Chapter 1: The First Day Of High School

The first day of school is always the most exciting, and the more terrifying than any other day. Because for me, that ment going to a school were I didn't know a soul. That is untill I met Thomas Brown Hewitt.

Why my parents chose to move to a small town in Texas, I'll never know why. But, as the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Even when the lemons are old and moldy. Right. That seemed to be the only thing on my mind as I walked down the dusty road, cows on either side of me. Looking up, getting out of my head, I saw a boy up ahead of me. He looked really tall, but then again, I am really short. Calling out a hello, I raced to catch up with him. He turned his head away from me, like he was ashamed of something. Smiling anyway I started talking, "My name's Bree. Me and my family just moved here, whats your name?"

He seemed startled. Like he couldn't believe someone was talking to him. He turned his head to me and spoke, "My name is Thomas Brown Hewitt. But you can call me Tommy."

His voice is deep, but kind. A little disbelieving, but still kinda happy. I smiled, but I became sorta afraid, his face had no nose, and it looked like acid had eaten the skin away. I ignored that fact. We walked along, me chatting away. Telling him about Virginia, and were I grew up. Up ahead of us is a group of kids. Other teens. My pale green dress stood out against the dirt of the Texas road. Looking at Tommy I asked, because of his fearing expression, "You know those kids?"

"Yeah.." He trailed off, making a pained expression. His brow furrowed slightly. I could tell he didn't really want to go anywere near those kids so, I patted his arm.

"Don't worry. They won't be able to touch you." One of the reasons my family moved here was because of my fighting. I constantly fought with anyone who messed with my friends. All the kids were afraid of me, so I had no choice but to leave. No one approached us. They dog whistled me, and sneared at Tommy. The dog whistles were surprising. I'm only five feet tall, short dark brown hair with blonde streaks, pale skin and bright hazel eyes. Sure I could be pretty, but I am a little heavier than most girls.

Glaring at them I spoke, stopping a few feet away, "You wanna say somethin' to him, say it to me."

One of the boy came up to me and raised his hand to slap me shouting, "You little bitch!"

Thank god for karate. I grabbed his hand and whipped it back snapping his wrist. "Try and slap me?"

I kicked his legs out from under him and punched him in the gut. "Stay away from me, and leave Tommy alone."

With that, I straightened out my dress and grabbed Tommy's hand pulling him along. No one messes with Bree Higgins and lives to tell the tale, well, most of the time at least. I knew the school wasn't too far away by now. So I stopped again and asked Tommy a question, "You alright?"

Dazed he just nodded so I chuckled and continued on, racing away, and pulling Tommy behind me. More kids where up ahead so I slowed down. A couple of guys started to talk but I cut him off, "You want your nose broken by a girl?" He shook his head, "I didn't think so!"

The stairwell up to the school, just those few stairs, had to be what scared me the most. The way the other teens looked at me because I was friends with Tommy, the school, as they call him, 'Freak'. The shouted 'retard' and other cruel things at him and called me named about as bad. Just when I though I was going to have to start breaking necks the bell rang and everyone scattered.

'Little Virginia', thats what they were refering to me as, but, once I entered the school, they changed that quick. I became 'That Hewitt's Slut'. Anyone who said it out loud, got my fist in their face. No one dared to. Lucky for me Tommy is in all my classes, and his locker is next to mine. Getting to know him, is, hard. He is very quiet in school, but he is also my only friend as of yet. Who woulda thought.

School dragged out for what seemed like an eternaty. Finally the bell rang. That was when it happened. The boy whose wrist I broke and the one whom I threatened with a broken nose surrounded me with a few others. They where all much taller than me and, well, stronger. Backing up they started to taunt me.

"Hey slut, wanna play."

"I'll break your face!"

"Lets kill her!"

They screamed at me, then they threw the first punch. It hit me so hard I felt my jaw crack. Crying out I fell to my knees. Kicking me in the ribs and gut the boys continued their relentless attack until Tommy came. Towering over them, he growled out, "Get away from her."

He picked on up by the collar and tossed him into a locker. Weeping I backed away from the other boys weakly. Tommy could hold his own. But as I lay on the floor bleeding, my eyes got all blurry. The pain seared along every inch of my being. Was this the end for me?