The monstrous chill that has been invading my room creeps along the walls covering them in a sheet of ice as I shuffle out of bed and make my way to the door. Bits of ice crunch underneath my bare feet cutting at my flesh, but it doesn't bother me. Nothing can compare to the pain my body has been ravaging me for days now.

It has been six days since the incident at my first training session. After my parents found me covering on the side of the road yelling for invisible voices to stop they had the school doctor check me out. After the briefest of examinations, he ordered me to stay in bed and have daily checkups.

As soon as I reach the door I lean forward and press my ear right up against it.

"How is she doing, Doctor?" I hear my mom ask, her voice still trembling from crying earlier. It's all she's been doing since that night they found me.

"Physically she's fine, but it appears that mentally she's still suffering through something that she's refusing to speak about," the doctor says in his calm and collective voice.

"Is she still hearing those voices?" my dad impatiently asks. As much as he is worried about me and the pain I've been growing through there is nothing he can do to hide his anger at me. I called out for Seth and to make it worse I did it in front of everybody. It's one thing for your daughter to have a mental breakdown in front of everyone but for her to call out to the enemy is a whole different problem.

Pushing away the tears that want to spill out I shift my attention away from the memories of my father's hate-filled eyes looking down at me and back toward the conversation.

The doctor sighs and not even a second later I hear my mom choke back a loud sob. I wish the doctor could tell them I was fine. I wish he could say that the voices have stopped. I wish the voices could stop.

It doesn't matter if I'm asleep or awake I can hear my faceless boy yelling for me. And when I dream he's all I see. What used to be love-filled dreams of us dancing or having a picnic are now only filled with that horrible scene of the man bursting into my room and ending with me dying.

"It's been six days why can't you help her?" my mom sobs.

"Mrs. Kate, if this were a physical problem then there would be more that I can do for her. But what's happening to your daughter isn't physical. Yes, it is resulting in physical side effects but the cause of her problems are all psychological, and that just isn't my field of expertise."

"Is there anything you can do for the physical effects?" my dad asks as he no doubt cradles my mom in his arms as she continues to sob.

"I can give her muscle relaxants to help ease her spasms but that's about all I can do. I highly recommend you book an appointment with Jane sometime soon she can help your daughter far more than I can."

I hear my father sigh. "Thank you, Doctor."

"I'll be back tomorrow to check in on her again. Have a good day."

The long-awaited sound of my parents leading the doctor down the stairs fills the air and I breathe a sigh of relief. No more tests for today. No more questions to answer. No more being poked like a rag doll. Sadly this happiness is only temporary as another wave of pain shoots through my back causing me to yell and fall to the floor. Curling into a tight ball I scream and allow the hot tears I've been holding in all morning to come spewing out of me.

"Vanessa!"

"Vanessa, no!"

"Vanessa, get behind me!"

"Vanessa, no!"

"No!"

"Vega!" my mom calls out as she bangs on my bedroom door trying her best to open it, but my almost dead weight blocks her from doing so.

Another set of bangs echoes from the door and this time I know it's my father.

"Vega, please honey you need to let us in!"

Despite the blinding pain surging through my entire body I manage to wiggle away from the door allowing my parents to open it and rush toward me.

"Vega, it's going to be okay. You'll be okay," my mom says as she lovingly strokes my hair as my father lifts me off the floor and tucks me back into my bed.

"You'll okay, Vega," my dad mumbles under his breath.

Squeezing my mom's hand I scream and violently thrash around as the next wave of pain courses through me.

"Help... me..." I mumble through the pain.

My mom's sobs echo in the background as I'm pulled further and further into the crevices of my mind.

"Vanessa, no!"

I'm standing in the tower.

"Vanessa, get behind me!"

I'm standing between the two men who are preparing to kill each other.

"Vanessa, no!"

I'm jumping in front of my lover to protect him from the other man's attack.

"No!"

"No!"

They scream as the icicle drives into my chest slicing through my heart and killing me instantly. The final image I see before I take my last breath is Chris and Seth.

"Vega!" I hear my mom scream as I'm sucked back into reality.

My body stops trembling and my breathing settles back into a regular rhythm. My parents sigh with relief and settle down into the chairs they positioned next to my bed a few nights ago.

"I'm okay," I say with a sigh as my body turns into dead weight and my head turns to the side.

"Would you like some of those meds?" my mom asks.

"Yes please," I respond my gaze still firmly focused on the thin wisps of afternoon light trailing through my semi-closed curtains.

I hear the pill box pop open and turn around just in time to receive a small tablet which I quickly swallow.

"Would you like me to make you a sandwich?"

I nod.

With a small smile tugging at her lips, my mom gets up and heads down to the kitchen.

"At least you didn't call out for him this time," my dad hisses.

"Dad, I'm your daughter and I'm literally laying here in pain, and you still won't get over that!"

He turns back to me with anger blazing in his eyes.

"You embarrassed your mother and me in front of everybody!"

"I didn't know what I was saying, Dad. I was in so much pain!" I sob.

He shakes his head. "That doesn't change anything. You're lucky there hasn't been a hearing about it."

"Why would there be a hearing? Why would anybody care that I yelled out for... him."

"You have been fraternizing with a known firebender who has attacked one of our own in the past. Not only could they call a hearing for this but you might be kicked out of the order before you even fully get into training."

Shivers dance up and down my body and I am sure my face is completely drained of colour.

"What do you mean attacked one of our own? Seth could never..." My voice trails off as images of him fighting people at school resurface.

"About a year ago your... friend attacked a girl at a supermarket. She sustained second-degree burns to her arm, wrist, and face. She and her family had to move away for her safety."

Tears flow down my cheeks as I shake my head. "That can't be true. He wouldn't do that."

"Well, he has which is part of the reason why your mother and I wanted you to go away from him. We don't want you to ruin your future for that guy."

"Who told you that story about him anyway?"

"Does it matter?"

"Who told you, Dad?" I demand. The gripping sensation of coldness fills the room as my hands curl into fists.

He sighs. "Chris."

I scoff and shake my head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Just because he's the one who told me doesn't mean it's not true."

"I didn't say that I just think it's very ironic that he's the one who is spreading dirt on Seth to you guys. I don't know why he's so invested in our lives."

"He cares about his people and wants what is best for us, especially you. You're part of the new generation and he wants our order to grow."

"Well, I don't want his attention. There are plenty of other people in this new generation he can go bother them."

"Vega—"

The sound of the door opening interrupts him and we both watch as my mom walks in holding a plate containing two sandwiches.

"Was I interrupting something?" she asks us.

"No, I was just leaving." He turns to me, "Enjoy your lunch and please get some more rest."

And with that, he walks past my mother and leaves. 

"He hates me now," I sigh. 

She walks closer to me and gently sets the plate on my lap. 

"No, he doesn't. Your father is just a very proud man especially when it comes to the order. Once this whole thing blows over he'll settle down I promise."

"Do you think they'll have a hearing because of my involvement with Seth?" I nervously ask as I tug at the sides of my mattress. 

She shakes her head. "I don't think they'll go that far. Most of your interactions were either school-related or by chance. It's not like you two ever did anything romantic with one another, that would be the big no-no."

A chill shoots through me as I think back to the times I spent with Seth, specifically the night we kissed. I doubt the order knew about any of that, but what if they did? What if someone saw me and reported me? Could I have ruined my future from one simple action? 

"Vega?" I look up at her hoping that I'm doing a good job at hiding the fear bubbling within me. "You haven't done anything romantic with him have you?" 

I could tell her the truth. After all, she is my mother and would protect me from the wrath of the order if she needed to. But I can't help that inkling feeling that if I tell her she might tell my father, and with the state he's in now who knows what he might do. For all I know he might rat me out, and I can't risk that. I can't risk my future on some stupid feelings and stupid decisions I made with a boy who won't even be a part of my life next year. 

"Of course not." 

The corners of her lips curl upward. "Good, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about." With a smile still on her face she leans forward and plants a kiss on my forehead. 

The sweet action that usually comforts me burns my soul filling me with guilt and sadness. This is hardly the first lie I've told her, but it is the one that is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.