Chapter two (Lyla Jefferson)

I tried to calm my heart as it felt like it was beating out of my chest as my boyfriend Trey leaned over me, and watched as I hacked into the schools computer system just to change his grades. I knew I would get caught since within 10 minutes his grades went from D's and F's and I would be the only one who would ever do this for him. I didn't want to do it, but I had to if I didn't want to go to school with a limp.

I finished and sat straight up I'm the chair stiff as a board. "Thank you buttercup." He whispered in my ear. "If you get caught and I get in trouble I will kill you." Then he kissed my neck and walked away. Thank god. Now I'll just have to lie straight through my teeth. "You hungry?"

"Yes." I told him.

"Well come fix us dinner then!" He snapped.

I nodded and walked into the small kitchen gathering things to make spaghetti and meatballs. I made sure everything was perfect until I served the food. He sat down when I called him over. He talked the whole entire time I watched disgusted as the food fell out of his mouth. He wasn't very proper, but I knew never to point that out again since last time, I had gotten beaten so bad that I had to skip school for almost two week to let the bruises fade.

"What are you looking at? Finish eating your food!" He snapped. I stuffed my mouth until all of my spaghetti was gone, and he watched me. He had a sly smile on his face, and I knew what was coming. He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, and took me down the hallway and into his bedroom. I didn't want to do this I never did, but it was better than the beatings.

I laid in his bed and pretended to like the was he was touching me, but I felt dirty and pathetic. He continued this for hours and finally fell asleep. I curled into a ball and silently cried into the pillow like I did every time this happens.

I woke up to him kissing my face. "Time to get up for school. Lets go take a shower." He told me grabbing my hand. The shower was already warm and he stripped me of my clothes and pulled me in with him. He started kissing my neck, and I honestly tried to stay still, but I couldn't he was grossing me out. He slammed me hard against the shower wall and grabbed my neck.

"Stay still Lyla!"

I whimpered, but did as he said. He dried me off once we were done and picked out my clothes which was a pair of loose yoga pants, an a sweater that was super long s it covered my butt. I dried my dull light brown hair and wore it in a sloppy ponytail.

He grabbed my hand and led me out to his big blue truck. I got in and he drove to school talking my ears off as I looked out the window wishing I was with my parents, wishing I still had friends, but my life has been taken away from me and Trey is holding it in the palm of his hand. He has been crushing it for almost one and a half years. We started dating freshman year, and this is the second day of our junior year.

It was the last period of then day when I was called down into the office. I sat in the seat across from the principles desk playing with my hands. "Miss. Jefferson, I have a question that I already know the answer too. Did you break into the system and change your boyfriends grades?"

"Yes, sir, but he has nothing to do with it. I was checking his grades for him, and saw how bad they were, so I fixed them for him." I lied.

"That's the wrong explanation. Why did you really do it? You and I both know he will not be going to college, you on the other hand has managed a 4.0 your whole schooling."

"I was just trying to help." I whispered and looked at my hands. The door opened and I tensed knowing it was Trey.

"Trey, please sit." Before he could confront Trey two people in suits walked in I just glanced at them and looked down. The principle exchanged a few words and turned his attention back to Trey.

"Did you tell Miss. Jefferson to change your grades?"

"I told you he didn't sir." I squeaked out.

"You changed my grades babe?" Trey asked with an innocent face, but I saw that look in his eyes that made me want to run away.

"Excuse my language, but cut the crap. I know you told her too. Lyla is our best student at this school, and always follows rules. I don't believe for one minute that she hacked into our system to change your grades just because." The principle said and tapped his pen on the desk. "Therefor, I am going to have to suspend you both for two weeks."

"What did I do?!" Trey yelled then stood up fastly which sent his chair flying back.

"You were the accomplice." The principle said in a calm voice.

I looked at the two people standing in the corner watching the scene. "Tell him Lyla, tell him you did this on your own."

"I did sir, he didn't take part in any of this."

"You Miss. Jefferson are a good liar, but I know he was apart of it. Therefor I will contact your parents, and you two can leave."

I didn't want him to call my parent, but I knew I shouldn't argue, and I knew that Trey's parents wouldn't give a shit. I trailed behind Trey and we got into his truck. We didn't talk at all, but when we got inside our little apartment he hit me as hard as he could and I went straight to the ground.

"What did I tell you!" He screamed then kicked me in the ribs over and over. "You are such a bitch! Are you trying to ruin my life?!" He punched me in the face several times than grabbed me by my hair. "I will kill you. No actually I'm going to hurt you s bad you wish you were dead." And he kept to his word.

I laid in the floor in a pool of my own blood while he left the apartment obviously not caring. I didn't even have a phone that I could call from. We didn't have a house phone it was just him and his cell. I don't know how long I laid there all I know is that I passed out.

When I woke up I tried to open my eyes, but it was a very bad idea. Pain shot through my head. My whole body ached in pain and I felt helpless. I didn't want to open my eyes again, but I did. I knew I was in the hospital by the smell of it, and the steady beeping of the monitor that still told me I was alive.

I saw my mom lying in my fathers lap on the leather couch and they were both asleep. "Dad." I croaked knowing he would hear me. His blood shot eyes snapped open. He carefully maneuvered my mom off of his lap with out waking her up and walked over to me.

"Oh sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know daddy. I-I feel pain everywhere." He reached down and hit the call button for the nurse. "I'm so sorry."

"Lyla, it's okay. Just rest okay." He whispered the nurse ran in and looked at me.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not to well."

"Okay, I'll get you some pain medication. The police also want to talk to you." Before I could say anything she ran off. She came back minutes later with a shot. My eyes got wide, but she put it through my IV thing. Which made me fell asleep instantly.

When I woke up my mom was sitting at the edge of my bed crying softly. "Mommy."

"Lyla! My god. I am so sorry." I looked at her confused. "I should've protected you better. You need to talk to the cops."

"I don't really feel like it right now. Can we wait until I'm better?"

"Of course." She said dropping it. I fell in and out of sleep. Four days later I was discharged, and I went to my parents house. They made me stay downstairs on the leather couch. They didn't bring up Trey and I was thankful for that.

"Honey, are you ready to talk to the police?" My mom asked me softly.

I nodded. She picked up a business card and called the number telling the person on the other line I was ready.

Half an hour later. A colored cop was sitting in a chair across from me with a notepad and a red pen. "Tell me Miss. Jefferson, how long had your boyfriend treated you badly?"

"We started dating Freshmen year. It was good for 3 months, but things got worse and by the time we had been dating for 6 months he started hitting me, but not often. By the time we had dated for a year his beating got worse and worse. I would take a week or more off of school to heal."

"Since your boyfriend is 18, we will be taking him into custody." He told me closing his notepad.

I gave him a short nod. Trey had gotten held back his sophomore year for never showing up for class. I was the only reason he came and got by because he was afraid I was going to be a slut when he wasn't around. I lazed around my parents house for another week.

"Lyla, you have visitors." My father said walking in the living room with two people behind him. Two people that I had seen in the principles office. The were both wearing suits again, but different ones. "Lyla, this is Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Goode."

"It's nice too meet you." I said shaking their hands.

"Lyla, were sending you to a boarding school in Virginia. It's an all girls school. These two had come looking for you, and has offered you a spot in their school. It is very exclusive." My mom said.

I started shaking my head and was getting ready to reply, but my dad cut in. "Don't think about saying no Lyla. You will be going to that school. Everything that has happened... he will get out, and we need you far away from here so when he does get out he won't be able to find you. They are giving you two hours to pack and get ready than you are leaving with them. You need to bring some casual clothing."

I tugged the blanket around my shoulders trying not to flinch as I stood up, my ribs still hurt like hell, but I had to push through it. I packet all of my things and took a slow shower. I let my hair dry straight, and changed into jeans, and a hoodie with black flip flops.

When I waked back into my room my bags were not on my bed, so I'm guessing they were already downstairs. I slowly walked down the staircase where my parents and the two adults were talking quietly.

"Ready?" My mom asked giving me a feather light hug.

Next my dad walked up to me. "Lyla, I'm not trying to be mean and send you off, but they came here wanting you to join their school. And normally I would let you decide, but you have to leave. I can't keep you here."

"I understand." He hugged me and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you kid."

"Love you too daddy."

Five minutes later I was inside a black SUV and headed to Virginia.