Monday 16th Of September

Early in the morning Rilie walks into school with a confused expression to her, Jade watches her as she gets closer, she calls her name out but no response so she walks over and grabs her arm and she snaps out of it. "Huh?" Jade looks at her concerned, "I've been calling your name Rilie, what's wrong?" Rilie pulls Jade to a small quiet corner with cobwebs at the top of the wall, "Jade, this might seem crazy... you know my enormous secret." Jade nods her head nervously then whispers with the word is almost not heard. "Sam." Rilie's eyes water as she tries to wipe them away, "He's missing... He's gone." Jade looks at her almost confused, "I thought... I thought he was a figment of your imagination?" Rilie drops to the floor, banging her knees roughly on the ground with no care. "I... I-" Jade slowly kneels to her level of height, Hugging her tightly. "Don't rush your words." Rilie struggles to breath as her throat was drying up and every time she tried explaining she would choke on her words, bit by bit she slowly calmed herself. "I... I, won't see him... again will, I." Jade tries to reassure her but nothing comes to mind so she just smiles, gradually she starts to wonder. "Was he always there? Or has he come and gone before?" Rilie shakes her head, "He's never, He's never left my side." Jade watches her grab the scrunched up tissue from her pocket and wipes her face dry, Jade thinks of theories that were possible. "Can I ask you a question? It's personal." Rilie's eyes become puffy and red, then she tries to smile and nods. "Have you ever... had friends before?" Rilie gets up with full speed and pushes her, Jade falls like a domino and Rilie runs away, Jade sits on the floor biting her lip realising how rude that might have come across. Rilie pushes people out of her way with full force, she pushes the girl's toilets door so hard that it bounces back hitting the next person in. "How dare she even ask me that!" She splashes the water about, making a mess in the toilets, crying, sulking and whining about everything that's happening to her.

Everyone's first class is starting and Rilie stands in the toilets complaining. "Lessons... without Sam! I'm not going!" She grabs loads of tissues and looks in the mirror, she stares at her tears falling down from her eye, to her cheek, slowly to her chin and then dropping onto the sink side. Jade sits in her lesson thinking about what she said to Rilie, she puts her head down and mumbles under her breath while the teacher talks about how their performance should improve.

The second bell rings, Rilie stares down at her phone looking at the time. "The big and the small hand use to go so fast with you Sam..." Her eyes were still pink but she wasn't shedding anymore tears, Taylor pokes her head around the door. "Knew I would find you here." Rilie moves her whole body around, "Jade told me you were upset and she accidentally made it worse." Rilie shrugs, "So?" Taylor smiles, trying to make it less awkward. "You two are friends... silly fights shouldn't mean you hide out here." Rilie takes a deep breath, "Why don't you ask her what she asked me!" Taylor backs away a bit, "Right, I will." Taylor rushes out the door letting it slam, she then sighs in relief.

The third bell rings, Taylor asked what it was and as she was explaining Taylor interrupts her. "Imagine she said that to you considering Katie wasn't really a friend." Jade looks at her stunned, her face goes bright red and her eyes water. "Really... this isn't your fight but you want to get involved without knowing the full story?" Taylor looks away pulling on her sleeve, "Look-" Jade stops her, "No, it's fine." Taylor tries to finish, "It's not necessary to carry on, goodbye." Jade walks to her lesson trying to take huge deep breathes so her tears don't run down her face, when she finally gets inside the classroom she ignores everyone around her, they almost become invisible.

The fourth bell rings, Rilie opens the toilet door in hope that none of her friends are around. "I need to get lunch." She starts sprinting like a cheetah across the hallway, She stands in the line grabs her food however, as soon as she starts walking Jade, Jordan and Preston stand in front of her. "Rilie? I'm-" Rilie speaks over her, "Save it! You've said enough, it's bad enough I have to see you every day." Jade sighs and Rilie barges past her, Jordan gives her a dirty look and Jade watches his eyes, Rilie walks with her tray outside sitting alone on the wooden bench. "Sam... I need you back, why did-" Her eyes come skims across the court yard gate, she puts her tray down and she gets up and runs towards it but, before she could even make it out the Principle steps in. "Miss Gristle! Where do you think you're going?" She turns around, "Busted." The Principle agrees, "Indeed, busted." She smiles and he escorts her to his office, She still smiles trying to plead innocent, as if she is unfamiliar with her crime. "Stepping outside school grounds." He turns his chair 90° clockwise to look outside the window, "I wasn't outside yet, you caught me before I could. So, I'm begging you, if you can have mercy on me, I would be so grateful! My parents, their under a lot of stress right now with the twins only turning 3 soon and their jobs, Please!" Her voice becomes faster and louder as she went on, he turned his chair around to look at her. "Yes you are right." She jumps in happiness, "But, you did skip class." She sighs, "Sir, I've started off with a rough day." She tries to look up but her head disagrees, "I tried to ignore it but the fact that it bothered me so much... I accidentally skipped class." She pleads for some sympathy.

The last lesson bell rings, she looks directly at the bell. "Where was you going?" She looks outside, "Home." He gets out of his chair biting the lid of his pen, "Miss Gristle, you may go home, you are dismissed." She thanks him, "I promise tomorrow I will attend every single class, no doubt about it!" He looks at her, "I hope so, I will be watching." She smiles and walks out the office, she runs as soon as she makes it to the hallway.

Rilie sits by her house for a bit, legs swinging back and fourth, hands firmly on the brick wall holding her up. "Sam, if you can hear me, just know... I couldn't survive a day without you, I need you." Gradually humming a tune, jumping off the wall like a spring and dragging herself to the door. "Please don't let me go in here alone Sam." Adjusting the key in the lock she gets ready to turn the key, pushes down and opens the door with her eyes closed realising he's not coming back.