No one ever moves to my small town,

especially in the middle of the semester.

But more than a few U-HAUL trucks were

passing my road and still coming. Finally, just

when I was getting curious, the line ended

with a dark blue Ford -150 pulling a trailer.

Even in the faint morning light, I could see

horses in the trailer. The horse farm-just a

couple blocks over from us- was for sale. It

was a huge ranch with rolling hills perfect

for grazing horses. The yellow ranch house

was surrounded by woods, which most of the

town was. The town, Sunset Valley, was set

right in the middle of a huge patch of forest.

Not a lot of people knew about this place,

since the major highway that leads out was a dirt road. Only a few people lived here, but most worked in the next town over, or online. The closest civilization was a small city, Wal-Mart being the biggest market in it. What would it matter with one more family in town? Besides, I wasn't even sure if they had a kid our age. Might just be a couple with some money wanting to live in a small town.I rolled my eyes at myself as I slipped on my favorite pair of sweatpants. I wouldn't talk to any new kid anyways-

"Danny, get your ass down here and cook breakfast! We're starving just because you feel like sleeping in!" I flinched at my father's voice and squeaked audibly, although he couldn't hear it. I knew he didn't expect me to replying- since I never did.- but that meant I had at most thirty seconds, or less considering his mood, to get down there. So, I grabbed my shoes, and my bag filled with my school books and hurried down the stairs. When I stepped into the kitchen I was greeted with a hand to the cheek lightly, at least for my father. "you're late," he growled.

I closed my eyes tight and nodded, touching my hot cheek with my cool fingers in hope to cool it down. It didn't help at all. I threw my stuff out onto the chair into the living room and glanced at my beautiful sister sitting expectantly at the kitchen table, applying hordes of makeup. She hardly looked at me before answering my unasked question. "Eggs and yogurt. On the double, since you were late." She scowled quickly at me before going back to her makeup. I sighed lowly and nodded, getting out the skillet and placing it on the stove. I looked at her again as I got out the eggs.

She sighed irritably and rolled her eyes. "Sunny side up, like always." She blinked her big, mascara clouded brown eyes to herself in the tiny mirror she held in front of her. She ran her fingers through her long curly highlighted blond hair and fluffed it up. She had perfect body that teenage guys loved, and showed it off a little too much. But the guys didn't seem to mind.

I fixed it exactly like she liked it, placing a cup of yogurt in front of her, only 80 calories of course, while I cooked the eggs. I made another for me, two for Father, and one for Mother; I could hear her in the shower. I put them all on a plate, getting the four pieces of toast and two glasses of orange juice for my parents. I took the plate for Father and gave it to him, who accepted it without an ounce of thanks in his dark blue eyes that swarmed with anger just like a tornado. I placed Mother's on the empty place at the table, along with their two glasses. I ate mine quickly, hardly chewing and went into the living room to put on my tennis shoes. I pushed my straight chocolate brown bangs behind my ear (although they didn't quite reach) and tied my shoes. I flicked my hair behind my back as I stood. My eyes almost the exact same color as my hair, the same big brown eyes my sister had. Although I didn't cover my lashes with mascara, only a little (something my mother made me do). I reached in my bag for my IPod, and, when I found it, plugged it in my ears. Putting the MP3 Player in my pocket, I slung my bag over my shoulder and rushed out the door. Walking to and from school was my favorite part of the day, since Destiney wouldn't bother giving me a ride. But I honestly didn't mind. It was only when the weather was bad that I would want a ride; although I knew she would never give me one. She didn't want anybody at school knowing she was related to me, even though half of the school knew already. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool air nipping slightly at my skin, indicating the coming winter. The falling snow, the Christmas trees the cool weather...I loved it all.

When the loud voices and blaring horns interrupted my music, I knew I was already at the school. I looked up to see Destiny and he boyfriend, Jake making out just outside her

car. I scowled and walked past them briskly, taking out my earphones and placing my iPod back into my bag. I walked up to my locker and slowly opened it. As I switched out my morning and afternoon notebooks, I heard a shoulder connect with the locker next to mine. I looked up to see Jake's dark blue eyes smirking down at me. The top of his black air was spiked up. I blinked at him, confused as to why he was here, looking as if he wanted to talk to me. Not that I would answer.

I closed my locker door and put my bag over my shoulder again, beginning to turn away. Jake grabbed my upper arm in a tight grip to stop me. I winced and froze in place.

"Aren't you going to say hit to me?" He asked in a charming voice. I wanted to rip my arm from his grasp, but I was scared he would just do something worse.

I shook my head and closed my eyes. But they flew open as he pushed me up against the lockers, releasing my arm from his grip and instead placing it just above my head. His other arm held my waist, trapping me in. My heart hammered in my throat, fear gripping me in its tight claws. His eyes hungrily searched my body up and down, and his hand slid up under my shirt. My eyes flickered around for someone to help me, or a teacher to stop him.

"Aw, c'mon, that's not very polite. Just say something, anything. C'mon, virgin." He teased.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. It was something the whole school teased me about, something I was proud of. I didn't want to be anything like my family. Everything they did, I did the opposite. They curse, I don't. They take advantage of the opposite gender every time they can, I don't. Every word that comes out of their mouth is hurtful, so I just don't speak.

I pushed him away, something I knew I would regret later, but I didn't care. He scowled at me. I tightened my grip on my bag and took a step away when a shrill voice stopped me.

"Danny, you whore, what do you think you're doing with my boyfriend!" My sister, Destiny shrieked, stomping over to me. I flinched at her words and she pointed a perfectly manicured finger in my face. "You are SO gonna get it tonight." She growled, huffed, took Jake's hand and led him away.My hands were already trembling when Jake looked back at me and winked before kissing Destiny on the head and pulling her tighter to him by wrapping his arm around her waist.

My hands were still shaking when I sat down at my empty table in U.S History class. Slowly, and steadily, I took my notebook out, opened it up to a new page and pulled out a pencil. The thoughts that were running through my mind were mot good, and scared me to death. My father punching me in the eye, in the stomach, kicking me everywhere his feet could reach. All of them ended with me bloodied, bruised, and defeated when I had done nothing wrong. At the back fo the class, I hung my head in my hands, trying to calm down. Tears sprung in my eyes, but I held them back.Not in school. Not here. Once my hands had steadied some, I began to take the notes scribbled on the board about the Civil War. I was done before the bell rung, and flipped to the back of the notebook and continued writing my short stories. My stories were where I wasn't hit, I could actually speak to people without being scared, a world where I had a boyfriend—a good one. These stories, the books I read, my music…they were the only escape I had. And I loved every minute of it.

"Miss Kimble," a deep voice said, bringing me back into my miserable world. I looked up into my teacher's hazel eyes hidden behind black rimmed glasses. I blinked at him to indicate I was listening. He sighed. "Miss Kimble, we are going to be having a new

student coming into our class tomorrow. I wanted you to know he would be sitting next to you."

He? My eyes widened and I shook my head. I was happy sitting by myself. This was my favorite class; he couldn't ruin it by pacing a new kid next to me! A boy no less! He was going to ask me so many questions, and I wouldn't be able to answer him. No, I could not sit next to a new kid.

Mr. Louis shrugged. "I'm sorry, Danny, but we have no other room for him." he looked like he wanted to pat me on my shoulder or something, but he knew I didn't like to be touched. "I'll inform him of your…speechimpediment." That'll just make him ask more questions! I thought, my shoulders dipping. I ran my fingers through my hair as he turned around and left, strolling back up to the front and beginning the lesson.

I had seen the trailers passing my home earlier today, but I didn't think there would actually be a new kid! A new kid in Sunset High School was almost unheard of. Something that almost never happened. Everyone would be falling all over him, no matter how cute or ugly he was. And that meant everyone would be over at my table for 1st period. People would expect me to maybe

talk to him, make him seem welcome here. He would be talking to me all period, wanting me to reply. But I wouldn't. I mean, I did have a notebook that I could write to him on, but that seemed unlikely.

Later, my third period teacher told the class the same thing, that a new student would be arriving tomorrow and he was going to sit in the desk right in front of mine (since I was in the back again). She looked right at me when she told the class to take a welcoming to him and show him around. I love all my teachers, and they loved me like they do all the kids, and they want me to talk again. The second half of my freshman year was when I decided that not talking was better than talking at all. It got me into less trouble. I had always been a little sassy when I did talk, and that got me a lot of bruises from my family. I was in the first half of my junior year now, and Destiny was in her senior year. I did her homework for her, since I had already taken her classes. The same teachers usually taught multiple grades and classes in this school since we were always short of teachers. Mrs. Cadwell, my third period teacher, also taught Biology, which I had in fact taken my freshman year. She had heard my voice, but now I had none.