Dislcaimer: Do you really think it's going to change from the last chapter?

Welcome, loyal readers, to my evil mind. Well, only half evil. If this story jumps around a bit, don't be surprised. Like I said in the last chapter, this is going to be a fast paced story. Well...on with the story. And just for you information, I had to type the word 'story' about fifteen times. Each time I wrote it. Sad, right?

Alex knocked on Mr. Bray's office door, waiting to be invited in. Ms. Bedfordshire wasn't at work, so there wasn't really anyone to alert Mr. Bray of Alex's presence. He heard a muffled 'Come in!' coming from the other side of the door. He walked in.

Mr. Bray was sitting in his chair behind his desk looking as serious as ever. "Good morning, Alex," he greeted Alex with a smile, though Alex could tell it was forced.

He said nothing in return.

Mr. Bray noted that there was nothing he could do to make this visit with Alex pleasant, so he turned off the small talk. "I saw you..."

"I know," Alex said before Mr. Bray could finish.

"So you understand why I'm concerned," Mr. Bray assumed.

"I don't understand, but I'm guessing I have to listen anyway."

Mr. Bray was shocked that a student would talk to him that way, but Alex wasn't a normal student. He let it slide and continued. "I think you need therapy. Not only that, but I think you need to see a real doctor as well."

Alex smirked at the joke, but quickly dispersed of it when Mr. Bray started to look hopeful. The man sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Can I go now?" Alex asked standing up slowly.

"No. Not until you cooperate with me." Alex sat back down, exhasperated.

Alex rolled his eyes and shot back, "I'm listening. What more do you want from me?"

"An attitude change! You've been snapping at everyone, including the teachers, and honestly, there needs to be a change," the head snapped, losing his kind attitude.

Alex shot back up, fists clenched tight. "You're right. There does need to be a change. So why don't you tell all the other students to stop treating me like a criminal, the teachers to stop treating me like an idiot, and while your at it, why don't you get me my life back!" Alex swung the door open and walked out the door.

But before he actually left the entire office he added, "And there is no way in hell I'm going to see a shrink!"

~.~

Over the next few weeks, Alex stopped his facade of being a sickly child and tried to ignore everyone that spoke to him. The only person who remained unscathed was Tom. Alex couldn't treat his best friend like everyone else. He was one of the few people who had ever tried to help him. Thinking of this reminded him of how he'd treated Ben. Though he couldn't really help it. The man was more on everybody else's side than his.

"Al? Are you okay?" Tom asked him one day at lunch. They were sitting under a tree by themselves, as everyone had suddenly started fearing Alex more than merely hating him.

Alex regarded his friend with unguarded eyes. For the first time, Tom noticed how haunted and troubled Alex really was. And for the first time, he realized that Alex's life was not some teenagers fantasy, not something to be desired. Alex had become tired, like a soldier who'd experienced every war known to man and wanted nothing more than death to take them away.

"No, I'm not. I just want to be left alone!" Tom knew Alex meant MI6, but he felt partly responsible as well. After all, he'd been the one who'd thought being a spy would be cool, all fun and games. He hadn't really realized how much of his friend it'd torn apart.

"It's not your fault, Tom," Alex told his friend.

"B-but I always told you how cool I though it was..." Tom cried.

Tears rolled freely down Alex's face. "No. You're the one who kept me sane. You're the only one who wanted to know every single detail. Jack loves me, I know this, but she never wanted to know how I'd survived the torture, the death, everything."

"But everytime you saw how excited I was..."

"I was happy that someone wanted to talk about me; about my life, pain, and nightmares. I'm grateful Tom. I really am grateful," Alex's voice cracked on the last word and he started crying hard, chest heaving and eyes shut tight, small whimpers that he failed to choke back.

Tom held onto his friend, his pain so strong that he was starting to feel it himself. At that moment he vowed that if anything happened to Alex after this, they would pay.

The wandering students noticed this and stopped to stare at the weeping boy. The majority of them started to feel pity filling their minds for the boy they'd treated so harshly. Even those who'd acted violently towards Alex started to think of what he'd done to deserve such treatement. But those who truly hated Alex openly laughed at him still, earning many glares from the surrounding students.

Even so, life didn't get any better for him.

A/N: I told you the chapters would be short.

Here are the songs:

Via Dolorosa - Abingdon Boys' School
Let it Out - Miho Fukuhara
Tired of You - The Exies
Moments - Ayumi Hamasaki
Our Truth - Lacuna Coil