Nixon sat on the swing at the park. There was no-one there, I mean, why would there be? It was eleven o'clock at night and hammering with rain. She could be found here every night. She lived around the corner with her father, Shaun. He was an alcoholic with a temper which he would usually unleash on Nixon. She watched the rain hit the puddles, the rippling of the water. She saw someone from school walk by and pulled her hood down to hide her face, she really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

Nixon's POV

What the hell is Jimmy Deer doing out here at this time of the night? Jeez…

Sorry, maybe I should explain my mood, because I'm not always like this, I swear.

I got home from school to see dad watching basketball on the TV. This wasn't good. I sat in the kitchen, where I could still see the screen and prayed that his team would win.

They didn't.

Stupid team!

He got up from the sofa and came over to me. He yelled at me, like it was my fault they lost, and then slapped me. Great. Then later, after I spent ages making him macaroni and cheese, he said he wasn't hungry and pushed me. Right into the boiling saucepan. So now my arm is all burnt, and my neck where the water splashed so yeah…. And he was drunk again. He passed out at like ten so I snook out and now I'm here. Yay for my life. I should probably go home soon, but I really can't be bothered. I'll just sit here all night. No, just kidding, but it does sound like a good idea, don't you think?

The next morning, Nixon woke to the sound of banging.

Nixon's POV

What the hell is that? OMG! It's 5am! Grrr! I got dressed and crept downstairs. Slap. Thanks daddy, love you too.

"What d-did I tell you about keeping us s-stocked up on-n beer?" he slurred.

"Dad, I told you. I can't buy beer for you. I'm not old enough."

"W-what? You're eighteen."

I hate him.

"No dad, I'm sixteen."

"Th-then you should be eighteen."

Slap.

I left the hell-hole and knocked on for Chad, my bestest ever friend.

"Oh, hey…" he said, opening the door. "I hope you don't mind, but this new guy moved in next door, and I kinda said it was ok for him to walk with us, and that we'd show him the school. Is that ok?"

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…!

"Sure."

He was probably going to be a stuck up jerk, living here. Chad lived in a huge house with his mom and dad. The street was lined with identical houses so he had to be a rich kid, right?

"Cool, his name is Grady."

I laughed a little. What kind on name is "Grady"? It's like Gravy but with a D. I must remember not to call him Gravy though.

We stepped outside to find "Grady" already waiting for us.

"Hey Gravy!" I said, without thinking.

Stupid me!

Surprisingly, he laughed.

He was extremely good-looking. But probably still a jerk.

"Hey, er…" he said, in a tone that suggested he was asking for my name. Was he asking for my name? Or does he not really care what my name is because he plans on dumping us at the school gates and never talking to me again. If I tell him my name, will he wonder why I just randomly said my name? But if I don't tell him, he'll think I was just ignoring his obvious name-asking-tone.

Jeez, my life is complicated.

I chose my words carefully.

"My name is Nixon, in case you were wondering because I wasn't sure if you were, so yeah…"

What?! That wasn't carefully you stupid brain that probably doesn't exist!

We started walking.

"So, what school do you go to?" I asked.

It's official. I have no brain.

He laughed.

"You're kinda funny."

Yeah, that's right. I was just joking… I'm not stupid at all. I'm funny. Well, kinda. Wait, what? Kinda? I am the most hilarious-est person he will ever meet. See? I knew he was jerk. I scowled at him and walked ahead.

We got to school, oh the joy, and found out that his locker was right next to mine.

Kill me now.

"Oh, look," Chad said, to Grady, but kinda to both of us, I don't know, "You're in our homeroom."

Please. Kill. Me. Now!

We went to homeroom, and what a surprise, Gravy boy sits right next to me. Then we had history.

It was soon the end of the day, and we were all hanging around outside school. That is me, Chad, Zeke, Jason, Ryan, Jack, Justin, Sam, Jimmy (just a load of random boys), and Gravy Boy.

They were all picking on Chad because he liked Taylor. It was actually quite funny because he was denying it but he's not very bright so he kept putting his foot in it.

For Example:

Zeke: So you asked that Taylor girl out?

Chad: No, I mean seriously I don't even like her. Have you seen the size of her nostrils? And she's too smart for me, she'd always be making fun out of me. And, oh my God, have you seen the way she walks? She seriously waddles.

Jason: Basically, you still don't have the guts to ask her out yet?

Chad: What are you talking about? I've only been crushing on her since February! … I mean, in her dreams… I've been crushing on her since February.

Ryan: What if she was crushin' on you too?

Chad: Really? OMG! She likes me! (squeals like a girl) What did she say? …Not that I care….Of course….

And that's Chad for you.

Gravy boy was very quiet, so I said, "Hey, Gravy Boy, you're very quiet."

(I've decided that that is his name and I don't care what he or his birth certificate says, even if he starts getting annoyed, I'll be all like, "Hey Gravy boy" and if he ever comes round my house (which he won't because I won't let him but you get the picture) I will place a HUGE pot of gravy in front of his face and hope his head falls into it. What am I talking about?)

He laughed.

What? He laughed. I want him to get annoyed; it would be so fun to annoy him! OMG! He's too laid-back! I told you he was a jerk!

"You play?" Zeke asked him, handing him his basketball.

"Oh, it's only my life…" Gravy said.

"You should try-out for the team, dude!" Chad advised.

All the guys I hung around with were into basketball, and I was too but we didn't have a girls team. I think that's why I was mostly with the boys than the girls. I loved hanging around with Shar, Tay and Kels but they didn't know a single thing about basketball, sometimes it was just more fun with the guys. No offence to the girls though, I mean, they're fun too…

I'm going to shut up now.

We all walked home together. The others separated from us at Chad's house so me, Chad and Gravy-Boy hung out there for a while. We sat in Chad's room and just talked and listened to music.

After an hour of talking and laughing, there was a silence.

Of course, Chad filled it with his random moments.

He said, "God Nix, I never noticed how small your ears are."

Me and Gravy-boy laughed, I said, "Thanks Chad, I didn't know you cared about the ear-size of… my ears."

Chad and I had been best friends since we were tiny. When we first met the people we call friends, they all made fun of us, saying that we were into each other. We soon showed them that yes, we did love each other, but literally like brother and sister.

We kept talking for like hours, till I got a text from dad. He didn't look happy.

"Hey, Chad, I gotta go now. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Oh yeah, cool."

"Wait, I'll walk with," Gravy-boy said, standing up.

I frowned, confused.

"Dude, you live next door."

"No shit Sherlock. My Grandma lives like next door to you and I'm always with her since we got here. She's pretty old and I kinda look after her and stay over all the time."

"Oh, cool."

Totally not cool!

OMG! OMG! OMG!

What if he hears my dad shout? Or him banging. OMG!

Ok, ok… It's ok. If his Grandma hasn't heard it, then he won't. Wait… what if his Grandma is deaf? OMG! OMG!

"Is your Grandma deaf?" I asked, out loud.

"Uh, kinda, I guess. You know what it's like with old people."

You know what's weird? He didn't find it weird that I just asked if his Grandma is deaf.

Weird….

We started walking, and talking. And I know this is going to sound totally crazy and wacko, but I kinda like him. I mean, I was warming to Gravy Boy. He was kinda different to the other guys at school. He was really quiet in front of them, but when it was just me and him, or just me, him and Chad, he was a really nice guy.

He was talking about what a jerk his brother is because he made his puppy pee in Gravy's bed. I had to laugh.

"So, you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Nah, it's just me and Shaun."

"Who's Shaun?"

"Oh, my dad."

I never call him dad anymore to other people, I hate him that much.

"So where's your mom?" he asked.

"Uh, she died giving birth to me." I said, trying to sound more casual than I felt.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? It wasn't you she was giving birth to."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing…"

He looked kinda questioningly at me. The truth is, dad hates me. He hates that I killed mom. He hates that I'm here and she's not. He hates that she had to give up her life for me. And it was totally true, it was all my fault.

I shook my head.

"So, how come you came here?"

"Oh, well, my mom got a new job and stuff so we had to move here."

"Oh, is your mom cool?"

"Yeah I guess. And by the way, I really am sorry about your mom…"

Aww… He's so cute.

"You're weird." We both laughed; thank god he knew that I was only joking.

"Why thank you."

"No, I mean, weird in a good way."

He smiled, "Well, I've never heard that one before. Weird in a good way."

We arrived at our destinations, said our goodbyes and I went inside.

Dad was fuming.

"What do you think you're doing staying out so late?"

"Umm, we were at Chad's."

"We?" he towered over me, his breath smelt of alcohol, and lots of it.

"Yeah, new boy at school."

"Is he smart?"

"Kinda… I guess."

What the hell was he asking me for anyway?

"Don't talk to him again," he ordered.

"But why?"

"Because, Chad and those other boys are as dumb as er… something, they fall for the stupid, "I fell down the stairs." I will hate you for ever Nixon, if I go to jail, I swear I'll kill you!"

"That's not fair!" I protested.

He hit me in the face. "It doesn't have to be fair, what I say goes."

I nodded and ran up to my room.

I just lay on my bed, pillow over my face.

I must have drifted off to sleep.