He sat up, looking at me with a confused expression. "What was she saying?"

"You forgot to turn the shower off," I propped myself up on my elbows. "And she wants you to go say hi to your grandparents,"

"Shit,"

"Where's my clothes?"

"Still in the bathroom,"

"How do I get them?"

"I'll do it," he stood up and threw on some clothes, before leaving the room and coming back with mine.

I had gotten dressed and was about to leave.

"Bye," I whispered to Luke, who closed the door. It was dark and cold, and looked like it might rain. There wasn't many people out on the streets, just the odd drunken or stoned group of druggies, occasionally someone who seemed to be going home from a bar or something. I was about halfway home when I felt the first drops of rain. It started off slow at first, before it started hammering it down. It was cold and heavy and wet. I felt someone touch my shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing out here at this time?" I couldn't see his face, for his black hoody covered it.

"Do I know you?"

"Yeah, uhh,-"

"Oh, you're cereal guy,"

He looked at me in confusion.

"What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I uhh, went to meet one of my friends,"

"Hypocrite," I joked. "Where's Jason?" I asked him, beginning to walk down the street again, Nico following soon after.

"Home. He came back when I left," he sounded shy and timid, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his Bring Me The Horizon hoody. The wind had made his cheeks pink. He seemed to look at me in concern, but I didn't question it.

The lights were on when we got back. My mother was surprisingly awake, but obviously drunk. She was wondering around the house, seeming to have no aim but to pace. When I opened the door, she looked up at my drenched state, frowning.

"Where the fuck have you been?" she walked up to me, slamming the door and folding her arms, an angry expression on her face.

"I was with Luke, it's fine mom,"

"It sure as hell is not fine Thalia!" she snapped. "You've been gone all day! You didn't even tell me you were going out. If it weren't for Jason, I would have called the cops! I called you half a dozen times! Why didn't you pick up?"

"My phone was on silent, relax," I went to walk into my room, but she grabbed my wrist and threw me back against the wall. This was another reason me and Jason locked our doors as frequently as we did, so she didn't get drunk and bring up past subjects and start hitting us for it.

Nico was just standing a good few metres away and staring. I wished he would just go into his room before she started going on about-

"What's this?" she pointed to my neck.

"It's my neck, mom, I've always had it, why don't you go get some water and go to bed," I went for my room again, but this time, she slapped me.

"How dare you give me attitude?" He shrieked.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," I put my hand to my face where she had slapped my, my fingers shaking slightly.

"Why are there bruises on your neck? Have you been getting into fights again?"

"No, just give it a rest,"

"What were you doing with that boy?" she asked. Ooh shit. Shit, shit, shit. She was going to scream her way to the bottom of this. "Where were you all day?"

"We went to that field place to study, I told you?"

"So you studied all day?" she crossed her arms and tilted her head, obviously not buying it.

"No, we went to his house-"

"What did you do there?" she interrupted.

"Relax mom! We were just listening to music and stuff,"

"Stuff? What stuff?"

"What does it matter?"

"I want to know exactly where you were and what you did and how you got those bruises!"

"I just told you! I was with Luke, we went to this field to study, we went back to his and played some music and watched a couple movies,"

"So where did you get those goddamn bruises then?"

"I uhh…" I stuttered. "I-we-no, I-"

"Hurry up!"

"I have no reason to tell you," I shouted back.

Now she did something I had not been expecting. She hit me. Like, punched me to the side of my face.

All I could do was stare, my hand to my bruised and slightly bloodied face.

"Tell me where you got the bruises," he voice was calm and level.

I saw Nico to the side of me, reaching his hand out, as if he were to touch my shoulder.

When I didn't answer her, she shouted again. "Tell me!"

Thank god that Jason walked in at that moment, because if he hadn't stood between my mother and me, it would have escalated a whole lot more than that. God knows it's happened before.

"Mom, stop!" he shouted, putting a hand out. "You're drunk, get some water,"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do-"

"Now, mom, before I get angry and hit you like you hit her," his body was half turned to me, half still facing my mother, who walked over to the sink and picked up a cup. Jason was the only person she would listen to. She had once told me, in one of her very rare sober states, that he reminded her of our father.

Jason was facing me now, his hand on mine. "Thalia, are you okay?" he asked, slightly worried.

"I'm fine," I nodded, shrugging his question off. "I'm going to bed," I pushed past them and closed the door to my room quietly, to avoid them thinking that I was sulking, which I wasn't, I just wanted to be alone in the dark.

The side of my face stung. I picked up my phone to check my texts. Apparently Annabeth had been texting me all day.

Hey, where's mah pic?

Do I have to wait for tomorrow?

Hunee y yew naht textin meh?

Are yew ded or wot?

Hey, sarry, I woz with Luke, then my mom kept asking where I had been and that.

So you were with Luke huh? I thought yew werr saving yourself for Nico

I never sed dat

Well, that's what you think

Can I stay at yours tomorrow nite?

Sure, I have the house to myself anyway, it'd be nic to have someone else here. I'll see you there at 7

Thanks Annie, it's just my mom got pissed again and it was kinda unnerving, ya know?

Yeh, I totally understand.

Can I just ask, where WERE you doing with Luke that raised questions?

…

Bye

I put my phone on my bed and changed out of my wet clothes, into a black tank top and a pair of soft dark blue short with the American flag on them, splatted carelessly across the leg. I slipped under the clean sheets of my bed, grateful for the warmth.

I must have been out for about half an hour, if that, before I heard knocking on the door.

"Thalia?" Jason called quietly, before trying the door. I had locked it when I came in, in case my mother decided to take a trip into my room and start hitting me again. "Thalia, open the door,"

I sighed, getting up and unlocking the door, twisting the handle and pulling it open. "What?"

"Sorry about before, I just had to make sure mom was sober enough to sleep,"

"No, it's fine,"

"I got you some ice, she hit you hard," he held out a bag of ice, covered with paper towels.

"Jace-"
"Thalia, if you don't take it, you're face will be swelled up in the morning,"

I sighed again, taking the ice from his outstretched hand. "Anything else?"

"I'm not going to tell mom, don't worry, but exactly how did you get those bruises?" his voice was calm and gentle.

I let out a breath I didn't realise I had been holding. "I tripped and fell into a bush, it's fine,"

"Thalia,"

I rolled my eyes. "I went. To Luke's house,"

"You can't keep doing this,"

"Why not?"

"Because you're sixteen, you've had what, ten months? Don't you two do anything else?"

"We bought lunch and ate it,"

"What I mean is," I could tell this was just as awkward for him as it was for me. "Go hang out with some of your other friends,"

"I'm going to Annie's tomorrow,"

"And try to give a better answer so that if she asks Luke's mom, she's not going to tell her that you weren't out studying, that you were in fact in his room wrestling all day,"

"I don't get how she's even fit to be a mother," I held the ice ouch to my cheek.

"Neither do I, but if you keep this up, I'm going to have no choice but to tell her,"

"Don't you dare," I uncrossed my legs, standing up straight, my eyes widening. "She'll beat me bloody,"

"Then don't give me an excuse to," he took a step back. "I'll see you in the morning," he smiled, walking away.

I slept badly that night, thinking of the cold and of my mother hitting me.

The mornings had never put me in a good mood, especially when I had to get up early, but I woke up at eleven that day, giving me eight hours to get to Annie's. I didn't care what my mom said when I got back, I just wanted out of this house. I wanted to be around normal parents who weren't alcoholic or abusive. I had once considered taking her drinks away, hoping that it might help, but she would just go and get more of it, and hit me 'till I told her where it was.

I walked into the large joint dining room and kitchen, shoving some bread in the toaster. "Where's Nico?" I asked.

"Probably hiding out in his room away from mom," he said.

"God, she's such a wanker," I took out my toast and buttered it, dumping it on a plate and almost throwing myself on a chair, tearing bits off it.

We had a TV on the wall opposite the table, and the news was on. I couldn't help but stare at it, waiting for it to finish, just so I could make sure that no one had reported the warehouse incident. I was slightly nauseated, silently begging that no one had reported it.

"Since when are you interested in the news?" Jason asked.

"I'm not, just bored," I didn't look at him.

"You know, there was a thing before, apparently a bunch of kids set a warehouse on fire 'bowt ten minutes away, they're looking for fingerprints or anything, to see who did it,"

The impact was like a bullet from a gun. Maybe it was, I couldn't tell the difference. I felt sick. Actually sick. I felt like I might throw up.

"When did they find out?" I asked, looking down so he couldn't see my face.

"Last night, about seven-ish,"

"Huh," I threw the rest of my toast in the bin and went to get dressed.

Just as I was about to open my door, Nico walked out of his room. He looked at me, slightly concerned.

"She's in her room, it's fine," I opened the door to my room.

I closed my curtains and pulled out a drawer from under my bed. Inside was a box, and in that box was a selection of pots, each containing a different drug. Some were light, and others were strong. I picked up one of the weaker ones that I couldn't remember the name of and swallowed three of the pills, before putting the pot back, locking the box and closing the drawer. I had school in two days, so I couldn't take one of the stronger ones or I'd just keep taking more and then I'd end up high at school and I'd get found out. I'd get them taken away and get sent to rehab or something. I was the only one who knew about this. Well, me and Dave, the person who I got it from. I was surprised when he first came up to me in the streets and offered some to me. The cops were on him and he was trying to get rid of it, so he said he's give it away for free. I was going to throw it away, but curiosity got the better of me, and I ended up smoking pot. Then that lead to other things. My mother was always too wasted to notice, and Jason was always worrying about how much sex I had and all that bullshit. No one ever noticed.

For some reason, in my drugged state, I thought I'd go to Nico's room. He opened the door, a confused look on his face. Before he could say anything, I pushed past him and stood in the centre of the room.

He closed the door and stood facing me. "Can I help you?"

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't I-"

"Well, you just moved in, and you're whole family's dead," he flinched. "And you don't talk much, and after last night-"

"Are you stoned?" he walked up to me, putting his hands on my face, looking at my eyes.

I snickered. "Shh," I put my finger to my lips.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"Some guy,"

"And how do you know he's not selling you poison?"

"I don't," I tried to stop laughing, but it was incredibly hard.

"How long have you been buying that stuff?"

"'Bowt a year,"

"You've been doing drugs since you were fifteen?"

"Shh!" If Jason heard any of this I was done for. "How could you tell so quickly?"

He went silent.

"No," I put my hand to my mouth. "You too?"

"If you dare tell anyone-"

"If I tell anyone, they're going to figure me out too," I said. "But you're not stoned,"

"Not anymore,"

"Just don't make it obvious to Jason," I warned. "He doesn't usually notice with me cuz he's way too busy questioning me about what I do with Luke to notice much, but if you start acting high around him he's gonna question both of us, kay?"

"How much did you take?"

"I dunno what it was… but it was good…" I threw myself at his bed. "But seriously, why don't you talk much?"

"I, uhh-"

There was a knock at the door. "Thalia?"

How did they know I was in here?

Nico walked over to the door, pulled back the bolt and twisted the handle, pulling it towards him. "Can I help you?"

"Where's Thalia?" he pushed past him and stared at me. "I need to talk to you,"

I closed the door to my room, turning to face him. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"You haven't seen?"

"You don't mean the news do you? Well, Jason told me, I was still in bed,"

"Thals, they found it," Luke's expression was worried.

"Who reported?"

"I don't know, but what if they saw us?"

"Luke, if they saw us they would have said and it would have been on the news," I tried to reassure him, but I don't think it worked. "What if they find out?"

"Thals, you can't tell anyone. No one at all. Not Jason, not Annabeth, not anyone," he put his hands on my face. "Promise me,"

I nodded, gripping his wrists tightly.

"What happened to your face?" he said, his voice wavering.

"Nothing, it's fine,"

"Thals,"

I sighed. "My mom hit me when I came home. I didn't tell her I was going out, and then she started checking me all over for anything that might have happened and then she looked at my neck and hit me,"

"I'm so sorry," he let me rest my head on his chest.

"If they find out," I whispered. "What are we going to do?"

"Run," his hands were shaking slightly as they gripped the back of my neck. "Run and never come back. We'll drop everything and run. You can't take your phone, nothing,"

"Where will we go?"

"Anywhere. Somewhere far away from here,"

"You'll come get me right?"

"Always," He whispered. "If they find out, I won't be able to come back here without them busting me, meet me at the warehouse, if I'm not there within five minutes, it means they've got me. Promise me you'll run. Never stop running. I'll call you when I get out. Promise me if I'm not there you'll go,"

"I promise," I said, not completely sure if I was lying or not. My throat felt tight, as if I might cry, but I blinked any tears away.