PROLOGUE

I never thought anything would happen to me. I only thought. Never pictured.
It hurts.
It hurts bad.

Thinking of the pain and how strong he is, isn't making this any better. How long must I wait for him to finish? How much longer?


He moaned a little louder as I tried screaming for help louder. He covered my mouth hastily, sealing his hand. With his other hand, he gripped my bare waist tight, pulling my body in and out repeatedly.

I became weaker and weaker. With every movement, I lost more breath ans strength. My scream was now transforming into a sharp sob. It was never going to end. Never.....so dark...and so cold.

















COLLISION


I jump up, gasping for air in my bed. A couple of drops of sweat rained down my watery neck. My head creased in relief. Ebonie, my oldest sister, jump up, too.

"What, what happened?"

I shook my head, "N-nothing. I don't really remember. I know it was a dream, though." I only want it to be a dream. That's all. I have no idea what my dream was. And that's a good thing. I think.
"You sure? You're cool?" She said merely mad and worried.

"Yeah. I'm fine."



Then, like a bullet, the murkiness fade away. Light came seeping into my window, forcing me to wake up. I only guessed it was about six:thirty. Maybe less....maybe more. Who cares?
I jump into the shower, come out fully clothed, and still have enough time to waste. All because of Ebonie.

"Im cominnnnngg!!" She screechs through the bathroom door. The shower water overrode her insipid tone.

After a while of waste, she is finally ready to leave. We head to my new high school, in our baby blue Nissan Altima.



"Y'know, we have to, like, get a new apartment. One bedroom is not! gonna cut it. Really. I can't take it."

"Well, until we get jobs," I peep at her quickly, "We're not getting anywhere."

"Right."
We ride in silence for merely a minute, then Ebonie has enough gut to brake silence.
"I may be moving soon."
"Why?" I say, my facial expression clueless, "Mom said we have to share."

"Gabby, sharing has nothing to do with it. Plus, I let you do everything. I want my own. I let you drive, I'm barely even in the apartment. I'm about to be twenty-one, Gabby. What am I to do!?"

I think about what she says, but feel careless and hurt. More like betrayed. ".........Not leave me." That is my only answer.

"I understand that you love me and need me, but I need some space. Really. It's not you.....it's me."

"Sooo, you wanna leave?"

"Yes, when you put it that way...yes. I really do. I'm not even gonna lie." Ebonie swing her long, black ponytail. "I promise I'll visit. You don't have to worry about anything. Anything. This is you last year in school, you gotta start—

" How am I gonna get to school?" I ask. I feel a sharp thrust in my throat and a burn in my stomach. I want to stop.

But stop what?

"Rex bought one for me." She add.


Rex.


Her boyfriend Rex. The guy that winks a me every time he sees me. That Rex.....Rex.


"So, basically you're gonna leave me......for Rex?" I confirm.

"No. I'm gonna leave you for you. Get some friends, hang out, party, GET A BOYFRIEND! Something that can make you seem happier." Her sweet voice makes tears fond in my eyes.


What if I never see you again? What if you like it that way? What if something goes wrong, a tragedy; that sends me into crude depression. Why must I suffer? I suffer enough right now, why more? The wind in my stomach twist more and more. It coils as I think of it. How can she do this?

How?


To me? To our dead mother. To herself. How...why?

"I know, you're probably mad like hell, but G, I have to grow . We cant be stuck together all our lives. We can't grow old and die this way."

"Why wouldn't we? We're blood, we're sisters. You. Don't need me."

"We have to have our own, Gabby. You don't get that?"

"No. I guess I don't." I say tersely.


No! I don't get it at all.


I never will and that's the end. The sun shine on Ebonie's smooth auburn skin, causing her glittery eye-line to shimmer. Ebonie's so beautiful, but her attitude isn't at all. Her soft green eyes and her perfect structures make Rex the luckiest man alive.

I just can't believe she's with him.

I just can't believe Ebonie is doing this to me. On my first day of my senior year. This isn't love at all. This is not thoughtful matters of others than own self, this is selfishness and cruelty.

Unnecessary cruelty.

Painful cruelty.

I pull up at my, un-shocking, and quite diligent, new school. Ebonie and I moved here in Baudette from Seattle after our mother died. Now that she's gone, everything is a screw up. I barely talk anymore. I just express myself through arts and crafts. Rarely even that.

"Lake. Of. The. Woods High School?" Ebonie read aloud like a subordinate reader. "I'll leave the car here. Rex is picking me up....from here. He should be here right—"

Beep! Beep! Rex blow his horn behind us. His loud rock music make it hard to hear my own thoughts.

Ebonie weakly grin, signalling 'see you around'. I scowl.

"Fine," I answer without any sympathy for Ebonie. Snatching my backpack, I hop out the car. Ebonie toss me the car keys, exiting the car ,too. " The house keys are on here." She wander to Rex's all black Mercedes Benz. Rex wave at me while Ebonie blow a wet kiss. I roam into my new school, ignoring them.

While I walk, the coil, the twist, it engaged.

It stroke me with a sharp turn. I inhale in and out quickly as they drive away.


Rinnng!


The bell ring for us to go to our classes. I guess announcements are next. Students depart off of buses, shouting, and, must I add, being seniors. Maybe being in an only-twelfth-grade high school make them happier than knowing this is their last year in school. Hmm.

I roam onto the sidewalk of the school, with my head down as far as possible (afap). I walk until I bump someone. I am scared to look into the face of my accident, but I must to apologize. If I don't, guilt will be my main motive. My eyes immediately jump up to see the face of my accident. It is a silver-eye—brighter than coffee, more like peanut butter color guy with deep brows. I urgently apologize.

"S-sorry. I'm so sorry."


He eyeball me and walk away with his forehead creasing and his hand cupping his mouth. Two other guys in black follow him. The first to follow is tall. He's chestnut with dark hair as well as the shorter one. The shorter guy's the same tone as my accident guy, but smoother and more olive toned. I can tell that he's the troublemaker because of his beauty. He's pretty and that describes the bad boy in him. I can only tell.


In the hallway, as I'm making my way to my first class, it seems as if every student knew each other. I say this because every student I see are playing like friends; girls chatting like friends, boys conversing and shouting like friends.


Me?


I walk, sliding my fingers through my chocolate hair. A curl slap my face while I hastily glance down. The pretty troublemaker nudge my shoulder and laugh. Not a mocking laugh, a I'm-gogin-to-get-you-my-pretty laugh.


A cute chortle.


I clench my teeth together, angrily. Glancing up, I see the troublemaker pull on his licorice-black leather jacket like a business man that has gotten jacked up and he's trying to fix himself and act strong. He gaze at me, licking his full lips and smiling. His smile is soo radiant. Immature.


I turn away quickly, not even looking back.


While I peep at me schedule for merely a second, two blonde, tan girls with very short skirts stop me.


"Hi, my name's Tory."


"Annddd I'm Tina." Then, they both say at the same time," And welcome to Lake of the Woods High School!"