I ran clutching my bag tightly to my chest, panting like a dog, which my sister so kindly points out. Two minutes for class, come on Gwen make it on time. Don't get me wrong I have no qualms about being late. If I am by mistake late, the annoying teacher had threatened to call my father. No way was I allowing that to happen.

My life was already filled with my families

disappointed looks, like hell I would want to stand there like a mannequin dodging my Dad's dirty look, my sister's smug face and my mom oh so lovingly yelling at me.

Puff, just in time. Thank the gods, for having pity on me once in a while. I happily jogged

towards class only to stop dead in my tracks.

Twenty five heads including one bald one zoned their eyes on me in perfect sync. Laser beams from a teacher burned a student, yeah gladly write that on tomorrow's newspaper. I gave Mr Hertz my best winning smile, only for the blind man to give me is that the 'best you can do look'.

"Detention, Carter. And your Father's going to hear about this." He snapped glaring at me with his weirdly shaped yellow eyes. His irregular nose looked like he ran into a wall somewhere in childhood. Both of us had one thing in common, our hatred for each other.

From the time I did step into school, Mr Hertz hated my existence. He was a big fan of my fathers work and thus thought I was not worthy to be his daughter. So he took up the noble task of making me fit as his daughter should be. When he did approach me with the brilliant suggestion, I threatened to kick him into Christmas. For some reason I don't know why, he hated me and let me tell you the feeling is mutual.

Just as I let out a dejected sigh and went to my seat ignoring my sorry excuse of classmates laughing at me, a boy stumbled into class, calmly as though he had all the time in the world.

"Your late." Mr Hertz said barley looking up from his book.

"Sorry Mr Hertz, you know I'm very busy and I live so far." Dave said flashing him a bright grin.

"Go to your seat." Mr Hertz said calmly.

I scowled, I'm late by a minute and I get detention, this dunderhead is late and he doesn't even get yelled at. Life is so not fair. The urge to push Mr Hertz and Dave down the terrace was a little too intense.

Dave flashed the class a smug look and

came towards me, ohh stupid Gwen there's only one seat empty. Of course he will sit next to you, my scowl deepened. Someone had the audacity to empty a whole bottle of bad luck into my life.

"Hey, why do you have that look?"he asked plopping on the seat beside me.

"What look?"

"Look which states, I am mad and can set that man's head on fire."he said gesturing towards Mr Hertz.

Well he got one thing right.

"Be glad your not on that list." I warned.

Dave's eyes widened and he held up his hands in mock surrender. I narrowed my eyes causing him to give me a puppy look and turn away sadly looking into his book.

A pang of guilt ran through me, Dave was a

sweet person, annoying but nice. He did try to be friends with me, but every time I shot him down. My family had drilled these insecurities into my head,the prospect of another person finding or judging my faults terrified me, thus I never allowed people

to get close.

I tried apologising for my rudeness but held back. It's not like he will care, or bother to remember me. After all everyone has a specialty in forgetting about me.

"Carter, what is the formula for Chloroflurocarbons?"

I was pulled out of my lala land, sadly I was imagining various ways I'm which I could kill Mr Hertz.

"I don't know Mr Hertz".

"I think it will be Dave Salve because, it's as lethal as my looks. "he said steering the conversation away from me. I was grateful for him, Mr Hertz would have a full time discussion on why I'm not fit to be here.

"Detention."he snapped looking at Dave.

Dave stood up from his seat and gave a full bow, causing the class to go wild and start howling. I gave him a small smile causing him to wink at me.

"Your mother will hear about this young man."Mr Hertz warned.

The bell rang, causing everyone to exclaim in delight and start towards the door at once. I quickly gathered my books and ran like my tail was on fire.

"Dave, Carter in my office. Now." Mr Hertz roared.

I meekly nodded and followed him, while Dave took his own sweet time, making a show of sighing dramatically and following me occasionally imitating Mr Hertz expressions.

"Friends" he asked after Mr Hertz assigned us extra work and went out.

"Friends." I agreed shaking his hand, little did we know, this detention of my most hated person did bring me the world's best person as my best friend.

****

"How is Dave?" I asked impatiently walking around the room, The exhaustion had finally got to me, causing my sugar levels to drop and I had collapsed right after finding Dave. I remember blotches of Chris patting my cheek, and mumbling something when everything blackened.

Waking up in a hospital bed, panicking until I had seen Chris, and made him promise to tell me everything that is happening, still it didn't settle me. So used to doing things on my own, I had forgotten that someone else could also do me a favour without expecting anything in return.

"Everyone's been asking me the same question, I wanna ask you. How are you?" Chris asked slumping on the chair beside me.

"I'm fine." I shrugged.

"Really?"he didn't beleive me, hell I wouldn't believe me either.

Stupid Gwen, can't even lie properly.

Well you are pretty useless.

Ignore my subconscious, she's the worst.

"What did the doctor say?" I asked ignoring his pointed look.

"There is blood loss, I contacted the blood bank. They think it may be a case of a minor hematoma." he answered softly.

"Does he need surgery, I need to speak to the doctor. What if he's not qualified enough and something goes wrong, how much will it hurt?" I rambled practically flying off the seat.

A hematoma is the collection of blood usually outside a blood vessel that occurs due to injury to the wall of the blood vessels, allowing blood to leak out into tissues where it doesn't belong.

"Your not going anywhere until you hear me out" he said, stopping me from moving.

"What is the treatment for it?" I asked fearing the the answer I will get.

"Mild Hematomas typically heal within five days, they need rest, ice, compression and elevation. The doctor thinks it is a mild one, if the clot doens't shrink back they may have to perform a surgery, he is sure that Dave may walk out without a surgery." he said tucking a strand of hair under my ear.

"Will he be okay?" I asked softly.

"He will be." Chris assured me.

"He wants to meet you." Chris said, though I heard him I ignored his voice and pretended to lay back on the pillow. It was childish how I tried to pretend nothing was happening, but reality is a tough thing to accept.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted to hug him and apologize because it was all my fault. Liam would have never targeted him if he didn't know me. I couldn't bear to see hatred in his eyes, anyone else didn't matter but it would break me to see him hate me.

"Come here." he gestured.

I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his waist, keeping my face buried in his chest. He holds my face in a firm grip and presses a light kiss to my forehead, though it was not more than a peck my body sizzles, I unconsciously shiver and hold him tightly. He leans forward and presses his forehead against mine. We stand there, like that. Him trying to comfort me and me basking in the warmth of his presence.

"He will never hate you." Chris told me firmly, placing a finger under my chin and made me look into his grey eyes

"If it wasn't for me, Dave would never be in trouble. My parents were right, I'm a plague. No one will ever be happy. I will destroy everything around me." I ranted a moment away from going into a full blown panic attack.

"Hey Calm down, I'm gonna tell this once, so you better listen to me carefully. You didn't ask Adam to come and mess up your life up, you didn't ask Liam to hurt Dave for some twisted reason. People make their own choices and they suffer the consequences too, you will not take blame for something you didn't do." his voice soothed my fretting nerves.

"Okay." I nodded.

"Will you ever blame yourself for not apologizing, when you know it's not your fault?" Chris asked cupping my face.

"No." I shrugged. Never and I mean never apologize when you know it's not your fault.

"Then don't blame yourself for something that is not your fault." Chris said.

"Now you will get up, go in there and meet Dave. Poor guy is freaking out thinking something happened to you. Get into that room now or I will have to carry you and Dave will not be too happy to see that now."he threatened.

I meekly nodded and went towards the room Dave lay in.