Time-Line Setting: Set during season three, after the death of Lily but before Graduation Day.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I am not affiliated in any way, shape or form with anyone who does.
Half six in the morning was far too early to wake up. It was what Shawn had thought when he was younger and, despite being older, he still thought the same. He let his alarm ring for a minute before he got tired of the high-pitched wailing and slammed his hand down on top of the machine.
He groaned, getting up out of bed and stretching, his muscles still worn out from a hectic day before, when he hadn't even made it to his room until half ten and had crashed soon after. It was going to be the same thing today; he was going to have to put up with the same boring routine.
When he'd first arrived at the centre it had been something special, everything was bright and new and whenever something happened it was something that had never happened before. Sometimes he wondered if it still looked that way to other people, to visitors or clients. Quite often he found himself wishing for the old days when Jordan would boss him around and he'd complain about it. Because, even when he was that high up in the organisation, things still changed often enough to peak his interest.
Now, however, every day was identical to the next one. It was a non-stop barrage of attending meetings, trying to avoid Matthew, dealing with the press, a routine that was only punctured by the occasional healing.
Which was why he had been so ecstatic to meet Isabelle, she was a breath of fresh air when he needed it the most, she was wild, untamed; unpredictable and everything that he wished he could afford to be. But, soon enough she became stagnant in his mind. And she became part of his daily chores of having to talk to Isabelle, having to avoid Isabelle, having to placate Isabelle's fears of losing him.
He shook his head at the thought and went over to his closet, opening it to find something to wear. Despite being of different colours, all his clothes were practically identical. All seemed to have been carefully chosen to squander Shawn's personality, to turn him into a business man when all he wanted to be was an ordinary person.
He got dressed and found himself sitting on the floor, slumped against a wall. He closed his eyes, almost giving in to the desire to sleep but settled for trying to relax instead. Before he knew it he was in his favourite day dream, the one where the centre was attacked. It solved both of his problems; it would make things exciting and, if lucky, it would destroy the centre, free him.
His eyes opened and focused on the clock, ten to seven, he'd been fantasying for too long and he was running late. He forced himself up, a hand placed onto his head and looked towards the door.
He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't face another day of the suffocating monotony that was rapidly crushing his spirit. He couldn't do it again.
He thrust open the door of his closet and pulled out a bag, a few outfits. He threw some money inside and slung it over his shoulder. He was about to head out of the door but paused, leaving a hand-written note behind.
He walked out into the centre, nodding curtly at the few people who were already there. His pulse was racing, wondering if they would notice what was happening, if they would try to stop him. He smiled to himself, realising that it was the most fun he'd had in months. With one last look behind him, he walked out the doors.
Matthew knocked on the door to Shawn's room before opening it of his own accord to find it empty. He felt confused for a moment; Shawn hadn't been anywhere else in the centre so he had assumed that he would have been hiding there. His eyes fell onto the note left behind and he picked it up, reading it:
I can't do this anymore, I have to leave. Now. I'm sorry for any distress that I have caused and I leave the centre, and everything associated with it in the care of Richard Tyler.
Shawn.
Matthew started at the note for a moment before a smile crept across his face. His plan was working; everything was finally starting to fall into place.
A/N: Please Review.