The Price Of Freedom

Chapter 2: New Friends?

I woke up out of breath with a thick layer of sweat on my body. The effects of another nightmare, or how i call them, memories.

I got up and headed straight for the shower.

After I'm clean I get changed (outfit on side) and go downstairs to start making breakfast for Satan (my father) since it's already 7 oclock. When I'm done I head straight to school to avoid running into my father. I usually skip breakfast so I'm not that hungry on the walk over to school.

When I get to school, I go in unnoticed as usual. Here I'm invisible and that's the way I like it.

Fortunately I make it to first period with no problems. However, I'm not so lucky as to make it to my seat problem free.

On my way down my row, someone sticks their foot out and I fall flat on my face. And not just any someone, but Tiffany Shmidt, the queen be of this school.

Everyone laughs at me as I quickley try to gather up my things and head to my seat in the back.

'Why is the teacher always out if the room when they torture me.' I think to myself.

Its kind of ironic how teachers are supposed to help you but all they do is sit around acting all high and mighty and have sex behind the gym.

Thats probally where Mr. Fediw is now, sucking face with Mrs. Perkins.

A few minutes later Mr. Fediw walks in and begins the lesson. 10 minutes later the door opens and 4 unfamiliar people walk in, but apparently the teacher knows them because he smiles and greets them warmly.

"Ah, you guys must be Zoey, Kate, Courtney, and Hunter Johnson, correct?" He asks. When they all nod their heads he continues. "Well then you guys can just sit in any empty seat thats available." He said smiling before going back to teaching the lesson.

I notice there are 5 empty seats around me ... wow arent i popular... and then theres 4 by the window.

I hope and pray that they don't take the seats near me, but apparently my hoping and praying isn't important because it does jack shit once they spot me they and start to walk towardsme.

God, theyre making the biggest mistake of their lives, basically committing social suicide, by sitting next to me on their first day.

I hear a chorus of gasps throughout the room and I'm instantly the target of attention. Not the good kind, if there is any, either.

I slide down in my seat hoping to just dissapear so this can all be over, but I geuss that's too much to ask.

"Hi, I'm Courtney and these are my sister's Zoey and Kate, and that's my brother hunter." The girl with red hair says giving a giant smile while pointing to a dark haired girl and a light haired girl before pointing to a guy who resembles a Greek god.

I mentally gawk at how hot he is and I geuss he notices becauseall he does is smirk at me.

I pull myself together and answer them. "Hi, I'm Chloe." I say meekly. I try to pull a fake smile but I think it comes out as more of a grimace than a smile. They didn't seem to notice as they smile back.

"Well Chloe, I think we're gonna be great friends." Kate, I think, says with a toothy grin.

I just give another fake smile until I hear the bell ring. Before I can even move a foot they're asking me what classes I have. I show them my schedule and it turns out they're in all of my classes.

Great. Note the sarcasm.

We all head to cooking class next. I go to sit in my normal seat and they follow, making me feel very uncomfortable.

They start to talk to me about their hometown and what they like to do, but i just tune them out and try to focus on what the teacher is teaching.

If i get bad grades that only gives my father an excuse to beat me.

I get so lost in my own world that i don't even hear that Zoey and Hunter are trying to grab my attention.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts and look at them wondering what they wanted.

They just stare at me like i'm crazy, which i'm used to. I figured this would happen eventually. No one ever stays friends with me for long.

"Are you ok? We were trying to get your attention for like 5 minutes." My eyes widen not realizing it was that long.

"Oh yeah I'm fine. Just day dreaming." I say chuckling nervously. They don't seem to beleive me but they don't say anything else about it. I look back up front but I feel like I'm being watched.

Sure enough when I look to my left I see hunter looking at me intently, almost as if he's trying to figure me out. I shift uncomfortably under his gaze and try and figure out why he'd be trying to figure me out.

I mean I'm no one important. There are so many girls better than me in this school. They're prettier, smarter, skinnier, more athletic, and just better company than me.

No one wants a broken girl who gets abused. I mean who would want to know someone who has to carry that much baggage, pushing all their problems on them. No one wold want an ugly, fat, bitch li...

Im broken from my thoughts when i hear Mrs. Beovich yell at me to pay attention. I quietly apologize and look down at my paper.

I still feel hunters gaze on me and its starting to bug me.

"Why are you staring" I finally ask. He seems to think about it for a second before answering with a cocky smirk.

"Because I like the view." I give him a small smile before I chuckle lightly. If only that were true."What?" He asked confuzed. I look at him like hes crazy before I realise I said that out loud.

"Oh nothing." I say cursing myself for even talking to these people. He tries to grab my arm to pull me closer but he accidently bumped into my ribs and I double over and hiss in pain.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?" He asks frantic trying to figure it what he did. I just stay bent over and catch my breath. When I do I slowly sit back up and they all looking at me with worry clear in their eyes.

"I'm fine, it's just a bruise."

"That didn't look like it was from just a bruise. What happened." Zoey asked softly.

"I told you I'm fine. Nothing happened." I don't think they believed me so hunter quickley reached over and lifted up my shirt beforw i was able to even push hime away.

By the time I was able to push it back down, he already saw it and once he did his face turned into an ice cold glare, directed straight at me. "Who did this?" He asked through clenched teeth.

I cowered away from him and started to shake. I didnt like this side of him. He reminded me of my father and it was scaring me. "Stop, please stop." I whispered thinking of the first time my father beat me.

His face softened and his eyes swirled with guilt. He looked back at me about to say something but before he could the bell rang and I jumped up and ran out of the room, ignoring the pain.

For the rest of the day I tried to avoid the Johnsons.

When it was time to go home I sprinted out the door and started on my way home. When I got there the house was empty. 'Thank god' I thought as I slid down the door.

I can't let them find out. If they knew they'd tell the police but it wouldn't matter. I'd already be dead by then, he threatened to kill me if I told anyone and I didn't think he was lying.

I got up off the floor and went to cook dinner for 'Satan'. I just wish that my mom never died. That way my dad wouldn't hurt me.

The only thing I have to worry about now is if the Johnsons are my friends because if they are, it's gonna be a lot harder to keep this a secret.