Unpredictable - l.h.

1

"Maddie! Get down here!" My mother yells from the kitchen. I pull on my shirt and grab my backpack before running down the stairs. "Maddie! Now!" She yells. "I'm coming!" I yell back.

As soon as i reach the kitchen i'm greeted with a slap. "Don't talk to me that way, young lady!" I hold my cheek and cower back. "I-i'm sorry." I reply. "You better be! Don't come back tonight." She tells me.

"Why?"

"I'm bringing home a guy." She replies and smirks. My stomach churns and i look away. "O-okay. I'll find somewhere to stay." I tell her and pull my bag onto my shoulders, ignoring the rumbling in my stomach. I don't have time to eat.

I step out of the kitchen and walk to the front door. "Goodbye..." I close the door behind me. Where am i going to stay? I'll ask Ashton... He won't mind anyways. His parents are never around anymore. His uncle comes to check on him once in awhile, that's all.

I walk down the street and towards my school. Maybe i'll see Ash today... Probably not. He's most likely with those other guys. I've only met two of them so far... Luke and Calum. They are both very attractive... But i'm not allowed to date, or even be around boys like them! My mother would beat me more than ever before...

I finally approach the school. School and Ashton's house are my only escape from my horrible home. I walk into the school and go to my first period. About ten minutes into the class i hear a groan.

"I don't fucking get it!" A boy exclaims from the back of the class. "Language, Mr. Clifford!" Mrs. Laney exclaims. "Maddie, will you please go to the hall and help Michael for this period?" Mrs. Laney asks. I can see the desperation in her eyes. She really doesn't want to deal with Michael. I nod and take my things to the back of the class to get him.

"My name is Maddie." I say once we emerge into the hallway. "I'm Michael..." He mumbles and sits down. I sigh and fix my shirt before sitting next to him. Michael had hair that kind of looked like galaxy. It was cool. But i'd never dye my hair like that. My hair is nice and blonde.

"What don't you get?" I ask him and take his paper in my hands. He seemed to be doing okay... But he did need some help. "Questions three through twenty..." He chuckles. "That's like the whole paper!" I exclaim and laugh.

"But i'm dumb!" He says back.

"You are not. You just need help!" I tell Michael. "Maybe you could tutor me?" He offers. I think for a moment. He does need a lot of help... I guess i'll do it. "Sure. Uhm.." I say while getting a pen and a sticky note. "Here's my number." I tell him and stick the note on his journal. He smiles widely, "Thank you, Maddie."

"It's nothing, Michael. I love helping people." I reply while smiling. "Now let me help you with this, and i'll come to your house tonight after school if you can drop me off?"

"Of course." He smiles and pays attention to what i am saying about his assignment. I know how Michael asks. He hangs around with Luke (who i met a few days ago), Ashton and Calum.

Ashton is my best friend. He has been since the sixth grade. He is completely different from me, but he knows me better than anyone else. I only hang out with Ashton sometimes because my mother hates him.

"So tell me about yourself..." Michael demands with a smile. "Uh, i am 16. I like reading... And blogging. I love blue and green. I live with my, uh, mum. I have a secret love for skateboarding." I pause.

"That's all really..." I mumble and write down some notes for Michael. "That's all?" He asks and i nod my head. He shrugs and scoots closer to me. "Aren't you Ashton's friend?" He questions.

"Yup." I reply.

"Cool, cool. Well i'm his friend too. So that makes us friends!" Michael exclaims. I laugh slightly and rub my cheek. It's still a little sore.. But i'll live. I've gotten worse than just a slap.

"So you'll meet me outside by the bushes after school?" I ask before the bell rings. "Yup. See you then Maddie." Michael smiles and walks down the hall. Well now i've met all of the boys. I think i like Michael the best. Not in that way, he's just super cool and nice. I actually got to speak with him.

I turn and walk the opposite way and off to my second period, which is art. Next i have health and then lunch. Art is my favorite class because i can express myself.

I think back to what happened this morning... I wasn't really surprised when she slapped me. And i wasn't surprised when she said that she's planning on bringing home a guy either.

Ever since dad died, mum has been a wreck. It was three weeks after dad's funeral when she first hit me. It was two months after that that she beat me. Dad died when i was ten, so i've been getting slapped, yelled at, beaten for six years. Our house is a mess. Like a really big mess. Mum likes to keep things that have no meaning.

Like the garbage from last month. We have stacks of national geographic magazines. Bins full of old stuff. Just everything is cluttered. Luckily it hasn't gotten to the point where i can't walk in the halls. But it's still a mess.

Ashton is the only one that knows about my life at home. At school i'm really quiet and calm. I do my work and never start things with people. At home i'm stressed, hurt and broken. I wish things were different. Just two more years and i can leave.

Ashton knows the real me. And i like that. He has seen me at my worst. He has seen me be wild at one point. But around others i'm calm and collected.

I'm just really glad that i'm friends with Ashton. I'm really interested in his three friends though... They're so free and happy. Always going on road trips and not afraid to be themselves. Where i sit alone half the time pretending to be this quiet girl. Though i really do care about getting straight A's so i can get into the good college so i can hopefully move far, far away from my mother.

I enter my classroom and sit in my assigned seat.

Before i know it the last bell rings. Now i get to go to Michael's house and help him. At least i made a new friend...

I walk out the front doors and wait by the bushes. "Hey nerd." Some guy shouts to me. I sigh and look down. They continue the rude comments and soon Michael walks up to me. "Ready?" He smirks and snakes an arm around my waist. "Don't let them treat you like that." He whispers in my ear and flips off the boys behind us, leaving them speechless.

"Thank you." I reply and walk with him to his car.