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Not much of a warning needed for this chapter although brief mention of previous events will occur.

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Alone, so alone. Even with hundreds of students bustling down the hallways, she felt so alone, so empty.

The weekend had passed so slowly, Lorna wanted nothing more than for Monday morning to hurry up and arrive so she could finally leave the house and get away from her father, even if it was just for a few hours.

The weekend, although slow had actually been quite a blur. She spent most of her time in her room crying more often than not, to the point where she was so exhausted she would fall to sleep uncontrollably.

However, being asleep was just as bad as being awake. She was plagued with the images of that night. She could hear her own screams surrounding her, her own cries for help.

When she wasn't asleep, or locked away in her room she was being shouted at and ordered around by her father. He showed no remorse for what happened, what he had allowed to happen.

Now here she was, the only place she could feel safe. All she had to do was act normal and everything would be okay.

It was strange though, walking down the corridors, passing students who didn't have a care in the world.

Did they notice her?

Did they see the fresh bruises on her wrists and neck?

Did she look different after what had happened?

Did they secretly know, but simply didn't care?

No one seemed to notice her, those that did barely glanced at her before returning to their conversations with their friends.

As she made her way to her locker, she saw a familiar face. There Daryl was, leaning against her locker waiting for her.

If she was honest, she expected it. She had wondered what he would say, whether he would tell people what a disgusting whore she was, if he would tease and taunt her.

But the look on his face told her that he wasn't going to do any of those things.

He looked broken and scared. His eyes were probably as puffy and as bloodshot as hers. His hair, although usually in a state of disarray, looked an utter mess, sticking up all over and greasy. His signature plaid shirt was buttoned up wrong and half tucked into his ripped up pants.

"Hi Daryl." Lorna said quietly as she stood in front of him.

He looked like he didn't know what to say. His mouth opened and closed no end of times before he finally spoke.

"I'm so sorry." He blurted out.

She could remember him repeating those words over and over again after the entire disaster happened, while he helped and comforted her.

"What for?" She asked genuinely confused by his constant apologising.

"What do you mean what for?" He asked. "This is all my fault."

She frowned and shook her head. "Not a single thing that happened that night is your fault. Stop blaming yourself Daryl and move on." She said as she turned her attention to her locker, placing her books inside, neatly.

"Move on?" He asked a little too loud, catching the attention of some of the students. "Fuck off!" He snapped at them causing them to snap their heads back and divert their attention elsewhere.

"Yes Daryl. Move on." Lorna stated as she closed her looker up and locked it before turning back to him.

He ran his hand through his unwashed hair. "How can you be so calm about this?" He asked as he followed her down the corridor and down to the empty Art block.

"Calm?" She asked turning around, making him stop abruptly in front of her. "I may be calm on the outside but this is all just a very good act, one I've perfected over the years because if I didn't put this act on I would crumble to the floor and never stop crying. Inside-" She said pointing to her chest. "I am so fucking broken...no one can fix that, there are too many pieces to put together again. A few days, maybe even weeks of your sympathy and support will not fix that, so give in now Daryl and move on. Forget it happened."

"I can't just forget what my Father did to you." He stated in disbelief. "I'm not going to let you go through this on your own. This is my fault!"

"No it's not! It's my fault!" She shouted.

"How? You are innocent! Your father should have protected you, not allow mine to so that to you."

"Clearly I did something to deserve this." She said shaking her head and looking away. "This is my life Daryl and I'm sorry you had to see what it entailed."

"You don't deserve any of this." He stated. "And as much as I want to walk away and forget what happened I know i can't. This will stick with me forever just as it will you. Why can't you see that I just want to make things right?"

"There was nothing you could have done, there is nothing for you to make right!" She shouted running her hands through her hair and tugging slightly in frustration.

"I could have taken my fathers place! I should have, at least then I could have made sure it wasn't such a bad experience!"

"You couldn't have done anything." She stated wiping her damp cheeks where her tears had fallen.

"I could have. I was a coward. I should have done it. You don't deserve that, a grown man violating you, touching you. I may just be redneck trash to everyone but I could have...I don't know.,,at least made you feel like you were wanted, that you weren't being used."

"It doesn't matter now Daryl. There's nothing we can change now." She said as the bell rang over her words.

The empty corridor began to fill with students gathering around them ready for their classes.

"I'll see you around Daryl Dixon." She said quietly.

"I don't care how long it takes, I'll pick every single one of those pieces up and fix them back together and one day even if it's just for a few moments, I'll make sure you forget that night. I promise you."

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