She stood outside the school watching everyone go in. Seeking his face but fearing if she actually saw it. There was a knot in her stomach, Alison felt like she was going to be sick. She can't go in there, not today. She turned and walked away, to the hide out where she'd been spending her days.

She walked up the hill until she reached her tree. It was in the perfect spot to watch for him although if anyone asked that's not what she does up there. She wrote or read but she doesn't look for him. Sometimes she sleeps, this is the only place she can. The house has too many memories. The time they spent studying in the living room or "studying" in her bedroom. Even at the table during dinner she still expected him to be sitting next to her.

She knows her parents have noticed her loss of appetite and lack of tried talking to her together when that didn't work her mom cornered her one on one. But they don't understand and she couldn't explain because she didn't understand it herself.

He didn't show up today, he must have found another route to English. A mix of sadness and relief fell over her; she gave up when she heard the final bell.

Maybe tomorrow will be better; maybe tomorrow she will face him.

Probably not.

She did the same thing the next day. She really shouldn't be doing this, at least not this often. She's going to get caught but she couldn't bring herself to care. Something is different today, she heard voices when she approached her spot. She took a couple more steps and saw them. She wants them gone.

"Hey."

He looked her up and down, "Hello."

"Listen I have been coming here all week and would really love some peace and quiet. So if you guys could take your party elsewhere that would be great."

"See that's not going to work for us, our other spots were busted so we aren't going anywhere but you're welcome to join us." The same boy who checked her out answered her.

She debated before sitting down. She could deal with a couple of annoying boys if it meant she avoided the stares and whispers she'd have to deal with if she went to class. She put her headphones in and pulled out her notebook. She didn't make it through two songs before she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She yanked her headphones out, "What?" She asked, a fire in her voice. She turned, expecting to find the boy who spoke earlier but oh, it was the quiet one behind him.

"You're Alison McCord. I'm Logan." He stuck out his hand shake hers and for the first time she noticed him. His piercing blue eyes as deep as the ocean and blonde waves framing his face. Tyler who?

"Do you want something?" She asked with one eyebrow raised. Alison appeared annoyed on the outside but on the inside her stomach was doing flips.

"Just wanted to say sorry about them, Gino can be a bit of an ass."

"Then why do you hang out with him?"

Logan shrugged, "He brings the good stuff."

"The good stuff?" she asked.

He held up the bottle in his hand and a ziplock in the other. "Do you want some?"

She shook her head, "I'm good." She regretted her answer when he turned away. "Why do you do that stuff?" The question was out of her mouth before she could second guess it. She felt pulled Logan, desperate to keep talking to him.

He finished his drag before answering, smoke filling the air between them. "What do you mean?"

"From what I've seen all it does is make you hungry and sleep. How is that fun?"

She squirmed under his gaze, no doubt he could see how innocent she was compared to him. He probably thought she was a wanna be, just an actor failing at her role.

"I wouldn't use the word fun but it helps." He took a swig from the bottle, wiping the dribble from the corner of his mouth. She wondered what his lips tasted like, what they felt like. They looked so soft and warm, inviting.

"For a while I can pretend my life isn't mine. All my problems go away."

She reached for the bottle but he pulled it away. "I thought you didn't want any…"

"Yeah, well I don't want to be me right now."

"What's wrong with being you? Your parents didn't buy you the color escalade you wanted for your birthday? Poor you."

She rolled her eyes, that was problem with being Elizabeth McCord's daughter and in a private school. "No… no, I bet it's that your boyfriend didn't buy the tiffany necklace and earrings you wanted for your anniversary."

"Haven't you heard I don't have a boyfriend anymore."

"What happened?"

"He cheated on me," Alison deadpanned, numb to this fact.

"That sucks but I'm sure a girl like you has half the boys lining up at your doorstep just begging for a chance with them."

Actually she didn't but that wasn't the point. The only boy she cared about clearly he didn't give a damn about her. "Are you going to share or not?"

She grabbed the bottle from him and took a swig. She felt the burn of it down her throat, making her cough and flinch as it made its way down. She didn't know what she expected it to taste like, but this was definitely stronger than she imagined.

Pretty soon she was feeling loose, light and very talkative. "You know we've been together since 6th grade. That's 7 years, I spent 7 years of my life with him and how does he repay me? He cheats on me with that slut."

She found that it was easier to talk, she was able to distance to herself from everything. She could talk without feeling.

Her heart sped up when he put his arm around her, "His loss not yours."

The last school bell rang, the halls below started filling with students. "Shit. I have to go." The earth tilted beneath her as she stood.

Logan's hand grabbed her arm to steady her. "You aren't going anywhere."

"Excuse me? Who are you to tell me what I can do?" She tried to present herself as a threat but the slur in her words and her sway did just the opposite.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do but you can't go home not like this. Let me take you out for a burger so you can sober up."

"That's probably a good idea. I just need to text my dad to let him know."

She typed up a message and held it out to him. "Is this right?"

Get food with rienfs. Back letar. He quickly erased it and rewrote "Going to get food with friends. Be back later.: and hit send before putting in his pocket.

"Hey give me back your phone. You stole my phone! I want it back." Electricity raced through her as her fingers grazed his stomach, trying to get her phone out of his pocket but her lack of coordination failing her.

"You can have it back later. I don't want you drunk texting right now."

"That's smart." She started to stumble down the hill but he caught her. "You're smart and coordinated. How did you get so smart and coordinated?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Come on, let's get you sobered up."

They ate some cheap greasy burgers at a diner a couple blocks away. The drunk haze started to clear, and the pain came back.

"Hey, how did you know my name?" She asked, looking for a distraction to keep her mind from spiraling.

"It's a small school so it's not hard to figure out who people are and I've been watching you."

She tensed up, filled with stupidity as she realized the danger she put herself in today. She broke all the rules that her parents drilled into her growing up; talking to strangers, drinking alcohol, skipping class, and being drunk around a boy she didn't know.

"Not in a creepy I'm watching you type of way but just that I've noticed you. You're always surrounded by friends and you're gorgeous. It's a hard thing to miss."

Alison was still a little worried but reasoned that everything had turned out okay so he can't be a bad guy.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask but that doesn't mean I'll answer."

"How have you been skipping class for days and not get caught?"

Wow, he really has been watching her. It felt nice to be noticed, her ex stopped paying attention a few months before she found he had cheated and it was the reason everyone knew her. Whoever came up with the phrase there's no such thing as bad press was wrong. "My dad's a writer, I grew up learning to make up stories."

"Sounds like a fun childhood. I'd love to hear more about it."

"Don't forget we have a test next week so start studying now!" The teacher called out as the students raced out of the room. "Oh wait, Jason. I want to talk to you for a minute."

He stood in front Mrs. Kennish, shifted back and forth while Jason bite his lip.

"Is Alison feeling better?"

"Yeah she's fine."

"I know she's been sick the last few days, just wanted to check in and make sure she's feeling better."

"She's feeling much better." Jason assured her.

"I'm so glad. That's all, you can go."

What was Mrs. Kennish talking about? Alison wasn't sick, they came to school together.

Jason stood in the doorway of their dad's office, they weren't supposed to interrupt him while he was writing unless it was important and this was.

Jason pulled the sleeve of his shirt, a habit his dad always pointed out he got from his mother. He didn't feel right about ratting Alison out but a small part of him was worried about her. He noticed she wasn't her usual self, he missed her. "Dad, is Alison ok?"

"Yea, bud. Why do you ask?"

"Everyone at school keeps asking me if she's okay and if she's coming back to school soon."

"She's been going to school with you every morning…" Henry trailed off as he put the pieces together. "Did you finish your homework?"

He hesitated before answering.

"Go finish it before mom gets home." He knew Jason was going to start whining about it but stopped them with a look. Henry puffed his chest up and mentally patted himself on the back, Elizabeth wasn't the only one with a withering stare.

Alison came home two hours later, relieved when her dad didn't move from the refrigerator. She lifted one foot to remove her shoes, her plan was to sneak upstairs and hide in her room as long as possible to finish sobering up. The entryway turned as she tried to balance on one foot causing her to wobble and catch herself on the doorknob. She managed to get both shoes off and reach the bottom of the stairs before her dad noticed.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was stern and serious. She was busted but for what she wasn't sure. If she'd learned anything from her mom's CIA days she knew not to reveal anything, let her dad do most of the talking.

She pointed up to her room, "Upstairs. I have homework."

Henry betted she had homework, she should have lots catch up work to do. "No you're not. We need to talk first." He crossed the room to the couch and patted the cushion next to him.

She stumbled her way over to the couch, clearly more sober but not completely.

"You're drunk." He observed.

"What? No!"

He jumped up, his tall frame towering over her. "Don't you dare lie to me! You have been cutting school but now you're coming home drunk and lying to my face! Who do you think you are?"

She smirked back, "I'm Alison Alexandra McCord, your daughter."

"Now you want to be a smartass?"

Alison stood up in an attempt to challenge him, but her slight sway made her less threatening. "What are you going to do about it?"

"For start your cellphone is mine and so is your laptop." He held out his hand until she handed her cellphone was over. He would get her laptop out of her room later.

"What about homework?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow. God, she really was a mini Elizabeth.

"You can do it the old fashion way with pen and paper."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, but I'm leaving that up to your mother."

Alison scoffed, "What is she going to do? Have the President have me arrested?"

"Go to my room," His voice was curt and jaw tense.

She didn't move, confused as to why he said his room and not hers.

"I said go to my room," He repeated.

"Aren't you supposed to send me to my room?"

"Ahh but sending you to my room takes away all the entertainment in yours."

She swayed a little when she stood up. She stumbled her way up the staircase, using the banister to keep her from falling.

Henry groaned, he had never seen Alison like this. She openly defied him and blatantly disrespected him. She was drunk? Alison didn't drink. He couldn't wait until Elizabeth came home.

She stopped when she walked into the house. Something was off, she couldn't figure out what it was but something was different. It was quiet, too quiet. She thought about having Matt check the house but Henry's figure in the office stopped her. There wasn't an imminent threat but something was wrong.

Elizabeth padded through the room trying not to disturb him. She could tell he was thinking from the tension in his shoulders and his pacing, he must be lost in the world of his latest book.

Her arms wrapped around him and placed a kiss on his shoulder blade. "Where are the kids?"

"Jason is upstairs doing homework or something and Alison is in our room."

"Why is she in there?" Elizabeth lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Because she came home drunk and I don't know what to do with her."

She took a step back unable to believe what he said. Her daughter was drunk?

She kept her cool, Henry was worried enough for the both of them, someone needed a clear head to deal with this. "Let me sit down, then tell me everything."

Once they were situated on the couch he started. "She's been ditching school and getting drunk."

"What?"

He explained the events that unfolded earlier. "I've never heard her talk to me that way. I don't know what's going on with her but I was ready to rip her tongue out. You know what she said when I told her that you were going to give her the rest of her punishment?"

Elizabeth shook her head.

"She asked if Conrad was going to have her arrested. This is all some big joke to her. She doesn't care."

"I'll talk to her; I have a feeling this is about Zach."

"Are you going to ground her? Because she needs some other punishment than just no phone and laptop."

"Don't worry I have something much worse than grounding in mind."

Elizabeth walked into their room to find it empty. "Alison?" She called out. She heard muffled cries coming from the bathroom.

Elizabeth's heart broke at the sight of her daughter crying on the bathroom floor. She sat down against the wall and pulled Alison into her lap.

"Why doesn't he like me? Why did he cheat on me? What did I do?" She sobbed.

Elizabeth stroked her hair. "Shhh, honey, it's okay. It's okay."

"Zach-" She choked out.

"Shhh, it's okay," she whispered.

Now she knew what this was about now. A heartbreak didn't excuse her daughter's actions but it did explain them. She wanted to kill Zach, the bastard that broke her daughter's heart. He had the audacity to cheat on her? Did he think he could do better than Alison? She was brilliant, beautiful, funny, the whole package.

Elizabeth held Alison as she cried out all the pain she held in for weeks. Alison sat up when she was all cried out, already feeling a headache forming but she wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the crying.

"Now I know why you've been upset for the last few weeks. Honey, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Alison wiped the snot with her arm, "I was embarrassed. Clearly it was my fault he cheated."

"No, it is not your fault. You listen to me; you have nothing to be embarrassed about. This is not on you. Zach is an idiot and he is the only one to blame for this. Nothing you did or did not do gives him the right to cheat."

She heard her mom but the words did little to mend her shattered heart.

"Dad's really mad at me."

"He's worried about you. We both are."

"I know I messed up and I'm sorry. I've tried going to class but he's everywhere. I don't want to see him, every time I can't decide if I want to cry or punch him."

"I'm sorry you're going through this but you can't skip class because of him, you also can't avoid him forever."

"It was supposed to be a one-time thing but then the next day was just as hard and it got easier the more I did it."

"Running from your problems is the easier route, I've tried it but it doesn't make them go away. They're still going to be there in the morning."

She waited for her daughter's response but was only met with soft snores instead. Her problems will definitely be there in the morning.

"Bye mom! By dad!" Alison called out trying to escape.

"Hey not so fast! Come here."

She dropped her backpack and walked over to them. "I'm going to be late."

"No you won't. This isn't going to take long."

"Your dad and I talked last night. We understand you're going through a hard time so if going to class is too painful we will talk to the school and switch your schedule around so you don't have classes with Zach anymore."

"No you can't do that. Please don't." she pleaded with her parents. If she left classes that would only make things worse. Zach would think she's avoiding him and that she still cares about him. Plus, everyone in school would know why she changed classes and they'd all talk about how she can't handle it. It would be the end of her life if that happened.

"If you're not going to agree to that then you are going to class every day from now on. We are going to check in everyday with your teachers to make sure you are going. If we find out you are not going, then dad will walk you from class to class to make sure you go."

"Oh great, that will make people stop talking about me."

They ignored that comment, "We will keep checking in until you earn our trust back."

"How long will that be?" It took all her effort to control her voice, any attitude now would only get her into deeper trouble.

"Until you show us you can be trusted," Henry answered.

"Okay. Can I go to school now?"

Elizabeth stood up, "Yes. Let's go."

Realizing being dropped off at school by her mom was part of her punishment, she put a smile on her face and went along with it. Anything to see Logan sooner.