The day dragged on. People went about their day like they had gotten their full eight hours of sleep the night before, and dozens of people hadn't died.

I spent all of my time with Ruben. This 250 pounds of pure muscle man that was sounding increasingly gay the more I got to know him. He denied it but. Sometimes you can just tell. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I assured him of that multiple times but he wouldn't go for it.

"Where are you going Jess?" Ruben asked me as we rounded a corner.

"You'll see." I responded. It had been awhile since I had visited the garden. It had come to be my sanctuary. A place where I could go and know that no one else would be there.

We stopped in front of the large door and i shoved them open and stepped inside the most beautiful place I had ever known.

"What is this place?" Ruben asked behind me.

"You've never been here?" I looked at him questionably. He shook his head, looking around him in awe. "Cameron took showed this place to me the second day I was here. I'm surprised you didn't know it was here."

" this is incredible." He walked around, and I trailed along after him.

"I can't believe you've never been here before. Then again whenever I come here it's always empty." I thought about that for a moment. Nobody was ever here.

"This is technically a restricted area. No one should be here unless you're one of the higher up officials." He shrugged. "But no one really from the higher levels come down here anyway, and I trust you so..."

I nodded. That was good to know. I won't be caught red handed by Matthias again. We sat down on the bench around the corner just out of sight from the cobble stone path.

"Alright finish telling me about the kitchen." Ruben sat with his arms folded leaning back against the tree behind him, acting tough. I could see through it though.

"Well uh.." I scratched the back of my neck, not really comfortable talking about it even if it was to the only real friend I'd ever had. "It was-.." A hand clamped over my mouth and I looked over at Ruben with my eyebrows furrowed.

He lifted a finger to his lips and and then looked back forward at the path. I strained my ears and tried to hear whatever he was hearing. Then I heard it. Deep voices and footsteps. I watched Matthias and some other guy I hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting walk past us, oblivious of our presence.

I sighed a silent breath of relief when they passed us by and didn't notice we were there, In some secret garden or whatever this place was. I had a sad feeling that I wouldn't ever be able to call this heavenly place my sanctuary again.

We sat in silence until we heard what sounded like rocks sliding. Like in the movie when there's a secret door at the back of a cave and the rock move to reveal an opening. That's exactly what it sounded like and it made me slightly suspicious, wondering if it in fact was like what you would see happen in the movies.

"What was that." I whispered almost inaudibly. I had seen it happen too many times when people thought someone was gone and then they just jumped right out of their hiding place and then got caught. Yea I was not going to be that girl.

"I don't know. I was going to ask you. You're the one that's been here before." He replied just as quietly.

I nodded my head and didn't dare speak again. We sat there for a good 15 minutes before we finally cautiously made our way up to the little path and booked it to the entrance, all the while praying that no one else showed up to hang out in the secret meeting place back there.

We sped walked down the hall to a non-restricted area where we wouldn't be in trouble if we were found just causally strolling along.

"Jessica?" I whipped around adrenaline pumping through me quickly. "Joseph has been looking for you. He wanted to see you in the private dining room." Then she left apparently she wasn't there to punish us for breaking the rules she was only delivering a message. Got my body all hyped up on adrenaline for no reason.

"Ohh. Joseph wants to see you in the private dining room. You know that's where he normally eats with his important guests. He had the president and the prime minister of England over and they dined in there." Ruben said with a tone that just screamed I told you so.

I blushed and didn't say anything. After hearing that I was quite flattered that he invited me to have a mean in such a prestigious place with him. It made me feel important. Something I hadn't felt in a long time. I smiled and kept my gaze on the floor while Ruben led me to the dining room with a smile of his own.

Once we arrived I played with my fingers and anxiously stared at the doors.

"Go on you've kept him waiting long enough." Ruben nudged me slightly forward. "I'll be right here when you get done." For some unknown reason that brought me great comfort. I nodded my head and pushed the doors open, the thought of knocking not even crossing my mind.

I stepped inside and the doors shut behind me. My heart instantly deflated. There was Joseph, Olivia, and Mandy all sitting next to each other. I swallowed dejected, and was seriously debating leaving when Joseph saw me.

"Jessica come sit." I chose to sit next to Olivia instead of Mandy. I couldn't tell you why honestly. Maybe it was because I was more familiar with her, but then again she'd hurt me more than anyone else.

"We've been waiting for you for 35 minutes now. Why did you not come right when I asked you?" He asked me. I could tell he was slightly angry but I honestly couldn't care less. I knew he didn't do anything to hurt me intentionally but it still sucked I was in this situation.

"Maybe if you had better messengers I would've been here on time." I snapped and stared down at the plate that had just been placed in front of me.

"Jessica!" Olivia yelled right into my ear. I winced but kept my mouth shut. "That was so rude! Apologize." He folded her arms and looked down her perfect little nose at me.

"No." I growled. "I don't have a damn thing to apologize for." I folded my arms too and glared into her icy blue eyes not backing down. For a moment I thought she would back off until Joseph stood up his wooden chair scraping against the marble floor.

"Enough! What is your problem Jessica. If you're going to act like a f*cking child the whole night then leave." He said harshly. I looked into his eyes and there wasn't an ounce of care in them. He looked at me like I was repulsive. At that moment I couldn't see why I thought I liked him. I nodded and silently stood up and walked out of the room without another word or glance.

The doors shut quietly behind me and I walked away not stopping for Ruben who was hurrying all his 200 pounds of muscle to his feet. "What happened Jess." I ignored his question, not daring to speak for fear that tears would escape my eyes. "Jess what-" he grabbed my arm in an attempt to halt my flee. I yanked my arm from his grip and shook my head.

"Don't." I started running desperate to get to my room. I could hear his heavy footsteps close behind me. Part of me was grateful that he followed me even though I was being a complete bitch.

I reached my room and flung the door open and flew to my bed landing in a heap on top of the covers. I heard the door shut softly. The bed dipped slightly as Ruben sat next to me. He rubbed soothing circles on my back. I started to sob. Fat ran down my cheeks. I picked myself up and threw myself into Rubens arms needing the comfort only a friend could give. He held my head into the crook of his shoulder, and stroked my hair until the guttural sound stopped wrenching up my throat.

"What happened." He whispered once the tears had stopped and I had regained my breath.

"Olivia and Mandy were there too." He looked at me quizzically. "Olivia is my step sister. She used to get her boyfriend to beat me up after school and then when she got her she convinced some dude to nearly beat me to death. Then Mandy. I don't really know what I did to her but she can't stand me. She hates me." I hung my head. I didn't know what was happening to me. My usual calm composure had been completely shattered, leaving me a whimpering mess. Must be that time of the month.

" your own sister had people beat you up?!" He voice was low but filled with rage. "Almost killed you and you let her get away with it! No way in hell is she going to get away with that." He went to stand up his hands balled into fists.

"Please." I whispered looking up at him through my wet clumpy eyelashes. "Stay here." I finished. He sighed and fell back down making whole the bed bounce.

" tomorrow she's gonna feel my wrath." He said dangerously.

"You'd hit a girl." I asked curiously.

"No. But I'd tell Joseph and I'm sure he'd find someone that would." He said confidently.

I shook my head. "He kicked me out today for talking mean to her. I think that he likes her." I said sadly.

He gaped at me. "He kicked you out.... For her." He lifted up his lip in a disgusted manner. "Anyone with eyes would pick you over her. You know that right." He stared at my face looking for a reaction.

"I dunno. No one ever had before. She's always the first choice." I shrugged my shoulders having already accepted that fact. "Even my dad had gone to all of her plays and performances and not once did he ever come to any of my events. Eventually I just stopped participating in extracurricular activities, not ever having anyone to share victories or mourn losses with."

He shook his head and sighed softly. "You're one broken little thing you know that. Someone's gonna put you back together someday though." He pulled me into a hug and stroked my hair.

" I hope so." I whispered into his chest.

*******

The next morning I woke up alone. Ruben must have either gone back to his room to sleep or had an early morning shift with the gang. I debated going to breakfast, my stomach was grumbling and begging me to eat cause I had skipped dinner last night, but I just couldn't bring myself to go down to the dining hall knowing that Joseph would be there. Knowing that once again Olivia had been picked over me.

So I sat on the window sill and made pictures out of the clouds until Ruben came back.

"You missed breakfast." He said as he strolled into the room. "Good thing you have a best friend that is an expert at stealing things." He revealed 2 crescent rolls and an apple that were previously hidden behind his back.

"Oh thank you so much I was starving." I grabbed the food from his hands and shoved them in my dry mouth.

"He asked about you." He looked down at me. "He looked concerned."

I stopped swallowed hard. "What did you say?"

"That you're wee bit upset."

I groaned and threw my head back against the window. I winced when my head hit the glass. "Why would you tell him that?"

"Because you are, and I want him to apologize." He said plopping down on the bed.

"Yea well when he comes asking why I'm mad what am I supposed so say? That I'm mad he likes my abusive sister better than me. No! I can't say that." I threw my hands up in the air.

"I don't really care what you tell him." He shrugged "as long as you give him a chance to tell you that he doesn't like Olivia more than you."