The tension filled room was silent barring the continual beeping of a machine. Peyton's eyes slowly flickered open and searched the room in an attempt to figure where she was. She just could not determine where she was. The place felt strange.

"What the fuck is that beeping?" She mumbled to herself as she attempted to find the cause of such a disgusting noise.

She reached a shaky hand up to rub at her eyes because only then did she realise they were fuzzy and that could be part of the reason why she couldn't figure out where she was.

Why do I feel like such a fucking wreck?!

She groaned as she sat up.

My head is killing me!

"Oh my god! Peyton!"

Peyton was startled to say the least as she whipped her head to the side to find the culprit who made the outburst. There, standing next to her was Kimberly with a tear-streaked, worry-consumed face.

"Kimmy?"

"Peyton! Oh my god! I... I... I was so worried!" Kimberly bent over and hugged her friend gently. "I'm so sorry boo... I should have done something. I should have protected you. I'm so glad you're okay." Breaking away from the hug, Kimberly stood back upright and looked at her friend with tear-filled eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Peyton was nothing shy of confused. "Huh?" The only response she could muster.

"I'll get the doctor..." Kimberly said sadly as she turned and began walking out of the room.

"Kimmy wait!"

Kimberly stopped immediately and rushed back to the bedside.

"I'm in the hospital? Why?"

"You don't remember?"

Peyton shook her head. "What happened?"

Tears flowed freely now as Kimberly sat on the bed next to her friend. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Peyton squeezed her eyes shut as she thought long and hard. "Uhhh... I remember us going to the cinema... and I remember that girl from the cinema. She was cute." Peyton couldn't suppress the smile which forced its way onto her face at the mere thought of some random girl.

"That's all? You remember anything else?"

"Uhhh... I dreamt that girl just now I think." Peyton blushed as she recalled her dream.

"That's nice but do you remember anything else after seeing the girl?"

Peyton closed her eyes once more and thought hard, "well... I remember seeing her sitting in front of us eating her popcorn, sipping her drink, twirling her hair on her finger and smiling at some text on her phone."

"Peyton! Come on, I'm serious!"

Peyton's eyes shot open and she glared at Kimberly, "what the fuck Kimmy?! I'm just answering your question. Geez! What do you want from me huh?"

Kimberly got off the bed, "look, I'm sorry okay. Let me just get the doctor. He'll be better at this."

"Wait Kimmy. I'm sorry. I just have a huge fucking headache, I feel like shit and that really is all that I remember." Peyton's tone was so broken and pleading even she could hear it. "I sound so pathetic..."

Kimberly sat back down and hugged her once again, "I'm sorry boo. I was a bitch. It's just that I was really worried about you. I thought I had lost you and then seeing you be so flippant about this just made me upset... But I realise that you really don't remember. I don't know if that's a good thing or not."

Peyton exhaled and placed her head in her hands. She felt confused and frustrated in addition to the fact the she hurt all over.

"I'll go get the doctor okay? He'll explain everything."

"No. Wait." She looked up, "I'd rather hear it from you. Please. What happened to me Kimmy? Why don't I remember? Why am I feeling like such a fucking wreck? Why the fuck am I even in the hospital? I need to know Kimmy and I want you to tell me not some stranger. Please?"

Kimberly smiled an empty smile and nodded, "okay."

For the next half an hour Kimberly went through every detail of what she knew in the hopes that something will jog Peyton's memory.

"So... I wonder what happened when he took me away?" Peyton asked when Kimberly was finished with the story.

"Well, I can only tell you what we suspect from what your parents, the doctors and the police have said."

"And what is that?"

"We think that your parents beat the crap out of you and kicked you out and then you somehow overdosed on sleeping pills... It's a real good thing that dog found you in that alley..." Kimberly paused to compose herself because she had begun to cry again. "I... I don't know what I would have done without you boo. Why didn't you come to me?"

Peyton hung her head as a few tears left her eyes, "I'm sorry Kimmy... I just... You know I never come by you first when it's bad..."

"Yeah but why?!"

"Because... I don't want you seeing me like that. I have to get my shit together first you know?"

"No! I don't know! Sometimes you're such an idiot! That does not make sense. The whole point of me being there for you is so that you can come to me at any time especially when you are at your lowest. Don't you trust me?"

"Yes I do! How could you even ask that?! I just... I don't want you thinking less of me. Sometimes I'm a real fucking mess and... and it's embarrassing okay."

"Look, Peyton, you never have to feel embarrassed around me okay? I don't judge you. But what was with the sleeping pills though? How did you even get that?"

"It's mom's. Somehow she managed to get her hands on entire bottles of three different kinds and so I jacked a lot over the last couple months."

"Why? You never told me you had trouble sleeping."

"I don't really have much trouble sleeping."

"So then what are you doing with sleeping pills huh?"

"Geez Kimmy, are you that clueless? To get a high. To get an ease."

"An ease? How the fuck does that work?"

"When I take them it's like all of my problems drift away. I feel almost giddy. I can't hold a single thought in my mind for too long; especially bad ones. I feel like my mind is just flying in the clouds and I don't have a care in the world. And then, I'm able to sleep a peaceful sleep, without any bad dreams. It's just to get a break. That's all Kimmy. I swear."

"How many do you usually take?"

"It depends... if I'm not feeling too bad I might take like two or three but if I'm feeling a little worse I might take like four or even six. I know what I'm doing though. You never suspected anything right?"

"So then why the fuck were you almost dead by the time you got to the hospital huh?! You were practically dead Peyton! That does not seem like someone who knows what they're doing!" Kimberly was getting increasingly upset. "Peyton... the doctors said that if five more minutes had passed before they got to attend to you you would have been dead!" Kimberly was crying now.

"Look, Kimmy, I'm sorry okay. I really don't remember what happened. It could have been from the beating I got from my parents you know."

"No! They said that the injuries weren't bad enough to cause something like that. You just lost some blood, fractured a couple ribs and got a couple hematomas. None of that was enough to nearly kill you. It was the pills! They had to pump your stomach!"

Peyton reached forward and grabbed Kimberly's flailing hands, "hey hey hey. I'm sorry okay. I really don't remember what happened so I can't say anything with certainty. I guess I was just feeling really fucking terrible. And I made a mistake. I love you Kimmy. I would never leave you like that. I promise. It was just a moment of weakness. I guess I need help... I should have said something a long time ago..."

"Yes. You should have. My parents work in the hospital for crying out loud! They could get the best of the best help for you boo. But don't worry, everything will be different from now on."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to be living with us. And my parents said that we're going to move."

"Move? Why?"

"A fresh start. Away from all the memories and the people here. They say it will be good for you. A sort of therapy."

"No! I will not disrupt all of your lives!"

"You don't have a choice. It's already being done."

"But what about school? And your parents' jobs?"

"We're not moving very far. Just to the next town. They will still work here and we will be changing schools. It will be fun! Like a new adventure or something." Kimberly beamed at the idea.

Peyton sighed heavily, "I guess... since I have no choice and all. As long as I get to be close to you. I need you Kimmy... More than I would like to admit."