Silence

Chapter 1

There's something about the night that's always appealed to me. Maybe it's the way you can be invisible even in a small town. Right now though, I'm the center of attention and not in a good way.

"Give it back," Mackenzie, aka, queen bitch, screams at me. I shake my head at her, very confused.

"I h-have a-a-absolutely no idea w-what you're t-talking about," I inform her but she's not listening.

"Mom! Alex took my necklace!" I pale as soon as I hear light footsteps head upstairs. Oh shit.

"What are you going on about?" Susan O'Conner asks, coming into the view which has me shaking. She may be only 5'2, but damn, she's intimidating. Her short, stiff, blond hair moves as she huffs, already annoyed with having to be within 10 feet of me.

"She took my necklace, Mom. I set it right on my desk and when I came back, she was in here and it was gone." Susan's soft eyes turn into icy ones as she turns to look at me, her mouth in a tight, firm line.

"You better fess up or you're sleeping outside tonight." That would actually be preferable if it wasn't so hot outside.

"I-I swear, I d-didn't take it. I c-came in t-to grab her laundry, l-like you a-asked." Susan raises an angry eyebrow and suddenly, I'm being dragged by my ear downstairs.

"We're going to talk to Roger about this as soon as he gets home. For now though, you're going into the basement." We pass the living room, my heart racing faster by the minute. Even though I've been thrown into the basement as punishment for years, it still scares the shit out of me. Something about being in the small, stuffy space with all the cobwebs and rat bones just puts me on edge. One time, I swear I heard someone whispering. Okay, that's a little farfetched but still, it's creepy.

Susan opens the old, creaky door and throws me down the steps. I'm used to it so I'm able to catch myself before I face plant. The light goes out as the door is shut, leaving me to face my demons. A big reason I hate this is that there's nothing stopping me from thinking or old memories coming back. Tears stream down my face as I slowly walk to my corner. I slide down the wall, sinking to the ground defeated and ready for the pain that will soon come. Closing my eyes, I dream of a happier time, one where I'm loved and not hurt constantly. It's ripped away as soon as I dream of how it all came crumbling down.

.

The next day, I silently get up and get ready for school. Certain motions stretches my ribs causing them to burn. My breathing is a little erratic but not too noticeable. It'll just seem like I'm out of breath from running instead of having trouble breathing because of bruised ribs. Grabbing my backpack, I slip out of the window in my room which is located in the attic, and onto the nearest branch. I swing down and make the long trip to school. The O'Conner's are located just a few miles on the outskirts of town, as is the rest of the pack. We usually like to stay close together but there are a few that live in town. Those ones are usually huge figures like the mayor or the principle of my school.

After a few hours, I arrive at school and start to look for my best friend. She's one of the only ones who accepts me for who I am. An awkward orphan who can't seem to speak without stuttering. Suddenly, arms wrap around my neck from behind and I know instantly who it is.

"D-Dixie!" I exclaim. She laughs and comes into my view. I whistle in approval, like I always do when I see her. My friend is the definition of hot what with her flaming red hair, bright green eyes and the light splatter of freckles on her nose. I truly don't understand how we're friends. We're complete opposites. Where she's short and all curves, I'm tall and as lanky as a 10 year old boy. The only thing I have going for me is a pretty nice ass and semi-big breasts. Other than that, I'm just plain Jane except for one unique feature. I have one brown eye and one bright, blue eye. I keep one eye covered by my long, black hair though so nobody really notices.

"You look good today, girl," Dixie comments, but I know she's just being nice. I just snort.

"H-have y-you looked in t-the mirror?" Her eyes sparkle with laughter as she winds her arm through mine and we make our way into the school. We walk and talk- her doing most of the talking- until we arrive at her first hour.

"Thanks for the company, dear. I'll see you at lunch?" I nod though it's not much of a question but our daily routine. She struts into her classroom, every guy within a hundred mile radius watching. How she doesn't notice, I'll never know. Sighing, I head toward my first hour, looking down at the ground. I should've been paying more attention because I suddenly run into a wall causing my ribs to ache. I bounce back a little and look up only to realize that it wasn't a wall I ran into. It was a guy and just my luck, he happens to be one of the best looking guys I've ever seen.

"Sorry, didn't see you there." His deep voice rumbles, causing me to melt a little at the warmth that's suddenly spreading across my body. Damn. I open my mouth to speak but afraid of stuttering, I stay silent. I just give him a weak smile, saying it's alright. I start to go around him when he speaks again.

"Not much of a talker, huh?" He smiles and damn if I don't fall to my knees right then and there. Luckily, I don't and instead, I shake my head. Cocking his head to the side, he grabs a paper from his pocket and hands it to me.

"I'm actually new here and need a little help finding my first hour, which we're already late for." Startled, I look around, surprised to find that the hallway is completely desolate.

"Fuck," I accidently spit out which sends hot guy into a laughing fit, turning my insides into mush.

"I think I like you, silent girl."