Amy's POV

I limp through the hallway of the school, though barely noticeable since no one spares me a second glance. I walk until I reach my locker, lungs burning from lack of air, and stomach aching with the pain of movement.

 "Amy, are you sure you'll be fine?" Emily asks me, worried about my health, considering it took me 5 minutes to walk from the school entrance to my locker, when originally it would have taken only 2 minutes. 

I wave her with a dismissive hand. "I'm fine, don't worry. Go on along without me, it's not like anyone would care if I was late or didn't even show up." I tell her and turn to put my combination in my locker. 22-0-30

"Are you sure?"

I sigh. I'm glad that she worries about me, but it really gets annoying at times. "Yes Em, besides, you need to get to class, and even before you found out, I always had a perfect attendance. Actually, except for the stunt we tried to pull yesterday, I still have a perfect attendance."

She nods, still not looking convinced. "If I find out that you were even one second late, I will personally escort you to all the rest of your classes!"

I nod. Her threats don't scare me, but I don't want her to have to skip or be late to her classes because of me.

I wave at her as she leaves. I turn back and continue to rummage through my locker, dropping things off here and there, then replacing them with other things.

I slam my locker door shut. I turn around, ready for a painful walk to class, instead though, I let out a scream.

"Ahhhh!" A hand clamps over mine, shutting me up.

I take that hand, twisting it, and flipping the person over my shoulder, their body hitting the ground with a thump.

Everyone in the hallway is staring at me, wide eyed, wondering how the nerd was able to knock down... Wait! Who did I knock down?

I look down and see Kylie on the ground groaning and holding her back.

The back which had hit the bathroom floor just yesterday.

I stutter, grasping at the last bits of my reputation. "I-I'm so-sorry, it was a-an adren-adrenaline rush."

Everyone in the hallway seems to have bought my story of lie. I mean, it wasn't exactly an adrenaline rush, well not fully, but it was more of a reflex.

When I had turned around and seen someone right behind me, practically cornering me, I screamed.

When they clamped their hand over my mouth, I had thought I was getting kidnapped and so my reflexes kicked in.

I crouch down next to Kylie, my side burning against the movement. I hold a hand for her.

She gratefully takes it and get's up.

Suddenly, I'm getting dragged to who knows where.

I let her though, knowing if needed, I will be able to take her on.

I see the bathroom up ahead. The bathroom where I first met Kylie.

"Listen, I know you probably don't want anything to do with me, but I want you to know that I wasn't threatening you, I was trying to help you." She takes a pause before continuing, I'm leaning against the wall opposite of her, and close to the bathroom door in case a fast escape is needed.

"The thing is, I know what your going through, I went through the same things as you, but from a younger age, and far longer than you. My mom was my abuser and that started at the age of 2 and went on for 15 years. I might not be able to understand exactly all that your going through, but I wish that you could trust me."

I look at Kylie as she says these words, and I mean, I really look at her. If you look beyond her outside exterior, and looker deeper, you will see Kylie, and a whole bunch of other people for who they really are, broken souls who just wish for someone in the world to care, to worship them, to love them. 

That's what I see in Kylie, and what I see every second of every minute that I spend with my siblings. I know that they don't like the way we are living, I know that my love won't ever be enough for them. I tried to replace the hole in their small hearts, left there from my mother's death, and tried to place happiness in there, but no amount of love could or will ever be able to replace a mother's love.

I know how Kylie feels. My mother died, and my siblings turned cold, I might have never let them get too far into their state of depression, but I tried my best. 

Kylie though, her heart has been ripped out from her chest, and stomped, kicked, and beaten in front of her, both physically and mentally. The one person who should have comforted her, held her while she cried, was the one who made her feel the pain. 

Instead of loving her only child, she made her feel horrible about herself, and caused her more pain than mine and siblings combined.

In front of me, stands a woman who is strong and has survived and gone through so much in her life, but is still here in the world, and fighting for her freedom, the right to live her life without in constant fear. 

Maybe it's the pity I feel for her, or the fact that she reminds me so much of my siblings, but I push off the wall and give her a hug. 

She sobs against my chest, soaking my shirt but I don't care. I let her hug me for a while, letting her swell in her own grief, and me in my own.

It's isn't until I hear the bell ring that I know it's time to go.

I gently pull back. Kylie's wiping her tears. "I'm so-sorry, I didn't mean to br-break down like that."

I smile at her. "It's okay, what are friends for?"

She gives me a huge smile in return.

We stand there in awkward silence, none of us talking.

Ring! 

The sound of the late brings us out of of our silence.

My eyes widen. It was the late bell. As in, I'm late!

I had promised Emily that I would get to class on time, but instead here I am, in the bathroom with the person who I had thought was threatening my life just yesterday.

Hmm, it's so hard to believe that just yesterday I had gone from getting bullied and beat up in the bathroom, to beating up Kylie in the bathroom, to running away, to getting beat up by my father, to waking up this morning in Emily's guest bedroom. 

Shit! I'm late! It's not time to be thinking about this!

"Um, I got to go..." I trail off.

Kylie sniffles but nods. I smile at her.

"So, I'll see you during lunch?"

She nods, her head bowed to the floor.

I turn around and leave headed for my classroom.

------

I set my lunch onto the table and sit down, waiting for Emily and Kylie to show up.

Class had been boring and I had gotten a slight scolding for being late, but other than that it was fine. 

Emily didn't take up her threat, thank goodness, but instead had Brenda do it. Of course, I just sent Brenda back to class.

I hear a thump on the table and look up to see Kylie giving me a slight smile.

I smile back.

"Hey." She says as she takes a seat.

"Hey."

"So... ..." She trails off.

We make eye contact and burst out laughing at our awkwardness, the tension slowly disappearing.

I look at her tray and see a burger and fries.

Thank goodness she didn't get the pizza. When ever someone new shows up, the kids who have community service and are forced to work in the cafeteria trade the tomato sauce for hot sauce. Really spicy hot sauce.

"Hey Amy, did you know that the cheerleaders and the football team have a table to themselves?" Kylie asks while pointing to the table located in the middle of the room.

I smile while shaking my head at Kylie. "You didn't."

 "I did."

"Let me guess, when they told you to move you said, 'I don't see your name on it'?"

She sadly nods her head yes. 

"Don't worry, that happens all the time. I learned that lesson after hearing so many girls sobbing about it."

She nods. "Hey, do you know what Alexander got for lunch?" I ask her.

She makes a thinking face. "Um, I think he got pizza with fries and a grape soda."

I smirk. "Want to hear something interesting?"

Curiosity is visible on her. "What?"

"Whenever there are new kids, everyone knows not to get pizza, for the kids who have to work in the cafeteria exchange the tomato sauce for hot sauce."

She smirks.

Then, Emily comes in and sets her tray on the table.

She glances at Kylie and shoot me a questioning glance.

I smile. "Don't worry, I trust her now."

She smiles and relaxes. She introduces herself to Kylie and Kylie to her.

"Hey Kylie," I want to ask a question that has been bothering me since yesterday. "How did you know I was abused and about my street fighting?"

Kylie smiles sadly. "Don't worry, your files include nothing about your illegal activities." I visibly relax at that. Now I can go home without worrying about a gang finding my files and then kidnapping me or my siblings. "Your body language though, it tell a different story from those on your files."

I nod, knowing that's the truth. Since I was little, I have always been easy to read. 

"Well, I'm staving, so let's dig in!"

I laugh at Emily's enthusiasm. "Your always hungry!"

We all laugh and dig in.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" A scream that could put a baby to shame fills the cafeteria. Everyone goes silent and turns to face the screamer.

I smirk. It was Alexander. Right now he's chugging down a bottle of water. Little does he know, whatever hot sauce the kids used doesn't get affected by water. Actually, water makes it worse. 

"Em, take out your phone will you? Sophie is staying after school so she has mine."

She nods and does as asked.

Kylie turns to me wide eyed. "Amy, Alex is crying, in the five years I've known him, he's never cried."

I shrug my shoulders. "That's none of my concern."

"Amy, I have to help him, he's the last family member I have. Well, him and Alec, but I like Alexander better."

I look at her confused. "You and Alexander are related?"

She nods her head. "He's my cousin."

Well. I never expected that.

"Alright," I sigh. People are going to beat me up for ruining their fun. "Okay, in order to dial down the fire in his mouth we need milk. Preferably chocolate milk."

She nods and runs off to get it.

Emily turns to me. "Why are you willingly helping him?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Eh, as amusing as this is, I have the video now I can post it on the dark net and threaten him with it."

She laughs. "How your considered the nerd of this school is beyond me."

I laugh too, then am cut off by Kylie's voice.

"What do I do now?" She was shaking so much she almost dropped the milk.

I sigh. "Give me the milk." She does as asked and I put on my hoody's hood, making sure my face is covered and take the milk to the middle of the room where Alex is screaming his head off.

Every member of his gang is standing around wide eyed not knowing what to do.

I roll my eyes at these people. I thought this was supposed to be the strongest gang in the U.S.A!

I go to Alexander who is thrashing around in the air drinking all the water he can find.

I put the milk on the table, take his arms, lock them behind his back and force his face onto the table.

By now everyone in the cafeteria was watching so I was glad that I had decided to put my hood on, even though I'm probably going to have to burn it later on so no figures out it was me.

Unfortunately, having his arms locked on his back and his face on the table only makes his thrash harder.

I pull back and push him onto the floor, flipping him so he's on his back and me straddling him.

I pin his arms over his head, taking the jug of milk and forcing it down his throat.

Soon, he stops resisting my help and actually swallows the milk.

When the jug is empty I run out of the cafeteria towards my locker.

When I reach my locker, I open it, pull out another hood and head towards the bathroom.

I make sure to throw the old hood in the trash when I finish.

The halls are empty, everyone still enjoying the last 10 minutes of lunch time.

I decide to head to library, then if anyone noticed my absence I could act like I was in the library the whole time.

I make a stop to my locker first though, not wanting to have to return here for books later on.

Hump!

That's the sound of my body hitting the floor.

I look up to see a kid around my age with dirty blond hair and electric blue eyes.

"W-watch where y-your go-going nex-next time!" I stutter.

"Um, first off why are you stuttering and second off, you crashed into me."

Hmm, he must be new here if he doesn't know me.

I roll my eyes and get off the floor dusting myself off.

I turn around to leave, but he catches my arm.

"What's your name beautiful?"

"Amy, what's yours?" After reading as many romance stories as I have, there is no point in arguing against giving your name because they will eventually figure it out.

"Liam, nice to meet you Amy the beautiful."

I burst out laughing. "Come up with something unique will you?"

He looks confused. "What?"

I roll my eyes. Goodness, it seems I'm rolling my eyes a lot these days. "If your going to use a pick up line, at least make it original."

He looks lost. I turn around to leave, only to crash into a laughing chest. I stumble back and look up and see the exact same face I just turned away from.

I look at him, them look behind me. My eyes widen. They're twins! 

"Goodness, is my life a cliche story?!" I mumble. Seriously, it's so cliche, broken abused girl and most feared gang leader falling in love and living happily ever after. Not happening. And add the annoying twins, goodness. 

"Who's life is a cliche story?" 

  I look took to the left of me and a girl with the exact same face as the boys in front of me. 

"Yo-your tr-triplets?"

They nod in unison. 

"Lola, Luke, Liam, you guys are in so much trouble!" I look to my right and see Alexander running down the hall, rage evident on his face. "How dare you guys put hot sauce in my pizza?!"

Well, looks like Alex thinks the Triplets pulled a prank on him. 

What do you guys think about Amy befriending Kylie? 

Do you think Kylie will betray her, or become Besties with her?

Till next time! :)