Thank you so much Grace and Pumkingking 5 for your encouraging reviews! I realised that the reviews from my last author's note did not get deleted therefore users who were logged in could not post a review. I had a wonderful time in America and it was so exciting to look around New York and Washington D.C along with meeting family. I am not super happy about how this chapter turned out but I got tired of editing and re-writing this. The next couple of chapters are already written they just need some editing and I should be able to have a chapter up maybe next weekend. Hopefully you all like this chapter and to be honest I feel bad for Gabriella…
Hope you all enjoy!

Thursday 31st of January 2008
Gabriella's POV

I looked over at the text from Troy once more that morning, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

Troy:
Hey Brie, Sorry but I won't attend school tomorrow. Don't feel good… Just sick or something like that. Love you and hopefully see you soon. Xoxo

I closed my phone with a small sigh as I shoved it into my backpack before making my way downstairs. "Good morning mi hija," mom said as I walked into the kitchen. "Good morning mom," I answered as I put my bag down by the door. Moving further into the kitchen I opened the cupboard grabbing a bowl. I grabbed the carton of milk from the fridge as mom finished preparing her breakfast.

"So Troy coming today?" Mom questioned buttering the bread. I looked up from the cereal with the spoon halfway up towards my mouth. "No," I said putting the spoon in my mouth, chewing the cereal. "He texted me last night said her was sick," I told her as I chewed on another spoonful of cereal.

"All right. I have to leave but make sure you watch the time," she told me putting the knife in the dishwasher. "I will," I told her as she closed the door of the dishwasher. "Have a good day at school and I will see you tonight," mom said as she moved and gave me a kiss on top of my head.

"Thanks mom see you later," I told her as I heard her pick up her car keys from the hallway. "Bye," mom called out before the door closed. I let out a sigh as I placed the spoon in the bowl not really hungry any more.

Did I just eat to please the people around me?

My gaze was down in the bowls as I watched the cereal get more and more soggy. I was not really looking forwards to going to school today because I knew today would be a shitty day.

How I knew already? Troy would not be there.

I had already figured everything out. Whenever Troy wasn't there, or anyone on the basketball team, the cheerleaders would start talking crap about me right in front of me. Long gone were the days when there was a rumour about you around school. All right, that was not too bad because it was well, just a rumour. But when someone was talking negatively about you right in front of you then it suddenly became a whole lot worse…

I could just skip school. That would be an easy solution.

The idea played in my mind but there was this rational side of me who argued that I didn't need to start skipping school now. I didn't want to ruin my chances of getting accepted at RCE… I didn't have the biggest hope to begin with so why ruin the little hope I had about my great attendance? I just had to take it and make it through today and hopefully everything would be good tomorrow.

Hopefully. Right, there is always tomorrow to look forward, I reminded myself and took a deep breath.

I rose from the counter and picked up my bowl drinking the milk before dumping the now soggy cereal, placing the bowl in the dishwasher and looked at the clock. Just in time for school. I picked up my bag and walked into the hallway to put on my shoes before leaving the house, locking the door behind me.

It started as soon as I entered the school building.

The cheerleaders were standing in a group whispering and laughing amongst themselves. Walking past them to reach my locker I heard them talking about me.

"Look there she is, and Troy is not with her. Maybe he finally dumped her," one of them said but I tried my best to ignore them. I knew the truth.

"Maybe he finally got to his sense and learned that he shouldn't date one of the geeks," another one snickered as I walked out of earshot of them. I took a couple of deep breaths to try and compose myself in the hopes of stopping the tears that were pressing on. It didn't help. I felt the salty liquid start escaping my eye and I were quick to wipe it away as I opened my locker. My eyes just stared at the books standing there as my vision got clouded by tears that I didn't allow to fall. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"Good morning Gabriella," I heard Tylor's cheerful voice before the click as her locker opened. For once I was relieved Taylor didn't have her books either. She didn't have to see my face yet.

"Good morning," I told her, surprising myself at how steady my voice was. I furiously wiped away the last tears that were pooling in my eyes. "Do you have plans during free period?" she questioned casually as she closed her locker with a small thud.

"Um no…" I answered vaguely before finding my geography book.

"Will you help me with the yearbook? I have some different layouts I wanted to run by you. See what works best," she explained her voice so hopeful.

"Yeah," I told her softly as I closed my locker door finally turning towards her. She studied my face, frowning a little.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned concerned. "No I am fine," I lied brushing it off.

"All right…" Taylor stated not fully believing me. "We should head to class before we're late," Taylor said as she grabbed my wrist, practically dragging me to class. We were both early to class and sat down in our usual seats. Both in the middle of the classroom. As the warning bell sounded more and more students poured into the classroom taking their seats.

I felt lucky to have geography this morning. Somehow none of the cheerleaders were in this class. I could be left alone for now…

Seeing as more and more students walking into the classroom they seemed to be looking at Taylor and me. If Taylor could so easily see that I had been crying what would the others think? Right now I did not want to face the world. Why couldn't I just crawl back to bed and escape everything?

The next best thing was to just keep my head down pretending to read in my book. In the distance I heard the teacher enter the classroom and starting his lecture. Today was not a day I managed to focus on anything. I was reading the same sentence over and over again as my thoughts were running wild. I had all of these questions about why everyone choose to pick on me. What had I ever done towards any of them? It wasn't exactly my fault that Troy and I started dating. He asked me and I said yes. At that time, I had no idea who he was or what it would mean…

"Gabi," Taylor said and I snapped out of my thought. "Hm?" I questioned turning towards her. She was standing there with her books in her hand looking down at me.

"It's free period," she stated and it was then I fully realised that the classroom was empty. "Oh," I said and hurried to close the book and shove it into my backpack. "You said something about the yearbook?" I questioned as I lead her out of the classroom.

"Um, yes. But there is something I want to talk about first. Can we find somewhere quiet?" she questioned me and the look on her face were worrying me…

Finally, we found a quiet corner in the school and we sat down together. "So what were so urgent?" I questioned and she just looked at me.

"Oh Gabi," she said shaking her head slightly. "You." "Me?" I questioned baffled. "What about me?" I questioned confused.

"What happened this morning? I saw you crying when we stood by the lockers and again during class just now." "And don't tell me it wasn't anything because we both know it was," Taylor told me sternly and I just sighed.

"It was just…" I trailed off not meeting her eyes. I knew she were looking at me. "Just a stupid comment made by the cheerleaders. That's all," I told her and she crossed her arms across her chest. "There seems to be more to it than that." Taylor claimed her voice serious.

"I don't know okay?" I said with a sigh dragging a hand through my hair. "I am just having a bad day and there is a lot going on all right? Somehow they seem to be after me especially when Troy is not around and then I got a message from him last night that he was sick," I explained.

"Well I guess it's good that Troy is almost always with you?" she questioned playfully nudging me in the side. I had to smile at that because to some extent it was true. "Yeah I guess," I said not revealing how many ways they found to pick on me…

February, Saturday 2nd
Mom were leaving for the airport again… "You're going to be all right alone?" mom questioned me again grabbing her coat. "Yeah," I answered softly giving her a small smile. I felt my stomach twist at the thought of her being away again. "I know this is not ideal but I promise you after this there will be a lot less traveling," she said and walked towards me.

"You said that about moving also," I pointed out to her softly and she sighed.

"I know Gabriella and I am sorry about that. I never thought we would be moving so much, but I am hundred percent certain that we are not moving until August," Mom told me putting on her coat. "But you mentioned something about moving in mid-May?" I frowned and I were even more confused by her increasing smile.

"I forgot to tell you but I got the confirmation yesterday that we are staying. That whole plan got cancelled thank god," mom said and I hadn't felt so relieved in a long time. "That's wonderful," I smiled genuinely.

"Well I should get going. Do not hesitate to call me at any time Gabriella. If you can't get hold of me leave a message or send me a text," she instructed. "I will mom," I told her and she moved forwards to give me a hug.

"Take care and I will be back before you know it. I love you mi hija." "I love you too mom. Have a safe flight," I told her as I followed her into the hallway. "Thank you Gabi. See you soon," mom said and with a last smile she walked out to door.

Sunday
I rolled over in my bed and looked at my clock. Twelve, noon. I had just been laying in my bed awake for the past several hours. Mom had sent me a text late last night saying she had landed safely and reminded me once more to call her if there should be anything. I looked down at myself and felt kind of sorry. I had fallen asleep in yesterday's clothes and not been bothered to get out of bed despite being awake for the past four or five hours.

Glancing from the clock and towards my cell phone, which were resting on the nightstand beside my clock, I picked it up. I needed a reason to get out of bed. I opened my phone and clicked into my list of contacts. I flickered through it until I found Troy's phone number and my thumb hovered over the green call button.

I pressed the red button and closed my phone again. He shouldn't be the reason I should get out of bed… He was sick and had other things to worry about. More important things than me.

Hope you all enjoyed this delayed chapter! As Pumkingking 5 said in her review she said one thing she liked about the presentation and Etrea were that everyone received healthcare. That was inspired by the healthcare system in Norway where a lot of our income is going to taxes but we have amazing health benefits. So long story short, Etrea is somewhat based on the wealth system that we have in Norway but they also differ somewhat. As far as I have understood the healthcare system, is a little like what Bernie Sanders tried to do in America. Hope that gave you a better understanding and reviews are always appreciated!
-FreeFlyingWriter