Jake P.O.V.

I narrowed my eyes slightly as I saw Adriana stagger across the lunch room. Tirana purred as she wrapped around my arm,

"Hey babe wanna go have some fun?"

I rolled my eyes and snapped,

"If you want fun then go to Disneyland."

Tirana's friends tried to hide their laughter with coughs but Tirana's eyes narrowed dangerously at me while smiling flirtatiously the whole time. She pouted,

"I would only go if you went with me, Prince Charming."

I wanted to laugh at her pathetic attempt of witty flirting. I bet Adriana would be great at it. I mentally slapped myself for my own thoughts. I snickered to Tirana,

"The only Disney character you remind me of is the evil stepmother from Cinderella."

I noted that a crowd had gathered around our lunch table, laughing at our exchange. I looked through a gap in the ground and saw Adriana and Madison sitting alone. Madison was eating a large meal her personal chef probably made while Adriana was eating nothing. I felt a small pang of concern. Her eyes were sunken and carried black bags under them. Her smooth pale skin looked almost sickly and she moved like the amount of effort it took to move was painful. Tirana snapped,

"You are so cheap, Jake."

"Ya like your mom, Tirana."

"My mom is worth more than yours. Whats your going price right now? $0.50? $0.25?"

"At least I'm not in the clearance isle like you Tirana."

Her face flushed unattractively with anger. She looked stumped and I decided to finish her off,

"Ha, you failed to have a comeback? You failed just like your mom's birth control."

Everyone around me gasped and cheered. Tirana glared at me as she stormed off. People patted me on the back. No one really was fond of Tirana. The decent guys knew she was a slut and stayed away from her. Suddenly, I heard a voice squeal by Adriana's table.

"Oh nerd, are you not eating? Are you trying to make yourself skinny and attractive? Don't bother, sweetie, it can never happen."

I whirled around to see Tirana sneering at Adriana. Adriana was looked down, away from Tirana and I gasped faintly when I saw her eyes. They were dull and filled with tears.

~~~~~~~~~~

I convinced myself,

"I am just being a concerned fellow student."

My fingers nervously tapped the steering wheel as I pulled into Bookworm's neighborhood. I unconsciously locked my windows and doors. I muttered to myself,

"How could Bookworm live in a place like this?"

I tried to remember the way to her house and I finally reached it. I stared at the house, debating wether or not to go inside. Would it be weird if I just dropped by. Probably, she seemed to hate my guts. That was part of the reason she interested me. No one had ever hated me before. Most girls wrapped themselves up in wrapping paper with a big bow on their heads and presented themselves to me. Others just hurled themselves at me. But not her.

Deciding to go in and take a risk, I turned off the car. When I got out and stepped onto the cracked pavement I made sure to lock my car before walking up to her house.

I paused by her front door, feeling slightly nervous. I glared at myself. Jake Collins does not get nervous! I looked around and noticed there was only one car in the parking lot. It was a rusty old Jeep and looked. like one screw was holding it together. Someone should do the thing a favor and pull the screw out. I murmured to myself,

"That can't be her car. I could just stick my head in and make sure everything is ok. She doesn't have to know I was here..."

I nodded to myself and placed my hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it. To my pleasant surprise, it was unlocked. I cautiously entered the apartment and my nose wrinkled in immediate disgust.

The room was nearly bare, only a stained couch and stained coffee table taking up the tiny space. I walked over the couch and groaned in horror. It was so stained and discolored the Health Department would incinerate it if they saw it. A horrible stench rolled off everything in the house and I gagged. This place uninhabitable.

I left the disastrous living room and found the kitchen wasn't much better. There was a faint rotting stench in the air and a yellow substance dripped off the walls. I didn't even want to know what it was. I opened up every cabinet and found them all to be completely bare. I frowned. It looked like no one lived here. Everything empty.

Then something caught my eye. It was an folded up piece of paper. I plucked it up with ginger fingers, trying not to touch too much of the paper. I didn't know where it had been. I unfolded it and read the same paragraph sprawled on the pale paper. My eyes widened in horror.

The paper fell from my hand and I immediately tried to find Adriana's room. Why wouldn't she tell anyone?! I found a door that was slightly cracked open and without the slightest hesitation I thew it open silently. My eyes fell on what was Bookworm's room.

It was about the size of my closet. The walls were a pale blue and the only furniture was a small desk, a tiny nightstand, and a twin sized bed. I saw a quivering shape under the navy blue covers on the bed. I gently pulled away the comforter and saw Adriana curled up in a ball, tears falling in a steady stream out of her closed eyes. She was asleep. She was whispering hoarsely,

" It's not my fault...She chose to save me I'm sorry..."

I frowned. What wasn't her fault? She was dripping in night sweat and I gently placed a hand on her forehead. I gasped and jerked my hand away. She was burning up!

I ran to her kitchen and found her medicine cabinet, which was completely bare save for a thermometer and aspirin.

I took the aspirin and dashed back to her room. Once back by her bed, I gently sat her up and opened her mouth my fingers. Her lips were so soft under my fingers... I slapped my self with my free hand. Jake focus!

I placed an aspirin on her tongue and washed it down with some water I found on her nightstand. She swallowed and sighed gratefully. I lowered her back onto the bed and fixed the comforter around her. She should be fine now. I looked over at her nightstand and found a small piece of paper there. I picked it up and read it. I whispered under my breath,

"Shes working four jobs after school?"

No wonder she was exhausted! I suddenly remembered my mom saying she needed me home right away. I brushed my hands off on my jeans and stood up. It was ok to leave her now since she had taken some medication, I'm sure. I turned to walk away when her hand wrapped around mine. I stiffened in surprise. She intertwined our fingers tightly and held onto me. I sighed and crouched by the bed. Her lips were slightly parted and she wiggled faintly in discomfort. Adriana must be hot from the fever. I debated wether or not the take the blanket away.

Then Adriana let out a soft sob and my attention was back on her. Her bottom lip was trembling and a fresh wave of hot tears fell from her sleeping eyes.

Feeling my heart soften in pity, I wiped away her tears with my thumb. My phone buzzed in my pocket suddenly, making me jump. I groaned when I saw the text from my mom.

"I need you to come home please!"

I growled in annoyance and turned back to fragile vulnerable Adriana. I really should go home. Without thinking I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Her forehead was hot under my lips. I pulled away and slipped my hand out of hers. I left the house thinking of a way to save the little Bookworm and make her smile happily again.

~~~~~~~~