[Dedicated to DaniyahA for the amazing cover that she's made! Go check out her work.]

Laura has been acting really, really creepy since I let her meet up with David at the cafe. I can't really explain or express how she's been giving me the creeps, but she has. It felt like David played a smaller part in my life right now and I didn't exactly know how I felt about it. I just knew that whatever the feeling was, it wasn't good.

Phil and I have been getting along pretty well, he's been the only constant in my life for the past two weeks since we've met and I was glad. I think he kept me somewhat sane.

(15th October 2011, Tuesday)

I was getting annoyed by each minute as Daniel who was sitting right in front of me continuously tapped his pencil or pen against the library's desk. The librarian didn't seem to pay him a mind, wasn't her job to keep this library quiet? Well, she sucked at it.

The worst thing about detention is that you had to keep your phone in the box that the librarian kept on her desk right next to the stack of books that she would be reading for the rest of the day and she wouldn't give it to you no matter what. Even if you bribe her with whatever she likes. Trust me, I've been here for two weeks, I know.

My detention has been extended for another two weeks not because of Ms. Bond which is rather surprising of course. But it was Ms. Hale, my Biology teacher who sent me off to detention for falling asleep in her class. Twice might I add.

"Would you please stop that?" I hissed, trying to flip him off and storm out of it which would lead me to another seemingly endless string of detentions and maybe even suspensions which would make my dad very unhappy.

"Well look at that, who thought you could be nice," he said, turning behind to look at me. His chair slanting back words slightly. I hope he falls.

I just ignore him and look back down at my math text, still frowning. I could here some shuffling, apologies and foot steps through the library but don't really pay much attention to it until a chair next to me scrapes the wooden plank floor. Turning to look at my side, I stare at Phil in confusion.

"I heard you got detention? So I decided to keep you some company." He grinned, placing his elbow on the table and his head on his hand, facing me.

I heard Daniel scoff.

Whatever, Dan. Whatever.

"Did you purposely get into trouble?" I gasp, turning to face him as I slam my text shut. It's not like I could do much with it.

"Eh, yeah. It's not like I have anything better to do, honestly. And well, why not?" He shrugged, blushing slightly. But unlike David, he didn't hide it.

"You do realize you can come to the library without getting detention, right?" I laughed, shaking my head at his frozen stupor.

"Oh." he sighed, frowning and then speaking up again. "Well, what's done is done."

I heard the librarian hiss at us, throwing the funniest glare I've ever seen a person express. She looked back down and continued to read whatever it is that she was reading.

"So, what were you doing?" he asked, curiously peeking over me at my books that were placed on the other end of the table.

I just looked up front and mumbled, "I tried to do math, but it's not like I can actually do it. Which is funny, because I've got the highest grade in Physics. Physics has Math and, I just don't know. Math and I just don't happen no matter how many times I try."

Sighing, I continued looking up front. I could feel Phil looking at me, curiously staring, waiting for me to continue or do something else. But he never did. I was used to this, he would always do that when we hung out during school lunch or anywhere else. He would just stare up at me curiously, at first it bothered me. Not any more though.

The desks at the library were rectangular, neatly lined, six in each row. It wasn't the biggest library, in fact, I think this is the smallest library I had ever seen and yet, I found it to be my favorite even though it mostly consisted of school books.

One desk could fit about four people, each of them having two chairs at both sides. The dark wood making the room seem cozier, rather mysterious and undeniably dark. The walls were painted a dark, blood red and the wooden plank floor was as dark as it could get. I loved it here.

I loved how it was dark. Coming in here was like entering an alternate universe, comparing it to the schools painted, bland yellow walls.

"Alaska?" I heard Phil call out and I finally turn to look at him.

"Did I space out again?" I asked him, throwing in a sympathetic smile and apologizing.

"Stop apologizing. I told you I got used to it and that's totally normal." He said, giving me a reassuring smile.

I loved how he was always smiling, always the happy go lucky type of guy.

"What were you saying?" I finally asked, shaking my head at the luck of staring back at him.

He takes a deep breath and grins childishly. "Do you believe in aliens?"

"I don't know." I said honestly, pondering about it. Searching for some answer that actually made sense.

"What do you mean by 'I don't know'?" He gasped, mocking me but failing miserably.

"I don't sound like that," I rolled my eyes. He was about to say something, but I interrupted him. "I mean, I don't know. God does. We can't really say that they exist because we haven't actually seen them, but we also cannot tell if they don't because again, we haven't seen them. We're human. We can only assume things. We never really know."

"Wow, deep shit."

His mouth was formed into a small circle, his cupid lips seeming smaller and his blue eyes slightly popping making him look like a cute fish.

Cute? What even?!

I let out a deep sigh and looked at him. He was looking back, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes twinkling like he'd discovered something for the very first time.

"What?" I asked, raising my brow. I picked up the math text book and my scribble-doodle notebook and shoved it into my bag.

"Your choice of words is.." he stopped and then breathed out, "wow."

"Well, your powers of observations just," I was looking for the right word, my tongue running down my lower lip as I tried to pick something less offensive. "...surprise me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, even more confused then he'd ever was.

"It means whatever it's supposed to mean. Time's already up and I'm thinking of grabbing some lunch outside, would you like to come along?" I tucked my dark, black strand of hair behind my ear and peaked at him through my lashes. I hoped he didn't have any other plans. I don't do very good with 'no'.

"Yeah sure, but we'll meet up there, all right? I've got something to get from the gymnasium first and we can catch up." He said as he got up from his chair, slightly stumbling over the foot of the dark wood table.

I smiled at him and turned back to look at the librarian still glaring at me through her large, round classes. Her pointy nose putting off her gorgeous looks. "I'm leaving already, there's no need to murder me with that look." I retorted, before I exited through the door.

It's been long since I've heard from David, he's all Laura's been talking about during our Math class together. She even treated me like we were long since best friends who shared cookies in kindergarten, which annoyed me as much as it could. Her annoyingly perfect British accent and flawless blonde hair in front of my face almost every morning was getting on my nerves.

Speaking of the devil, "Why are you still here?" I asked Laura, looking her up and down. She didn't participate in anything related to sports as far as I knew and she was one of those child prodigies, zero detention records and perfect grades.

"Oh, I just had to stay after to speak to my teacher about something. What are your plans after?"she smiled at me, her perfectly white teeth in a straight line and her dimple showing on her left cheek, making her seem... cute.

Just what the hell is wrong with me today? Darn it.

"Okay, all right." I taste the words at my tongue, not sure what to say at all. Then I just look up at her and spit out, "Eh, I need to go. I made some plans. I'll see you later or something." As I turn around, I scrunch my eyebrows together and mentally face palm myself. How could my life turn around so fast within a couple of weeks? The idea is almost impossible.

"Have fun." she called out from behind me. I didn't reply. I don't think I had anything to say.
I started my car and dropped my phone into the back seat like I always do after texting Phil and telling him that I've already left and turning on the radio.

I took the highway to the Burger Inn that I was planning on driving too to waste up sometime, my phone was ringing like crazy for the second time and it was impossible to turn back and look at the caller ID whilst driving down this lane. God forbid. What was it that was so important at this time of the day?

Grunting, I remembered my dad's words since I picked up my 'no phone whilst driving' rule. If it's the third ring, pick up. It's important Alaska, you never know what might happen.

Turning on the right flicker, I dropped the speed down to a 20 and then slowly stopped the car and reached for my phone. Dad Calling.

Of course.

"Dad, I was driving. What's so important?" I whined, holding the phone between my head and shoulder as I reached out to switch on both the flickers, just in case.

"Ms. Brown, is that you?" A strange, male voice asked.

"Yeah. May I know who's speaking?" My heart was starting to pick up pace and beat a lot faster than normally needed.

"We need you down at the Princeton's Hospital, your father is here and you're the only family member we could reach out." The man explains, his voice calm and collected.

"I- umm - W- what's wrong with h-him?" I breathed out, closing my eyes in an attempt to calm myself down. He's okay, Alaska. He's always okay.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to tell you until you come down here, I'm sorry. We will be waiting." I cut the line and quickly dial Phil, feeling the tears forming in my eyes and blurring my vision.

"Phil?" I whispered, as soon as the dialing tone was cut off.

"Hey, listen, I'm already on my way. Sorry-"

I let out a loud sob and was about to say something but choked on my own spit instead.

"Alaska?" he yelled, "are you okay? What's wrong? Where are you?" I could tell he was panicking but that didn't push me to say anything at all. I was crying full on by then. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't drive like this, I was too scared. I had to get to my dad.

"Phil, I- I could you just umm, can you come and pick me up?" I sniffed, wiping the tears on my face with the sleeves of my shirt.

"Where are you?" he demanded. I could hear the motor of his car acting up and I knew he was speeding. I managed to croak out my location to him and asked him to drive safely before cutting the line.

Minutes later the car door to my left opens up and I can feel strong arms around my waist, wrapping up and pulling me out of the car whispering, "it's going to be okay."

Phil held me tight and told me things that I didn't even here. His hands running down my hair and soothing words kept leaving his mouth. But I didn't know. I didn't know if it was going to be okay. I knew it wasn't going to be. I could feel it.

It couldn't have possibly been okay. It never was. It never will be.