A/N: Hey all, guess who's back? I originally had the first part of this scene finished last week but since the second half was in need of some work still, I decided to at least get this part up before hand. They do go together so I'll get the second half up in a day or two, a nice holiday gift for you wonderful people! As always, enjoy, and lemme know what you think- shoot a review out and tell what you like, don't like, the works...

And big thanks to those who left initial reviews, you gave a nice boost of confidence to a gal in need (:

Disclaimer: owning skins is like owning a unicorn. I wish but...nahh...

When Words Fail

Ch 2

It took me a full minute of just staring at the corner she disappeared around before I could snap myself back to sanity. Blinking rapidly, more people started to trickle in the hallways now starting to shoot some weird glances my way before quickly shuffling along. I gave a shallow breath before looking down. The black tank was just damp around the edge of the collar so at least I could suffer through the rest of the day somewhat bearably.

That's just fantastic.

It was then, looking past the black, that I saw the blue crossed fabric bunched in my hand awkwardly above my tits. My poor excuse for a brain finally started turning wheels then (such fucking great timing huh, after she leaves) and I realized I was still a bit exposed. I loosely unruffled her shirt and gently smoothed out the creases where I apparently had been gripping quite tightly. Whoops.

I threw it around my shoulders and attempted to pull it up my arms before realizing it was a bit snug. Actually, it was very, very snug. So this is what they mean by form fitting, what a god-fucking-awful trend. Still, I was out of options if I was stuck here for another 5 hours, and after a huff and groan, I plastered it over my black tank-top and attempted to button it up. I hadn't even gotten it up my stomach before realizing there was NO way this would fit over my chest. Not if I wanted to breathe. I gave up and let it hang loose instead, unbuttoning it again before fixing the flipped collar.

That was the first mistake.

That same flood of strawberry scent flew through my senses and so started the internal loathing.

Let it go. It's just a shirt. She was being nice. Stop being a prick. Just go to class. It's a fucking shirt, just deal with it.

But this shirt (not that it mattered, right?) was her shirt. Emily Fitch's shirt. The same Emily Fitch who I could casually talk with when our group went out for drinks. The same Emily Fitch who was my partner when these rubbish classes started bantering. The same Emily Fitch who was almost too easy to talk to. The same Emily Fitch who, as I found out last year, fancied me.

Who apparently had done so for quite some fucking time now.

So it was there in that constant denial of saying it's JUST a shirt, that my body betrayed my thoughts and my hand grasped the collar. I pulled it up near my face and just let myself drown in it. Not just in strawberry, but everything else about her.

The light hair mousse musk, and the coconut shampoo smell engrained in the fabric, and yes even the glorious scent of her strawberry lotion.

I closed my eyes and let it wash over me, falling back lightly against the lockers. I could appreciate a nice perfume right? That was perfectly acceptable. So for a few seconds, just a few seconds, I did. I would call myself out for it later. I'll deny it. I'll say it doesn't matter. Because it doesn't, right? It's a nice smell and It's just a shirt.

I gave an unconscious smile as I let go and smoothed it out over my shoulders. What's a shirt between friends?

After the locker trip I planned to make before it all, I made my way to class in a daze. Actually the whole morning was a bit of a daze. I vaguely remembered plopping in my seat in Politics a bit early to see Kieran there with a scraggy smile on his face.

"Least there'll by some sense among these right pack of fuckers. Not much hope for the rest of the day though." I gave an appreciative scoff before waiting for the rest of class to fill in.

I was right in the front and, as expected, everyone had the same goal to be as far from it as possible. The chair next to mine was the only one open as the class started. Kieran muttered something about quitting his day job before limping to the board. He just finished informing us for not expecting to give a shit about the class as he wouldn't either when the door opened again.

Kieran didn't notice even as the loud clicking heels made their way to the front and sat down on my right. A surge of maroon was mistaken for red as a rush of blood spread to the tips of my ears. I quirked my head to the side to make sure it wasn't her.

Nope, definitely maroon. A skin tight leopard print dress. Her tits were nearly spilling out of her shirt and with an internal cringe, I realized I'd be spending ALL year next to her. Katie Fitch, the other (wrong) twin. (Wait what?)

But I'd be lying if I said my relief that it hadn't been someone else very similar wasn't noticeable in my probably too-audible sigh. We looked straight at each other then, locked eyes, and we both stiffened at the contact. If it weren't for the nights of buzzed conversation where Emily tried time after time to convince me that Katie was a very caring person, just brashly protective, I wouldn't have given a damn about her in the slightest.

However, those nights had happened, so I owed it to my own morals to try and not be a sarcastic bitch every part in the day. Not at all because Emily would be happy. I could want to be a good person on my own, right?

"Katie..." I acknowledged her without looking and under my breath. She scoffed of course.

"Lezzer Bitch."

If Kieran had not turned around just then, I would have no intention of keeping up with this shit. I was so ready to get up and leave. But I was stuck there so I gave a sharp exhale out my nose, jaw clenched, and crossed my arms tightly, too out of control to try and deny that statement without some very bad repercussions.

Emily be damned, I wasn't putting up with this willingly.

The class passed uneventfully.

As did Literature and the lunch break. At lunch, rain or not, I grabbed a Coke and went to sit on the steps outside. I lit up a fag and dragged in a breath. Jesus this was a long day and I'd only gotten through half of it. I tried not to think about that part as I took another hit.

I turned back to reach for the Coke I had set behind me and nearly shit myself. Stonem was there, no more than an arms length away sitting on the same step next to me. Her knees were to her chin and she rested her elbows around the sides of them, a fag loosely splayed between her fingers. Fucking ninja now too apparently. What she felt the need to sneak up on me for, I had no idea, but it better not be a regular thing.

Of course I had spasmed seeing her so close but she gave nothing away, just staring off at something ahead of her blankly. A few seconds later, hopefully after she felt my eyes digging at her expectantly, she casually glanced at me with her stormy eyes glowing. She gave me a lazy once-over as acknowledgment and blew a puff a smoke my way.

"Yes? Can I help you with something?" I asked a bit incredulously. She tilted her head a bit in return. Another puff of smoke, now in my face. I wave it away, annoyed, and glare at her. After a long moment she looks away again, back off into space. I scoff, at a loss for what to do. I can't really tell her to leave seeing as she hasn't done anything wrong and I can't say she's bugging me either. Actually the opposite, she seems to be draining the tension out.

So, out of ideas and out of words (this must be an Effy thing I swear it is) I give up and pop open the coke before taking a swig. I figure I'll give my liver a break since it's not yet noon. At least for a few hours. I give a sigh, one of relief and not annoyance I realize, before staring off into nothing as well. Despite the outburst this morning, I can't help but relax around her. The quiet reassurance of another carefree body is too good to pass up. When she's not talking (or dissecting me for that matter), I actually quite like her around.

About fifteen minutes after settling in our smoke, she states, "You changed." Huh. I'm actually not surprised her first comment is about analyzing me. Even if it is false.

"Nope, still the same charming lass as always. Sorry, try again." I'm not even annoyed anymore. She diffused the air too much for that. That and the fags. Fucking godsends. But she just repeats the same 'you changed' comment like deja vu. Okay maybe it's a bit annoying.

"Look, do you want something? I've never said a word to you before, and now twice in one day? Have I grown another arm or whatnot?" I make a dramatic point to look under my arms for the missing limb. Nope, not even a chuckle from her. Steel blue and smoke hit me again before she tilts her head the other way. The just stares at me for a bit, and honestly it's a bit unnerving.

"So what changed?" She asks it with boredom dripping in the words. I raise one eyebrow at her before sighing and rolling my eyes.

"If I said I don't know, would that count as an answer?" That earns me a small smirk. Even though I'm damn sure nothings changed. "I don't know what's changed then," I answer lightly. Carefully.

She gives me another once over before taking a drag. "Nice shirt. Bit small though." The blood reaches my cheeks in record time as I become painfully conscious not to move a muscle out of place. I can't help the single shiver that runs through me though and I don't have to look at her to know the thick breath she takes is a huff of a laugh. Sure enough, I peek over my hair and see a full-fledged smirk ruling her face. I give up.

"Effy...what do you want?" I whisper, rubbing my temples. I keep my eyes closed. I can't look at her yet so flushed, I've got too much pride for that. Well let's hope I've got any after this, the way things are going, it's hard to say.

"Let it go Campbell. Stop fighting it." I should be questioning her words at point, but I'm honestly just surprised she knows my name. We've had absolutely no direct interaction before, despite running with the same crowd.

"Um, I'm not su-"

"You'll save her and it will save you. Stop fighting."

I barely have time to give her a puzzled look before she's standing up, collecting her bag to leave. My eyes are flitting everywhere trying to make some sense of her words, trying to work out if it means anything or if she's as crazy as her comments, but not before she leans over me from behind, right near my ear, and for the second time that day, my eyes are flashing for a way to get out of the proximity. I can hear an audible chuckle graze the tips of my ears and my first thought is Finally. A sound to match the smirk.

When she pulls a styrofoam cup out of God knows where and drops it into my lap, I just sit there puzzled as my brows furrow.

"I'd get you a coffee babe, but it seems like you would end up wearing it. Besides you had much more fun waking up without it."

I don't know when she actually left, but by the time I turned around, she was gone. I stared at the cup in my lap, my hands limp at my side, and tried not to let myself flush again. She saw. That much was clear. But how much? Fuck's sake what does it matter! It was an accident! And she was just being nice. She was being friendly. That's what friends do. When did this shift to Emily?

I took a sharp drag of the smoke in anger, and grimaced when I coughed harshly instead. I growled before stomping it with my foot and getting up to go to class. Unwillingly, might I add. Unwillingly.

I got back in the building and sighed as I made myself a deal to get through one more class before taking some support from a helpful little flask tucked on the bottom of my bag. A quick glance at my schedule again and things got a little brighter: Advanced Drawing Studio. I wasn't particularly good with graphite work, I'll admit, but any sense of some art was a welcome relief from the mess of a day. I made it to the class, scowling a little less than usual walking down the hall, before pushing the doors open. The room was situated so all the workbenches lined up toward the left, with two people sharing a bench. That was the last thing I observed before a familiar blossom of red spread on the bench closest to me in the back. Two beautifully big eyes flickered at me and held my glance before I couldn't help my actions and back tracked out the door, closing with a dull thud.

Still holding the door knob, I leaned against the door and let out the breath I was unaware I had been holding. I took a few steadying breaths. Well, fuck, no time like the present. I burrowed in my bag and snatched the flash of silver, taking a bit more than a swig to cool my nerves. Damn, that whiskey knows what to do. I shuddered a sigh and necked back another gulp before letting out a sharp exhale. Okay, get it done Naomi, one girl cannot break you.

And with that skeptical motivation, I turned back in to the room to face the crimson explosion.