The engine revs as I slam the door shut. Dad buckles his seatbelt and I mimic him, my school bag lying by my feet. My glasses have been replaced by contacts and my hair is back to its natural state. To the untrained eye or an oblivious person, this would seem like a usual morning. It's not. I can't remember the last time Dad drove me to school. Actually, I can't remember the last time he blatantly stated, "I'm taking you to school today so wakey wakey,' and proceeded to yank the covers off me.

The world speeds by in a blur. All colors of the spectrum blend together and the blurred forms of guards just discharged from their shifts speed by. I lean back in the cushiony chair. My heavy eyes flutter shut and my hands rest on my lap. Still, butterflies on steroids attack my stomach. I can't comprehend why Dad's so eager to drive me to school. One day I asked him as he was about to leave for work. We were both running late. He simply left me to run the whole way to school. Of course, I was late. It went on my permanent Chip record.

"So, Autumn," Dad starts, steering his gaze in my direction,"How did you like the Simons?"

My eyes remain shut, my legs propped onto the dash. "Who?"

"Trish, Jake, and Jared."

"Oh," I mutter, resting my arms behind my head, "They were nice." My blood starts to boil as my heart starts to hammer. Sweaty palms hide beneath soft locks and tight lips by a turned head. Heading spinning and tears threatening, I anticipate Dad's reply.

"That's wonderful!" He exclaims a little too enthusiastically.

He didn't offer to drive me to school just to ask me one question. There's a catch. Whenever something good seems to happen, there's always a catch.

I hear Dad clear his throat. "Well, they just adored you!"

Yeah, Jared just adored me. That's why he and Cody betrayed my trust, crumbled all I had left and struck a match.

"So," he breathes, his words jumbled as though he can't get them out fast enough, "They want us to head over after school today!"

My eyes snap open, breath ragged as I spin around to face him. His emerald orbs are alight with excitement, his hands rapidly clasping and unclasping. Dad's lips stretch into a wide grin and reveal gleaming white teeth. As soon as the smile reaches it's peek, it falters. He seems to notice my unease or my hesitation to respond.

"No," I whisper.

His face instantly falls.

"Autumn, I thought-"

"I just, I don't want to go back there," I mutter. As his face falls into an expression of disappointment, I quickly add, "Well, right now. Maybe next week, or-"

"We already agreed."

My sympathetic gaze quickly turns ice cold. "Then why are we having this conversation?"

Dad shrugs. The car has parked in the school parking lot. Few students hop from cars and trudge into one of the two high school buildings. Smiles are surprisingly abundant. Friends chat amiably, couples grasp hands for dear life, and some linger outside. Instead of a smile I wear an undistinguishable expression.

"Be home by six, Autumn."

I start, grabbing my bag from in between my feet. Anger bubbles inside of me and I fight to restrain it. Fingers twitching and nails digging into my palm, I reach for button that opens the door.

"Did you hear me?"

The door slams shut behind me, the noise resounding through the nearly vacant parking lot. I don't spare a glance backwards. After inhaling a gulp of air, I amble forward. The lower high school building seems ominous. It's dark and casts an eerie vibe. All my enemies seem to reside here from eight to three all year round.

Education is important to the government's twisted version of perfection. While I agree education is important, I don't believe rigorous schooling will create perfect humans or result in a perfect society.

My feet drag against the cement and my heart drops to my flats. The sun is peeking from behind the clouds, casting shadows and blanketing sweat across my forehead. Sadly, the bright sunshine greatly contrasts my mood. My fingers curl tightly around the strap of my bag. I feel myself slowly breaking, my walls climbing higher and my last shards of hope shattering. It seems like the purpose of life is to cripple me beyond compare, to squash any lingering tastes of freedom and bliss. Tears swim in my eyes and I rapidly blink them away.

"What's the matter, Autumn?" The question is laced with mockery.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a long breath. "Leave me alone, Harper."

"No. You wouldn't help me so why should I give you a break? What makes you so special? What gives you the right to ignore everyone else?"

I spin around and stare straight into her fiery orbs. "What gives you the right to bully me? What makes you and all the populars better than everyone else?"

Her eyes widen and she seems flabbergasted. Then, she clears her throat and narrows her emeralds. "First of all-"

"Leave her alone!"

Harper swiftly turns of her heel, inky hair flying behind her. "Eva, this has nothing to do with you!"

The brunette sassily places a hand on her hip. "Now it does."

"No, it doesn't. Go wait for the others."

"No! I'm tired of being pushed around, of striving to be perfect," she hisses, her breathing ragged as her manicured hands ball into fists. "Autumn has been more supportive in one day then you have in months. I don't know what happened to you, Harper. I'm not sure why you and Kaylee have a plethora of secrets or believe you're better than everyone else."

Harper's nostrils flare. "Why you-"

"Let me finish," Eva barks, placing her other hand on her other hip. "I don't want a part in this scheme anymore. I'm tired of sitting in the background, of letting others dictate who I'm expected to be. If you really think you're the concept of perfect, that you're the epitome of flawless, then you need to see a doctor."

With that, the fiesty ex popular proceeds to grab my arm and drag me into the school. She flips the one fingered salute over her shoulder at her ex friend, who stands gaping like a fish. As we zigzag through a few early comers, Eva shoots glares at anyone sparing a glance in our direction. Anger practically radiates off her flesh, her eyes blazing like balls of fire. My own vexation has been ebbed away by shock.

"Eva?" I whisper as she yanks open the door to the bathroom, drags me inside, and slams it shut. "Are you okay?"

She quickly scans the room to ensure it's vacant. Then, she allows her facade to crumble. She falls to the floor, tan hands and arms covering her face. Small sobs echo off the tile walls as her body visibly trembles. The girl I once deemed indestructible now sits broken on the vile bathroom floor. Before yesterday, I thought she was like the rest of them; perfectly content. After yesterday, I still didn't believe she'd stray from the status quo. Yet, here she is. Dad and I's dispute now seems trivial.

"That was really brave, you know," I start, grasping for the most comforting words to say. "I don't know of anyone whose kicked Harper to the curb like that. Or someone whose stood up for me like that in two years. Thanks."

Through a sniff and arms covering her face, I hear a vague, "No problem."

"Come on. Let me help you up," I smile, stretching out my hand.

She peeks between her long fingers. Then, she slowly reaches out and grabs my hand. Grinning, I yank her to her feet. She slightly sways before she regains her balance. Mascara and eyeliner drip down her cheeks like she's melting. Her eyelashes are clumped together and her usually soft chocolate eyes are angry and red. Concealer gives way to bruises and I gasp. She recoils, lifting her hands back in front of her face as though to shield herself from judgment.

"Are you- okay?" I query, taking a step towards her.

Once again, she shakes.

Gently, I grip her arms and drag them down from her face. "Eva, I want to help you. Please, trust me."

My choice of words surprises me. Trust. I'm asking someone to trust me when I don't know if I can return the favor. Yet, I feel so sure of the words I just spoke. Confident in them, even.

"Alright," Eva nods, her posture straightening and her voice gaining confidence. "Let's retry this whole trust thing."

"Yeah," I lightly laugh, "I guess."

A grin stretches across each of our faces, her pearly whites gleaming in the florescent light. For some reason, I'm willing to give it a shot. Although slightly unsure, maybe I can take baby steps. Not full-blown trust, but trust in tiny things. It seems like Eva's trust has been shattered as well. Maybe we can help each other regain trust in humanity.

"So," I sigh, the smiles instantly vanishing from both of our faces. "What happened to you?"

She shrugs, attempting to act nonchalant. "My breaking point was really when Harper forced me to get a boyfriend."

We both hoist ourselves onto the edges of the sinks lined against the wall.

"I don't really pay attention to that stuff," I admit.

"I wish I didn't have to," she sighs before her expression brightens a bit, "But now, I don't."

"Yeah," I slightly grin.

"Anyways," she continues, her expression turning solemn, "He was a jerk. He just wanted to get in everyone's pants."

I nod, having heard of those types of people.

"I didn't want that to happen," she whispers, sucking in a gulp of air before continuing, "so this happened instead."

I gasp as she gestures to her face.

"No one could tell with the makeup," she mutters. "I did try to explain why we broke up to Harper, but she wouldn't listen. Kaylee was back by her side and she didn't have any cares to give about me."

Tears drip down her cheeks as I pull her in for a hug. "You don't have to date someone you don't feel comfortable with. What was his name?"

"J-Jackson," she hiccups.

I nod, mentally taking note of that name.

As soon as we break apart, we hop down from the sinks. Next, she pulls a makeup bag out of her backpack. We work on reapplying her makeup until the bell rings, signaling we have five minutes to get to class.

"See ya at lunch, okay?" Eva smiles, shoving the makeup back into her bag.

I nod. "Absolutely, friend." Then, I quickly amend, "You know, if you wanna be-"

"Yes," she laughs, looping her arm through mine and pushing open the door. "I think we're gonna be great friends."