• "No, Shadow! I cant just run away and live here forever. What about my parents, and my brother and sister? I would miss them to much, you understand that right?" Eight year old me said.

    The sun was shining and the leaves of the tree never looked so bright before. I stood in the tree house leaning against the wall next to the window, looking at Shadow, almost laughing. A light breeze blew, my brown strands of hair danced around my head, and Shadow sat out the window sill as if he was about to jump. It wouldn't mattered if he did, when I imagined him I gave him the ability to float, so I wasn't scared he would fall.

    "Oh Lucinda! Do you not see, you just want their approval! They will never care for you how I care for you... to them you are just a burden, to me you are life!" He raved, jumping down and out of the window.

    I looked out the window, and he smiled up at me from the ground. He held out his right hand which had many diffrent rings on it, and I would often stare at them in wonder. I wanted to jump down, grab his hand, and runaway... but I didn't. Instead I smiled sadly at him, I may have been young but I was far from stupid.

    "But you aren't real Shadow..." I murmured, and he slowly but surely started to disappear with a smile on his face. Only when I could no longer see any trace of him did I call out his name, "SHADOW!!! Where are you?!" I panicked and climbed down, tangling my legs together in the process and fell to the ground with a hard thump. I smelt and felt the ripe wet soil beneath my hands and body, true signs of spring. "Shadow! Come back! I'm sorry I didn't mean it!" My heart tightened and I felt as if I was about to pass out, as I ran around the trail that was framed by the roots of the trees. Sunlight hitting my eyes, tears threatening to spill over, but I kept calling, but he didn't come back. My voice had started to crack.

    I was actually all alone, without Shadow, I was alone! "SHADOW!!!!!" I screeched at the top of my lungs. "SHADOW!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    *****

    "Lucy!" Sammy screeched, jumping up and down on my bed, "Get up it's time for school."

    My eyes snapped open, and a blurry blond Sammy stood in front of me. I rubbed my eyes and looked around my room that was filled with books and notebooks, the smell of bacon and eggs filled the room. My stomach grumbled and I groaned. I didn't want to get up, but I was so hungry.

    "Okay, okay. I'm up!" I yelled throwing my covers off covering Sammy, as I dashed for the kitchen. Not bothering with dressing in till after I ate.

    I walked in to the small kitchen and grabbed a piece of bacon out of the bowl. The bacon was like a burst of fat greasy goodness of delight on my tongue. If I had to choose my favorite kind of meat, it would be bacon hands down.

    "Pig." Dad teased, making piggy noises as I stacked my plate with bacon toast and eggs, with a piece of bacon in my mouth.

    I rolled my eyes, and sat down next to Ren. I looked over onto his cell phone screen and as usual he was texting his knocked up girlfriend Jenifer. I didn't have anything against Jenifer besides the fact that she was a easy b***h, and that she always got what she wanted. I smiled as Ren shot me a look, slamming his cell phone shut and put it away out of my eye sight.

    "What?" Ren asked, "Don't have a life so have to but into mine."

    "Yep!" I said washing down the last of my breakfast with a glass of milk. "Ahhhh. Got milk?"

    Nobody laughed, except for me, so I walked back to my room to get ready for school. Skinny jeans, high top converses, and v-neck black t-shirt, was my basic wardrobe, but since it was cold I grabbed my oversized hoody and bolted. Grabbing my book bag, another piece of toast, and lunch money I ran out the door just to slam into Gabe.

    "Ow. Geeze Gabe watch where you're going." I complained placing my hand on my head. "What do you want? I'm running late."

    I looked up at Gabe who was barely taller then me and smirked. Tanned and toned, definitely cute, but snobby sense he goes to that private school about thirty minuets away from here.

    "Geeze, I came to see Sam. Is she still with that douche Josh?" Gabe asked, blocking my exit.

    I rolled my eyes and sigh, "Yes, now please move, I'm going to be late."

    Gabe was a child hood friend, who recently started to have a thing for my little sister. Born and raised around the same time in the same place we really got along in till he went to private school. Actually before that he would follow around Ren but usually settled for me or Courtney, who had a thing for Gabe since the seventh grade.

    "Let me give you a ride." Gabe offered pointing to his almost run down but surprisingly nice car.

    I raised an eyebrow. "You are kidding right. Me driving up to public school with a private school nerd. Fat Chance."

    I moved to get around him but he blocked me again, and the bus passed my house meaning I missed my stop. Even if I ran to the bus stop now I still wouldn't make it. I clenched my fist and hit him hard in the shoulder.

    "Ouch if you hit me that hard I might not be able to drive." he teased following me to his car.

    I slammed his car door shut as I got in and said, "Shut up and drive."

    *****

    When I pulled up to the school there she was waiting like a good little friend texting one of her boy toys. She didn't noticed I pulled up with Gabe and I smiled in relief, I would hate to explain how I knew the private school hottie, and how he was nothing more then just a friend. Tabby giggled as I approached her.

    "What's so funny?" I asked, trying to look at her text before she locked her screen.

    "Oh nothing much. Excited about your first day in smarty pants class?" Tabby asked, and ignored the fact that she was usually so self involved.

    "How do you think?" I asked swinging my locker open, to my musical oasis. My locker door was filled with band posters, and CD's of underground rock bands. Grabbing my new AP U.S. history book, I shut my door quickly before a teacher could see the inapproate posters.

    Tabby shrugged "Thought you'd like it better then being with us."

    "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

    "Nothing." Tabby said defensively and slamming her locker door and walked away quickly.

    I knew it didn't mean nothing, and so did she. I'm not stupid, I saw what that text said. I understood why it was so funny, and why she didn't tell me about it because the name of the person who was being made fun of in the text was a girl with the nickname, Lucy.

    *****

    "Welcome, Welcome." Mr. Berk said ushering me to the front of the class, last time I checked we were in High School. "Tell us some thing about yourself."

    "Not much to tell. I'm me, grew up here my whole life, so did my brother and younger sister. Most people know who I am, what am I suppose to say?" I asked in a slightly confused manor.

    The class stared at me, with a look that said, great now they let just anybody in. I looked at the back wall with my head held high, smart people only prefer smart people. I wanted to say that I didn't want to be here but I knew my parents would get a call from the teacher telling them how anti-social I was.

    "Right, take a seat." Mr. Berk said breaking the silence by clapping his hands and ushering me into a seat in the back. Even the teacher didn't believe in my abilites.

    ****

    The room came to life when Mr. Berk said to pair up into groups of two. I wanted to scream and say no I will not pair up with someone I don't know. To my advantage we had an uneven number and I was pushed into a group by myself, excited to be alone.

    "You know you don't have to be anti-social." I heard a voice say, and I lifted my head to a pair of brown eyes.

    "So your point?" I asked sitting up.

    Sean crossed his arms, put his face close to mine, "My point is, if you dont think you can keep up with me leave."

    "Is that a threat?" I asked getting closer.

    "No it's a friendly invitation to become friends with me." Sean replied stepping back, "besides I don't like to hate people just because they aren't as smart as me."

    The bell rang and I stood to go, he watched as I pushed passed him with a smile on his lips. Once out the door I wrapped my arms around my body and hurried to the bathroom. I barely made it to the bathroom, when I lost my breakfast and my dignity. Throwing up was the worst feeling ever to me, you know it's coming and when it does, not only does it hurt, but it also taste horrible. The worst thing is the sob like shakes that take over your chest and stomach.

    When it stopped I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and leaned against the stall door. Closing my eyes I pictured the moment when he was so close he could of kissed me, and I wanted to vomit again. I didn't like it when people touched me, but he breathed on me and I did my best to act normal. It didn't matter, the after effects were always the same, always.

    I turned my phone on and called the only person I could, "Hey, Gabe can you come get me, it's an emergency."

    I hide behind the school's back building closest to the parking lot and impatiently tapped my foot on the pavement. He was taking to long and I didn't want to wait any longer, so I took to the forest. I ran about mile when I heard noises. Panicking it was the track team I crawled up into a tree, just to watch some of the three guys pass me. I rolled my eyes, but then noticed it was Tanner, Jake and Sean, all to gather.

    Being the person with the best luck ever Gabe called me and my ring tone wasn't exactly quiet.

    "Who's there?" Jake asked, surveying the ground, in till Tanner hit his head and pointed up.

    Sean smirked and said upwards to the trees, "Come on out, we are not going to tell on you for skipping class."

    I jumped out of the tree and said, "I don't really care about getting caught," and then into the phone, "I'm in the woods, see you soon."

    I made my way pass them toward the parking lot, when one of the them had the nerve to call out my name.

    "Lucy." Jake said, "Thought you were to good for this kind of thing, skipping classes."

    I turned on him and smiled, "Thought you were to good for school period."

    Sean laughed and Tanner tried to find out what was going on, "Lucy why are you out here."

    "No reason."

    "Really?" Jake answered exasperated, "That's your best answer."

    "Better then anything your empty head could come up with." I countered. "I'm leaving."

    Sean reacted this time grabbing my right wrist, "No your not."

    I felt my stomach toss and turn silently my vision getting dizzy. I felt my stomach start to lurch, but nothing came out. Now my eyes were burning as if I was going to cry, but the tears would not come. I tried to tell him to let go, but what kind of guy would listen to that, no one. I felt the shakes begin, but the vomit would not come.

    "Let go of her." Gabe said, pulling me toward him, the only person I don't mind touching me.Sean's hand lets go of my wrist and Gabe's presence calmed the storm with in me. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, I'm fine." I lied, pushing myself away from him, "You should of waited in the parking lot. I can take care of myself you know, besides you don't have the strength to protect me."

    "I can still try." Gabe argued.

    "Private school nerd, what are you doing here?" Jake asked.

    Gabe smirked, "Picking up my best friend who happens to be feeling sick. Now I know she may look beautiful and fragile, you do best to stay away freak."

    "How so?" Sean asked. "She's just average. Right Tanner?"

    I looked to Tanner, even though being close to him made sick I still liked him as more then as a friend.

    "Right." Tanner agreed.