A/N: So I know Zach seems like a bad character in this chapter… and I know you all like Zammie, but I want to reassure you there will of course be Zammie later on and remember, I like twists, so everything you read in this chapter might not be what it seems! So bear with me for Zammie action!

Previously:

"Well, I knew you'd come to a place like this, because it's the kind of place I'd go" I said.

Macey smiled.

"But… there is something that's very different about us" I said sadly. "I was only accepted into the Gallagher Academy because my mom works there… and that's the only reason why they're keeping me"

()()()()

Me and Macey stayed at the house for a few more days, completely in a world of our own. When the weather cleared up we went back down to the lake and sat by it in silence for hours on end… but in our minds there was always one thing we had in mind… we would have to go back soon.

Macey was in no rush to get back either. She'd taken quite a liking to Preston and I could tell under her hostile attitude towards him she really was beginning to get far too attached to him. Preston's parents had come back and were instantly fussing around us, asking us where our parents were, but we'd just said they'd allowed us to come on a girl's holiday and eventually they began to stop asking questions… although I couldn't fight the feeling that Preston's dad was continually looking at me, and so I felt almost relieved when Macey said about three days into our 'holiday' that we should call my mom.

We used Preston's phone. She picked up on the first ring.

Her voice was full of stress as she said "Yes, Gallagher Academy, Can I help?"

"Hi" I said simply.

I heard her begin sobbing into the receiver and I had to hold it a little way away from my ear. "Oh I'm so glad you're okay Cammie! I thought they had you, I thought they were…"

"Shut up!" I yelled into the phone. Macey and Preston stared at me wide-eyed.

"Just… just shut up, we're fine"

"Oh darling, you found Macey too?"

"Yes" I said bluntly.

I gave her the details of where we were and we waited with Preston until they finally arrived… in a helicopter.

"Oh darling!" my mom yelled as soon as she saw me. I shrank back from her as she attempted to hug me. Her arms dropped dead to her sides.

"And… Macey, I'm so glad you're okay, I promise I'll explain…"

"Oh no need Headmistress" Macey shrugged. "I already know it all now, and I understand"

My mom nodded.

My mom's hand rested on my shoulder, and I shivered under her cold touch, but then my attention turned to the woman getting out of the helicopter.

"Aunt Abby!" I cried happily as I bounded up to her. She grinned and held out her arms and I leaped into them.

"You are bloody stupid Cammie" Aunt Abby scolded me while I still clung onto her. "But, I'm glad you and Macey are okay"

"Sorry I left… I just had to sort out…"

"Hey, it's over now, forget it" Aunt Abby shrugged casually. I suddenly felt a great pang of love for her.

"Well… I guess we should get back…" My mom said sadly staring at me with my arms wrapped around Aunt Abby.

"Oh shit!" Macey said suddenly. My mom looked at her scoldingly. "Sorry, I just remembered I'd left my watch at Preston's, can I go get it?"

"We'll come with you" my mom said. "Who's Preston?" she asked Macey.

"Just a friend we met here" I noticed Macey blush slightly and we all traipsed back into the house.

"Hey Preston" Macey muttered. Preston grinned at her.

"Back so soon?" He asked. Then his eyes widened as he saw me and my mom and Aunt Abby.

"Oh, nice to meet you" he stuttered timidly.

My mom and Aunt Abby spared him a nod and watched as Macey dug around the sofa cushions until she found her watch… the one with the laser beams, which in the wrong hands could have been lethal.

"Oh, hello there" we all turned to face Preston's dad who was smiling in the doorway.

I couldn't help but notice the way Aunt Abby's hand had dug deeper into my shoulder and the way she suddenly seemed alert.

"Hello, we're here to… pick up Cammie and Macey" My mom said casually.

"Oh, great, it was great having them here, they were good company for Preston" the man nodded.

"Well, we best be off" Aunt Abby's voice had a strange pitch to it, and me and Macey exchanged a frown.

"Of course, have a safe journey" Preston's dad nodded as we walked out the door.

"What was that about?" Macey asked as soon as we were out of the house.

"Nothing" Aunt Abby brushed away her question as we climbed into the helicopter.

As soon as we were inside my mom threw some croissants our way to most likely distract us and then went with Abby into another room.

Me and Macey exchanged a grin and walked over to the door they'd disappeared through and pressed our ears against the door. Their voices carried through.

"I'm telling you, I'm sure Matthew mentioned that man's name a few times, and not in a good way" Aunt Abby was practically screaming.

"I'm sure it was nothing" my mom tried to calm her down. "He's the senator, I'm sure it's all fine"

"Well I need to look deeper into it" Aunt Abby sighed.

Suddenly the door was thrust open and me and Macey were laying on the floor.

Aunt Abby grinned in joy. "Oh, Cammie is so like her dad" she laughed.

My mom didn't join in. "Girls what are you doing? This has nothing to do with you; you can't listen to conversations like that"

I stood up and stood square to her, up close I realised we were almost the same height.

"Says who?" I asked. "We were the one's living next to that man for three days, so surely we should be the ones you consult!"

"This is for the adults to sort out!" My mom screamed. "Not for… little kids!"

I kicked angrily at the door frame. "I'm not a little kid!" I yelled. "Maybe I was when you left me but now I'm a teenager and you have to deal with it!"

Macey and Abby were looking at us both in despair.

"You know, I hate you!" I yelled at her. "You're not my mom, you're not!"

My mom's eyes filled with tears. And then she slapped me.

I shrunk back in shock.

()()()()

I let out one final yell before Dillon finally let go of me. "I enjoyed that" he whispered into my ear.

My fingers rummaged through the mud for my jeans and with shaking fingers I pulled them on, trying to ignore Dillon who was doing the same next to me.

I brushed the tears that had run down my cheeks away and watched as Dillon picked himself up from the floor. I cried out in pain as he grabbed me by the wrists and hauled me up.

"Please let go Dillon" I whimpered. His hands were digging so painfully into my wrists it was like being burnt.

"Go back to your room as if nothing happened" Dillon instructed me.

I let out a sob that was partly to do with the fact my wrists were burning and party because I wanted to go straight to a teacher and tell them what had happened.

"I mean it Cammie" Dillon sneered as he pulled me in towards him.

I thought about how much the teachers hated me, about how all of the students thought I was annoying and how no one would believe me.

Dillon's hand collided with my face making a sharp 'slapping' sound, knocking me to the floor. And to my senses.

"I won't tell anyone…" I whispered.

()()()()

"Cammie!" My mom gasped. "I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to do that"

I felt my eyes fill with tears, but not from the pain of the slap, from the pain that my mom had just hit me… like Dillon had.

"Cammie, please, I'm so sorry" My mom begged as she tried to come closer, but I shrank back.

Aunt Abby stepped in between us. "Let's just…"

But my mom was still staring at me with such guilt in her eyes.

I put my hand up to my cheek and felt the heat from the slap.

"Let me get some ice" My mom fumbled guiltily.

I turned away from her. "No, it's fine"

Aunt Abby led my mom into the other room and Macey and I sat in silence in the main room. The journey passed painfully slowly, and by the time we finally arrived I'd never been so happy to see Gallagher.

I attempted to go straight up to my room but Abby's hand on my shoulder stopped me. She gave me a quick hug. "Sorry, not yet squirt, we need to talk"

Macey started following behind me too but Abby stopped her.

"Not you Macey, just Cammie"

I gave Macey a confused shrug and she went up the stairs whilst I followed my mom and Abby up to my mom's office. I was in complete shock as I saw Zach sitting there. He didn't look at me.

I felt my heart sink as I sat in the chair next to him. I tried to catch his eye but he wouldn't look at me. I suddenly felt angry. Why should he be ignoring me? I'd found Macey, surely everything should be going back to normal now.

"Cammie…" my mom began.

"Can this hurry up?" I asked impatiently. "I want to have a shower"

"No" my mom snapped. "This can't wait"

But then her voice turned gentler as she caught my eye. "Cammie we know…"

"Know about what?" I asked quickly in my panic. Suddenly it hit me. I looked at the sadness in my mom's eyes, the way Aunt Abby's hand was holding tightly onto my shoulder and the way Zach was refusing to look at me.

"We know about… what happened... with Dillon"

I stood up feeling sick. "You don't know anything"

Abby's hand gently pushed me back into the seat and I collapsed into it.

"We know Cammie, you don't have to hide it anymore…"

"Zach told you" I spat.

Everyone suddenly looked to the floor.

I stood up again, praying my knees weren't about to collapse underneath me.

"I'm not listening to this" I said and I proceeded to walk out of the door.

"No, Cammie, we have to talk about this" Aunt Abby gently grabbed my wrist but I immediately felt the pain burn down my arm and I snatched away my arm, grabbing at my wrist.

Aunt Abby grasped both my wrists and before I could stop her she'd rolled up my sleeves so everyone could see the bruises that caked my arms.

"My baby" I heard my mom sob. And that's when I lost it. I stormed straight over to my mom's desk.

"Don't you dare call me that!" I screamed in her face.

Aunt Abby grabbed me again and pulled me back. She tried to hold me in her arms again, but for once I didn't feel safe there.

I shook off her arms and started for the door.

"Gallagher Girl…" Zach's voice stopped me.

"It's not what you think…" He muttered. "I didn't tell…" He looked up at the warning in Abby's eyes and trailed off.

"Bullshit" I screamed. "of course you told them Zach, but you haven't made life better for me like you think you have… you've made it a million times worse! I hate you all!" I screamed.

"Wait Cammie!" my mom dragged me round to face her. "There are things we need to talk about… I know it's hard but…"

"You think it's hard for you?" I felt so weak as my eyes filled with tears and my voice broke.

I turned my attention back to Zach. "I trusted you" I whispered before I pushed my way through the door.

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