Oh yaaaaaaaaaaaaaayy! I didn't actually expect over 100 reviews but yaaaaaayy! Thank you all SO much! Here's the next chapter. The next one is coming VERY soon.

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Kayla's POV

Oh god, oh god, oh god.

My heart is pounding like drum as I walk up the steps to the entrance to the school. How can a heart which beats this fast be considered healthy?

When Sam dropped me off, he had squeezed my hand and told me to be brave. I was too scared to say anything back. As soon as I got out of the car, slamming the door gently behind me, my eyes took in all the people watching me. Some were sympathetic looking- all those cast by girls, or course- but I barely noticed that. I was concentrating on the sniggers of the boys, the behind the hand whispers to their friends.

Nothing has changed in those long ten second from then till now.

I'm hyper-aware of every single look on me. My heart feels heavy, my breathing labored. I've never felt like this before- not even on the first day of school. The only thing that even comes close to how I'm feeling now is when I moved into the Orphanage.

I keep my eyes down, focusing on making my way to the doors, but sometimes I look up to see if Chloe or Brady are near so that I can run if they are. Those tiny little looks I take are a bad idea- they only make me more aware that everyone is staring at me. All of the boys are sniggering and smirking, some girls too. All the 'populars' are watching me like hawks, whispering in each others ears. I've never felt so rubbish in all my life.

I blink, focusing on the door to the school. Has it always been this far away from the sidewalk?

At last, I make it. My hand clasps the door like a raft, gripping like a vice and wrenching it open. Once I'm inside the reception, I can breathe.

And breathe I do. Big gulps of air. I feel as if I've been trapped in a cupboard for a long time- which my dad once did- and just been let out. My hand lays on my chest, trying to calm my painfully throbbing heart.

The woman behind the reception desk looks up at me from some papers. Her half-moon shaped glasses sit on the bridge of her nose, making her look like some sort of bird as she stares at me.

"Are you alright dear?" her croaky voice asks.

I place my hand down by my side again, trying my best to breathe normally, and smile as best I can.

"Fine, thanks," I say, hiking my messenger bag strap higher on my shoulder. I smile at her again, just with the corners of my mouth, as I walk out of the reception and into the jungle.

Thankfully, the corridors are pretty much deserted- it's still a bit early for classes, and since the sun is shining today everyone wants to get a piece of the heat outside. The blue lockers look bright as I walk toward my own in relief. I'm feeling a little better now- maybe the comfort of nobody being around is helping my heart's pain. I take my English book out of my locker and place it in my bag. Yeah, that's right, I have English today. God just can't seem to give me the one little gift of making Chloe try to hump Brady on a Thursday night instead of a Wednesday- I don't have English on Friday's.

I look at my reflection in my tiny mirror. Taking into account the horror of last night, I suppose I don't look too bad. My blonde hair looks normal, my cheeks not too flushed.

The corridor is a complete contrast with outside. It's peaceful and silent, the odd teacher shuffling their papers being heard. I close my locker and lean the back of my head against it, closing my eyes to enjoy the last few minutes- or possibly seconds- of my peace. Images of Chloe and Brady flow through my mind. Them together on that bed...

Don't cry, don't cry- I tell myself, squeezing my eyes shut.

God must hate me for some reason, because the bell rings at that exact moment. My eyes shoot open and I straighten myself up against my locker. Nobody is in the corridor yet, but through the tiny glass windows of the door to go back into reception, I can see the heads of other students bob past.

Hoisting my bag strap further up my shoulder, I hurry to my first class, hearing the reception door crash open and yelling and laughing. I want to get to Physics quickly so that I'm not bombarded with questions and laughing on the way in.

In a strange way, I'm still in shock over everything that's happened. It feels as if... it's gone so quick, if you know what I mean? I feel like electricity is running through my body instead of my blood, cursing me to never relax. Luckily, our Physics teacher, Mr. Adams, is strict and doesn't let his students even whisper to each other. I've never been glad of that before, but now I'm thankful for it.

I keep my eyes on the ground while making my way to class, pleading with God to make the ridicule at a minimum level. If Brady laughs at me today, I'm terrified that I might burst into tears. At least I have Rachel to hide behind in English. Maybe I can get her to switch seats with me- her seat is further away from Brady.

As I lift my eyes to walk into the class, I suddenly catch sight of something and freeze, my right hand on the wooden doorway.

Brady.

Well, Brady's back, but I feel just as bad if it were his face. His shoulders are hunched in his grey shirt, his blue jeans low and butt looking desirable. My heart catches in my throat, and I feel as if I want to throw up with humiliation.

But the most peculiar thing in the world is that he isn't laughing and sniggering with his friends. In fact, his friends aren't even with him. Embry is talking to him- I can see his mouth moving in a calming tone, but I'm hidden by the lockers so he can't see me. His left side is leaning against his locker, as still as a plank of wood. Brady never comes to school this early.

He probably came early because he wants to laugh in your face as much as he can- my mind throws at me. I want to bang my head against the door to stop that thought, but that would alert Brady.

Speaking of 'alert', Brady has suddenly just frozen, his body wired by electricity. It looks as if he can smell something.

I can spot that his head is turning in my direction just in time. I run into the classroom- prompting a very strange look from Mr. Adams- and sit in my seat. I hold my breath with fear, but I don't hear any loud footsteps coming down the corridor. He must not have seen me.

I sigh, relaxing slightly into my seat. Loads of students come bustling in the door just then, laughing and giggling. As soon as they see me, their faces break into ridiculing grins. I sink even further into my chair, wanting to close my eyes for all this to go away. I clutch my bag to my chest as one boy points at me, a plain laugh forming on his face.

"Right, into your seats!" Mr. Adams yells, his round glasses looking somehow threatening as he stands up.

All the kids at the front of the class, ready to jeer at me, practically wet themselves as they scarper to their seats. If I weren't in such a shit mood I would have giggled.

Thank God that nobody sits next to me in this class.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I keep my eyes on my notebook. I don't particularly listen to what Mr. Adam's is saying, but it provides a distraction. Luckily he hasn't called on me for an answer.

I can feel everyones stares on me, and try my best to not look up. Eventually though, the teacher wants us to copy a note into our books, and I have to look up. I take a small breath in, bracing myself. My eyes glance up.

Great, the guy in front of me has turned in his seat and is staring at me. His head is tilted back slightly in his chair, and his smile is slow, arrogant, and taunting. I hurriedly look at the board, get the first few words of the note, and look back down again. I can feel my cheeks turning bright red, the blood rushing into them like flames. I absentmindedly scribble the first words from the board down. It doesn't work too well- my hand is shaking too much for me to concentrate.

And I actually thought this period was going well...

Needless to say, I don't look up for the rest of Physics. The note can't be that important, anyway. I'll just have to ask Mr. Adams for it again sometime.

Before the bell rings, I sneakily put my notebook back into my bag, and put my pen in the front zip- I want to get out of here as soon as I can. From the experience of other people, I've noticed that people get ridiculed the most when they're walking out of the classroom. I plan to bypass this ridicule by running out before anyone can even stand up. Oh, and hopefully not trip. The electric feeling inside me has, of course, not gone away. I just want this day to end...

I keep my eyes on my watch, watching every second tick by slowly. Why does time have to go by quickly when you're enjoying yourself, and slowly when you want to kill yourself?

As each second goes by, I find myself getting more and more anxious to leave, and how to leave. What if someone gets to the door before me and stops my exit?

The bell rings.

I'm hyper-aware of every move I make to get out of the classroom. Just a few more steps to freedom... just one more...

And then I'm out.

I sigh and nearly laugh with relief. I can hear people getting up, and a few of what I think are disappointed sighs, but nobody rushes to follow me out the door. Scurrying through the corridor, I turn the corner and, while walking, take my timetable out of my bag.

Oh my god...

Chemistry. With Chloe. And I sit next to her.

This time, I stop, groan, then rest my head against a line of blue lockers in defeat. Could this day get any worse?

My eyes close, my brows furrowing. I hate this school. And my life. School had always been an escape to me, from the Orphanage, and before that, my dad's violence, but now I feel like I'm being thrown into a pen of hungry lions.

I sigh shakily as I straighten myself up. Maybe I'll call Jordan at lunchtime, that'll make me feel better. We may not have been that close when we were younger, but we are now. Too much has happened for us not to love each other greatly.

I shove my timetable back into my bag and fold my arms as I walk along the empty corridor, throwing my hair behind my shoulder distractedly. My arms are around my chest because of my fear that I may cry. Thank god that there are no classrooms on this corridor, only toilets.

I keep my eyes on the ground, but look up when the corridor ends, leading into another one. I've just turned the corner when I spot Embry hanging out on the left side of the corridor, leaning on one of the lockers and talking to one of his friends. I can see his mouth moving, and curling into an amused smile every now and then. Somehow, he looks so much older than the last time I saw him.

I hurriedly lower my eyes again. He and Brady must have made friends over the past two weeks; he must be under strict orders to ridicule me whenever he gets the chance.

My feet absentmindedly move faster, almost scurrying. I've just, thankfully, made it to the end when I look up to see where to go next, and catch Embry's eye.

He's staring at me. His other friend- Quin, Quil?- turns his head to see what Embry's staring at, and doesn't look away. I immediately blush, preparing myself for the laughter. I had come here today expecting this, but somehow, I still wasn't ready. My feet walked slower, even though

After bracing myself, nothing seemed to happen. Surprised and confused, I frown slightly at them. I can't make out the look on their face- it's as if they have something to tell me, but they look somehow... shocked.

Creeped out, I dart away from them, walking hurriedly toward Chemistry, keeping my head down. I want nothing more than to see Jordan right now, and have him tell me that it'll all be okay, like he used to.

You may be wondering why I'm hurrying to Chemistry, where Chloe is. The truth is, I'm feeling vulnerable in the corridors: Brady can pop up at any moment. At least I know where I stand with Chloe: hurt, and never wanting to talk to her again. Maybe I can ask Mrs. Higgins if I could move seat- there are a few empty ones at the front of the class.

Thank the Heavens- Chloe isn't in the classroom yet. I hurry to Mrs. Higgins, hearing my breath hitch slightly in relief, and ask her if I could move.

"Well, normally I wouldn't let you, honey, but since you're such a good student and I can see that you're upset... okay, sit wherever there's a spare seat," she decides, smiling at me. Right then, I could kiss her. Thankful tears nearly make their way to my eyes, but I manage to push them down. Finally, some good news today.

I thank her profusely, then scan the empty classroom for which spare seat would be the best to sit in. They're all at the front, but I need to choose carefully- if I sit in front of any of the usual suspects for ridiculing people, my day would become even worse.

I sit in a seat which is in front of a few of the class rejects- they can't have much to say, can they?

For once today, I'm right. They just come in, sit down, and ignore me. I sigh, relaxing slightly in my seat. Chloe is behind me- I don't have to see her.

Except when she walks in the room.

Which she just has.