A.N: Oh yeah! It's 2012! Happy New Year to you all! :D

Special thanks to my friend 'Anonymous 22'. I know her in real life and she's so amazing! She's been helping me a LOT with this story!

And a special thanks to all you people who take the time to read/review/story alert/favourite this story!

26 reviews! YAY! :') :D :) Please help that number rise! And I love you all for encouraging me to write this! I was so scared to publish the first chapter but now I love posting them! Your praise inspires me to write!

By the way, the characters are going to seem a bit O.O.C in this chapter (rushed because of no laptop charger, I'm sorry, I lose it all the time!) And I'm also going to be a little random when updating, because I'm waiting for the next series to come out for inspiration. 5 days to go, I can't wait! Ahaha! :)

And there's a FAIL fight scene in here. Believe me, I am NOT a person who can write fight scenes! I struggled immensely in this chapter!

It'll become more interesting soon. I've got a few twists coming for Astra. Poor girl, constantly tortured in my Fanfiction.

Always open for tips! :)

"Why were you wearing a mask at dinner last night?" Gus asks me at breakfast.

I look up from my bowl of slushy bowl of Weetaabix "What?"

"Why were you wearing a mask at dinner last night?" Gus repeats.

"Er... Felt like it." I lie.

"You were hiding your face. Why?"

"Wasn't. Just felt like wearing a mask."

Liam smirks down at his cereal, trying not to laugh.

"I'm sure that wasn't the reason, Astra." Elektra teases.

My eyes flicker to her, two pairs locking and hatred burning in both.

"Are you telling them or shall I?" She challenges.

"S'not a big deal. What's the point?" I frown. For some reason, inside, I am panicking.

"Her face ballooned up." Elektra shoots a grin in my direction.

"Are you being serious? Why?" Carmen tries not to laugh.

"Allergic reaction." I say as casually as possible, aware of the smirks and smiles the kids are now wearing.

Liam brings his hand to his mouth and hides his smile behind it. I fight the urge to choke both him and Elektra to death.

"From what?" Carmen asks, drinking up the information eagerly.

"Liamade." Elektra tells her.

"Poisoned Liamade." I point out.

"To be honest, it was the prettiest you looked." Elektra snickers.

"Yet I'm still prettier than you."

"That's a joke!" Elektra laughs.

"I was being serious." I say, my voice calm.

She shoots daggers at me. I feel tempted to glare back at her. But I instead choose to torment her with a pleasant smile.

"See you later, friend." I tell her as I get up and walk expertly out of the room.

Despite my cool and collected facade, I am enraged.

Soon... I think darkly.

*Later that day*

I stared out the window at the car that pulled up outside the front door. Toby hurried towards the car, yanked the door open and leapt inside before slamming the door shut. He looked excited, a big smile on his face.

I stared after the car as it drove out of the grounds and sped away down the main road.

He was lucky – he had people who loved him. I knew about his past – his parents were killed in a car crash like mine were. It looked as if he was going to pretend these foster parents were his true parents – I would.

Actually, I wouldn't. I'd run away. Typical me.

"Waving your boyfriend off?" Liam asked from behind me. I wasn't startled – I was used to his stalking.

"As if." I smirk, watching random cars speed along the main road.

"Come on, you can tell me. How long has it been?"

"Liam, that's gross. He's like 11?"

"So?"

"I'm nearly 15; think about how gross that is."

"He can be your toyboy."

I turn away from the window and walk to him "That is disgusting, Liam! Me dating Toby is as realistic as you dating Elektra."

"As if that'd happen."

"Bet you're wishing it would."

Sapphire appears on the staircase "Can you two stop flirting and let me pass?"

"We're not flirting!" The pair of us reply, disgusted looks on our faces. Well, mine's fake. I'm not sure about Liam's.

"Just let me pass, ok? You're blocking the landing."

We separate and she walks past before turning the corner to her bedroom and disappearing.

I begin walking down the corridor, away from Liam.

"Going to the Toby shrine?" Liam asks.

"No, I'm going to ask Elektra out for you."

I hear his intake of breath and a wide smirk appears on my face.

"I'll kill you." He warns me.

"You seem a little scared, O'Donovan." I tell him, edging closer to Elektra's bedroom. I can see it in the distance.

"If you do, I'll go find Toby and ask him to go out with you – I'll tell him that you're madly in love with him."

"It's quicker asking Elektra out."

"Or what about Gus? Would you like to date him?"

"Liam, he's ten. TEN." I turn to him.

"Gus!" Liam's eyes sparkle and he grins at me.

"Shut up. Don't you dare."

Gus appears "Liam, you called me."

"Do you want to go o-"

I reached up and put my hand over Liam's mouth and lied "He was just checking you er... were on time for piano lessons."

"Piano lessons finished an hour ago..." Gus told Liam.

Liam shrugged my lock off.

"Astra really likes you." Liam began.

"Liam, shut up! Gus, listen to me, I'm so much more trustworthy than Liam."

"What was you saying, Liam?" Gus asks, ignoring me.

"She's got a crush on you. And she hasn't got the guts to ask you out herself, so here I am."

Gus' face becomes flushed pink "Er... Um..."

"You idiot!" I hiss to Liam, tugging at his shirt.

"I... Er... I have to leave now..." Gus said, his face turning a dark shade of red.

"Oh Gus! Don't leave without giving your girlfriend a hug!"

"Go." I ordered Gus.

He left instantly.

I was aware of myself twitching with silent fury.

Liam turned to me, an impish grin on his face "I think you got rejected."

Later*

Liam had been stalking me all day, always in my sight. I found it quite irritating but also quite comforting. He had some kind of calming aura around him. I'd eventually managed to lose him and now he was nowhere in sight.

"Hey Astra." Elektra greeted me in a mocking voice.

"Get lost." I replied crankily, knowing she was just going to wind me up.

"That's not nice. I just want to be friends."

"I'm not in the mood." I attempt to step past her but she blocks the staircase.

"Did you get into another fight with your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a b-"

"Don't give me that shit." She snaps, stepping towards me.

"Elektra, why are you doing this?" I can't help but stumble backwards.

A smile appears on her face "You have no idea, do you? You're not very bright."

I contain my anger "No, I don't. So why not tell me?"

"Fine. I'm sick of you! You're an annoying, pathetic, weedy brat!"

I mentally cringe at the words but I continue to stare at her with a dead, unresponsive face.

"And what made you come to this? What's the point of telling me?"

"Urgh! You're just so annoying! You mope around all the time and expect everyone to be sorry for you! I mean, your family got killed in a car crash, so what?"

The words are cold and deliberate.

I feel a sharp pain in my chest and I clutch at my hoodie.

No, no, no. They said that nobody would find out...

"I... I don't know what yo-"

"You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Do I have to bring it up? Do I have to tell you how your family died, on your tenth birthday?"

"Elektra... shut up."

"Excuse me?"

"Please, shut... up."

"YOU are telling ME to shut up?" She asks.

I can feel myself shaking in my shoes, tears threatening to spill over my cheeks.

I haven't cried for so long...

"Aw, are you going to cry?"

"Elektra, please..." I plead.

"Not so cocky now, are we?" She sneers.

Before I can reply, my fist automatically goes forward and slams into her stomach.

She gasps, sinking onto her knees in front of me.

I am too horrified to move, or to block the rough kick that swipes at my ankles, knocking me onto the ground. I fall on the floor, hitting my chin hard. I lay, stunned, as she gets up and begins to beat me.

She works over my body, targeting every single area. She begins by kicking me hard in the ribs and oxygen is stolen from me, lost in a single breath. Her heavy boot then presses down into my stomach and I fight to contain the vomit rising in my throat. I am rolled over and she sends endless fists into my back. The feeling... is excruciating. It feels as if a thousand daggers are piercing my skin and cutting deep. She delivers a few powerful kicks to my head, causing my vision to blur and for me to drift in and out of consciousness. But she will not let me sleep, she will not let me escape the pain. She keeps me awake, allowing me to feel her hatred.

At first I wonder why I'm not screaming, crying and pleading for her to stop – I'm practically letting her beat me.

People say that when you're in so much pain, you're silent. You accept the pain, allowing it to overcome you. I must be experiencing that.

After what seems hours, she stops.

I remain on the ground, silent, hoping she'll leave me to die in peace.

"Astra?" A little voice asks from up the stairs.

"Harry! Go to bed!" Elektra orders.

"Is she dead?" Harry asks as Elektra kicks me again, watching in delight as my body jerks.

"No. Now go to bed or I'll rip up Jeff!" Elektra snaps.

"Go... bed..." I tell him weakly.

He nods at me and runs down the corridor and out of sight.

Elektra pins my arms and legs behind me and grabs me by the collar "Come on, fight me."

My limbs feel numb and weakened and I know I don't have a chance of defeating her. Despite this, my foot goes up and slams into her chest. She groans in pain.

"Get away... from me..." I tell her, not moving.

She scrambles back upright "No."

I close my eyes and allow the first tears to stream down my cheeks.

"Please, I'll... never... bother you... again..."

"You've made it to the top of my hate list. I'm going to finish you. And then you can be with your pathetic family." A fist slams into my cheek and I can't contain the shriek of new pain.

"Girls! Stop being silly and go to bed!" Tracy calls from the comfort of the warm kitchen. She's sitting there, with not a clue what's happening, sipping hot tea and eating biscuits. SHE isn't being beaten the shit out of.

"Yes Tracy!" Elektra calls sweetly.

She turns to me and I stare up at her, eyes desperate.

She smiles cruelly at me "See you tomorrow, friend."

I don't respond as she turns her heel on me and walks away.

I lay on the bottom of the stairs, staring blankly at the racks of shoes.

I wonder who will find me first.

It probably isn't that bad, anyway.

With trembling knees, I turn my weak body and begin to crawl up the stairs like a dying creature.

I make it to the top and halfway through the corridor before I have to sit against the wall and bite back the pain rippling inside me.

"Astra?" Frank asks.

My head snaps to the right where Frank is standing anxiously on the second flight of stairs, unsure whether to walk to me and help me or to go to bed.

I just stare at him, breathing heavily.

"Do you need help?"

I nod "...Help.."

He walks towards me and then bends beside. I grab onto his dressing gown and he pulls me up.

"Thanks..." I say as he helps me limp towards the bathroom.

"I'll get Liam."

"Frank, do-"

But he's already gone.

I go in the bathroom and limp to the sink, turning the cold water tap on. My face is red and bruising quickly.

I grab a flannel and rinse it under the water before sitting on the basket and pressing the flannel to my face.

I stare at my tearful reflection.

I don't cry. Get a hold of yourself!

I put my hands on the side of the sink and tears fall from my eyes, onto the water surface, causing the water to ripple.

What has crying ever achieved? Get a grip! Dry your eyes and get out of here!

I dab the tear-stained flannel on my bruised face and then empty the sink, chucking the flannel into the sink and limping to the doorway.

Liam and Frank are standing outside in the hallway.

"Astra?" Liam asks as I stumble along the corridor.

"I'm fine. Promise." I lie.

"Liar. Frank saw it all. And Harry. Come on, go to bed."

He puts his arm around me and helps me limp to my bedroom. The heat radiating off him comforts me and I resist the urge to turn around and hug him.

"Frank, we're fine. Go get some rest."

Frank leaves instantly, not speaking a word.

Liam leads me steadily to my room, not even noticing that I've fallen against him. I'm so close to him that I can feel his heart fluttering under his shirt.

He helps me to my bed in silence.

"Do you need help getting changed?" He asks.

"Pervert." I whisper weakly, a tiny smile on my face.

"Am not!"

"I'm fine... Just... gonna' sleep... OK?"

"Sure. I'll go talk to Frank. I'll talk to you in the morning, OK?"

"Yeah, whatever." I sink onto my bed and close my eyes.

"Try not to get killed or anything."

"I'll try not to."

I wait a few moments but the door doesn't open and shut.

I open my eyes and Liam is standing there awkwardly.

When I catch him staring at me, his face reddens just like Gus' did earlier today "Uh sorry... I'm going. Bye."

"Bye, Liam. T-Thanks..."

The door opens and shuts quickly.

The light goes off and I am alone in the darkness.

I breathe in and out, playing tonight's events over and over in my mind. I remember every single fatal blow Elektra gave me, wondering how I miraculously didn't break any bones. But I know for certain I'm going to have many bruises - ribs, stomach, face.

My hand slithers under my pillow for my photograph. I clutch blindly at the cotton.

I find nothing.

My heart rate quickens. I sit upright quickly, cursing at the sudden pain. I ignore it and focus on finding it.

No, please. It can't be gone! Anything but this!

I yank the pillow out of its original place and search the bed in the darkness, my heart rate continuing to speed.

I check down the side of the bed, the cardboard box, my rucksack and even my pockets. Nothing.

The photograph is gone - the remains of my broken family.

The bed suddenly becomes cold and I feel my eyes water.

Everything has been taken from me...

The tears freely fall, and a part of me dies inside.

A.N: I HATE you, Elektra! You're a meanie for beating up Astra! (I had to let Astra experience pain to show that not all OCs are perfect and super and conquer all!) God Liam, Astra likes you! Like her back and give her a hug already!

Rushed chapter, I'm so sorry! :'( Forgive me people and PLEASE review!