Sarah woke up. Immediately, she remembered her night with Alex. He had seemed a little close for comfort, but then that was good, wasn't it? After playing his voice in her head several times, she suddenly remembered Jake, guiltily. She knew in her heart she wasn't being fair, that she was putting Jake through worry and pain. But she couldn't lose a guy just because her 14-year-old brother was anxious about her going out. That was it, next time she wanted to go out, she wouldn't tell Jake, that way, she'd still be able to see Alex, but she wouldn't be putting Jake through any concern. Sarah got up, and put on her pale blue Quiksilver hoody and her cropped jeans, then padded downstairs.

Kim woke up. She looked around at her cream walls, and at Jessica, who had her thumb firmly planted in her mouth. Despite the stinging in her arms, she giggled, Jessica had been insisting for 3 years that she didn't suck her thumb. Kim stretched, took off her pyjamas and pulled on her T-shirt and jeans, then remembered... the marks on her arms. Oh why did she always have to buy short-sleeved ones? Because I didn't used to be a self-harming psycho, she whispered to herself, before rooting right to the back of her draw and pulling out a long-sleeved top, putting it on, and pulling the sleeves down, right over her thumbs. Then she went downstairs.

"Right, is everybody down?"

"Uh-huh, think so."

"What about Mike? He's still upstairs."

"Mo-om!" called a voice from upstairs.

"Yes Mike?"

"Where's my medication?"

"I don't know honey! Oh God, has anyone seen his medication? Jessica, go help him find it sweety."

Jessica obeyed. While the others ate their breakfast, Kate questioned them.

"Are all of you certain that you haven't seen his medication?"

"Yes," the others chorused amidst the sea of toast on the table.

"Oh God," murmured Kate. At that moment, Jessica and Mike reappeared at the kitchen door.

"It's nowhere to be found, Mom," she admitted, nervously.

"Right, well you can't go to school then, Mikey, you're gonna have to stay home with Dad while I drop the others at school, then drop into the drug store."

"Why does he have to be doopervised?" asked Kyle.

"He has to be supervised," answered Henry, "'cause if he has a fit, he needs someone to help him, or he'll die."

"Henry, don't be so horrible!" scolded Kate, catching a glimpse of Mike's worried face. Then-

"Kaaaaaate!"

"Yes Tom? Why don't you come downstairs, they've all finished breakfast now!"

"Kate, I need a bucket! I don't think that greasy Chinese junk at Jessop's last night agreed with me!"

Kate groaned, and sunk her head into her hands.

"Oh Lord. OK, change of plan. Nora, you'll have to stay home from doing drop-offs and look after Mike. And I'll have to do all the drop-offs."

"'Kay. Sorry Mom," replied Nora, ushering Mike through. "Come on Mike, you'd better sit down."

"I'm fine!" protested Mike, as he was dragged into the living room.

"Right," Kate said, hoping to lift the mood a little, "let's get going, people!"

"I'm home!" called Kate, as she walked into the living room with rain-saturated hair and a box of tablets. "Dad still in bed?"

"Yeah," said Nora.

"Is Mike OK?"

"I think he's pretty much OK... but he had 2 absences while you were out, and... oh, here we go... Mike! MIKEY!"

Kate waved a hand in front of her son's face. He was sitting back against the sofa, staring into space, is eyes glazed over.

"Oh no!" squealed Kate, "He hadn't even had absences since we put him on this medication."

"Oh," said a voice, "hey Mom. Where'd you come from?"

"Ssssh, baby, it's OK," Kate crooned, stroking her son's boiling forehead.

"Nora, can I have some water?"

"Sure."

"Right then Mike, you just swallow one of these with the water Nora got you."

Mike did so.

"Can I go to school now?"

"Weeeell, no, I wanna keep an eye on you, you seem a little... worse for wear."

"Don't worry, I'll look after him for you," offered Nora.

"Oh, would you? Thanks honey, you're a star!"

That afternoon, when Mike was better and everyone was back from school, Sarah had a suggestion.

"Why don't we go over to the new people?" she pondered.

"Yeah," said Mark.

And so that was that. Jake, Sarah and Kim went opposite. Stephanie was at the door. Kim remembered Jessica's frighteningly good impression of the mother and smothered a smirk.

"Oh, hey," Stephanie said.

"Hey," replied Jake, "we were wondering if you wanted to come over and hang out?"

"Whatever, OK. Simon," she called, "you wanna go over opposite?"

"Fine, alright," was the response, and they all went over the road.

"So where are you from?" asked Jake, as they all went into the garden.

"Well, we were born in Texas, then when we were 6 and 7 we came to New York, then when Mom's mom died last year, we went to be with her husband," Stephanie answered.

"So, kinda New York then?" asked Kim.

"Depends how you look at it," Simon said. "I'd say New York."

There was an awkward silence.

"Your parents seemed nice," put in Jessica.

Stephanie smiled sarcastically.

"Whatever. They're OK."

Simon's phone went off.

"What is it Mom?" he answered huffily. "For God's sake why? That is so moronic, in fact- I don't care if you don't have time for any of my 'theories', you-"

The person on the other end hung up.

"We'd better go and see what the silly bitch wants," muttered Stephanie. "See ya."

Kim had, as usual, been alright in the day. She hadn't exactly been in high spirits, but nobody would have noticed taht there was anything wrong.

But at ten o' clock at night, when everything was kicking in once more, things were getting worse for Kim, much worse. Taking the knife out from her clothes draw, she positioned it against her arm, spurred on only by her sudden, second bout of unexplainable fury at Jessica. Then, she remembered how visible her wrist marks were. She couldn't make them more obvious, everyone would see unless she pulled her cuffs down 24/7.

Reluctantly, she tugged down her skirt, down past her belly button, right down past her groin. It would sting more down here, but...

The slit wasn't very big, but it hurt as though she'd swished a lighter across it. JUst as she was about to drown out her doubts by doing it again...

"Aah!" laughed Jessica, bursting into the room, "If Jake comes in here tell him I'm in Mark's room... Kim?"

Jessica took a look at Kim, who had frozen in her position.

"Kimmy," gulped Jessica, "what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Kim replied, whispering for some reason.

"Don't make me laugh, Kim. What-are-you-doing?"

Jessica was scared, really scared. Her voice, on the other hand, was, whilst being shaky, also somewhat vicious. She looked at Kim. Kim had the same look in her eye as Mike did when he was having an Epileptic fit.

"Kim!" she yelled. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing? Are you blind? Can't you see? Now go away and leave me alone!"

"What are you, crazy? You're sick, Kim, you need help! I'm not leaving you here to kill yourself!"

"I'm not killing myself, I'm, I'm, I'm channeling my anger!"

"Anger at what?"

"At YOU, Jessica! At you, with your pretty face, quicksilver brains! Why do you have to rub it in my face all the time?"

"I don't," cried Jessica, tears gushing down her face, her voice starting to choke, "All you ever do is try and prove to me how you're better!" Jessica leaned over, snatched the knife, and threw it at the skirting board. "For two years, all I could think about was how you were better than me, in every way! All I could think about, was that, and how we used to be one out of the two pairs of h-happy Baker twins. And you have the balls to tell me that it's y-you who feels inadequate?"

"Well I do!" shrieked Kim, "And it's all I've ever thought about for two years, y'know, I just wish you hadn't walked in on me when you did! I hate you, Jessica, you just don't understand!"

"Yes," whispered Jessica, her crying ceasing, "I do."

Kim looked up at Jessica, and at that moment realised, she DID understand.

"I'm sorry," she said, sobbing, "I'm really sorry." Both of them were crying openly now, wailing almost, then they caught each other's eye, grinned impishly, then burst out laughing. They were squealing with mirth for ages, then Jessica wiped her eyes.

"You are such a mess, Kimmy," she said. "Why didn't you tell me you felt so shitty, huh?"

"Dunno, 'cause I hated you."

Jessica flinched at this, then, sensing Kim's regret, smiled.

"Take a warm bath, then come downstairs," she said quietly, "I won't tell anyone."

"OK."

Jessica went out, and Kim smiled, a huge weight lifted off her mind. She couldn't believe she could be so, weird. But it was over now.

"Best run that bath," she whispered to herself.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, TOLD YOU I'D SORT IT OUT! LOTS MORE COMING, U HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF THE DRAMA! XXX