Hey readers, here's the sequel to Release Me. So if you haven't read Release Me yet, I advise you to before you move onto this one! Also again this hasn't been fully edited yet, so if there are grammar mistakes please let me know. And don't forget to comment along the way, and vote if you liked it :).

BEWARE: This book does have copyrights, so don't plan on stealing it, cause I'm going to track you down myself! (Evil laugh)

I need to Expose Them

But I'm being watched

I know the truth

And if I tell, someone I love dies

Leaves crunch underneath my feet, as I make my way through the woods. A branch snaps underfoot and I freeze, scanning my surroundings.

Alice, you're being followed.

I wait for whoever's following me to jump out from behind one of the trees since foolish me just helped them pinpoint my exact spot.

For the past ten minutes, I've had this feeling that someone's right on my tail, but I guess I'm mistaken, since after all the noise I made no one has pounced on me yet.

I continue onwards, pushing the trees' thick foliage aside. There's rustling behind me once again and I glance over my shoulder. The coast is clear. Must have just been a bird, or something. Stepping into the clearing, I fall onto my hands and knees, the tears I've been holding back breaking free.

"Alice?" An unsure voice calls.

I look up through blurry eyes, at my best friend Elena.

Keep an eye on her at all times, President White's words ring in my head.

"It's only you." I let out a sigh of relief.

Her eyes flit around the clearing. "Yeah, I believe so." She pauses for a few seconds and I hold my breath, until she continues, "What are you doing here?

I knew she was going to ask that.

I wipe my tear-streaked face with my sleeve. "Someone I loved is buried here." I keep my voice low, pushing aside the dried-out roses and placing down the fresh lilacs.

Elena places her hand on my shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shake my head. "No, not tonight."

She crouches down beside me, so she can look me straight in the eyes. "Alice, what happened when you were there?"

I keep my eyes downcast, the clinic coming back to mind. "They cured me."

"For eight months?"

"People are there even longer."

"Like Hunter?"

My body goes rigid, my eyes landing on the grave before me. "Yeah, him," I whisper, a tear rolling down my cheek.

"What happened to him?" She rests her hand upon the grave.

I close my eyes, watching once again; Miss Jakins pulling the trigger, the bullet hitting Hunter right above his beating heart. "He didn't make it," I choke, my body trembling with my sobs.

Don't cry Alice, it's a weakness. Oh, shut up voice in my head.

Elena pulls me into her arms in a hug.

Regaining my composure, I push her away and get to my feet.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

I begin to walk off, her footsteps falling into place behind me.

"Are you ready to come back to school tomorrow?" She sounds hopeful.

"I'll never be ready, but I have no choice--- so yeah you'll see me there."

"Do you want me to pick you up on my way?"

I shrug, quickening my pace. I need to reach my hullo and get going since there's a nice, long drive home.

"How'd you follow me?"

Elena is now walking right beside me. "I saw you sneaking away as I was pulling up to your house, so I asked Hullolina to follow you."

"Stalker," I smirk.

"Not as stalkerish as the guy who's following us."

I stop in my tracks. "What guy?"

"Hmm." She scratches her chin. "He's tall, with light brown hair, and really dark eyes. He's actually kind of hot."

"Derek," I mumble under my breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. How long has he been following us?"

She shrugs. "I've spotted him several times."

"And you didn't think of telling me until now?"

"I didn't think it was necessary."

I try really hard not to beat the pulp out of her. "Some strange guy's following us for goodness sake. He could be an assassin." My voice rises.

"He hasn't killed us yet."

Now that was the last straw. "Maybe he's waiting for the perfect moment!" I yell.

"Yes Alice, that's exactly what I'm waiting for." Derek steps out from the shadows of the trees, a smug smile on his face.

I glare at him. "Stop following me."

"Why?" He crosses his arms over his broad chest.

"Hold on, you know our mysteriously hot stalker?"

I scowl at Elena. "Yeah." My eyes then flit back to Derek, who seems to look amused. "Because it's annoying and strange, extremely so."

His dark eyes hold me in place. "All I'm doing is keeping an eye on you."

"Well, you don't have to. I'm perfectly capable of watching my own back."

"Yeah? That's why you knew I was here all along," he smirks.

"Oh, I did. I sensed this terribly irritating presence behind me."

"Um, guys can we go somewhere else? Like maybe back to your home Alice, and then you can continue your bickering there," Elena interrupts, hugging her body, to keep herself warm from the cool air.

Derek and I share a look.

"Okay, fine."

We reach my sliver hullo and I climb into the driver's seat, Derek the passenger.

"I'm going to go home; I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning," Elena says, entering her hot pink, (her favorite color) hullo.

"What is your destination?" Hullolina asks.

Resting my head against the leather seat, I say, "Home."

...

Derek keeps on glancing my way and I ignore him.

"Alice," he says at last.

"What?" I don't look his way.

"Dr. Jeffery sent me to keep an eye on you."

"Why you?"

I notice from my peripheral vision, him shrugging. "I don't know, but it's better me than someone else."

"I beg to differ."

He smiles, his adorable dimples showing. "Fine, I'll go tell Dr. Jeffery that you prefer Marcie."

"That old hag?  Nah I'm good."

He chuckles. "Thought you'd say that."

I keep my mouth clamped shut, gazing out the window at the small houses we quickly pass.

"You'll be reaching your destination in five minutes," Hullolina announces.

"Alice?"

"What now?" I grind my teeth together, frustrated.

"I would appreciate it if you invite me to stay the night in that cozy guest room of yours, since sleeping in your backyard is causing me to catch a cold." He sniffles on cue.

"You've been sleeping in my backyard, seriously?" He says nothing. I roll my eyes at him. "Okay, fine, I'm inviting you to stay the night."

His face brightens. "Why, thank you. You are so kind and generous."

I bare my teeth at him. "Don't push it too far, Derek."

We pull up in front of my house.

"You have reached your destination."

"Thank you Hullolina, have a good night." I climb out of the hullo and head inside my home.

"Where have you been?" Danny is waiting for us in the family room. "And who is he?" His deep blue eyes are on Derek.

I hate introductions. "Danny this is my 'friend' from the clinic, Derek, and Derek this is my brother, Danny."

"A pleasure to meet you." Derek extends his hand.

Danny takes hold of it and shakes it. "Same."

"Is it okay if he stays in the guest room? He has nowhere else to go."

Danny nods.

I lead Derek up the carpeted stairs, down the lit hallway past my room--- to the guest room.

"Good night," I tell him.

He looks at me and smiles. "Good night."

I wait for him to enter the room and close the door in my face, before heading to my own room.

...

I lie tucked under my blanket, wide awake. My parents' eyes watch me from the darkness. Climbing out of bed, I walk up to the painting of them and trail my fingers over their faces.

"I always found it creepy that you painted them." Danny's standing in the doorway, his hair a tangled mess.

"Can't sleep too?"

He nods, walking up to me, and places his hand on my shoulder. "Why'd you draw them?"

"I brought them back to life," I whisper, blinking away the tears forming in my eyes.

"Yeah, it's kind of frightening how you captured every detail."

We stand here in silence, before our parents.

I remember their deaths. It happened so suddenly. One moment they were on their way to our school dance, the next they were gone forever. Just like Hunter.

"So," Danny breaks the silence. "You and Derek are just friends, or are you more than that?"

I laugh. "I wouldn't date him, even if you paid me."

"You have to move on eventually, Alice." His eyes are sad.

"Look who's talking."

"I care more about your happiness than my own."

I look at him. "Well, you shouldn't." I then keep my voice low. "What did you do while I was gone?"

"I waited for you to return."

"You lived here all alone?"

"I had friends who came occasionally to keep me company."

I hug him, burying my face in his white undershirt, holding back the tears. He was all alone.  No one deserves to live like that.

He rests his chin on top of my head. "You're back now Alice and everything is just perfect. I'm not alone anymore." He then helps me to my bed and tucks me in. "Go to sleep," he whispers.

I smile. "You too."

Closing my eyes, I drift off to sleep.