The Girl Next Door

Companion book to The Boy at My Window

She got up and opened the window. "What are you doing here?" she asked sounding kind of nervous.

"I need somewhere to stay and your house is the closest."

I saw her eyes wander to the bruise forming on my cheek.

"Don't you have a friends house you could go to?" she asked me.

Honestly I had two friends and they lived across town. I wouldn't be able to get there without my dad finding me.

"That's the first place he'd look." I told her seriously.

She bit her lip nervously.

"Come on, Shaina. It's only one night." I coaxed her.

Finally, she nodded and stepped away from the window.

*This story contains scenes of bullying, self-harm, drugs and abuse with some mature language.