"I think you should talk to him," Jake said, breaking the silence that I only just had began to cherish.

At the moment I was too angry to listen to him. I came to an abrupt stop and turned on my heel, so that I was now facing him. "Stop following me! Just leave me alone and... could you all just leave me alone?! I want nothing to hear from savannians again. Better yet, I wish there was a way I could forget they even existed! And I don't want you near me again. I don't want to see you!" With that, I swiveled around again, leaving Jake slightly surprised with my sudden outburst.

But too soon he was catching up again. "Selina, I'm only trying to help," he said quietly, a shade of mixed carefulness and disappointment clear in his voice. I did not completely understand it, but I wasn't going to cerebrate. "I wouldn't say Rudy and I are anything close to being friends," he added, "but... you're being too harsh on him."

"I'm being harsh on him? Rudy has been my friend for as long as I can remember! He should've said something." I clenched my teeth, trying not to think about it.

"You're not the first one whose friend keeps a secret like this. Rudy is only trying to protect himself and his family."

The anger rose once again. "I already told you, Jake. Leave. Me. Alone." I emphasized every word. "Firstly you enjoyed chasing me, tried to kill me. Then you follow me around. And now... I bet you were playing with my mind, too, to use me back there."

He didn't answer, but it wasn't hard to read his expression.

"So you really did it," I muttered through my teeth.

Jake sighed and looked at me, his eyes actually pleading. "I wasn't forcing you for anything. I was only rising the feelings you didn't even know you had. They were deep down, small and hard to notice, but... nothing you didn't already have-"

"I don't care! Just stay away from me." My pace quickened and I didn't turn to look at him again. Jake didn't say another word either. And after a while, I noticed as if the atmosphere has changed - it was too quiet. Only then I afforded myself a glimpse over my shoulder, only to find that there was no one there. Good.

I thought about Rudy. I had no idea what I was going to do the next time I see him. I should talk to him, like Jake had said. But I was still mad. Rudy hadn't given me much explanation after it all had happened. Maybe because I wouldn't have listened anyway? But it didn't mean I deserved to see him leave without as much as a word.

I really don't want to believe that Rudy is one of those... murderous creatures. He has to belong to the good side, amongst the savannians who live like humans, who don't hurt us. But then I thought about how he has kept it a secret all these years, from me, his best friend since so long. For a moment I even began wondering if it was actually a good idea to let him take Nicole to her home. But Nicole is not the one to know his big secret. And Rudy has never hurt her, though he has had so many opportunities.

Talking about Nicole - Jake didn't tell me, what exactly he had done to her. All he said was that it was for the best. That he did it all easier, so Nicole and I could remain being friends, without her being all jealous. Jake said she'll be alright tomorrow.

I thought how I could go home and avoid mum, who would most probably see my anger. I had to lie, had to show her like nothing was wrong, so I could escape into the sanctuary that is my room, to stay there till I've cried my eyes out if that's what it takes to feel better.

Suddenly I felt my foot get stuck behind something I didn't see, and at the next moment I found myself on four limbs, pain shooting up from my knees. Clenching my teeth, I tried to get up carefully, but that only increased the pain. Finally I decided to just crawl on the grass, next to the sidewalk. Sitting there, I examined my knees, trying not to hurt them as I brought my fingers to help. My left knee had a lot scratches and bruises, a little blood seeping through small wounds. But it was a lot worse with my right knee. Crimson liquid trickled down my leg, knee itself was all covered by it, but I still saw the awful bruises. Quickly grabbing my bag to look for a napkin, I wiped away the blood. Then I gently pressed on the wounds, hoping they would stop bleeding, at the same time clenching my teeth even harder.

I then looked back to see what had made me trip over. And there it was, a small hollow in the pavement, in what I had stepped and got my foot stuck behind it's steep edge. In my head, I cursed it, cursed the stupid old concrete, the hole inside it, the men who could be repairing the weathered sidewalks. It was then when I discovered the tears running down my face. And I knew it wasn't just from the pain. The whole day was to blame. Jake was to blame. Did he and his friends have to go to that old schoolhouse that night? Did I really have to go there?

Just like that, I sat there, feeling pity about how things had gone, feeling pity about myself. I didn't even try to get up anymore. Sadness had taken me over and I wanted to let the tears come until there was no tears left to be released. I couldn't go home like this. Couldn't let my mum see me like this. It had been quiet here on the street and I wanted it to stay that way. Then a car drove by. But suddenly it slowed down, stopped, then slowly rolled backwards. I hurriedly began wiping away the tears. Whoever it was, I was not going to let them see me like this.

The car stopped in front of me, the door was opened and someone stepped out. I don't know who it was or what the car looked like - I kept my eyes down.

"Selina?" a boy's voice asked, concern clear to my ears. For some reason I felt startled and I couldn't help myself when my head snapped up, to see who was the boy who seemed to care. It was Shane.

"Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling down in front of me, studying my face.

"Does it seem like it?" I muttered dispiritedly.

"Are you hurt?" He gently placed his hand on the side of my knee while he took a closer look at the bruises. But I pulled back, pushed away his hand. He was still a stranger.

"Sorry," he said quietly, not even a bit displeased by my action. Sensing my thoughts, he, too, pulled back a little, but didn't leave.

"You don't have to stay here. I'll go home..." Trying to stand up, I did everything it took to not show out the pain this movement rewarded me with. But apparently I wasn't good enough.

"Maybe it's better if I give you a ride?" he offered, eyeing me with concern.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." I took a step forward, immediately feeling weakness. Shane reacted fast and was on my side, supporting me, before I could fall back down again.

"Doesn't seem like this to me," he said while putting his strong but gentle arm around me, supporting my weight.

"I won't sit in a stranger's car," I argued back.

"In that case I'll stay here 'til you feel better. Or 'til you call someone to get you. But I won't leave you here alone like this."

"Everything was okay before."

"You sat here with your legs not carrying you. You were not okay." Unlike me, his voice remained mild. He really did seem to only want to help me.

"But it's not like sitting here with you would make the pain go away faster."

"At least there would be someone keeping an eye on you. What if someone heartless tries to rob you?"

"How do I know you won't do it?"

"I would've done it by now."

I didn't give immediate response this time, only took a look at his car. It actually seemed like a better and easier way. But I wasn't going to give up that easily. "What if you're going to rape me?"

He sighed and helped me closer to his car, letting me half sit on it's hood. As much as I understood, it was an Aston Martin. Black and shiny. "I guess I can't make you trust me, eh? Do you have anyone you can call, then?"

I tried to think about it. Mum's car had broken down and was still being repaired, which was why she had to take a but every day to work. Nicole's sister had a car, but I could only get her by calling Nicole, and she had just been brainwashed. Rudy had a car, too, which he only rarely uses, like I've noticed. But I'm not calling him. And Jake... I don't want to see him. I don't have his number anyway. Which means I have no one to rely on at the moment. No one, except for Shane.

"I don't have much close acquaintances," I finally said, quietly, as if being afraid to admit it.

"So no one who could pick you up?"

I shook my head.

For a moment, we stood there in silence. I could feel his eyes on me. Finally he took a deeper breath. "I guess we're in dead end then."

"You don't have to be here," I said again.

"We talked about it already. I'm not leaving until it's clear how you're getting home."

After that there was another, but longer pause between our conversation. Shane had by now made me believe that he simply wanted to help me. It was me who wasn't in the right mood. I soon found myself thinking about today's events again. A tear ran down my cheek and I realized it too late. Shane had already spotted it.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" he asked quietly, giving me an apologetic look.

I wiped away the tear and shook my head. "No, it's not about you," I said weakly.

"Is it still hurting?" he asked then, looking down at my leg.

"No, no..." I took a deep breath. "It's the whole damn day."

"May I ask, what happened?" he questioned, lowering his voice and trying to look me into eye.

"It's just that... It's about my friends. Only minutes ago I learned that my best friend had been lying to me practically my whole life. And other... actually he's not even a friend, but he used me." A short laugh escaped my lips, but there was no joy in this sound. I looked down. "Plus my second best friend is laying in her bed, unconscious. This day just can't go any worse." I brushed over my eyes with the back of my hand, to catch newer tears before they could escape my eyes.

I felt Shane's hand, that was still around me, soothingly stroke my back. I didn't push his away this time, because surprisingly, his caressing made me feel slightly better.

"Okay," I said then, sighing. "You can take me to my home."

He nodded. "I'll help you into car."

With Shane's help I limped over to the passenger side door. He opened it and helped me get in, then going around the car and taking a seat on the driver's side. He didn't ask for my instructions. Probably he remembered where I lived from the first time we met. It wasn't too far away anyway and it didn't take long to get there. Pulling into the driveway in front of my house, he stepped out without a word, to help me again. But when I placed my legs on the ground, trying to support my weight on them, I failed on remaining my balance. My legs were still weak and wouldn't carry me.

"Maybe I should have taken you to the hospital. It might be a bone fracture," he said, thoughtfully.

"It'll go over," I told him, though not actually knowing if I believed it myself.

"If it's bad, we shouldn't delay. You should be able to stay on your legs by now if the pain was only from the bruises."

I sighed, looked up at him and his concerned eyes. "Shouldn't you be somewhere else? I'm wasting your time."

"My unfinished business can wait. Helping is not a waste of time."

Making another try to stand on my feet failed just like the previous one. What if he's right? What if my leg is put in plaster? What if both of my legs are? This thought scared me, but I had to agree with him, so I nodded. "Okay then."

When we were back inside the car, Shane pulled out from the driveway, now heading towards Blue Mist Hospital. The drive lasted about ten minutes, after that he helped me out and supported me the whole way over the parking lot and into the emergency department. Doctors were soon with us and took an x-ray of my leg.

Shane was there the whole time, waiting with me. I appreciated his patience, but still felt a little bad about taking away his time. But soon enough we knew why I couldn't walk on my own. Shane had been right. I had a slight fracture in my right knee, the left one had only been bruised. The right knee was right away put in plaster cast, too, which didn't make me too happy. But the doctors said the fracture was small enough and should heal quickly, that the plaster would probably be removed in only two weeks.

But still, I can't believe it happened to me!

"How do you feel?" Shane asked when we headed back towards the car. It was even more difficult to walk now, as I wasn't used to having a plaster cast around my leg, but Shane was strong and supported me like I weighed nothing.

"Could be better," I said monotonously. "Thanks for helping me, I appreciate it. And... I'm sorry for doubting you before." I cast my eyes down on the parking lot's concrete.

"Don't be. You have the right to be wary around strangers."

"I was too harsh on you. It's not how I usually am."

He opened the passenger side door. "Hey, don't worry. I understand you. And hopefully you and your friends will make up, too." He sent me a reassuring smile.

"Thanks," I said again, this time whispering. And before I got into the car, I hugged him. It came as a surprise even to myself, but I just felt like I needed it, needed something to help me forget what had happened today. Shane hugged me back, his strong arms so delicate around me. He didn't say anything, and when I finally pulled back, he made sure I'd get in without hurting my leg, before he sat behind the wheel. The whole ride back neither of us said a word, but the silence didn't feel awkward. I was glad he didn't leave me when I told him to, I was glad I let him help me. The way he talks, how he understands me... I know I haven't known him for long, but it's been long since I've met a person like him. I hadn't let myself think about it earlier, but being around him... it made me feel calm and safe. He was a good, kind-hearted person.

When he had pulled into our driveway again and helped me out from his car, we slowly walked over to the door. It was unlocked, which meant my mum was home. I called her when I had opened the door, but was a little afraid of her reaction when she sees my leg. At least she could help me inside the house and Shane can finally get back to whatever he was doing before he saw me on the sidewalk. I muttered a quiet 'thanks' once again, hoping he didn't feign feeling okay with all this trouble I caused him.

Then my mum appeared from the living room. "Selina... what happened?" she exclaimed, wide eyes stuck on the plaster around my knee.