1 Chapter 1

A/N:

So this is the first book that I'm feeling passionate about writing. Sorry about the prologue. It's a bit repetitive but I'm also only 13 years old so you can't expect much better. I've never written a full book before.

Prologue

Hi. I'm Jordan, and I don't know what's going on with my life at the moment. Most of what happened at the beginning is definitely believable... but after that, it starts to get crazy. Well I should probably start at the beginning:

14 years ago there was a drunk man. He drank a lot so he learned how to make it seem like he wasn't drunk. He was drunk at this time and even his family didn't even know that he was drunk. They had all gone to a work party for the mothers job as a accountant.

The entire family came. All 6 of the children too. The father decided that he would drive home (still drunk). Everyone was tired so the agreed that he could drive while they rested. He crashed the car into a light pole. The only survivors were the father and one of the daughters. That daughter... was me.

Chapter 1

Fast forward 14 years and I was eighteen years old and I had a boyfriend. His name was Steven and he was amazing at the beginning but then our relationship deteriorated incredibly quickly. He started hurting me. At the beginning he made it clear that he had a temper but it got increasingly harder to keep him content. I tried to break up with him numerous times, but if I even mentioned that kind of thing then he would flip out. I have rings of bruises on my upper arms from him. Me and Steven both go to George Washington High School, but my best friend, Peter Shaffer, goes to a private school.

Peter and I are next door neighbors. I would've been at the same school as him but my dad doesn't have a job so the only way that we are even getting food is because of my job as a fast food worker. It doesn't pay well. It only gives me enough for food. Peter's family helps us pay taxes, pay for the car and pay for the house.

After school on a Tuesday, Steven came over. He wanted me to pay for him to buy some designer shoes. I told him that I couldn't even nearly afford it. That ticked him off. He told me that I should do more for him because he does everything for me. This was the last time I even brought up ending our relationship. He gave me a hard five star across the left side of my face. My cheek burned.

When Peter asked me if I wanted to chill at his house, and I turned him down, he knew something was up. He came over to my house and saw my face. He suggested going on a walk. I told him that I didn't want anyone else to see how Steven treats me. So he naturally suggested that I wear a hoodie. We went on a walk and I think he planned where we walked because we ended up outside Steven's house. Peter told me to hide behind a bush while he dealt with something. He knocked on the door and Steven answered. They didn't even say a word to each other before a fight broke out on Steven's doorstep. After a bit of wrestling and rolling on the floor, Peter punched Steven. Hard. Broken nose hard. Peter bolted knowing what was coming and dragged me with him. I don't think Steven even tried to follow us because he runs much faster than I do. I know that from experience. Peter and I ended up going to his house to chill and wind down.

School would be starting the next day. Principle Morita knows that I've had a hard past with my dad. He has me go to his office at the beginning of every semester. So I went over to his office still with my hood up because of the large mark on my face. Once I entered his office I knew that he would tell me to take off my hood (like he always does) so I did. He immediately gasped and asked me if it was my father. I told him that it wasn't my dad but that it was my boyfriend. When he asked for a name I refused to tell him. I didn't want Steven to find out that I snitched on him. He wouldn't be happy about that. After being told by Principal Morita that someone could go to prison for abuse, I told him that it was Steven. Principal Morita asked if it was Steven Evans. I told him that it was, and he told me to stay in his office until he says to go. He told me that he would excuse me from the first half of class.

When I asked him what he was doing he told me to call the police on his mobile phone. While I talked to the police in the corner of the room, he turned on the morning announcement microphone. No one could hear me on the announcements. He said that Steven Evans should come to the entrance of the school.

Steven came up and saw police cars. He decided to act confused. He asked Principal Morita why there was police cars there. I was still in the principals office so that he doesn't know who snitched on him. Principal Morita had me come once he was in handcuffs so that he could say goodbye to me safely. Or so we thought. When I came up, I was only about four to five feet away from him. He was able to kick me hard in the gut. He was immediately forced into the police car and was brought to jail.

I had to really work to act like the kick didn't hurt. Every time I get hurt, everyone thinks that it's such a life threatening thing even though they never are. I told Mr. Morita that I was fine and was sent off to class. The school day dragged on and the bell finally rung. As I was walking home I realized that the kick hurt the more that I thought about it. Since I was walking alone, I kept thinking about it. I ended up crying over the pain and everything that happened that day.

At some point I was able to get my tears mostly under control when I heard a voice behind me say "Don't move."