I woke up with a start. My body was covered in sweat, and yet my bedroom was freezing. My mind was still foggy from sleep, but through the cloudy, jumbled mess I remember wondering what had woken me up. Sitting up, I looked around, feeling the presence of another person, and yet, there was no one to be found. In a sleepy haze, I meandered over to my bedroom window and shut the glass doors tightly. I stepped out into the corridor, intending to head down to the kitchens for a drink of water and a snack, but instead I was faced with the cold hard ground.

I groaned in pain. "What the…"

I heard an intake of breath behind me. "Cressy?" Philippe slurred. "Why are you lying on the floor?"

"Oh, you know. It just seemed like it would be a comfortable place to sleep." I rolled my eyes.

He stood up and offered me his hand. "Well that's odd. I'd rather have a soft bed." I took his hand and hissed in pain when he pulled me up, though he didn't seem to notice. The pain went away and I cast it aside in my mind, thinking it nothing.

"I'm going to the kitchens." I said, disentangling my hand from his. "You should go to bed."

He looked down at me. "I'm a little hungry myself. I'll escort you." He smiled, holding out his arm to me.

I rolled my eyes and walked past him. Philippe, of course, followed me. I've no idea why, but I slowed my pace to accommodate him. As we walked, I asked, "Why... why were you outside my bedroom?" I realized only then how close I had been to asking something else. I closed my eyes briefly and tried in vain to calm down my traitorous heartbeat.

Philippe looked down at me. "I was waiting for you to come out again. You used to do that. We'd get in fights and you'd slam the door and come back out again when you-"

"I know what I did, Philippe." I snapped. "I also remember what you did..." I muttered under my breath.

His step faltered a bit. He looked down and muttered something under his breath as well, though I couldn't make out what exactly he'd said. I looked up at him quizzically, but looked away swiftly as he turned his head towards mine.

When I got to the kitchens, I found a bit of cheese and started picking off pieces to pop in my mouth. I found a wooden cup and pumped water into it. Letting the cool liquid trickle down my throat, I turned to look at Philippe. There was still a spark of anger and hurt every time I looked at him now. I frowned at him. He was staring at the floor, oblivious to my disgruntled expression.

"Cress..." He began, sounding weary. "I want you to know something." He still didn't look up.

I was still hot, for some reason, even though I had downed the cup of water without hesitation. Philippe's words began to sound slurred, and my vision became increasingly blurred. Feeling dizzy, I gripped the counter for support, dropping my cup in the process. My legs suddenly felt like two leaden weights. I began to lose feeling in my arms, then my hands, and suddenly I crashed to the floor. But I didn't feel it. My world turned to black as I heard Philippe call out.

I know this is a short chapter, sorry =/ but I tried to make it as long as I could. The next chapter should be up soon (hopefully). So Enjoy!