I woke up from the annoying sound of my phone's alarm, making me let out an inhuman annoyed sound and slam my fingers on the screen to hit the 'stop' button.

I groaned and got out of bed to get ready for school. Mentally cursing the person who thought it was a good idea to wake the children up at 7 am to go to that hellhole.

I slipped into some dark grey sweatpants and a white sweatshirt quickly and then headed to the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and hair since I left the hairbrush there yesterday.

After I was done with all the getting ready crap I got out of the bathroom and made my way to the kitchen where I crossed paths with Cole who had the same blank expression on his face, except there were a few things going around in his face that were different. For example, his eyes were bloodshot red and he had eye-bags right below them. His blond hair was all over the place and he was still in last night's clothes. He didn't look ready for school at all.

He was coming out of the kitchen and heading towards his room when we crossed paths. I stopped walking, about to say a good morning or something when he just walked past me, ignoring my presence.

I looked at him in shock as he walked away and disappeared into his room. What was going on with him? What happened to the cheery, overly excited, and hyper self that he was yesterday?

I furrowed my eyebrows as I entered the kitchen, where I found Blake sitting on one of the counters munching on a granola bar. He was wearing nothing but shorts. He most certainly didn't look ready for school either.

"Morning." He greeted me as he watched me open the cabinets to pull out some snacks for school.

"Morning. You know school starts in twenty minutes, don't you think you two should be ready by now?" I asked him as I placed the snacks in my bag and grabbed two water bottles from the fridge, one for Huda since she always forgets to bring one with her and ends up dehydrated.

"Oh yeah about that, Cole isn't going to school today, and uh- I'll be staying here with him."

I was about to ask him why but bit my tongue. Yes, I was curious. But it's still none of my business.

"Is everything okay?" I asked instead.

Blake looked at me for a second and gave me a reassuring smile "Yes, Cole is just not feeling really well at the moment so I'm staying with him to make sure he's alright."

"Oh, well I hope he feels better soon."

Blake gave me a sweet- RARE- smile and said "He will. Now you gotta head to school before you get your butt kicked by the teachers. Don't worry, Cole's gonna be fine."

I nodded and gave him a quick goodbye before slipping into a pair of shoes, grabbing my keys, heading out of the apartment, and walking to school.

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"Bro you look exhausted as hell! Who the hell did you hook up with last night?" Huda asked as we grabbed our books after the bell rang, indicating the third period's over and lunch break had just begun.

"No one- it's a long story. I'll tell you later, I seriously don't have the energy to explain right now." I answered as we walked out of the class. I was about to walk in the cafeteria's direction when Huda stopped me for a second.

"Listen I have to go return a cable that I stole from the robotics club and then I have to meet up with some girl in the library whose mom gave her something that my mom asked for- or the other way around- I honestly have no idea. Anyways, you go to the cafeteria without me. But if you don't want to end up eating alone you could just grab your usual snacks from the vending machine and then head to the library, you could wait for me there if you want."

I nodded and said a quick "sounds good." Before we both parted ways. I made my way to the cafeteria, crossing paths with Jordan and Peter in the hallway. Peter just looked at me for a second while Jordan gave me a wide smile and waved at me. I waved back and continued to make my way to the cafeteria.

I was standing in front of the cafeteria's vending machine when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and felt my heart stop at the sight of her standing there right in front of me. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied up in a perfect ponytail, her pretty face holding her usual smirk.

"Missed me?" Tina asked, still smirking.

I just stood there, wearing a horrified expression, not saying a word, my mind going back to all the pain she made me go through in the past.

I felt my heart rate go crazy when she took a few steps closer to me and whispered "You know I still didn't get you back for that little stunt you pulled that year. Getting me kicked out of my own aunt's house huh?" She chuckled darkly.

I felt panic rise in my chest and my breathing hitch. "Don't think I'm letting that go. Do you know what I had to go through back home when my parents found out I was beating up a disgusting, worthless cow? I'm going to make your life a fucking living hell Olivia, do you hear me?" She whispered in my ear.

That was it for me. I felt like I was suffocating and couldn't breathe. I pushed passed her and ran as fast as I could out the cafeteria, to the school's entrance, and outside the school. I didn't know where I was heading exactly, I couldn't think. I just kept on running.

Disgusting...

Worthless...

I can't breathe.

A few minutes later, I felt my legs give out and I fell on what felt like grass, I looked up and found myself in the secluded area of trees that was a couple of minutes away from school.

I leaned my back against a tree and brought my knees up and rested my face against them. I felt like the whole world was closing in on me.

I can't breathe. I feel like I'm going to die.

The whole world was spinning around me as I clutched my chest and tried to take deep breaths. It didn't work though. I was still suffocating. I'm still going to die.

I pulled out my phone without thinking, still struggling to breathe, and tried my best to dial Luke's number with shaky hands, my whole body was shaking with fear... what if I die right before he answers the phone?

I pressed the 'call' button and tried my best to hold the phone against my ears. I saw something move from the corner of my eyes and looked up to see my house burning right in front of me. Mommy and daddy were in it. Burning aliv-

"Hello?" I heard Luke's voice say through the phone.

"L-luk-ke" I choked out.

"Olivia? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Luke asked worriedly.

"L-Luke, I-I'm going to die, aren't I? I'm d-dying!"

"Olivia, slow down. Are you having a panic attack? Breathe, Livi, you have to breathe."

"I c-can't. I can't breathe Luke! They are right in front of me! M-mommy and dadd-d-dy, they're burning! Why is n-no one h-helping t-hem-"

"Olivia, close your eyes. Focus on my voice. This isn't real Livi, none of it is. Take a deep breath and focus on my voice, nothing else. You can get through this." He said soothingly.

I shut my eyes close and tried to take a deep breath. "I-its not working Luke, I c-can't."

"Yes you can, you're talking Olivia, that's a good thing, it's already helping you focus on your breathing without you realizing it. You're doing perfectly. I'm so proud of you. Just focus on your breathing."

I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth. Luke heard me doing that and praised me "Great! You're doing great Olivia. Can you do that again?" his voice was calm and soothing, it made me feel slightly better.

I took another breath and let it out. "I-it's not worki-in-g Luke, it's not working!" I cried out when I felt the panic rise. "I'm going to d-iie- I, I can't breathe."

"Shh, Olivia I'm going to need you to open your eyes now okay? Do you think you can take a final deep breath and open your eyes?"

I listened to him and took a deep breath. opening my eyes, the image of my house burning down to flames with mommy and daddy showing up in front of me. "Luke!" I screamed. "Luke, they're here, they're burning, no one is help-ping the-m Luke!"

"Livi, listen to me, this isn't real, you are having a hallucination. We're going to try something new now, okay? I need you to do what I say. Reach your arms out and grab the closest thing next to you and tell me what it is."

I gripped the grass beneath my feet and choked out "G-grass."

"There you go, you're doing such a good job Livi. Now touch three other things and tell me what they are." He instructed.

I touched the tree behind me, my school bag, and branch on the grass then told him. I was starting to feel more aware of my surroundings and I realized that I was calming down a little.

"Now, other than our house and parents, what do you see around you? Name five things." Luke said in the same soothing voice.

"Trees... sky... bench... rocks... squirrel."

"Perfect, now take another deep breath and tell me what you smell."

"Fresh air, trees..." I answered calmly. I realized that my voice stopped shaking and the fear and panic that i felt in my chest a couple of minutes ago had all disappeared and I was left in a relaxed state.

"Better?" Luke asked over the phone.

"Thank you," I whispered to Luke.

"No problem Munchkin. Would you like to tell me what triggered it? Or did it just come out of nowhere, unexpectedly?" he asked.

"C-can I tell you later? I really don't want to think about it right now."

"Of course, you can tell me whenever you're ready Livi." He paused for a second and then sighed. "So how's everything?" He asked, clearly trying to distract me from thinking about anything negative.

"Everything's great. Living in the apartment isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The boys are funny." I chuckled as I remembered their stupid fights over simple things, they seriously argued like a married couple.

Luke chuckled over the phone. "Yeah, they're a bunch of idiots."

I giggled. "They are." I paused for a second and stared in front of me, my eyes tearing up. "I missed you so much, Lukey," I said in a broken voice, my voice cracking at the name I used to call him as a child, a few tears escaping my eyes.

"Hey, Olivia. Stop that. please don't cry! I missed you so much more, but it's okay, I promise you I'll try to find a way to visit you. Don't cry. It's all okay."

I sniffled. "I'm sorry. I love you."

I could almost hear the smile in his voice when he said "I love you too."

We kept talking on the phone for a few more minutes before he had to go to his class. He didn't question why I wasn't at school and I'm thankful for that because if he did, I'd have to explain why I ran away, which also meant I'd have to tell him about Tina's return. God knows what he'll do if he finds out she's back to torment me.

I wiped my damp face with a tissue that I found in my pocket and stood up the same second my phone started ringing. I looked down at the screen and saw Huda's caller ID.

I cleared my throat and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, where are you? I looked for you everywhere." She asked over the phone.

"Uh- I'm actually thinking of ditching for the rest of the day, I'm on my way to the apartment. I'm sorry I just told you." I half-lied. Huda knew that I suffered from Panic Disorder in the past because I once had a panic attack while sleeping over at her house four years ago after waking up from a nightmare. Though she didn't know the nightmares starting coming back along with the panic attacks, and I wanted to keep it that way.

"Oh. Okay, it's fine. I hope you're feeling well."

"I am. It's just that I'm exhausted and worn out." I told her as I walked out of the secluded area and started walking towards the apartment.

"Okay then, rest well or something."

I chuckled "I will. Thank you."

"No problem Livi-poo, I have to go to class now. Love ya."

"Love ya too. Bye!" I said right before hanging up.

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"Back so soon?" Blake asked me from the living room as I locked the front door behind me and took my shoes off.

"Yeah, was too worn out to sit through three more classes." I answered as I flopped onto the couch beside the recliner he was sitting on. "Where's Cole?"

"In his room. He hasn't gotten out of it ever since this morning." Blake answered as he scrolled through Netflix on the Apple TV.

"Sleeping?"

Blake shook his head. "Just laying in bed. What do you wanna watch?" He asked as he kept scrolling.

"I don't min- Oo! Was that How I Met Your Mother?" I asked excitedly when I saw him scroll by a picture of Barney Stinson's face.

"Wait! You watch How I Met Your Mother?" Blake lifted his head from the seat and looked at me excitedly.

"Yep!"

"Well, then how I met your mother it is." He said as he picked a random episode to watch.

I sat up to head to my room to get the thin blanket I kept next to my bed so I could snuggle into it while watching. "I'll be right back," I said to Blake as I walked out of the living room.

As I was making my way to my room I passed by Cole's room and was about to keep walking until the door opened, revealing Cole in a new pair of sweatpants and a new t-shirt.

He was walking out when he noticed me. I gave him a smile, expecting him to ignore me again like this morning, but he just walked up to me without uttering a word and squeezed me into a tight hug.

A second passed, and I found myself hugging him back while smiling. He smelt good.

"I'm sorry," Cole whispered against my hair. "I'm sorry about acting like a crazy person yesterday and then being a complete douche right after. I'm also sorry for worrying you and creeping you out a bit- more than a bit." He chuckled, still hugging me tightly.

"It's fine. I was just worried and confused. What happened?" I asked him.

He pulled away from me to look into my eyes. "It's nothing. Blake and I just thought I was ha- you know what, can I tell you later today? I promise I'll explain everything. I just gotta go eat and then I have to tell Blake something. I heard you guys are gonna watch HIMYM!"

I smiled at him, "Yeah, I was just about to bring a blanket to snuggle into while watching."

He gave me his signature adorable smile and exclaimed, "Great! Count me in, I'll just make a sandwich and bring it into the living room."

"Okay!" I said as he walked away and headed to the kitchen.

I felt a different kind of happiness rush through my body as I made my way to my bedroom. Damn, the kid knew how to hug. It's like the minute he wraps his arms around you and embraces you, all the negative energy automatically leaves your body and you're left with a beautiful feeling inside- I seriously can't describe it.

I heard some chatter going around in the living room and decided to wait a few minutes in my room and scroll through my phone while they finished their talk. Cole did mention that there was something he wanted to say to Blake so I decided to give them time to discuss whatever needs to be discussed between them.

A few minutes passed, the chatter had stopped and I started hearing the clanking of plates and utensils around in the kitchen, telling me that Cole had left the living room to go make a sandwich.

I grabbed the thin blanket and made a move to open my door the same second Blake yelled out "What's taking you so long, Muffin?"

I rolled my eyes at the ridiculous pet name and yelled out "I'm coming!"

"Oh! So you were masterb-"

"BLAKE DO YOU WANT ME TO CHOP YOUR BALLS OFF AND SERVE THEM TO YOU AS MEATBALLS FOR DINNER, ALONG WITH SLICING YOUR JUNIOR INTO STRIPES AND PUTTING IT ON THE SIDE AS THE SPAGHETTI? I CAN EVEN ADD THE BLOOD AS THE SAUCE IF YOU LIKE IT JUICY." I yelled as I made my way back to the living room.

"First of all, I really wouldn't call it Junior, Muffin. I mean my dude is a whole ass seni-"

I cut him off once again as I entered the living room. "I will not hesitate to choke you, Blake. I'm not even kidding right now." I glared daggers at his smirking face.

"Well shiii, I mean if you're into that stuff... go ahead darling. But don't you think you've had enough relief for toda-"

That was it for me.

I held the gigantic pillow in front of me and jumped- yes, jumped, on him, attempting to suffocate him with the pillow while he laughed his ass off. He was lying on the couch so it was easier for me to get on top of him to kill him.

I pushed the pillow further into his face while he continued to laugh harshly against the pillow. "You know... this isn't... doing... anything...to me... Muffin." He choked out in between laughs, his voice muffled by the pillow.

I just ignored him and pressed the pillow into his face even harder, which made him laugh even more at my failed attempt at killing him.

I didn't realize how wrong the position we were in looked until I noticed Cole walk in, his eyes widening and the sandwich that was in his mouth dropping onto the plate from shock. "Awww man! Yall started banging without mee?" He whined.

My eyes widened when I realized that I was literally straddling Blake's waist and half my body was resting on his chest because of the force I was trying to apply onto the pillow.

I jumped away from him quickly, keeping the pillow on his face as I sat on the recliner, my face no doubt looking as red as a freaking tomato from embarrassment. I glared at him when he sat up, the pillow falling from his face at the action. His hair was all over the place, looking sexy as hell, his face was holding the biggest shit-eating grin I've ever seen him wear, and his cheeks were all flushed with a pinkish-red color because of all the laughing.

He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. "Well that definitely isn't what goes on in my mind when I think of the term 'jumping my bone-"

"You little shi-"

"CHILDREN!" Cole yelled out, shutting us both up before I actually make a move to chop his genitals off.

Blake kept his gorgeous opalescent green eyes on me, still wearing the grin, while I glared at him even harder. Cole stood in between us waving his hands and snapping his fingers, making us both look up at him.

"Eyes. On. The. Screen. As much as I'd love to watch you guys murderously dry hump each other, I'm really looking forward to watching Barney Stinson be his awesome self even more, so cut it out."

I averted my gaze to the screen, feeling Blake's eyes on me. I flipped him off while still staring at the screen, earning a cute chuckle from him as Cole started the episode.

Jerk.

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