Her eyes flickered open. Missy groggily stared up at the ceiling, momentarily unaware of her surroundings. The bed was warm as was the boy beside her. Frowning lightly, she sat up and gave him a good look-over. Pierce Carmen, lead football player of Bell-Haven High, was one of her regular customers. His bedroom had almost become her second home. Her chocolate gaze flickered over to where her clothes were sprawled across the floor. Two rolls of money were snugly shoved into her pair of yellow converse, a dirty reminder of what the night had consisted of.

Pierce stirred beside her. The brunette turned and kicked her feet over the side of the bed and stood with a mighty yawn. Missy pulled on her clothes, checked the time, and turned back to the bed.

“G’Morning,” Pierce murmured, rubbing his eyes.

“Morning,” she replied and pulled the blankets off of him. “You’re gonna be late to school if you don’t hurry up. I’m off.” Missy turned from him to the window where she pulled up the lower section and stepped outside onto the sodden earth of his backyard. Without another word she grabbed her skateboard from where it was leaning, kicked off, and headed down the street towards Bell-Haven High.

The Sun slowly rose over the horizon, spilling over the city, tainting all the dark corners with the fresh rays of a new morning. Jace had just woken up from a long nap. Only about three or four hours. with a sigh he slowly pulled on his black t-shirt, on it was written in faded silver letters Volunteer. One of the shirts that the local food drive had given him for helping out. he wore kahki's and slipped on his sandals. They were old and beaten, falling apart at the seams, but they kept his feet from being cut. In another minute he had his stuff in hand. he brushed his hair with his fingers and used a dripping pipe to wet his toothbrush and brush his teeth with an already used up toothpaste bottle. Why had he been so careless when he was first kicked out? In another few he was running down the broken and rotted floor of the ol apartment building where he lived.

"Hey Mrs. M!" He called to one of his fellow nieghbors. An old elderly lady that he sometimes visits to help out with chores that she couldn't handle.

"Oh Good morning Jace!" She called back, handing him an apple from the bunch she had just harvested from her tree.

Jace smiled, taking the apple and biting into it. "Later Mrs.M! I'll come help out later after I'm done at the animal shelter!" Were his last words as he walked to Bell-Haven High.

Finally when he arrived to the school, his old bookbag was giving him trouble. One strap was already broken, the other was threatning to collapse under the pressure. He sat down with a sigh at one of the tables, kicked his feet up and enjoyed the morning blue sky.

Alex was jogging to school today he didn't want to get dropped off by his father. While he jogs he likes to listen to music off of his iPod. He ran towards the football field, practice is today. Practice is everyday actually, he loved playing sports but his favorite was football. He smiled when everybody on the the team expecially the cheerleaders. He was very popular in the school. The girls wanted to be his girlfriend well he is single and the boys wanted to be him. "I have to go now, see you all later." He winked at one of the cheerleaders she almost fainted. Well some girls always act that way every time he looks at them. Most say that his eyes are the reason, that they are like a mind spell. As he walked in the locker room he saw the coach walk in,"Hey coach I have to go get my paper from class." When the coach nodded Alex was out the door walking in the hallway.

The school looked as drab as ever. Missy wasn't sure if the state even funded for it to be cleaned any more. If anything, the one thing she could always compare it to was a jail. On the outside there were bricks and shabby windows, and on the inside there were window-less doors and cracked tile floors. Frowning lightly, she pressed her skateboard over the bump from the front door and continued down the hallway. Girls veered out of her way as if she was some sickness. Guys, on the other hand, winked and waved brightly at her. The need to cuss them out was almost irrisistable - somehow she managed. Attention grabbed by the passerbys, she almost failed to realize that she was about to run right into Alex Evans, one of the football players she had failed to have a word with. Realizing her error, she swerved sideways and neatly kicked up her skateboard into her hands.

"I-I'm sorry," she said shakily, a little more than tramatized by almost running headlong into him.

He had the most amazing eyes. Missy wasn't sure what was more impressive, the fact that he was so good looking or the fact that his eyes immediately captivated her. But something was wrong with them. Something she didn't like. Something... hidden behind them that he wasn't expressing to the world around him. "I'm sorry... are you ok?" she asked abruptly, almost staring. Suddenly feeling rude, she apologized once more and headed quickly down the hallway.

Surli looked at her steaming bowl of cream-of-wheat. A dollop of golden honey sprinkled in cinnamon and brown sugar melted slowly into her breakfast as she stared blankly. Her hands rested on her swollen stomach underneath the deep green knitted poncho she wore on top of the black stretchable tank top. It's not big enough to kick yet. She sighed before picking up her spoon and finishing off her food. Her brother, Ryen came in and gave her a sad smile. His auburn hair was pulled into a poetic ponytail behind his head then fell straight down his back where her's laid in giant curls. She returned the gesture with a half-second, half-grin continuing her meal quietly.
"Mom got your favorite," he said lamely. Lately he hasn't been sure how to talk to her.
She nodded not looking up.
He made himself some coffee and leaned back on the counter to enjoy it, "Would you like me to take you to school today?"
Surli didn't answer right away. She thought about it, "No, mom's already taking me." She lied. Honestly she really did want him to take her, between her brother and their parents she felt he could protect her better.
Ryen looked at his coffee, "Alright then. Well, I'm off to work. See you after school."
She finished up her food and grabbed the over should bag next to her with her books in it and headed out the door to walk to school.

Walking across the street leading to Bell-Haven high, she kept her eyes to the ground protectively. Even though she couldn't see the faces directly, she noticed heads of adults turn to her and watch her walk by without a word. Students were not so friendly. Once she started going up the steps they cursed to each other loud enough for her to hear and said dirty names to make themselves laugh. Surli ignored it all. She had to. Deep inside, she screamed at herself to just turn to them all and shout violently why she was in this state, that it wasn't her fault, that she didn't have a choice, but she couldn't physically make herself do it. She felt pathetic. She felt ugly. She felt unwanted. She felt disgusting.
However, this baby wasn't going to suffer for another's sins. She'll make sure of that.

Jace looked up. He had fallen asleep. Crap. He stood up, and almost fell over. A strong sense of vertigo hit him and he held his head for a second. Note to Self: Don't move quickly after a nap. With a groan he reached for his bookbag, to realize that it wasn't there. His chocolate eyes scanned the area. Where had the jerks put it now? Aha. He had spotted the black bookbag. It's contents spilled across the walkway, footprints covering them. Haha. Very funny. With a sigh he bent ver to pick up his work. Binders were ruined. The notebooks could be salvaged. His school supplies were saved. Everything else...not so much. When he looked up again, one girl caught his eye. Not because of her swollen stomach, but because of her pretty eyes. The sophomore quickly scrambled to his feet, slinging his bag over his shoulder and quickly walked up to the girl, to soon realize people were insulting her. "Hey!" He called out.

"Leave her alone. She didn't do anything to you!" Jace called out, his hands forming into fists. There he was again, playing hero in a world that so desperatly needed one. One kid laughed. "Like you ain't any better? Where do you live? in the landfill? Look at that bag? and your clothes? Whens the last time you took a shower? Last year? Ha!" Jace tried not to show how much those comments affected him. Now was not the time for self pity. The focus was on the girl. He quickly trailed behind her, careful not to touch her. "Hey, Are you okay?" He asked, his voice gentle. If she looked up, she would see two worried eyes. "Did they hurt you?"

Alex looked down at the girl the people who they called the school whore,"Yea it's okay." He smiled at her as she left. He heard a couple of guys,"Oh Alex, did you know that she'll sleep with anyone.." Alex rolled his dark blue eyes,"Whatever dudes...why would I sleep with a girl who sleeps with most of the people on the football team..she is just a damn whore.." The guys started to laugh while he walked away. He almost forgot about practice, he lied to the coach he wasn't going to get papers....he was going to cut himself. He went back to the locker room and got dressed. He didn't mean to say that about the girl he was just trying to fit in. He probably wasn't going to say sorry either...he never says sorry...

"Whatever dudes...why would I sleep with a girl who sleeps with most of the people on the football team..she is just a damn whore.."

Missy felt as if a hand had wrapped around her heart and squeezed it. Even from her distance she heard his response. 'I'm not a whore!' she wanted to say, but how else was she supposed to get money to pay for her mom? Dry tears tickling at her eyes blurred her vision. All around her she could hear whispers. Whore, bitch, slut. 'You're wrong!' she thought. 'Why can't you understand?'

"Missy?"

The brunette jumped. She'd nearly ran into Pierce. He was staring at her with that worried glance. He knew he needed the money. She knew if he was a good person he would have just given the money to her. "I'm not a whore," she hissed. "Your football buddy Alex Evans seems to think so!" Frustrated, Missy pushed past him and hurried to sit outside in one of the school courtyards.

Pierce Carmen entered the dressing room and yawned like a little kid. That was when he noticed Alex. His eyes narrowed slightly, but overall his expression remained stoic and impassive. "Well well, Evans, it's so unpleasantly nice to see you," he said rather nonchalontly as he opened his locker and began stripping down. "I heard you had an encounter with the lovely Missy. What did you call her..? A whore, was it..? And behind her back too. What a low trick." His leering green eyes remained on Alex for several moments before he continued to pull his shirt over his head. "You're just like the rest of them," he said, although more to himself than to Alex at all. "You wouldn't understand." Without another word, Pierce strolled out of the locker room and disappeared.

Surli had stopped when the boy walked up to her and her muscles went rigid. Her eyes met his for a moment then back to the ground as she quickly walked around him, fighting the urge to cry. She didn't know who he was, but she had seen him around school, and kids didn't treat him any better than they treated her. Inwardly, she scolded herself for not being used to this kind of mistreatment from her peers, she wished she could learn to not feel anything. But with everything else she was dealing with, not to exclude her hormones, she couldn't help but tear up when she heard those nasty comments. 'They don't know. Idiots.'

After a few steps she knew he was following behind. She turned to him abruptly, her knitted poncho and shoulder bag whipping around, and looked him over through careful, cautious emerald eyes. Everything that kids said about him was true, he looked very rugged, dusty, cumbersome...but also lonely. He seem genuinely concerned. Surli sympathized, but she wasn't putting herself on the line. Besides, he could be faking.
"I'm fine. They're just saying crap. It's not like they threw anything..." She thought about it for a second, she wouldn't put it past them to do so, "...yet." She finished, sadly. Her defenses came back up and she tried her best to keep her emotions inside, off her face. "Thank you," she said as though she didn't believe he truly wanted to hear it, "But I'm going to go to class now."

Stopping briefly at her locker, covered in lovely graffiti directed at insulting her further, she found a note inside from her one and only friend who has stayed by her side - Laurie.
Hey, Surli.
I know this is going to be hard for you, but if you need to
you can talk to me. After school, of course cause it seems
we have different lunches and not a single class even
remotely close to each other. I'm sorry, I wish I could be there
more often. Have a good day...if not a tolerable one.

Lots of love<3<3<3

She smiled, the gesture warming her from the inside out. It almost made up for what she had already endured that morning and what was to come. Laurie meant the best, but Surli by her own choice tried not to hang around her as much as she wanted to so Laurie wouldn't have to be teased or have rumors going around about her as well. Her friend had noticed the avoidance, and at one point even confronted Surli saying she would have none of it, but Surli did it for her own good. Laurie was stubborn, though. In all honesty she could handle the rumors and name calling better than Surli can. She closed her locker and shuffled to her class without making eye contact with anyone.

Jace sighed inwardly. She wasn't hurt. "They don't understand anything do they?" He asked as she walked away. With a sigh he brushed his dirty blonde hair back and slung his other hand into his pocket. Why didn't she abort the baby? Not that he was for it. Pro-Life and all that jazz. Why would she go through all the pain of trying to take care of a baby in this world? Who knows? Why did human kind result to such low levels to insult each other when deep inside they know that they aren't much better? Everyone has flaws and secrets that they hide.

Jace let out another enlongated sigh and looked at his locker. The pristine paint was ruined, sprayed with graffiti. It opened to expose barely anything. An old pair of gym clothes, some spare pieces of wood from wood shop and notes that people had shoved inside. He didn't even bother to glance at them, let alone read there lies. With one swift movement they were all gone, buried deep in the trash can. He grabbed his gym clothes, shut his locker and sauntered off to class.

As he walked to first hour, he buried himself in his memories. His father dying. His mother screaming, yelling, throwing fits, slowly losing her mind. Jace dissapearing in the night to help out at shelters. Her screaming at him, saying how he was going to end up like them, broke and poor because they didn't go to college and slacked off because life was all just 'a bundle of joy'.

Alex looked at Pierce he didn't mean to say that about her. He wasn't like them he was actually a nice guy when you got to know him...well now he just blocks others from being in his life...that's probably why others thinks he's a jerk,"Actually I said that out loud..." He sighed and walked out the door, running into the field. I am going to say sorry when I run into her again. He said that to himself sighing once again. He rubbed his bruised arms, they were hurting from the beating he just got from his father this morning. He always told himself that he would get use to it, but he just couldn't find a way to escape the pain. Plus, he couldn't run away he didn't have no where to go, and he would just get beat worser. As he sat down on the bench he trace the new bruise that grew on his arm. It hurts a lot only if he had met someone that feels the pain that's burning inside him then they would understand why he was a...jerk.

Halfway through the day: lunchtime. Surli found a table near the doors as though she would need a quick escape. A few kids sat around it, but besides one girl who raised her eyebrow before rolling her eyes they didn't notice her. A flock of cheerleaders passed by her table, purposefully going behind her chair. The were laughing when one of them looked down at her.
"Hey, pregger, how's the waddle going?" The other cheerleaders burst out into high pitched laughter and squeals. It was a lame joke, kids had a terrible ability to make jokes, but as long as they insult in some fashion they don't care much.
Surli ignored them, tried not even to look up at her.
The cheerleader seemed rather annoyed that she hadn't caught her attention. "So which idiot guy did you convince to sleep with you that couldn't even use a condom, huh? Or were you so desperate you just drugged him?" She joined in with the others in the laughter this time.
Surli couldn't answer. She finished the bite she had just taken, but her face turned hot as her stomach began to flip - which strangely was still possible when you're carrying a child. Images from that night seeped back into her mind. Actually, she had just been sitting in her room when the drunkard had found his way through her door. It was a much older guy, a friend of her brother's, someone who knew her. He was there for Ryen's graduation get-together. Somehow this friend had sneaked away from the group. He was very drunk. He could barely even speak coherently. His breath had smelled like illness. He had been really heavy. The knife pressing into her neck to keep her quiet...

Her eyes began to water and her hands began to shiver. She felt sick. Her heart felt as though it was about to jump right out of her chest.
"It-it wasn't my fault..." she managed to say very quietly.
"It never is, is it?" A different cheerleader sneered at her in disgust, "Fucking whore." Each one of them tugged on her poncho as they began to walk away.
"Keep them on next time, maybe you won't have another." taunted a third girl.

Surli slowly gathered up what was left of her lunch, trying not to drop anything from the shaking of her body. She threw the trash away and went to stand outside the doors to wait for the bell to ring for the next class to start.

Finally it was lunch time. Jace gathered his stuff abd headed to lunch. Of course he didn't have anything to eat. Jace never had anything to eat. Just another perk of being homeless. Instead of sitting down with all the other kids like everyone else did he waited outside the doors for the bell to ring, as usaul. As people left they would glare at him and some would laugh. He barely heard the comments any more. Though some kids kept a steady stream of them coming at him. When Surli came out he raised his eyebrows. "Long time no see." He smiled warmly, but still looked sad. The school setting always made even the brightest souls dull.

He brushed his hair back again as he looked at her.

Surli stopped quick. She hadn't been expecting to run into him again, much less expected him to talk to her. Actually she had been expecting to run into Laurie since her lunch is right after Surli's and it would be nice to say hi quickly. She even considered asking if they could hang out after school, she felt as though she needed it. Anyways, she was taken by surprise by not seeing Laurie.
Taking in a large breath trying to hold back the tearing up in her eyes, she turned to Jace and tried to smile.
"Hey," she replied sadly. That moment a few girls came out of the doors towards the bathrooms. They looked at her then at Jace then talked amongst themselves. About what, she truly did not care. Surli remained quiet until they had passed. After a moment of feeling quite awkward, she asked, "Why are you standing out here?"

Jace frowned slightly once he heard the sadness in her voice. The girls passed and he narrowed his eyes at them, as if they were put there just to ruin his life. Once they left his eyes softened again. Then the inevitable question. "I've got nothing to eat." Jace mumbled, looking at the ground. His hand rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. It was always wierd telling people who went home to there loving family, had three meals a day, a warm bed and clean clothes. It was always hard, having to admit that he wasn't perfect. Moments liike this he let his gaurd slip, and people could really see how miserable it is.

Sulri took another look at Jace. She began to notice more details about his disheveled appearance, things she didn't notice before just giving him quick side glances and one-look-overs. There was obviously much more to him than what the other kids said. She didn't feel sorry for him, not the way someone would feel sorry for an old man sleeping on a bus bench anyways. He seemed like someone who she might have been good friends with. However, she was still afraid of him. Like all other people - males - she came across. She only saw the same face...and she was sorry for it.

Once his statement clicked in her mind she began to fumble, "Oh, um...well, here," she pulled out the food she wasn't able to eat: fruit, chips, and some chips ahoy cookies. She reached over to give them to him, "Here. I feel too sick to finish this." She waited a moment before asking him, "You know, if you talked to some of the staff, the have arrangements for kids who can't afford to buy the food. It's not the same. But better than starving."

Jace tryed to say no but it was too late. He reluctantly took the food. "I don't need to bother others for my problems. I'd rather starve." His woice was that same gentle whisper. Why should he be a bother? To anyone. He looked her over with careful eyes. She didn't want this to be brought upon her. no. That was easy to tell. Though his statement was blunt. "I get by fine I guess." He slowly began to eat the chips. Of course he was hungry, but it felt, rude to just gorge down on them.

[[I'll get up a post asap, but something came up. Gimme a bit (: ]]

She looked over her shoulder into the cafeteria to see if any of the people were beginning to get up from their chairs and moving towards the doors. No one was. Plenty of people stood around the sitting people at the tables and moving between one table and the next visiting with everyone they can. Pulling out her cell phone she checked the time and just as she did so, she realized she didn't know what time the bell would ring. Looking back up at Jace she noticed his proximity to her and took a small subtle step away and to turn her arm towards him as a protection block. Her fingers brushed against her house keys instinctively and once she noticed she pulled them away. She could never be too safe.
Watching him take the food, Surli could see how hungry he was even though he was trying his best to eat slowly in front of her. Inwardly, Surli was both amused and insulted. "Well, beside the point, you can talk to someone. But politeness will get you killed that way."

When she took a step back, he realized what was wrong, so he took one as well, though his wasn't as subtle. He finished the chips and nibbled at the chips ahoy cookies. "I'd rather be dead than have another person watch over me. God knows the last person who did gave up on me." He looked down atthe ground for a few seconds. "If you need anything made out of wood, I'm your guy." He smiled. "Anything at all, I'll make it. Think of it as a thank you present for your kindness." Another soft smile appeared as he leaned agaisnt the wall looking at her. Maybe they could be friends. But he had to remind himself not to get too invovled.

Alex walked into the cafeteria, Evans didn't feel like eating so he sat at the table where the jocks and cheerleaders sit at. He didn't feel like he belonged here, he had a feeling that he shouldn't be sitting here. But, to many people were talking to him he just couldn't resist.

Amanda was looking and winking at him like she always do. "Have you heard that Missy the whore slept with another guy again." She was the one who started rumors and other gossips. No one never had a problem with it he didn't mind as long as it wasn't him she as talking about.
Evans smile was fake but no one seemed to notice.
She continued,"Alex, she talked to me one day and told me to ask you if you'd like to have sex with her. Over my dead body she won't touch my Alex." Well he had a problem with her now. He shooked his head when everyone at the table said their ooh's and aw's. "I think she's alright." He would see her after school sometimes but never to talk to her though.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it as though you needed to depend on someone," Surli said, slightly frustrated at herself for being clumsy with her words, "Just - it wouldn't be so bad to ask for help. And if not from the school then maybe from someone else." She shrugged her shoulders, not looking at him. It was advice she herself wouldn't take, but she had said it anyways. After a moment she felt a small pang of guilt at so harshly shutting him down when he at least seemed to be trying...somewhat. Taking a deep breath, she made a mental note to try being a little more friendly.

Surli relaxed slightly when he leaned against the wall. Turning her body a little more openly, although her arms still clutching her bag, she asked, "You a carpenter? Or is it a hobby thing?"

He shrugged. How could he tell her? That he was homeless, poor as a mouse. She couldn't understand. His damaged pride was too great. His self-respect was already ruined. "It used to be a hobby....Now it's a job. I usaully fix things when I'm not helping at shelters or organizing things at the food drive." He leaned his head agaisnt the wall to stare at the sky. White clouds dotted the vast opening, some making familer shapes, others just random blobs. "

"My father taught me before he died. I used to be the only one in my family who could work a saw." With another shrug Jace looked back at her.

He really likes to help out a lot, Surli thought to herself. It was strange to think someone in high school would want to do so much for other people; she never would have guessed. But how could that be fair? He didn't know anything about her. He probably couldn't guess why she turns away from him or flinches whenever a male gets near her or that the baby she's carrying belongs to a monster who belongs in jail. So how could she possibly be surprised at what she didn't know about him? Maybe there was just a wild, one out of a million chance he had a good heart, as much as she doubted it she had to admit there was a small chance. And she couldn't let herself give him the chance to show her out of her own fear. Oh well, I'd rather be alone than take the chance to get hurt again.
She bit her lip in thought, "Do you enjoy it at least?"

Jace nodded, brushing his hair back again, revealing his chocolate brown eyes. "Yea. I love it. That thrill that you built something. That you accomplished something that very few are willing to do." He shrugged. She was different, in both appearance and mentality. Though he doubted anyone else noticed when she flinched, but of course he did. It was something he had to train to look for. In the shelters, all the signs of abuse, rape, pain showed clearly on all of them. They way they held themselves, shoulders huanched over, a sadness in there eyes. Even the few who lived well, they looked decent but what about the trapped soul beneath the surface. One whos withering and crying to be saved. She possesed that damaged quality. She had no idea how much...will power it took not to just blurt out words of comfort. She didn't want his sympathy, and he didn't want to sympathize. "I'm Jace by the way." He stated, forgetting that he did not know her name. How could he be so stupid? So blind to what lies in her past.