Chapter One

“Maria Vessey, please report to the office.” All eyes went on me. I hated attention. What I hated even more was getting in trouble. I was obviously in big trouble if I was being called to the office through the loud speaker. I soundlessly stood up from my desk and quietly pushed my chair in and then began walking towards the teacher’s front desk.

Several of the students ooed and awed mocking me.
Someone in the back of the classroom mumbled, “About time.”
Several other students nodded in agreement.

Mr. Burns, my teacher quickly scribbled a hall pass for me. He looked confused. I silently took the paper and continued my walk towards the classroom’s exit. Every one of my classmate’s wore the same expression of curiosity. A note passed between two of my grade’s biggest gossipers, Skye Lipton and Rachel Jacobs.

Skye Lipton was the author of note; I recognized her large cursive handwriting and the color of her light purple pen. “Wat do u think Miss Goody Good got herself in2?” I purposely dropped a nickel, to stall so I could see Rachel Jacob’s response. No one in class had ever paid much attention to me. Now all of a sudden I was Tuesday morning’s English gossip?

I stopped to pick up my nickel. While I was near the ground I realized my shoelace was slightly loose. I reached down to untie it so I could retie it into a tighter knot. Everyone was still staring at me. Mr. Burns did not look pleased that I was still inside his classroom. I slowly stood up, and glanced down the note, it had traveled back to Skye Lipton. "Dunno must’ve been pretty bad tho. She’s real pale ‘n she is totally stalling."

"W.E. Omg! Look, Brent is totally eyeing Carol up and he’s still dating Linda!"

I guess I wasn’t going to be the gossip of Tuesday morning’s English class after all. Oh well. I quickly walked out of the classroom and into the empty hall. Silence was everywhere. I sighed. What had I done that was so wrong? I was following the dress code; well our school didn’t really have a dress code, just lengths for how long or how high every piece of clothing had to be and what certain logos and clothing brands weren’t allowed in school. I was following it, I always did.

Maybe I was going to win an award? I couldn’t think of anything I had done to win one. The school staff wouldn’t pull me out of class and interrupt everyone’s morning just to tell me I won some stupid award anyway. So I had to of done something wrong. But what could I have possibly done?

Like Skye Lipton had written, I was sort of the ‘Goody good’ of my grade. By the end of the first day of school I had the rules for every classroom memorized, word for word. As well as all the rules for the school. Whenever there is a test, I am usually prepared for it. I’m not perfect though. Every now and then I get a few B’s. And I really, really struggle in my math class. But other than that I would say I am a pretty good student.

I don’t do drugs, smoke, or drink. Never have. No one has ever asked me to. I guess they automatically assume I would inform the principal of their illegal activities. To be truthful, I probably would. It would be for the best though, that stuff really messes with you up.

I know because both my parents were involved in it. I don’t remember much of my father, he left when I was two, but from what my brother has told me my father was pretty bad. After my father left, my mother started getting abusive. For a long time she was never able to hurt me, Mikey would never let her.

Well, last year Mikey got involved with the wrong kind of people and started doing all that crap too. One night he didn’t come home. My mother was drunk. She threw beer bottles, furniture, glass plates, and whatever else she could pick up at me. She was screaming some crazy stuff. She even blamed me for my father leaving. When Mikey finally did come home he found me on the floor, bleeding.