It took 72 hours of rest before I could go back to school.

Which meant, 72 hours of avoiding Jesse's calls and texts while I laid in bed. Under my mom's continued directions, Clara barely left my side, she nursed me like I was her own child. She screened Jesse's texts for me, so I didn't have to read them. She answered the phone when he called, telling him that I was either sleeping or that I had a headache. She did her best to keep her voice calm, as if she still didn't know now all of the horrible things he's done. Her face though, was a completely different story. Her grimace appeared so frequently that I was worried it would be stuck there.

It was quiet as we drove to the school. I was nervous in more ways than one. Clara, Roman, Samuel and I had discussed the plan many times. We had gone over and over what was going to happen. It sounded good, I could see how it was going to work. I was going to get Jesse to confess at school, between classes. He would know better than to try and put hands on me there, and if he did, the others would be close enough to stop it.

But, I was still nervous. I knew I was going to see Jesse use every manipulative tactic in his book. I knew he was going to insult me, or yell. He was going to try to keep with me him every way he knew how. I knew this, and I didn't want any of it.

"You sure you're okay with this?" Clara asked me, her voice sounded as nervous as I felt.

"It's the easiest way. I think it's the best way too. It's better than waiting for Jesse to corner me in private, which is exactly what he's going to do as soon as he sees me," I explained. Which is why we were going to school late, so we would have to go directly to our first class.

"I know. I know. It's the right plan, I think," she muttered, turning on the steering wheel. "And we told him you're not going to school today, so he won't know to look for you."

"Right," I assured her. "It will work."

"Roman, Samuel and I won't let you out of our sight," Clara added, as if she was talking to herself. "Once we have that recording, together we'll tell them to leave us alone, or we'll send it to everyone."

"It will work," I told her again, though I think I was telling myself too.

I tried not to look at my reflection in the dark glass windows as we entered through the school doors. If I had thought I looked a mess before, it was nothing compared to what I looked like now. My skin was ghastly white, my hair unwashed and pulled into a bun. My clothes were oversized and dark grey, matching the bags under my eyes.

Jesse wasn't in our first class, which I was thankful for as we walked into it. It didn't stop the curious glances and the snide remarks, however. No doubt from the gossip and rumours of why I had ended up in the hospital in the first place. The rumours were endless, as Clara said. Some say I went crazy and tried to kill myself, some say I was cheating on Jesse with Khalil, and Jesse went crazy when he found out. I didn't have time to care, however. I focused on my script in my head, remembering the words I needed to say to Jesse.

I didn't absorb any information for that class, and I don't think Clara did either. When the bell rang, and the rest of the class emptied, she pulled out her phone. She was tapping on it, and when her phone dinged, she turned to me.

"They're ready," she said, and I knew instantly that she meant Samuel and Roman. My stomach clenched as I realized it was go time. I nodded to her, knowing what I needed to do. This was step one of the plan.

I rose to my feet first, walking out of the classroom first. I saw Roman and Samuel waiting down the hall, they stood up straighter as they saw me. None of us let any recognition or greeting pass our face. I took a deep breath as I turned from them, walking toward's Jesse's locker.

I spotted him easily, he was talking to a pretty blonde girl. She had her hand on his chest as they smiled at each other. I think her name was Shannon, and I wanted to shout at her to go away. Not in the way she would inevitably take it, not out of jealousy. To save her, from him.

Jesse's eyes widened in shock as he saw me, before he muttered something to Shannon, who smiled and winked before she walked away. He's face turned to confusion next, as I walked towards him.

"Babe? What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow?" Jesse asked me, hurriedly closing the gap between us. He slid his arm around my waist, and I took another deep breath to calm myself.

"We need to talk," I told him firmly, jerking my body away from his.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Jesse's face turned to fear, and I think he knew what was going on now. He knew, that I knew. "Wait, come here. Let's go somewhere."

My stomach panicked as I felt him pull me towards the exit at the side of the hall. I only hoped the other's would follow us.

"Okay," Jesse said once we were outside. We weren't completely alone, there were people around us. They just weren't close enough to hear our conversation. I took another deep breath, subtly taking my phone out and pressing the record button on the app I already had loaded. This was it.

"I know," I told him, looking him in the eyes. "I know what happened that night."

"Lilly, look," Jesse started, but I continued anyways.

"I know you and Brett have been lying to us. I know they closed that investigation, and I know the buoys had nothing to do with the accident. I know you've been blackmailing us to try and get us to stay with you." I rushed out, wanting to get it over with.

Jesse looked shocked, like he had expected anything but my words. His mouth opened and shut a couple of times, but no words came out. He didn't expect me to know, he didn't expect me to ever know.

"You have to realize, Lilly, I didn't know what else to do! You were going to leave me. I love you, and you were going to leave me over something so stupid. I did this for both of us, I did this because you love me too," Jesse defended himself, falling right into our trap. "I thought it would keep us together.

"You did this because you wanted to control me. You wanted me to have no other option but you. You wanted me to put up with you forever. You made me think I was a worthless, horrible person. You made me question my sanity, and my morality," I let out, a stray tear falling down my face.

"And Clara knows... about you putting your hands on me. She knows that you hit me." I added. This wasn't part of the plan, but I decided I wanted it on this recording, too. In case I ever needed it.

"You told her?" Jesse's voice grew dangerous. "Why would you tell her?"

"Because I'm done keeping that secret for you!" I told him, "I'm done keeping that secret for the both of us, because I'm done with you. Finally, and for good." I was going off script, I was only supposed to be getting a confession. But, I got that already, and I wanted to tell him how I feel.

"We're done, Jesse. For good. You'll never put your hands on me again, you'll never get close enough to get the chance." I spat at him.

Jesse surprised me by laughing, but it wasn't a happy laugh. It was an evil laugh. "You'll never be done with me. I own you."

I shook my head, feeling empowered by finally telling him how I felt. "You don't own anything about me. I'm finally telling you just how much I fucking hate you. I hate everythi..."

Jesse's hand was quick as it drew back, his fist like lightning as it struck me. It hit my eye, I felt the shock of the power in my skull. Instant pain as my already concussed brain rattled in my head, I fell backwards, clutching my face as I hit the concrete ground.

I heard the gasps from the people around me, but I was having trouble concentrating as the world spun and the ground became uneven. Clara was by my side almost instantly, and I knew the fact that she was so close meant only one thing.

Roman was on Jesse, as quickly as if he was superhuman. I watched as he struck Jesse hard enough to take him off his feet, but Roman didn't stop there. He stepped over Jesse's body, throwing punches to his face so quickly I couldn't keep track. I blinked my eyes, trying to will myself to stay conscious as I watched Brett appear, trying his best to keep Roman from continuing to hit Jesse.

But of course, where there's Roman, there's Samuel.

I couldn't keep myself in this reality, I felt my eyes close as I watched with distant regret as the two boys who not long ago been strangers in our life beat the boys who tormented us. They wore smiles, each of them, as they let their fists fly. Satisfied smiles.

And, once again, my brain left me missing everything, as my eyes closed, and I drifted into nothingness.