Chapter 5

Shane's POV

Claire wasn't at school the next day.

Or the day after, or after that.

We were scared something had happened to her, no one would tell us if she was dead or not, her parents probably didn't consider us her friends.

Which I hope to change.

It had been a week and a half before she returned. I was slumped in the back of the classroom when I heard the door opened and Claire walked in, head down, hood up. Her hair covered her face like a veil, she didn't lift it as she spoke to the teacher and handed him a note.

Then Suddenly she looked up at me, her dark eyes glowing in the shadows of her hood.

…and I could just make out an outline round her left eye and a cut across her lip before she looked down.

Oh god.

No. no, not again.

Why does it have to be her? Why not me?

Whoa, WHAT?

…This whole thing was confusing me… just now when I saw those marks; I was just filled with such a…such a black rage and sorrow. Not once have I felt that, and it was really, really strange.

I mean me, Shane Collins, the guy all girls love but can't have…

And here, this one girl was making me hurt…just as much as the one all those years ago.

…But that girl is gone now. Forever.

And if we don't hurry, Claire will be too.

Claire's POV

I silently traced the fresh cut across my lips and pulled my hoodie up higher.

I couldn't go back to school after I returned 'home'. Dad and mum had beaten me so harshly that even heavy make-up couldn't cover it up. So I skipped the classes, no matter how much I wanted to attend them.

Though recently, it's been harder to concentrate on my studies, with that constant black cloud like a huge weight, crushing my chest.

Sometimes, it's really hard to remember the point in life.

Right now, I don't think there is one…

After a week, I had to go back, otherwise I would fall behind. So I slugged on my hoodie, making sure it covered my face as much as possible and my arms – and trudged to school.

I took out the fake note I forged from my parents for missing school and turned the handle to the classroom.

The whole room went silent as I walked in, staring at me. I didn't look up as I handed over the note; make up still wasn't able to cover it completely.

And then, I saw him, in the corner of my eye.

And without being able to help it, I looked up at him.

His eyes widened when he saw part of my face and stared, and I saw them properly.

I felt a shock of surprise run through me.

His eyes…why were they so…familiar?

I realized what I was doing and snapped my head back down. Staring is rude you stupid bitch Claire, stupid bitch….

I

was still chanting this in my head as I walked over and slung my bag on an empty desk. The classroom started to talk again and I buried my face in my arms.

And as the teacher kept droning on, I couldn't help the one thought drift up from the back of my mind.

Why me?

The minute the bell rang I dashed up from my desk and bolted out the door. I didn't want to talk to them. It's not like they would exactly want to talk to me anyway, they were just decent people who helped me when I needed it.

I slipped the small knife from my pocket and held it to myself as I walked towards the woods. I needed…

I needed it.

I kept walking, until only the loud babble of school students were a faint whisper in the distance.

Good.

I slumped against a tree and pulled back my sleeve. I stared at the cut covered arm, red scars all over the place. The cuts covered all of it, so I hitched up my skirt a little.

I sighed as I felt the cool blade slice across the flesh of my leg, and I cut the wrist area just for good measure before sighing again, bloody knife held loosely in my fingertips.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't bring the tears to come.

So I couldn't cry anymore.

I looked down at my legs and wrist and watched the blood run, a bead of dark red running down the pale skin, pooling slightly on the dirt.

I wonder if a vampire will smell it? Maybe they'll come and kill me. Finish what mum and dad carry out so slowly.

I let my head fall back against the bark of the tree and sighed quietly.

So.

Back to normal then.

Shane's POV

She ran out as fast as she could when the bell rang, and I hadn't even got up yet.

Cursing, I quickly stuffed all my crap in my backpack and ran after her.

I was so busy muttering swear words that might've actually got me expelled, I didn't notice a little brown thing hurtling its way to me.

So I of course crashed into them.

Ow.

Cursing more, I rubbed my head and looked up at this person from my new position on the floor.

Alyssa got up rubbing her back as she glared at me.

"jeez Shane I know it's the lunchtime and no lessons but I didn't know you were that desperate to escape them." She scowled. "now, you've been avoiding ever since that night last week. So What the fuck was it that did you did?"

"Last week-?" oh. When we found Claire. Shit. Lie Shane. "That's a bit awkward lyss, I can't really go telling you about what I did with a date-"

"You can cut the crap Shane. I saw you, Michael and Eve go into that old house next to ours that night. So, let's try again. What were you doing?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead in frustration. "Look lyss, I promise I will tell you later, but right now I gotta-"

"Then I'm coming with you."

Well shit.

I tried to convince her it was nothing, but she was definitely stubborn. Giving in, we collected Michael and Eve and went off to look for Claire.

Eve came bounding up from where she'd been asking one of her coffee coworkers. "Amy said she'd seen a girl in a hoodie run past and into the woods. That's gotta be Claire, right?"

I was about to respond when Alyssa interjected.

"I don't get it. Why are you so uptight about finding this one girl?" she asked, confused.

I exchanged a glance with Michael and looked back down at her.

"Alyssa…"

"Shane Matthew Collins, you will tell me what the fuck is goin on or im gonna smash your freaking XBOX to utter pieces."

I sighed and started to tell her. "Lyss…last week we found the new girl Claire in the old house next door bleeding from her head. She was covered it gashes and bruises and was…like completely thin. We could see like every bone. And today…" I trailed off. Michael finished for me "Shane saw new ones on her face before she covered them up. We…we want to help her lyss." Lyss herself was standing there, mouth open horrified.

"Well come one then!" she suddenly shouted making us jump and took off, leaving us startled before we went after her.

"we should split up" Eve suggested and so we each took different parts of the wood, though Alyssa stayed with me of course.

I stared into the dephs of the dark midst.

I'm so sorry Claire.

I'm sorry it's you.

Claire's POV

I lay there for a while, not wanting to move. It was nice this way, watching the wood.

And then I heard them.

Voices, footsteps. I strained my ears, panicked.

"…gotta be here somewhere right?"

"I don't know Lyss, I just hope so…"

NO! it was him!

I bolted up right, a little dizzy from slight blood loss and dashed away as fast as I could. Running, I pulled my hood back up and my skirt down.

I just couldn't let him see me like this. Not like this stupid, self absorbed-

-Later Claire, right now you gotta get away.

It occurred to me later that I had left my knife

Shane's POV

We'd been walking a while when we found something.

We'd been chatting about nothing relly, well more lyss than me when I spotted it.

A small puddle of blood. A razor sharp knife. With blood on it.

"Lyss…" I interrupted her constant babble. "Go join the others."

She did and I picked up the knife, turning it in my palm.

…Was it Claire's?

Was that Claire's blood on the grassy floor?

I hoped not.

Suddenly my mobile rang. Without looking at the id, I flipped it open "yeah?"

"it's me dumbass. Just got a call from Amy, she said that the girl in the hoodie ran past like 20 minutes ago. Should we go home?" Eve said.

I stared back at the knife held loosely in my fingers, watched a drop of blood run down it.

"yeah."

OK. Sorry it took so long but we had exams this week so that's my excuse.

Anyway, enjoy this chappie and don't 4get 2 review! :D

I'll try to get the next one up sometime this week hopefully, so keep ur fingers crossed!