-Chapter One-

"Trent!" I called down the short hall to our room. "It's time to get up! Trent!"

When I still didn't hear his feet hit the floor, I left the kitchen and went to investigate the small room we shared. Trent was hanging half off the bed and drooling, with an arm slung over his green eyes. Poor guy's a very heavy sleeper; we figured this out around six years ago when Trent was four.

Long story short, my Dad had burnt some pancakes, causing the fire alarm to go off. And while I shot out of bed, clutching my ears, Trent hadn't even twitched. Now every morning we've had the same problem: waking him up. An alarm clock never worked. So I just woke him up myself, since my Dad was usually at work. I didn't mind, he was my beloved little brother after all.

"Wake up little buddy," I coaxed quietly as I dragged him back onto the bed. He clung to my arms with an iron grip and I didn't have the heart to pry him off. "Wakey wakey eggs and…cereal?" Gee, how promising.

Trent mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked, sitting at the edge of the bed as I dragged him onto my lap. He mumbled again. Then started to push me away and back onto the bed.

"Your breath smells really bad!"

"Why you little brat! I haven't had time to brush my teeth because you're not waking up!" I leaned down to breathe right in his face as if to prove my point. He buried his face in his pillow and smacked me away, laughing.

"You're a girl! You shouldn't do that!"

"Humph. You are my little brother and I will do what I want. I'll even huff my smelly breath in your face like a heathen!"

Trent waved me away, "Okay then I'm up. Go brush your teeth already; you're endangering the human race."

"Brat."

"I heard that!"

"You were suppose to!"

Laughing again, I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. Then turned to the mirror and looked into blue-gray eyes. My blue-gray eyes. They were just a bit too gray, giving them a steely look. But the blue was indeed there, if you cared to look closely enough. Above and below them, long lashes curled naturally. I squinted, making the corners crinkle slightly as I reached for my brush.

"Ow!" Okay, maybe my hair wasn't that tangled, but the hairbrush was several years old. Sometimes I thought my hair wasn't normal. It's darker than my father's brown hair and brighter than my Mother's glossy black coat. Leaving it a rare dark brown that cascaded over my shoulders and halfway down my back. I never bother styling it for school. I simply pull it into a low, loose pony-tail and finished the look off by pulling my just-past-chin-length bangs free.

Simple.

Meanwhile, Trent had already gotten dressed and was waiting in the kitchen. His short black hair was messy and sticking out around his head. We saw the note that could have only been from dad at the same time, clipped to the top half of the fridge. Despite Trent's head start, I got to it first with a triumphed, "Ah-ha!"

Trent frowned at me and went to sit at the make-shift table. "What does it say?" He asked.

Quickly, I scanned it over and read it out loud. "Hey kiddos, I'm heading to work a bit early. There should be some cereal in the cabinet above the fridge but Trent and I finished off the milk yesterday along with the cookies. Just can't have cookies without milk! Now, we have no milk. I'll pick some more up Thursday okay Delilah? Don't be mad! Love, Dad. P.S. Make sure Trent doesn't forget his bag!"

Trent scowled, "I don't forget it that often!"

I raised an eyebrow at him then put the note on the counter. "Fruit Loops or Rice Krispys?"

"Fruit Loops to-go please."

After grabbing a plastic bag from one cabinet, I reached over the fridge for Trent's Fruit Loops. I filled half the bag and tossed it to him, "Go get your stuff ready. We're already running late."

"'Kay," he chirped as he ran back into our room.

My stomach growled, so I ate a few Fruity Loops, but not many. If I ate too many then Trent would have to go without breakfast for a while. And I didn't want that. The school gives us free lunch since our Dad doesn't make enough money to support us. It's not his fault, even Trent understands. Because even though he tries his best, for some reason he can't keep a steady job. That's why our Mom left. Well, one of the reasons.

So I took matters into my own hands.

One of my Mom's old friends, Kimber Heights, owns a nightclub down a ways called Moonstone. And about a year ago when things were much, much worse here I went to her and begged for a job. It took a bit of convincing, but she gave in for minimum wage. So I make a little more than thirty one dollars a week. For us, it's not much, but it helps. Plus, I get to keep the tips that I make after my performances.

"Delilah," Trent appeared in front of me, wearing his black-rimmed glasses and holding his orange book bag. "I'm ready to go."

"Oh. Yeah. Okay, one minute." I grabbed my book and stuffed it into my binder. Then after grabbing Trent's hand, I pulled him out the door and locked it. His bus stop was two blocks down the street from our apartment and we were running late. Way late.

We ran, "Trent, your faster so get in front of me." He nodded and took off, just barely getting there before the bus came around the corner. He scrambled up the steps before looking over his shoulder at me. I waved him goodbye and begun my long walk to school.

-15 minutes later. At school.-

Taking off my jacket, I smoothed my plain white T-shirt over my jeans. I found no reason to dress up for school, I got straight B's. Nothing to worry about. No one looked at or noticed me as I weaved down the hall to my classroom. The hallways were always so crowded. I was always earlier than the teacher and everyone else.

Mrs. Woods came in five minutes later, glanced my way, then sat down at her desk. A few of my classmates followed her inside. But after they put their things in the room they went back out into the hall to socialize. I stayed were I was and cracked open my book, reading until the bell rang.

The shrieking of the bell pried my attention away from my book to the door. A couple of my fellow classmates were darting inside the room trying to pass off the fact that they were late. Mrs. Woods scribbled in her notebook, probably trying to get down all the names of the late teens. Not like it mattered. No matter the punishment they'd do the same thing tomorrow. And the next day. And the next…

That's how every morning happened at my school. I looked around, studying the same people who've been in my class since the 3rd grade. Desmond, Jules, and Danet were lingering around the cheerleaders. And they noticed too, you could tell by the way they flipped their barely-allowed short skirts in the boys' direction.

Felix Ton, the boy in front of me, sneezed to try and cover the fact he was picking his nose. It was a sad tactic. Everyone noticed, but no one said anything. Amanda, the teacher's pet and well-known snitch, didn't say anything either. Even though he was two knuckles deep…

From the corner of the room, Desmond laughed. Danet probably told one of his perverted jokes again. He was famous for them. I peeked over my shoulder; Danet was openly staring at Fay and her followers, practically drooling more than Trent was this morning. He had that jock atmosphere to him. With the shoulders and buzz cut to match it. Danet was also sensitive about his name. Poor guy had to constantly explain how it's pronounced, 'Dayne-et' he'd say over and over till they got it. 'They' were quickly forgiven though, that is, if they had a big bust size and a short skirt. Others weren't so lucky.

Jules, on the other hand, was running his fingers through his shaggy blond locks and was staring at Danet. For some reason, even though he's never truly shown interest in any girl's, no one see's what I see. He's perfect, a golden blond with bright blue eyes and a sparkling personality. The cross around his neck implies that he's a Christian. Not to mention, Jules is nice to everyone, he's even nice to me. That's how I figured it out. That and the way he's staring at Danet. Jules is very, very gay. Not that I'm against it or anything. I just think it's odd how no one has noticed it yet. I don't plan on being the one to rat him out either; it's none of my business.

And Desmond, also known as Des to his friends, had finally gotten a haircut. A few weeks earlier, his brown hair hung in front of his deep brown eyes. Now, it was cut in a slightly uneven style that suited him better than before. Good for him. Unlike Danet, his shoulders were a bit smaller, but still broad. Only in a more pleasant way. Desmond knew this, and showed it off by always wear V-neck shirts that made most girls swoon.

I refused to fall for it.

Desmond must have sensed me staring, because he looked over Jules shoulder at me, meeting my gaze like most people don't bother doing. It unnerved me. Why wasn't he looking away? We starred at each other, both of us willing the other to give up. His lips curled upward. He was enjoying this!

Suddenly, when Jules turned to see what Desmond was looking at, he broke his gaze from mine. I sucked in a silent breath. See? Just like everyone else. Wouldn't be caught dead even glancing in my direction.

-After school. Around 6:20pm.-

"Dinner!" I called.

Trent's footsteps thumped down the hall to the kitchen, "Grilled cheese?"

"Yep."

"Score!"

I grabbed one of the sandwiches and slipped it onto a paper plate for Trent, handing it to him along with a glass of water. He smiled as he sat at the table, "Thanks."

"I get payed tonight. So tomorrow I'll buy us some pizza." Trent beamed up at me as I rustled his already wild hair with my hand. "What kind of topping do you want on it?"

"Pepperoni with extra cheese," he bit into his grilled cheese. "Please and thank you."

Smiling, I grabbed my Dad's sandwich and covered it in a paper towel. He should be home any minute.

"Don't you still have to get ready Delilah?"

I choked, remembering, and quickly finished my sandwich and ran to my dresser. After pulling out an outfit and grabbing my small make-up bag, I stumbled into the bathroom. As fast as I could, I pulled off my T-shirt and jeans, replacing them with black skinny jeans and a strapless dark blue shirt.

I grabbed black eyeliner from my bag and dragged it along the top of my eyelids. There was no need for concealer or foundation, I didn't get pimples. To finish my simple look, I glazed a thin layer of clear lip gloss on.

"Trent, will you grab my black boots and a clip? Please?"

A second later, Trent appeared in the doorway, holding them. "You're welcome."

The boots were black and fit tightly onto my legs, made for skinny jeans. To my relief, the heals had only been an inch high with a zippers on the inside. I slipped them on. Then I clipped my hair to my head, letting my bangs and a few other strands fall loose.

Good enough.

"I'm home!" Yelled Dad from the front door, I could see him in the mirror. "What? No hugs?"

Trent tackled him in a tangle of lanky arms and legs. "Dad! You caught Delilah just in time. She was about to leave."

"I see," he said and kissed my forehead. "Your bike is out front sweetheart. Be careful."

"Always."

-Around 6:50pm. At the bus stop.-

I pushed my rusted old bike onto the rack and locked it up, twisting the 6328 code to 1234. Weird habit. I shook my head so that my bangs fell across my face. I looked up to discover that the bus stop was filled with people. Some young, most old.

Squished between two middle-aged women was Sora. She's a twenty-eight year old bartender/waitress that worked at Moonstone with me. Kimber and my Dad arranged that she take a slightly later shift so she could take me the rest of the way. On my first day at Moonstone a year ago, she quickly became my best friend.

Her face was twisted into a tortured expression. Sora didn't "get along with others" very well. We're not sure how we became to be such good friend's; she's eleven years older than me.

"What took you so long? I've been stuck between two old women who were pick pockets. And don't even ask me how long it took them to figure out I didn't have any pockets to begin with."

I laughed; Sora didn't like carrying her personal belonging in a purse or in pockets. So she kept her phone and wallet in her shoes. Well, unless she was wearing high heels, then they were forced inside her bra. Trust me, I mean forced. "Calm yourself, I had to make Trent dinner. We've been running late all day."

"Fine. Then you're forgiven," She blew a curly blond lock out of her face. "But don't let it happen again. The bus being late is a rare thing here. Back when I was your age-"

"Oh god, don't go all stone ages on me."

Sora smacked my arm, "I am not old!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night…"

"Very funny. Oh! Finally," She gestured down the street at the blue bus as it barely made the sharp corner. "Eww, not this one again. The man who drives it smells like bacon grease and peanut butter!"

"Shh! Not so loud- wait a minute, peanut butter? Seriously? I only smelled five-week-old dirty underwear but…okay."

She opened her mouth to answer but thought better of it when the bus pulled to a stop and the door flew open. Aw, she does have a heart. I laughed.

"What?" Sora said in alarm.

"Nothing. Come on or there won't be any seats left." I grabbed her wrist and dragged her onto the bus. Thankfully there were still seats left. We sat in the very back. The drive to Moonstone took about 20 minutes.

My shift was at 7:30.

So we'd make it just in time.

-At Moonstone-

We walked into Moonstone and headed toward Kimber behind the bar. When you first walked in you had to go down a narrow hall that opened up to a big room. It was dimly lit up by stones that glowed in the dark, moonstones. That's how the club got its name. Most were scatter on the walls and ceiling. Some were under the see-through floorboards. Each moonstone was oval-shaped and a milky-white that cast a beautiful pale glow. And of course, we had a few lights in case we got a complaint that it was too dark. Then we'd switch them on.

But who'd complain?

Kimber was wiping down the bar, her red hair loose and hugging her shoulders. "Girls! I was starting to worry." She gave me a hug and patted Sora on the shoulder. "Go on and get ready Sora, we're getting busy, and fast." Sora obeyed without question and rushed behind the counter.

"What time is it?"

"Time for your performance," Kimber glanced at her watch. "Well, almost."

"Then I'll go get ready."

Everyone was already on stage. Eliana, the lead guitarist, handed me my microphone. I thanked her and looked over the club. Not as big a crowd as usual, but it was still early. No one really watched the performances, but they danced and sang along to the songs. That was enough for me.

I loved the small stage; it felt like home to me.

Sometimes when I sing, I walk around the club or on top of the bar. People had enough sense to move their glasses for me. They must watch more than I like think.

The music changed to Maroon 5's song, 'Misery'. I waited for my cue, and then began to sing.

Oh yeah~!

Some people looked up, but I ignored them and continued just in time to the music.

Oh yeah~!

So scared of breaking it, but you won't let it bend

And I wrote two hundred letters I will never send

Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper than they seem

You'd rather cover up

I'd rather let them be~

So let me be, and I'll set you free

Oh yeah!

I am in misery~

There ain't no body who can comfort me

Oh yeah!

Why won't you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me~

Oh yeah!

Boy~ You really got me bad

You really got me bad

Now I'm gonna get you back

Gonna get you back

-After the song-

Eliana smiled at me before I walked off the stage. Different music started the second the live music stopped. Now it was playing another Maroon 5 song. I sat down at the front of the bar, trying to catch my breath. Sora gave me a knowing look and handed me a glass of water.

I gulped it down gratefully, savoring the icy goodness.

After two songs I was suppose to go up again. This time we planned on doing Uncharted by Sara Barielles. But I had time to relax first.

"Hey Sora, do I look like I'm sweating?"

She studied my face, "Nope. You never do. Up on stage you're always so calm and composed. Practically the opposite of your true personality that I've seen so many times."

Okay so I could have a bit of a temper. Not my fault. So I shrugged.

"So? It's not like I act that way at school. I've only acted icy toward drunks, jerks, and whoever."

Sora chuckled, "Yeah, 'whoever'."

"Be right back, I'm going to go check my make-up."

"Oh! Wait! Will you replace the toilet paper for me in the third stall? Pretty please?" She clasped her hands together and stuck her bottom lip out.

I groaned, "Aren't you suppose to be older than me?"

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, whatever."

I walked back down the hallway and past the entrance, where people were still streaming inside looking egger. A restroom sign was bolted to the wall, barely noticeable, but our regular's knew about it so it was good enough. Out of nowhere someone bumped into my shoulder, mumbled sorry, and clumsily stumbled into the crowd again.

Damn drunks.

At the end of the hall were two white doors, I pushed into the "Ladies Room". Unsurprisingly, it smelled like lavender and fancy soap. Kimber loved to make the bathroom scented. The "Men's Room" smelled like cinnamon and don't ask how I know that. Cleaning the guys' bathroom may have smelt nice, but the stains in there left impressions.

I grabbed a fluffy roll of toilet paper from under the sink and replaced it with the empty one. The stall's were semi-clean, all but the third one. Oh I know she isn't trying to get me to clean that.

But I did what she asked by replacing the toilet paper roll with a full one. Done.

I checked my reflection, all good. Everything is where it's supposed to be. So I headed back out. Sora was waving me toward the stage, oops. I half-jogged up the three steps and caught the microphone Eliana tossed to me.

Ohh~

Hmm~

No words

My tears won't make any room for 'em, oh and it

Don't hurt like anything I've ever felt before

This is no broken heart, no familiar scars

This territory goes uncharted

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something familiar, but I didn't know what it was.

Not what, who.

Just me

In a room sunk down in a house in a town and I-

Then I recognized them. How did they get in here? Any closer and-… and what? They'd recognize me? I relaxed again, even though they were so close.

-don't breathe though, I never meant to let it get away from me

Now I have too much to hold

Everybody had to get their hands on g-

Before I knew what was happening, my ankle got caught on some random wires and I fell forward. Most of the people stumbled out of the way, only one reached out for me.

"Shit!"

I landed on Desmond and we both collapsed onto the floor in a tangle of limbs.