Fan to Family.

It's Not Safe.

 ~Tyler's POV~
Swish. The ball goes into the net.

"Tyler!" Josh calls from the door. I turn to him, leaving the ball to bounce on the hardwood floor. I'm glad the hotel in Fort Wayne has this gym.

"Yeah?" I ask. He leans on the door frame.

"It's time to get going," Josh tells me. I pick up the ball and toss it back into the ball cart. I follow Josh out of the gym.

We grab our stuff. I follow behind Josh to the car.

I toss my bag into the trunk then get into the back seat. I climb in. "Where too?" I ask as Josh climbs in next to me.

"Lansing, Michigan," Josh tells me. "We have a concert tonight."

I nod. This should be fun.

~Eli's POV~
"It doesn't matter. Now take out your books and finish the vocabulary sheet," Mr. Damon tells them. His second hour is German. He was double major in English and German. My second hour is supposed to be Mrs. Carmen's geography class.

He walks back over to me. He notices my gaze at Luke. "I won't let him do anything,"He whispers at me.

I nod. I look at the computer screen with my work from that class on it. I finish the map and send it back to Mrs. Carmen. Email, if it wasnt around I doubt I'd finish my homework.

"Finish up," Mr. Damon informs everyone.

I can hear Luke and another kid whispering and laughing. Everyone seems finished. He collects all their papers and hands them to me to grade. He hands me the answer key. I find a red pen. I go through and correct the papers and write the percents they got right at the top.

"Now, today was going to be a movie day with only German dialect but I couldn't find the DVD this morning so it's a free day," He tells everyone. They all take out phones and other things and mess around.

When I'm finished grading I set them on the other desk. Mr.Damon, another student and I play uno. By the time we finish, me winning, the bell rings.

They file out. "Do you still wanna stay here?" He asks. I nod.

He stands up, picking the phone up. He talks to my math teacher.

He walks back to me. He looks at my cheek again. I blink. I look him in the eye. I open his water and dip a tissue in it the wipe my left cheek, showing months worth of knuckle marks.

"He hits me when they argue," I tell him looking away.

"I can't let you go back," He tells me. He stands up and grabs the phone.

"Stop!" I exclaim. He looks worried at me.

"What?" He asks.

"Everyone will find out and make more fun of me," I mumble. Mr.Damon tilts my head up to look at him.

"I won't let them do anything okay. I'm worried about your safety there. I'm not letting you go back," He tells me, dialing a number.

"I need to talk to you about something. Please come to my room as soon as possible," He says. He pauses. "It's about a students safety," He waits as the other person talks. "I'll keep them here," He then hangs up.

"I've never been in one house for more then 2 years. I thought they were going to be different and want me. They only wanted me for the money. I was wrong," I say looking down.

"I'm sorry Eli," He says putting a hand on my knee.

"My brother would be about your age now," I tell him absentmindedly. He's in his mid-twenties.

"I thought you were in the system since you were a baby?" He looks at me confused.

"I was, but he gave me this," I show him my necklace, on the back it says love your brother. "From what I've always heard he was 12 when I was born," I explained. He nodded. Someone opens the door. In walks Ms. Stevens walks in. She is one of the three. She knows the second most. She is the school social worker. She's in her mid-20's also. I trust these two the most.

She sits next to Mr. Damon. "Tom, what's going on?" She asks. He lifts my chin.

"Lacey, look at her face," He says. Lacey gasps.

"Eli, what happened?" She asks. I look down at my hands.

"Her foster father hit her," Tom (Mr.Damon) tells her. "This isn't the first time, she told me," He says.

"How long has this been going on?" Lacey asks. I shrug.

"I'm not letting her go back there. It's not saf,." He tells Lacey.

"We can't just take her, it would be kidnapping," Lacey says.

"I'm not letting her go back!" Tom raises his voice.

"I don't wanna go back," I mumble.

Lacey stands up. "I'll talk to Mrs. Rogers," She says. Mrs. Rogers is the principal.

"Keep it on the down low, we don't need her getting bullied more," He tells her. She nods. She hands him a bag of make up so he can cover my face.

After she walks out her helps me put the make up on my face. "Let's go collect all your work," He stands up. I follow close behind. We stop at my empty classes first. Then as the bell that ends class rings we go to math.

"Knock knock," Tom says as we enter.

"Ah Mr. Damon," Mrs. Taylor says. She sees me. "Eli," She addresses me.

"Were here to pick up the work Eli missed. I'm having her hang out in my room today, you may blame me for her missing class," He says.

"She didn't miss much. We just had a read in," Mrs. Taylor informs us. "May I ask why she's staying in your room?"

I hide behind Tom more. I grab his upper arm. "Oh she just had a tough day yesterday so I'm letting take a chill day in my room," Tom tells her. She nods and we walk out.

We get back to his room. I sit at his desk just as the bell rings. Mark, Luke and another one of their friends come in. "Ew the unwanted mistake is here," Luke sneers. I look down at my science work.

"Guys sit down please," Mr. Damon tells them. Mark sits down while Luke and Andy, their sidekick, laugh.

"Boys sit down!" He basically yells. They take their seats. He teaches what he taught my hour. Luke and Andy kept laughing. He would stop and tell them to be quiet. When he was done Luke raised his hand.

"Yes Luke?" He asks.

"Why is she here and what happened to her face?" He asks.

"It's none of your business, Luke," He tells Luke.

"So now your defending the mistake? Don't you know she's been thrown away to many times. She's trash, broken trash," Andy and Luke say together.

"Out! Grab an action plan and get out!" Mr. Damon yells at them. They stand up, grab the paper and walk out. "As for you guys, finish your paper for homework," He tells the rest of the class as the bell rings.

Once they are all gone Tom walks over to me. I look up at him. Tears roll down my face. "It's true, they all just throw me away. I'm broken trash," I cry.

Tom hugs me. I cry onto his chest. "You're not trash Eli."