Camilla POV

*1 week later*

I walked to school wearing a free white t-shirt, jeans, converse and some concealer with a smile on my face like usual. Like I didn't just skip the last week of school, like I didn't spend the last week trapped in my room, like I was still the amazing happy girl with a perfect life that everybody thought I was.

Everyone was staring at me so I'm sure they noticed my absence and there are already so many rumors about my absence and I couldn't wait to hear them 'cause I really needed something to laugh about right now.

"Camilla!" I heard behind me and I turned only to be pulled into a hug by the one and only, Liam.

"You skipped the school throughout last week and you didn't answer any of Liz's calls! Do you know how worried we all were?" He said.

I felt like dying. My entire body was broken and bruised and Liam's bear hug wasn't helping.

"C-can't b-breathe." I stuttered through his hug.

He let go of me and I fell onto a locker that was behind me.

"We have to get you to the others 'cause I'm sure they all want to see you." He said then turned to go expecting me to follow him.

When he turned and saw me resting at the locker, he frowned.

"I think I'll just stay here for a while." I said.

"What's wrong?" Liam asked.

"I've been sick all week and I still don't feel so good now." I replied.

I know it was a lie but I couldn't tell him the real reason I wasn't at school. I wouldn't want any of my friends to get caught up in my life.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Liam said and supported me all the way to Liz's locker.

Liz was the first person to run towards me and I couldn't help but smile but Liam stopped her before she could hug me.

"Camilla was sick all week and still is so she's weak and would appreciate it if you gave her some space." Liam said.

So all the time we had before the bell was used to talk about how I was feeling and everything that happened the previous week.

I was continuously looking around wondering if Jonathan was around 'cause I wasn't ready for him to continuously poke around in my life and the fact that he always knew when I was lying would make it hard for me to keep this a secret so my only option was to hide from him until everybody has forgotten about my absence.

* * * * *

I'm in the cafeteria with my friends and Jonathan still isn't in school. It's not like I was looking for him and honestly I wasn't surprised. This wouldn't be the first time he's skipped school and I was actually happy because I didn't think I'd be able to survive school with that idiot following me around.

Everybody has been asking me how I was doing and I just told them I was sick and hoped they walked away but there were some persistent ones but the guys took care of them.

When everyone finally got the hint and left me alone, we spent the rest of our break talking and laughing about the ridiculous rumors circling my absence, honestly some people were really ridiculous.

* * * * *

School's over and now I have to go home. I sigh but not one of relief.

I know you think it's strange for a teenager to dread going home but if you had my life, trust me anywhere is better than home.

I entered the bus and sighed as I walked towards the back seat.

The only thing that kept me from wallowing in despair was all the ridiculous rumors.

"She's an assassin and she's going on a mission." If I were I wouldn't be living with my abusive parents.

"She's hiding from Katie's wrath." Oh please, like I'd ever be afraid of that wannabe Barbie doll.

"She's an alien and she's going back to her planet to give her leader information to take over the world." I wish, then I wouldn't have to deal with my parents.

I sat down and plugged in my earphones looking at the houses the bus passes on its way to my stop.

The bus reached my stop after a few minutes and I got out and began my walk home.

When I got to my house, I opened the door and was happy to see the house was empty. I walked up the stairs and into my room and sat on the bed and opened my backpack to get out all my homework and began working on them.

I had completed my homework and went into the kitchen to get a snack. I got a packet of skittles from the cupboard and sat at the counter.

My family was well of because of our 'family business' and our house was extremely large and you could easily get lost in it but it didn't really bother me because I knew it like the back of my hand because we came here every opportunity we had –mostly during the holidays because my mother was hell bent on making sure I went with her– or whenever we were about to move and were looking for a house in wherever we were moving to but I never had a chance to explore because I was always locked up here.

This house will forever hold terrible memories for me but there's nothing I can do about it but pretend it doesn't affect me like I always do.

I walked back into my room and stopped in front of a picture. It was me and my mom when I was a baby. She was holding me close to her and smiling while baby me stared at the camera with wide eyes.

I felt an ache in my chest. Whenever I saw this picture the pain presented itself and I couldn't help but remember a better time. A time when my mom was still hanging on to her sanity, when she wasn't with that monster.

My mother was extremely bipolar. One minute she was treating me like I was the light of her life and the next, she was treating me like I was a devil spawn and it didn't help that she married a monster.

He has corrupted her and now she treated me like a devil spawn way more than not. Now it was extremely rare to see her treat me like a daughter and I can't even remember the last time she did so.

It hurt to look at her face. The face that once held so much love for me.

Her smile turning into a sneer, her eyes that shone of love burning with hate, her pride for me turning into disappointment and with every second of the day, she became worse and it was so hard to pretend like it didn't affect me but nobody cared. All they ever saw was the girl who was all smiles and I hated it.