A Disturbance in the .

"You did what now!?" Nurse Murphy's chuckle filled Her office, which she had taken upon herself to lock after she coyly smiled at Your coming.

You both lounged on the couch, your laugh of disbelief unified with hers so perfectly "Yeah, just... sang to her from the heart, then... Duke just happened. it was weird like, something just snapped into place."

Bonnie huffed "Well aren't ya scared? That Duke Harmon does damage, You should know."

You searched inside yourself "Yeah, I am a little... but, not as much as before, jealous more than anything else I think. But getting all that off my chest, it was freeing." Freeing was an understatement, that bout of release was nothing less than unshackling.

Her delicate hands rubbed your shoulder. Bonnie wore a white woolly chapter today, and some tight navy blue jeans along with flat heeled shoes that made her look her prim and proper "That kid's a Prick." Though she didn't quite sound like it.

"How quaint of you to agree, Nurse Murphy." You chuckled.

She shrugged, kicking back and crossing her legs "Calls 'em as I see 'em. and anybody who beats people up for no reason has it coming, I tell ya if this happened back home, he'd be clipped 'round the head with a cosh or two."

"A What?" You asked.

She narrowed her eyes "It's a weapon, like a Blackjack? Americans... Just do me a favour and the next time He tries something like that, makes sure he's the one that Has to visit me." She said, making a mock-mean face.

"You are probably the coolest Nurse on the planet you know that?" You scratched the Greyish locks weaved into the dark brown of your hair.

"Aye, don't forget it." She winked playfully, pushing one of her neatly cut brown hairs behind her ear.

Bonnie had a simple, very pure kind of beauty, her complexion was clean and smooth, bright and sharp, with hair like a forest of Autumn leaves in the evening sun. Her eyes green as a field of tall grass. "Do you often stare at ladies with that dreamy look in yer Eye, Mr Drake?" She asked.

For fuck's sake, why did you always do that!? "H-How did your date go?" You quickly changed the subject, very poorly mind you, didn't exactly steer away from the doughy eyes you kept giving her.

The unamused look on her face said enough "You're young right? what are you like 16? is it normal for younger guys to stand you up like three times, then act like a douchebag to the severely underpaid waiter?"

"First: I'm 18, not 16 holy shit. and Second: fuck no, that's top tier basic bro behaviour." You reiterated making her smile return.

"Oh well, I guess being a dick is a cross-border standard." She nodded "I just have bad taste I think."

"Well, why don't you try and date different guys? Wallace isn't exactly the best pond to fish in but I think it makes it more fun you know?" You asked rather innocently

Her eyes watched you carefully, rubbing her pink lips together "I don't know... I always enjoy bagging a younger bad boy, it just feels... naughty."

Gulping, You seized up a little. "IS SHE FLIRTING WITH ME!? WHAT!? WHAAAT!?"

Oh for fuck's sake, you are such a pussy.

She waited for you to respond, but you were too afraid that You'd ****, having this elegant, Irish MILF this close, smelling like lavender with that alluring look in her eye.

"Listen, I have to get back to paperwork but... It was nice to talk. You're always welcome to come and speak to me if you want, okay?" And just as quickly as she had started, she had stopped, getting to her feet and moving towards her desk.

You blinked "Oh, okay. See you later then, Ms Murphy-"

"-Bonnie, Charlie. Bonnie." She said sweetly.

"Right, Bye Bonnie. And thank you, I mean it."

The Walk home was peaceful and thoughtful, well...you were vigilant of Duke Harmon appearing out of nowhere and clobbering you but, You were more concerned with Nurse Murphy. Okay yes You had multiple girls on the go (not that You were entirely confident about that) but the school Nurse being so... paradoxically subtle and forward at the same time, a sexy older woman in combination, shit... that was something else.

"Ugh." You winced as Your left eye surged with pain, images flashing through your mind, Daisy, with her one red eye, her face twisting with malice...

Moving up into the dorms, you tried to push the thoughts of everything out of your mind but, Your Mind didn't seem to want to let them go. You knew what that was, You knew, Remhilde warned you that You'd discover it on your own, but Daisy? sweet, kind Daisy? shit. Now just was not the time.

You can't keep putting this off kid, You're gonna have to grow some balls one day, Envy was just the second step.

Walking up the stairs, you were stopped on the second floor.... by Harry Lincoln, a lanky but good looking scholarship student who gave you a pat on the Shoulder "Nice diss in Music, Drake, didn't know you had it in ya." He chuckled.

"Uh, thank you?" This guy hadn't even bothered to look at you before, now He was acknowledging you? the fuck brought that on? surely not just the music.

"You know, You're really talented, Me and Boys were talking about liking to see you play properly, like on stage, My Dad owns a record company you see, we'd be happy to sponsor you with some instruments if you wanted to start a band?" It was just about Music? That... that is interesting. "So, what do ya think?"

"A Band, I uh, wouldn't know who to ask and... I don't think I could perform in front of loads of people on my own?" You spoke honestly.

Harry nodded "Don't worry, I get ya, no pressure, but if you do decide to go down that lane..." He brandished a clean-cut business card with 'Lincoln Records, family together; make Jazz forever' printed on its shiny face "Cringey I know... But give us a call eh?"

You took, it smiling "Yeah thanks, Harry, I think I will."

Smiling at the business card as You walked up the stairs towards the Golden suite and was stopped in your tracks by a tall, beautiful girl with dark hair waiting for you. Vicky blinked at you, and You blinked at her "Are you just going to stand there or you going to let me in?"

Begrudgingly, you unlocked the door and gestured her in. She walked in clutching her bag a little self-consciously, looking around curiously as You hung up your bag and retrieved your laptop, frowning a little as You realise that Mr Copper's enclosure was gone and that Daisy really wasn't there. not her cute little smile, not her warm hugs, not her supporting words. Gone.

"Wow, this place is really tidy, and it smells so nice! And it's huge, you have this place all to yourself?" Vicky asked.

You sat down on the couch "I do now. Do you want something to drink?" You asked offhandedly.

"I'll have a Martini!" Vicky chuckled, though, at your unamused face, she slowly wound down and awkwardly stood there.

"Okay... I'mma have a beer, you wanna beer?" You asked, getting up.

"Fine." She nodded walking over to the couch and placing herself down on it.

You opened the fridge and pulled a couple of bottles out, cracking both and pouring one into the only pint glass that you had that was fancy. "So, where's that Carer Lady, I thought she stayed here with you?"

*THUMB THUMP*

You gasped, holding unto the counter, the images of Daisy growing more and more intense very suddenly.

Over... drive.

Your chest hurt and your breaths grew short as your Anxiety slowly climbed. Vicky noticed, scrambling to her feet and rushing over to your and grabbing you tightly "Areyouokay!? what'swrong!? snapoutofitcomeon!" She cried, as You violently quaked, her body pressed up against you.

Snarling, You shot out a cold breath that flooded your mind with Clarity.

ANCHOR.

Taking in a long breath and steading your shaking, you slinked away from her grasp "Don't touch me." You growled.

She flushed "I-I just-"

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." You reiterated, fiercely and clearly.

Vicky nodded "Okay, Okay, I'm sorry."

"You know you're in my space? In my space that was just this morning inhabited by the nicest, sweetest greatest woman that I've ever met, and now she's gone, replaced with you. don't ever try and act like you're my friend, you're not my friend, you fucking tortured me for seven fucking years, don't fucking touch me!" You shouted, voice shaky and nervous and angry.

But Vicky didn't run off, she didn't overreact to your fight or flight response, she just nodded and spoke calmly and patiently "I'm sorry. I won't touch you anymore." She agreed "I'm sorry."

You took a deep breath, sighing and trying to collect yourself "No... No, I'm sorry I uh. I shouldn't have said that... I've just not been quite right lately."

She stayed quiet, nodding as she picked up both of your drinks "I like the glass. thank you. come and sit down."

After sitting down and sipping your drink there was a silence for a while before You pulled your laptop forward and began "Okay, Let me see your workbook."

You spent the first Five minutes just going through her work.... if you could call of it, most of it was just incoherent scribbles and doodles in the corners of the pages, the only real effort you saw in it was from Music, where it seemed that Vicky actually did try to take notes, but regarding Literature, it was like she hadn't tried at all.

"Phew boy. this is... this is, um-"

"Fucking terrible." Vicky cringed.

You shook your head "No... it's bad but, You have some of the basic stuff down, I think I can work with this, we just need to get you focused on the in-depth analysis of the Book, not just the story, but the characters, the themes, You can't just write mindless words with no character or descriptions, every person in the story should feel like just that: people, and if you can recognise what an author is trying to put forward and show that You not only understand but can expand on those ideas then we can easily get you up to a B."

She sighed "Ugh, but it's so boring! Why couldn't it have been a Romance or something, at least then I'd be able to give a shit." She grumbled.

"Hey, don't slam it until you actually try it. Come on get out your laptop, let's work on the language and grammar first and then we can move on to all that complicated stuff."

As bored as she seemed to be, Vicky did actually try to listen as You marked what little work she'd completed, her pretty face buried in the little annotations that You'd added "Christ there's so many notes! how did you write this so fast?"

"Would you believe me if I told you My comatose state gave me superpowers?" You said only partly sarcastically.

She waved you off "No. Ugh, I'll go over this I guess."

You waited patiently as she read through them, making correction via your instructions, it would be a good habit to have, Grammarly was good and all but nothing will stop you from intercepting mistakes before you make them but your own mind, the best software in the world was up in that noggin and You made sure that she knew that.

"So... I really liked your singing." She said offhandedly as she read "I didn't know you were that talented."

"You wouldn't." You added "But thanks I guess?" come on Charlie, do try and be civil.

Her brown eyes flickered to you "You should talk... with Jane I mean. She was really touched by it, more than I think she knows."

"Yeah right, I talk to her and I get smashed to pieces, is that the Idea?"

Vicky placed to the laptop and frowned at you "Look, Nerd, I'm just trying to!" She paused, and sighed "She's not just some nameless girl anymore, she's our friend, and she cares about you, I don't care what you think I'm trying to do, she deserves some closure or a resolution or-or something!"

You lent back and sighed "I agree."

"Yeah well you!-What?" She paused.

"I want to talk to her, I have to. I just... I don't want my nose broken." You lied.

"That's not the reason." She quickly caught "What are you scared?"

You smirked "Fuck yeah I'm scared. The Woman I love hates me because I'm an idiot and deprived her for 5 months that I don't even remember."

Vicky actually laughed

"I'm glad you find it funny."

She nodded "I do, You're an idiot. She doesn't hate you, She loves you. She's doesn't shut up about you, and she hates Duke, despises him, all You'd have to do was act like a man and take her back, just snatch her up and run away, you'd have her just like that. pft... hates you, I thought you were supposed to be smart."

Grimacing, You folded your arms "Well... I... I can't just do that, I'd get the tar beaten out of me-"

"Oh, what do you want a tampon? to plug up your pussy, I bet you got one down there. Have you seen yourself? You're like Six foot 5 and your arm is the side of my head. You look like you could take on Duke no problem, so what's the excuse?"

There was no Excuse... You knew what you wanted, You just didn't know if you had the courage to do it "I'm not a fighter. I'm just not."

Vicky shrugged "Well alright. But you could at least sneak her off somewhere and talk to her."

"Oh yeah, and when would I do that?"

"...How about at my party?" She said suggestively.

"She's going? she hates parties?" You remembered her aversion to house parties, Moronic ritual gatherings for apes and ditsy sluts, she called them.

Vicky grinned coyly "She didn't want to go to parties, because You didn't want to go to parties, dumbass."

No way... bullshit "There's no way that she'd hate something just because I do-" You paused "She totally would, wouldn't she, I'm a blind deaf moron."

Vicky clicked at you with a wink "Just come to the party, I'll use my immense influence to drive Duke the douchebag Harmon off and You can chat."

Your eyes narrowed "Why are you doing this?"

Vicky went quiet, shrugging as she returned to her work "I told you. I... I don't want to be the Bitch anymore."

"That's all well and good but. I'm not convinced of this whole sudden epiphany thing. what really made You change your mind?" You asked, earnestly.

She shook her head "You don't wanna hear the answer."

"I really do-"

"I promise you, you don't." She double down, but Drake's don't compromise.

"Just tell me, for fuck's sake!" You grumbled.

"You did." She finally said, very quickly... "I uh, really like You. I think You're talented and funny, and fierce, and You're super yummy. Yep, that's about it." She never looked away from the laptop, unable to meet your eyes as she tapped away.

You went quiet. Unsure of... what to do, what to say? .... like seriously, just blank, nothing. no anger, no happiness, just nothing. You were in Shock. Tricky-Vicky... had a crush.... on You? what? what the fuck was going on? were you being punked? what was it with girls lately!? the fuck!? I Mean you were dry as fucking Sahara dessert in the pussy department before (Jesus Charlie don't call it that Ugh) still though!? what in the name of great big bearded Jesus christ was going on!?

*Knock knock knock*

"Someone's at the door." Vicky said.

You got up, grumbling, "Really? you heard, thanks so much." and moving towards the front door.

Looking through the peephole, you only saw blackness, they must have had their hand over it or something. Groaning, you pulled the door open and saw the one person that You really really didn't want to see right now.