"Have you heard? There's a new girl!" I heard a girl say from the hall.

"What?!" another girl said shocked. "A new girl? Hopefully she doesn't end up like the last few." She had said in a very nasty tone.

"Class," Mr. Nikaidou said with a smile. "Our new student."

Everyone stared at me with scrutinizing eyes. I didn't smile or anything but my eyes did wander to a pink haired girl looking out the window.

"Um, Evangeline, would you like to say something?" he asked me.

"It's Eve," I turned to him with a bored look.

"Excuse me?" he apparently didn't hear me.

"It's Eve," I repeated slightly annoyed that he hadn't caught it the second time I said it walking down the hall on the way here, or the first time in the principal's office when I said it.

"Well then Eve," he said with the same smile that made him look stupid when I first saw him. "Would you like to take a seat?" he gestured to the empty one next to a small blonde lolita. The little girl wasn't paying attention either, she had her left hand under her chin while her other played with her long wavy blonde hair.

I sat down next her and set my bag on the hanger attached to the desk. One thing I'll miss about the states, desks that don't have their chairs attached to them. I tried to scoot back and in a failed attempt dropped my pencil. I sighed and almost went to grab it before a boy retrieved it and set it on my desk.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"Not a problem," I looked over at him. I had to back track as I looked at him, he had blonde hair and he seemed almost perfect, as close to an angel as the world can get.

I turned away and faced the front as my phone vibrated in my blazer pocket. I was tempted to pull it out but I didn't know if it would get taken away by the teacher. But what if it was mom? I pulled it out but it was only Karen, my father's new wife. The worst monster in the world, even worse than the devil, at least that's what I think because her hits sure hurt like it. I'm not saying she beats me physically but verbally I think she could hurt Rosalie Cullen's feelings from Twilight, and let me just say that's one hard ego to break.

I would've ignored it but then I would have to go home eventually and I didn't want to go and see an angry stepmother. I got up from my seat and walked out of the class. I answered.

"Hello?" I asked.

"What took you so long to answer?!" Karen yelled into my ear making it ring.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"You bet your sorry ass you're sorry!" she was still yelling. "Why aren't you home right now?"

"It's my first day of school," I replied my voice wavered a little.

"School? With a girl as stupid as you I didn't think you would be going to school," she laughed haughtily.

"Is there anything you wanted Karen?" I asked as a few students walked by me.

"Yeah. I want you to drop by the dog groomer and pick up Star," she said in a bored tone. "I was supposed to pick her up an hour ago but I'd rather make you do it."

"But what about my class?" I asked hoping she wasn't going to say what I thought she would. But of course, she had to burst my bubble.

"Skip," was her simple reply. "You have thirty minutes until I call up your dad and tell him what you're up to right now."

"What?"

"For your small brain to comprehend I'll say it one more time," she laughed again. "Go now or I'll tell your dad about you skipping class."

"But I'm not skipping!" I defended.

"Whose he going to believe?" she threatened. "His stupid little girl or his beautiful wife?"

"Alright," I answered. "I'm going now."

"Good girl," I could hear the devilish smile in her tone then the line went dead.

I closed the phone and put it back in my pocket and headed back into the class grabbed my book bag and strode back out. Before I left the campus I looked back to the class I was just in and the pink haired girl was staring at me. Her eyes full of wonder. I turned away and started on my race to the dog groomer's.

I wasn't really sure where I was going but I could guess. There was a place that looked like a pet place when I was walking to school. When I found it I realized it was only a five minute walk from my house. I walked in and saw ladies grooming dogs and ladies sitting waiting for their dogs turn or their dogs to be done. I went to the small counter where a young girl with a long brown ponytail sat smacking on her bubble gum. She looked up at me.

"How can I help you?" she asked picking up a pen with purple manicured fingers.

"I'm here to pick up a dog," I answered.

"Name?" she looked down.

"Ev—" I started but she cut me off.

"The dog's name."

"Oh, Star," I said a little embarrassed.

"Yeah she was picked up over an hour ago honey," she said her bubble gum popping.

"What?" I was utterly confused.

"Yeah by a lady named Karen," she replied.

"Okay thanks," I left. She had tricked me. Again.

I made way to the house a little angry and feeling stupid for falling for her tricks again. The black steel gates were cold against my hand as I unlocked it with my other. It swung open and I walked through my front door. My dad standing there waiting.

"She was right," were his first words. "You are skipping." I think I could hear my brain shatter. She had told him I was skipping anyways even though she told me she wouldn't!

"Dad I can explain," I pleaded.

"No, this is the last time I let you do this," he said. "You're always skipping class and wandering off to God knows where. You can' keep doing this. I think I'm going to have to ground you. Now go to your room," he said.

"But dad!" I whined.

"No!" he yelled and I knew I had lost. I started on my way to my room when he said one last sentence. "And I'm forbidding you to call your mom until you understand that you need to be more responsible."

I squeezed my eyes shut and entered my room shutting closed behind me. I think I'm done with this. All of this crap that I have to go through. I'm done! I went to my closet and grabbed my black duffel bag and started putting clothes in it. When I had fit enough clothes to last me a week or so in it I pulled out a roll of cash from my desk and set it in the side pocket. I pulled it over my head and opened the window of my room. It was a good thing I was on the first floor or this could've hurt.

My dad could forbid me from calling mom but he couldn't stop me from seeing her. I pulled out a crumpled, folded piece of paper from my pocket and opened. I followed the directions it said and found myself in front of a small house. On the sign outside it read: 'Reed'. I rang the buzzard on the wall and waited.

Soon a beautiful young woman walked out. Her black hair tied in a bun, but her light blue eyes looked tired. I smiled when she saw me and gasped.

"Hi mom," I greeted happy that I finally got to say the words.

"Eve," she whispered. It was just like a mom to know exactly what to call her daughter.

She opened the gate to her home and I ran into her open arms. She stroked my jet black hair and my ice blue eyes started to water.

"I've been waiting so long to hold you like this," she whispered squeezing me.

"I've been waiting a long time for you to hold me like this," I looked up at her smiling face.

"I see you're attending Saiyo Elementary," she pulled back to see my uniform. It made me happy that someone noticed that I went to school. "You look adorable. My little sixth grader." And she knew what grade I was in, that's more than Karen knew and I lived with her!

"Mom," I said. "I want to live with you."

"What?" her face turned to a frown. "I can't let you do that. Your father would just take you back. He has full custody of you."

"He shouldn't," I replied. "He doesn't even take care of me! He leaves me at home all day and spends his money on his new wife whom I hate even more than him! He says he knows how to raise kids but he hasn't been doing anything!"

"But honey you have to go home," she said.

"That's not a home. It's a house where no love resides," I told her. "Him and Karen are fighting already and they've only been married for six months. I can't stand it!"

"What am I going to do with you?" she giggled. "You really want to stay with me?"

"Yes," I said. "Of course, I always have. I was surprised you didn't keep me in the first place. Why you hadn't come to get me yet!"

"Just like him I don't know how to take care of kids Eve," she replied. "I've lived by myself since I was old enough to be able to. But I want you to stay. Your grandfather will be happy to see you when I introduce you to him. You'll love him."

"Does he live with you?" I asked surprised.

"No but he doesn't live far from here," she said leading me toward her home.

We walked inside and it was a small area for a hallway that led to a bathroom and a staircase going to the second floor and opening in the walls on either side. To the left it looked to be the family room and to the right it was a big sun room.

"I've been hoping for a long time for you to come and live me," she said. "So I already have a room made up for you. Would you like to see it?" I nodded. "Then let's go up."

The two of us walked up the stairs to a hallway that had several doors leading to different rooms in it. We took a left and all the way at the end on the right there was a sign that said: "Eve's Room". I smiled as she opened the door.

"Welcomes to your room," she said.

The walls were painted in stripes with the colors pink, light pink, white and black. In the middle of the room was a king size bed that had a pink cover. A door with a coat hung on it was on the right side of the wall all the way to the end. To the left there was a desk with a computer and next to it was a big bookshelf.

"Really?" I asked turning to my mom with a smile. I was really happy.

"Really," she nodded. She looked at the alarm clock on the desk. "It's already nine thirty? Oh, you need to get into bed! You have school in the morning!"

"Do I have to?" I asked hoping I didn't.

"You have to," she smiled. "We have the rest of our lives to catch up. Good night sweets." She kissed the top of my head and closed the door behind her.

I had never felt at home before, but I knew this is exactly what it should feel like. Like love and sugar plum fairies. I changed into pajamas I brought with me and looked out the window I had. It had a balcony and I walked on it. I grabbed the chair in the corner and pulled it to the middle. I clasped my hands together and started to sing.

" Dear God. If you're listening I would like to ask you a favor. Send me a guardian angel that can protect me and my mom. Someone who can help me smile and to help show my true self to the world. The girl who wants to protect the ones she loves in any way she can. Please. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. "

I smiled up at the stars then climbed into bed and slept an uninterrupted slumber.