Again, this chapter is all over the place and crazy. That's cuz Maddy still doesn't have his pills...so, yes. So! All you Maddy/Alex lovers...you're gonna like this chapter, I think. Hee. Which leads us to our first slash warning in action! Yay! Umm...what else...well, this chapter was actually supposed to be oodles longer...but I decided 13 pages was enough...so the next chapter will be up soon, since I already started it! Umm...any other warnings...blood. And cursing. And kissing. And a jerk. Enjoy!

Story warnings: Like I said, it's slash. That means boy on boy action. There might be girl on girl action later, too. We'll see how it goes. Also, there will be swearing, lots of fluff, romantic sappiness, touchy subjects that may offend some readers (but no one's forcing you to read it!), really big jerks, making out (maybe more!), smoking, alcohol, the stupid things teenagers do, and...maybe the occasional evil rabbit. You have been warned!

Disclaimers: I don't own any brand names mentioned in this story. I do however claim all characters and plot. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. And if these characters do resemble any real people...I'm kinda worried.

My head hurts. My finger hurts. My me hurts.

Why do I hurt?

Groaning, I crack an eye open and peer at my surroundings. I can barely see anything. It’s really dark in here.

Ewww, there’s a string of saliva running from my mouth to the pillow. Making a face, I wipe it away. I hate drooling in my sleep.

I shift a bit, freezing when I notice something around me.

Are those arms?

Okay. Arms. Right. Of course. Perfectly normal way to wake up. Mhm.

…where the hell am I?

I close my eyes, trying to remember yesterday. School…lunch…oh, shit. Right. The freakout. And then Alex brought me here…

Alex!

I give a sigh of relief as I realize whose bed I’m in. For a minute I thought I’d gotten kidnapped and lured into some pervert’s house who had his dirty way with me.

Wait…freakout…crap.

My pills are still at my house. That means I only have a bit of time before I slip away again. It’s better in the dark, especially when I’ve just woken up. My concentration’s much better then, even though it’s still not great.

A small sigh draws my attention to the still sleeping Alex. He’s lying on his side, facing me, his thin arms wrapped loosely around my body. He’s still fast asleep, lips parted slightly, breath ruffling the strands of hair that’ve fallen across his face. I watch him sleeping, fascinated by the lines of his face, the faint glint of the metal on his ears. He’s really pretty…

Hand moving like it has a life of its own, my fingers lightly run down his cheek, outlining his sharp cheeks, finally resting on his mouth. He still doesn’t wake up, although his eyebrows draw down slightly. Breath bated, having no idea what the hell I’m doing, I lean forward, fixated on those soft lips. I think my concentration’s slipping. I don’t care.

They’re just as soft when I press mine against them, gently at first, then with more pressure. I pull back, heart pounding. Alex sleeps on. Unable to stop myself, I lean forward again, pushing my mouth against his with more determination. He makes a sound, which makes me deepen the kiss, parting my lips to match his. Our breath mingles and I let out a sigh. I kinda feel bad for molesting my friend’s mouth when he’s unconscious, but…God, he’s so hot.

The bed sloshes as the arms around me tighten and I’m pulled forward. My heart skips a beat. Oh, shit, he’s awake! Ohnoohnoohnoohno…oh, he’s a good kisser…

My hands wrap themselves in his shirt as my lips devour his, desperate to get closer. He apparently feels the same way, suddenly pulling me on top of him. I squeak, startled by the sudden switch, but Alex doesn’t give me a chance to do anything, dragging my face down for another lip swelling kiss. Ooohhhhh, I am in my happy place…

I shiver as cool hands find their way up the back of my shirt, fingers tracing the faint scars. I gasp as his nails press down on my skin, making my chest arch into his. He uses this to his advantage, pressing me closer with his hands as he nips at my lips. I shudder, wrapping my fingers in his soft black hair. God, I feel like such a slut. But it feels so good. And Alex isn’t objecting…

My hands move down his cheeks, neck, shoulders, running under his shirt to rest on his chest. I feel the scars there, slightly puckered under my curious fingers. Huh. We can be scar buddies.

We finally break away from each other, gulping in air and staring at each other. Alex looks dazed and his cheeks are flushed. I bet I look the same. We stay in that position, hands on skin, me on top of him.

Well. This is awkward.

“Were we just…making out?” whispers Alex hoarsely, looking up at me with hazy eyes.

“Uh…yeah…I think so…” My voice doesn’t sound that great either.

“Oh. Cool.”

We stare at each other for a few more seconds before Alex suddenly pulls me back down, attaching his lips to mine as he flips me over. The waterbed sloshes irritably and my eyes cross for a minute. Gah, everything’s spinning…

Oh, whoa, where are his hands going?!

…okay, they can go there.

Hee.

The screech of a guitar suddenly fills the room, and I fly up, hitting my head against Alex’s. Both yelping in pain, we fall back, making the bed slosh crazily.

“Owww…” we both moan, holding our heads.

Well, there goes that romance.

“What the hell is that?” I yelp over the guitar.

“My alarm clock!” he replies loudly, flat on his back.

“What the hell kinda alarm clock is that?!”

“I have trouble waking up in the morning!”

No kidding.

He finally crawls over to the small black box and shuts it off, sending the room into deafening silence.

…my ears kinda hurt now.

“Sorry,” mutters the other boy sheepishly. “I kinda got caught up…y’know…and forgot that was on…”

“Er, that’s okay…”

We sit there, looking anywhere but at each other, both flushed and awkward. I can’t believe I just jumped my first friend since moving here…yesterday must’ve really screwed me up…too bad it wasn’t Alex screwing me…

Shut up, brain!

Alex clears his throat. “So, uh…I guess we should get up…”

“Yeah…”

I really don’t want to. I like this waterbed. And I like it even better with Alex.

I wonder what it’d be like doing it on a waterbed? Is it even possible? I mean, the bed is so sloshy…and it’d move a lot…wouldn’t it be difficult to aim?

Hmm…

I want to try it…

“Uh, Maddy? Are you listening?”

My eyes snap to Alex’s face, cheeks flushing. Okay, Maddy, stop lusting after your friend. Especially when he’s sitting right there.

“Of course I’m listening!” I lie.

“Mhm. What did I say?”

“Uh…that we should skip school and spend the day snogging on your waterbed?”

Let me have my hopeful delusions!

Alex laughs, the sound bright and full-bodied. I blink at him. I was serious.

“C’mon, Mads. Let’s get some breakfast.”

Raising an eyebrow at the new nickname, I allow him to pull me from the bed and out of his room. The basement is dark since the sun still hasn’t risen, and no lights are on. I frown.

“What time is it?”

“About five.”

“Wait, what?! What are we doing up at five?!”

“That’s the time I always get up…” He looks at me, eyebrow raised. “Why? What time do you get up?”

“Six thirty!”

“Oh.” He smiles brightly. “Well, it’s only an hour and a half earlier.”

…I think I may hate him a bit.

We climb up the stairs and I’m pleased to find that my concentration is pretty good right now. I think it’s cuz it’s dark right now. Once the sun rises and the lights go on…

Click.

Shit.

The lights flood the kitchen, bringing every shining surface and polished tile into stark relief. I freeze in the doorway, staring, every good feeling sliding away. Nonononono, please, no.

“Maddy?” Alex glances back, smile fading when he sees the expression on my face.

“Please turn off the lights,” I whisper, voice strained.

“Why?” Confusion lines his face as he steps towards me.

“Please,” I repeat, tears welling up in my eyes.

“Okay, hold on.”

Alex walks swiftly to the doorway, flicking off the lights. The bright, shiny kitchen is plunged into darkness and I give a sigh of relief, gaining a bit more control.

“Thank you,” I whisper, closing my eyes.

A hand touches my shoulder.

“Hey, how ‘bout you take a shower, and I’ll make us some breakfast, ‘kay?”

I nod, risking a peek at him. “Alright.”

“Here, I’ll show you the way.”

I allow him to take my hand and lead me through the dark hallways, up a flight of stairs to the top floor. We stop in front of a door and Alex pulls me inside. He’s about to turn on the light, but hesitates.

“Um…will you be okay with the light off?”

I nod, eyes adjusting. “I’ve showered in the dark before.”

“Okay. Well, um…there are towels in that cupboard…you can use whatever you find in the shower…” He points to random places, nibbling on his lip worriedly.

“Thanks,” I mutter, stepping past him.

I wait until the door has shut behind him before pulling off the borrowed pyjamas and letting them drop on the floor. I stumble to the shower, turning the knob until hot water sprays against the stark white tile turned grey in the dark. The only light in the bathroom comes from the window that’s covered by a sheer white curtain, and that’s barely bright enough to even call light.

I carefully step into the shower, sliding the door closed behind me. I flinch as the water hits my skin, but slowly grow used to it. I hate taking showers in the morning. I would’ve taken one last night, but…well, y’know.

My groping hand comes to rest on a bottle that turns out to be shampoo after careful squinting. I squirt some into my hand and rub it through my hair, the suds sliding down my neck and face. I close my eyes and lean my head under the water, letting the spray rinse it out. My hair smells like flowers.

I manage to locate the conditioner and run a bit of that through my hair as well. If I don’t, I’ll end up with a bunch of frizz for hair. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Hair now clean, I search the dark shower for some kinda body wash. I don’t really care what kind it is, as long as it gets me clean. I finally find some and squeeze it into my hand. Ugh, it smells like flowers, too…

I sigh, rubbing the soap into my skin, creating more suds. I stare at them, the bubbles shining oily even in the dark. I run my fingers over them, watching them pop, only to be replaced by more. Holding my arms out in front of me, I watch the water wash them away, the rivers running down the rest of my body.

My finger hurts.

I glance at the bandage and notice that it’s stained red, the water turning it pink. Frowning, I unwrap the bandage, setting it on a shelf. The gash stands out starkly and painfully against my pale skin. I wince. It may not need stitches, but it still hurts like hell.

The door opens and I look up. Must be Alex…

Footsteps move towards the shower and the shower door is suddenly pulled open. I spin around, surprised. I freeze. And then I scream.

Seconds later, footsteps pound up the stairs and into the bathroom.

“Maddy! Are you o1—?” He breaks off when he sees what’s going on.

And then he bursts out laughing.

Nic is still frozen, blue eyes wide, mouth open in shock. Alex’s laughter seem to shake him out of his paralysis, and he backs up, waving his hands frantically.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were in there! I heard the shower going and I came to see why it was going so early, and it was dark, so I thought someone had left it running, and when I opened the door I thought you were Alex since you two look alike, but then you weren’t, and…I’m sorry!” he babbles, face flushed in embarrassment.

I’m still standing stock-still, heart pounding wildly. Oh, my God.

I’m sorry, but being seen naked in the shower by the older brother of your friend is traumatizing. At least for me. And apparently for him, too.

Alex is still laughing.

Realizing I’m standing stark naked in front of two guys I barely know (ignore the fact that I was making out with one earlier), I quickly cover myself up with my hands, face turning as red as Nic’s. Noticing my embarrassment (and seeming to get over his a bit), Nic grabs a towel and thrusts it at me. I take it, wrapping it around my waist as I step forward from under the falling water. Alex, still giggling madly, reaches around me to turn it off, sending the bathroom into awkward silence (well, minus his laughter). I step out of the shower stall, head bowed, cheeks still pink.

“I, uh, I’m okay now, so if, uh, if you c-could…?” My mismatched eyes flick between them and the door as I bite my lip.

“Oh, y-yeah, of course!” Nic quickly edges for the door, obviously desperate for escape.

Alex grins at me, following his brother.

“Holler if you need anything!” he throws back over his shoulder, cackling at his own joke.

The door closes behind him, and I collapse against the sink, staring at myself in the mirror. My face is slowly returning to its normal colour, and my heart’s back to its regular beat. I haven’t been that embarrassed in a very long time.

My finger still hurts.

I look down at the appendage, heart skipping a beat when I see the blood oozing from the wound, dripping lazily onto the counter. Shit.

The medicine cabinet just holds pills and other medication, and some skin stuff. I kneel down in front of the vanity, pulling open the doors with my left hand. After a bit of searching, it emerges with a first-aid kit. It’s a bit difficult to open with only one hand, but I manage it. Gauze, scissors, bandage. Lip caught between sharp teeth, I awkwardly pin down the large piece of bandage with the back of my right wrist, keeping my palm up to catch any excess blood. I have to cut with my left hand. This is going to be difficult.

I raise the small, sharp scissors, awkwardly positioning them on the bandage, and begin to cut. My eyes stay on them, watching the blades click together as they move.

Snip, snip, snip…

Suddenly, the scissors slip, and there’s searing pain. I stare in horror at the quickly welling blood on my wrist, a feeling of nausea clenching my stomach.

Oh, my God. I just cut my wrist.

Frozen, I stare at the fresh blood leaking from the cut, trailing to soak into the bandage and towel wrapped around my waist. The scissors fall from my numb hand to clatter on the tiled floor.

What do I do? What do I do? The blood doesn’t look to be letting up. WHAT DO I DO?!

Panicked tears course down my cheeks, mingling with the water dripping from my hair. Why isn’t the blood stopping? Am I gonna die? I don’t want to die!

A sob escapes my lips and I sit there, trembling. I’m too petrified to move. I should do something. I should do something.

Why can’t I do anything?!

“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier. Alex sent me up with your uniform, so1— Oh, holy shit! What happened?!”

Nic drops down beside me, clothes tumbling out of his arms. He grabs a towel and my arm, pressing the fabric hard against the still bleeding cut. I wince, but let him.

“Am I gonna die?” I whimper, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

He shakes his head, messy brown hair falling into his eyes, keeping his hand pressed down on the towel covering my wrist.

“You’ll be fine,” he says, offering me a small smile. “Now, keep pressing down on this.”

He moves my left hand to replace his, then picks up the fallen medical supplies. After cleaning the wound (my eyes fill with tears again at the pain), I watch as he digs out a clean bandage from the kit (the one I pulled out is now soaked with blood) and cuts it to the right size. That done, he gently moves my hand and the towel, pressing the bandage to the cut. He lifts my arm and quickly wraps a thick layer of gauze around the bandage to keep it in place, securing it with medical tape.

“Give me your finger. I’ll bandage that up, too.”

I silently obey him, watching in morbid fascination as he repeats the process he used on my wrist. Once he’s done, he smiles at me.

“There. Done. You okay?”

I nod, swiping away the tears irritably. I hate crying in front of people.

“Good. Now get up. You can change in my room.”

He helps me stand, making sure the towel doesn’t fall from around my hips. My right hand is thrumming in pain. Nic’s hand is on my arm, so I close my eyes. I don’t need any distractions right now.

We walk down the hallway, the carpet brushing against my damp feet. We stop, but I don’t open my eyes.

“’ey, Mad Hatter, you gotta open your eyes.”

I reluctantly open them, peering around the large room. Where Alex’s room looks like the deep part of the sea, Nic’s looks like the outer reaches of space. His walls are dark, covered in planets and stars, galaxies and comets. I stare, mesmerized. The stars are painted with the same metallic paint as Alex’s bubbles.

Nic walks over to the bed, setting down the bundle of clothes. I don’t even remember him picking those up.

He looks at me, unsure.

“Are you gonna be okay to dress yourself?”

I nod, although I’m not actually sure. I just don’t want to go through the embarrassment of my friend’s older brother seeing me naked again.

“Well, alright…call if you need anything.”

Nic leaves the room, glancing at me once more before closing the door. Once I’m sure he’s gone, I unwrap the red-stained white towel, letting it fall to the floor. Attention wavering between the paintings on the walls and the task at hand, I finally move to the pile of clothes, sifting through them. I notice a pair of boxers and I realize mine are still in the bathroom.

Must be Alex’s.

I pull on the borrowed boxers (hehe, I’m in Alex’s underpants!), then my pants. So far so good. I’m careful with the shirt when I push my injured hand through the sleeve, flinching when the cuff brushes against the still-throbbing wounds. After spending five minutes on one button, I give up, letting the shirt hang open. Maybe Alex will do it up for me…

Making out’s more fun without any clothes…

Shut up, brain!

Grabbing my jacket and the soiled towel, I stare at the floor (can’t look at the walls), shuffling out of the room. Out in the hall, I blink, looking around. Nothing looks familiar…

I have no idea where I am.

Jacket and towel clutched in my hands I take a tentative step forward. Which way did I come? Dammit, I shouldn’t have closed my eyes…

You wouldn’t have known the way even then, my mind whispers to me. You would have been too distracted.

I bite my lip, pausing. Is this the way I came? Maybe I should go the other way…but if I keep going this way, I’m bound to find the stairs…right?

“Call if you need anything.”

Well, this seems like a good time…

“Nic?” I call tentatively, looking around.

No response.

“Alex?”

Nothing.

I sigh, trudging forward. How the hell did I get lost in someone’s house? This is so stupid!

I turn a corner, studying my surroundings. Did I turn any corners on the way to Nic’s room?

My wrist hurts.

Wait, what’s that?

I stop abruptly, staring into the room that appears to be a den.

I’ve found the fish!

Excited, I scamper in, dropping down in front of the huge tank full of colourful fish of all varieties. They scatter when I arrive, but regroup, wide eyes watching me as I watch them. Hypnotized, I lift the lid of the tank, trailing my fingers in the warm water. A few curious fish swim up nibble at the appendages, and I giggle, letting them. I make a popping sound with my lips, copying them.

Pop, pop, pop!

“Blub, blub, blub,” they reply, smiles on their fishy faces.

I grin, pressing my nose to the glass. I love fish. They’re so pretty.

I wish I had fish. Would Alex notice if I stole some of his? But where would I put them? They wouldn’t survive in my pockets…and it would look suspicious if I stole his awesome vase thing to put them in…

“Maddy! There you are!”

I stare. The fish are talking to me.

“Fishies?” I ask, surprised. “You talk?”

“Maddy? Are you talking to the fish?”

“Of course I’m talking to you!” I exclaim, tilting my head to the side. “That’s a silly question.”

Arms wrap around me as a chin rests on my shoulder. Flowery smelling hair tickles my face, and I glance out of the corner of my eye to see Alex, faint freckles standing out.

“Are you okay?” he asks softly, glancing at me.

I nod. “I found your fish.”

“Nicky told me what happened. How’s your wrist?”

I make a face. “Hurts.”

“Did you want to stay here today?”

I shake my head. “I shouldn’t miss school. I hate getting behind.”

He nods and I sneeze when a hair gets up my nose. Alex reaches forward and gently pulls my hand from the fish tank, drying it on the towel.

“You probably shouldn’t leave your hand in the tank,” he remarks, smiling at me. “The fish might eat it.”

Matching his smile with one of my own, I shake my head.

“They wouldn’t eat it. They like me.”

He laughs. “You’re too cute.”

I grin. “So are you.”

Our eyes meet, and Alex bites his lip, blushing.

“So, uh, did you need help with your shirt?” he asks, blush deepening.

I nod, idly picking at the buttons. He moves in front of me, reaching forward. But instead of taking hold of the fabric, he presses a hand to my bare chest, eyes meeting mine. I hold my breath as he leans forward, pressing his lips against mine, gently. Heart speeding up, I reach up my non-injured hand, tangling it in his hair. Encouraged, he wraps his arms around my neck, pulling me closer. I sigh softly, loving the feel of his body pressed against mine.

After a minute of leisurely kissing, we part, catching our breath.

“We should go get breakfast. Nicky’s finishing it up for me,” whispers Alex, cheeks burning pink.

I nod, even though I just want to stay here and ravish him.

Hee, ravish radish.

It’s probably not healthy to ravish a radish.

After Alex does up my shirt (stealing a few kisses in between), we stand up and leave the room. After a bit of walking, we pass the bathroom, and Alex tosses the towel in, pulling me along to the stairs. My stomach growls when the smells of food reach my nose, and my friend smiles.

“Hungry?”

I nod, counting stairs.

One, two, three, four…

“Are you counting the steps?” asks Alex, blinking bemused blue eyes at me.

“How did you know?”

Is he psychic?

“You were counting out loud.”

…oh. I should really stop doing that.

Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen…

“You’re doing it again.”

Whoops.

“What time is it?” I ask, hopping down the stairs. I’m a bunny!

“Um…six.”

Wow. It’s only been an hour?

It feels like years…

Okay, I exaggerate, but seriously, it’s only been an hour?!

This is gonna be a long day…

“That took awhile,” remarks Nic upon our arrival into the kitchen. “Did you get lost?”

“Yes,” I reply, nodding. Pretty pretty cutlery…

Nic raises an eyebrow. “What, seriously? You got lost?”

“You have a very confusing house,” I defend, frowning, fingers idly playing with a spoon.

“Well, I guess…”

Nic sets a plate of bacon on the kitchen island, where other breakfast foods already rest. Wow, that’s a lot of food…

“Well, sit down and start eating,” orders Nic, dropping down on one of the tall stools.

“Thanks for finishing up,” says Alex, shooting a smile at his older brother as he sits down.

Nic shrugs. “No problem.”

Hm, I wonder what this is for?

“Maddy, come sit down,” says Alex.

I blink, glancing over my shoulder at him. He’s peering at me, eyes wide and pretty. I smile.

“Okay.”

The stool’s really high. I like swinging my legs.

Swing, swing, swing.

Crunch.

Crunch?

There’s toast in my mouth…how did it get there?

“Is he always like this?” asks Nic, watching me frown at the toast dangling from my mouth.

Alex shakes his head, biting into a piece of cantaloupe.

“No. When he’s on his meds, he’s fine.”

“What are the meds for?” Nic pours himself a cup of coffee.

“I don’t know…” Alex glances at me. I’ve decided that ripping the toast into pieces is more fun than eating it.

“Y’know, you’d be better off eating the toast than ripping it up,” remarks Nic, sipping his coffee.

“This makes a better noise,” I reply offhandedly.

“Right…” He reaches over, pushing a plate of bacon towards me. “Eat that. It crunches when you chew it.”

“Ohh…” I snag a piece of the greasy meat, biting into it eagerly.

Crunch.

I grin at Nic.

“You’re right!”

I don’t think he knows what to say to that.

I eat more bacon.



“You’d better go get dressed,” says Nic, putting away the last of the dishes. “I’ll give you a lift to school.”

Alex beams. “Thanks, Nicky.”

“No problem.”

Alex’s blue eyes slide to me. “Will you be okay here?”

I think the stove is winning our staring contest…

“He’ll be fine, Alex,” says Nic, glancing at me. “I’m here to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.”

Alex bites his lip. “Okay…”

I blink. Damn, the stove wins again.

Alex leaves the kitchen, disappearing around the corner. I look around for my next opponent, eyes landing on Nic, who is watching me with a small frown.

“Are you sure you should be going to school?” he asks, dropping down across from me at the island.

Is that an earring I see?

I nod. “Of course. Getting behind in school is bad. And I’m already a month behind, so I really shouldn’t add anymore time to that.”

He nods, drinking another cup of coffee.

“Why did you move here so late, anyway?”

Oh, I don’t like where this conversation is heading…

“Oh, y’know, real estate market and all that…” I reply vaguely, avoiding his eyes.

“That’s not the real reason, is it?”

Damn, I can’t escape his eyes!

“Er…no?”

He sighs. “Well, it’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. But just know I’m here if you want to talk, alright?”

“Uh, sure…”

Niceness must run in this family.

The sound of something rolling on the island catches my attention, and my eyes find a silver ring being spun around by Nic’s fingers. Oh!

I pounce across the granite top and snag the bit of metal, grinning. Nic, startled at my sudden movement, stares at me, hands frozen. Humming, I roll the ring around in my fingers, studying the Celtic knots carved into it. It’s pretty.

“Mads, what are you doing?” Nic asks, eyebrow raised.

“That’s what Alex calls me,” I murmur, kicking my feet idly. My lunge across the island has caused me to be lying on my stomach along the top. “Alex is pretty, y’know? His eyes look like yours. But I guess you are siblings, so…” I rest my head on my arms, rolling the ring around. “Does making out with someone after only knowing them for two days make me a slut?”

“Well, no…unless you’ve been snogging a bunch of other people this week…”

I giggle. “No, just one person. I like him. He’s very glittery.”

“Glittery?” I think he’s given up on trying to figure me out.

“Yes. Lots of earrings and chains and necklaces.”

“Would this person happen to be Alex?” He has a knowing smile on his face.

I gasp, raising my head to stare at him. “How did you know?!”

“I’m psychic,” he deadpans.

“Really?!”

Oh, cool! I’ve finally met a real psychic!

“…no.”

I blink. “But…you just told me you were…”

“I was joking,” he sighs, rolling his blue eyes. “It’s lost on you when you’re off your meds, isn’t it?”

I drop my head back on my arms, interest lost. I slide the ring on each of my fingers, seeing if it fits any. Hm, even though Nic’s fingers are thin, mine are still thinner… It fits loosely on my thumb, so that’s where I leave it, spinning it around and around.

Ring around the rosie, a pocketful of posies…

“You’re staring at that ring awfully hard…”

And if that mockingbird don’t sing, mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring…

I feel sleepy…

“Hey, don’t fall asleep. You’ve gotta go to school soon.”

“I don’t care,” I grumble, letting my eyes close.

Ah, sweet concentration…

“You’re the one who keeps insisting that you need to go to school.”

I sigh. Why did I say that? My day’s just gonna suck. I won’t be able to concentrate in class, my notes are gonna be screwed up because of my hand, Alex is gonna spend the day worrying about me, Ashes is gonna be an ass like usual…but if I don’t go to school, my parents are going to find out and want to know why. And I can’t let them find out. They’ll just panic and I don’t want to be dragged back to the doctor’s. As long as I have my meds with me all the time, I’ll be fine.

God, I am such a fucking freak.

A hand ruffles my hair.

“Hey, cheer up. If you keep frowning like that, your face’ll get stuck.”

I crack open my green eye to send a glare at Nic.

“Why do you hafta be so cheerful?”

“Cuz you’re not. At least, not right now. You seem less spacey.”

I sigh, shutting my eye. “It’s morning. And if I keep my eyes closed, I can concentrate better.”

“Hm…”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

That’s a lie. He’s thinking something. But I don’t really care right now.

“Hey, where’s your tie?”

“Huh?” I let my eyes blink open to stare quizzically at Nic.

“Your tie,” he repeats. “Where is it?”

“Uh…I’m not sure…”

His eyes go all squinty as he stares at my jacket. I squeak when he suddenly reaches forward, digging in my pocket. Gah! Rape!

He dangles an object in front of my face and I blink. Oh. Tie.

“Here, sit up. I’ll do this up for you.”

I frown, pushing myself up. “How d’you know I can’t do it myself?”

He smirks. “I saw what you did to it yesterday.”

“Oh.”

My tie is a traitor.

Legs swinging, I stare vacantly at the ring around my finger, twirling it around and humming. Nic skilfully wraps the tie around my neck and creates a pretty little knot. I poke it, grinning up at Nic.

“Thanks, Nic. It’s a very nice knot.”

He snorts, rubbing his hand on my hair. “You really are like a little kid.”

I make a face, patting down my hair. “No, I’m not.”

“If you say so…”

I watch him as he refills his coffee mug. He must be a coffeeholic. That can’t be healthy. I bet he gets all jittery.

I tilt my head, curious.

“Why’re you still in your pyjamas?”

He shrugs. “Don’t have any classes today, so I’m just hanging around the house and acting as Ally’s chauffeur.”

“You’re a good brother,” I remark, nodding wisely. “If I had a brother, I’d want him to be like you. But I don’t have one. I don’t have any sisters, either. Or pets. I have parents, though…but their jobs keeps them away from home a lot…so sometimes I’m like my own family!” I giggle, lying back on the counter.

Nic watches me, a slight furrow in his brow.

“Don’t you get lonely?”

I nibble my lip. “I guess…sometimes…but it’s okay…I’m used to it!”

The frown doesn’t lessen. Nic looks funny when he frowns. I suppress another giggle.

“Well, remember what I said about coming to me if you need someone to talk to…you can come over here, too, if you ever feel lonely, okay?”

Oh, I could marry this guy! He’s so nice!

I clap my hands happily.

“Thank you!”

A small smile touches his lips as he sips from his mug. I hold my hand up above my face, seeing how the metal around my thumb glints in the light. Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty…

“Alright, I’m dressed!” announces Alex, returning to the kitchen.

He appears in my peripheral vision, bemusement on his face.

“Um…what are you doing?”

“Looking at this ring…”

“Isn’t that Nic’s?”

“Mhm.”

“He snatched it,” explains the university student, leaning an elbow on the island countertop.

“You like doing that, don’t you?” comments Alex, leaning against the counter next to me.

I think that was a rhetorical question.

“My parents won’t let me wear jewellery,” I murmur, eyes stuck on the ring.

Alex raises an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Whoops, shouldn’t have said that…

“Oh, uh…no reason…” I sit up, blinking. “What time is it?”

“Time to go,” replies Nic, standing up. “Get your things, guys.”

That’s not a real time…

Alex disappears from the room, reappearing a few minutes later with our bags. He hands me mine with a smile.

“If the teachers ask about homework, just tell them you had to go home sick.”

I nod, slinging the bag on my shoulder.

“Oh, and here’s some socks.”

Socks?

I glance down at my feet. Oh. They’re bare.

I drop down on the floor, clumsily yanking them on. They’re blue with green polka dots. Weird.

“Hurry up, Mad Hatter,” calls Nic from the foyer.

I scramble to my feet and head towards the front door, keeping my eyes trained on the brightly coloured socks. Hee, they’re pretty.

Luckily, my shoes are dry when I put them on, so they don’t make that gross squishy noise when I walk. I hate that noise.

Obviously impatient, Alex grabs my hand and drags me outside to the car, pushing me into the backseat. He crawls in after me, and a minute later, Nic slides into the driver’s seat. I let my eyes slide closed, listening to the hum of the engine as we drive away. Hm…this is relaxing…

Yawning, I lean sideways, resting on Alex. A moment later, his arm wraps around me, hugging me against his side. I smile, entwining one hand with his and the other with one of the chains dangling from his pants. Hee, it clinks.

Too soon the car stops and Alex is shaking me out of my doze.

“C’mon, Mads, you hafta get out of the car.”

I grumble, sitting up. Ugh, I feel dizzy…

Nic grins back at us.

“Well, have fun, stay outta trouble, and avoid sharp objects.”

“Thanks, Mikko!”

Alex leans between the seats to give his brother a quick hug before jumping out of the car. I’m about to follow, but a hand on my shoulder stops me. Nic looks at me seriously.

“Be careful, okay? Stick close to Alex…he’ll keep you from getting hurt today.”

I nod, frowning. “Okay.”

The brunette smiles, squeezing my shoulder.

“I’ll see you later.”

“’kay. Bye!”

I crawl out of the car, dragging my bag. Alex helps me stand and put on my bag. It’s really sunny out today, a lot different from yesterday. Sunny days aren’t good either. I really hafta be careful today…

Nic drives away and I follow Alex to the stairs in front of the school. I make sure to close my eyes as much as possible and concentrate on my friend’s back as I climb the worn stone steps. There’s lots of people, all really loud and close. I hate crowds. I try to make myself as small as possible, stumbling a couple times when someone runs into me. Finally, I reach the doors Alex has disappeared through, my hand grasping the door handle. It’s cool against my skin, and the gold glints dully in the sun. I rub my fingers against the smooth metal.

“Move it, faggot,” growls a deep voice from behind me as I’m shoved aside.

I stumble sideways, falling to the ground with a surprised yelp.

“Ow, what the hell?!” I snap, glaring up with narrowed eyes.

The blonde boy sneers down at me, walking through the door I was just in front of. Angry, I gather my legs under me and rise into a kneel, pushing myself up. My bag swings sideways, throwing me off balance, and I tip to the left. Oh, shit, I’m going down!

“Careful,” says a new voice, hands grabbing my arms to keep me from falling down the stone steps to my death.

My heart skips when I see who it is holding me. The guy from yesterday smiles down at me, dark eyes warm. I flush, stepping back.

“Uh, thanks…”

He nods, grinning. “Every time I see you, you’re falling.”

Gah. “It wasn’t my fault this time…”

“I know. Mark can be an ass sometimes. Don’t let him bother you.”

“Oh.” Well, what else am I supposed to say?!

“Maddy! Where are you?” Alex appears through the door, looking panicked. He catches sight of me, and relief floods his face. “Oh, there you are. I thought you’d gotten kidnapped or something! Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

I offer him a smile, trying to show him I’m fine. He smiles back, but it fades when he catches sight of who I’m with. Grabbing hold of my sleeve, my friend pulls me back, nervous blue eyes never leaving Jock Boy’s face. I frown. What’s going on?

I glance at Jock Boy. He smiles at me, walking towards the door.

“Well, I’ll see you later…Maddy.”

He disappears into the school, and I turn back to Alex, who still looks nervous as hell.

“What was that all about?” I ask, blinking curiously.

My friend shakes his head, forcing a smile. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

Pft, lies.

Oh, what’s that?