Author Note: Hello all, it's been quite a while and I've missed this place. I'm not home yet, but I will hopefully be able to update this story before I actually get home. I arrive home on the 10th September though, so not far now.

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Living In Hell

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The room was small. It was dark and drab; the wallpaper was in dire need of replacement and the curtains looked as though they had suffered fire damage. There was a putrid smell of tobacco and vomit that made her throat contract and a sickly taste overpowered the mint gum that was losing flavour. She didn't want to stay here, she didn't want to sleep in the bed that filled most of the room. She didn't like the look of the sheets they'd covered it with, it had stains of multiple colours. She didn't dare touch it for fear of catching something.

"We can't stay here, please tell me we won't," Naomi begged, her bright blue eyes now sullen and fearful.

"It's all we can afford," Gina informed her, information that made Naomi squeal with frustration and anger.

She didn't want this. She didn't need it. She was starting back at college in a few short days and she needed privacy to study, privacy to be with her girlfriend. Not to be living in a tiny B&B room, sharing a dodgy bed with her mother. She dropped her duffel bag on the floor and pushed the bathroom door open with so much energy that it thudded loudly against the bath. She rushed into the tiny room and slammed the door shut behind her, attempting to lock the door, but failing miserably. After several attempts, she pushed the door back open and ran towards the front door of the room.

"Don't go, I thought we could go for a walk and get some dinner together," Gina suggested, a note of sadness in her voice.

But Naomi was already halfway down the stairs that connected their third floor bedroom to the street. She couldn't handle it. She was pissed off. Pissed off and angry. Her mother was supposed to protect her from harm, she was meant to put a roof over her head and give her everything she needed. Instead, they were living out of suitcases in a dingy, run down B&B. This wasn't her idea of a life, it was a nightmare. She found herself calming slightly as she ran down the street away from her nightmare. But then her mobile phone buzzed from her pocket and on closer inspection she realised that Emily was calling her. That's all she needed. She wiped the tears that had slipped down her cheeks and pressed the answer button, staying silent until the girl on the other end spoke.

"Finally, I've been trying to call you all day, I thought you were going to be home?!" she snapped, irritation in her voice.

"I," Naomi began, the words catching in her throat.

What could she say? That she'd been kicked out of her house? That she was as good as homeless? The words were there on the tip of her tongue, but they wouldn't form. The words made her feel physically sick as she attempted to say them. After a moment of silence, she said the first thing to come to mind.

"I'm not at home at the moment, mum and I had to move out because we're having some work done to the house, we're staying in a hotel in Bristol,"

There was a silence. Naomi's throat grew dry as she waited for confirmation that her lie had been accepted by the one person she had promised never to lie to. Emily didn't answer straight away and Naomi knew that Emily wasn't happy.

"I didn't know anything about the work, why didn't you tell me?"

Why didn't you tell me? The sentence repeated itself to Naomi, an echo that only she could hear. Why didn't she tell Emily? Why didn't she just tell Emily the truth, instead of making up a stupid lie that she couldn't take back. She hated herself for doing it, but she knew that a lie was usually needed to cover up another lie.

"I didn't know anything about it either, you know mum, she's an airhead when she wants to be, are you mad? If you are we can talk about it,"

The other end of the phone was silent, Emily didn't respond and Naomi began to shake with fear that her lie had been discovered.

"Next time," Emily began, finally, "Call me later, okay?"

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Author Note: PLEASE review, I would LOVE to know what you think of this. I will also probably need some motivation to continue this story as I've got a busy week ahead, so as soon as the week is over I can get started, but I need your help to motivate me to get back to it!!!