I woke up to another utterly silent morning, still blanketed in the warmth of the bed covers. I blinked a few times, staring up at the blank ceiling above me. I felt no emotions, nothing. It's been three days now, three days since the memories returned. And still the same question remains my mind. Why?

Easily, I push off the blankets, swinging my legs off the bed and made my way towards the bathroom. I watched my feet as they took one step after another, my mind in its own trance. The room was bare of any life except me, if you could even call me a life. I was more like a lifeless doll, just barely surviving.

I pushed open the bathroom door, the hinges creaking slightly at the soft pressure I placed in it. I could hear the mumble of voices from the boy's room, discussing the same topic I always seem to find them in.

"...leave her like that? She's my fucking sister! As if I could continue letting her be a mannequin for the next few weeks."
"She just needs time to get over it." I heard Matt's familiar voice rumble.
"I seem to have recovered quite quickly from it all might I add. Sure, I'm still half battered, but at least I'm <i>being</i> alive."
"You might have recovered, but she isn't you. And unlike you, she went through amnesia and various other things that may take longer to get over."
I would have reacted to that sentence, and I was extremely close to it, but after over 24 hours of being emotionless, having no reaction still came first.
Nate retaliated in a steely voice, so low that I could barely hear it. "You're right, and I still have no bloody idea what the hell happened those nights she was kidnapped. She avoided it whenever I brought it up. What the hell happened?"
"I can't tell you. Convince her and she might."

I stepped into the shower and closed that connecting door, releasing the smallest of sighs. After finishing my business, I went to the kitchen to grab a cup of water before heading back to my bed. I stopped when I saw Nate sitting there, alone, playing with the frayed edge of the blanket. I continued my walk across, my footsteps eerily quiet. The cup in my hand was placed down onto the side table before Nate noticed me. He looked up to me, his face smothered with different emotions while mine stayed as cool as a rock.

"Daine." He almost whispered.
Ignoring him, I managed to get back into the bed, pulling those still warm covers over my shoulders.
"Daine," He repeated, harsher than before. Still, I gave him no response.
Frustrated, he ripped the blanket off me and pulled me into a sitting position. Still, I remained unfazed, keeping my composure of blankness.
I watched him as he slowly took a deep breath, his eyes closed, and exhaled it, trying to calm himself down.

"Listen, I know you're in a state of shock, and this," He gestured to my body, "is your way of dealing. But it's not going to help. You're going to be like this forever unless we do something about it. What happened with mum and dad, we couldn't do much about it. Just think that at least neither one of them are suffering because of the other; at least their together right? And they wouldn't want you to be the way you are because of this. What happened to the Daine who would fight back?"

Still I gave him the same blank look, my mind almost empty of thoughts.

"And think about everyone else. What's going to happen with school if you fail? I can't support you all my life you know. And what about your friends? Are you just going to leave them. God," He groaned, "And what about Jace and Cameron? Are you going to leave them like the sick little puppies they are right now?" That hit a nerve, but I didn't show any of that. Of course the love triangle with Cameron and Jace bothered me immensely, but I needed time to figure things out first.

"And what about us?" Nate whispered, his voice so soft it somewhat hurt. "How do you think I feel about this? Being so unable to provide the help I should be able to offer as a brother? I feel like an outcast." He avoided my eyes the entire time, staring into space.

That comment stung just as much as the previous one, but I remained silent, still trying to push away those unwanted emotions.

Nate turned to look at me, his eyes now annoyed.
"Would you at least fucking talk to me?!" He yelled, throwing his hands up in the air and standing up, while I still remained sitting on the bed.
"For god's sake!" He started to walk the length of the room, back and forth, back and forth.