"Watching me through cameras is one thing." I hissed angrily to myself.

Or rather, to the invasive little creep currently using my body as his own personal spyware.

"This takes invading my privacy to a whole. New. Level."

"Ah... Not that I am trying to distract you from your justified anger or anything here... " Peri's voice came nervously from the phone. "...But does your heart seriously beat like this all the time? Even I'm starting to feel a little light-headed over here -Ow! You pinched me!"

"No." I seethed, near trembling with rage. "I pinched myself."

And he had felt it.

Peri, who was probably sitting in his office at the Shrink program, half-way across the city from where I was currently standing, had felt me pinch myself.

Because his radio was tuned in on Maddison Tramph station.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Head!" I demanded, panic growing wildly in my chest.

He had seen everything. Experienced everything I had encountered since waking up in the dollhouse.

Alex.

Vain

Nigel.

This was officially the most humiliating moment of my life.

"I can't- ouch! We need to stay in contact, so- ah! Enough with the pinching! "

I pinched myself again, harder, listening to him yelp on the other end of the line. Knowing that he could feel the heat burning in my cheeks at this very moment.

Even my embarrassment isn't private anymore.

"Maddison please." Alan tried to soothe, raising a placating hand towards me. "Self-harm is not the answer."

I sent him a look of pure hatred.

"This is your fault."

Alan Floid, confident master manipulator, took a step back.

And shut up.

.... Maybe for him, the words struck a little harder than intended...

Good. I'm mad right now, So I am not going to feel sorry.

Nope.

"There is no need to get worked up Maddison." Vain sighed.

I slowly turned to look at him, taking in the tense set of his shoulders beneath me.

He was ready for me to blow up.

"No need?" I growled dangerously, but Vain just shrugged dismissively.

"I've had the same thing done to me in the past, every time Alex and Alan wanted to spy on their mother." He explained calmly. "That's how I knew, from the moment I found out about you being infected with their nanotech, that they were likely monitoring our situation through you."

"Oh, I see." I half laughed. "You just casually figured out that a creepy pervert was experiencing a day in the life of Maddison, but didn't feel the need to tell me until now?"

Vain had to know he was skating on thin ice right now.

"When, exactly, would have been the ideal time for me to announce this to you, Maddison?" He snapped defensively.

That doesn't mean that he was any good at it.

In the background, I could hear Peri protesting at being called a creepy pervert, explaining that he had to do this to save our lives, Thank you very much...

I ignored him, meeting Vain's icy gaze with one of my own.

"And you don't see a problem with any of this. Do you?"

"Of course, I don't like it. " He scowled stiffly. "But I can see the necessity of it."

Necessary.

Not the word I wanted to hear.

Though if I was completely honest with myself, I could too. Having the Shrink Program at our backs couldn't be a bad thing, and if being the camera was the only thing I could do to help out... Then so be it.

That didn't mean I couldn't resent people for their callous disregard of my feelings.

Or punish them for it.

I straighten up, arms crossed in fury.

"I want.

To sit.

With Nigel."

There was silence.

Horror. Struck. Silence.

"No," Vain said flatly, and Alex and Alan both raised urgent hands, voting their agreement.

"Yes." I snapped back, ignoring the way literally everyone was staring at me like I was insane.

"It would be safer for you to walk." Vain hissed, anger rising rapidly in his voice.

If there was one thing that could make him lose his temper, stupidity was it.

"You want to test that theory?!" I narrowed my eyes at him, snarl on my own lips. "Cause its either him or the ground Vain."

He palmed his forehead as if raiding his brain for an answer that wouldn't piss me off further.

"Anyone but him Maddison." He finally gritted out.

I shook my head, starting to feel a little offended on Nigel's behalf.

"I thought you trusted him!"

Vain just sent me an exasperated look.

"Not to be in contact with you for an extended period of time!"

Of all the arrogant...

"It's not your decision anyway. " I finally snapped, turning my back to him. "Nigel!"

The golden-haired boy himself just sent us a panic-filled look as he started to back away.

My eyes narrowed.

Come back here, coward.

Then Artemis took a step forward, placing a supporting hand on Nigel's shoulder.

"Don't deny a distressed lady her request." He murmured, pushing the taller teen towards me. "Have confidence for her sake."

My fist curled with urged to punch Artemis for making it sound so damn... Heroic.

The small noise that came from Vain made me think he felt the same way.

"Fine." He snarled, stalking towards Nigel without another word of argument.

Nigel stood frozen, eyes wide as Vain came to stand in front of him impatiently.

"Hold out your hand," Vain instructed tersely when the older teen only continued his impersonation of an alarmed tree.

"Right." Nigel squeaked, palm jerking up for me to stand on.

With as much dignity as I could muster, I stepped from Vain's shoulder and onto Nigel's trembling hand.

This wasn't the first time Nigel had held me...

But it was the first he had done so with Vain glaring murderously at him.

Pissed, I glared back at Vain, daring him to say a single word as Nigel lifted me up to his shoulder.

Lips pressed together angrily, Vain spun on his heel, storming back towards where Alan and Alex still stood, talking to Peri on the phone.

".... We understand." Peri had just finished saying by the time I started paying attention to their conversation.

A moment later, he groaned.

"Please stop. My old body can't handle the stress of all this teen angst."

Just what I needed. Someone sharing in on the turmoil that is my relationship with Vain.

"You're welcome to leave." I muttered, knowing that he would hear me through my own ears if not the phone."

"...Please bear with me just a little while longer." Was his soft reply. "I promise you won't regret it.

With that phone disconnected.

The easier it is for you to pretend I don't exist my dear.