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Chapter One

   Layana liked piggies. Layana liked pink. Mommy was upset. Mommy was yelling at Layana. Layana didn't like it when Mommy yelled. Daddy sounded mad. Layana liked Daddy. But Daddy was scaring Layana. Mommy grabbed Layana. Daddy also grabbed Layana. Layana didn't like being pulled. Layana started crying. Mommy slapped Layana. Mommy picked up something sharp. Layana's tummy hurts. Layana is bleeding. Daddy screams. Mommy screams. Layana falls asleep.

   I wake up screaming, just like every other morning since it happened. I hit the tiny button on my alarm and it lights up. 4:38. I groan and roll out of bed, well aware I wasn't going to go back to sleep. As I trudge to my small bathroom, I hear laughing and smell smoke float through the house. I roll my eyes and walk into my bathroom. After a well-needed splash in the face with cold water, I look at myself in the mirror. I stand there, just looking at myself. Like always, I decide to point out my flaws. I'm too fat and the bags under my eyes keep getting worse. I shake my head and turn away from the mirror. A sigh heaves through my body as I skillfully braid my untamable hair. After I'm finished with my hair, I put a little concealer on to hide my bags, and spray on a little perfume. I walk back into my room, picking up the clothing I've had lied out for weeks. Back to school. Nope, still sounds as dreadful as yesterday. I throw on my clothing, not giving the devil on my shoulder the advantage of looking in the mirror again. I thunder down the stairs, hoping to pass my father without drawing his attention. To no avail, he stops me on my way to the door. I groan and stare at the floor. Five feet. I was only five feet away. I could always book it, but then what would happen when I got home? I turn around like a guilty puppy and wait for his unconcerned voice.

   "Lay, what do you think you're doing?" His voice is crackly and rough, nothing like the sweet voice he once had. 

   "Well I was going to go to school, it's the first day at a new school and I didn't really want to miss it." I choke out. He huffs unhappily but dismissively waves me off. I book out the door before he could change his mind. The second I get out the door I realized something; I had no clue where the bus station was. I pulled out my crappy iPhone 4 and bring up my slow Safari. I search for directions to the school instead of the bus stop, considering I had a lot of time on my hands. When it finally comes up, I start walking. I plug in my cheap earbuds, putting in the one that works. I scroll through my music for about thirty seconds until I finally find the song I was looking for. I push up my hoodie and continue on my way.

   I walk through the double doors of the school. I look around, only seeing a couple of people. Understandable, it was only 7:45. I look for a sign to point me in the direction of where the office is. I must have looked even more clueless than I felt, because someone that looked to be a teacher, pointed to an office looking room to my left. I nod my head gratefully and walk toward the office. As I opened the door, the smell of fall crashed over me like a wave. A sweet looking lady sat at the desk in front of me. I walk slowly over to her, waiting for her to see me. She looks up at me, gives me a warm smile, and looks back at her computer. I raise my eyebrows and proceed to get the lady's attention. 

   "Hello? My name is Layana Gayles. I'm new to Brunswick High, and I was wondering if I could get my schedule?" The lady looks back up at me pitifully as she sorts through some important looking papers. 

   "Ah yes. I have heard of you, Ms. Gayles. Must be scary enrolling in the middle of the year, any particular reason?" I shake my head and scuff the ground with my old shoes. 

   "No reason ma'am, we just moved, that's all." She nods her head briskly, as though she didn't believe me while handed me a couple of papers. 

   "This is your schedule. If you walk down the hall to your left and enter the third door on your right, the welcoming committee should be having a meeting, or rounding it up. If you hurry there, you can ask for a tour before the first bell." I plaster a fake smile on as convincing as I could get it and thank her. I exit the office and follow her directions to the welcoming committee. I try and open the door, but it seems locked. Just as I'm walking away from the door, it opens, revealing a small girl with pixie hair. She looks at me blankly, almost confused. 

   "Well, aren't you coming in?" She walks back into the room, leaving the door open for me. I shrug my shoulders and follow her. The room itself is small, but I assume it's because of all the posters and bright sticky notes plastered around everywhere. The girl looks at me again but doesn't say anything. 

   "Um, hello. My name is Laya-". Before I could finish my sentence she starts to speak or rap, I couldn't tell. 

   "Layana Gayles! I've heard so much about you! Are you nervous? Excited? I would be. Or maybe not. It doesn't matter. Are you looking for a guide? Ooh, pick me! I'm the best guide! Once in third grade, I was the guide for the junior cl-". I blink rapidly as I wave my hands in her face. 

   "Woah there, slow down! There's this thing called oxygen, you should try it sometime. Yes, I'm looking for a guide. I just need someone to walk me through my classes, show me where the rooms are." 

As the door creaks open, we both turn to watch a boy in a hoodie walk in the room. I don't typically pay attention to guys, but when he takes off his hoodie, my breathing stops. His hair is curly and a rich brown. In his left ear, he had a fake gauge, which I would normally think was weird, but on him it was gorgeous. He had deep brown eyes, almost black and gorgeously tanned skin. He was built like a model, a tight Under Armour shirt showing off his most likely hardly worked for abs. I silently curse myself as I realized I had my mouth open a bit, but who could blame me. He nodded to the girl before his eyes shot to me. He looked me up and down, not saying a word, just letting a smirk slip onto his face. His voice comes out deep and raspy, 

   "Hello, My name is Jess. Are you looking for a guide?" He tugs my papers out of my hands and looks at my schedule. I open my mouth to protest, but he beats me to it. "We have all the same classes together, I'll just take you to your classes as the day goes on." The pixie-haired girl stares at Jess, pouting. 

   "But I wanted to take her to her classes!" He chuckles and shakes his head. 

   "This is Gracey, she is the head of the welcoming committee. Now, since that is settled, we should get going. The first bell will ring any moment." Without waiting for me, he walks out the door. I roll my eyes and follow him, knowing if I don't I will get lost in this giant school.

   Luckily, not all teachers make you introduce yourself if you're new. And since we're the seniors, we don't typically need to anyways. I follow Jess blindly into our next class. We all sit down and wait for the teacher to get off his phone. I nudge Jess and ask him if he knew where the restroom was. 

   "Well, from what I heard, Mr. Jay is pretty strict. You'll be holding it all period." he chuckled. I sigh frustratedly and cross my legs. This was undoubtedly going to be the worst class of the day. Jess must have noticed I was uncomfortable enough to fidget, so he looked at me and told me to appear sick. Now, considering I felt like I was going to explode, this wasn't hard. 

   "Mr. Jay? May I take Layana to the office? She isn't feeling well and doesn't know where it is." he called out. Mr. Jay pushed his glasses down and gave me a look over. I groaned loudly to sell the act, and he must have realized I "wasn't feeling well", as he told Jess to take me to the nurse. He shares a secret look with me and pulls me up with him, hauling me out of the door and down the hallway. He stops at the restroom and waits for me to finish. When I come out of the restroom he tells me to follow him- in the opposite direction of the classroom. He must have seen my confused look. 

   "If you were in fact 'sick', it wouldn't have taken that short of time to go to the nurse and get help. So for now," he smirks, "we're skipping."