Different.

Chapter 2

When we crossed the school gate, my other girl best friend Amanda came up to me. "Hey Snow!" She said and it seemed like she was in a really bubbly mood. "Hey there Amanda, you seem happy? What's the news?" I said and raised an eyebrow. She chuckled and grabbed my arm. "Well I got to go! I'll catch you later!" I said to Jake and he nodded. Amanda pulled me away and talked to me alone. "So? How's it with you and Jake?" She asked me, and she knew that I liked him. "Well, nothing different. And I don't think it's gonna be anything, either." I said but that thought didn't make me sad. She patted my shoulder. "There there" she said and I smiled. "Hey, I'm not sad about it. I don't want to loose what me and him have as friends anyway" I said and she nodded in agreement. "Anyway, what's happened? Spill the gossip." I said and she smirked. "Well you know..." she started to talk about how this really cute guy invited her for a date. I was really happy for her since I knew she liked him at the time as well, and it was her chance to shine. I've never had any experience with a guy, like on a date or anything for the entire life. You know, my mom always taught me to wait for the right one, so I never really liked anyone, and when I started to have feelings for Jake, I freaked out. I thought they'll go away but they obviously didn't because four years after and I'm still in love with him - ironic.

Me and Amanda gossiped until it was time for tutor, it was like our normal routine; we would gossip for half an hour straight until the lesson started properly, and god help the teacher who has both of us in their class. In school I was that nerdy type, but also had s smart mouth when it came to the right moment, and that's why I never end up being in trouble - I know how to use words to my advantage. There were many situations like that when my mouth helped me to get out of trouble. But anyhow, I made my way to tutor.

My tutor had all the popular girls in it - and as you probably are thinking they would bully me, but no; me and then actually got along pretty well. I have never had any trouble with bullying myself, well such as mental bullying or name calling, but I have been pushed around a few times by guys, but I don't think much of it - I just brush it off.

I got inside my tutor and sat with my little group of friends. "Hey guys!" I said and sat down. "Hey Snow! How's Jake?" Amber asked. I raised a eyebrow. "Okay, why is everyone asking me about him?" I asked and they all looked at each other and then back at me, without saying a word. "Well?" I continued. "Well, we heard something about him..." Jessica said and I got intrigued. "Go on?" I said and she carried on. "We heard that he likes you, but doesn't know how to tell you" she said and my eyes widened. "You must be kidding me" I said laughing, but their faces were dead serious. "You can't be serious? Where did you even hear that?" I asked. "We have our ways" Jessica answered and winked. I wasn't surprised that they knew that kind of stuff, since they were those type of girls that would find out anything about anyone within 0.5 seconds. So my guess is that they did some research, but I don't believe them. Even if it was true, it won't change anything.

The bell went and I went to my first period - double maths. I didn't mind maths. Some people say that I'm weird because I enjoy maths, I say that I like maths because it takes me to another world, like a good book.

After an hour and twenty minutes of maths, I walked out the class and found Jake. Me and him usually hanged out at break. He was waiting for me at the usual spot and walked over to him smiling, remembering what the girls told me. "Hey. How was your lesson?" He asked and I sighed. "It was not bad. You?" I asked. "Yeah not bad. Better if it was with you though" he said and winked jokingly. He always did that to me so I just laughed because I knew he was joking.

The whole day went by, and it was time for the last lesson. As I walked in the class, I felt my iPhone vibrate. I checked it and it was the following message from my mother. "Darling, your dad came home earlier than usual..seems like he won't be doing his night shift...he's also drunk, as per usual, and you know what that means? Make sure to get home on time and act good, okay? Love, mom xx" which sent shivers down my spine all the day to my toes. My dad was supposed to be having a night shift and was meant to come home at like 2am, but since he was drunk, I bet they didn't let him. This wasn't the first time this happened that my dad missed his night shift because of his alcoholism. What I'm most scared about is what is he going to do. I quickly screenshotted the message from my mother and sent it to Jake with the caption "Jake, I'm scared..." and put my phone back in my pocket to try to learn. I knew I wasn't going to concentrate but at least I had to.

It was five minutes until the end of school and we have finished all our work so the teacher let us go on out phones. I took my phone out and there was a message from Jake "Oh shit! Well don't worry, meet me by the lockers and we will talk about this okay? Don't worry, I got you xx" which made me smile. He always had my back whenever this kind of crap happened, and I'm glad he did because I don't know where I would be right now without him by my side.

I walked out of the classroom and went to the lockers where I was meeting Jake. "Hey.." I said while catching my breath. "Hey, did you run?" He asked and I nodded. "Kinda? Let's go" I said and pulled him out of the school. "Whoa! You need to chill!" He said and stopped me. "What do you mean! I have to hurry up and get home otherwise I'll be in deep trouble with my dad" I said and literally started speed walking. Jake caught up to me and stopped me again. "Snow, take a deep breath! You'll be fine. You can't keep being like this okay? Now take it easy and slow down, this is not a race for god sake" he said and that kind of calmed me down. I nodded and took a deep breath and walked slowly. We got on my road and he stopped me few houses before mine. "If anything happens, message me and I'll get you out of there straight away" he said and hugged me and I nodded in fear. "I will, and thank you" I said and tried to smile. He hugged me again and then walked away and left me at my house door. For a second, I hesitated to walk in.

I then took another deep breath and slowly turned the key and walked inside the house. I quietly shut the door behind me and room my shoes off. "I'm home!" I shouted and my dad came; he really did look drunk. "Where have you been?" He asked really seriously. I swallowed really loudly in fear. "I was walking home with a friend of mine" I said the truth and he raised his voice at me. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT. I BET YOU WERE FUCKING SOME RANDOM GUY LIKE THE SLUT YOU ARE! WALKING HOME WITH MY FRIEND MY ASS" he shouted at me and my mom came into action. "What's going on here?" She said while I was at the edge of tears. "Dad, honestly. I was walking home with Jake" I said shaking. He didn't take it well. "ARE YOU HEARING THIS JANET? OUR DAUGHTER IS GETTING LOST WITH GUYS AND NOT COMING HOME ON TIME" he said and my mom reminded silent. "Mom? Say something!" I glared at her but she shook her shoulders. "You just going to let him shout at me for something I haven't done?" I said and she gave me a very sorry look. I knew my mom was scared of my dad too, but she could at least defend me. "DO NOT TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT!" My dad shouted and slapped me across the face with rings that he had on his hand. I screamed in agony and looked at my mom, she was helpless. "YOU BITCH! I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER" my dad said and I started crying.

My mom remained silent while I ran upstairs in tears and pain from the punch my dad just gave me and the words he said that hurt me real bad. This isn't the first time it's happened, but it still affects me. I know I act like it doesn't, but inside it does. I went into my room and slammed the door behind me. As usual, I slid down my door crying my eyes out with pain. It was really hard to breathe at that point as the tears kept falling down quicker and quicker. I stopped them and turned my eyes and with all the strength I had left inside of me, I pulled myself up and went I've to my mirror; I was a mess. My check was all swollen and red from the punch and it was hurting like hell. I quickly pulled out my phone and dialled James's number and called it.

"Hello?" he said and tried caching my breath between my tears. "Hey Jake...I..." I started but the tears made it impossible to speak. "Oh my days, Snow what happened now? Why are you crying?" He sounded concerned. "My dad punched me with his hand that he wears his rings on...I have a mark on my cheek....please come and pick me up? I can't stay in this house any longer today" I said and he fell silent for a second. "Be there in a few, pack your things and you'll be sleeping over at mine" he said and I thanked him and hanged up.

I quickly packed my stuff like my pjs and my phone and all the rest of it, and slid out my window to the back yard where my parents wouldn't see me, and it would be very easy to escape.