Temporary Home

"So, Kels. Where are you from?" Ben asked as we sat under a tree outside.

"Whittier."

"That's cool. Why'd you move to Huntington?" Beth asked.

"Long story." They could tell I didn't want to talk about it, and dropped it.

"What're we going to do this weekend, guys? I can't stay in my house. I'll go insane!" Carson said, laying down and staring off.

"We could do something at my house. My parents are going to be out of town again," Joe suggested.

"Bonfire or party?" Derek asked.

"Both?" Joe smiled.

"You are not getting anywhere near the fire this time," Beth said, giving him a warning look.

"But, why not?" He asked, pouting.

"Because you almost set yourself on fire last time! You fricken pyro!"

"Just 'cause you're older by two months doesn't mean you can treat me like a two year old, Bethany," Joe said, sticking his tongue out at her and turned his head the other way.

"Well if you didn't act like one, I wouldn't have a reason to treat you like one." Everyone was laughing and shaking their heads at them now.

"Does he have ADD or something?" I asked Kevin.

"No, he was just born like that. If he started acting normal, then that would be the sign of the Apocalypse."

"That's cool. I like people who are out there. If we were all the same, then the world would just be straight up boring." Suddenly, I felt someone tackling me into a hug.

"I found my new best friend! All y'all bitches go find your own! She's mine. Sorry, Kev, you've been replaced," Joe stated. I just lay there, looking at him until he noticed my stare. He looked and jumped a little. "What?" He asked innocently.

"Get off." He slowly got up and Kevin helped me sit back up.

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I just don't like when people unsuspectingly hug or touch me," I said shrugging.

"We're a very tight knit group. So, hopefully you'll get used to it," Derek said, smiling softly.

"Yeah, so... Welcome to the family!" Jake said smiling.

The rest of lunch went pretty much like this. It was random and fun. They really made me feel like I was a part of them. They all had their own little twisted personalities that most people don't show. Beth and Joe are cousins, Jake and Carson are brothers, and the rest just met through friends of their parents. They've all known each other since they were in diapers. Now they were letting me into their group. It was a comforting feeling. Not many kids have this good of a first day.

"What's your next class, Kels?" Beth asked.

"Study hall," I said, looking at the paper. "I think I'm going to go to my locker then head over there," I said, standing up and grabbing my things.

"You want one of us to walk you?" Kevin asked.

"No, it's ok. I think I got it. Thanks though."

"Ok, we'll see you in P.E. then." Yes, they all had sixth period with me. This could get crazy…

"Alright. Bye, guys."

As I was walking down the empty hallway towards my class, I couldn't help but get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I kept looking behind me, thinking someone was there, but I was wrong.

Just as I was almost to the door, someone grabbed my arm and spun me around. The blood in my veins ran cold as my back hit the wall. "Well, well, well. Looky who we have here." It was the creep, Colton, from first period, the one I had told off.

"What do you want?" I managed to ask.

"I would think it was obvious." His right hand slowly slid down to my hip, and kept going lower to an inappropriate place.

I pulled my hand back and smacked him across the face. "Keep your hands to yourself, you sick bastard," I said, trying to get away from him.

He growled and back handed me. I could taste the blood in my mouth, and knew my bottom lip would swell in the next few minutes. "Don't you dare fucking talk to me like that, you whore," he hissed. "You will give me what I want whether you like it or not." He released his death grip on my wrist just as the bell rang, and walked off.

Memories were flooding my mind, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there. But I knew I couldn't. I decided on sucking it up and walking into the class.

When I got to P.E., Coach Kenny let me sit out since I didn't have a change of clothes. I was sitting on the bleachers, when Derek came to sit up with me. "Hey, you ok?" He asked softly. I just nodded. "Are you sure? You seem upset about something." I had my hood up, and he was sitting on the side that Colton hadn't hit me on. So he couldn't see the damage.

"I'm fine... Just thinking."

"Hey, Chicky. What's u- What the hell happened to your lip?!" Joe freaked as he sat on my other side.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," I said, pulling my hood up closer.

"Kels, that isn't nothing. Who did this to you?" Kevin asked, as the rest of them came over.

"No one, I'm a klutz. Really, I'm fine." Coach blew his whistle for them to line up. Saved by Coach!

After class, Kevin still wouldn't drop it. And since he was in seventh period English with me, he kept pestering me about it. "I'm serious, Kevin. Just drop it, I'm fine." I felt bad for snapping at him, but I just wanted to forget about it and he wasn't making that easy.

After school, I went out front and spotted Brian's Escalade. I got in the front passenger seat and noticed all the guys were in here also. "What happened to your lip?!" That was the first thing I was greeted with.

"What? No 'how was your day? Did you make any friends?'" I said sarcastically as I threw my bag at Zacky in the back.

He cleared his throat and took off. "Hey, Kels. How was your day? Did you make friends? Oh, and what the hell happened to your lip?!"

"Just me being a klutz," I said, pulling my hood up and laying my head against the window. He realized he wasn't going to get anything else out of me, so he went on to something else.

"Well, we're going to the mall to get you some things. Phone, lap top, etc.," he explained as he drove. I looked into the back with a horrified look in my eyes.

"What?" Johnny asked.

"I have to go to the mall with you guys?" I asked.

"Gees, don't sound so enthusiastic." Matt smirked.

"You're really going to let Jimmy loose in the mall?" I asked. They all groaned, finally catching onto my point.

"Better call in the girls. We're gonna need back up," Zacky mumbled, pulling out his cell.