"There's nothing good on!" I whined to myself. I watched the TV with little interest. My eyes were glazed over slightly. I have to admit, that I was slightly drunk at the moment, but don't rush into judging me right away just because I drink. I've only ever been drunk twice, and I'm sixteen, so that's not bad compared to most other teenagers. Anyway, I was flipping channels on the crappy remote (cable sucks), while my mother was in the kitchen with her new bed buddy for the night. She knew, and I knew, that Mark (he's my stepdad) would be out most of the night, so she often brings home young twenty-something year old guys, sometimes women, to pleasure her with. They would get drunk, do drugs (don't worry. I never touch the shit) and do it wherever they felt like it. Mark was into the same crap that she was, and always came home every night wasted.

"Hey, Janine." My mother slurred from the kitchen. "Here's a couple bucks. Get out." She, without leaving the kitchen, chucked a couple rolls of change at me. I winced when they hit my head. I got the message she gave me. Not that it mattered. I always left, not wanting to deal with their crap. Without bothering to pick up the money, I got up and walked to my room.

I walked in and landed on my bed. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. It was white at first, but now was yellow with stains from all of the crack heads living in this apartment over the years. I hated my room, but it still was my place. I turned over onto my stomach and grabbed my cell phone and a couple 20 dollar bills for wherever I was going to go for supper. I sat up and put on my grey zip-up hoodie, pulling the hood over my head, and left the room. I walked down the short hallway, through the living room and passed the kitchen.

"Have fun fucking my mom." I sneered at the guy as I went. My mom yelled at me, but I ignored her, not that she was sober enough to even know what I said. As I opened the door, I thought that I recognized the guy. Did he go to my school last year? I didn't ponder it for too long, and shut the door with a slight bang.

My neighbourhood wasn't terrible. Not to me anyway. To most people it would seem like the scariest corner of town. Sure, hoodlums, hobos and gang members roamed around, but most of them left me alone since they knew me. Some of them would pick on me, since I was known as the good kid on the wrong side of the tracks. I didn't converse with any gang for too long, and wouldn't do shit for nobody if they ever asked, but I can take care of myself though when the time calls for it.

I walked down the wrought-iron stairs and out of the alleyway onto the street. A few guys standing near a dumpster whistled at me as I went by, but I just casually flipped them off with a smile on my face as I went. I walked out onto the street and waved down a cab. I got in and asked to be taken a few blocks into town. It wasn't far, just too far to walk. I got in and fished my cell out of my pocket and dialled a number I knew by heart.

"Hello." Someone sang from the other end.

"Hey, Stella." I beamed. "Watcha doin'?"

"Oh, well I'm eating Cheezits, on my computer." My best friend quipped. "Hows about your sexy self?"

I giggled. "I'm on my way over there now."

"Oh." Stella said kind of sad like. "You're..."

"My mom's got herself a date tonight. So yeah." I filled in, saying it like it didn't matter. Stella was one of the few people who knew about my situation completely. She was the only one, other than Jared, who I confided in when I needed to talk to someone. The three of us had no secrets whatsoever.

"Alrighty whitey." Stella chimed. "I'll meet you at the place then?"

"Sure thing, Stel. Later." I hung up. I sighed and pulled the hood off my head and let my long, straight brown hair fall over my shoulders. I ran a couple fingers through my bangs playfully. I leaned my forehead against the window and gazed out at the sidewalk we were rolling passed. People bustled about their daily lives. I liked watching people. They all seemed happy and full of life. I have heard people say that about me a couple times, but I bet that a lot of other people don't have lives crappy as mine.

The taxi pulled to a stop at a red light, and I kept staring out the window. A flurry of people crossed the street in front of us. I paid no attention to them, but one specific individual standing on the sidewalk did. It was a boy. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen. The reason he caught my eye, wasn't because he was hot or anything like that, but because he was standing stalk still staring at me. People rushed passed him, but none bumped into him, and he didn't move. He was facing me, staring right at me. I straightened my posture and stared right back at him. He didn't have a specific look on his face. He was just...watching me. I couldn't pull away from his stare until the cab started moving again. Once it did, I blinked and he was gone.

I arrived at the street I wanted to get to, gave the man his money, and exited the cab. Stella was already there waiting for me. She smiled. I ran up to her and hugged her tightly. Then I noticed that Jared was with us.

"Hey, Red!" I beamed.

"Hey, chica." He grinned. "Don't call me Red." He warned as I hugged him too.

"Whatever, Jar." Stella laughed, poking him. She turned to me. "So I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet." She said, not as a question because she knew that I haven't. I never eat at home.

"Yessiree." I answered.

"So where to?" Stella asked. "Can't go to my place. It's my parent's anniversary today." She added a little fake barf noise for effect. I just smiled. Her parents were the classic Brady Bunch couple.

"Me papa is making his famous chicken cutlets." Jared suggested. The two of us looked at Jared with horrified looks on our faces. We didn't bother to say anything, because he knew we were too scared to go over there for any meal of the day. "Yeah yeah, I know." He just sighed. "So what then?"

"Hm..." I thought. "I feel like being naughty. How about Burger King?"

"I'm so in." Stella cheered, raising her hands like she just scored a goal in a soccer game. Jared was sulking. "Oh, you can eat a salad you health nut."

So we went to our favourite junk food place in the world. We laughed and were having fun. Stella pointed out that I was acting more bubbly than usual. I had to admit that I was a little buzzed. They just laughed, but knew that it was because I was a little more troubled than usual. I do have pretty much the best friends ever.

Anyway, the night went on. After eating my chicken fingers and onion rings, we went to the park for a little bit. Jared would gasp and lecture Stella when ever she'd pull out a cigarette. She'd just tell him to fuck off then offer me one. I always said no though. We quickly got bored of the park, and after it got darker, we decided to go to a club. Would it be a big deal if I told you that I had a fake ID? Like it mattered at the time, since we went to a club for 17 and under. It was just as fun though.

Throughout the whole night, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched the entire time. The others were having too much fun to care about it, but I was really worried. I never got that feeling often. Some people are like that, and get all freaked out, but while in the club I was starting to get a little paranoid. I tried to dance with a few guys to get my mind off of it, but it was hopeless. Finally, I grabbed Stella and Jared and we all left.

"What is your problem, Janine?" Stella asked, trudging down the sidewalk with a slightly pissed off look on her face.

"I just... I don't know." I murmured. My head was bowed down, and I couldn't shake the feeling of someone following me. I kept on looking over my shoulder, but no one was there.

"Just stop already!" Stella whined, grabbing my wrist.

"Hey." Jared warned her. "Maybe Janine has got a lot on her mind right now." I looked up at him; he seemed worried, but annoyed as well. "Maybe you should go home."

I knew better than to go home in the middle of the night. It just wasn't smart at all. At that point though, I wanted to be somewhere. I couldn't go to Stella's place, since her parents didn't like me because of where I was from. Jared tried to ask his dad on his cell, but his dad said no for some reason. I thought he liked me alright, but I'm not so sure now.

"Don't worry about it you guys." I said with a smile. "I'll just go home. Night." And I hugged them both and started to walk. I grabbed a taxi and went home.

Home seemed a lot like a death sentence as I walked down the hall towards my apartment door. I could hear screams as soon as I went inside. I knew it was my mom and Mark going at it. I checked the time on my iPod, which told me that it was 3 am. I sighed and composed myself as I reached the door. I opened the door and closed it quickly. I tried to make a mad dash for my room, but I got stopped.

"Where have you been you little bitch?" my mother spat. Her hair was tangled and her eyes were glazed over from the liquor and crack. "Here I am worried sick about you, while you are-"

"What the flying fuck is going on here!" Mark bellered as he approached.

"I was out." I replied quietly.

"OH? Doing what? Working the streets like a little whore? Is my daughter a little whore?" Mark asked. He was looking to beat on someone. It would have been my mom, but I guess tonight, it was going to be me.

"You're not my father." I pointed out. I tried not to yell at him.

He didn't reply to what I said. Instead, he grabbed me by the hair and flung me across the little kitchen. I slammed into the fridge, hitting my head. Tears stung my eyes and I almost fainted. I managed to stay conscious and looked up. Mark loomed over me, throwing his foot into my side. I was starting to get scared. Mark never did more than smack me around a few times. Tonight, he was going all out. There was a murderous glare in his eyes, and it terrified me. I looked passed him, searching for my mother, but she was gone. Probably hiding in her room like always.

"Get off!" I shouted. Mark growled and started stomping his foot on my body. I screamed in agony, the tears streaming down my face now. I tried to stand up and run, but Mark's foot came down on my leg and I heard it snap. More than that, I felt it. I really felt it. I screamed at the top of my lungs. My vision was getting blurry and I could feel myself slipping, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. I wondered if I was going to die.

That's when a new pair of legs appeared in my peripheral vision. They leaped across the kitchen and Mark stopped kicking me. I forced myself out of fainting and tilted my head up. My eyes widened at what I saw. That boy. He was the one who was staring at me from the sidewalk. Now he was punching Mark in his face repeatedly, like he deserved for so many years. He then did a swift kick to his head and Mark went down in front of me so that his face was inches from mine.

I squirmed and pushed him away from me, still balling hysterically. Then I felt hands grip my arms and pull me up. Just as I leaned back to meet this stranger's eyes, my mind plummeted into total blackness.