"What were you doing yesterday?" Jesse's hard voice rang out, no more than two seconds after I slid into his passenger seat. I hard barely been able to drag myself out of bed this morning. The only reason that I did was to avoid any further questions from my mom.

"I had a headache." I mumbled, pulling the seatbelt over my chest.

"A headache?" Jesse raised his eyebrow at me. "Why was your phone off?"

"Because I had a headache." I lied. I had my phone off because I didn't want to talk to him.

"You weren't with anyone, right?" He asked me, pulling the car away from my driveway.

"No." I told the truth this time, well... sort of. Besides my run in with Roman, I had spent the rest of the day alone. I crawled into my bed as soon as I got home, blasting the saddest songs I could think of. My mind had been occupied with Roman's final words to me. What did he mean his mural? I went back and forth in my mind, knowing I might never find out. He couldn't have meant the obvious. I refused to believe it. There was simply no way that Roman was the artist of my favourite piece of art.

"Not even Clara?" Jesse pressed on, and I was beginning to wonder what he was getting at.

"What's with the third degree?" I asked him, casting my eyes towards him. He looked as he always did, with his blonde hair perfectly gelled to the side. He wore a blue polo, and I cringed at the fact the collar was popped up. Maybe he didn't get the memo that we weren't in 2008 anymore.

"I'm just making sure I know what my girlfriend is up to." Jesse chimed out, as if the words weren't pollution to the air itself.

I felt my stomach drop, although I shouldn't be surprised anymore. I had almost forgotten his final statement to me the other night, what with the strange events that took place yesterday. Khalil giving me that article, and running into Roman. I had forgotten what he said, and I had forgotten the way he meant it as a threat.

"Okay." I said simply, realizing it wasn't worth putting up a fight. There was no point anymore. There was nothing I could do but play along. I was trapped.

I weighed my words in my mind before I said them, but in the end my curiosity got the better of me.

"Have you talked to Khalil lately?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice nonchalant.

I tried searching for a reason that he would have came to my door yesterday. I couldn't understand why he would give me that article. Did he think I didn't already know what happened? Even though I haven't read about it for over a month now, as per Brett's request, it's not like I could forget the worst night of my life.

"Why?" Jesse asked instantly, and I heard the alarm in his voice. It was strange, and I wondered why he sounded that way.

"Just wondering. We were all in this together, yet he's no where to be found these days." I tried to say as smoothly as possible.

"He's just going his own thing. You don't have to be worried about him telling, Lilly, if that's what you're thinking. He's got as much to lose as you do." Jesse answered me.

I nodded, noting the way Jesse had removed himself completely from the situation. Almost like he had already rewritten history in his mind, placing the blame on me.

Jesse was silent for the rest of the ride to school, and I was thankful. I had been expecting him to hurl insults at me once more, complaining about the fact I was wearing jeans and an unflattering sweater. I expected him to tell me I needed to put more effort into my appearance, once again. I didn't need him to, anyways. I already knew everything he was saying.

I knew I wasn't acting like I normally act. I knew I was dressing like a slob, the problem was... I don't know how to go back to caring. I just felt so hopeless.

As the car pulled into the parking spot, I noticed out of the corner of my eye the way that Jesse was smiling. It was a smug smile, like he knew he had succeeded in wearing my fight back down to a minimum. I knew that smile well, it was the smile he wore after the first time he hit me.

"Ready?" He said as he turned to face me, and I tried to quickly replace the look of disgust that was clear on my face back to a more neutral expression. He didn't wait for me to answer before he climbed out of the car, slamming his door. I took a breath before I followed him, though I wasn't as panicked as I was yesterday. I just felt... blank.

Jesse didn't waste time before grabbing my wrist and pulling me into him. He slung his arm around my neck, bending it so that it was tightly wrapped around me. I barely felt anything as my head pressed against his chest, I guess you could say I was accepting my fate.

People's eyes found us as we walked into the building, the way they always have. We've been this school's golden couple for so long now, you would think they would get bored of staring at us. I don't know why Jesse was so intent on us being together, he would have his pick of the girls if we broke up. Hell, he has his pick of the girls anyways. I saw the way they looked at them, their eyes dragging up and down his body, biting down on their lips as they observed him.

I'd tell them all to run the hell away from him, if I could. I'd yell it from the rooftops, in a perfect world. But I couldn't, because then people would ask the questions I so dread for them to ask. And maybe that was selfish of me, but I couldn't find it in me to care.

Maybe it's a good thing that Jesse wanted to stick with me. If he was only hurting me, he wouldn't be hurting another girl.

"Hey Lilly." I looked up as I heard Clara's voice. She was standing in front of my locker, holding Brett's hand. I only allowed my eyes to focus on their conjoined hands for a second, and in that second I felt my eyes narrow. I clenched my jaws together, fighting the words I so desperately wanted to say to her.

"Hey." I faked a smile instead. I didn't look at Brett, I only looked at Clara. I observed the way she looked, perfect and well together as per usual. Not even a hair was out of place. Her smile, though, I could tell it was as fake as mine was.

"Where were you yesterday? I tried calling you." Clara asked me, tilting her head.

"Headache, had my phone off." I lied, again. All I did was lie these days.

"Oh." Clara let out, and I knew without her speaking that she knew it wasn't the whole story.

"So, my house tonight. We can hangout, watch a movie." Jesse said, giving Brett a knowing glance. I tried to move my hand away from his, but he only tightened his grip on me.

"Oh... I don't know." Clara spoke first, and I noticed the way she lowered her eyes as she said it.

"Why?" Brett said sharply, causing her eyes to drop to the floor completely.

"I have assignments." Clara explained.

"Me too." I added, knowing I didn't.

"Do it before, you'll be fine. You're already ahead." Brett argued with her.

"Lilly will be there, anyways." Jesse said, and I pursed my lips together. I guess I'll be there.

"Okay, but I can't stay late." Clara said hesitantly, shooting a dagger of sadness through my heart. I hated when her voice grew small like that. "Lilly, we have to go."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, glancing at the time on the screen. We still had a couple minutes before we were late, but I was eager to get away from the boys.

I nodded, finally wiggling my hand away from Jesse's. He turned towards me, placing his hand on the back of my neck. I knew what was coming, and I hated every second of it. He pressed his lips against mine, just a quick peck on the lips. I had to bite down on the inside of my cheek as he pulled away.

"See you later, babe." Jesse told me, before he walked away with Brett.

I let out a breathe of relief once they were gone. I turned back towards Clara, who had slumped her back against the row of lockers. Once I caught her eye, I watched her frown turn into the same fake smile she wore before.

I shook my head at her, rolling my eyes. "You're telling me we have to keep this up?"

"It's that or..." she started, but I cut her off.

"Jail. I know," I finished her sentence. "At this point I would rather be in jail."