Saved

We walked over to their house and first thing that I saw was a gray Tabby cat. I love cats but I was still in a bad mood so I just glanced around. There were stairs to the right and on the left was the dinning room that had a large rectangle table with and about 8 chairs. I saw a hall and that lead to a kitchen. I just stood there looking around and didn't notice when Mrs. Bryan walked up next to me until she started to talk.

"You are going to stay in the guest bedroom. If you will follow me, I will show you where it is." she said going up the stairs. I followed her and she stopped at the first door on the right.

"Here you are. Trace's room is just next door, the bathroom is across the hall and Lance and mine's room is at the end of the hall."

I assume that Lance was her husband. I nodded. "Thank you for taking me in." I said trying to smile at her.

"It isn't a problem dear. We are happy to help out someone in need." she smiled again then turned and walked out. I shut the door behind her and put my bags on the floor.

I looked around the room and saw that the walls were light blue. There was a dresser on one wall and a closet. I saw a window beside the closet and was just about to go and open it, when there was a knock tat the door.

I looked at the door then opened it. I saw Trace and just about shut the door again.

"Mom said, dinner is in 30 minutes." he said.

I nodded then glared at him. "I hate you, you know that right?" I said.

"I kind of figured that much." he said sighing looking a little sad.

"Well I'm here for only a few days then I'm gone as soon as I turn 18. I have everything all ready." I said then started to shut the door.

"What do you mean? Aren't you going to finish school?" he asked.

"I got kicked out. Remember, I punched a girl in the face today. Many times." I said.

"Ah but your not kicked out. I talked to Mr. Edwards and I told him what really happened and he said that you were fine and that you could go back tomorrow." he said smiling.

I glared at him. "Now you know that I have to drop out right? I'm leaving this town for good." I said.

"You can't. You have to go to court and tell your story." he said.

"You want to know the story of why I'm like I am and my parents are like they are? Fine I'll tell you after your parents go to bed tonight." I said then walked past him and walked down the stairs. I walked down the hall and passed the living room, where Mr. Bryan was watching TV. I kept walking until I was in the kitchen where Mrs. Bryan was cooking pasta.

"Mrs. Bryan, is there anything that I can do to help?" I asked her.

"Oh Devin, call me Beth. And if you really want to help you can butter the bread and put it in the oven." she said smiling at me.

I nodded and walked to the sink. I washed my hands then started to butter the bread.

Beth and I started to talk. At first I was guarded with what I said, but then I saw that she was listening to what I was saying and I started to talk freer. It was nice and Beth was nice too.

When dinner was ready, I helped her take it to the dinning room and she called Trace down to eat. He came running down the stairs and I just looked at him. Then I remembered the bread was still in the oven and ran back to the kitchen.

I pulled them out in a rush and for got to grab oven mitts. The pan was really to and I dropped it on the stove with a loud clatter. Trace and Beth both came running in. I was waving my hand back and forth trying get it to stop stinging.

"Devin are you OK?" Beth asked walking over to me.

"Yes ma'am. I just forgot the oven mitts." I said blowing on my hands.

"Hang on I'll get the first aid kit." she said and walked out of the room. I was looking at my hands and saw a shadow. I froze forgetting where I was and I flinched even though there wasn't a blow. I looked up and with fear written all over my face.

I let out a sigh of relief when I saw it was just Trace.

"What was that face?" he asked looking worried.

"What face?" I asked looking back down at my hands.

"That one you made when you saw my shadow?" he said.

"I don't know what your talking about." I said.

"Devin, how many times did your parents hit you?" he asked pulling my face up so that I had to look him in the eye.

"Not many." I lied.

"Devin, you can tell me. You are safe here." he said with honest eyes.

"Later." I said when I his mom walked back into the room.

"Here we go." she said as Trace stepped back and his mom started to bandage my hands up. Once she was done, I went to grab the bread pan again.

"Devin are you missing something?" Trace asked me as he handed me oven mitts.

"Oh yeah." I said and slipped them on. Then I took them into the dinning room and put them on a pot holder.

I looked at the table and smiled. Beth was sitting at one head of the table and Mr. Bryan was at the other. Trace was sitting on one side in the middle.

"I forgot to turn the oven off." I said and walked back into the kitchen. As I was walking back I stopped at the door and watched them for a minute. I saw how happy they were and how much they loved each other. I didn't belong here.

Yes I starting to fell like I belong somewhere but the truth was that I didn't. I sighed then walked in. I sat opposite of Trace and Mr. Bryan said grace. I didn't say anything, then they started to make their plates. I only put a little pasta on my plate and i didn't even eat it. I just pushed it around as I listened to them talk. They were such a happy family. When dinner was over, I offered to clean up, but Beth wouldn't let me.

"Devin, you are a guest in this house. You don't have to help." she said picking up her plate and standing up.

"I want to. I did all the cooking and cleaning at home, so I insist." I said as I stood up and picked up my dishes.

I saw her give a weird look to Mr. Bryan then smile at me. "At least let Trace help you. Its his turn to do the dishes." Beth said.

"Um.....OK." I said then walked to the kitchen.

I dumped my pasta in the trash and it was all there. If you haven't notice I don't really eat. I just eat breakfast bars but that's only a sometimes. Then I walked over to the sink and started to fill it with water. I added some soap then started to gather dishes that we used to cook with. When I turned back to the sink, I saw Trace sitting on the counter with a towel in his hands.

"You wash. I'll dry." he said smiling.

I just nodded and put the dishes in the sink. Then I reached in to the hot water and pulled out a plate. I grabbed the scrubber thing and went to work.

"Why didn't you eat anything?" he asked when I handed him the clean plate and reached for another one.

"I wasn't hungry." I said shrugging my shoulders. And just then my stomach gave away my lie by growling.

"Sure. Why don't you eat?" he asked looking at me.

I just handed him another plate and didn't say a thing.

"Come on Devin. There has to be a reason. Why don't you eat? You don't eat at school and you didn't eat at dinner, last night or tonight.

"Because when you have parents like mine, you have to have an empty stomach or it will come up." I said through my teeth.

"Why? " he asked as he dried a fork that I handed him.

"My parents didn't care if I was standing right next to them when they had sex. It was gross and it scared me. It would always came up so now I just don't eat." I started to wash again.

"Wow." was all he said.

Then hit me. I had just told him something about me. I froze. "Do not tell anyone what I just said. If you do, I will hurt you." I said then handed him the pan that I had just rinsed.

"OK you have my word." he said,

I looked at him and saw that he meant it. I just shrugged then finished washing the dishes. We were almost done when Trace thought that it would be funny to splash me. I looked over at him and saw that he was laughing so hard that he was about to fall off the counter. So I took a hand full of water and dumped it on his head. He stopped laughing and said "Oh its so on." then picked up one of the cups and filled it with water. I moved back glaring at him.

"You wouldn't." I said.

"Oh yes I would." he said then tossed it on me.

I squealed and stood there looking at him. "You are so mean." I said then grabbed the another cup and filled it with water. I turned and looked at him.

"You wouldn't." he said backing out of the kitchen.

"Yes I would." I said smiling at him and started to walk closer to him.

"Oh no." he said then took of running.

I smiled to myself then followed him. He ran out the front door and I was right on his heals. I chased him around the yard and then he tripped on a rock and fell to the ground.

I stood up over him and smiled down at him. "I have you now." I said smiling even bigger then poured the water on his face.

"You have a really nice smile." he said randomly.

I looked at him and stopped smiling. "Your weird." I said as I rolled my eyes.

I started to walk away but he grabbed my leg and made me fall on top of him. I had turned so that I was laying on my stomach on his stomach. I looked at him.

"Are you happy now?" I said and started to get up.

"Very." he said smiling.

I was going to say something when someone from the side walk called Trace's name. I looked up and saw some guys from the football team and a few cheerleaders.

I quickly got off of Trace and pulled the hood of my hoodie up. Trace looked at me then at his friends.

"I'm going to finish the dishes." I said then ran inside. I went right to the kitchen and finished the dishes. I was drying the last one when Trace came back in the house. He went to the living room and told his parents that he was going out with his friends. They told him to have fun and then he walked into the kitchen.

"So you want to come with us?" he asked leaning against the counter.

I looked at him and saw that his hair was still damp.

"No. I was thinking of going for a run." I said.

"You sure? I mean the guys want you to come with us." he said.

"I doubt that. You go and have fun." I said rolling my eyes then started to put the dishes up in the cabinet.

"Oh come on please. I really want you to come." he said begging.

"No. I don't get along with people at school." I said.

"I will get on my knees and beg if I have too. Come on! Please?!" he said.

I looked at him and saw that he was already on his knees looking at me with puppy dog eyes. I couldn't say no to that.

"You so owe me." I said as I put the last dish away.

"Yes!" he said then stood and started dancing.

"Let me go get a different hoodie. This one is wet still." I said then went up stairs. I went to the guest room and opened my bag. I changed hoodies and grabbed my iPod. Before I left the room, I pulled the hood up and put my ear buds in my ears. When I got down the stairs, Trace was waiting for me.

"I already told my parents that you where going with us so come on." he said.

I just nodded and we walked out the door. His friends were standing on the side walk talking when we walked up to them.

"Whats the freak doing?" Kenny asked Trace.

"I asked her to come with us." Trace said putting his arm around my shoulder. Notice that he did say I wasn't a freak.

I rolled my eyes and pushed Trace's arm away from me. I didn't say anything.

"Where are we going?" Candy, a cheerleader, asked as she wrapped her arm around Kenny's waist.

"I was thinking we could go to the pool house and have a few drinks play some pool." Kenny said.

I rolled my eyes. "Sounds good. Lets go." Tripp, another football player said.

So we started to walk to the pool hall which was less then a block away. They all joked around and I just stayed quite and listened to my music. When we got their all the guys went to the bar and got drinks. I just went to a table and sat down. I watched all the girls hanging on the guys like they would die if they let go. I even saw Haley hang all over Trace. It made me a little mad, but I reminded myself the we weren't even friends.