Greyscale [✓]

Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

"Are you sure you're alright?" Cameron asked, for what felt like the millionth time as he paced her bedroom.

It was the following day and in an hour, it would be time for her – and the rest of the Advanced English and Italian classes in school – to leave for Rome. He had been worried about her ever since the drama of the Winter Ball had gone down, even more so when she had gotten home the previous day with tears in her eyes and not a word of what had happened.

Hannah managed a small grin whilst she nodded, her hands pressing down on her navy suitcase as she slowly zipped it up. She really didn't want to go on this trip any more, especially considering Ashlyn would be her roommate but what choice did she have?

The work they would do there was part of her final grade and no matter what, she couldn't allow her former best friend to ruin even her grades. She had to do well this year, she just had to. She couldn't let them win, couldn't let them know how much they had hurt her over the past few months because Hannah had to prove herself. She had to prove her worth to her mother, to her grandfather but mostly to herself.

"I'll be fine," she answered, throwing an arm around her cousins' shoulder with all the affection she could manage. "Rayne, Becky and our little Momo will also be there to hopefully keep me sane. You just make sure you feed Puddles for me, okay, and let him out to play and empty his litter tray and–,"

Cameron laughed, head thrown back.

"I will, I will. Calm your tits, woman!" He lowered his voice as she slipped on her jacket and double checked her passport and boarding tickets were with her. "If anything happens, if that fuckin' bitch tries anything at all again, just let me know, okay? I won't hesitate to fly down and rip her Barbie hair off her head."

Hannah chuckled at the thought, although it was brief, and finished packing the few last essentials she had left behind. Mentally making a list of all she needed to keep in her hand luggage, the two cousins made their way to the car in order to drive to London Heathrow.

Cameron drove in silence, eyes flicking over at her every few seconds but wisely keeping his mouth shut. He knew that the more he brought up what had happened, the more Hannah would curl up inside herself and that was the last thing he wanted to happen. His only consolation was that at least that bastard Gabriel wouldn't be on the trip and if Hannah managed to avoid Ashlyn as much as possible, Rome might not be so bad.

Perhaps the change of scenery would be good for her.

She had begun to retreat deep inside herself after all that had happened; lying in her bed with the blankets wrapped right around her for most of the day. And when he was lucky enough to get more than a few sentences out of her, she would clam up again, her mind evidently recalling everything that had occurred.

He would murder Gabriel if he would, squeeze every ounce of life out of his pathetic body. How dare anyone hurt her so much, when she had done nothing in the first place other than to stand up for herself?

"Is everyone here?" Mr Daniels counted heads when everyone had arrived at the busy airport and had said goodbyes to their family members. Mrs DePalma, the Advanced Italian teacher, begun to do the register as the two classes gathered together, voices rising in excitement. Hannah had made her way towards Charmaine and Mohammad, hands clasped tight around her suitcase and hair swinging behind her. She had left it down for a change, enjoying hiding behind the raven screen as she watched her classmates interacting.

Ashlyn was standing on the other side, makeup done flawlessly and designer jeans sculptured around her body, as she chattered along to a few girls Hannah vaguely recognised. To her relief, her former friend didn't so much as shoot a glance in her direction and Hannah was able to push the events of the Ball out of mind for a few precious minutes.