~Remember once the things you told me and how the tears ran from my eyes. They didn't fall because it hurt me, I just hate to see you cry. Sometimes I wish we could be strangers so I didn't have to know your pain. But if I kept myself from danger this emptiness would feel the same. I ain't no angel, I never was. But I never hurt you, it's not my fault. You see those eggshells, they're broken now. A million pieces strewn out across the ground~Birdy.

°°

"Kendra and I used to be friends. We were not close, but we were acquaintances. Riley and I would hang out with her and her friends from time to time. We first met her at the orientation of seventh grade. We were complaining about the vice principal's speech being boring and she chimed in saying she heard that he was a widower with four dogs and that his hair was a wig. We laughed at that; you know how silly high school kids are, and I guess that's where we became friends, or whatever you call it." I begin.

Ansel sits across from me on the bed, attentively listening. He nods his head, encouraging me to go on.

I lick my lips and sigh. "Then we started hanging out quite often. She appeared so loyal; you know. She would curse anyone who she felt violated me. She seemed so cool at the start, but then she gradually began to change into this...evil person."

"Last night was fucking epic, right Monica?" Kendra propped her feet onto her desk, chewing a piece of gum in her mouth while she grinned ecstatically.

We were at the back of our homeroom classroom, waiting for our teacher's appearance so we could be dismissed. We all would sit next to each other and Kendra would normally throw a fit if anyone took our seats.

Monica chuckled. "Yeah, we got so high I swore I caught a glimpse of god."

"Where'd you guys go?" Riley asked as she stole a chip from my bag of Lays. I took a sip of my boxed milk while I waited to hear as well. These girls partied a lot, even on a school night.

"My Uncle's club. Crypto." Kendra smiled, twirling the gum on her index finger. "Lots of sexy guys were there and I am not talking about teenagers."

"I'd never date a guy way older than me." Riley made a face, and Monica laughed, shaking her head. "Teenage guys are lame, if you want someone who isn't always in their feelings and know how to let the cash off willingly, you need a man at least twice your age."

I slightly cringed at her ideology. "Isn't that illegal? You guys are still sixteen."

Kendra chuckled. "You wouldn't understand, Rain. You are rich. We have to hustle that money." She giggled along with Monica while Riley and I exchanged glances. The more we hung out with them, the more we realized how completely different we were from them.

Selena, a girl in our homeroom who wore glasses and consistently topped straight A's in all her classes passed by my seat. She had a bit of weight so her hip bounced against my desk and the carton of milk knocked onto the floor, splashing all over my jeans.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Selena gasped, as she chased around to my side. She looked genuinely remorseful as she used her hand to wipe the liquid from my clothes.

"It's okay." I smile a little. "You don't have to—"

"It's not fucking okay, bitch!" Kendra jolted up, slapping Selena so hard across the cheek that she fell against the tiles.

I gaped, looking at her in awe as Riley narrowed her eyes. "What the hell, Kendra?"

There was no need for her reaction. It was obscene and uncalled for.

Monica laughed while her best friend squatted down, gripping a handful of Selena's black hair and tilting her head back. "Bitch. This is our side of the fucking classroom; don't you know that? You knocked over my friend's milk, you fat fool!"

"Kendra! Stop that!" I yelled.

She ignored my statement as she proceeded to shove the girl's head toward the spilled milk on the floor. "There are people around the damn world with nothing to eat, so drink it! Drink it, you fool. You love to eat, don't you? Look how fat and ugly you are, drink it!"

Selena was crying while Kendra tried to press her face-way into the dirty liquid. No-one in the classroom dared to object, they all feared Kendra. But I did not.

"I said stop it!" I stood up and pushed her away. She fell back onto her palms as I helped Selena to stand. She was whimpering as she kept her head down, and my face softened as I sighed heavily.

"I am sorry," I told her. "I accept your apology. It was not your fault, okay? I should not have been drinking now anyway. Lunch already ended three hours ago."

Selena said nothing, she just nodded her head and turned away. Riley glared at Kendra while Jessica kept her head down, not daring to look the bully in the eyes. She knew what it was like being called 'fat' by her. Because of Jessica's broad hips and thighs, she often had to undergo the same harsh words. Guys loved her weight, but Kendra found it ludicrous.

"You should have seen her face." Monica laughed, and two other girls who also hung out with them pitched in their shares of cackles.

I did not find it hilarious and Kendra noticed the disapproval on my face as she smirked deviously, lounging back in her chair. "You're too soft Rain, people will walk over you if you continue being that nice."

"You didn't have to do that to her. That was mean." I said.

"How was it? The milk got spilled and instead of it going to waste, I advised her to drink it. It's only fair, she's the one who spilled it anyway."

I glared at her and she casually shrugged. "Look, I am very loyal. And I hate when people mess with my friends. I consider you as my friend Rainey, so best believe I will fuck up anyone who messes with you. I have your back."

Monica grinned. "And when Kendra says she has your back, she has it."

They smiled at each other before Kendra looks back at me, smirking while snapping the gum in her mouth.

"She was always bluffing about being loyal and stuff like that, she didn't appear like someone who'd betray me. I mean, she would bully other people, but when it came to me, she seemed respectful." I shake my head, tittering bitterly. "Or maybe she wasn't. I was just too blind to see her true colors. I was not prepared for her betrayal; I did not see it coming. I thought she thought of me as a friend. She would tell me how much she's happy that we were all friends." I stare at the bedsheet while Ansel sighs.

"I guess the whole time she was just trying to disguise her true thoughts about you. Did she show signs?"

I scoff. "So many. I have no idea why I did not see them. She'd always make remarks about my money and my appearance..."

"Malcolm says he likes you," Stacie said to me, plopping down at her usual spot in the cafeteria. She was one of Kendra's friends. She pointed her head to her left and I followed her gaze to see Malcolm James, a guy in my Chemistry class, smiling while nodding to me.

I was not interested so I just shook my head at Stacie. "I don't need a boyfriend."

Kendra scoffed, and everyone pulled their gazes to her. She raised her head, her usual smirk on her lips. "Malcolm likes everyone, he even asked me out on a date once."

Monica wrinkled her forehead. "He did? How come you haven't told me?"

"Because..." She looked at me then, crossing her arms smugly. "It's nothing to feel special about...I am not stupid to feel elated because he asked me out. Malcolm likes everyone. If a frog hops by in a skirt, he would like it just the same. So, I would not feel special if he said he liked me, Rainey."

Riley frowned. "But Rain is really pretty, so I can see why he'd like her." She smiled at me and Kendra laughed; it was a bit exaggerated.

"That's because she has money. People are automatically pretty when they got cash."

"She was jealous of you..." Ansel states. "It's quite obvious."

I nod. "I was so stupid not to realize that back then."

He shifts a little closer to me, and I lift my eyes to meet his.

"What did she do to you? Why did you have to leave?"

I sigh, averting my gaze to the floor. "She set me up...in one of the worst ways possible."

"My mom said I have to be there. She literally forced me to iron Bailey's dress shirt earlier. I hate family reunions so much!" Riley groaned on the phone, while I chuckled a little, laying onto my back as I stared up at the ceiling.

"Would you like to come?" She asked, and I quickly shook my head.

"No way, you know I hate family reunions and formal gatherings." I frowned.

She chuckled. "Yeah, I know. So, what are you going to do tonight?"

"Mm. I am just going to stay in and probably watch Netflix."

"Damn...The Walking Dead?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen Rick in a while." I tittered, referring to the main character of the series.

"Ugh, I wish I could watch it too, damn this stupid reunion. But anyway, Rick is too old, Carl is my guy."

I deadpanned. "Riley, you do know you're older than him, right?"

"No, we are still at season 2 and he gets a lot older in the upcoming seasons so please don't take me as a pedophile!"

We giggled, then I heard her mother's voice in the background before she sighed into the phone, whining like a five-year-old. "My mom said I should help Bailey with putting his pants on, so I gotta go."

"Okay, tell me how it goes," I told her. She promised she would before she ended the call. I returned to the home screen of my phone and a text immediately popped up.

I shook my head as I threw my cell down, reaching for my remote from my nightstand. I watched about two episodes of The Walking Dead before my Mom knocked at my door. She said she was leaving, and that Jeff would be staying with me. I hated being alone with her common-law husband, so I decided to go to the reunion with Riley. I quickly reached for my phone and texted her, hoping she had not left yet. I was disappointed to learn that she had already arrived at the venue.

As much as I did not want to hang out with Kendra and the girls that night, I decided to, just to avoid being alone under the same roof as Jeff. So, I got dressed and left home through the window of my room.

The girls met me outside the club and Kendra pulled me into a tight hug.

"Glad you came, Rain." She grinned.

"Where's Riley?" Monica questioned.

"At her family's reunion."

After my response, Monica and Kendra exchanged strange looks, but I did not read into it as Jessica sent me a beam. "You look nice."

I smiled. "Thanks."

Kendra linked her arm with mine then, grinning widely. "So, let's go have some fun!"

We strolled into Club Crypto. I had a fake ID on me, but it was not needed since the bouncers did not even glance at us. Kendra stated that it was her uncle's club and that she was free to bring whoever she wanted without them undergoing security checks.

The club was crazy, bright neon lights adorned the room and the music was so loud that the ground shook with each beat. Sweaty bodies congregated all around while half-naked girls danced on poles. Kendra led us to a table at the far back where two guys were already seated; they seemed way older than us. Monica sat on one of the guy's lap while Kendra pushed a reluctant Jessica into the other's arms. She seemed uncomfortable as the guy wrapped his arm around her and began kissing her neck.

"Pete!" Kendra beckoned to the bartender behind the counter. "Could we get two bottles of vodka here?!"

He nodded and immediately fetched the drinks. He took them out to us, and Kendra told him that she would pay for them later. She poured a glass to me, which I really needed. I was not in the best of moods, mainly because it was so hard forcing myself to be somewhere just to avoid being around someone.

Soon, we were all drinking while Kendra told the table jokes. I was not hearing clearly after a while since I was getting tipsy. I was not a lightweight, but I had drunk a lot that night.

The waiter guy waved a hand to remind her about the outstanding payment for the drinks. After hissing and complaining about the club belonging to her uncle and that she would be sure to get him fired for his impatience, she opened her purse to find it empty. She then smiled wryly at me.

"Rainey, I'm out of cash, could you loan me 200?"

I nodded my head as I pulled my purse from my pocket. I handed it to her, immediately being bombarded with a wave of vertigo. I buried my face in my hands for a while, hoping it would stop the dizziness. I lifted my head as Kendra returned my purse; the hazy feeling had lessened then but I flashed my head to keep focused as she got up to pay the bartender.

Some minutes passed and my eyes drifted to Jessica who was wincing slightly as the guy she was sitting next to, tried to put his hand under her dress. I wanted to object to his onslaught since she did not seem to like it much, but my tongue felt heavy and I suddenly lacked the energy for all of this. Soon the guy stood up, and Monica waggled her brows as he pulled Jessica with him. As they began to leave the table, Jess glanced at me in the process. She did not seem happy about leaving with him, but she did not resist either.

"Someone's about to get laid!" Monica chuckled.

Bile rose in my throat and I began to feel sick. I decided that it was time for me to leave. My mom had probably returned home by then. I cleared my throat. "Where's Kendra?"

Monica shrugged, as the guy she was with traced his hand on her thigh. "Got no idea. She's probably with some hottie."

"I am leaving, so when you see her tell her I'll see her at school tomorrow, alright?"

Monica frowned at that, while her partner began biting her earlobe. "Why do you have to leave so early? Stay a little longer, what's the rush, Rainey?"

"Yeah, what's the rush, princess?" The guy echoed, smirking at me.

I got up with a tired sigh. "I have school in the morning."

"But Ian would drive you home later, wouldn't you, Ian?"

"Yep." He popped the 'P' dramatically, then grinned at me. His smile was somewhat mischievous and creepy.

"No thanks, I'll take the bus," I stated. Monica respired heavily while she quickly pulled her phone out. She tapped a few times then lifted her face and smiled, sliding the cell back into her bra. "I just texted her that you're leaving."

"Yeah, thanks. See you at school tomorrow." I began leaving the table when my phone dinged in my pocket. Monica giggled as Ian tickled her side, and I pulled out my cell to discover a text from Kendra.

☹

My brows furrowed and Monica tilted her head, attempting to catch sight of my expression. "What's up?"

"It's Kendra..." I muttered, gawking at the words on my screen. "It seems she's in trouble or something..."

Monica raised a brow. "What kind of trouble? Does she need like a tampon or something?"

"No...she said I should come now and that she thinks she got raped."

Monica raised both her brows now, while Ian, who appeared to not have cared even the slightest, gazed at her cleavage hungrily.

"I'll just go see what happened," I told her. "It seems she needs help." I hurried off while Monica and Ian exchanged strange glances.

I found the VIP room on the second floor and thrust the door open. The room was dark; however, as I slowly strolled inside.

"Kendra?"

The door slammed loudly behind me and I spun around as the light in the room switched on. I glanced around before my eyes settled on two men, both were muscular, wearing black dress shirts and trousers.

I blinked my eyes as confusion surfaced my face. "Where's Kendra?"

The men laughed hysterically, and I squinted my eyes as I looked between them both.

"There is no Kendra here, baby." One said, his tone hoarse and threatening.

I immediately had a weird feeling about the situation and began hurrying toward the door. A strong hand firmly grabbed my arm and yanked me onto a huge couch in the room. I began to get up, but a rough palm collided with my cheek, sending me flying onto the hard floor. I clutched my cheek as one of the men hovered over me, his hand gripping my legs apart.

"Stay quiet!" He yelled. "Or we'll just cut your throat right after we're done with you!" He ripped my shirt open and I gasped as the buttons hit the floor.

"W-what are you doing, get off me!"

He attempted to kiss me, but I shifted my face away, wriggling beneath him. "Get off me!" I screamed. I tried to shove his face away, but he did not budge, so I dug my nails in his eyes and he bawled out in pain. It was not enough to cease his assaults; however, and instead, he threw a hard punch to my face. I saw black dots as my head spun in circles. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, but I fought to keep my head on straight. I could not faint in that situation; I would have been done for.

"Get the hell away from me!" I yelped, kicking my feet around and squirming under his chest.

"Why the hell are you just standing there, hold her down!" The man clutching his eyes barked at his partner, who hastened over and began pressing my feet onto the carpet. The man sat up over me, and bile rose in my throat as he began undoing his belt.

"You little bitch, don't let me have to choke you, do you hear me?!" He spat. "Be a good fucking girl, alright?"

I gagged, and my head became dizzy once again as I felt his hand on the button of my jeans. I stared at the lights in the ceiling, they became hazy, then clear, then hazy again. I blinked my eyes as I could hear my heavy breathing, my chest rising and falling.

My unsteady heartbeat thumped through my eardrums and my body stiffened when I heard the terrifying vibration of my zipper as it jerked down. I could not find the strength within me to fight anymore as the man hooked his fingers in the waist of my jeans, attempting to pull them down.

Suddenly, the door to the room plunged open. A man in full black stepped inside and two girls, dressed in skimpy attires, stood on either side of him. The men shot their gazes in his direction, and he looked from them to me.