Apartment 502

Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

" go home" I said walking up to my best friend.

We were supposed to stay after school for Volleyball practice today.

"Why?" She asked, pouting her lip a tiny bit.

"I can't stay, I don't have a ride"

"I thought your mom was picking you up ?" Gretchen cocked her head to the side and stared at me, a blank expression played on her pale face.

"She can't, she has an appointment at 2:30"

She sighed, running her fingers through her honey colored hair. We walked out of the double doors, a burst of cool air hitting me as I looked up at the pale grey clouds in the sky.

She gasped, drawing my attention back to her. She snapped her head in my direction again, "Come over my house"

"No, I don't have a ride back" I looked down at my feet, tucking my hair behind my ears.

"My mom will take you home" she looked at me, with her green eyes pleading, "Come on Parker, we have to finish Mr. Kent's project anyways"

I searched her face for any type of expression, but she blocked my thoughts and inputs out as usual. I sighed, chewing the side of my cheek, knowing I had lost this battle.

"Alright, what bus do you take?"

"18" she replied enthusiastically and grabbed my hand as she started skipping to her bus, dragging me along right behind her.

A wave of fear came over me, as I realized its Tyler's bus..

We walked onto the crowded bus, searching for an empty seat, eventually finding one in the back next to Greg and his best pal James. They were in my history class, they never stopped talking. It gets kind of annoying if you're trying to work.

"Look here comes Tyler" she nudged me with her elbow from over the top of the leather barrier.

I looked up slowly, glancing very quick to see which way I should hide my face. I prayed he wouldn't sit next to me. She doesn't know what I go through everyday. No one does.

"Hey babe," I turned my head slightly to see Tyler smirking at me, his brown eyes looking at me deceivingly. A few may think its just an innocent smile, but I know exactly what was hidden behind it. I ignored him as he said hi again, pretending to have my headphones on. But immediately he snatched them out of my ears.

"I said hi" he repeated himself, his black hair swooped over his face, covering his eyebrows and forehead entirely.

"Hi." I managed to say faintly, enough for only him to hear.

I turned my head, looking out the dirty window, hoping he wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the ride to Gretchen's. I felt a small but painful tug on my hair. I knew he was only trying to irritate me, knowing I wouldn't stand up for myself. Another pull on my hair came after shortly, this time,he held on, whispering quietly so Gretchen wouldn't hear from the seat in front of us.

"You're only making things worse for yourself Parker." His fingers loosening their grip as he ran them through my hair.

I snapped my head away trying to move closer to the window, but he had a grip on my arm.

"You ignoring me isn't helping either." I looked at him and then down at my wrist.

"Tyler," I said, almost so quiet that he didn't hear me himself, "your hurting me."