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It was early the next morning when I began to stir in my sleep. The house was silent.

Until a small click was heard in the hallway followed by footsteps.

I had been in and out of sleep for the past few hours, my mind on the events that had happened earlier that night.

I rubbed my eyes turning over in my bed. I cursed myself silently as I looked at my bedside table realising I had forgotten my glass of water.

Groaning, I sat up swinging my legs to the side as I shoved my feet into my slippers. I moved towards the door, yawning as I pulled it open and stepped into the cold hall.

I shivered before my eyes fell on my brothers door. I made my way towards it, grabbing the handle before thinking it over and letting go. He had enough on his mind and was probably exhausted.

I let go of the handle and wrapped my arms around myself as I made my way towards the stairs.

The bottom floor was quiet as I made my way towards the kitchen. My eyes not noticing the slightly ajar door into the study.

The kitchen was dark, with no light but the moon shining through the windows. I made my way around the table towards the cupboard that held the glasses, opening it and grabbing a glass quietly.

I flipped on the tap allowing the glass to fill as I looked out the widow. The snow was blanketing the ground and was falling softly.

Peaceful. That's what it was.

The calm before the storm.

I turned off the tap as the water got closer to the top and turned back towards the door.

I had barely made it a few steps out the door when the glass fell from my hand, shattering on the ground and my ears began to ring. I froze on the spot my eyes trained on the study door.

That was where the bang had come from and my mind went to someone breaking in. As silence filled the house once again, I realised if someone had broken in it wouldnt be this quiet. I crept over the broken glass, coming to a stop outside of the study.

I pushed open the door, looking around. A strong smell catching my attention. It didn't hit me until I looked around, my eyes catching the cloth on the table.

That's when it clicked.

"Listen very close you two, see this?" Our father said showing us the black object sitting on top of the cream cloth. Neil and I, both eight, looked at it confused, nodding our heads "under no circumstances are you allowed to touch it, okay?"

"Daddy, Whats it for?" I asked looking down at the object

"Just in case anything happens" Neil looked up to our father confused

"Happens?"

"Yes, so I can protect you two and your mother" he told us wrapping it up and placing it in the drawer. He looked up seeing both Neil and I's worried faces, came around the desk and knelt down infront of us

"Dont be worrying about it, I'll doubt ill ever have to use it. It's just in case. Okay?" He said holding onto both Neil and I's arms. We both nodded to him as he smiled pulling us into him and squeezed us. He let us go, and stood up "now, go and play you two"

The gun.

"No" My legs carried me closer to the windows when the black shiny object came into view. Then his hand.

My heart stopped as I made my way around the desk, my knees becoming week as I dropped onto the floor beside my brother.

"No, Neil" I said, the tears I hadn't noticed filling in my eyes, spilling onto my cheeks as I lifted my brothers head, placing it onto my lap "No Neil, please. Please" I cried, my hand going over the wound. It was so small but had done so much damage.

Footsteps carried across the floor upstairs as I held onto my brothers limp body

"Neil, cmon, you have to wake up" I cried hunching over as I cried "please you cant do this, you cant leave me. Please"

"Neil!" My throat felt raw as the cry ripped out of my throat

"Sophia!, Neil!" My father shouted as footsteps ran down the stairs. The door to the study slammed open as my fathers eyes fell on me "Sophia, Whats-" he crossed the room stopping where I had stopped, his face paling as his knees weakened and he landed beside me.

"Oh Neil" he cried taking my brother from my lap to his as I scrambled up from the floor. My mother rushed in seconds later taking one look at me then falling to the floor beside my father.

"No, he's all right"

"My poor son" my father said as shock flooded my body. I stood frozen, as my mothers cries ricocheted off the walls, my father pulling her into him.

His eyes landed on me as I looked down at my hands, red coating them. "Sophia" my chest was becoming tight and my breath was scarce. I was sinking.

I turned walking away from the study, leaving the sounds of my mother crying for my brother and my father calling out to me behind. By the front door I shoved my socked feet into my shoes and unlocked the front door, throwing it open as I left the house. The cold air hit me but didnt stop me as I ran away from the house that would now forever be haunted.

The snow clung to my hair as did the clothes on my body and the sky was beginning to get brighter. Everything and nothing was running through my mind as the snow crunched beneath my feet. I was on the trail that Charlie and I had walked earlier but this time it was under very different circumstances.

The old building came into view. I made my way towards the door pulling it, thankful that it was open and ran up the stairs

My footsteps echoed off the walls, slicing through the silence as I got to the top of the stairs, my eyes falling on the figure moving towards my room.

"Charlie" I said as he turned on the spot, his eyes meeting mine.

"Sophie?" My feet carried me towards him hoping the weight in my chest would lift once he was near me. He moved towards me too, meeting in between the four doors.

He looked over me once before his eyes met mine once again. "What happened?" I shook my head, sobs wracking my body as his hands held my face "Soph, tell me what happened"

"He's gone Charlie" I cried as I clutched onto his top. Tears prickled in his eyes as I met them, not noticing the doors that opened beside us "Neil's gone" the cry ripped from my throat as Charlie pulled me into him.

I sank to the floor, Charlie following as my cries muffled against his top. My chest didn't get any lighter, even in Charlie's arms because this time he couldn't convince me everything would be okay. He knew as well as I did it wouldn't.

"Go tell Mr. Nolan" he said to someone, his voice breaking as footsteps carried off into the distance.

"It's all my fault" I cried as Charlie's shushed me, cradling my head against him. I looked up to him, my hand clutching his top. "You have to tell Todd" I pleaded, noticing the three figures surrounding us. "Please Charlie"

He looked at me nodding as his arms left me but were replaced by someone else's not seconds later along with a blanket.

"Shh, its okay"

"I should've stayed with him, Knox. I should have known" I lifted my head looking at him. His eyes were bloodshot and tears spilled down his cheeks. Knox pulled me closer to him, both our bodies shaking as he wrapped the banker around me tighter, resting his head on top of mine.

A few feet away from us in the room, Charlie crouched down by Todd's bed, shaking the boy "Todd"

Todds eyes opened a bit before turning away "Oh Charlie" Charlie's hand gripped onto Todd's arm pulling him back. Todd turned back noticing the tears on Charlie's face, worry crossing his features.

"What is it?" He asked, sitting up looking towards the door where Meeks and Pitts stood. The cries in the hall echoing into the room.

His eyes went back to Charlie "Neil's dead"

With my head buried into Knox's chest I could barely hear the footsteps behind me.

"Sophie?" My head turned towards Todd who was fighting back tears. His face paling when he saw the state I was in "No" he said shaking his head

"Todd" he moved from where he was standing, disappearing into the room only to reappear a few moments later with his jacket and shoes on, along with a scarf. He left towards the stairs as I staggered up from my position to follow him.

"Soph" I ignored Charlie's call as Todd moved down the Stairs and out the front door. Footsteps pounding down the stairs behind me as we left through the door I had came in through a few moments ago.

Todd walked ahead as I wrapped the blanket around myself. The boys came into my peripheral vision as we all stood back from todd. Charlie came up beside me, his head turning towards me every few seconds.

Todd came to a stop and so did we. Charlie stood close to me as I watched todd with worried eyes. My eyes scanned across to the others.

Meeks, glassed were fogged up but his face was red and his cheeks were stained. Pitts on the other hand just looked lost.

Knox looked broken, much like he had in the hall. Charlie on the other hand looked like he was trying to pull it together for all our sakes.

Todd turned back to look at all of us. A small smile crossing his face as he looked around "its so beautiful" I smiled softly as he looked at me, tears beginning to fill my eyes again.

He was right, it was beautiful, Everything was so calm, the water was frozen on the lake, the soft snow that was falling, the leafless trees.

And yet, a storm was building in all of us. The frozen lake just felt like it was a mockery because it truly did feel like time was standing still and we were never going to get pass this.

I could see the boy in front of me breaking and it tore me up. He had lost his person and now he was beginning to lose himself.

His eyes filled with panic as he turned halfway back, heaving twice before dropping to the ground. Charlie and I quickly moved towards him, Charlie falling down on his right and me infront of him.

Knox clung to his back, Meeks came to his left and Pitsie fell down beside me as we all surrounded him.

Charlie pulled him back up to him "its okay Todd"

"It's gonna be alright Todd" I told him holding onto his face as he sobbed. His sobs were heartbreaking.

"It's all right Todd" Knox cried into his back. I dropped my hands from Todd's face as Charlie lifted the snow to his face, wiping it and trying to calm him down.

"He wou- he wouldn't have done it" he said looking around, his eyes landing one me as he shook his head "No he wouldn't"

Charlie's eyes fell onto mine as the tears fell down my face

"You cant explain it Todd" Meeks told him. Todd's eyes tore away from mine looking towards Meeks

"It was his father"

"No" Pitsie shouted from beside me.

"He wouldn't have left us" he said looking to Charlie before he looked back at me "he wouldn't have left us, Sophie"

"I know" I cried looking at him

"His dad was- his, his father did it" he said looking at Charlie who shook his head

"Todd"

"His father killed him" he said looking between the boys wiping his face  "He made him do it" 

"You cant explain it Todd" Meeks told him again as he stumbled up between Charlie and

All of us stood from our positions looking at Todd

"Todd" Meeks called after him as Charlie stood from the ground

"Leave him be" he said coming to me and pulling me into him, both his arms were wrapped around me as we watched Todd run towards the lake

"Neil!" He screamed, the heartbreak evident in his voice.

My vision became dotted and my chest became heavier. Charlie turned to look at me as I put a hand to my chest

"Soph?"

"Charlie" I said, looking up at him "I can't breathe"

My vision went black and my legs became weal as Charlie's arms gripped onto me stopping me from hitting the ground.

"Sophie!"

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I became aware of the brightness that filled the room as my eyes began to open. I was on my back but my head was tilted to the left as I looked at a wall, immediately knowing this wasn't my room.

I turned to my right where Charlie was sitting on a chair. I took it that I was in his and Cameron's room in his bed.

He looked up at me noticing my movement and smiled softly at me

"Was it a dream?" I asked him in a quiet voice. He gave me a sad smile a shook his head slightly

"No" I nodded as I looked around the room before focusing back on him

"What happened?" He cleared his throat running a hand over his face before focusing back on his hands.

"You went into shock and you collapsed outside" he stopped himself looking away and blinking before looking back at me "Soph, your lips were blue, we thought you were gonna stop breathing" he looked down before continuing

"The nurse said your body temperature had dropped from being in the wet clothes and then going back outside. She said that with everything that happened" he cleared his throat as it began to break "your body couldn't take anymore. We had to bring you in here so Hager could check on you, since hes not allowed in your room and all"

I nodded to him, taking in the big Welton jumper I was wearing. I couldn't feel any fabric beneath it and could feel cotton against my legs. Noticing this Charlie cleared his throat once again.

"We had to get you out of the wet clothes so Margie came in to help. I gave her the clothes and she changed them for you"

I gave a small smile to him, my eyes going to the window "what time is it?"

"11:00" he said to me "you were out for six hours"

"You didn't sit on that chair for six hours did you?" I asked him as he looked at me with a small shake of his head

"Of course not" I smiled at him before he stood "I sat at the bottom of the bed for a while and walked around in here" I shook my head with a smile.

"The nurse said that when you wake up you should get a shower, just to make sure your body temperature is okay" I nodded sitting up in the bed, swinging my legs over the side.

He grabbed some clothes from his wardrobe and moved over towards me.

We left the room and headed towards my own. "Where is everyone?" 

"Nolan called an assembly" he said making me turn to look at him. It wasn't any question what the assembly was about.

When we got inside my room the place looked darker, like all the light had been sucked from it. My eyes went to my bed which was unmade, my mind going back to yesterday morning 'I definitely made my bed' I thought.

Charlie came back from turning on the shower, his eyes following mine to my bed

"Sorry Soph, I didnt get a chance to make it" he said moving towards it

"You slept in here?" I asked him

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night so I decided to come down here" he told me. "I was on my way back from the bathroom when you saw me" he said looking down. I nodded to him and made my way towards the bathroom "I left clothes on the hamper for you"

"Thank you" I said closing the door behind me before stripping off and climbing into the hot shower. The hot water ran over my body as I stood there, allowing it to wash away everything. The water below my feet turned red from the blood that had seeped through my pyjamas and onto my stomach.

I turned away and ran my head under the water before I began to wash it. By the time I was done my skin felt, dirty, like it was crawling.

I grabbed my sponge and scrubbed my body fighting the lump in my throat. My skin was raw as I dropped the sponge on the ground. I put my hand over my mouth trying to stop the sob that was trying to escape.

I shook myself and got out of the shower drying myself off before I pulled my underwear followed by the grey joggers and sweatshirt. I dried my hair with the towel before dropping both towels into the wash basket.

I dried my hair, opting that it wouldn't be a good choice to leave my har wet in a freezing school.

I brushed my teeth and combed through my hair taking in the appearance of the girl who looked nothing like me in the mirror. I washed my face and dried it before turning and moving out of the room.

Charlie was staring out my window not looking at anything in particular. He wiped his face quickly as I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around his middle.

I didn't say anything as my cheek rested against his shoulder. Within a few seconds, his shoulders were shaking and his sobs filled the room. I let go of him as he turned around on the spot, wrapping his arms around me.

My heart broke for him. He had lost the boy he had been friends with for years. Every summer spent together, every school year. Play dates, outings. Everything they did together. And now he didnt have his best friend anymore.

After a few minutes he straightened and wiped his face "I'm sorry, Soph" he said blowing air into his cheeks before coming back over and pulling me into a hug. "I love you so much" he whispered into my hair

"I love you more" I said pulling away, taking a look at his tired face "cmon you should get some sleep" I said as we striped back the bed covers, climbing beneath them.

And for the hundred time, our arms tangled and my head rested on his shoulder, the same as always.

Except now everything had changed.

Forever

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The dreaded chapter...
I cannot tell you how many time I wrote and rewrote this.
I hope I did it some sort of justice...
-C