Chapter 11.

Buttercup.

Maybe, she deserved it. Maybe. But, not like this. The curtain hid the bed Brookelle was on. Something in me changed when I saw her on the bathroom floor, all that hate I had had for her completely vanished. I was expecting the worse and a small part of me wanted it, but not anymore. I knew I should have gone to see her first, not Blossom, because the next day, we didn't visit her. It didn't cross our minds because she seemed fine. I can't believe we didn't even ask if she was okay. We should have asked. I should have asked.

The nurse sat us down on one of the many chairs in the room. Blossom took my hand, she held on so tightly. "Buttercup and Blossom, right?" We nodded, "wasn't there three people who came in here?"

"She didn't want to come in," I replied quickly. She nodded.

"Well, your friend here, Brookelle, she's going to be alright," she smiled, comfortingly at us. I let out a breath I'd been holding ever since we saw her bleeding death on the floor. "Do you girls, by any chance, know how this may have happened?"

We shook our heads, "no."

"Alright, but we're going to keep her here for at least one night."

"Is she awake?" Blossom asked.

"No, but she will be soon, she lost a lot of blood and she just needs to get some of that back," the nurse smiled reassuringly.

"Can we see her later?"

The nurse apologized before saying, "no, I don't think that's such a good idea. I don't think she would want any of her friends to see her like this when she wakes." After a long pause she quickly stood up, making us jump, "alright, off you go, we don't want to disturb the others in here." I didn't realize there were other sick or injured students in the room until she mentioned it.

"Thank you so much," Blossom hugged the lady.

"Thanks," I muttered, smiling gratefully at her.

Blossom let go of my hand when we left and we stood outside of the nurses' office in silence. "We almost lost her," I whispered.

"I know."

"I'm so glad we went with Bunny."

"Me too."

"If we didn't, would she be alive?"

Blossom shook her head, "I don't even want to think about that."

She started to walk away, "where are you going?" I asked, catching up to her.

"I think.. Bunny and the others deserve to know that she's okay."

We found Bunny, Boa, Butch and Blake standing near a fountain. Bunny cried in Blake's arms and Butch and Boa were shouting at each other. "What's going on here?" I asked, too emotionally drained to shout anymore.

"Why don't you tell them Boa?" Butch yelled, angrily. I snapped my head to the direction of Boa, who had a bruise forming on the area I punched him from before.

"Tell us what?" I growled.

"Tell them!" Blake shouted.

"We planned something for Brookelle last night.."

"We?" I asked for clarification.

"Bunny and I," he said, "last night, Bunny was supposed to get you and Blossom out of your room and away from Brookelle's."

"And then what?" I snapped, glaring at Bunny.

"I hosted a party with Mitch, and we drugged the drinks so people would get drunk faster."

"What did you do to Brookelle?" I demanded, wanting him to just spit it out.

"I asked Lucas to.." he muttered the last part, I couldn't hear him.

"To what?" I asked, I clenched my fists so hard I was starting to shake.

"Just say it, Boa! Say it!" Bunny cried.

"I asked Lucas to rape her!" He admitted, his voice cracked and his eyes watered. My eyes went wide and suddenly he was on the ground and I was punching him. Butch grabbed me and took me away from him.

"You're her brother! What the fuck is wrong with you?" I yelled. He was crying, not from the pain but from the guilt and devastation. I turned to Bunny, "and you! How could you do that to your best friend? She loved you! She cared about you! And you brought her down and then did this!" Bunny bawled harder into Blake's chest.

Blossom knelt down next to Boa, keeping herself balanced on her toes, "you're lucky she's alive," Blossom told him.

"She's alive?" Bunny asked, her eyes softening, but still filled with regret. Blossom didn't answer her.

Blake released his embrace with Bunny and left to stand next to me, Butch let me go as well when he knew I wouldn't hurt either of them. Blossom stood up and walked to us. "You're both disgusting," Blossom glared. We left the two crying next to the fountain.

The nurses didn't let anyone visit Brookelle. The headmaster went in to speak with her and that was that, the headmaster didn't talk to anyone about it. I guess she asked him not to say anything.

Robin.

There was so much noise in the nurses' office. I opened my eyes to a girl laying on the bed across from me, I recognized her the instant I saw her pure white hair. She was one of the only few people I knew, but never talked to. I only remember her because she's blind. She was naked, with just a towel covering her body. The nurses rushed to stich her bloody arms. Once they were finished, they cleaned her up, closing the curtain to dress her and reopening it so they could see her from where they sat. The nurses spoke to one another.

"I think we should keep her here for at least a night. I don't want anyone to talk to her. The kids in these schools are monsters, driving a girl into suicide. How awful."

"We should tell the three girls who took her here that she's alright." The other nurse nodded. After they talked to two of the three girls they left to go somewhere, telling me if she wakes up to find them. The nurses then locked the door behind them, not wanting any student to disrupt the suicidal girl's healing process.

A few moments after they left, the girl behind the curtain was hyperventilating, "Brookelle?" I called; I struggled to get out of my bed, I flung the curtains away so I could get through. Tears were flowing out of her eyes; Brookelle lifted her hands, grunting in the process, she felt her forearms and bit her lips to keep herself from screaming. She dropped her arms to her side and winced when they made contact with the bed. I put my hand over hers; she flinched but didn't move it away, either because she was just too weak to do so or because she needed someone. I squeezed her hand, supporting her.

"Who are you?" She asked through her weeps.

"My name's Robin. I'm from the year above you," I told her, softening my voice. Her lips trembled as she tried to hold back more tears and she bit her lip again. "I'm going to go get the nurses."

I turned to leave but she didn't let my hand go, "why are you here?"

I smiled, "you're not the only one who needs the nurses."

"Are you sick?" She rubbed the sadness from her cheeks and eyes with the back of her free hand.

"Yeah, I am."

"What's wrong with you?"

I didn't answer her for a while, "it's nothing bad," I lied. She paused, squinting her eyes, but saying nothing, she knew I lied. "Why would you do this to yourself?" I asked the big question.

She laughed, tears rolling out of her eyes again, "I don't know," this time she lied.

"You can tell me. I won't tell," I promised.

"What is there to tell?" Her voice cracked as she smiled. I squeezed her hand once more and shook my head, even though I knew she didn't see.

The nurses burst into the room, "Brookelle, are you alright?" They asked, worried, checking her arm. She nodded in reply. "Is it alright for you to speak to the headmaster?" She shrugged and they took that as a yes.

The headmaster was welcomed into the room and he took a chair, setting it down next to Brookelle's bed, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she muttered.

"Why did you do this?" Everyone in the room leaned in closer to listen.

"I don't know."

"We'll have a longer conversation until you do know," he said sternly with a frown.

"Can you carry a conversation that long?"

"Don't play games with me, Brookelle."

"I'm not playing games, it was a serious question." Does she know who she was talking to?

"Why can't you just tell me? Who did this to you?"

"I did this to myself."

"Brookelle," he pinched the bridge of his nose, "I care about you, not just because you're my niece, but because you're an intelligent, beautiful, young girl who is capable of doing so much with her life, but you threw that away for your brother and you're making it worse by pulling something like this." Niece? What? Brother? I haven't been in this school long, but from the reaction Brookelle had when he stated their relationship, obviously wasn't meant to be shared with anyone.

Her face hardened, and she glared straight in front of her, "there are other people in this room," she muttered, "and intelligent is too far."

"The people in this room won't say anything," he turned to look at each of us in the eye, "right?" We all nodded, mostly in fear, "see?"

"No, I don't."

He rolled his eyes, "none of them will say anything."

"Don't make some speech or whatever in the auditorium about this."

"Alright."

"I swear if you do, I'll kill you."

He laughed and patted her on the head, "whatever you say, Roo."

He got up and looked at me, "how are you holding up?"

"I'm good, just waiting for it to be over," I told him, politely.

He nodded, "I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I tried to call your family, but they-"

"It's okay," I interrupted, "you don't need to make up an excuse for them, I know they don't want to see me," I smiled.

He nodded, "just ask the nurse if you ever need anything," he turned to the nurses, "I'm a call away, but whatever she needs give it to her."

I felt liquid coming out of my nose, "Ms." I called as I cupped a hand underneath my chin to catch the falling blood.

"Oh, my," the nurse grabbed a towel, shoving it in my hand so I could wipe my hand and hold it against my nose. She sat me up straight and tilted my head forward. She went away and quickly came back with an ice pack, resting it gently on my cheek, forehead and nose. Ten minutes passed before it finally began to stop. "I'm going to get some lunch, what would you like?"

"I'll take whatever's there."

"Brookelle? What would you like me to get you for lunch?"

"Uhm, I don't know. I'll just have anything, I guess."

She nodded, "I'll be right back."

"So, what do you have?" Brookelle asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What's killing you?"

"How do you know I'm dying?" I asked, smirking.

She was silent, "it doesn't sound like a secret."

I shrugged, "fine, I'm dying."

"Why?"

"I have Leukemia."

"Leukemia?"

"Blood cancer."

There was a slight pause, "how come I've never heard of you before?"

"I'm an RA class student."

"Yeah, but I've heard a lot of names from this school, but yours… I'm not familiar with it."

"I don't know, maybe it's because I haven't exactly left this room since I got here."

"When did you get here?"

"I was one of the transfers that came from South High."

"Oh, so how long have you had it?"

"A few years, but we never found it until this school year, so there's not really any point in trying to cure it. I just want to get this over with; I'm done with living." I plopped back in my bed; I could already feel a bruise forming on my back from the light touch.

"Why are you done?"

"Why aren't I done?"

"Well, what's wrong?"

"If I tell you, you have to tell me why you tried to kill yourself."

She thought about it for a while, "fine," she mumbled.

I sighed, "I found out I had Leukemia a week before that stupid South High incident thing," I started, "that's when I needed all my friends and family the most, but my family didn't want to see me and they couldn't even if they wanted to. We're- they're not that rich," I explained. "When that South incident happened, I was separated from my friends. They moved to West and East High School and I was the only one of my friends to go to North. I haven't made any friends since I got here, I'm not exactly making the effort, but I just don't want to talk to anyone because I don't see the point," I finished, it was a relief to let all of that out.

"We can be friends," she told me, smiling.

"Yay! I have a friend!" I laughed, with a bit of forced enthusiasm. "So, why did you try to kill yourself?" She shrugged, "hey, come on now, I fulfilled my part of the deal, now it's your turn," I smiled.

Her face turned solemn and it just made me copy her expression, "it mostly happened in a span of a couple days that really pushed me a little too far," she started. "my brother, Boa, I don't know if you know him?" She asked, engaging me in her story and probably hoping it'd change the topic off of her.

I shook my head and quickly remembered she didn't see, "no, I don't think I do."

"Okay, well. We're really close and he made me feel like I wasn't important to him anymore. My best friend, she hates me and she started ignoring me. I don't know if you heard about what happened in the cafeteria two days ago?" Brookelle asked me again.

"Oh, that girl who was humiliated-" I stopped mid sentence, "that was you?" I asked in disbelief.

She nodded, "and yesterday, last night, my roommate, my best friend left with my other friends to this party without me… And when she left…" Tears started to pour out of her eyes, "this guy…" she swallowed hard, "he came into my room…" She kept on taking breaks, not being able to say it, "and he forced me to keep quiet and stay- stay on my bed… and.. He got on top of me and held me down- I screamed and he told me- he told me, 'nobody's going to hear you- nobody's going to help you.' But I… I kept screaming… He rip-ped my clothes off and- and- I was begging him to stop…" She was bawling; she didn't need to continue for me to know what happened next.

With all my strength I pushed myself off of the bed and rushed over to her. I hugged the young girl, not letting her go until she calmed down. I didn't say anything and I thought it was best if I didn't. I didn't want her to think I was sympathizing her, which I was, but I wanted her to know I was there to listen.

"Sorry girls, there was a long line today," the nurse announced when she opened the door. She dropped the food on her desk and ran over to the weeping Brookelle. "What on earth happened?" The old women asked both of us. She drew circles on Brookelle's back, "there, there. Shh… It's alright, dear."

Bunny.

I fidgeted with my fingers as I waited on my bed. She's coming back today. What do I say? How do I start to apologize? The door clicked open and shut. I looked up with starry eyes at the white haired girl, she wore a plain pale blue dress that the nurses had given her, it was short sleeved and showed off her stitched arms and the dress went down to her knees. "Brookelle," I said, apologizing with the tone of my voice.

"Now you're talking to me?" She went to her drawers and pulled out new clothes, changing into them.

"Brookelle, I am so sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

"But, it did happen."

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"I can't believe you did that."

"I'm sor-"

"I needed you," Brookelle snapped.

"Brookel-"

"I needed you and you brought me down and ignored me."

"Br-"

"You do not get to speak," she told me sternly, "what type of person does that to someone? You knew I needed you and you did that to me, you even tried to turn Blossom against me."

"How did you-"

"I'm blind, Bunny. I can't see! I am not fucking deaf! I can hear you all clearly!" She yelled, I flinched from her voice; she hardly ever raises her voice. "You had the audacity to tell her right in front of the door. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm so sorry. I felt really bad after I did it," I told her the honest truth. I felt so guilty.

"Obviously not," she started, "I ran into Buttercup on my way here and she told me what you and Boa did," my eyes widened. Tears were running down her cheeks, she started laughing, "I trusted you with my life. I fucking loved you." There was a pause before she said, "I will never make that mistake again."

"No, Brookelle, please."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" She cried.

"Yes, I was going to tell you," I admitted.

"Even if I didn't try to kill myself, would you have told me then?"

I looked down, "no."

She laughed, tears still flowing down her face, "why would you do this to me?"

"Because I realized how much I hate you."

"You hate me?"

"Yeah, after realizing you use people, like you use me."

She shifted her weight and shook her head, "I've never used you, I trusted you."

"You used me to do your dirty work."

"I didn't use you. You did those things yourself. I never asked you to do anything; I didn't manipulate you to do any of it. I just didn't do anything and you were willing to do it for me," she smiled and let me process her words. I thought about the past events, and she was right, she never asked me, she never said anything, she just stayed still and sometimes cried. I just felt like I had to do it, like if I didn't, something bad would happen. "I never asked you to pity me. Actually, I asked you not to pity me."

Something popped in me, "see? Just by telling people not to pity you makes people do the opposite."

Her jaw dropped slightly, her eyebrows furrowed and she squinted her eyes, "are you serious? Wow. This is-" She stopped herself before saying something she regretted. "You know, nobody hates me more than myself right now. I feel like a total idiot for loving you." She turned and left me alone in the room. My heart felt like it had been ripped out. I blew it. I didn't make up with her; I made it worse. What is wrong with me?

Blossom.

I escorted Brookelle to the chill room. There were couches, beanbags and the entire floor is carpeted. There's also a large TV on one wall. A lot of people come here to hang out or in the cafeteria where there's food.

"Where is he?" Brookelle asked through clenched teeth, I could feel her rage radiating off her.

I scanned the area and found Boa lounging on a beanbag, talking to his friends. He didn't notice us yet. Did he even feel remotely remorseful about what he did? "He's here."

"Take me to him," she demanded softly.

"Are you sure you want to do it here?"

"Why not?"

"There are a lot of people."

"Good."

"Just… don't do anything stupid," I muttered.

"I don't promise anything," she muttered back. We left Buttercup to be with Bunny, we knew it was right because they needed to make up anyways, and Buttercup would just maim Boa.

Suddenly, Brookelle stopped in her tracks, "what am I doing?" She whispered.

"You're confronting Boa," I told her.

She was quiet for a bit, "no, I can't do it."

I rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, "it's okay."

"I want to do it," she told me, "but," she paused, "not here."

"Why don't you go outside and think a bit more on what you're going to say. I'll bring him outside."

She nodded, before I even got far she called me again, "Blossom, wait, wait, wait, wait. No, I can't do it."

"Okay, another day."

When night fell, Brookelle finally decided to talk to Boa. We went to his room, where he, Mitch and a couple of other guys were hanging out.

We knocked on the door and when Mitch opened the door we let ourselves in. I stopped in front of Boa and I saw the fear in his eyes when he saw Brookelle. "His friends are here," I muttered to Brookelle.

"How many?"

"A few."

"Damn, it's too late to turn back," she let out a sigh.

"Look what you did to me, brother," she spat, showing him her stitched up forearms. I looked away from the wound; I didn't want to see something so awful on any of my friends.

"Roo, I-"

"You have no right to say my name."

There was a slight pause, "I'm sorry," he muttered.

She smiled, "why don't you tell all your friends what you did to your little sister?" She asked, more of commanded him. He didn't speak. "Tell them," her smile faded, her patience was running low with each millisecond passing. "Tell them," she said more sternly, lowering her voice into this darker tone, her eyes glared daggers for him.

"I made you feel like shit," he said.

"Tell them what else you did."

"I pretended to like this girl in front of her." He gestured to the girl sitting near him. Her jaw dropped; offended that he never really liked her. She quickly left the room, embarrassed by feeling used.

"Why?"

"Because I knew that would hurt you a lot."

"Because we're in love with each other," she clarified for his friends and they quickly realized this was incest. The looks on their faces were disgusted.

"Tell them the worst thing you did to me," she smiled. He muttered something that no one could hear, "speak the fuck up, Boa, no one can bloody hear you," she growled, with the smile still plastered on her face.

"I asked Lucas to rape her," he whispered, but the room was quiet enough for everyone to hear.

"Did he do it?" One of them asked.

"Would you like to answer that Boa? Or should I tell them how you were there. Watching and recording." My face was probably just as shocked and disgusted as his friends. She laughed, "I don't think anyone can or should be able to feel this much betrayal in a span of three days. My best friend and my brother." She shook her head, "I know I've done some bad things, like killing people, but killing me would have hurt a lot less than this." A tear escaped her eye, "Do you know how hard it was for me to believe that was you? I kept on trying to convince myself it was just someone else, but I knew it wasn't. I trusted you and I loved you." Her voice was cracking and more tears were falling. "I am such an idiot." She turned to leave, but stopped and turned back, "I really wish I died, then you would have no one in your life because you're a heartless, disgusting human being." Boa's fist clenched and unclenched.

I caught up with the white haired girl, about to tell her she was walking in the wrong direction. Suddenly, she was pulled back, harshly; she winced at the sudden action and pain. Boa's grip was on her forearm. "Brookelle, I'm sorry."

"Let. Me. Go," she growled, deadly venom in each word that rolled off of her tongue.

"Not until you forgive me."

"I don't think I could ever forgive you," Brookelle shook her head. Boa grabbed her chin and tilted her up, kissing her; that's when it officially clicked for people who didn't understand previously what their relationship actually was. Brookelle didn't push him away, but neither did she kiss back.

When he was done Brookelle said, "It doesn't matter how much you kiss me, I will never fall in love with you again." He forced her to kiss her, to tongue her, but her eyes remained open and her lips stayed close. "I will never love you again," she whispered, slowly.

"I love you, Brookelle."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Why would you do that to me?"

"Because I hate you."

She shook her head and laughed, as if it was funny, "that doesn't make any sense."

"You killed our parents and our brother. I just wanted you to pay for taking them away from me."

She nodded understandingly, "I've killed many people, and I know a lot of people would have wanted to do that to me, if they knew I did it, but you would have been the last person I expected-" She paused, "actually, now that I think about it, you'd be the first person to kill me. You're not afraid of me and you know that I did it," she laughed a bit, "I guess it does make sense."

There was a moment of silence, "I could forgive you," Boa looked relieved, "but," she hesitated, he stiffened, thinking of her words, "I won't," she told him. He released his grip on her and we walked away, I pushed her towards the right direction. I looked back. His glaring eyes followed her out the door.

"I think you pissed him off even more."

"I know."

"Is he going to do something?"

"Probably, maybe this time he'll rape me himself," she muttered the last part. I didn't know how to respond, so I didn't.