-Cody's POV-
written by breatheforthismoment and MargaretWood
I stalked off into the woods, glowering at every tree or plant that crossed my path. I could feel the veins on my neck sticking out, as well as the throbbing of my jaw from Casey's cheap shot. I'll admit, she got me pretty good. I cringed, the mere thoughts of her floating around in my mind regurgitated the sheer hatred that I felt in that moment. I didn't even know that it was possible to hate somebody that much. But it was, it most certainly was.
Slowly but surely, my adrenaline began to wear off and I could feel the pain from the brawl. My head pounded against my skull, reminding me for about the fourth time today that there was no goddamn aspirin on this island. My entire body ached, and I desperately needed to sit down somewhere, anywhere. I honestly had no idea where I was in the forest, but I couldn't find it in myself to care all that much. I was alone, which was exactly what I wanted.
Plopping myself down on the ground, I hugged my knees close to my chest, observing my surroundings. I had stumbled across a clearing, much smaller than our little oasis that Ev and Harry banged in, but it was just as peaceful. Bright and tropical flowers spotted the ever-present green plantation, splashing the island with gorgeous colors that seemed to bring it to life. Squeezing my eyes shut against the bright sunlight that was peering through the holes in the trees, I did my best to focus my mind on the sound of the rushing water off in the distance. I could feel the tears stinging behind my lids, but I fought against them. Alone or not, I refused to cry again.
Saying that my temper was out of control was a bit of an understatement: I had just beaten one of my best friends to a pulp for crying out loud. I had lost myself and that much was obvious. I didn't feel like 'me' anymore, and frankly, it scared me more than anything else. You could crash my plane, take away my home and my life, but for God's sake, leave me with my sanity.
I could only begin to imagine what the others thought, or what vicious lies Casey was spewing now that I was gone. Or even worse, the truths that I had trusted her with over the years. If she was cruel enough to bring up Alex, there wasn't anything stopping her from revealing every single one of my secrets.
My heart dropped when flashes of Liam's disappointed and shocked face filled my mind, and I bit my lip to stop it from quivering. For all I knew, due to Casey's accusations, his perception of me could have completely changed. How was he supposed to know that I wasn't just another desperate slut? If I didn't even know who I was, how could he?
I dragged my arm across my mouth, wiping away a disgusting mixture of sweat, saliva and blood. The metal taste remained in my mouth, leaving me no other choice but to spit it out, praying that a tooth didn't follow suit. When it didn't, I sighed, only a bit relieved. Staring bitterly at what I had just hacked up, I muttered, "Nobody makes me bleed my own blood."
Suddenly I heard the sound of a twig snapping, causing me to whip my throbbing head in the direction that it came from. I narrowed my eyes, squinting to try and decipher to faint outline that I could just barely make out. I found myself hoping that it was some sort of carnivorous animal that would devour me, ultimately saving me from my own misery. But unfortunately for me, it was probably the last person that I wanted to see right now, aside from Casey, that is.
"A Dodge-ball reference? Out of all things?" Liam said, maneuvering himself through the overgrown plants that separated us, somewhat shielding him from me. He ducked underneath a tree branch and gave me a small smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. I shied away from his gaze, lowering my head so that it was resting on my arms. I didn't want him to see me right now, not when I was so unstable. He said nothing as he walked over and sat down beside me, his feet crunching what seemed to be every single leaf and twig on the way. If it was one thing Liam lacked, it was stealth.
