to, how are you today?"

"I don't want to talk about me, I just want to hang out with my friends. Like old times" He took hold of Jess' hand leading her back towards her seat sitting down gesturing her to take a seat on his lap

She felt her hands shake as she held the phone to her ear, her heart beat rapid as she heard the news from her father. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't even think everything he was saying terrified her to her core, everything he said made her mind travel back to that night.

"Miranda are you okay?" Tori asked finally regaining her strength pulling herself onto her chair noticing Miranda's strange facial expression

"They found him, they found Seth"