I'm really not very good at this whole updating once a week thing am I? Sorry...

Phil sighed as the bell rang through the school for the final time that day. It had been just over a month since this whole ordeal with Jack had started and, even though it was still only half way through November, people were already babbling on about Christmas and their plans for the holiday. It had been a few weeks since Jack's fight and Dan's mini break down. But, almost as if some miracle had happened, things were actually starting to get better. Not in amazing leaps but in the little things like the way the teachers treated Jack a bit harsher and how the people in Dan and Phil's 'groups' were paying more attention to each other than their leaders. Phil smiled slightly to himself as he shoved his books into his bag and swung his bag over his shoulder. Less than a month to go until the Christmas break. He couldn't wait to get away from this place.

Now he was almost 17 his parent's had let him decide if he still wanted to go with them and his brother on their family Christmas break or stay around a friend's house or whatever. After many phone calls (because parents always call each other to confirm silly things like this) it was decided that Phil would stay with Dan's family over the Christmas holiday. Both their parents knew about the fact they were together. Neither of them could wait until the Christmas break; it was finally something good that would happen. Dan was even more excited than Phil. He hadn't heard much about Dan's family but, from what scrapes he could gather, they were nice enough. Dan also had a younger brother so Phil was already prepared for him to come butting in a every moment of privacy they had (because his own brother did it and all little brothers are the same).

Phil's train of thought continued as he mindlessly navigated his way through the sea of students towards the stairs. Only when a huge mass of wild blonde curls forcefully hit him in the face did his train of thought break.

"Carrie" Phil greeted politely, a fake smile forced on his face. He really didn't want any fuss with her now.

"Hey" she giggled out, batting her eyelids at him. Phil looked around Carrie's mass of hair to see two other girls standing either side of Carrie; Zoe and Cherry. Zoe's hair swished back and forth in her stupidly high ponytail and she gazed up at Phil with a half angry, half dreamy expression on her face. Cherry's gum popped loudly between her bright red-painted lips as she flicked her equally bright red hair off her shoulders. All three girls were smirking at Phil like they knew something... this could not be good.

"So, how's my little sunshine today?"

"Um... Carrie, I... um" Phil glanced side to side awkwardly having no idea what to say... and had she actually just called him sunshine?

"Awh, come on now. Don't be shy" Cherry's words hit Phil with a horrible sugar-coating.

"I should probably go" Phil rushed the words out quickly and tried to get around the trio. But they were faster and instantly had him pinned up against the wall.

"So..." Cherry's face was suddenly very close be Phil's cheek. Her bubble gum breath almost making Phil gag with its over powering sweetness. "I hear that you broke my little baby's heart a while ago"

"W-What?" now Phil was seriously confused.

"Don't lie! You pushed my darling away and shattered her very soul! How dare you be so heartless" Cherry was almost screaming now and a small audience had gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly Phil's eyes widened in realisation of what Cherry was talking about. When Dan had been staying over at his and Carrie, Alex and Charlie had appeared at his door, and then he had to hide Dan in his wardrobe... the memory came rushing back to Phil's mind. He was about to protest but Zoe cut him off.

"Don't you dare break our little Carrie's heart. Because you will pay for this"

"What are you talking about? Seriously, can I just get past. I'm gonna be late-"

"Don't interrupt them!" Carrie screeched "You broke my heart and now I get revenge. You shattered my soul and ruined my very existence!"

Phil's hands balled into fists. He had had enough of Carrie now. What did she mean he broke her heart?! He did nothing except push her off of him when she was making him uncomfortable and tell her to leave! Phil couldn't hold up this innocent act any longer. His shrugged Cherry off his shoulder, pushed Zoe's face away from his and shoved Carrie away from him... forcefully... too forcefully.

Phil could see it happening before it had even happened. He had pushed her away from him not knowing where she was standing... which was right on the edge of the stairs. His push was too sudden for her. She slipped back off the top step. Phil lunged across to grab her but it was already far too late. It was as if the world had gone into slow motion. Carrie lost her grip on the hand rail. Cherry and Zoe turned around and screamed her name. The audience at the bottom gasped in fear and confusion. And Phil just stood there, reaching out to Carrie even though he knew it was already too late...

Then the world kicked back into motion. Cherry and Zoe sprinted past Phil and down to the bottom of the stairs where an unconscious but thankfully still breathing Carrie was sprawled. Everyone gathered and crouched around her body like a protective circle. But Phil remained standing at the top of the stairs staring down at the sight before him. This was his fault. All his fault. Carrie could have died and he was the one to blame. He was frozen to the spot... until someone in the crowd asked the one question that made the entire crowd go silent.

"Who did this?"

Zoe and Cherry's eyes instantly zapped up to focus on Phil. Everyone else's eyes followed to stare at him. Some looked shocked. Some looked scared. Some looked disgusted. And that's what flipped Phil back into motion. He shot down the stairs, bust out the doors and ran. He didn't know where he was running but he ran. Out of the corridors. Out of the school building. Out of the school grounds. And he didn't stop; he just kept running. The November wind whipped at him and made the tears streaming down his face painfully cold but he still ran with one thought racing harshly through his mind.

All

My

Fault