CHAPTER 33

I open my eyes slowly and notice that I'm in Joe's bed. 

I hear no music. Instead, I hear silence. 

I push the duvet off of my body and realise I'm wearing one of Joe's shirts. I don't remember what happened or how I got here but I can guess that I definitely didn't get here on my own. I sigh as I make my way downstairs. 

I walk into the living room and they stop talking once they notice me. 'You're awake,' James states, his voice is cold and harsh. I consider replying with a sarcastic comment but judging by the looks on their faces, it definitely will not be a good idea.

 'Yes, I am.'

'Do you remember what happened?' Katie asks.

 'No.'

'I'll tell you what happened, you drank alcohol, you finished a whole glass of it and then you fainted,' Lily says with an annoyed facial expression. I sigh because I wouldn't take alcohol, knowing the side effects it could cause.

 'I didn't drink it.'

'Kiera, we all saw you and you can’t even remember,' Liz says. I bite my tongue.

 'I wouldn't do that, I don't believe you.' Lily scoffs loudly.

 'I don’t believe you, I leave you for five minutes and you’re already drinking alcohol, what the hell is wrong with you?' Lily say. I roll my eyes and walk out of the room heading outside. My bare feet meets the freezing ground and that's when I realise that I'm not wearing suitable clothes for standing outside in this weather. 

I fold my arms trying to stay warm and Joe opens the door. 'Get in Kiera,' he says. I ignore him as I fold my arms tighter. He steps outside and wraps the blanket around my body. 'You're freezing.'

'I don’t care, I'm not going back inside.'

'Kiera.'

'I didn’t know I was drinking alcohol,' he holds my hand.

 'Kiera, its alcohol, you can’t use that excuse.'

'Seriously, I didn't know,' I rely and he nods his head, not really paying attention to my words as he pulls me inside. He sits me down on the empty sofa and sits beside me.

 'She didn’t know it was alcohol,' Joe speaks up for me and Lucy scoffs as she says 'This is alcohol we're talking about.'

'Well, I didn't know it was alcohol.'

'Whatever Kiera,' she replies.

 'Well I believe her,' he replies and I smile gratefully.

 'How can you not know you were drinking alcohol? Do you not have taste buds? Surely you have to realise the different tastes when you’re eating food or do you not realise that either?' Kara asks sarcastically. My palms become sweaty and I wipe then on the blanket.

 'That is if you do eat right?' Lily says. I bite my tongue before saying 'Of course I eat.'

'Then you're lying when you said you didn’t realise it was alcohol,' Katie concludes. I close my eyes briefly before saying 'Yeah, I lied.' Another lie escaping from my lips.

 'You heard what the doctor told you, he told you to stay away from alcohol! And what the heck do you go and do?' James loudly says and I don’t reply. He walks out of the house slamming the door.

 'Once a liar, always a liar,' replies Tom and it takes everything in me not to react as he also leaves the house. 

I sigh as I wait for my so called friends to turn against me one by one. 'I'm tired, I'm going home, and I can't be bothered with your lies Kiera,' Chris says as he turns to leave.

 'I don't get it, why would you lie about something like this? All your other lies, I can understand but I can't understand this,' Katie says breaking the silence.

 'I don't know what you want me to say.'

'How about the truth? Or is that too much to ask for?' I don't reply as I avoid her gaze and she stands up. 'I guess it is too much to ask for seen as I'm not going to get an answer. ‘I'm going to go, Max you're my ride so let's go.' Katie leaves the room and I make eye contact with Max before he breaks it and follows Katie.

I feel bile filling my mouth and I sprint towards the bathroom. I lock the toilet door and start vomiting, closing my eyes and trying to block my nose. My face becomes pale and my head becomes dizzy. I flush the toilet once I finish and I hear Joe knocking on the door. 'Kiera, open the door.' I ignore him as I wash my face and lean my back against the door, thinking about today. 

I hear him walk away but a few minutes later, someone else knocks on the door. 'Kiera, it’s me, open the door,' Rosabella says and fresh tears sting from my eyes. I unlock the door and she walks inside before locking it again. 'Hey,' she says softly as she sits in front of me.

 'I didn’t know I was drinking alcohol, I swear.'

'I know, I could tell just by looking at your face,' she replies as she rubs my forearms.

 'They all think I'm a liar.'

'Hey, you did what you had to do,' she replies softly, stroking my hair.

 'They hate me,' I reply as ears flow down my cheeks.

 'No, they don't, they'll come around. But I need to talk to you about the taste bud thing, do you not taste anything when you eat?'

'I ate a piece of toast today, it didn’t taste normal or it didn’t have a taste or I couldn’t taste it. Anyway, I ended up vomiting it back out this morning and Lily thought it was the side effects of my chemotherapy tablets. I didn’t correct her so I guess I'm a liar then aren’t I?'

'No, you’re not, you don’t have to tell anyone this if you don’t want to Kiera.'

'My heard is burning,' I reply as I close my eyes.

 'No, don't close your eyes,' she demands and I open them. She helps me stand up and says 'Kiera you need to go to hospital.' I don't bother fighting her as we walk into the living room. 

Lucy is sitting beside Joe but I ignore her existence as sit beside her. 'She needs to go hospital, she said her head was burning,' Rosabella announces.

 'Are you sure that isn't one of her lies?' Liz asks coldly and I pull my hair back, hoping it will help with the pain.

'Shut up Liz,’ demands Rosabella. 

'Why? I’m just saying what everyone is thinking,' Liz says defending herself.

'No one thinks that,' Rosabella replies.

 'I do,' replies Lily and I feel tears threatening to fall.

 'I'm going to run home and get you some clean clothes, I only live down the road,' says Rosabella looking at me.

'Can I come with you?'

'I don’t really think you're lying drunken state should be going anywhere.'

'Lily,' Lucy warns and I bite my lip.

 'I'll be two minutes, I promise,' she says and I nod as she leaves the room.

 'I want to go home,' Liz says.

 'Well then go, no one is stopping you,' I reply coldly.

 'Rosabella is my ride.'

'I'll drive you and then I'll go home or you can sleep over at my house,' Lily replies.

 'Lily you can't just leave me,' I say.

 'And why can't I?'

'Because you can't.'

'After everything I've done for you Kiera, you really are selfish, the only person you care about is yourself. You said you came here for a drama free holiday but everywhere you go, drama seems to turn up. Enjoy the rest of your night,' Lily replies as she stands up with Liz by her side.

 'Lily, seriously sit back down,' Lucy says and Lily scoffs.

 'I'm going home, maybe you should do the same Kiera and I mean back to New Castle.'

'Lily!' Lucy replies shocked but Lily ignores her and she leaves the room.

'Lily, don't leave,' I say, following her out of the room, grabbing her arm.

 'You’re a liar Kiera, you always have been, ever since I met you and you always will be. Lying is your second nature, it’s as if it’s nothing to you.'

'Lily, please-'

'No, Kiera, maybe you should find somewhere else to stay over the summer,' she replies as she slams the door. Multiple tears become gushing out from my eyes and I sink to the ground, wrapping my arms around my knees and burying my face into them.

 'Kiera,' I hear Lucy whisper as she pulls me towards her wrapping her arms around my fragile body.

'I didn't drink the alcohol on purpose,' I keep repeating over and over.

 'Kiera,' Rosabella's voice shuts me up and I sit up. 'I got you some clean clothes and some shoes,' she replies wiping my tears. I smile and take them before going to the bathroom.

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I walk out of the bathroom and Joe asks 'Kiera does your head still hurt?' I nod and he grabs his keys. 'We're going to the hospital then.'

'I'm driving, since I came with my car,' Lucy says and I briefly nod.

 'What did you mean by you didn't drink the alcohol? Are you in denial?'

'Shut up Kara,' replies Lucy.

 'I didn't drink it willingly, someone spiked my drink.'

'That's a new one,' she smirks and I roll my eyes.

 'Do I look like I'm joking?' I sarcastically ask.

 'And who would do that exactly?'

'I don't know because I don’t remember,' I reply angrily.

 'Do you want to tell them?' Rosabella asks.

'If I wanted to, don't you think I would have already?'

'Tell us what?' Lucy asks looking at me and Rosabella. Rosabella looks at me and I sigh looking back at Rosabella.

'I'm anorexic.'

'Are you being serious?' Shrieks Kara.

 'Yeah, I am.'

'So about the taste buds and when you said you did eat? You lied?' Questions Kara.

 'I don't really want to announce the fact that I don't eat to the world.'

'We should go to the hospital,' Rosabella says.

'I don't feel like it, I'll go tomorrow if it gets worse, I promise,' Rosabella sighs before nodding her head.

 'You're coming home with me,' she replies pulling my hand and I smile gratefully. I turn back to look at Lucy, Kara and Joe and say 'I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourselves,' they nod and I sigh in relief. 

I stand up and Joe pulls me in for a hug and I return it before following Rosabella out of the house. 'Do you two want a ride?' Lucy asks as she and Kara walk out of the house, stepping in Lucy's car.

 'Lucy, my house is down the road.'

'So, it’s better than walking in the cold,' Rosabella shrugs and we sit in the middle seats of Lucy's car.

-----------

Lucy turns the engine off after a few seconds and Kara announces 'I need the toilet,' as she runs out of the car. Rosabella smirks before joining her. Lucy turns back to face me and she says 'Sit here,' patting the passenger seat. I get out of the car and slide in the passenger seat. 'This is because of what your dad said isn't it?'

'It started off like that, now it’s a problem.'

'Kiera, why didn't you tell me?'

'What was I supposed to say? How do I even know you're not going to react like Lily, Katie and Liz did?'

'I'm not going to do that to you,' she replies as she tucks my hair behind my left ear.

 'How do I know I can trust you? I trusted Lily and look where that got me.' A few tears drop from her eyes.

 'Don't compare me to Lily, I'd never ever do what she did tonight,' she replies wrapping her arms around my neck tightly.

 'Lucy, I'm sorry for everything I said the other day, I was upset.'

'Its fine,' she says tightening her grip on my neck.

 'It’s not, I really am sorry.' We pull away and she asks 'How have you been coping?'

'Heroin,' I reply.

 'Kiera,' she replies shocked. More tears flow down her cheeks and I try to whip them away, asking 'Why are you crying?' 

'Because you're hurting and there's nothing I can do about it,' she wipes her tears with her sleeve.

 'Luce, don't take it out on yourself, I did this to myself, and it’s my fault.'

'It’s also mine for not noticing.'

'No it’s not Lucy, so stop sulking,' I reply as I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

 'I missed you,' she says quietly into my hair.

 'I missed you more,' I reply and she tightens her grip. Kara knocks on the window smirking and we pull away.

 'I'll text you,' she says and I nod as I step out of the car.

 'I'm sorry,' Kara says grabbing my arm.

 'It’s fine.'

'It isn't, I'm really sorry for everything I’ve done and you can always come to my house and Lucy's if you need anything.’

 'That's true,' replies Lucy and I smile.

 'Thanks,' I reply looking at Kara.

 'You're welcome,' she says before throwing her arms around my neck and I return the hug. 

I walk towards Rosabella's house and step inside, locking the door. 

Maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem.