"You look terrible. What happened?" Shauna's eyes met Serena, her skin appeared pale and her eyes were barely open enough to see them. Voicing her concerns, the girl couldn't formulate a response, and so simply gave an attempt of a weak smile. Fatigue coursed through her system and she was in desperate need of a little relaxation. However, the small matter of lectures meant her day was only prolonging the pain of her ongoing splitting headaches and her sprained wrist. Using her shoulders to carry her belongings, she approached the sitting girl, immediately slumping in her seat. Concern grew on Shauna's face, resting her hand on the blonde's back. She was cold at the touch, but the warm lecture theatre would suffice for now, glad for the fact that Ash didn't need his jacket anytime soon.

The professor rambled on, Shauna furiously typing away on her laptop, the words quickly coming and going before she could even try to understand them. Loathing the lecturer for talking too fast, the brown-haired girl persevered until they reached a small intermission, the room bustling into life with the sounds of hushed chatter. Watching the man at the front leave, she spent the time catching up on the fragments of information she missed, thankful for the fortuitous timing. Upon doing so, she looked out of the corner of her eye, watching a sleeping Serena for a few moments. For the first time that hour, the girl seemed to have found some peace and so Shauna couldn't muster the heart to wake her. Her hair was carelessly combed, Shauna recalling that it was raining that morning.

Her mind drifted to their interactions, a sorrowful expression now developing inside the girl for she barely knew anything about her sleeping friend. Snapping out of thought, the man once again walked in, the small note of groans from students behind her. Thankfully, she opted to sit further away from their professor, so he didn't see Serena through the crowd as of yet, but she doubted he cared enough to call her out even if he did. The hour for Shauna quickly sped by her hatred of his monotone voice now translating into her nails almost digging at her keys, as the words simply would not appear on her document fast enough. But the same couldn't be said about Serena, who slept blissfully in a world of endlessness, her body feeling at ease. But all good things must come to an end, and soon Serena would bear witness to that very truth.

"Serena let's go, the next class is walking in." She tried to make her voice as quiet as possible so as to attract the least amount of attention, but her words failed to make any difference to the situation. The new students laughed at the scene, almost comically, leading to Shauna to forcefully waking her friend now. Violently shaking her shoulders, Serena jolted into a sitting position, her blue orbs painfully adjusting to the bright lights. Holding her hand out above her forehead, she looked to see a concerned Shauna, almost pleading her to get up. Curiously, she looked around, seeing that the student's faces had changed from when she first walked in. Eyes widening in realisation, she picked up her bag and walked out, hearing small giggles being stifled, her eyes now apologetic.

Ducking her head, the two made it out into the corridor, thankful to be past the ordeal. "Sorry about that. I'm having a bad day in truth." She looked towards a smiling Shauna, who couldn't help but hold in a laugh of her own. Coughing to disguise it, she put a hand onto her mouth, hopeful her friend wouldn't see past her ruse. But eventually the two couldn't help but let out their laughter, a small moment of euphoria erupting from her moment sheer embarrassment. Soon regaining composure, they made their way down the winding corridor, expectedly traversing towards the boys for a spot of lunch. However, Serena's eventful day was far from over.

Nonchalantly walking, Serena was violently thrown onto the nearby wall, her senses dazed by the unexpected movement. Her wrist burned as it was being forcefully pressed on the brick structure, its course texture rubbing against her frail skin. She felt fingers completely engulf her wrist, already in pain from before, and now seemingly bruising under this new intense pressure. Her back was arched slightly, her bag being suffocated behind her as she had to stand on her toes to keep balance. Her neck pained from the sudden change in direction, but she opened her eyes to see dark brown irises staring down at her like a ragdoll pinned to the wall. "Kyle!? Let me go!" Her voice was laced with the pain she felt in her wrist, her other hand trying to unfasten his grip.

However, it was to no avail. The boy smirked before pushing his body closer to hers, Serena now almost standing flat against the wall if not for her bag. Using the back of his index finger, he slowly trailed it down her cheek, inhaling the scent of her peppermint breath. His cologne smelt like a diseased animal to the girl however, who screamed in pain. Looking over his shoulder, she pleaded for Shauna to get help to which she immediately did, dropping her possessions on the floor. His finger was cold and felt like a thorn on her skin, but her attempt to escape his touch was countered by his fingers coiling around her wrist tighter. The pain threshold was soon enough to make the girl feel lightheaded as her body began to frail.

Kyle soon brought his face closer to the girl's ear, his eyes sinister and intense. "You know I find you to be stunning. But no one, and I mean no one, slaps me and runs away." His repulsive tone sent shivers down Serena's spine; her thoughts immediately fearful of the future consequences. Wishing she had not slapped him, she tried to make out a few words, but they were caught between her pressed lungs, the pain now shooting up her spine. She prayed someone would come and stop his actions, and soon heard someone shout her name in a familiar voice. Kyle turned around only to be met with a balled fist fiercely colliding with his lower jaw. Blood spewed from his mouth, knocking him back slightly.

Serena who was now free, quickly dropped down onto her knees, clutching her wrist in agony. Although it didn't sting as bad as before, the purple contour now forming on her pale skin told her all she needed to know. Looking at a stumbling Kyle, she saw his blood trickle down his chin, staining the pristine tiled floors. Glancing the other way, however, was a standing boy of whom she did not recognise. His dark hair and dark brown eyes violently shook, his fist dabbled in some of his opponent's blood. Standing in a fighting stance, a crowd began to form around him, enough to gain the attention of senior members. Quizzically shooting a violent glare at Serena, Kyle wiped his blood off using the palm of his hand, walking away from the scene. Clearly not wanting to get caught, he disappeared out of sight, much to the disbelief of the blonde girl still on the floor.

Upon the approach of a few teachers, the crowd quickly dismantled, until only she and her mysterious saviour were left. He wore a grey hoodie and denim jeans, nothing out of the ordinary but he approached the girl who initially flinched at the motion. His eyes quickly catching on turned softer, a small smile creeping upon his face, comforting the girl a little. Gesturing a hand out, he offered to pick her up which she gladly accepted with her better wrist, soon standing once more. Stumbling due to his unexpected strength, she hastily attained her composure, now looking to see they boy. They were of equal height and his aura was one of kindness; the girl astounded he landed a clean hit on Kyle's lower jaw. Shauna then approached the two, followed by a sprinting Gary and Ash.

The latter approached Serena, abruptly stopping Serena from staring at the other male. "Shauna filled us in. Are you alright?" The concern in his voice did nothing but shatter the girl, her emotions now getting the best of her. Colliding with his chest, she ran into him, releasing the pain and fear she momentarily felt. Sobbing into his jumper, he instinctively wrapped his longer arms around her waist and back, almost protectively. It was twice in the same day that Ash found his friend in emotional turmoil, a sight he never wanted to become accustomed to. Running a hand through her warm blonde tresses, he felt her relax in her arms and so pushed her away, wiping her freshly formed tears off her face. "You don't look as pretty if you keep crying Serena". His light and gentle tone soothed her raging emotions, casting her fear away slightly.

Letting out a small laugh through her sobs, Ash made way for Shauna who hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear. "Sorry I couldn't do anything, I tried to get help as quick as I could." Serena reassured her friend now that things were under control again, before departing from the embrace. She felt a side-hug from Gary who looked into her blue irises asking about her, to which she nodded in confirmation that she was okay. He offered her a tissue, for which she held immense gratitude for, and began to wipe her eyes. Thankful she wasn't wearing any sort of make-up today with the number of tears she'd shed. Feeling a soft palm under her hurting wrist she looked at the mahogany-haired man, lifting it gently towards him and quickly inspecting it. His eyes observed her bruised flesh, like a piece of meat at a butchery.

Laying his bag on the floor, she watched him scavenge a white roll of fabric and then tied it around her wrist. Although it stung for a brief moment, she allowed him to do his work, before tying a bow after a few revolutions of her wound. The pain was significantly reduced now her wrist was locked into a still position, yet the burning sensation still reverberated in her bone. Grateful of the gesture, she began thanking Gary whose attention was now drawn behind her. Following his intense look, she slowly turned around seeing Ash wander over to the boy who stood unmoving the entire time. His eyes briefly wandering over to Serena, before locking onto the incoming Ash.

His eyes studied him as he approached, almost judging his stance and character; the boy now feeling uneasy. Physically he was smaller than Ash, hence Serena wasn't surprised at his now intimidated posture, almost ready to jump back into combat. Remarkably however, the raven-haired boy stuck his hand out, greeting the surprised boy whose eyes were transfixed at his hand. Gathering his bearings, he welcomed the handshake, the atmosphere feeling considerably less tense now. "Thanks man. We owe you one for sure." The girl didn't understand why he would be saying thank you considering she was the one in danger, yet she felt calmer seeing the stranger smiling back.

"Ah no worries, I couldn't just do nothing right? I'm Tyler by the way and Serena I'm sorry if you got hurt. I was a little late to the scene in hindsight." His voice was deep but rather soothing. Tracing down Serena's makeshift cast, he observed it tightly protecting her swelling wrist. The feeling of guilt arising as he could've been quicker in his actions, yet he was relieved she was still in one piece. However, Serena was thankful for his arrival, albeit she could've used it earlier, but it wouldn't be right to blame him. Yet one thought did linger in her mind.

"Hey, I should be thanking you, who knows what Kyle would've done. By the way how do you know my name?" She held her wrist, almost as if to say she got lucky with only one injury. Her heart still feared the outcome if Tyler hadn't intervened, but she figured it wouldn't do her any favours in settling her nerves, so she abandoned the thought for now.

"Oh, well we're in the same Arts and Design class, but we've never formally met. I was in the lecture with you just now, but I forgot my textbook on the seat beside me, so I was going back. That's when I found you in your...situation." His expression winced at his own words, immediately regretting the insensitive nature of them, but he was glad Serena didn't mind, her smile reassuring him somewhat. "What did he want from you anyways? It must've been serious". His attempt to change the topic of conversation wasn't as smooth as he would've liked, the air becoming a little fractious again.

"I don't really know. I'd rather not think about it for now if that's alright." Agreeing to drop the matter, Tyler seemed satisfied enough, yet Shauna, Ash and Gary shot each other a look of scepticism. For the time they had known Serena, they knew she was a bad lair; immediately seeing through her façade. But this was nor the time nor place, and so they mentally agreed to postpone that particular conversation.

"So, seeing as we owe you one, how about we get you lunch, on us of course." Seeking to get out of the corridor, now witnessing the hallways becoming busier, Gary opinionated his idea to which almost everyone agreed.

"Sure, but we'll need an icepack for that wrist first. No buts." Ash childishly waved his index finger towards Serena's general direction, who rolled her eyes at his behaviour but nodded to the idea. With an agreeing Tyler, Shauna and Gary followed him to get his textbook, while Ash and Serena made a beeline towards the campus nurse. Swinging her bag over his own shoulder, Ash casually walked next to a relieved but exhausted Serena. She needed this day to end quickly but how would she explain her wrist to her mother; obviously telling the truth was not an option worth considering. A now quiet Ash watched the girl muse over her thoughts, loosely clutching her wrist wishing he weren't just a spectator during the incident, but he was more than glad she was okay. For the most part anyways.

Yet his mind drifted to foreign thoughts, ones which he questioned himself to when he found her earlier and in the library. Although she was holding her injury, and her hands weren't especially big, they completely covered her wrist and during their hugs, Ash undeniably felt some of her bones. Sure, she was smaller than him, but she also appeared a little underweight now Ash properly thought about it. Recalling the incident last week at the restaurant, she also didn't have anything for lunch after she spoke about already eating, but something in his mind screamed at him to not believe it. Of course, Ash couldn't simply go in with reckless abandon by asking her why she appeared underweight, so he decided to observe her a little better to clarify his internal debate.

Reaching the small office, the nurse was busy restocking tissues and detergents into a small yellow cart, presumably for a science lab. Reluctant at first, Serena approached the woman, undoing the fabric concealing her bruise. Needless to say, the nurse was immediately surprised at the magnitude of the wound but refrained from asking questions in fear of insensitivity. Journeying into another room, Serena sat on one of the available seats while Ash opted to remain standing, observing his surroundings. Still holding her wrist, which was now resting on her leg, Ash tentatively moved closer, holding her hand slightly. Unknowingly, Serena felt his warm touch as he removed her hand, and closely examined her now swelling skin.

His thumb lightly grazed her flesh, just enough to soothe her but not hurt her. The sensation did alleviate some of the pain, but admittedly Ash felt a sudden surge of anger towards Kyle, wanting to inflict the same amount of damage back his way. But he was rather pleased to hear that Tyler had exacted revenge, and so he wasn't as infuriated, yet he wanted vengeance, nonetheless. The nurse came back, telling Serena to reuse the icepack at home as well, before giving her a fresh bandage. Leaving her back to her task, the two walked towards the gates, expectantly searching for the other three.

Once meeting up again the walk to the shop, this time opting for a more traditional shop, was relatively quiet. The five of them perfectly content with a tranquil walk, but Shauna as ever was anything but silent. "So, Tyler tell us a bit about yourself?". The eyes of everyone descended on the boy. Feeling a little nervous at their reactions, he managed to cough up a few words to appease them.

"Well, erm.... I do Art and Media. I like playing sports and I do a bit of photography here and there, well when I have the time that is." Seemingly satisfied with his answer, the group kept walking a short distance and eventually reaching their lunch destination. Serena was definitely relieved that this was only a few minutes away from campus, as opposed to almost a mile away like last time. Entering the seemingly popular shop, the many tables seated lots of customers, the air buzzing with chatter as staff rushed around delivering food and taking orders. Getting a table for five, they all sat down, Ash almost instinctively sitting next to Gary who was on his right, Serena opposite him with Shauna and Tyler on either side. Excusing herself, Shauna made tracks into the bathroom, leaving the four to order.

"Well since you paid last time, I guess it's my turn. What's everyone getting?" Gary looked towards the others, deciding on a pasta dish for himself. Tyler insisted on paying his way, but Ash insisted it as repayment for defending Serena. Something Gary wished he hadn't done but understood his thinking, so he let it slide this time. Ash ordered a pizza for himself with Tyler getting a sushi dish, while Serena told the waiter for just a sandwich.

"Actually, she'll have a pizza as well. Make that two for our friend. Thanks." Interrupting her, he stood up slightly, the waiter looking at Serena for confirmation who only looked at Ash in surprise. His dominance took her off guard, and before she could retort, the man walked away with their orders drifting towards the kitchen. Ash smiled at the blonde, before sitting down again, conversing with Gary about their project. Their ideas were coming together well, but they needed to make an actual plan on paper rather than debate everything to avoid complication. Shauna returned seeing Tyler scrolling through his phone, and Serena staring at Ash in slight annoyance.

She didn't want Gary to pay too much for a meal, but Ash butting in, admittedly rather rudely sent her thoughts spiralling. Desperately wanting to question the boy, she decided to save it for when they were alone, her thoughts running across the lines of there being no point in ruining everyone's meal. A pleased Shauna welcomed the waiter who brought over the three pizzas, while a few moments later a pasta and sushi dish were placed in front of the boys. Tentatively eating the large slice, Serena taste buds exploded with delight, not familiar with the taste of delicate cheese melting over warm bread. Luxuries were rare for the girl, so she took this opportunity with both hands, conceding to Ash's idea. Feeling much better after the first few bites, she immediately dug into the next ones. The meal in its entirety hitting all the right spots in her empty stomach.

"Hey Ash, can I use your phone quickly. My one is dead." Shauna spoke, holding her slice in one hand, phone in the other which she put in her pocket quickly. Handing his own over, Shauna entered the passcode, allowing Serena the time to steal a quick glance. His wallpaper was a photo of himself with another girl, two large smiles plastered on their faces, the girl slightly embarrassed. She looked pretty to Serena, her emerald eyes immediately capturing her attention, piquing her curiosity. However, Tyler was equally as eager to voice his questions, surprisingly.

"Hey that's Alice, right? I remember her from last year, but I haven't seen her at all this year." Serena was now very curious indeed, unaware of who this girl was, but apparently Ash knew her, and the photo meant she had to be important to him to some degree. Gazing upon the raven-haired boy opposite her, he gently placed his half-eaten slice back on his plate. His shoulders slumping as he sat back, eyes now dejected slightly.

"Yeah, she left last year." His short reply along with the soft and sombre tone gave Serena very little to work with mentally, but she deduced that this Alice girl played a significant role in Ash's life. Regardless his changed demeanour meant that Tyler didn't press his questions, Serena following suit. Watching Shauna text someone and hand the phone back, the girl felt as if he pondered over his screen a fraction too long before putting in back into his pocket. Resuming to eat his slice, the rest of the meal was a little awkward, but thankfully they had already finished by then, so a sighing Gary went to pay. The group of four waited outside, and once re-joined, they huddled outside the shop.

Establishing that Gary, Ash, and Shauna had classes still, the group disbanded, Tyler seemingly walking with the girl to the bus stop. Asking the boy where he lived, she was rather surprised he lived a mere few minutes from herself, but she didn't ponder over the matter too long for the bus was already coming. Breaking into a casual sprint, the two were guaranteed not to miss it, and so patiently watched passengers disembark before the glass doors opened for themselves. Awkwardly, the boy followed Serena upstairs where they quickly located two seats, claiming them for the next hour. Little words were said between the two, for there was not much to say given that they barely knew anything about the other, something the dark-haired teen attempted to rectify.

"Sorry if this is a bit awkward, I'm not usually sitting next to a pretty girl like yourself." His laugh at the end almost covered up his slight stutter; clearly nervousness was creeping in. Still foreign to pleasant compliments, the girl felt a little embarrassed by his border-line flirtatious words. Muttering out a thank you, along with a smile, she looked away from him. The air was less tense, yet she wasn't completely comfortable sitting beside a relative stranger. Serena observed his dark irises trail down her coat, clearly seeing it was far too big for her slender figure.

His attempt at small talk failed to break the ice, but Serena decided to re-engage in small talk, her compassion for his failed attempt compelled her to. "It's Ash's, he hasn't asked for it back, but I know he doesn't mind. It's the right shade of blue for me." She scanned the overly long fabric running past her knees. Her hands struggled to make it out of the arms of the jacket, so she rolled them up slightly, leaning her neck onto the soft and delicate fur decorating the exterior of the hood. She admittedly did wonder why he never asked for it back, but she wasn't one to complain, for she didn't own her own coat. Her conscious telling her that he didn't need it anyways was enough for her to accept is as a gift. Regardless, Tyler seemed a little amused at the statement, now a little more curious about Ash.

"You two sure are close huh? How long have you known him for?" His tone was still gentle, not allowing the girl to know his true intentions, who now stared out of the window obliviously. She turned to him for her response, shifting her weight around in the uncomfortable seat.

"A week or so. Why?" She was curious herself now why the boy was so interested in Ash, but she trusted him so kept her tone light and friendly. She welcomed his reply, his arms now clutching the duffel bag that rested on his lap.

"Oh, I thought you two were a thing. You do seem to care about each other quite a bit from what I can tell. I mean don't get me wrong, I've only been around you for five minutes, but he seems quite protective of you." She couldn't interpret the true meaning of his words, the tone was light, but the depth was heavy. To her, it was almost as if he had formulated an opinion in his mind and was trying to subtly express it using contradicting statements. Choosing not to over-complicate the issue, the boy soon apologised upon seeing her attitude change slightly. She was now facing away from him; a statement of intent on her behalf.  Serena thought about his words for a few moments, carefully dissecting his language in her mind, coming to the conclusion that maybe there was a hint of truth.

She could tell that Ash cared about her, purely deriving it from the lengths he went to help her. Upon meeting him, and the subsequent days she had spent around him along with Shauna and Gary, she could tell he was a kind-hearted person. They all were in truth. But where did that leave her? She wasn't part of their little group, not yet anyways, but he did seem a little distant to other people at times. Her conversations with Shauna often hinted at his more reserved behaviour while he was also on a first-name basis with the librarian, that offered her help with her dysgraphia. She knew he liked reading, but maybe it was a mere distraction because he didn't really like interacting with people. But why was she suddenly an exception in his routine?

Rummaging her thoughts for answers, she now turned back again to face the boy, who stopped typing on his phone, promptly turning it off seeing her motion. She knew nothing about Ash, and she wanted, no demanded, more information to piece his character better in her mind. "Tell me more about Ash." Purposely structuring her words as a statement rather than a question, the boy suddenly felt uneasy by her unexpected desire. He knew about Ash from before but questioned himself on why she was asking in such a way. Nevertheless, he began piecing together a worthy response; her sapphire eyes firmly set on his own, unrelenting.

"Well, what exactly would you like to know? He used to be rather popular from what I remember, but I never really spoke to him much. I saw him around sure, but we never really talked last year." Although his response did seem truthful, it did nothing but raise more questions. It was nowhere near enough of what she wanted to know, but she accepted that maybe Tyler didn't know as much as she wanted. However, she did know he knew something about someone else.

"What about Alice?" Ever since she saw the picture, Serena felt as if she didn't know Ash at all. His secluded demeanour meant she learnt nothing about him, cursing herself for not asking her friend more about himself. However, since he wasn't here, she had to make do with whoever was, and right now Tyler was landed in the hot seat for her questions. His eyes flickered, before looking away, the gears in his mind turning, trying to think of a response to the girls never ending stream of questions.

"Well, she was a really nice girl. She was in one of my classes and everyone liked her. It was hard to dislike her because she was friendly but admittedly a little timid at times. Her and Ash were in a relationship for over a year, some people even joked that they had their dates in the library with the amount of time they spent there." Laughing slightly at the end, Tyler paused for a second, before continuing. His tone a softer this time, however. "Ash just said she left our university near the end of last year though. But I wasn't her best friend or anything, so it didn't affect me too much."

Stretching his arm out, he pressed the red button on the yellow handlebar, a small bell noise emitting from the sound system of the bus. "Well, this is my stop, so I'll see you around. Hope your wrist heals quickly, bye." Showing a smile and wishing her well, he disappeared from view down the stairs, Serena waving at the boy before he left her view. His answers were tame at best to her, but she didn't blame him. She felt she owed it to Ash to try and get to know him better, after everything he had done for her, and so tomorrow was a new day.

Soon getting off her own stop, she picked up Riley from school again who seemed a little low on energy today. Serena covered her cast with her long sleeves, taking the little girl's bag in her other hand. Thankfully, she could still write so she intended to practise her cursive letters when she got home as she wasn't due in for a shift today. The walk back to their flat was uneventful, Serena once more disappointed that the lift was still not repaired. She had lost hope, but she still looked every time she passed its doors for a miracle to occur. Alas, it didn't and so after climbing four flights of stairs and entering their flat, Riley went off to change into more comfortable clothes while Serena heated up some noodles in a pot.

"Oh, by the way, next week the school are taking me to the zoo! I can't wait." Coming back with her jumper half on, Serena caringly helped her sister poke her head through it, before she rushed off into her school bag. Haphazardly throwing things out, Serena smiled at her sudden burst of energy, before she ran back to the table with a slightly creased folded piece of paper. Handing it to the older girl who brushed her hair out of her eyes, Serena inspected its contents. The primary school had trips from time to time; Riley always looked forward to excursions with her friends. Her love for animals meant she would not take no for an answer this time, not that Serena ever intended to. However, she flipped the page over, seeing the deadline for the payment was in a couple of days.

Her heart leapt into her throat, the expense of taking a child to the zoo being far more than she ever expected. Under a small paragraph, a reply box indicated that she or their mother needed to sign their details to confirm Riley's permission to go, but what caught her eyes the most was the print in bold letters.

'Please enclose payment of £45 to the school via payable methods seen below...'.

She knew they couldn't nearly afford for her to go; their budget simply did not allow for such luxuries. But saying no would break her little sister's heart. Watching her slowly eat her noodles, playing with the slippery texture with her fork, Serena's own emotions flared. Either she would have to pay, or she would have to shatter her little sister's excitement of going.

Now she really needed a miracle.