*BIG SWEAR WARNING (MANY SWEARY SWEARS) (enter "watch your profanity meme")*

(yes story is mibby. let us begin.)

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Mickey's P.O.V

I stared at my food. Alone. Once again. It was normal, and I was used to it. Still, I still always felt a pang of sadness. "Naw, what's wrong, Jones?" Marcus Bennett cooed. "You lonely?"

I glared up at him. "Don't pick a fight with me," I mumbled.

"I'd win, and I'm sure the feeling of destroying you would be satisfying."

I stood. "You've talked your parents into framing my father for 4 murders he never did, therefore getting him into jail for life, you've bullied my sister into suicide, and now I'm left with my good-for-nothing mother and her absolute monster of a husband! My reputation is ruined, I'm nothing!" I exclaimed. Just overlooking all the pain he's caused me caused the tears to come. "Is that not enough for you, you fucking spoiled bitch?!"

Skye Hawkins, who stood with her lunch tray beside Marcus, sat down at my table. "Skye... what are you doing?" Marcus asked.

"Fuck off, Marcus," Skye growled.

"What? What about Rachel?"

"I SAID FUCK OFF. TO HELL WITH YOU!! YOU TURNED MY BEST FRIEND INTO SOMEONE SHE'S NOT, AND NOW YOU'RE GOING AROUND DESTROYING PEOPLE'S LIVES?! I know we made a mockery of Mickey, just for a bit of fun... and I never thought there was anything wrong with that... but now, now I know how bad of a person you really are. You're a bitch."

"What, you're leaving Rachel for this freak?!"

"I'm leaving you. Now bother Mickey again, and you'll be sorry." A smirk appeared on Skye's face. "You know I'm unbeatable in a fight."

Marcus, clearly quite angry, shuffled away. "Thanks Skye..." I said as I sat down again. "But why?"

Skye, still shaking with anger, looked up at me. "What do you mean?"

"Why'd you defend me? I'm a piece of trash."

Skye's eyes widened. "What?! No, you aren't! You went through all that shit, and you're still here, living, breathing!"

"I've been considering a few things..."

"No. Don't you fucking dare. I'm not losing you."

"What?"

"We're friends now. I'll do anything to protect you. Things will get better, I promise."

"Why now? Why now do you decide I'm worth something?!"

"Because Marcus the Dick made me think you were the bad guy. It was him, all along."

"I kinda wanna become the bad guy, but... but it's not right."

"At least you're actually reasonable." Skye smiled kindly. "You busy tonight?"

"No. Unless you count getting verbally harmed. That's everyday."

"You can come over to my house. My Dad'll understand."

"You? Your house? Your father? The Hawkins? As in the family with the biggest sports company in all of America?!"

"Yeah!"

"Richard will probably allow that, just to try and get the money out of you."

"Who?"

"My stepdad. I refuse to call him or my Mom anything respectful. They don't deserve it."

"They'll get NO money outta us. Maybe... maybe we can even get your Dad out. It may take a bit, but..."

"You're for real?" I chuckled.

"Yes!"

I saw the kindness, the hope, glimmering in Skye's eyes. I grinned. "Skye... thank you so much..."

"I'm going in with you," Skye told me as we walked into my apartment complex. "We'll be in and out again."

"Okay."

We reached my apartment and I cracked the door open. Richard glared at me. Then he saw I had Skye with me. He grinned. "Skye... Hawkins?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm taking your daughter for a while," Skye said.

"My daughter? Sure!"

Skye and I left without another word.

"Skye, you have a friend?" Mr Hawkins asked, not looking very impressed.

"Dad, this is Mickey. She's... she's one of the kids Marcus hurt. One of the kids I hurt. We're friends, and I'm gonna help her get her Dad outta jail," Skye explained.

I waved shyly. "Hi Mr Hawkins," I smiled.

"Nice to meet you Mickey," Mr Hawkins nodded, and he shook my hand. "Since you're here, you're also gonna have to be introduced to my nephew."

"Nephew?"

"He's back already?!" Skye exclaimed. "Dang it!"

"He's up in his room. I'd appreciate it if he met Mickey. He needs more... friends."

"Okay Dad."

"Who am I meeting?" I asked Skye as we walked away.

"My cousin. He's been outta town for a while, and he's a freshman this year. He starts next week. He lives with us because he has no parents, they... left him."

I frowned as we went up some stairs. "I know how that feels. Those I live with feel like the furthest things from parents."

We stopped at a door. Skye knocked on it. "Who's there?" came a voice.

"It's Skye, get your butt out here and meet my friend!"

"Who said I had to?"

"Dad did, you'll like her, I promise!"

The door cracked open and a tall-ish boy slipped into the hallway. He looked... kinda cute. 

He saw all my scars and bruises. "Are you okay?" he asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"As okay as I can be..." I replied quietly, looking down at my feet.

"I'm Tibby."

I didn't reply. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. A warm hand slipped under my chin, lifting my head. I was now looking in Tibby's eyes. "What's your name?" he asked.

"M-Mickey..." I mumbled in reply.

"Jones?"

"Mickey Jones... heh, that's... that's me."

"The girl who works at the movie theatre?"

"Yeah..?"

"All the cool girls work at the movie theatre."

I blushed. "Stop!" I demanded.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed."

"I said stop!"

I pouted, crossing my arms. "Stop flirting with my friend, dude," Skye chuckled.

"I'm single and desperate," Tibby shrugged.

"You don't even know me! When someone eventually gets to know me, they leave me in the dust. They hate me," I frowned.

"Aw, that's not true!"

"I'd know if it was true. And it is."

"Fine then. Let Skye and I get to know you."

"No-one said I was just gonna shut you out."

I was walking to school when Skye and Tibby appeared next to me. "Heya Mickey!" Skye greeted.

"Hey," I replied.

"How ya goin'?"

"Better now that I'm not alone."

"That's great! I know last night you weren't very open to talking about things. But when you're ready, just... let us know. We wanna help."

I chuckled. "I know you do."

"Say... wanna go get something to eat tonight?" Tibby asked.

"My 'parents' probably would get mad. Then again, it is with Skye..."

"We'll do what we did yesterday. If they try to hurt you, they've gotta deal with me AND Tibby."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

As soon as we walked into school, kids came running over, trying to pull Tibby and Skye away. "Come with us!" the kids all said. "Screw the freak!"

And every single time, Tibby or Skye would reply with, "No. She's our friend. If you wanna be rude to her, then you can fuck off."

And then the kids were gone. 

And every single time, I thought to myself, 'Damn, it's really nice to have friends sticking up for you.'

Break time rolled around, and I caught up with Tibby, who was chatting with a boy I didn't recognise. At first. Then I saw who it was. Coma Boy, Billy Baker. Billy stared at my bruised arms, my messed up face, my scratches and scars, and at first he scrunched up his nose slightly before looking Tibby in the eye. "She looks scary, man," Billy whispered.

"I can hear you," I said.

"Shit. Yeah, you'd definitely beat scrawny me in a fight. I'm B-"

"We already know each other. Billy Baker, Coma Boy, lonely nerd."

Billy nodded. "Mickey Jones," he said. "Abused freak with a dead sister and locked-up Dad."

"All because of fucking Bennett."

"I'm calling him Marcus the Dick now," Skye smiled, skipping over to us. "Sup Coma Boy."

Billy waved shyly. He then looked at me and exclaimed, "Since when were you friends with Skye Hawkins and Tibby Devin?!"

"Since yesterday..." I replied. "They just... like me now. Which, by the way, brings me to the question I wanna ask... how can I pay you back?"

Skye and Tibby glanced at each other. Tibby's sparkling blue-green eyes stared into mine. I thought I was over how cute he was, but apparently not. "Pay us back?" he asked.

"Yeah, for your generosity. Kindness. You're offering to go to court and fight for my Dad's freedom. Be my friends. Hell, even just talking to me. I have to give back to you somehow."

"Honestly, your smile and company is enough for us."

I frowned. "Come ON. I don't have much, b-"

"No, Mickey. Really. Just knowing we're helping someone like you, someone who had no hope, someone awesome who deserves none of what she's getting, someone who's put up with this shit for God knows how long... that satisfaction is enough."

"But it's so MUCH."

"Happiness and friendship is worth much more than anything else you could ever give us."

"That's cheesy."

"I know."

I sighed. "Fine. I won't ask you that question again."

(a/n: this is incomplete but seeing as i'm less active i wanted to give y'all a little something, this will be continued eventually, sorry for not being able to update <33)