"No, please," I begged him.

"Shut up, you little bitch," he yelled in my face.

He yanked my hair, and threw my across the room. I hit the glass picture on the wall, and I landed on the floor.

Glass was surronding me. My vision blurred, but I heard him walking my way.

He started to kick me in my stomach. I heard one of my ribs snap. I covered my head, praying that he would stop.

"Nobody will love you, you piece of crap," he slurred.

I woke up with a scare. I looked around to see that I'm in my bed. I looked at my phone to see that it was five thirty in the morning.

Everybody was still asleep. I climbed out of bed, and I walked into the bathroom.

I turned the shower on, and I took my clothes off. Yellow and purple bruises scattered my stomach and back.

Malcom, my old foster father, use to hit me where people couldn't see it. Sometimes he would forget, and hit me in the face. I used to put concelar on my face to hide the bruises.

I jumped into the warm shower, and I washed my body with the soap in the shower. Lisa had already put some body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and a toothbrush in the bathroom before I got here.

After washing my body, I washed my hair. Once I was done, I got out and did my morning routine.

Then I went to my closet, and I pulled out jeans, a long purple shirt with a whale on the pocket, and my white converses.

Lastly, I put my hair into a french braid. When I checked the time on my phone, it was six fourty-nine.

I made sure that all of my textbooks, Lisa got my schedule and books the day before I got here, were in my black bookbag.

Then, I rememebered that I have to take my medicine. I walked back into the bathroom, and grabbed my medicine off of the counter. I took a pill out of the bottle. I put it in my mouth, and I swallowed some water.

Lastly, I grabbed my bag and my phone, and I walked downstairs.

The boys were sitting at table eating different things, and Ross was drinking his coffee. Winter was laying on the floor, sleeping.

"Good morning, Campbell," Ross said.

"Morning," I said. I dropped my bag on the floor by the stools.

The boys waved, but they contiued to eat. I walked to the cabinet, and I grabbed a glass. I filled it up with orange juice.

After I was done, I grabbed a banana for breakfast. I peeled it, and I took a bite of it.

"I have to get to work, but I'll see you guys later," Ross said, getting up. He rinsed his cup out, and placed it in the sink.

"Bye, Dad," the boys said.

Ross grabbed his bag, and he walked out of the kitchen. I finished my banana, and the boys started to finish their food.

Elliot walked up to me and said, "I have to take Michael to the middle school, but you can ride with Nick. The twins usually go with me."

"Thanks. Is this okay for the school dress code?" I asked, gesturing to my outfit.

What? I don't want to be in the principle's office on my first day.

"Yeah, it looks fine. The school isn't really strict on clothes," he said with a smile.

"I hate Thursdays!" Gavin groaned.

"Why?" I asked. I don't like Mondays, but Thursdays means that the weekend is coming soon.

"Coach makes us pratice afterschool until seven because of the game tomorrow," Nick explained.

"I'm glad that I have soccer in the spring. Not too hot, not too cold," Michael said, placing his bowl in the sink.

"Go get your stuff, kiddo," Elliot told him.

"I'm thirteen about to be fourteen. I'm a teenager," Michael complained.

"But you're the youngest," Elliot said.

"Whatever, but once I get me a girl, I become a man."

"Will you two stop bickering and go get your stuff?" Gaberial asked.

Michael rolled his eyes, and walked out of the kitchen. I grabbed my bag, and I waited for Nick.

"Let's go," Nick said, after five minutes of waiting.

We walked to his car, and, my goodness, it was beautiful. It was a black Mustang GT. There was not one scratch on this baby.

"Is this a Mustang GT?" I asked him, taking in the car in front of me.

"You know what this is?" He asked, surprise by my answer.

"Duh, I read a ton of books on cars."

"Impressive, yes ,this is the Mustang GT."

"Amazing."

He unlocked the doors, and he sat down in his seat. I opened the passenger door, and I slid into the passenger seat. The seats were really comfortable.

I put on my seatbelt, and he started the engine. We drove off onto the road.

Here goes nothing.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

When a pulled up to the building, I was breathless. The school is a huge building with towers. It looked like an academy.

Students were walking towards the building, and some were talking to their friends. Nick pulled into a parking space, and he switched the engine off.

"I'm just going to prewarn you, this school is full of rich, snobby girls. Not all of them are like that, but just be careful," he said.

I shrugged,"Nothing new."

He got out, and I opened my door. Then I grabbed my bag and phone, and I shut the door. When I turned around, everybody's eyes were on me.

Crap.

I started to walked towards the stairs, and Nick walked with me.

I heard a lot of people whispering about me.

"Who is that?"

"Is she his sidechick?"

"Does Nichole know?"

"Damn, I tap that." I rolled my eyes at the last one.

"Just ignore them," Nick whispered.

I nodded, and we walked inside. The inside was big. The ceiling is very high, and there is a chandelier hanging from it. Brown stairs opened up to two ways up.

"I thought it was a public school?" I asked Nick.

"It is. Before it became a public school, it was an academy. They transformed it into a public school in the late 1900s," he explained.

A girl with long brown hair and brown eyes walked towards us. She was wearing jeans, a black and white strip shirt, and a blue jean jacket.

When she came up to us, she hugged Nick. He kissed her cheek, and hugged her back.

"How was your trip?" Nick asked her.

"Amazing, my grandparents were glad to see me," she said then she looked at me. She has an Australian accent.

"This is Campbell. She is our foster sister," he told her. She squeled.

"Omg! Are you Campbell? I'm Nichole," she said, excitedly.

"I guess. It's nice to meet you," I said.

"When Nick told me about you, I couldn't wait for you to come. I have been in Australia, visiting family for the past week," she told me.

That explains the accent.

"There you are," another voice said.

We turned to see two girls. One has red hair and hazel eyes. The other one has brown, curly hair and brown eyes. They both ran to Nichole, and hugged her.

"We missed you," the red head said.

"Yes, I have a lot of gossip to tell you about," the brown headed said.

"Guys, I missed you too," Nichole said.

"Who are you?" The brown headed one asked me.

"I'm Campbell. I live with the Cade family," I introduced myself.

"Omg! The boys told us about you," the red headed one said.

"I'm Madison," the brown headed one said.

"And I'm Anna," the red headed one told me.

"How do you guys know the boys?" I asked them.

"I'm Elliot's girlfriend, and Madison is Gavin's girlfriend," Anna said.

"Oh."

"Let me as your schedule," Nichole said.

I noticed that Nick left. I dug in my bag, and I handed her my schedule.

Homeroom- 7:50-8:00

AP History- 8:00-9:00

AP Math-9:00-10:00

Study Hall- 10:00-11:00

Music- 11:00-12:00

Lunch-12:00-1:00

AP Language Arts-1:00-2:00

Chemistry-2:00-3:00

"I have study hall, lunch, chemistry, and history with you," Nichole said, showing the girls the schedule.

"I only have music and lunch with you since I'm a sophomore," Madison said.

"The whole school comes at the same time for lunch. It looks like a big school, but we only have two hundred kids in all," Anna explained when she saw my look.

"Come on, let's find your locker," Madison said.

I followed them down a hallway, and they stopped at one in the middle. The lockers were long and black. I looked at my locker combination, and I put it in. I put my books that I don't need in there.

When I shut it, the girls smiled.

"Since we have ten more minutes before the late bell rings, we'll show you your classes," Anna said.

"Thank you," I told them.

They showed me all of the classrooms and the cafeteria. When we were walking upstairs, the bell rung.

"Madison and I have to go back downstairs, but Anna can show you your homeroom class," Nichole said.

"Okay, see you guys later," I told them.

They walked down the stairs, while people were coming up the stairs.

"My homeroom class is next to yours. I'll meet you here after the bell rings," Anna said, showing me my homeroom.

"Okay."

I walked into the room to see Brent and Nick sitting in the back. Nick waved me over to sit beside him.

"Hey, Campbell," Brent said.

"Hi," I replied, sitting down.

The male teacher stood up from his desk, waiting for the class to be quiet. His gray hair was standing up, and his dull blue eyes were filled with tiredness.

"Do whatever you want, as long as you are whispering," he said then sat back down.

That's weird.

At my last school, my homeroom teacher made us work math problems or read.

"Is he always like this?" I asked Brent and Nick.

"Mr. Hermes is like this all day. He just had a baby a few months back, and in fifteen seconds he will be asleep," Brent said, looking at his phone. I knew he was talking to me, though.

"No way." I didn't belive that this man will be asleep in fifteen seconds, flat. It doesn't work that way.

"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four," he said and I looked at Mr. Hermes.

He was reading the newspaper. Perfectly awake.

Maybe Brent was wrong.....

"Three. Two. One," Brent said.

The next thing I know, Mr. Hermes is asleep like a baby on his desk. He's snoring lightly.

When I looked back at Brent, he had a smirk on his face.

"Told you," he remarked.

"Is this really what you do every morning?" I asked him.

"Observing people, yes. It's my special talent."

"That and sports," Nick commented.

"Nichole is really nice," I told him.

"She's my angel, but she can be a devil," he said with a shudder.

I laughed, a little. You might be wondering, why am I talking to the boys like I known them for years?

The answer is that I actually want to make friends. I'm not going to let down my walls, but I still want friends. Malcom would never let me have friends.

And he is not here.

You only live once, and I'm going to make the most of it.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

⭐️ ⭐️