Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital I wasn't even a thought in the wind when this show was created. I do not own Ethan or Kristina or any of the other characters in this.

Summery: Takes place after the scene in 9/1/11 when Kristina overhears Ethan tell Skye all about her and how she's a messed up kid and feels sorry for her. Kristina decides enough is enough. If that is how he really feels about her, then she is done being the victim.

P.S. Kristina is not going to get sick

XOXOX

Kristina's school, as well as it's library is closed for a four day weekend so she knows she has no choice but to go to the Metro Court if she wanted food since her mother never learned the art of cooking or go to Kelly's where she can sit and study as well as eat as much junk food the place can provide. She decides to go to Kelly's and have that study session she was going to have before she ran into Ethan. She has to stop being stupid and get on with her life, she's sure Ethan has.

That morning she puts on a comfy yet cute pair of gray knit leggings and a long, white, soft tee shirt. She was going out to study not looking to impress anyone but she didn't want to look like a complete bum. She grabs her Psychology textbook as well as her notes so she can prepare for her upcoming test. She always was interested in psychology so she picked it up fairly quickly but she still wanted to be well prepared. She may not have gotten into Yale but she was always a hard worker.

She gets to Kelly's fairly early and instead of sitting in her usual seat in the middle of the room, she moves to the far side and plops open her books. She doesn't want people to notice her or anyone to come in and talk to her. She just wanted to study then go on her way. When the waitress Steph brings her coffee she gives the girl a warm smile.

"Just don't disappear on me again okay? Love the hair by the way." Steph jokes at her before making her way to the other customer's that stop in before they go to work.

Kristina takes a small sip of coffee and starts reading. This was going to be a long day.

After a couple hours, Kristina starts to let her mind wander. If she were being honest with herself, her anger at Ethan subsided a little bit after that first week and a small part of her was hoping to run into him. Just so she can find out if what she heard was the truth. Maybe they could move past this. She still has strong feelings for him. However, as soon as she thinks it, she gets disgusted with herself. She only has herself to blame for Ethan pitying her.

She was too desperate. Too desperate for his attention, for his rescuing, for love of any kind that she created this fantasy where Ethan cared about her at all. That he considered her a friend at the very least. When reality hits her, she realizes that he never actually gave a shit about her. How could he have? The way he's been acting towards her the last couple months have shown how much he can't stand her. Maybe there was a time when he liked her and liked spending time with her but when he got sick of her he didn't know how to make her get lost without getting a bullet in him.

He probably hung out with her as long as he did because everyone told him not to and he loves being a rule breaker. The only time he was real with her was probably the day he was screaming at her at the docks that she was too immature for him and she needed to grow up. That conversation was so cruel; was that how Ethan wanted to be around her all the time?

It still broke her heart to think of how many people he must have told her personal struggles with, how many people he told he felt sorry for her; that she was a messed up, immature kid. Did everyone know he only tolerated her because she was fragile? Did everyone look at her and think of how weak and pathetic she was? Because right now that's all Kristina thought about herself.

She was pathetic. She was weak. No one really cares about her not counting those out of obligation. She was nothing to no one. A target to use to hurt her father, a disappointment to her mother for not being smart enough to get into Yale which Molly would get into without a second thought, not strong enough like her sister Sam to take care of herself when someone was threatening her, not brave enough like Michael or Morgan who are pure Corinthos, even Michael who Sonny isn't blood related to.

She shook her head when she started to feel tears well up in her eyes and knew it was time to get the hell out of there. She had to stop this crying shit.

She grabs her books and is placing $30 on the table for Steph for taking up her table for over 2 hours when she hears a ding and sees Ethan and Johnny walk in. They were laughing about something and didn't notice her. Good. She didn't want to see them, she didn't want them to try and talk to her. Her thoughts about hoping to run into Ethan disappeared; she was terrified to talk to him. It hurt way too much.

She quickly drops the money and is about to walk out the door when she hears Steph calling her name and thanking her. She turns and sees Ethan and Johnny look at her surprised to see her leaving without saying hi.

"Hey K, where you running off to?" Johnny says as he makes his way towards her and gives her a little hug. She responds halfheartedly. She has no issues with Johnny, he was nice to her when he needed to be but she is sure he was one of the first to hear how pathetic she was from Ethan and she was a little hurt that Johnny wouldn't let her know. She thought she was his friend too, but bros before hoes.

"Just have some errands to run." She says softly as she nervously tucks her hair behind her ear. She would not look at him, she would not look at him.

Ethan had to stop himself from gawking at her. Holy shit she looked drop dead gorgeous. She was always beautiful but right now, with her new hair, casual outfit, without a speck of makeup on; she looked stunning. This was the same girl that he met at Jakes? No way! She looked like she was 21.

"Hey luv, I like the hair." He says softly and she shakes her head at him as if she didn't hear him, still refusing to look at him.

"I actually have to go but have a good one." She says as she looking at Johnny before walking out of Kelly's.

Ethan looks at his best mate who is looking back at him just as confused. What the hell? She wouldn't even look at him.

"I didn't imagine that blow off right?" He had to ask his friend and Johnny shakes his head.

"No you totally didn't imagine that." Johnny had to admit he was a little surprised. Ethan was seconds away from drooling at her and she practically ran out of the place. Something was up.

Ethan nods and quickly follows her out the door. She was practically jogging towards the docks and he had to run to catch up with her.

"Krissy, hey, wait up!" He called after her but she just ignored him which sent a pang of sadness through him. What was going on?

When he finally reaches her he gently grabs her arm to stop her and she flinches. Never, ever has she flinched away from him. Even after everything with Keifer, she always trusted him not to hurt her.

"Luv, what's going on?" He asked her in a hurt tone.

Kristina stares at him blankly, almost surprised at herself for flinching away from him. It's not that she thinks he would physically hurt her but after everything that's been going through her head these past two weeks; Ethan hurt her in ways Keifer would never dream of. Keifer may have had her body, but he never had her soul like she gave Ethan. She truly trusted Ethan and she feels like he betrayed her.

"Nothing, I just need to get home." She says not looking him in the eye.

"I thought you said you had to do errands." He asks her knowing he caught her in a lie.

Kristina shakes her head at being caught. Stupid rookie mistake but still salvageable.

"I do, but I have to drop this stuff off first." She answers simply with a little bit of her usual attitude. It was the ice mob princess act she puts on her the public, to hear her talk to him like he was a stranger stung. He thought their friendship was better than that.

"Want to tell me why you've been avoiding me?" He had to ask because after what just happened, now he knew for a fact she was avoiding him. He couldn't understand why; he told her they would hang out the day after his poker game. He knew this couldn't have been about him not letting her stay that night; she knows he was only doing that to protect her from the scum bags who would have wanted to hurt her to get back at her father.

Kristina finally looks up at him with icy eyes. It was a lot harder than she thought it would be to see him again but she knew she had to be strong.

"I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been busy with school." She says simply and he shakes his head at her in anger.

"Oh bullshit. You practically ran out of Kelly's just now and I had to chase you down the block to talk to you. Can you tell me what happened please? Is someone bothering you?" He had to know. If someone was hurting her he had to know so he could protect her.

Kristina's glare gets even worse as she yanks her arm out of his grasp. Seriously, he thought the only way she could be acting this way was because someone was harming her? Well he's half right, he hurt her!

He broke her heart and her faith in people.

She gives him a cold laugh "Believe what you want but I am busy. I'm sure you must miss my pathetic advances towards you for entertainment but I have faith you'll survive without me." She spat her words at him angry at herself for getting upset as she storms away from him.

She would not cry, she would not cry, she would not cry until she got home.

Ethan watches her go speechless. What in the hell just happened? That person was not his friend Kristina. That person that was looking at him hated him.

TBC