Seeing Sense (Kira)

[Lotus]

Rae had been sketching constantly until her lunch break at one thirty. Her wrist ached, but she'd finally finished her fourth sketch and was well on the way with the last and final one for Tristan. Ingretta had been constantly fuelling her with coffee every hour and she was always a chirpy face at just the right moments. It helped her survive the first part of her day.

Lunch passed too quickly though with hardly anyone to talk to, so soon enough she was back at her desk bent over sketching. She'd stripped off her cardigan and her heels were strewn across the room. Tendrils of her hair were flying around her face and she felt a state, but the last sketch would be done. Eventually, at four o'clock Rae finished the final sketch. She sat back and admired it; the best one of them all. She looked back over all of them and tweaked them here and there before they were finally completed.

She walked to the corner of her room to fetch one of her multiple spare folders and slipped each one inside the plastic sheets, with a note on the design of each. She set it on her desk and slipped her heels and her cardigan back on just as Ingretta walked in with another cup of coffee. "It's decaf this time." Rae smiled and took it willingly. "Here, let me fix your hair." Once again, her receptionist was saving her life.

"Thanks. I really owe you one." They started chatting after that until the phone went off at Ingretta's desk. As Ingretta walked away and shot me that knowing look that he was here she sighed and picked up the folder for Tristan and her own private folder with his brief and notes in. "Time to face the music." She grumbled under her breath.

[Deleted]

Grey enjoyed lunch with Fontanna. It was better then old times. Because this time they were starting fresh and determined to get everything right. Or that was what she had said, the only thing was Grey didn't remember what it was that they were meant to be doing differently. It bugged him that he still didn't know what had happened on saturday night. He had attempted to ask Fontanna, to try and see if she could tell him what had happened with him and Rae, but the moment he mentioned her name she veered off topic.

Grey tried again, a little while later but this time Fontanna's response shocked him. "Why would I know? She's nothing to do with me and you have me so I don't know why you're even thinking about her!" Grey had been a little taken aback and had not touched the topic again.

[Lotus]

Rae walked out with her head held high and she got an encouraging nod from Ingretta as she walked towards the board room. She took a deep breath before she pushed open the door and she smiled a professional smile at Tristan. "Mr Parker. Good afternoon." She placed the folder next to him and sat down at the end of the table. She had been prepared for any other look or remark from him after what had happened but the look of horror on his face actually hurt. He was horrified to see her.

Nevertheless she smiled politely and motioned towards the folder. "In there are the five sketches you requested. I had very little to go on from your brief but I hope they meet to your required standards." She watched him and kept her shaking hands under the table. She watched his face but there was nothing there for her now. She didn't feel the same when she saw him any more. It was just hurt she saw and felt more than anything.

His facial expression suddenly changed and his head snapped up. "What are these? These pieces of trash? I gave you a very set brief and you have come up with anything other than that! These are disgusting! How could you even deem them acceptable to present to me with such a hoity toity attitude?!"

Rae's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, her hands shaking even more. "I didn't have much of a brief sir. I went on what I could and from the messages you said you'd be pleased with anything that contained those few things you demanded to have in the sketches. May I remind you that these are only sketches and this meeting is to see what you want changing in them."

Tristan stood up and moved closer to her, and in response Rae stood up and tried to stand proud of her work. "I believe you know full well who I am don't you Rae Odell. I believe you did this to get revenge or something. That screwed up mind of yours would do that to someone like me wouldn't they?" He stood back, glowering at her after speaking in such a dangerous voice. She looked away and opened her mouth to speak before she was cut off. "These sketches are nothing like what I had in mind. They're all useless, even the items I wanted in them are all wrong. You're useless and I'll be complaining about this. How you think you can be proud of this work is disgraceful! How you thin you can back chat me is appalling! I am a man of status and you should do well to remember that Rae Odell. I can't believe I invested money in this!"

With that he threw the folder across the room and stormed out. Rae was left standing there, in tears, trying to collect up her work before Ingretta came in and pulled her into her arms. They'd never been this close, but Ingretta knew about Tristan; she was the one who'd warned her about his cheating. She owed this woman so much.

Later on in the day Ingretta had finally gotten Rae to calm down, despite Rae's please for her to go home like she'd said she could of done. There was a knock on her office studio door and one of the managers walked in with a very sombre face. "We have matters to discuss Miss Odell about the Mr Parker incident. He has come to us with a very serious claim and until it is taken into further matters we, as a team, have decided in the interest of the company as a whole that you are to be suspended immediately for an indefinite amount of time. When the matter is resolved you will be allowed back with your normal position." Rae stared at one of her managers and his face changed to someone that looked like they cared. "This Mr Parker has a reputation for making false claims and I very much doubt what you've supposedly done is true, so I very much doubt you'll be gone for long. Keep at it Miss Odell."

With that her manager walked away, tapping his watch to say it was time to leave.

[Deleted]

Grey walked home at a brisk pace. Despite the gloom of what was going on with Rae hanging over his head he had manged to have a good day. Lunch had been nice with Fontanna and it made them feel like a couple again. Grey had missed that. She had even invited him over to her place this evening to sketch her again and that was where he was headed now. Grey was quite excited about that, it had been something they had done before and some of his bets work had come out of it. But it wasn't just lunch that had made it a good day, the client was more then satisfied with his painting and had paid him more then the set price. Grey was ecstatic about that because it meant he could start to save up again. The downside was that it reminded him of Rae and all that she had done for him. He missed her.

Grey tried to put on a smile as he knocked on Fontanna's door. She greeted him with a kiss and a glass of wine, taking his art equipment off of him. "Come right through to the living room baby! I have it all set up for you to draw me!" She called out to Grey as she led him though the house.

Grey noticed that she was just wearing a robe and smiled. He realised that Fontanna had been planning this evening for a while. Grey was looking forward to it.

[Lotus]

Rae had collected all her things, leaving what she was told to leave behind; the sketches for Tristan, the brief he'd given her and her scribbled account as to what happened during the meeting. She looked back at her office and tried not to cry again. She had thought she was over crying when it came to Tristan, but now he'd messed with her one too many times and taken her job from her.

She turned and walked away, not really hearing the calls from Ingretta. She only stopped when arms were wrapped around her. She smiled softly at the face that had been so kind to her and nodded her head in thanks. She was lost for words, she really was. Now all she had to do was make it through the streets without breaking down.

She'd managed it and by the time her front door closed the tears broke free again. He'd screwed with her too many times to count. Even when she'd thought nothing was wrong between them he'd not only cheated but messed with her self confidence to the point it was drowning in the gutter. He'd done that to her and now all those feelings were coming back again.

She threw her folders and sketches in her studio before shutting the door tightly. She sighed and leant against the door, trying to calm the tears but nothing was working. She walked into her bedroom, slipping her heels off and changing into tracksuit bottoms, and a black long-sleeved t-shirt. She didn't have anything to do now her life was falling apart again.

Not even the message from Patrick put a smile on her face.

[Deleted]

Grey was smiling as he drew Fontanna. She kept talking away at him about all of the thngs they could do as dates together. Grey couldn't help but feel excited at the idea of it all. Spending more and more time with Fontanna just seemed to make his day better, his life better. But then he would remember Rae and what it was that was hurting her. That was when he felt down and hated himself for doing that to her, but he still didn't know what that was.

Grey tried to push it aside. He wanted to have a nice evening and he knew he couldn't do that if he was worrying about her so much. Only, he didn't know how to fix it because he didn't know what was wrong. So he tried to tell himself not to think about it. But it was hard.

Fontanna seemed to have some pretty good ways for drawing his attention back to her.

[Lotus]

Rae had nothing to do. She wasn't hungry and she hadn't eaten since lunch and she hadn't eaten dinner the night before, yet she didn't want anything to eat. She was too broken to try and make something or open her mouth to eat something that would just taste like cardboard. With every waking minute she felt more and more lost, even in her own home with the comfort of her couch. She needed someone, yet she was alone.

She sighed and flicked on the T.V. to a news report. Something had gone down at one of the design studio's earlier this afternoon and the full report would be out tomorrow. She couldn't help but think that was something to do with her and Tristan. How had he made it public already? She chocked back a new wave of tears as she flicked the T.V. off before walking up to her bedroom. She curled up on her bed, in the dark, staring at something she couldn't see. She was exhausted, yet sleep was avoiding her like the plague.

[Deleted]

Some how and at some point Fontanna had manged to open a bottle of wine and then another one. Grey didn't even notice how much he had had to drink. He didn't seem to care because the more alcohol he consumed the closer he got to Fontanna. His head was cloudy but he had forgotten about Rae and was thinking solely of Fontanna.

And then she was kissing him passionately, and he her. Then they were heading upstairs with a third bottle of wine in her hand. Grey was on the bed with her, but the wine went to his head and it all went a bit blurry after that.

[Lotus]

Rae woke to light streaming in her window, but she was exhausted. Just as she'd been about to get to sleep another thought made her stay awake even longer. Soon though she had been too exhausted for the thoughts to come back to her. She sat up with a groan and run a hand across her face. She had nothing to do today, just like last night and she wasn't going to go wandering the town with the fear of that news reporter looming over her head.

Shee showered, and changed her clothes but she didn't try and look smart; she had no reason to. Instead she slipped on a pair of shorts, a long-sleeved navy t-shirt and a thick hoodie. She slipped on her socks and wandered downstairs. She went to the kitchen and looked in every cupboard and every shelf of the fridge before she decided she wasn't hungry again. This is exactly what she'd been like last time, but that time she had had Grey there to help her through and made her eat again. This time she had no one who was going to bother with the mess she was in now.

She walked into the living room and switched the T.V. on to try and drown out the quietness of her house and the loud thought in her head. She stopped dead in the middle of the room, remote in hand when she saw what was on screen. Her office studio complex with Tristan standing outside with one of her managers. The reporter started talking.

"The suspected news of disruption at one of the most famous designers in the Capitol, Couture Fashion, has finally been brought to light. Miss Rae Odell has been indefinitely suspended from the work premises after Mr Tristan Parker brought to light the severe wrong doings of Miss Odell. An inquiry into the situation is being carried out and we'll keep you up to date on this unfortunate turn of events, but for the moment we have Mr Parker here and one of the managers of Couture Fashion to give us a little insight. So, Mr Parker care to elaborate a little on these so called wrong-doings on one of the Capitol's highly sought after and ever growing fashion designers?"

Tristan glowered and turned to face the reporter. "Yes actually. I would like to explain to the whole nation of the wrong doings of Miss Odell. To start, yesterday afternoon we had a meeting to discuss the designs she'd created for me for one of my latest corporate parties but none of them were drawn to the brief she had been given. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that meeting was to put right all the wrongs with her designs, but never would I have dreamed that it would come to the point where I should ask her politely to re-do them for me. She point blank refused, telling me I was the one in the wrong. She screamed abuse at me and slapped me round the face. That wasn't the half of it, but I'll leave that for the inquiry because I fear I'm taking up precious time. I just wish to explain that what Miss Odell did needs to be punished and I hope her managers-"

The T.V. screen cracked around the remote that was thrown into it with force. Rae was standing there, tears streaming down her face as she screamed, "I hate you!" She'd thrown the remote in pure anger and hurt, without realising the possible damaging effects. But she was beyond caring. Tristan had once again ruined her life, and this time she feared she would never get it back.

[Deleted]

Grey woke with a grin on his face. His arm was draped over Fontanna as she snored lightly. He wanted to lean over and kiss her but he knew how she hated to be woken. Grey smiled as he remembered last night and everything that had happened between them, it had been good. But then he felt a dull throbbing in his forehead and suppressed a groan. He could feel a hangover coming on and the empty bottle of wine on the side table confirmed that.

As cautiously as he could Grey crept out of the bed and pulled his jeans on. He silently tried to tread out of Fontanna's overly girly room and head downstairs to the kitchen. None of Rae's house was over the top or girly, Grey liked it like that. A pang of pain shot through him as he remembered how Rae wasn't talking to him. He shook his head, no use on thinking about that now.

In the kitchen Grey put on a pot of coffee and found himself some painkillers. He dosed up and flicked on the T.V. The news was in and he left it, it was nice to have some background noise. That was until he heard the name Couture Fashion. That was where Rae worked! Grey spun round and turned the volume up on the T.V. A million things raced through his mind, what if there had been accident? What if Rae was hurt? He studied the screen anxiously and tried to work out what the report was about. His stomach knotted as he heard Rae's name. But then he saw Tristan and he was filled with anger about what that jerk had done to his bets friend. Was she still his best friend? Grey didn't know.

Grey watched the whole segment and sat back in his chair stunned. He didn't believe that Rae would have done those things that Tristan said. But how could Tristan be so cruel!? He was filled with worry about Rae and how she was doing. He stood up and snatched Fontanna's phone. He dialled the number he knew by heart and prayed that Rae would pick up. He needed to make sure she was alright.

[Lotus]

Rae's knees had buckled underneath her and she was in a mess on the floor. Tears would not stop falling and her sobs were the only sound to be heard in the whole house. That was until the phone started ringing. She covered her ears, yelling, "Get lost!" Her life was over. She'd lost everything.

The phone finally stopped ringing and so did her tears. She looked up to the smashed T.V. and was reminded of everything all over again. She stood up on shaky legs and ran upstairs. She barged into her studio and wiped everything off her desk. She threw things around, she ripped designs up and photos of times when she was happy. She ripped the lamp from her desk and threw it across the room before knocking everything off her shelves and racing back out of the room. She ran to her bedroom and ripped up any photo she found of her and Grey or Tristan. She got rid of all of it.

She was about to run back down the stairs when the fight went out of her. She'd been crying so much she had a headache, and her stomach was convulsing from the tension she'd put it under. She sunk to the landing floor, her legs dangling down the stairs as she closed her eyes, sobbing quietly.

[Deleted]

Grey waited and waited but she didn't pick up the phone. It went to answer machine. He thought about leaving a message but realised that she wouldn't pick it up. The knot in his stomach twisted tighter. He felt sick and worried. He could only imagine how Rae was feeling and acting right now and every part of him wanted to go over to hers and comfort her. But she didn't want him, that was quite clear.

Fontanna padded down the stairs in nothing but his shirt that he had left on the floor. She walked into the kitchen and smiled at him, her dominating and girly smile. "Morning Baby... last night was just... wow! I mean, I hate to say this because it means you've obviously been with other women... but have you learnt a thing or two?" She said with a cheeky grin.

Grey didn't respond. He barely even heard her, his head spinning with all of the confusion and torment about Rae. Grey started when Fontanna ran her hands down his chest from behind but she didn't seem to notice. She lent down and kissed his neck and then along his bare collar bone. Grey tried to focus on her and what she was doing but he was only thinking of Rae.

"Why do you have the phone baby? Who were you calling?" Fontanna asked.

Grey looked down at his hands, as if he was noticing the receiver for the first time. "oh. I... err..."

"It doesn't matter silly! She replied, plucking the phone out of his hand. Something in her tone suggested that she thought otherwise. "Come and make me breakfast!" She demanded playfully.

Grey stood up and smiled. Fontanna was his girlfriend and he needed to focus on her right now, not Rae.

[Lotus]

Rae woke to someone shaking her shoulder and she looked up into the caring eyes of her best friend, Grey. He'd come to help her through this and she could tell how sorry he was. He was sorry for everything he'd ever done to hurt her; but she didn't care about that. He was there, in his arms and she felt safe. She felt as if her world was slowly being pieced back together. She looked out of his embrace to see Patrick lounging on the stairs, grinning up at her and for once she felt a soft smile spread across her own lips. They were both here, to save her.

She looked back up to Grey and he had a sad smile on his face. Then slowly he bent his head down and her heart sped up. She felt Patrick moving in closer and soon his arms were around her too. She was in a tight embrace with the two of them just as Patrick's lips touched her cheek and Grey's touched her lips. She broke away from the two of them, panting. What was going on? Patrick chuckled and told her he was only comforting her and it was Grey that wanted her. Grey even confirmed it and moved in closer again. That's when Rae started panicking; this was all wrong.

She woke with a start, her head pounding and as she sat bolt upright she fell down the stairs. She lay at the bottom, panting. Her body slick with sweat and silent tears streaking down her face. It was her mind playing cruel tricks on her. Neither of them would come to her, not when her world was crumbling at the seams. She lay lying on the floor, time meaning nothing to her. Her life meant nothing to her any more.

[Deleted]

Grey could see Fontanna kissing him, running her hands over his body. He could faintly hear her whispering words into his ear. But it was like he was watching someone else from up above. It wasn't really happening to him. He wasn't really there. He tried to focus on Fontanna because this was what he had wanted for so long. But his mind couldn't stay on Fontanna, his responses were robotic. His mind was somewhere else. On someone else. Rae.

After seeing that news report and the fact that she hadn't his call made him worry. He could only imagine how she was acting and feeling. He didn't believe what Tristan had said was true. He knew Rae, even though he didn't know why she was upset with him, he still knew her.

Grey pulled away from Fontanna. He smiled at her and gently stroked her cheek with his hand. "Why don't we go and curl up on the sofa?" He said to her with a cheeky grin, hoping it would remove any doubt she might have had about his responses. "Obviously this doesn't affect you," he said, she was sitting in his lap, "but this chair is starting to get a little uncomfortable and restricted!" His mind was still on Rae but he needed to do this also.

Fontanna tilted her head back and laughed before clambering off of him. She grabbed Grey's hand and pulled him into the living room. She flicked on the T.V and pushed Grey into the sofa. Curling up on top of him. Grey looked up at the T/V to see that it was the news again and they were repeating the report about Rae.He heard Fontanna snort. "I always knew there was something off about Rae!" She said cruelly. Grey tensed but didn't say anything. He was horrified that his girlfriend had just said that about his best friend.

Grey extracted himself from Fontanna. Trying to push the incident to the back of his mind. He stood up and she grabbed his hand. "Where are you going?" She whined.

"Need to make a phone call, I'll be right back." He said with a small smile. Still a little annoyed about what she had said about Rae. But then, she didn't Rae like he did.

Grey headed into the kitchen again. Redialling the number of his best friend. Praying that she would pick up.

[Lotus]

Rae covered her ears when the phone started ringing. It had such an annoying, loud, shrilling noise that at that precise moment she couldn't help but cringe away from it. This time it didn't stop; it wouldn't go to the answer phone. She cried out and screamed. Why couldn't the world leave her alone? Why did everyone have to want to talk to her or use her for something? Couldn't she just left alone for the rest of her life, because that way she couldn't ever be hurt.

She pulled herself over to the table in the hall and reached for phone. She pressed the button, not bothering to try and pick the phone up and hold it. "H-Hello?" Her voice cracked and it sounded hoarse. Well, that was a good impression. "If you want my side of the story, you're not having it. I want to be left alone so go away." She was about to reach up and press the button before the voice stopped her. Grey. She needed to press the button. Now!

[Deleted]

Grey froze on hearing the tone of Rae's voice. She sounded hoarse, upset and angry. He could understand why, he would feel the same. But that just made him more determined to try and make things better. A lot better. He wanted to be able to soothe all of her upset and make things better. That was what he would be doing if she didn't hate him so much right now. Why?

"Hey Rae... it's me, look I know you don't want to talk to me right now and I really am honestly sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I'm not lying when I say I don't remember anything from saturday night... but that's not important... I'm calling because I saw the news report and I know that none of what that arsehole Tristan said was true. I know you... Rae let me help you?"

[Lotus]

Rae shook her head and lay back down on the floor. If she was just quiet he'd give up and hang up. It'd mean she'd have to his deep, husky, masculine voice that she loved day in and day out but that was better than hanging up on him. He'd only call back and then she'd have to hear the terrible shrilling of the phone. Maybe she could just disconnect the whole thing and then she'd never be bothered.

He kept asking her to let him help her though and she knew him too well to know that he wouldn't let up. She'd been stupid to think he would. "I-I don't need you Grey, just like you don't ne-ed me." Her voice kept cracking and she was mentally slapping herself for allowing it to. For allowing her to show her broken she was to Grey when he'd been the one to start it. Him and his precious girlfriend Fontanna. Smell the sarcasm in the air. "L-eave me alone and I'll leave you alone. That's what you want to go away and stop harassing me."

[Deleted]

Grey was a little stunned at Rae's reply. The way she stammered over her words. The fact that her voice had broken. It made him worry badly and his stomach dropped. She was worse then he thought and apparently it was all his fault, only he didn't know why. He didn't want to leave her alone and he didn't understand why she was thinking that. She was still his best friend.

"Rae... I don't want to leave you alone... I'm sorry... Rae, I want to help... I don't not nee-" He said but stopped when he felt a pair of hands slide down his chest from behind. He tensed up as Fontanna pressed herself up against him. "who you talking to baby?" She whispered into his ear.

"Rae... and it's important.." he hissed back. As much as he like having her close he needed to finish this conversation. Fontanna reached out and plucked the phone from his hand.

"You don't need to talk to her anymore... not with her reputation." She said coolly before disconnecting the call and presuming to kiss Grey.

[Lotus]

Rae listened to what he had to say and every word he spoke made her miss him more and more. She needed him and she wanted him. It was a bad mix. She needed his comfort but she wanted him to know how she felt. She wanted him to realise that she'd been there all along and Fontanna was nothing but bad news. But then his words were cut off and she heard the faint words of Fontanna before the call disconnected.

"My reputation? My?! Reputation?!" She stood up and pushed the table over, screaming as she did so. "You have no idea what you're talking about you stupid woman. I hate you!" The table was lying in the middle of the hall and the phone had successfully been disconnected. She screamed harder as tears poured down her face. At least, she thought, he wouldn't try and talk to her any more if Fontanna was telling him things like that.

She hated everything. She walked to her front door, tears streaming down her face and bolted it before walking back into the kitchen. She bolted the back door and then went and opened every cupboard in her kitchen. She pulled out everything from every cupboard and threw it in the bin. She was far worse this time and her actions were starting to scare her, but she couldn't stop.

[Deleted]

Grey pushed Fontanna away from him. He kept a hold of her arms though and stared at her. He was a little annoyed but he didn't want to get angry at her in case it meant he would lose her again and he couldn't. Rae was still his best friend and he cared about her but he couldn't lose Fontanna and go through that hell again.

"What did you do that for?" he asked her.

"Do what?" She said, all too innocently.

"Disconnecting my call with Rae? It was important!"

"Excuse me! But I was doing you a favour! That girl is nothing but trouble and this thing thats in the news with her right now, well it would ruin your career if people knew you were friends! Do you want to have no one hire you baby? I was just looking out for you!"

Grey smiled sadly. There was no point arguing with Fontanna but that didn't mean he believe what the news said. He let her kiss him.

[Lotus]

Rae had cleared out her whole kitchen of anything food related. She didn't need it, not with the way her life kept panning out. She threw everything in the rubbish and walked away from it, feeling a little better. She didn't know how long she'd have to be kept holed up in her house for, but she didn't care. If she withered away no one would really know or worry about it.

She wandered back into her living room and sat on the couch. There was a knock at her door and she groaned. Could she never have just some peace and quiet? The knocking stopped though and something fell through the letter box. At least a note would be better than a person. She stood up and walked out into the hall to pick it up.

'Inquiry meeting tomorrow at 3pm sharp. Be there if you want your name cleared. And for the record, I know Mr Parker is the liar. I heard it all. Hang in there, Ingretta x'

Her cheeks flooded with warmth. Someone in this world believed her. But then she remembered the task at hand. She had to go out of the house tomorrow and face the world. It was too soon, but she needed her name cleared. She'd show Grey she could handle herself. She didn't need him. She would try and resolve this herself. She would have to look okay for the world, yet she hadn't seen her face yet and she knew she was going to have a task hiding how she really felt.

[Deleted]

Grey felt distant again. He was no longer angry at Fontanna. He wanted to be with her too much to let that happen. But he still felt down. He was worried about Rae and how she would respond about him hanging up on her. He hated the fact that that had happened but there was nothing he could about it. And wasn't that she what she wanted? hadn't she said that herself?

But it didn't stop him from worrying about her and how this was going to affect her. No matter what Fontanna did to try and distract him.

[Lotus]

Rae gripped the note in her hand before walking to the kitchen and gulping down a glass of water. She tried to calm the dizzying feeling in her head and the weakness in her joints. She would have to face the world tomorrow and worst of all she had to face the accusations of Tristan. No wonder what he would throw at her this time. He could truly ruin her career all because he was a good liar. She gripped the glass tightly and let it smash down into the sink, pieces of glass flying out. One bounced out and caught the corner of her eye. She reached up and ran a finger under the corner of her right eye, pulling it back to feel blood.

She shrugged and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She didn't know what the time was but she was tired. She needed sleep and her alarm clock was in her room. If she didn't have to go somewhere tomorrow she'd sleep where ever her shaking legs gave out on her. She pursued though and made her way up the stairs. She looked out of window and actually saw the sun starting to set; her body clock wasn't that messed up. She collapsed onto her bed after setting her alarm and fell into a fitful sleep that would leave her even more exhausted the next day.

[Deleted]

Grey looked out the window and then at the clock. It was 8 O'clock and he had spent 24 hours at Fontanna's house! How?! They were curled up on the sofa, she was flicking through Games chatter and gossip about the tributes and what the designers were going to do or something. He wasn't really paying all that much attention to what was on the T.v. It disgusted him, the whole Games thing and he knew that Rae felt the same. That was one of the ways they had bonded. But Fontanna loved it all!

There he went. Thinking about Rae again. Grey sighed and Fontanna twisted to look up at him."What's wrong baby?" She asked him, reaching up a hand to stroke his face. He looked down at her, sh was beautiful and his. Although that made his stomach twist in a good way it wasn't with the same intensity as last time. It was like something had gone wrong and Grey had a feeling that that was to do with Rae.

"nothing.. I just realise it's been a while since I've been home..." He said with a small smile.

"Well you can go home if you want, or..." She said with a cheeky glint on her eye, grabbing his hand and running it down her body. "You can stay the night with me?" Grey smiled and gave into her. What else could he do?!

[Lotus]

She woke to the blaring of her alarm and she groaned. That had to have been the worst night sleep she'd ever had, and that was saying something seeing as she'd had pretty bad nights, especially when she'd found out about Tristan's cheating. She rolled out of bed and hit her alarm clock at the same time. All she wanted to was get back under the covers, but that meant giving in to defeat and no one would ever trust her again. She sighed as she wandered to the bathroom.

Standing in the shower she tried to recollect the dreams she'd had the night before so she could try and understand why she felt the way she did. Why she felt so tense and clammy. She then remember the dream she'd had when she'd fallen asleep on the stairs. It had been the same one last night but far more intense. She shivered and switched off the shower before stepping out.

An hour later she was dressed in presentable clothes; a navy skirt that came to just above her knees and a white billowing top that dropped down low at the front, revealing a little of her cleavage. She slipped on the navy jacket that matched her skirt and slipped into a pair of navy heals with a white bow on the back of them. She looked okay if it wasn't for the dark circles under her eyes. She braided her hair off to one side and applied make up the best she could. The cut under her eye had bruised slightly and wasn't exactly coverable but she doubted a little cut on her face would be the talk of the town.

She sighed before looking at the note again. 3pm it said. She looked at her clock. 12pm. What was she supposed to do for two and half hours. She needed to try and stay calm and waiting around wasn't going to do that. Instead, she walked down stairs and went to sit on her couch. She wasn't taking anything with her today. She didn't need anything. How was she going to get through the day?

Eventually 2:30pm came around and she unbolted her front door. She half expected people to swarm her as she stepped outside her front door, but no one was there. She was just going to have to brace herself for when she got to the justice centre. And sure enough, as soon as she turned the corner she was bombarded with people with microphones and camera's. She tried to stay calm but her palms began to sweat and she felt a lump forming in her throat. It didn't help either when she saw Tristan out of the corner of her eye.

God help her.