Every day we make choices, and every night we must sleep with the consequences of those choices

I woke up to my familiar room. The walls were black and red and I sat up and felt a pang in my side that knocked my breath away. I moved my covers and saw I was wearing wrap around my ribs and chest. I got out carefully and walked to my closet and touched my little hand prints that were painted here ten years ago.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I whispered touching Jocelyn’s hand prints that were next to mine. She was the first friend I had here at this house. She was the first girl that Melinda had adopted and I came a year later and I and she clicked instantly. She was my best friend and I left her.

I know what my choices were and now I must face the consequence of guilt eating me alive.

I walked to my wall and punched a hole through it,  ignoring the pain I walked downstairs painfully letting myself take all the pain that I deserved. Everyone was in the kitchen and was huddled up talking.

‘What are you all doing?’ I asked and they jumped and paled when they saw me making me lift and eyebrow.

‘Umm’ Onyx started then looked at Melinda then I saw him.

‘Who the hell is that?!’ I yelled pointing at the guy sitting at the table.

‘Well he’s here to accompany us on our missions.’ Sarahppina said looking down and I felt a snap go off in my head.

‘He’s HER replacement isn’t he?’ I seethed outraged they would replace her so easily.

‘No! He’s not,’ Jaelyn said holding her arms up in front of her.

‘Then why is he here.’ I said in a deathly calm voice.

‘He would be here even if she was here. He’s part of the male’s team and is part of the co-ed project we started weeks ago before the incident. ‘Melinda said and the dude stood up and walked over to me.

I glared at him but was taken aback from how he looked. If I wasn’t hurt and if Jo was here I would be drooling over this super hot guy but since Jo’s not here and I’m hurt his luck is gone.

‘Looks like this makes us partners,’ he said wiggling his eyebrows and something inside me snapped. I punched him square in his jaw and he was knocked out cold.

‘He had something wrong with his eye brows so I punched whatever was wrong with him out.’ I said and the girls slightly grinned shaking their head before coming over to help him.

‘Madison, everyone starts school next Monday.’ Melinda said and I spun around so fast I almost made myself collapse from the pain I felt in my sides.

‘What?’ I asked incredulously.

‘I need you all to blend in because people are starting to investigate us and I need you all to lay low.’ Melinda said and I sighed. I turned around and went upstairs. I shut my door and locked it, I leaned on the door and slid down to the floor.

‘The dude is lucky I can’t move a lot, because if I wasn’t then he sure wouldn’t last more than a week here with me.’ was the last thing I thought before passing out.

Madison. Help me. Don’t leave me! Please, Madison!

I woke with a start, my heart was beating erratically. I looked around and noticed I wasn’t in my room, the walls were white and the smell of sterilizer filled my nostrils. My hand I had punched the wall was wrapped up and in a brace. I got off the bed slowly and the silence had me on edge.

“The girls must have brought me to the infirmary.”

I walked down the hall thankful that the infirmary was downstairs. I sighed when I saw Melinda reading the newspaper and sipping her tea. She didn’t even look at me when she spoke.

‘Oh good, your awake,’ she said not really sounding sarcastic but almost there. I sat down on the chair across from her and looked down.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said just above a whisper. She looked up at me before putting the paper down and lifted up my chin.

‘It’s not your fault, your job is a hazard and I know she doesn’t blame you either.’ She said smiling and I pulled my chin away from her slightly making her sigh sitting back down.

‘Where is everybody?’ I asked looking around preparing for them to jump out at any second.

‘Relax, they’re all at school, which by the way you start tomorrow since you clonked out the whole weekend.’ She laughed and I still couldn’t grasp the fact I was going to an actual school.

‘Why am I going to school again? I mean this would be my third time graduating high school.’ I tried to get her to see my point but she shook her head.

‘The other part of the government is checking us out and getting suspicious. They don’t know about our sector so please just bare with all of this.’ She said slightly grinning.

‘Uh huh,’ I mumbled brushing her off for now. Walking up to my room I sighed looking at all the holes in my wall from other times I’ve gotten upset. Yeah I admit it, I abuse my wall. For the rest of the day I just did some patching up in my room and to my surprise I had gotten a lot of things done.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I changed the bandages looking at the gruesome carnage that was left behind. It felt like I was getting shot all over again as I cleaned it and fixed it up. Changing into baggy clothes, I walked downstairs warily afraid my wound would begin bleeding again.

‘Need some help?’ the statue of a god himself asked me sounding almost mockingly as he looked me over.

‘No,’ I growled making my way over to the refrigerator.

‘Hey, I’m just trying to be nice,’ he said lifting his hand in front of him. I wasn’t sure why I always felt mad at him but I’m actually not this cold to people.

‘Where’s my bagel?’ I looked frantically before turning around so fast whiplash almost took me out. He took another bite of MY bagel and smiled mischievously.

‘I don’t see your name on it,’ taking another bite I thought of a plan to win back my bagel.

‘Ah!’ I yelled crouching down and holding my side. His face went from smug to concern in an instant as he got up and ran to my side.

‘Are you okay?’ his voice filled with so much concern it made me almost feel guilty for what I was about to do.

‘Yeah, I just need to sit down, can you get my pain meds and some water for me?’ I asked as he led me to the seat right next to my bagel. He nodded and sped off to get the things I asked for.

Grabbing my bagel I ate it quickly before he had a chance to realize what I was doing. When he came back I took my pain meds as he sat down next to me. He reached down where he thought his bagel was but only touched a napkin full of crumbs.

‘Hey, where did my bagel go?’ he said scrunching up his eyebrows.

‘MY bagel is rightfully in my stomach,’ he looked shocked and I fought off a smile.

‘You tricked me,’ he glared at me and I looked at him innocently.

‘Of course not! Did you forget before you can take and form of pain medication, it has to be on a full stomach,’ I replied getting up and going to my room. Getting into bed I frowned realizing I didn’t even know his name. Closing my eyes, I tried to drift off into sleep but soft familiar laughter kept my stomach twisting and turning in guilt. The was mocking me, reminding me I was never allowed to be happy again.