Lives in Crime

Chapter One: Kyle

I opened my eyes, just lying on my twin-sized four-post bed. When I realized that school would be starting in about forty minutes from the time appearing in my alarm clock sitting on the nightstand next to my bed, I groaned loudly. Just the word "school" made me think negative thoughts, but it was nothing new. I was sure everybody disliked school for some reason.

It wasn't the academics that I hated. Honestly, getting a decent education was the only reason why I even attended school. What I hated was the socialization. I really didn't have many friends, and usually, I was either ignored or judged. I didn't blame those boneheads, for I was pretty judmental myself, but I usually kept hateful comments locked up in my mind. I didn't share them out loud to make others feel bad about themselves.

Once I realized that just lying there and moping around wouldn't do me any good, I quickly sat up, then hopped out of bed. The carpet felt rough under my sweaty feet., and even rougher as I scuffled across the room, over to my closed door. I pulled it open and ran to the nearest bathroom. I stepped on the fairly clean linoleum of our restroom, sighed, then closed the brown, wooden door behind me.

Mrs. Carlson pulled the covers off of her daughter Rain's bed. Cold air hit the skin on her pallid body, so she shivered and brought herself to a fetus position, still keeping her gray eyes shut. Mrs. Carlson was just trying to wake Rain up for school, which she had no desire for. All she planned to do was finish high school, then graduate from a community college. Rain was not the most ambitious young adult.

Rain didn't appreciate her kind parents, either. They were too nice, too nurturing, and too nosy. Yes, eighteen-year-old Rain believed that she could take good care of herself by herself. She hoped to be independent, and couldn't wait for the day she'd move out of her house and start college.

"Honey, get up!" Rain's mother said in her smooth-as-honey voice. School will start very soon."

Rain opened her eyes, wide. "Fine." She grumbled. The faster she finished high school, the faster she could leave her parents. That turned out to be her motivation for the day.

Ian Radke ran down the stairs, heading straight for the front door. He hoped that he could get to school before his mother could find him. That plan didn't work so well, because his mom was dusting some tables near the door. The tables held little frog sculptures that Mrs. Radke would collect.

"Hi, Ian." she said before even glancing at her son. Once she looked, she added, "Why are you wearing makeup?"

Ian rolled his green eyes and pushed a dark chocolate brown part of his bands behind his ear. "It's just eyeliner. Mom." he insisted, trying to pass through.

"Eyeliner is for women. Go upstairs and wash that crap off of your face."  Mrs. Radke demanded.

"Mom! Nobody cares that I wear eyeliner!" Ian whined loudly. "It's my freaking style statement. Besides, everyone know not to freaking mess with me!"

Mrs. Radke sighed. Ian was a hopeless case. He was eighteen years old and believed he was invincible. She couldn't get him to stop wearing eyeliner, or even to listen to her. She just stepped aside and let him pass through.

In the basket of the shelf, there was a pile of candy bars calling her nane. Inside the packaging, chocolate covering a layer of almonds, then caramel, then a white chocolate filling awaited her. During her long diet, she never got to indulge herself, but now that she lost fifteen pounds, candy, here she comes.

Sadly, she didn't have any money with her. Savannah's stepdad was paying, so she grabbed the chocolate and ran over to her. He simply glared at her and shouted, "I'm not paying for that! We don't want you to get fatter than you are now. Put that damn thing away, save it for the children."

She blushed, feeling the store's eyes on her. After a second, everyone was back to business, even her stepdad. He never bought her anything, never cared. Savannah slowly retreated back to the candy aisle. Ever since her mother got remarried to a total jerk, her once wonderful family life sucked. She was lucky to be the most popular girl at school, or else her life would have been a catastrophe.

Why did it seem like no one cared? Savannah became angry and full of hatred, most of it toward her stepdad, Stanley. All he seemed to want was to take Savannah's mother for granted. Obviously, he didn't care about his own new stepchildren, Savannah and her brother, Sean.

She glared at the chocolate. Her mom was too busy to buy her even the simplest thing, and Stanley didn't care. Besides, it was a candy bar that costed a dollar, would the store even miss it? Without thinking twice, Savannah shoved the chocolate bar in her pocket and followed her stepfather, who was ready to take her to school.