Chapter One – New Kid
Dear Diary,
Today is August 13th, my 16th birthday. A normal teenager would get a huge party with all of her friends, go dress shopping, and receive a ton of presents. Not me. I’m not your average 16 year old. I am Gabriele Neumann; a girl that hates her father, a girl hated by her father, a girl that is terrorized by her father. Ever since I was a little girl at age 6, my father started to brutally abuse me and my mother. I feel terrible on the inside. I look terrible on the outside. I can’t go anywhere without wearing sunglasses to cover my black eye. I can’t go anywhere without wearing a hoodie to cover my scared arms. I can’t go anywhere without wearing long pants to cover my bruised legs. I am mistreated, misunderstood, and second guessing my purpose on this planet. I can’t do anything because of my abusive father. My only safe place is at school. School…school… The place where I can get away from my father. The place where I feel safe…or at least I thought. My English teacher from junior year, Ms. Kamen, noticed the scars that covered my arms. She believed that I was depressed and started to cut myself…well, she’s right. I don’t only wear a hoodie to cover where my gather has beat me, but where I have beat myself. No one at school understands what I’m going through. I heard that there’s this new kid, Sebastian, which just moved here, in Chesterton, Indiana. Let’s hope that he might be the one person that actually believes my story….
Dear Diary,
Chesterton, Indiana. Great. My parents dragged me out of my high school and home in Australia to come here? You have to be freaking kidding me. My senior year I have to go to some stupid high school in a stupid old town in stupid Indiana! JUST GREAT! No one gets me. No one’s brain functions that way mine does. I’m Sebastian Dunkley, a misunderstood 18 year old outcast. Even though this town seems pretty run down, maybe the people aren’t too bad. I hope to find just one person that understands me. I want to find just one person. Is that too much to ask? All I’m asking for is just that, nothing else. Let’s get this first day over with.
“Okay Gabbie, pull yourself together. Today is your last first day of high school. You are extremely smart. Hell, you’re 16 and already a senior. I really hope that Sebastian kid is a senior too. Heck, let’s hope I have at least one class with him. Helen showed you his picture yesterday; gorgeous red hair and dreamy baby blue eyes. I can’t wait to meet him! Gabbie, FOCUS! You have Biomedical Sciences first period. Get your act together! Okay, I’m at my locker. What did I need again?’ Gabriele said to herself.
“Hey, I’m Sebastian. I’m new here. Do you happen to know where the senior Biomedical Sciences class is? I have it first period and I have no idea where I’m going.” Sebastian said in a non-confident voice.
“As a matter of fact I do. I have senior Biomedical Sciences first period too. I can walk you over there now, if you don’t mind.” Gabriele replied. “Sorry, I’m being rude. My name’s Gabriele. My friends call me Gabbie. Nice to meet you Sebastian.”
“Oh my gosh, she’s actually talking to me… I should get to know her better. She’s pretty cute.” Sebastian thought.
“Nice to meet you too Gabbie. Sorry to bother you with this, but you look too young to be a senior.” Sebastian stated.
“It’s okay. I get that a lot. I’m only 16. When I was younger, my test scores were extremely high and way over average so I got to skip second and third grade. Once I started fourth grade and so on, I’ve been bullied because of my age.” Gabbie replied.
“That’s really cool. I’m an outcast myself. I can barely reach a C+ in most of my classes, but when it comes to math and science, I always have a 115%.” Sebastian replied.
“That’s ironic. I really like math and science too. I guess we’re more alike than I thought.” Gabbie stated.
“You seem to really understand me. No one ever understands me.” Sebastian said.
“Same here. We really have a lot in common. You’re really cute. Would you uh….um….uh….” Gabbie said nervously.
“Be your boyfriend? Why of course.” Sebastian replied.
“Alrighty then. The Biomed room is right around the corner.” Gabbie stated.
“So, tell me more about yourself.” Sebastian remarked.
“My life’s way too complicated. No one ever believes my story anyway…” Gabbie said while feeling depressed.
“I bet I can keep up. Heck, if your life is anywhere near mine, I believe it.” Sebastian informed.
“If you insist. Ever since I was 6, my father he uh…um…started to uh…beat me and my mother. I swear that he has some form of secret video camera or a voice recorder placed around the house, because when I say one bad word in the privacy of my own room, he flings the door open and slaps me across the face. That’s why I wear all of this extra clothing; sunglasses to cover my black eye, a hoodie to cover the scars from myself and father, and long pants to cover the bruises. Honestly, I don’t understand why I’m still alive.” Gabbie revealed.
“Wait, did you say from yourself….Gabbie…. What have you been doing to yourself?” Sebastian questioned.
“I um… I…. I…. I um kinda… uh…. cut myself. Please don’t judge me. That’s one part that I never tell anyone. I just can’t handle all of this stress. I can’t even imagine how my mother feels.” Gabbie replied.
“Trust me; you’re not the only one who can’t handle all the stress.” Sebastian reassured while pulling up his sleeve. “Living in Australia was just perfect. I could go out to the Outback and observe all the beautiful animals in their natural habitat. That’s what I miss the most; the views, the animals, and the harbor. I can never have that again now that I’m stuck here in stupid old Indiana.”
“I lived in Germany until I was 6. Those were the good old days. Living in München was the life. All the museums and landmarks were gorgeous. Germany was just amazing, well I only remember everything from postcards stashed in my matress. My dad doesn’t let us keep anything from our past. I’m happy he hasn’t found my postcards yet.” Gabbie replied.
“Germany seems like a really nice place to live. Why does your dad take away your keepsakes?” Sebastian asked.
“He doesn’t want us to remember our life before he started to beat us. Mein Vater ist ein Miststück!!“ Gabbie screamed while looking out the window.
Suddenly Gabbie felt two hands around her throat, blocking her airway. A few seconds later she felt weightless, with no solid ground below her feet. Jakob Yetiv had pushed Gabriele out of the Biomed’s third story window. Why? No one knows.... no sane person can know....
