A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the slow updates. Please let me know if you have any actors/actresses in mind for the roles in this story. Thanks guys and enjoy the chapter. Don't forget to vote, like, and comment!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately the cover picture isn't mine but all credits belong to their rightful owners.

They say that summer is the freedom of one's life. The months where you get to hang out and sleep in. No one had said that it applied to me. Summer, for me, marked the days of endless torture and loud screamings. Why did my parents have to hate each other? Didn't they love each other like they said they would in their vows? I remembered my 14 year old self staring in wonder as my dad slept downstairs on the couch for the first time. I remembered myself worrying and crying myself to sleep when the figting continued for days, for months, for years. I remembered myself running away when suddenly I didn't care anymore. I stopped being the pushover that I once was and finally overcame and broke out of my shell, rebelling and doing things that would catch their attention and turn their anger to me. Didn't they care what their daughter thought? Shouldn't they have cared about how she felt?

I glanced at the mirror, pulling on a denim-like outfit. My friends wanted to go casual this year but we all know that no one was actually going to go through with it. I added my huge MK purse to the outfit, stuffing a couple of notebooks in it. It was way too hard to match a backpack with it all and the fact that I had to carry a boulder on my shoulder was enough to give me shivers and a backache.

"To the first day of freedom," I whispered to myself.

***

I stepped out of my car, my boots giving me an edge as people looked on. I slammed my door and headed into the building, spotting my friend, Jessica, reading a book at one of the vacated areas outside. "Figures she'd be early," I thought to myself.

"Hey Jessica!" She looked up from her book, giving me a smile as I greeted her. "Where's the others?"

She shrugged and I guessed that they hadn't arrived yet. "Wow, am I actually early for once?" I teased her.

"Says the person with a car," she fired back. Jessica was gorgeous but she never seem to embrace it like Amber and I had. She's shy and reservative and the only people I see her socializing with is... well us. My four girls were everything to me and honestly the only thing that kept me from going pyscho over the past few years were them. I never told them about the rift between my parents and I and I appreciated them for never pushing about the matter. They had accepted me without question and I loved them for it.

"Are you guys going to hug me or what?" asked Nina, raising her eyebrow with a teasing smirk.

Amber and Mia had later joined us and we were all pulled in into a bear hug. It was nice to see them again after two long months of yelling. Nina being the blabbermouth that she was, had to break the moment.

We headed into the auditorium and groaned when there were only four seats left. I glanced at the fifth seat that was taken by a jock, who I had known well. Perfect.

"I've got this sweeties."

I headed over to his seat and tapped him on the shoulder. That was so lame. He smirked at me and in a instant I didn't feel any guilt for saying what I was about to say. His smirk gave it away how he thought I was coming over to give him a bit of a show. Disgust filled me and I leaned over, whispering softly. "Hey hon, don't you have a girlfriend?"

His eyebrows knit together in confusion as his face quickly collected together again.

"Why, are you jealous sweet thang?"

I bit back an ew at his comeback, flashing him an innocent smile as I dropped the bomb. "Wouldn't your so called girlfriend be jealous and very upset when she finds out that you had your arm and might I add tounge down another girl's throat?"

His face was red as a tomato and I cheered, seeing his discomfort made me pleased.

"How much do you want to keep that big mouth of yours shut?" he asked. I felt slightly offended at the thought of how the guy thought that he could bribe me and I was some sort of gold digger.

"You can keep the money, can I just have this seat?"

He sighed and got up, muttering the b word under his breath. I made my way over to the girls, signaling them to come over. Their mouths were a gape and it still surprised me that they were surprised by my actions. Everyone just wrote me off as manipulative but these girls knew that there was more than that under my skin.

"Omg, what did you do?" Amber asked me, her blue eyes shining in innocence and awe.

My friends weren't use to the idea of using someone for their own reasons or anything like that so I just gave them the simple version.

"A little blackmail."

They still had shocked looks on their faces and I could tell I didn't get us seats the way they wanted me to. Well whatever, a seat's a seat.

The assembly breezed by quickly and for once I was ready to get to class. Jessica had everything laid out and ready to go while my attention had been caught up in a guy already.

He was cute - no doubt - but something about him kind of set the whole glam factor off. I bit my lip, trying to skewer away and back into my seat without rudeness but it had seemed that the guy was very intent on finishing up his story.

"And then I tackled them and mangaed to make a touchdown, winning the entire thing by myself."

He seemed to have went on and on about himself, never bothering to check if she was even listening or not. Blake had pretended to nod her head in just the right moments, when instead she had been glancing at the clock, counting until it was time for class.

Mr.Berkely headed in, a grimace on his face. "You and me both" I thought. It was still early in the morning and nothing seemed to have comprehended. I was busy paying attention to class....okay, I'm lying. I was busy paying attention to my nails when half the class had their heads raised and mouths a gape.

"And that's what I call fashionably late."

I rolled my eyes. He was just like any other guy, thinking they were better than everyone else. I sat behind him and managed a smirk when I noticed him sneaking glances at Mia every once in a while. Looks like someone's got a crush on the good girl.

The bell seemed to have rang after my little observation and we walked down the halls, staying close so we didn't get trampled by the crowds, rushing to go every which way.

"Mia Kendra, please report to the principal's office."

I caught a drop of sweat on Mia's forehead and worried for her. She would never do anything wrong because her mom was strict about education and that stuff. Mia wasn't stupid enough to do bad things.... and get caught anyway.

"You guys go on without me, I'll catch up later."

We all knew to trust her and so we walked ahead, sending her questioning looks over our shoulders every so often. She nodded, hoping to reassure us and walked the other direction to his office.

"What do you think happened?" Nina asked, curious about everything.

Amber shrugged, wiping the table swiftly before putting her purse on it. "She'll be fine. Mia's a smart girl, she'll figure out what to do."

That was the thing about Amber, she always remained composed and collected no matter the circumstances. We were all worried about Mia and curious about what had happened, even Jessica had decided to put down her book.

The door opened to the cafeteria and we all stared at Jessica, her face pale, and stricken.

"What'd happened Mia?" we chorused, patting her back and giving her reassuring looks.

"Out of everything he could've done, he just had to choose me!" She had her head in her hands and we all knew that she was clearly upset about something. I stayed at the table with the rest of the girls while Jessica went off to buy lunch since she didn't have much to say. "We're here for you Mia, tell us what happened."

She nooded, moaning and whining why she had to be in "her" position.

"Mr.Danport said I had to-"

A/N: I'm so evil, left you with a cliffhanger. Please like, vote, and comment!