Somebody needed to switch off the damn alarm. It had beeping for the past I don't know how long and I was starting to get annoyed.

I tried to lift my hand to shut it but my hand just stays there unwilling to move. Oh god, why couldn't I have kept a catchier alarm? Like waking up to the Doctor Who theme song would have been much cooler.

But wait hadn't spring break started already? Why was I keeping an alarm, I-

Everything comes back to me in a flash and I wake up with a start.

Big mistake.

Everything hurts. And I mean everything hurts. Gods, it's like I decided it would be fun to go stand in front of a road roller.

"Oh thank god finally." Michella says flipping her magazine to the next page,"People were starting to panic. Even I was starting to panic that I was going to be wrong. But nope, I am always right."

I was most definitely in hell.

I collapse back into the bed and try to mumble something in the terms of go away I want to go back to sleep.

"I can't hear you with the mask you know?" Michella says,"Not that I really want to hear what you're saying either."

That's when I realise that there is a plastic mask placed on my face.

I struggle to get up and I'm stunned to see Michella actually putting her magazine down and making her way towards me.

Is this how she finally kills me?

But instead she tucks the pillow behind my back and helps me get into something that vaguely resembles me siting up.

I throw her a questioning look, what are you doing?

She shrugs.

"They called mom and dad first." She says,"They were too busy to pick it up so it reached their assistant. As usual. Then they tried to grandma and I picked it up instead and voila here I am."

"I told mom and dad-well their assistants it was nothing and you simply sprained your wrist." She continues,"And grandma doesn't know a thing. She'd probably freak and go commando on everyone's asses and I knew you wouldn't like that. Plus we both know that you could do better without mom and dad's fake concern over the phone you probably want to throw at their face."

I stare at her gape mouthed and she shrugs,"You're welcome. But I'd probably save the thank you's for your two boyfriends who are currently losing their shit outside. And then there is your batshit crazy best friend."

I probably would have at least attempted to hide my shock if Michella hadn't picked up her phone and speed dialled someone.

"Jake sweetheart." She says mockingly,"The love of your life is up and you didn't even have to kiss her awake. I-"

The phone must have cut off right then because she frowned looking at the screen.

"How rude." She mutters.

She has Jake on speed dial. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

"Do you want me to tell grandma?" Michella asks, sounding unsure for the first time in her entire life.

I shake my head and she nods satisfied.

"I figured." She says thoughtfully.

Just then a nurse bustles into the room wearing light pink scrubs, her brown hair tied up messily and a bright smile on her face. I recognise her almost instantly.

It's Mrs Reynolds.

Behind her Jake stands impassive his hands gripped tightly beside him, his knuckles bruised and cut up.

"Hi sweetheart how are you feeling?" Mrs Reynolds asks taking off the stupid mask from my face.

I open my lips to say something but I can't physically get the words out. My throat burns like it's nobodies business.

"Here you go." She says handing me a glass of water. I lift up my right hand which is heavily bandaged. I fail to grasp the stupid-

"Give it to me." Jake says coming forward and taking the glass out of her hands and holds it up using one of his fingers to lift my chin up and his other hand holds up the glass next to my lips.

I shoot him a grateful look but Jake isn't looking at me and his hand his shaking badly.

I quickly take two sips and clear my throat, trying not to wince and how sore it is.

"Thank you." I manage to say looking desperately hoping that Jake can finally look up at to me.

And he does. He looks to at me for just a second but it's enough.

It's enough for me to realise that Jake is totally and completely terrified.

He breaks away putting the glass down and turning on his heels and exiting the room hurriedly.

What the-

"How are you feeling?" Mrs Reynolds asks giving me a sympathetic look.

"Fine." I croak out the lie.

She smiles,"You're a brave one aren't you?"

"Anyways." She continues,"The bruises on your neck will hurt but they've not damaged anything. You've got a sprained ankle and wrist and a pretty nasty cut on your right palm but other than that you're okay."

"I'm sorry but nothing about this is okay." I hear a voice saying rapidly.

I crane my neck to see Rebecca standing at the doorway with Jake behind her.

"Yes." Her mother says trying to sound patient,"We figured that out when you tried to nearly poison the bastard who did this to her."

My mouth actually hangs open at the level of informality Mrs Reynolds adopts with her daughter.

She shrugs,"He deserved far worse. Be happy I wasn't going decapitate him and put his head on a spike for everyone to see. Actually that would be far too game of thrones for my liking."

Her mom shoots her a look.

"Well it's not like I actually got to do it. You caught me." Rebecca says drily walking into the room,"And then stopped me."

"I'd rather have him suffer alive wouldn't you?"

Rebecca turns to me and says,"You know if I really wanted him dead he already would have been."

And I know that Rebecca means it as she asks it to me. All I really need to do is help her hide the body.

I manage to smile. Because at that moment for the life of me I can't figure out why I always thought that I had no one.

"Your discharge papers are getting ready,sweetie." Mrs Reynolds says ignoring her daughter and taking the needles out of my arm,"We've taken a blood test too, standard procedure, the results should be out in a couple of days. But other than that you're fine. You just need a long lazy spring bring."

She gathers her clipboard and then walks out of the room.

"I'm going to go to." Michella says slowly looking inbetween Jake and I,"To be perfectly honest the sexual tension in this room is far too much for my liking."

She purposely bumps into Jake on her way before heading out and Rebecca stares after her glaring holes at her back.

Suddenly it's only the three of us.

"You." She looks at Jake,"Go sit beside her and be nice, talk to her instead of standing here like an idiot."

Jake's mouth drops open and I have to stop myself from laughing.

"I mean it." She says looking between the both of us,"I'm not in the mood to handle any of this angst right now because I swear to god I'm going to end up killing someone and since I got caught trying to kill that person I'm in a worse mood."

"Yeah." I manage to joke,"It's been a while since one of your assassination attempts went haywire."

She shrugs giving a little smile,"You have no idea.If I was there I would have kicked his ass to hell and let him stay there. Good thing Jake did it for me."

She inches even further away so much so that she's standing outside the room.

"So you both flirt, kiss or do whatever it is that you do together and I'll be right back." She says turning on her heels and walking away.

"What just happened?" Jake asks looking pretty much stunned.

"That's my best friend for you. She probably just came down from her permanent room in the mental ward for a stroll."

I manage to turn myself around slowly so that I'm completely upright on the bed. I survey the damage then, my hands all pale and bruised especially on both wrists where hand prints are clearly visible.

My right hand, the one I grabbed the knife with was tightly bandaged although it had already started to show tiny bits of red.

I wasn't in the best of shape but I would live. I had the entirety of spring break to get over this so I would be okay.

I look up at Jake who is looking at me his lips in a tight line and his fists clenched.

My throat is still burning and I have no doubt that it probably resembles the worst of the bruises.

"I-" my voice comes out scratchy and broken and I forcibly clear it.

"How are you feeling?" Jake asks me carefully.

"Perfectly okay." I say, lying just a bit. There was no point telling him that I felt like something out of a zombie movie.

Scratch that the zombies must have felt better. The zombies on walking dead have nothing on me.

"Are you sure?" He asks once again and I nod with some difficulty.

"Great." He says completely transforming,"Then I can begin to start telling you just how stupid you were for even thinking that what you did was not the most idiotic thing ever."

I blink rapidly trying to figure out how he went from being utterly unsure to completely angry.

"How could you be so damn dumb Clara? " He yells,"What the fuck was you going through that head of yours?"

I roll my eyes,"Stop over dramatising it like a two year old. You make it sound like i was going to die or something.Nothing happened plus I kicked his ass-"

"Nothing happened?" His eyes narrowed,"Nothing happened. Are you fucking kidding me right now? You collapsed. You quite literally collapsed and you were bleeding, you still are by the way. Those bruises on your neck? They didn't come because Edward the sparkly a vampire decided to bite you and turn you into his eternal one true love."

"I much rather have Damon-"

"Clara." Jake warned,"This is not funny. And don't you dare say nothing happened."

I'm actually surprised by just how angry he is. What happened to looking terrified?

"So what? " I know I should probably shut up but the level of hypocrisy was starting to annoy me,"You can do all of this shit. You did the same damn thing with Eric and he-"

"Thats because I can handle myself. Unlike you I'm not a-"

"I swear to god Jake Henderson if the words you're a girl comes out of your mouth, bleeding, bruised or not I will come and kick your ass." I say moving slightly and then trying my best to hide my wince.

I try to push myself up and turn my body but I end up siting awkwardly on my hand and I cry out.

"Yeah you seem Just fine." He mocks but his eyes give him away as he worriedly glances at my hand.

"I'm super-duper" I say flexing it.

"This is not a joke Clara. " He says running his hand through his hair,"I don't know what makes you hate yourself so much that you just run blindly into these things without thinking through the consequences. It's like you want to get hurt."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine." He says,"If you were fine you wouldn't have collapsed. I wouldn't have to carry you all the way to the nurses office, worried out of my-"

"You did what?" I say now getting angry,"You carried me? Are you fucking out of your mind? Your shoulder, you're ribs, you could have-"

"You're kidding right now, aren't you?" He says looking absolutely stunned,"You're actually positively kidding right?"

"No I'm not." I say glaring at him,"I'm not kidding. You could have just dumped some water on my face I'm sure I would woken up."

"Are you for real?" He asks and I shrug.

It would hurt a lot less if I wasn't.

He looks up and sighs,"What the hell am I supposed to do with this girl?"

"Jake you're over reacting." I say,"I wasn't in some car accident or-"

"You're hurt Clara."He deadpans.

I give a blank stare,"I'm a big girl Jake I can handle a few-"

"I really can't give a fuck as to what you can handle Clara, it's as to what I can." He says,"And right now all I can see in my head is just going limp-"

And that's when I realise Jake isn't angry. He's not even close to being mad.

"You're scared." I state,"You're actually scared for me."

"Do you need an award for finally figuring that out?" He asks sarcastically.

"God no need to be rude." I say,"I'm fi-"

"Stop lying. It's okay. It's okay for you to tell me that you're not okay. It's better than you lying to me, over and over again." He says sounding exasperated,"I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell you this but you're not fine."

"And neither are you." I say and I realise that we are probably repeating ourselves like a broken record but it wasn't my fault that he was so damn thick sometimes.

"I'm thick?" He says,"I'm thick? Really?"

I blink looking at him realising I had spoken out loud. And I'm amazed to be honest. How long had it been since I had done that?

"Yes, you're thick." I say,"Because if you realise that two weeks back I was the one who had been standing in your position and trust me it was a whole lot scarier."

"Scarier?" He says and then laughs but there isn't anything funny about it,"Really? Scarier. Sure because why on earth someone choking you and threatening you with a knife be scary at all?"

"Jake-"

"You told me that you had been here two weeks back standing in my position worried out of your goddamn mind." He says breathing heavily,"Then why would you want to put me through this?"

"This isn't about you."

"Really?" He says,"Look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you didn't pull this shit with Kevin because of some misplaced concern for Alec and I-"

"This isn't about you." I say,"This is about me. It's about the fact that the only reason Kevin was messing with you was because you saved me. Because I couldn't handle myself and you had to rescue me like some stupid damsel in distress."

"We are way past distress right now." He mutters and I sigh.

"You don't know how it feels to have someone pay for a stupid mistake you made." I start to say.

"Oh really." He says,"If I didn't know that then, why the fuck would I be leaving you right now and running away to New York. Do you think it's because I want to?"

"Because I don't." He says shaking his head,"I really really don't want to. But I have to because it's the only keep you safe from my mistakes. But then there is you. I mean obviously life must have gotten boring for you and you just have to go looking for trouble don't you?"

"Maybe I'm just trying to show you how pointless it is for you to leave me and go." I say.

"You really hate me that much that you're putting me through this, aren't you?" He says.

"I think I've said I love you far too many times for you to know that isn't true." I say.

He opens his mouth and then shuts it again.

"And it wasn't like you weren't doing the same thing yesterday when you were playing the stupid game." I snap.

"It's different." He says.

"How?" I demand,"You were in an accident. You think I don't notice every time you move that shoulder of yours you wince-"

"And you think I can't see through this stupid I'm just perfectly peachy act of yours." He says.

"No one ever does." I snap,"I say I'm fine to everyone who bothers asking me and they believe me. So I keep it up Jake because there is no point of telling someone you're not fine when they can do absolutely nothing about it."

"Well it would help a whole lot more if you didn't blindly go looking for trouble with a large, I'm here arrow. I mean it Clara." He says firmly,"You're never going to do this-"

"Well it's not like you're going to be here to actually know." I say drily.

"We are back to this again, aren't we?" He sighs running his hand through his hair,"I don't get what you want me to do. I don't know how I can convince you that this is the only way. Admit it Clara two weeks back when you came to my house and kissed me it's exactly what you wanted me to do, you wanted me to go away."

"I didn't-"

"Of course you did." He says,"You use those words, those three words to make sure that you push me as far away from you as possible."

"Is that what you think?" I say my temper rising,"That I'm pushing you away by saying how I feel? That I enjoy getting my heartbroken every time I say those words? Do you really want to know why I want you to stay? It's because I realised what Clara Wilson looks like without Jake Henderson and it's absolutely fucking terrible."

"Then hate me," he says,"Blame me for everything that's wrong-"

"I can't." I say ,"You have no idea how much I've tried but I just can't."

"I'm doing this because I won't be handle it if something happens to you and it's my fault." He says,"I'm leaving because you and I both know you deserve better-"

"Maybe I do." I yell my voice hoarse,"But I don't want better. Haven't I proved that enough time already? The only chance I had with better I managed to mess up because of you. Because of how I feel about you. Because of how I'll always feel about you and I wish you going away would change that but all it does is scares the hell out of me."

"It scares the hell out of me that once you walk out of here I will never ever feel the way I do when I'm with you." I say.

"And you think I'm not." He states,"You think that I'm not just as scared as you are?"

I smile slightly,"No. You're Jake Henderson and I'm just plain old drab Clara Wilson who landed you because you felt sorry for me and decided to help me get a boy I had been after for a long time. Sure I was fun for a while Jake but you will forget about me in a blink of an eye. But I don't think I can. And I know it's selfish as hell but I'm afraid that you'll just forget and I'll be-" I shake my head stoping myself. Seriously after a point it all got too pathetic for me too.

He stares at me silently.

"What no smartass comeback this tim-" Before I can finish the sentence I start coughing violently.

It's the horrible sort of dry coughing the kind that burns your throat all the way through.

My eyes are watering by the time I'm done and my throat feels scratchy and terrible. My head aches and I realise just how tired I was. I could barely keep myself sitting upright.

"Here drink this." Jake says lifting the glass up to my lips so I can take a sip out of it.

Worry predominantly shines through out his eyes as he looks at me scanning every inch of my face.

He's siting on the chair beside my bed and his other arm is around my waist rubbing small circles on my lower back.

I give him a small nod and he sets the glass down. He doesn't say anything and I close my eyes for just a second.