I slowly gain my consciousness back, somewhat hoping I didn't. At least not for a while. There is nothing but blackness. I blink my eyes a couple times to no prevail. Have I gone blind?!
"Not again," I say aloud.
Luckily I find a little speck of light to assure me that I still have my vision. But where am I?
I manage to push myself up from what seems like a couch that I have been laying on. Sharp pains spread throughout my body and I try to fight off my cries. Only a little moan escapes my throat. My head is throbbing from that last strike and my side, I can tell, is majorly bruised. I start walking slowly toward the source of light when I trip over a lump of something on the ground.
"Umph..." As I feel around trying to figure what I tripped over, I feel a set of lips with stubble around the chin. Oh God. It's Joey.
The lump jumps upright making me scream. I feel his hand on my shoulder. Oh no, he's holding me down. I begin hitting him as hard as I possible could on his chest.
"Hey! It's okay! It's okay!" Blood is rushing through my body and I cannot hear a single word that is being said. The only thing I know, is that his arms are trying to stop me from hitting him. I make a fist and raise it high above my head. I prepare myself to punch Joey in the same spot as he did to knock me out, when the lights in the room flick on.
The person I am sitting on is not Joey.
Suddenly shocked by a face I am not expecting, I push away so that I am a good five feet from him. I push myself a little too far back, though, accidentally bumping into another boy. I gasp and put my face in my hands breathing deeply, thinking it will make everything disappear.
"Wot. The. Hell." I look towards the source of words and, sure enough, naked towel boy is staring at me, now fully clothed, by the light switch.
I feel eyes burning into me as I take in my surroundings. Four boys are lying on the floor awkwardly around the front of a sofa, which I assume is where I was. A messy sleeping spot is empty where towel boy would have been.
As my adrenaline decreases I realize just how much pain I am actually in. I sling my head back and hold my left side. I let out a pathetic whimper and the boy I was just harassing is already up from the floor and by my side.
"You alright?" He says, looking at me with his sparkling blue eyes. I seem to be in a bit of a shock; I can't look away.
I come back to reality and say, "It really hurts when I move like this." I twist my body a little, cringing.
"Alright, alright, well, easy on it. You don't want it any more bruised."
Wait.. "Bruised? How do you know how badly it's bruised?"
I must be looking at all of them accusingly, because he sits back and looks at me cautiously.
"Sweetheart, we did call the police, you know? The medics came, and- you do realize how badly you were hurt, right?"
I look around to see all five of their eyes on me. I feel my face grow hot as colour fills it. Just how naked did they see me?
There's a strange feeling about this situation, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's where I am. "So, why am I still here?" No, that's not it. Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by strangers? No, that's not it either.
They all exchange glances with each other.
"What?" I nudge on.
"Well," I turn around to see the curly haired boy talking. "The medics wanted to take you, but the police didn't feel very comfortable with you.. Out there."
I scrunch up my face in confusion.
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't they want me out there?"
This time it's a new voice I hear speak up.
"The police haven't caught that guy that was afta' you. So the medics did everything they would 'ave at the hospital."
"You 'ave some stitches right here," the boy next to me softly glides his thumb across the middle of my cheek, right below the cheekbone where the skin is patched together.
Once again, I gaze helplessly in his eyes, but this time it's him who breaks the connection I must have imagined.
He sits back and asks, "So.. The question we all want to know. What the bloody hell happened?"
I sit back and let out a sigh, that strange feeling still in the pit of my stomach.
"Well, I was standing in line with my sister so she could get to see you guys and get autographs and pictures, and-" the strange feeling becomes clear- "Oh my god."
They all perk up, curious of what's wrong.
"Where's my sister?!"