(A/N- This chapter is going to be rather personal for me, with mentions of a few people who mean the world to me and make life easier to handle. Also, fair warning-this chapter touches on sensitive subject matter such as rape and illness)

Still sipping on her drink, Gwen made her way back through the party. She turned the corner to find Skye. Who was casually leaning against the kitchen counter. She was alone for once.

Gwen swallowed hard and slowly walked over to her friend "Hey," she said nervously.

Skye looked over at the goth, her blue eyes a little hazy "Oh hey Gwen,"

Gwen bit the inside of her cheek "Can I talk to you?" she asked. Skye raised a confused brow but nodded. Gwen thought for a few seconds about how to start this conversation.

"I saw you.." Gwen confessed "Yesterday. In the bathroom.. With the needle,"

Skye's eyes widened and she visibly paled, she looked around nervously.

"Look if.. You're in trouble. I can help you. We can help you, if you're doing drugs-"

"Oh my god," Skye laughed a little, shaking her head "No. Its not like that, Gwen. Those weren't drugs you saw me using... It.. Was medicine," Skye mumbled. She hugged herself and swallowed hard 

"Are you.. Sick?" Gwen asked. Skye looked down and nodded slightly 

"A few months before college started I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. What you saw me using the other day was for my treatment. I have to inject myself with antibiotics at least 3 times a day. And take a shit load of other stuff too," Skye said. Her eyes had slightly filled with tears, but she shrugged them off. "For most people, if you catch the disease within the first 3 months of getting it, it can be cured.. But.. Unfortunately.. I didn't get diagnosed until almost a year after I caught it. From a tick bite when I was camping with my family," 

Gwen felt her heart hurt for her friend. She hugged Skye close and rested her chin on her shoulder "Fuck.. I'm sorry I thought you were doing drugs. Stupid me." Gwen chuckled. Skye shrugged as Gwen pulled away

"Just.. Don't tell anyone. Okay? I'm not ready for this to come out yet," Skye pleaded. 

Gwen nodded, suddenly feeling very light headed "I promise," she slurred.

"Are you okay?" Skye asked, noticing her friend lean back against the wall a little.

Gwen nodded "I've probably had too much to drink. Yeah.. That's it," Gwen said. 

Skye laughed and slowly took Gwen's drink from her "I think you've had enough, you light weight," she said, looking down into Gwen's cup. 

"I'm gonna go find a bathroom before I throw up all over the place," Gwen mumbled, rubbing her forehead as she stumbled away from Skye and back into the party.

Gwen jumped slightly when she felt cold hands slide around her exposed waist 

"You look a little.. Sick. Why don't I get you upstairs," a man's voice said into her ear. 

Gwen shook her head and tried to pull away "I'm.. Fine," she croaked. The guy laughed and led Gwen away. 

Skye sighed as she swashed Gwen's drink around in the cup, looking around. She hadn't drank all night. She couldn't have alcohol with her medication. She just wanted to go back to her dorm. 

Skye turned and dumped the rest of Gwen's drink into the sink. Her brows creased together when she noticed something white and pasty stuck to the bottom of Gwen's cup. Skye slowly sniffed it and slowly wiped some off with her finger. Examining it closer. 

It looked as though it were some sort of mashed up pill. Reduced to paste from being in liquid too long. 

Skye quickly washed her hands and turned around. 

Gwen wasn't in site, she seemed to have vanished. Skye quickly rushed to the bathroom on the lower level of the place, banging on the door "Gwen?" she called. She threw the door open to see an empty bathroom. 

Realization hit Skye like a truck. 

Someone had drugged Gwen's drink. 

"Guys!" Skye cried, running through the party to find her friends. 

The room was spinning. Gwen could barely keep her eyes open, as she was led into one of the other dorms down the hall. 

"I just... wanna.... Go home.." Gwen groaned. She could barely keep upright. Her vison was going in and out. 

She heard the door shut, and suddenly she was shoved onto a bed. 

"What the hell.." Gwen croaked, her eyes widened as she looked up at the guy standing before her. She begun to panic as she felt him grab her ankles 

"Get off me!" she yelped. But the room kept spinning. She yelped as she was pushed back on the bed by her shoulders. 

Her panic spun out of control as she felt the guy crawl on top of her

"I said get off of me!" Gwen screamed "Help!"

Just as he covered her mouth, the door was thrown open. And Courtney rushed inside, followed by Izzy, Bridgette, Zoey and Skye.

"Get off of her you asshole!" Courtney yelled, running over to the guy and yanking him off of Gwen

"Get out of here bitch-"

Courtney punched the bastard square in the face, and kneed him in the crotch.

The guy groaned in pain, and fell to his knees. Izzy came up and kicked the guy right in the chest. Sending him flying backwards.

"Gwen!" Bridgette said, rushing over to help her groggy friend slowly sit up in bed. Gwen was shaking, her charcoal eyes moving around the room fast.

"Bridge?" Gwen whispered. Gwen broke down and sobbed into Bridgette's shoulder. Zoey came over and rubbed her back.

"I'm calling Duncan," Courtney said, pulling out her phone 

"I'm going to kill him," Trent snarled, as the group watched the guy who tried to sexually assault Gwen being shoved into the back of a police car. Gwen was being seen by an EMT. 

"Are you okay?" Jace asked, his greenish blue eyes looking over Skye's face. Making sure she was okay. Skye nodded a little, tears in her eyes. Jace pulled her in and hugged her close

"Thank fuck you called me," Duncan said, blowing out a long breath. He and Courtney were standing next to each other, as they watched the police car drive off. 

"Thank you, for coming so quickly," Courtney whispered to him. Duncan slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in and kissing her forehead 

"I'm just glad you're all okay," Duncan whispered. 

Bridgette and Geoff were standing hand in hand, as they stood by Gwen who was in the back of the ambulance. Mike and Zoey had left a few minutes ago, after Zoey had given the police a statement. 

"Woah, woah.. Say that again? What happened?" 

Skye looked at the girl on the other side of the computer screen. A pair of warm hazel eyes looked back at her. Concern clearly shining in them. 

"God Iris.. If we had gotten into that room any later... I don't want to even fathom what could have happened to her," Skye said, swallowing the hard lump in her throat. 

Iris pushed her short black hair behind her ear, and gave Skye a sideways look "But you did get to her in time. That's all the matters. You did well, Skye," Iris said. Her voice stern, but her eyes still holding that constant soft expression. 

Skye smiled faintly. This was just what she needed. Since the events of the party, Skye had been aching to talk to her best friend. Having been gone for months from home, away from all of her family and friend was taking a toll on her. Iris had been Skye's best friend since 10th grade. Funny enough, the two didn't quite get along at first. But the more time they had spent together, the more they realized how alike they really were. Iris being Skye's constant rock when things got too intense at home. 

Iris was a gorgeous girl. With shoulder-length straight black hair, a big set of doll-like hazel eyes, and a warm smile that always reminded Skye of home. 

"Moving on to some.. Happier things.." Iris continued "So who is this boy you keep telling me about?"

Skye smiled, as a light blush came to her cheeks "His name is Jace, and-"

"Wait, wait... His name is Jace?" Iris asked, laughing "Are you serious?"

"I know right!" Skye squealed "That's the best part. He's tall, and handsome, and blonde... And he has tattoos," 

Iris raised a brow "Hmm. And when will I meet this perfect stranger?" she teased.

"I don't know. But get this.. He plays the cello,"

Iris' eyes went wide "Really? That means he's the first cello player you've met besides yourself,"

"Correct you are, Iris," Skye said. Smirking. But, slowly her face fell "I told someone today... About my illness," 

Iris bit her cheek "Wow. That's big. Who?"

"Gwen. I told her to keep it between us for now. I'm not really ready to have that come out yet," Skye said "I don't know if I should tell Jace or not yet,"

"In my opinion? I think you should wait it out. You guys just started talking, what, a few weeks ago? I think you should hold off on telling that. At least until the relationship seems a little more secure," Iris said. Skye nodded

"True. I still don't even know what we are. He asked me to the ball, so maybe I'll bring that up then. But, I should go. I gotta study. Bach's The Prelude  isn't going to perfect itself. See ya soon," Skye said, with a sigh. 

Iris nodded "Bye girly, text me if you ever need anything,"

As the video call ended, and the screen went black. Skye flinched at her reflection, she looked utterly exhausted. 

Her phone beeped on her nightstand.

Time for my night meds

She stood up from her desk chair, stretching her limbs as she went to her dresser. Pulling out the various medications she made sure she was taking all of the correct ones.

Skye swallowed the final pill with a flinch. Her throat always got sore when she took her night meds, the small capsules scratching up her throat as she swallowed them. She quickly put her medications back into her dresser and closed it. Grabbing one of her herbal treatments from her food cabinet, she walked to the sink in their dorm room and filled a glass with water. Pouring the herbal tea mix into the water, she mixed it with a spoon and began drinking it.

Skye swallowed the tea mixture, her eyes slowly scanned the room. And finally, they rested on her cello laying in it's massive case on the floor beside her bed. Her mind wandered and she thought of Jace.

This isn't fair to him... You have to tell him.

You're sick, and you're not going to get better