Hello, everyone! I'm sorry for the inconvenience of me not posting for the last couple of months but my computer broke, and I just recently got a new one. Next week I'm going on vacation and it might be another week or so before I get another post up:( Sorry! I 'm trying to convince my mom to let me take my laptop, but the only thing I get in response is why do I need a laptop camping (which I can kind of see where she coming from). Anyways, this chapter is pretty average in length wise to the series, and I know it probably wont last until a week but just hang in there guys.

DPROV

I tumbled off her bed, hitting the floor so hard pain jolted through my spine. When I scrambled up, Liz's bed was empty, the comforter wrinkled only where I'd been sitting. I took a slow look around the bedroom. Liz was gone. Gone? She'd never been here. They'd taken her away last night. I hadn't dreamed that part—hair gel still freckled the ceiling.

Simon let out a low whistle. "I bet that was tough to clean." I snorted. "Like you would know, you've never cleaned anything in your life." "Hey," Simon stated to protest then stopped once he realized I was right.

I pressed my palms to my eyes and backed up until I hit my bed, sitting down on it and inhaling deeply. After a moment I opened my eyes. Sticky strands of sleep were still woven around in my brain. I'd been dreaming. No, not dreaming. Not imagining things. Hallucinating. Dr. Gill was right I had schizophrenia.

Chloe's aunt sighed. "I blame myself," she said her gaze down towage her lap. Chloe shook her head, "No Aunt Lauren, it's nobody's fault except the Edison group." The others nodded but she still looked doubtful.

But what if I wasn't? What if Rae was right, and I was seeing ghosts? I shook my head sharply. No, that was crazy talk. That would mean Liz was dead. That would was nuts. I was hallucinating, and I had to accept it. I reached under my mattress, pulled out the pill I'd stuffed there the night before, and swallowed it dry, gagging in protest.

Simon shuttered, "Yuck, I'm sure I would to." Dad gave him a look to keep quiet, but it past by unnoticed. "You're lucky that they didn't give you meds." Tori pointed out but Simon just shrugged because in a way he did have to take meds, and he would have to for the rest of his life.

I had to take my meds. Take them and get better or I'd be shipped off to a real mental hospital, like Liz. Only Rae joined me for breakfast. Tori was still in her room, and the nurses seemed content to leave her there. I picked at my cereal, scooping one Cheerio at a time so it looked like I was eating.

"Yeah, that will convenes them," I said in a light teasing voice to Chloe. She bumped my shoulder with hers, a light blush on her pale cheeks. Tori made and gagging noise, while Simon smiled at us and the adults look uncomfortable.

I kept thinking of how scared Liz had been. Terrified of being sent away. Then talking about her dream of being tied down, unable to breathe… A hallucination. In real life, teenage girls can't make bottles explode and pictures fly off the walls….

"Miss Van Dop?" I said when she came in to lay the breakfast table for the boys. "About Liz …" "She's fine, Chloe. She's gone to a better place." Those words sent a shiver through me, my spoon clattering against the bowl.

"I don't blame you," Tori said with a sigh. "Yeah," Simon said. "The way she said is just so creepy." "I never did like her," I mumbled low enough for those around me to hear. Chloe and Simon snickered, while Tori and Lauren looked confused, Dad was trying to keep a stern look on his face but I could see the winkle in his eyes that eminently made my smile at him.

"I'd like to talk to her if I could," I said. "I didn't get a chance to say good-bye. Or thank her for helping me my first day." Miss Van Dop's severe face softened. "She needs to settle in, but we'll call her in a few days and you can speak to her then." See? Liz was fine. I was being paranoid. Paranoia. Another symptom of schizophrenia. I pushed back the stab of dismay.

"She wasn't fine she was dead." Tori snapped, talking to no one in particular. She crossed her arms and stared at the floor so heard I'm surprised it didn't blow up.

The nurse turned to go. "Miss Van Dop? Sorry. I, um, I was talking to Mrs. Talbot yesterday, about e-mailing a friend. She said I needed to speak to you." "Just use the e-mail program to write your letter and click send. I'll sit in the out-box until I enter the password."

"Cheap computer program," Tori murmured continuing to glare at the floor. I ignored her comment, probably being the only one able to hear it and keep reading.

Some instructions from my school had arrived, so after breakfast, I showered and dressed as the guys ate, then headed off to class with Rae. Tori stayed in her room and the nurses let her. That surprised me, but I guessed it was because she was upset over Liz. I remember Liz saying Tori was here because she was moody. There'd been a girl at drama camp a couple years ago whom I'd overheard counselors calling "moody." She'd always seemed to be either really happy or really sad, with no in-between.

"Like someone we know." Simon said trying to cover up his words with a fake cough. Tori's glare had moved from the floor to him. Dad cleared his throat. "Derek keep reading."

With Tori absent, I was the only ninth grader. Peter was in eighth; Simon, Rae, and Derek in tenth. It didn't seem to matter much. Kind of like running a one-room schoolhouse, I guess. We shared a room with eight desks and we all worked on our separate assignments as Ms. Wang went around, helping and quietly giving short lessons. Maybe knowing Ms. Wang had been partly responsible for Liz's leaving influenced my opinion of her, but she seemed to be one of those teachers who trudges through her job, watching the clock, waiting for the day to end … or a better job to come along.

"She would have loved that," Chloe said with a snort. I smirked at her from behind the pad and she smiled up at me. "Oh no, now she's starting to talk like Derek." Simon said in a dramatic falsetto, while Tori rolled her eyes.

I didn't get much work done that morning. I couldn't concentrate, couldn't stop thinking about Liz, what she'd done, what happened to her. The nurses hadn't seemed surprised by the damage in our room. That's just what Liz did, like with the pencil. She got mad and threw things.

"She is a pretty incredible with her powers," Chloe commented. We all nodded; knowing not to piss of Liz's ghost in the future.

But she hadn't thrown that stuff. I'd seen pictures fly from the wall when she'd been nowhere near them. Or had I? If I was schizophrenic, how was I supposed to know what I'd really seen or heard? And if paranoia was another symptom, how could I ever trust my own gut feeling that said something bad had happened to Liz?

I was irrupted by the loud crunch of a cracker. I glanced up at Simon who munch away happily. Once he seemed to realize that I had stopped reading and that everyone was looking at him. He cleared his throat, "Sorry." I snorted in response.

Rae was in session with Dr. Gill for the first part of the morning. When she returned, I spent the rest of class eagerly awaiting break time, so I could talk to her. Not about Liz and my fears. Just talk to her. About class, last night's movie, the weather … anything that would clear Liz from my head. But she was having problems on a work sheet, Ms. Wang made her stay through break. So I promised to grab her a snack, then trudged out, heading for the kitchen, sentenced to another hour or two trapped in my own head, thinking about Liz.

"I wouldn't have brought her a snack back," Tori mumble. "Tori hush," Chloe said who got an annoyed huff from Tori in return.

"Hey." Simon jogged up beside me in the hall. "You okay? You seem quiet this morning." I managed a wan smile. "I'm always quite." "Yeah, but after last night, you have an excuse. Probably didn't get much sleep, huh?" I shrugged. Simon reached for the kitchen door. A hand appeared over my head and grabbed it for him. I didn't jump this time, just glanced back, and murmured a good morning to Derek. He didn't answer.

"No surprise there," Chloe teased. "D's not a morning person, are you Bro?" I rolled my eyes at him, it had become a habit for me though I could stop the small twitch from forming on my lips.

Simon headed into the pantry. Derek stayed in the kitchen, watching me. Studying me, again, with that spookily intense look of his. "What?" I didn't mean to snap, but the word came out harsh. Derek reached for me. I stumbled back ... and realized he was reaching for the fruit bowl, which I was blocking. My cheeks burned as I darted out of the way, mumbling an apology. He ignored that, too.

"So not how you treat a girl," Simon said with shake of his head as he nibble a cracker. Dad cleared his throat hiding a smile while Lauren just looked disapproving.

"So what happened last night?" he asked as he grabbed two apples in one big hand. "Hap-p-p-?" "Slow down." My face heated more—with anger now. I didn't like it when adults told me to slow down. From another kid, it was worse. Rude with a grating edge of condescension.

"Way to go Derek." Everyone tried to hide their snickers, but of course I still heard them. I scowled and mumble a very low apology to Chloe. "It's fine Derek, I know you didn't mean it."

Simon stepped from the pantry, a box of granola bars in hand. "You should have an apple," Derek said. "That's not— " "I'm good, bro." He flipped one granola bar to Derek, the held out the box for me. I took two, with thanks, and turned to leave. "Might help if you talk about it," Simon called after me. I turned back. Simon was unwrapping his granola bar, gaze averted, trying to look casual. Derek didn't bother. He leaned back against the counter, chomping into his apple, staring at me expectant.

"I didn't know you were the gossip type Derek," Tori said. "Oh, he may not seem like it but he is." Simon said with a wide goofy grin; while Chloe tried to cover up her giggle.

"Well?" Derek said when I stayed silent. He gestured for me for me to hurry up, spill the gory details. I'd never been one to gossip. Maybe that's not what they wanted—maybe they were just curious, concerned even.

"I think it was more curious then the concerned." Simon admitted. "But of course we were worried about you though." "Yeah, I could tell," Chloe said sarcastically. I buried my face in her hair to hide my deep chuckled, which I'm sure she was aware of.

"Rae's waiting for me," I said. Simon stepped forward, raising a hand as if to stop me. Then he glanced at Derek. I didn't catch the look that passed between them, but it made Simon pull back, nod a good-bye to me, and busy himself with unwrapping the rest of his bar. The door was still swing shut behind me when Simon whispered, "Something happened." "Yeah." I let the door close, and stood there. Derek said something else, but his low rumble swallowed the words.

"Spying Chloe, I never knew you had it in you." Tori said with a half smirk. "There's a lot of thing you don't know about me," Chloe replied back with her own sly glance towage Tori making the other girl frown.

"I don't know," Simon said. "We shouldn't—" "Chloe?" I wheeled as Mrs. Talbot stepped into the hall from the living room. "Is Peter around?" She asked. Her broad face beamed. "Uh, in class I think." "Could you tell him I need to see him in the living room? I have a surprise for you." I glanced at the kitchen door, but the guy shad gone silent. I nodded to Mrs. Talbot and hurried off.

"I knew you were there the whole time," I told her. Chloe just rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."

Peter's parents had come to take him home. He's known it would be coming soon, but they'd wanted to surprise him, so we had a little party, complete with cake. Low-fat, organic, frosting –free carrot cake. Then his parents went upstairs to help him pack, while Simon, Derek, Rae returned to class and I had my session with Dr. Gill. Twenty minutes later, from her office window, I watched his parents' minivan back out the drive and disappear down the street. Another week and I'd be doing the same. I just had to stop thinking about Liz and ghosts and concentrate on getting out.

"Yeah, because that worked." Tori said with a snort. "You don't have to be so angry just because Chloe actually tried to get out," Simon remarked. "I did try," She said with a huff crossing her arms. "Yeah and that mountain of medication was really candy." My brother muttered to himself. "Alright," I interrupted before anything else could be said. "Dad you read next."

Quick note; even though the next Chapter is going to be read by Kit, it will be in CPROV. R&R