One

Just another mistake in her world of lies..

I yawned as I walked up the stairs and opened the huge brown double doors to my high school. My bright emerald eyes scanned the empty halls for my locker, my long wet black hair hitting me in the face as I walked. It was still very damp from the shower I had taken a few minutes before I arrived. Sticking my small cold hands in the pockets of my hoodie, that went almost down to my knees. It was pure black with a silver dragon on it. I also wore long black jeans all torn up at the bottoms, with holes in the knees and also black boots with buckles going up each side. Under my hoodie I had a black My Chemical Romance T-shirt on, one of my favorite bands. I spotted my locker and walked over to it struggling with the combination. Opening it sleepily I shoved my things inside and grabbed a note book before heading to the office to get my late pass.

I walked down the boring halls to my eighth period class, my shoes making a squishing noise on the polished floors. It was only a few minutes before school would end so I took my time. I made sure the sleeves of my hoodie were rolled down as I walked into the huge room of my science class. Mr. Cender, the science teacher, stopped talking and looked up at me obviously displeased. I was late and also wasn't wearing the school uniform, a black shirt and white dress shirt with the schools mascot on the sleeve. I walked down the stairs of the huge stadium like room as I glared back at the people who were staring. I handed Mr. Cender the late slip and he gave me another look.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss Shyne," he said moderately irritated. "I'd like to know why your not wearing the required uniform?," he asked impatiently, as I wondered why teachers had to be so formal, couldn't he just call me Rauko, like everyone else?

"Well you see," I started, everyone around the room listening intently. "I was on my way to school this morning, to be on time I might add." A few laughs echoed in the room. "Well I had my clothes in my bag and decided to take a shortcut threw the junk yard. Then out of no where a flying saucer came and abducted me. I explained to them I was going to be late but they didn't seem to care much. So then a while later I talked them into dropping me off, but when I had watched them leave I had realized I left my bag on the ship." I shrugged simply and the room erupted in laughter. "So by then I was late for school and wasn't wearing my uniform." I finished.

He sighed and rubbed his temples knowing it was a lie. "Do you at least have the homework from last night?" He held out his hand.

"Um.. I left that on the spaceship too..?" I smiled, only getting him more annoyed with me.

"Take a seat please." He said waving a hand to me.

I smiled and turned around walking back up the stairs looking for my friends. Ty waved me over and I sat between him and Dante. "Nice excuse," Ty whispered to me as I sat down.

"I try my best," I smiled. Mr. Cender continued with class and I put my feet in Ty's lap and leaned against Dante, smiling at him lightly. Ryan laughed as I flipped to a blank page in my note book, and started to doodle as Mr. Cender went on. I hung out with four guys; Dante, Ty, Jay, Ryan.

Dante has black hair which usually covers one of his eyes, which are a brilliant sky blue. He's nineteen and the only one besides me and Ty who can drive. He's very protective of his friends and has a bad temper when he shows it.

Ty has dirty blond curly hair and eyes that are two different colors. One, a dark brown, the other a sandy green. He's a good listener, which helps if you just need someone to talk to.

Ryan the youngest of the group, along with me, has dark dyed blue hair. His eyes a calm brown thought they usually look troubled. He lives with his foster parents in the poor parts of town.

Jay has a black and red mohawk, along with his dark brown eyes that change colors in the sunlight. He's eighteen and the quietest person you'd ever meet.

I yawned and continued drawing on the cover of my notebook. Dante looked over my shoulder and laughed a bit at the doodle of Mr. Cender getting eaten by a crocodile. I showed Ryan and Ty, they laughed as well. Jay was asleep on the desk.

"Alright everyone." Mr. Cender announced. "You've got about ten minutes left, talk among yourselves quietly."

I tore out a piece of paper and crumpled it up,smirking, then threw it at Jay, aiming for his head.

"Wha-?", Jay said jumping up. A few people around him laughed. He glared at me and I smiled as he grumbled, "That's not nice to do when someone's' sleeping,"

"Why were you sleeping anyway?", I teased.

"He came in just before you did", Dante said to me. I yawned and got up to stretch.

I heard an annoying, giggly chatter and turned to see Megan and her friends, if you could even cal them that, walking up the stairs towards us. "She is such a s**t. Did you know she's had sex with all four of them?", she whispered, glancing at me.

I stood up and turned to look at her, "What did you say, b***h?" I asked her as she stepped up onto my row.

"Well, I was just informing everyone that its not likely a coincidence that Jay came in just before you and he's exhausted,"she smiled that evil, snotty smile that I hate.

"Your just jealous because guys actually talk to me," I shot back. "But with all those zits I wouldn't want to talk to you either."

Her face reddened with fury. The guys laughed at her as she stormed off, up the stairs. I smirked and sat back down between Dante and Ryan.

"Nice one," Ryan commented.

The bell rang and everyone headed for the door. I sighed, not wanting to go home, if it could even be called that.

"Miss Shyne you have another detention today," shouted Mr. Cender.

"What? I didn't do anything!" I shouted back.

"I heard what you said to Miss Thomas. I don't tolerate that kind of language in my classroom."

I rolled my eyes and walked after the guys. I made it out the door, then saw Megan walking up ahead. I slipped through the crowd and walked up behind her. Sticking out my foot, I tripped her and watch her stuff fly out of her hands as she lands face first. I laugh then headed someone yelling nearby.

"You there!," yelled the vice principal, " To the office! Now!"

"Bite me," I mumbled.

"What did you say?!"

"Bite me!" I said louder.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the office before I could escape. I could hear the guy's laughing as I got dragged away.

I sat in a chair in the principle's office, waiting for him to walk in. I sigh and end up waiting around twenty minutes before he finally walks in, fuming.

"You again," he sighs in exasperation and sits behind his huge desk.

"Yeah, yeah. Just give me the detention so we can get this over with."

"This is the seventh time you time this quarter you've been in my office and the third person you've sent to the nurses. Why? Why do you keep doing this? Can't you do something more constructive with your time? And what is with coming in at the end of the day? Can't you set an alarm to actually be on time?" He flipped threw a few pagers and looked back up at me. "You're failing almost every subject, what do you have to say about this..?"

I shrug and sighed deeply, waiting for him to continue his ranting, so I could leave.

"I'm suspending you until you can learn to get along with others. Two weeks."

"What?!" I demand, jumping out of my seat.

"You heard me and I'll be calling your guardians to inform them."

I grunt and storm out of the office,cursing as I walk outside meeting the guys.

"So how many detentions do you have now?" Ty asked, sounding amused.

"I've been suspended," I growled.

"Harsh," Dante said. "How long?"

"Two weeks." I sighed. "Now what am I gonna do all day?"

"Well where do you go when your always late for class?" Dante teased.

"Around town, stores, the park." I shrug. Tyler looked at me concerned as I roll my sleeves down more. I met his eyes and quickly looked away. "Where are we going now?" I asked quickly.

"My place?" Dante suggested. "We just got television."

"Sweet, lets get some food first."

We walked down the filthy streets of town and spotted Pete's grocery store. We wandered in and scanned the ails for food, making sure the owner wasn't anywhere to be seen. I went over to the freezer and grabbed a monster assault, and stuck it in my book bag quickly. Ty went over to the chips and Dante and Ryan over to the candy. Ryan grabbed a bunch of soda's as the owner came out of the back. "Hey, you kids!" We all ran out the door laughing then down the street quickly. The man came out the door and yelled at us again but we were to far away to hear what he said.

Ty unlocked the door to the house revealing a huge room with a couch and two recliner chairs in the middle. A huge flat screen TV sat on a stand next to the bathroom door. The walls were a plain off-white and the carpets a dark blue. The kitchen was to the right of the front door. It had a stove and a fridge with an open bar dividing the rooms. There was one other door leading into the one bedroom in the house, it lay between the front door and the kitchen.

We dumped all of our snacks on the coffee table between the couch and chairs. Ryan, Dante, and I sat on the couch and Ty and Jay sat in the chairs. "TV?" Ty asked. Everyone agreed.

I took off my shoes and laid down on the end of my couch with my legs on Dante. I grabbed my monster and the others grabbed soda's. We watched some scary movie that I ended up falling asleep during.

"Ray," Ty whispered , shaking me a bit. "Wake up."

"No.. Go away..," I mumbled.

"Rauko!" Dante shouted.

"Gah! I'm awake!" I said jumping up. Dante smiled at me as I glared.

"It's late. You'd better get home," Dante said opening his arms for a hug. I yawned and hugged him as he sat on the couch, I stayed there for a moment almost falling asleep again. Dante laughed lightly and I snapped out of it. I Smiled and got up grabbing my bag and headed out the door.

"Night," I said tiredly. Ty followed me out the door.

"Hey, I'll be over a little later. To check on you." He said glancing at my arm, I nodded.

Ty's been checking up on me ever sense he found me passed out on the floor in my room. I was having a really horrible day and ended up cutting my arm up pretty badly because of it. I cut myself when I feel there's no other solution to my pain. Its not the smartest thing I could think of to do, but its something. Anyway, I had lost a lot of blood in the process and Ty freaked out and said he was going to check up on me till I stopped hurting myself. Its been a few week sense that day. The only reason it lasted this long was because my guardian, Mike, had been gone the whole time. I knew the peace wouldn't last long.

I walked up the long sidewalk to my home and stopped to stare at the cold hardwood door. I took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob twisting it slowly. I entered the house quietly hoping not to alert anyone that I was home. I walked threw the living room and headed towards the kitchen when I heard someone stomping down the stairs angrily. "Where have you been?!" Mike shouted.

"What's it to you?" I snapped turning around  to see him walk towards me. He was a tall plump man. He looked as if he never shaved, or even bathed for that matter. His hair was gray and thinning and his eyes a dull brown.

"You've been sleeping around with those boy's again, haven't you?!" He continued.

"I never-"

"Shut up you filthy tramp!" He yelled and backhanded me so hard I heard a crack in my neck. I could feel my face redden as I turned back to face him. "Your school called! You were suspended?! What'd you do?!"

"None of your business!" I screamed and ran to the door to the basement I unlocked it as fast I could and ran down the stairs.

"Go tell your mother your home!" He shouted at the top of the stairs.

"That b***h is not my mother!" He gasped and slammed the door locking it.

"Your not to come out till I tell you!" He yelled to me. Nothing knew there, I thought.

I threw my bag onto the couch, that doubled as my bed, and headed into the bathroom. My room had a huge couch, a small table in front of it, a desk, a tall lamp, and a bunch of boxes pilled under the small window. I had my own bathroom that included a small shower and bath, a sink, and a toilet. It wasn't much but it was something. It was the prison as I liked to called it. No way to get besides to window and the door, which were almost always locked.

As I pulled my right sleeve up, revealing scars all the way up my arm, I thought to myself, I shouldn't. I breathed deeply and picking up the razor bringing it to my wrist cutting in lightly. Only a little. I bit my lip to keep myself from making a sound and continued cutting up my arm till I felt dizzy. I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks though. I quickly dropped the razor and looked at all the blood in the sink and then the blood dripping down my arm. I stumbled out of the bathroom and over to the couch. I pulled off my hoodie wincing as it brushed across my fresh cuts. I collapsed on the couch and shivered pulling a blanket over me, soon passing out.

I heard my small circular window creek open and a set of feet drop in. "Ray!" I heard Ty shout. He ran over to me and I opened my eyes slowly. He sat next to me and pulled me up. I looked at him and he wiped my tears away. "Why do you do this to yourself? Did he hit you again?" He asked noticing the red mark on my cheek. I nodded and he pulled up my arm to look at it.

"Don't tell them, please." I mumbled.

"I won't."

"Promise..?"

He paused. "Yeah, I promise," he said quietly obviously wishing he hadn't. "Come on. I'm getting you out of here."

He helped me up and I grabbed my hoodie plus a change of clothes. He headed for the stairs and I shook my head, "He locked it."

"Fine. Out the window."

~*~

We walked down the dark empty streets silently. I could see him looking at me worried. "You've got to stop doing this to yourself."

"I know.." I said quietly.

"Why do you do it?"

"I guess.. Because its the only pain that I can control.." I said not looking up at him.

He nodded and looked more worried. "Is life at that house that bad for you?"

"You don't understand," I said quietly. "The whole time I've lived there they've treated me like their own personal slave. I cleaned. I cooked. I did the laundry. Anything they could think of. They'd yell at me if they had an off day. Hit me if they felt like it. Told me my parents left me because they hated me and that I was going to die alone. They lock me in the basement until morning. I wouldn't doubt if they'd even cared if I die down there. When they got drunk it was even worse. They'd do anything to make me feel worthless.."

"I didn't realize it got so bad." He said hugging me around my shoulders awkwardly. "Why didn't you tell someone?"

"I've tried. They acted like everything I said was a lie. They have a spare room for when there son comes home and they said it was my room. Anyone I tell ends up believing them in thinking I just doing it for the attention." I sighed. "Then once they're gone I get punished, so I don't even bother anymore.."

"You could come live with Dante and me ya' know."

"I don't want to intrude on you guys.." He smiled and pulled me closer.

We walked into the house and Dante looked at me from the couch. "What happened?"

"Ray's going to stay with us tonight. Not like you'd mind." He smiled. Dante gave him a look and Ty continued. "Mike hit her again."

"One of these days I'm gonna hurt that man," he said looking at me. I smiled tiredly and sat next to him leaning back.

"You hungry?" Ty asked, walking into the kitchen.

"I'm fine. Stop worrying about me."

Dante laughed and pulled a blanket and pillow off of the back of the couch and threw them at me. I pulled it off and threw the pillow at him. Ty came back and handed me a big bowl of popcorn pushing me into the middle.

"Watching another scary movie?" I asked.

"Yup. Dawn of the dead." Dante smiled and pulled me over to him. I held the bowl and leaned against Dante a pillow between us. I curled up in a blanket and watched the movie munching on popcorn. I yawned and got comfortable, feeling safe next to him. I fell asleep half way threw the movie, like usual. My head and pillow in Dante's lap. I started to talk in my sleep and move around restlessly.

"Ray, are you okay?" Dante asked softly.

"Ow. My arm.." I mumbled turning towards him as I winced.

The sleeves of my hoodie started to roll up as I moved around. I mumbled more and buried my face into Dante's stomach. He lightly picked up my arm rolling my sleeves back. He stared at all the cut marks on my arm but most of all he looked at the fresh ones. "Ray.."

"No.." I mumbled pulling my arm away and rolling my sleeve back down wincing more.

He sighed and ran his fingers threw my hair, "Why, Ray?"

"Don't be mad at me.. Please?" I mumbled pulling the blanket over my shoulders, going back to sleep.

"Ty?" Dante whispered. "Ty.. Hey Ty!" He said a bit louder.

"Huh?! What?!" Ty said waking up.

"Did you know how Ray cut her arm?" He asked seriously.

"How did you..?" He said looking at me. He rubbed his eyes, "She did it herself."

"Why didn't you-"

"I promised I wouldn't." Dante sighed again and leaned back closing his eyes.

I heard a knock on the door but didn't want to get up. Someone got off the couch to answer it. "Hey! Come on we're gonna be late, again!" Ryan said loudly, Jay walking in behind him. They both looked over at Dante and me sleeping on the couch. Somehow Dante ended up behind me holding me to the couch in front of him. "Whoa! What's going on here?!" Ryan said loudly.

"SSH.." Ty said to Ryan as he quickly covered his mouth. "Something happened to Ray last night and she stayed here."

"What happened?" Jay asked as Ryan pulled Ty's hand away.

"She got hit again, then.."

"Then what?" Jay asked impatiently.

"I promised not to tell. You'll have to ask Dante."

"Are we going to school then?"

"We're not. You guys can, unless you wan to hang out here?" They both threw there stuff down and took a seat in the chairs.

"What are we going to do all day?" Ryan asked sighing.

"When they wake up we can go to lunch or something." Jay suggested.

"I think we have enough money saved up for that." Ty said.

I yawned and stretched noticing I was on the couch alone. I sat up and saw everyone looking at me. "um.. Aren't you guys supposed to be in school?"

"We skipped." Ty shrugged.

"Oh.." I yawned and sat up hugging my knees. I looked around a bit and noticed Dante wasn't in the room. I quickly rolled my sleeves down again and saw Ty glance at me. I sighed and my stomach growled. "I'm starving. Can we get something to eat?"

"Dante is going to get a car." Ty answered.

We waited till Dante got back with the truck he 'borrowed.' Jay Ryan and I sat in the bed of the truck. Then we drove off.

"So Ray, what happened last night after Mike hit you?" Ryan asked.

"Ty wouldn't tell us." Jay added.

"Its nothing.." I said, again making sure my sleeves were down.

"Please, tell us." Ryan begged.

"No. Stop asking." I snapped looking away from them.

We stopped at some buffet place that I couldn't pronounce the name of. We went in and sat at a huge table looking around at all the fancy decorations. We joked around and flung food at each other the whole time making the waiters angry with us. We acted like children and the owner was about to kick us out. It just started to rain as we finished, so we got up and left without leaving a tip.

"I can't believe they threatened to call the cops on us." Ryan laughed.

"Well if you hadn't tried to hop the counter, they wouldn't have." Jay laughed along.

"That was great." I said. "Why'd you try to hop the counter anyways?"

"I dropped my spoon," Ryan said simply. "Then the lady wouldn't look at me so I could ask her to get it." We laughed and got into the truck. We drove back to Dante's place and it was almost dark when we got there.

"I've gotta get home you guys." I said jumping out of the back of the truck. Ty and Dante gave each other a look then Dante asked.

"Why don't you stay another night?"

"I can't. Mike might call the cops." Ty looked like he was about to say something but I interrupted. "Yes, I know. You'll be over later," I smiled.

"I'll walk with you. Its on the way to my house." Jay said standing next to me.

"Bye, guys. See you later," I yelled back to them as Jay and I started walking down the street. "So why didn't you guys go to school today?" I asked Jay.

"Because you and Dante were sleeping.. Together." He said smiling.

"You do realize he's like a brother to me, right?" I lied.

"Oh, of course," he said in obvious disbelief.

"Fine, don't believe me." I shrugged. "I could care less."

"Then tell me what happened to you last night? Before Ty brought you back to the house."

"Its nothing to worry about," I sighed.

"It obviously is if you wont tell me. Come on, you can trust me."

I stopped and looked at him, "Only if you don't freak, okay?"

"Alright," he said looking back at me seriously.

I held out arm and sighed pulling up my sleeve. He looked at me a little shocked but then tried to hide it. He grabbed my hand and pulled it closer looking at my scars. "Why do you do this to yourself?" He let go of my arm.

"Its just all the stuff that happens. It gets to me after a while." I pulled my sleeve back down and he hugged me putting his head on top of mine.

"Ray. You've got to tell Ryan."

"What? Why?"

"If you don't he'll get mad if he hears it from someone else," I sighed and realized we passed my house.

"I'll think about it," I said walking back to my house. I figured Mike and Trish, his wife, would be asleep so I could sneak in threw the window. I waved to Jay then slid in threw the window.

Author's Note

Eeeehhh... Idk.. Tell me about any grammar problems you see, I try to catch them all but that never happens. Tell me if anything doesn't make sense or if something could be worded differently. =] Also speak your mind, if you don't like it, tell me. Just don't say you don't like it without giving me a reason.. Anyways thanks for reading my story! =P

Reviews

[*~Imperfectly Me~*]

This is a pretty good piece... I liked the story and the friendship you created with the characters. This is something alot of people can relate to. It reminded me of one of my friends with her "pack". I would suggest that you work on your descriptions and it seemed like you were using I, He, She etc alittle too much for my taste but still this is a good piece... Keep It up! Good Job!

[youngwriter222]

What a great story, I can't wait to read on and see what happens. You defiently know how to write a good story, I can tell that already.
There are grammer mistakes but it happens to all of us.

Thanks for sending me a read request for this, I'm enjoying reading it.

[Dr. S. D. Blankenship D..]

Hello, this is enlightening, hum, not much to say about this you seem to know what you are doing, and much like me your stories are very long and very corresponding. It was easier to figure out, however there were some grammar problems (words in wrong order), nevertheless we all must make mistakes to learn from. I must say this was a "GOOD READ"

S.D.Blankenship the GOTHIC-COWBOY.