Giving Up

Chapter 5

Vacation's over now, so hopefully I'll be posting more often. :) Anyway, enjoy!

*Unedited*

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         After the encounter with Aiden I went home. The house was quiet, which was normal, though slightly unnerving because of the events that had happened today. Throughout the night all could be heard were my sobs. This little world I had been building up crumbled. Four and a half years of building destroyed in a mere day. They knew. They knew I was in the city and they would find me. I wouldn't have much more time here in my crumbled little world. 

        I pictured the heading in my mind. 'Avery Collins, Millionaires Daughter, Missing.' Of course, I wouldn't be missing. No one would be smart enough to put the pieces together. 

        Sunday was spent sitting in my room staring at the wall. My body numb with exhaustion. I hadn't got any sleep the night before. Every time I closed my eyes flashs of my past played like a horror movie on my eye lids. I had added more than twenty marks to my body. Sunday night I barely managed to get a hour of sleep. 

*****

        The bell rang over head and I was knocked from my daze. I blinked a few times and grabbed my stuff. I walked with the crowd towards the lunch room. The day had gone by in a blur so far and it wasn't even close to being finished. My head was spinning and pounding, my body sore and aching from both the lack of sleep and the beating I had received from John. As I walked through the halls, I wasn't really there. I was a ghost. 

        I sat down at the table with next to Sage and Leo, my small group of friends laughing at something Jackson had said. 

        "Avery!" Brandi squealed when she noticed my presence at the table. I forced a smile to my face and her face fell. She had seen straight through my facade. "What's wrong?" She asked, concern lacing her tone. During the last few weeks I had become close to these people, they were all so wonderful. God, was I selfish. I knew they might get hurt because of me, but they made me happy. Happy. Truly happy. It was a rare thing, something I hadn't felt since I was young. They were my friends, honest to god friends. I never really had friends. When I was younger I had a few and I loved them but they got hurt because of me. After that, I rid myself of my of the small luxury. 

        "Nothing, Brandi." I said weakly. "I just didn't get much sleep last night." I confessed. 

        "Avery, how much sleep did you get?" Cameron asked. He didn't sound angry, just concerned. 

        "I don't know." I mumbled. Cameron gave me a look. "An hour, maybe a less." This weekend. I shrugged, sighing. Cameron let out a sigh as well. 

        "Avery, you shouldn't have come to school. You should have stayed home and tried to get some sleep. You look like death." Cameron chided. I felt like death, too.

        "I know and thanks by the way." I muttered. "I just didn't want to sit around the house. I know I'm not going to be able to get much sleep, anyway." I shrugged. "Quit worry about me." I demanded. The lunch room became quieter, a low murmur instead of the usual chaos. 

        "Bad boy hottie alert." Leo giggled under his breath. I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly who had walked in. 

        "He's coming this way." Sage squeaked in my ear, looking at me with wide eyes. I looked up, fast enough to get whiplash. Aiden, was in fact, walking straight for our table. His eyes locked with mine and he looked concerned under the cocky smirk he wore like a charm.