Other side of the glass

Chapter 1

"You're such a bastard!" She screamed into the leering face. Drawing back her fist she threw it as hard as she could into the boy's curled lips. His head snapped back with a grunt of pain, mouth spilling blood. Staggering backwards, reeling from the force of the blow, Hilary watched him in shock. No no! This can't be happening! How could I lose control like that? Stepping away, her face a mask of terror her breath came out in shallow gasps.

Muffled swearing came from the boy. Stumbling back round to face her, he grinned, a rivulet of crimson slithering from his mouth. "Nice shot" he spat blood. "Guess I won't mess with you in the future." Flicking a strand of raven black hair from his eyes, he narrowed them to golden slits of triumph. "But I've got some friends who would willingly oblige"

Hilary's eyes widened in horror "No, I didn't mean to-"

"Too late" the boy grinned easily once more. "I'm outta this dump."
The Chinese teen turned and sprinted through the school gates.Suddenly Hilary became aware of the crowd around her, students from every year, all witnesses to what she had done. Gossip buzzed through the air around her like the heart of a hornets nest.Turning the opposite direction from the boy, she pushed her way through the crowd, glancing round in some vain hope that the teachers hadn't arrived. A tight knit group of adults had already invaded the scene. Gazing behind her for a split second, the thought of sprinting out of the school gates and following the boy flashed through her mind. "HILARY TACHIBANA! Come here this instant!" Sighing she turned round to face the expedition of grim faced teachers. This was going to be a long day.

XXXX

Bursting into her room, the furious voices of her parents still ringing in her ears, Hilary flung herself on the bed. Her head ached from the unfairness of it all. Letting herself cry for the first time that day, she pummelled her pillow mercilessly. It did nothing to sooth her livid temper. How could everyone be so blind? They only saw one side. To them, the bossy-boots of the school had got fed up with a new boy challenging her authority. It was all her fault that he now refused to go back.

Ray Kon, a homeless boy from down town. Rumour had it he was in a gang, the gang, feared throughout town for their ruthless members, eliminating any competition from their territory. The blade breakers- hideous rumours had flown round the school for weeks of how they killed their rivals with knives; slit their throats with grotesque accuracy. Hilary felt sick. How could she have let her temper out so easily? It was just the image of his face, swarming in on her mind, grinning as though he owned the place. It wouldn't go away.

Groaning, she rolled over and buried her head in the pillow. The heat from crying and the damp material smothering her face soon forced her to draw away for air. This couldn't be happening. Twisting the duvet cover between her fingers Hilary wished it would all go away. She was too old to cling onto the failed hope that this was all a dream. Staring hard at the floor, head hanging limply over the side of the bed, she looked down until the throbbing of her head made her stop. Standing up suddenly, at a loss of what to do with her self, she staggered through the head rush, to the window. Flinging it open, she took in lungfuls of chilly evening air.

Over the quiet houses of her street she watched the last burning amber slits of the sunset lose themselves in the grey torrents of the evening darkness. Black storm clouds hung heavily in the air and as Hilary watched, the first few large drops of rain hit her face, cold. She let them slide down, cooling her flushed cheeks. The drops soon strengthened into a shower.
Hilary closed the window. Turning her back to the rain, she surveyed her darkening room. Tidy, neat. Everything was how it was meant to be: organised, a few clothes thrown onto a chair in the corner, opposite her bed, a wardrobe on the right wall, bookshelf, everything you would expect. Hilary sighed. Walking over slowly she changed from her school uniform into jeans and a large black hoodie. So what if she had just pulled it out of the cupboard without putting her old one in the washing basket? Stupid little things she used to care so much about seemed ridiculous now. Returning to the window, she pulled her hood up and watched the rain shimmer down the glass. Breathing slowly she let the smell of freshly fallen rain on concrete sooth her racing mind.
Staring out through the rain, almost in a daze, she felt the need to go out. Go for a walk in the rain. That would put her mind off the problems for awhile.

Sliding open the window, she looked down. The side of her house was sheer. Rain splattered off the whitewashed walls, appearing grey in the fading light. Maybe not that way. Almost in a trance, listening to the pattering of rain on the roof, she opened her bedroom door. Slipping quietly out into the hallway she made her way quickly down stairs to the back door.

The chink of cutlery and murmur of voices could be heard from the warmly lit kitchen. Her parents had started having dinner without her.
Feeling her stomach rumble, she ignored it. Besides, I've been eating too much lately anyway. Feeling the familiar pang of self hate at her figure, she shoved her feet in her trainers. Opening the door as quietly as she could Hilary ran out into the rain, leaving it to slam shut behind her.

XXXX

Kai woke up irritable. The metallic pounding of the rain on the warehouse roof wouldn't let him go back to sleep. Rising off his sparse mattress on the upper level of the abandoned storage building he stalked down the metal grid stairs.

The ground floor coming into sight showed his team huddled in a group. Ray stood angrily in the centre. Tyson was yelling something about him being beaten up by a girl. Kai snorted derisively to himself. The pony tailed boy would never grow up.

Uncrossing his arms, he vaulted over the railings, landing perfectly on the concrete floor, a few metres away from the others. They stopped talking at once. Paying no attention to them what so ever, Kai recrossed his arms, and strode past the silent group to a small wooden side door. Opening it to the down pour he stated above the sound of the rain "I'm going out." He stepped outside and let it bang shut behind him.

XXXX

Hilary sprinted through the streets, running so fast she was blinded by the rain. The cold wind ripped her sodden hood off. Rat's tails of dark brown hair hung in her eyes as she forced her burning lungs to go faster. Feeling a wild rush of adrenaline she pelted onwards, through the streets she knew so well, past the school, its lights still glittering through the rain, taunting her. Hilary ran faster, she ran until her legs ached, until her lungs felt as if they were blazing cold. Her eyes watered from the lashing of droplets into her eyes, her clothes hung sodden off her skinny frame. Breath rasping out in shallow gasps she finally stopped, physically unable to go any further, pain shooting through her chest. Leaning against a wall she waited, head and heart pounding, until the stitch subsided. Still breathing hard she let herself slide down the wall. Landing in a puddle at the bottom, she let the water soak through her already wet clothes. Staring up at the darkened sky the feelings of helplessness and insecurity flooded through her. Letting her arms fall loosely to the pavement and legs out infront of her she relaxed her whole body in an attempt to steady her breathing. Closing her eyes against the rain she half lay on the deserted street, surrounded by the shadow of unfamiliar warehouses, and let herself go numb.

Ok yes I've started another story I'm afraid…ok then, my routine question: any ideas where it should go from here?

--u ok then…heheh…bye!