Everytime I open my eyes, I feel like I'm watching a movie trailer. I only see snippets of the events going on around me. What is going on?

Am I still alive? Am I dreaming? Does your mind play imaginary scenes before you die?

The first time I regained consciousness (I think? Again, I'm still not sure of what's real and what isn't.), I can hear Jennie yelling and bawling from a distance. I don't know where she was, heck I don't even know where I was, but I'm sure that she's not that far. I can't understand what she was saying, something about Taehyung? I think I heard her say Taehyung's name.

I don't know. I'm confused. Everything hurts.

I also hear muffled voices in the background, but they're all washed out by her loud voice. Her screams pierced through my ears, but that didn't stop me from falling asleep again.

Sirens.

I hear sirens. 3 different kinds of sirens, if I'm not mistaken. 

I tried to open my eyes again.

I see a police car, a firetruck and an ambulance, all parked in front of where I am. I supposed the firemen came first, as they are already busy putting out the fire on what must have been the stock room.The ambulance just pulled over and the paramedics are all rushing now to get a gurney. I supposed it's for me. 

Okay. I'm struggling, but I'll try to stay awake this time.

Now I see a policeman holding, no wait, more of restraining, Jennie and his partner is talking to the girls.

I can't help but smile as I watch my girl classmates, the ones who have been bullying me since I came in this school, give their statements to the police. I thought I was finally losing it when I heard them fighting with Jennie and actually rescuing me. After everything that had happened, I'd never thought that they'd save me -- I may have even assumed that they actually helped Jennie set up this whole thing, and surprisingly they did the opposite.

Oh, boy.

Jennie managed to free herself from the policeman's grasp and she ran to Taehyung and hugged him real tight. I can't hear her clearly but she was crying and telling him something. Taehyung can't even look at her; he kept on taking her arms off of his waist but Jennie won't cut him loose. He's telling her something, but I can't read his lips -- Sorry? I think he's saying sorry to her.

Finally, 2 other policemen who were in the car grabbed Jennie away from him. Taehyung said something again to her, it was like 5 words and Jennie threw a fit again.

Honestly, seeing Jennie like this made me feel sorry for her. I can see how badly (and miserably) she likes Taehyung that she even did everything, everything in her power to get him, yet she still failed. I couldn't relate to her 'cause I've never really liked someone that much -- to the point of stalking him and even hurting others just to get him (Goodness, I couldn't even tell Jin-oppa that I've been crushing on him since God invented time).

What's worse is, I didn't even notice that she likes Taehyung. I'm that naive.

My attention shifted when Jimin ran towards the paramedic team, he looked disoriented and apprehensive. His eyes were puffy and he kept on sniffing. Was he crying? Oh no. I am so sorry for making you worry again, Chim.

They're coming closer, so I can actually hear them talking. Jimin wiped his tears and spoke to one of them, "She's still unconscious. We think it's because she inhaled too much smoke. Do you have an oxygen tank in there? She needs help with breathing. She's barely breathing. She... I checked her pulse and thank God she still has pulse, but... She's not waking up." Chim, I'm awake. I can hear you. I just can't speak nor move.

Taehyung ran to catch up to them and added, "She has burns too, we washed them with water but some of them turned into blisters. She's... She's gonna be fine right? They are just minor burns. We all checked. She's gonna be fine. Right, Sir? Please tend to her burns too. She's barely breathing and she has all of these burns... She --" Tears went streaming down his eyes as he struggled to speak again, "Please do your best to save her. Please."

The paramedic guy just nodded and walked even faster as he and his team shuffled and wheeled the gurney towards me.

Hold on, where am I?

God, I've been subsequently sleeping and waking up that I didn't even bother to check where I am. I can't even move my head that much 'cause it hurts like hell.

Okay, Nica. Focus. Don't sleep. Don't fall asleep.

I slowly tilted my head. I am lying on a bench by the big Oak tree near the school gate. My head is on someone's lap.

I looked down and see an arm around my tummy -- it's gotta be Jungkook's arm. I'm sure of it 'cause I see this arm every day.

He has his arm around my tummy, and his hand is holding mine. I swallowed and the pain's even more excruciating. I looked up to see his face, "Jungkook?" 

Jungkook's grip on me got tighter, like he doesn't want to let me go, "Oh my God, you're awake. You're awake." He smiled at me while tears run down his eyes. My forehead and cheek caught some of it.

"Hi." I said, softly. I'm in a lot of pain, but I still managed to return his smile.

Then I feel lightheaded. My eyes started feeling heavy as I gasp for breath. Okay, I guess time's up. Time to sleep again.

Will I get to open my eyes again? I'm really, like literally, breathless right now so there may be a slim chance that I won't ever wake up. It's kinda funny 'cause I'm not even scared about this idea. I was freaking out about dying when I was in there, slowly burning and suffocating, but now I guess I've accepted my fate? 

I still don't know. I'm still confused. Everything still hurts.

Maybe that's why I'm not panicking. No, not anymore. 'Cause I'm tired. I'm tired of everything hurting and confusing me. Maybe this pain and confusion will stop once I stop waking up. Once I stop trying, yet failing, to breathe.

As I close my eyes, I felt Jungkook's lips brushed gently against my head. 

He whispered, in between sobs, "Nica, please wake up. Stay strong for me. Please."

If I'm really dying, atleast the last person I get to see is Jungkook.

"Hyung, I think we got the hospital bill covered."

"Did you go to the cashier? How much is it?"

"If you're short, I can lend you some money."

"Thank you, Jin-hyung."

Is this heaven? No, it can't be. I hear my boys' voices.

Not that they won't go to heaven. I'm sure they will, but something's still not right here.

"I think we can manage. For now. The prize from the last battle covered most of it."

"Everytime you say battle, Hyung, I imagine you wearing an armor and slaying someone."

"Too bad we didn't get to watch you, RAP MONSTER!"

"You should've come, Taehyung-ah. He kicked that night."

"He always kicked ."

"We're still minors, Hobi-hyung. We can't go to underground rap battles. The security's tight in there, which is kind of ironic 'cause these battles are illegal to begin with."

I knew it. Namjoon-oppa is a badass underground rapper! That's where he gets the money he gives to our mom!

Wait, I can't open my eyes. I think my brain's still re-learning how to. Ugh, come on. Figure it out.

"RAP MONSTER? Namjoon-oppa is a... rapper?"

"I thought it's Suga-oppa!"

"Yoongi-hyung got me into it. We both got hooked into rap battles to help with the family expenses."

"That's kinda cool."

That's Yerim and Sooyoung. They're here too. I want to see their faces! C'mon, Nica. Wake up. 

"Does Nica know about your secret identities?"

"Haha! It sounded like they're members of the Avengers or something."

"No. We've been planning to tell her but she has gone through so much ever since she started high school that we never had a chance to sit down and catch up, you know?"

"Honestly, I miss wrestling her until she wakes up. Joon-ah, we used to do that right?"

"God, this is my fault. I promised Mom and Dad that I'd protect her at all times and look what happened --"

"OMG! Nica's awake!"

FINALLY, my eyelids learned how to unfold themselves.

It looks like I'm in a private hospital room; I have a dextrose attached to my left hand and an oxygen mask to help me breathe. My chest still hurts, but not as much as before.

My boys and bullies-turned-saviors are all gathered around my bed, looking at me with wide eyes.

"How are you?" Taehyung asked.

Jimin smacked him in the head, "She has that oxygen thingy, she can't speak!"

"I can see that!" Taehyung replied.

I laughed, rather weakly as it feels like someone's stabbing me on the chest.

Irene then said to me, crying, "Nica, I am so sorry for being terrible to you. It was so immature and pathetic."

Seulgi added, "You have every right to hate us."

Sooyoung nodded and said, "I'm really sorry for pushing you to the pool and for everything."

Yerim wiped her tears, "We regret everything."

Wendy held my hand, "We are truly, deeply sorry, Nica for giving you such a hard time."

I removed my mask, let out a couple heavy breaths and said, "Thank you for saving me. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be here right now so thank you." I turned my head to Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook who were coincidentally standing next to each other, "I heard your voices right before I passed out. You were also there right? How did you manage to break in? Jennie locked the door."

Jimin shook his head, "Not just locked, she had it CHAINED, Nica! We were all panicking and crying and basically losing our minds 'cause we can't find the key and the fire's spreading really fast and so I called 119 and --"

Taehyung interrupted him and continued the narration, with matching reenactments, "Then Sooyoung and Seulgi held Jennie on each arm and Irene searched through her pockets and so she found the key and handed it to me and when I was about to like, run towards the door..." he really ran towards the door to this room, showing me how he looked like, "...SuperKookie here smashed the door with an axe that he found --" Taehyung pointed at Jungkook then pretended to hold an axe and dramatically smashed the doorknob with his imaginary axe, "honestly, why would they leave an axe there? Anyway, I am so thankful for their negligence. That axe is a lifesaver."

Jimin cut him off and carried on the story,  "...and so SuperKookie and WonderJimin, yes I helped wrecked the door with my muscles..." he flexed, I shook my head and smiled. Taehyung then yelled, "Hey, I helped too!" Jimin shoved him, "Okay fine. SuperKookie, WonderJimin and IncredibleTae all took turns in smashing the hell out of those chains and then it finally broke off. I thought the hard part is over, but when we get to see the inside of the room, it was already covered in flames. I've never felt that scared in all my life, Nica. I thought we were gonna lose you. But then..." Jimin tapped Jungkook's shoulder, with a huge grin on his face, like he was a proud father boasting about his son,"...SuperKookie here, without hesitation, ran through the fire to get you. You should be a fireman, Jungkookie."

I then noticed that Jungkook has a cast on his arm. He went inside a burning room to come and get me. I assumed he even got burned because of it.

"Thank you, Kookie. I'm sorry, you got hurt because of me." I said.

He smiled shyly, looking down again, "It's nothing. Really."

Yoongi and Namjoon-oppa gave him bear hugs. Yoongi-oppa said, "We owe you bigtime, Kookie."

Jimin then yelled, "Hey! I helped with opening the door! I also called 119! Why aren't you thanking me?"

Namjoon-oppa then said, "Jimin and Taehyung, thank you for saving our baby sister's life. Sooyoung, Wendy, Irene, Seulgi, Yerim, thank you."

Jin-oppa then walked towards me and gently pinched my cheek, "How are you feeling? I suppose you need painkillers for your burns. I'm sorry Oppa wasn't there to protect you, Nica."

God, I feel like my heart is gonna combust.

Hoseok-oppa, who was by my foot, tickled my toes, "Are you feeling better? Do you want us to get you anything?"

I shook my head. I then said, "How's Jennie?"

There was silence, but Irene eventually replied, "She's a minor so social services took her away. From the looks of it they had her assessed by a psychiatrist and they'll go from there."

Jin-oppa then commented, "She really had it bad for Taehyung, huh?"

Taehyung's lips suddenly turned into a straight line, "I'm not really sure if I should be mad at her for hurting Nica or feel sorry for her. I just feel bad, in general."

It was silent again for a moment. All of us thought about Jenny and I guess we all have the same sentiments as Taehyung's. Then, Yoongi-oppa started to panic while looking at his phone.

"Hyung, what is it?" Hobi-oppa asked.

Yoongi-oppa replied, "It's our dad. I didn't have the guts to call him earlier and so I texted him to come meet us here and he said he's on his way. He's with mom." My brothers looked at me at the same time.

My chest felt heavy again. I put on my oxygen mask.

How am I gonna explain everything to my mom and dad?

A/N:  I think I'm gonna write 2 or 3 more chapters and then that's it. Thank you so much for reading this whirlwind of a fanfiction. I reached 1000 reads today! I couldn't believe it. Thank you. ♥