Backstage: Miles and Alya

* Chapter Three *

It had been three weeks since Miles found out about Alya's secret, and he had still not told her what he knew. The only person he had come clean to was Jax, a guy who he had come close to since that first day of school.

"What?!" Jax had said when Miles had told him the full story. "Dude, you need to tell somebody!"

Miles shook his head softly. "I- I just can't. Not unless she wants me to."

Jax had looked at him with a strange look in his eyes. "Does she want you to?"

Miles scratched his neck with his hand, looking apologetically at Jax. "She- um i mean.. doesn't exactly know I know yet."

Now, he and Jax were sitting in the music room, when Miles searched around for Alya. She wasn't there yet.

Maybe she's just late, like she was on that first day of school, Miles thought, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread at the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help remembering seeing Alya yesterday; her eyes so dull, her once energetic self now seemed lifeless.. had to figure out how she was!

To: Alya
From: Miles
Where are you?

To: Miles
From: Alya
I'm sick.

Miles breathed out a quick breath of relief, only to inhale another gasp of worry? She wasn't lying, was she?

To: Alya
From: Miles
Want me to come over today? It must suck to be home sick.

To: Miles
From: Alya
I.. I'm not sure. Wouldn't want to get you sick too.. :(

To: Alya
From: Miles
I don't care. I have to come see you.

To: Miles
From: Alya
Please! You really don't have to come, you know.

To: Alya
From: Miles
See you at 4.

(Now in Alya's POV)

Alya groaned inwardly to herself. Couldn't he just take a lie and go with it?

To be completely honest with herself, she wasn't sick. She was getting scared of her dad. The bruises and scars were getting harder to hide away, and she delicately touched at a scar above her eye. Would Miles think it was just a scratch? Or would he pressure Alya for the truth?

* * * * * *

Alya walked downstairs to get some breakfast, knowing that around this
time in the morning that her dad was normally asleep. Unfortunately, that was not today.

A gruff voice sounded from him, and he gripped her with his big hands. "Why aren't you at school?" were the words that came out of his mouth.

He thrashed her around, the pain becoming unbearable. He wasn't usually this aggressive, but she just gritted her teeth through it. When he was done, he went back to his den, and Alya crawled upstairs to her bedroom. She didn't even bother putting her jacket on.

Right when she was about to stand up, she fell backwards, and her vision went black.

(Back to Mile's POV)

Miles quickly ran from the school towards her house. The suspense was just too much. He had to figure out how she was!

Once he was there, remembering the last time he came there, he went through the house and flew up the stairs to Alya's room. When he got there, he opened the bedroom door. And he stopped dead at what he saw:

It was Alya, lying there in the floor, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, revealing all of her horrific bruises and scars. And she was unconscious.