What's wrong, what's wrong now?
Too many, too many problems.
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.

--Avril LavigneNobody's Home

Ellie threw herself onto the couch. There was no possible way to sugar coat it. This summer had sucked. Sean, her ex, had some mental breakdown, and went running to his parents. Her two best friends were not only out of contact, but not even on the same continent. She screamed into the cushion. Life sucks. Life sucks. Life sucks. She whispered a string of curses into the striped couched. What happened to the simplicity of being the gothic loner? Those summers back before ninth grade, she wouldn't have expected any companionship over the summer. She wouldn't have wanted it. All she'd have needed was her father, but not even was here. She needed to get out. The apartment still smelled like Sean, the jeans draped over the sofa were Ashley's, and Bueller's grave just outside reminded her of Marco. Who was she kidding? Everything reminded her of Marco. Fuck. She needed to get out

A bus and a CD player were a panacea for any emotion turmoil, Ellie thought as she sat staring out at the blur that the world had become as the bus raced on. She had no idea where it was taking her and didn't care much either way. She just wanted to talk to someone, but all of them were too close. Craig? Ashley's kinda-sorta-ex. Jimmy? Ashley's ex. Come to think of it, even Sean was Ashley's ex. Ellie sighed fogging up the window. She needed a less trampy best friend.

She mindlessly pulled back her sleeve. The fading scars, thin crimson lines seemed to dance behind the tears clouding her vision. It was Marco's fault. Marco made her weak. Marco made her cut. Marco made her fall. Fall in love. Fall off her high horse. Fall to the ground.

A white tissue blocked her view of the bus floor. Ellie looked up. "Clean yourself up, Nash. It's really pathetic." Ellie felt her whole body get hot and turn red from embarrassment. Alex stood before her staring down at her. "Pull down your sleeves too, nobody wants to see that. Unless you're looking for pity."

Ellie quickly pulled down the sleeve on her arm and wiped her eyes with the other. How could she be so stupid to get caught? She kept her eyes directed at the gum-encrusted floor of the bus. She didn't make herself look like even more of an ass in front of Alex.

"So is this about your fag boyfriend, your pussy boyfriend, your wino mother, or your drama queen friend, or is this what you do when you think no one's watching?" Alex could be a serious bitch sometimes. Or maybe this was her nice way of asking. But didn't matter because as the bus stopped and the doors opened, Marco stepped on. Looking much worse than Ellie.