Dalton Boys

Chapter 1

Lillian Allen was the school outcast. 

The one hated among the student body, for no other reason than existing. She was shy, and kept to herself most of the time. Had few people to back her up, making her an easy target to the football jocks who terrorized the majority of the students. 

Lil had exactly two saving graces of her life. 

Her uncle Tim, who'd taken her in even when her family hadn't wanted her. Who'd cared and loved her over the years. Supported her unconditionally, and tried very hard to make everything work out for the two of them, despite him barely having the funds to keep himself, a single man, afloat in the economy.

Uncle Tim who loved her like she was his own daughter, which, she basically was at this point. 

Then there was her best friend, Andy, who'd been her friend since their early primary school days. The spark of life who'd shoved a kid triple his size when the kid pushed Lillian off the swing in the playground. 

They'd been through thick and thing together. Friendship for life, since day one. Plus, there was the fact that they'd bonded over the fact that they were both targets in school. 

Andy hadn't come out as gay until just before his twelfth birthday, but Lil knew from the very beginning- possibly even before Andy himself knew. 

So, Andy would get homophobic slurs and often take the brunt of the upperclassman's sexuality fueled rage. He was the only outed kid, after all. 

Andy may get teased and picked on a little, but it was nothing compared to the onslaught of physical and emotion abuse Lillian received from her peers. For being too quiet. For not standing up for herself. For letting it happen. 

For whatever stupid reason the jocks told her. The excuses they shoved down on her.

A usual day at school for Lillian was fear as she walked between classes. Arriving exactly as the bell sounded, so there would be teachers greeting students in the hallways. Less of a target, harder for the jocks to corner her. 

Today, however, was different. And Lillian's stress was high as she pulled the doors open, making a beeline to the hallway leading to her advanced Chemistry class. The door wouldn't be open, she knew. The teacher almost never arrived on time, leaving the classroom stocked with chemicals locked. 

She was here early. Dropped off only minutes before, since her uncle had an urgent business meeting that morning, and could in no way be late for it. 

Her steps were slow and hesitant as she slipped through the halls, silently weaving around peers and classmates as to not be seen. Her black sweater covered her, hands holding her books bunched up in the worn fabric. He nose was buried behind the textbooks, bangs falling over her eyes as she moved swiftly.

They were here. They were always here. Stalking the hallways for easy targets. Ready to pounce and publicly humiliate someone, or to call out crude names- or even just to shoulder check someone into a locker, so the contents of their belongings clattered to the floor to be kicked around as though it was a game. 

The girl wished that things were different. That she could have one day free. A free pass to class. Where no one started anything. Where she didn't have to be afraid of stepping into the wrong group of people and being sorry for it. 

A single day without the verbal abuse, and the lockers slamming as threats. Without having to worry about someone sticking their foot out in front of you to trip you, or worry about a shoulder check into the lockers. Or a punch to the shoulder, disguised as something playful, but really forceful enough to leave dark bruises adorning skin.