Chapter two.

When fifth period, my lunch flows around, I'm exhausted. I decide to skip going to the teachers lounge, I'll just eat at my desk. I open my bag and pull out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut in half. I pull out one half and lean back in my chair. I'm eyeing my sandwich when I realize there's someone in my doorway. I sit up straight and look at the person in my doorway, it's Anna. I set down my sandwich and turn, facing her. She speaks first. "Have…uh... You seen my um book anywhere?" She's mumbling, I can barely hear her. I look at her quizzically, so she walks to my desk. "I don't think so, but you should check you're desk, you're the only person who sits there. I don't let kids sit in the back row, usually." She stars walking to her desk.

"Oh yah? Why not?" she asks loud for her. I can actually hear her without struggling this time. I love her voice. It's… soothing. "Ah you know, kids causing problems in the back." I'm extremely happy that we're having an actual conversation. "Uh huh. True. So why'd you let me sit back here then?" She asks, pulling her book out of the desk and putting it in her bag. "Because you looked like an extreme bad girl." I say sarcastically. She smiles, a genuine smile. I smile too, a big dorky smile and she giggles. Oh my lord, her giggle. It's adorable. I love it.

Her smile fades. "Hey uh, sorry about earlier…" She's mumbling again. Damn.

"Oh no! No no no no! That was me that was my fault." I'm pretty sure I sound like a baffling idiot but I didn't care. She forced a laugh so I smiled. She walked up to my desk. She started to whisper "I was uh… talking about me…um… running away..." Her look of fear returns. "This may be uh, out of line but can I ask why?" I say with a burst of confidence. "Why'd you run?" Seconds pass, seconds that seem like minutes. She looks down at her converse, bites her lip and looks around everywhere but at me. She doesn't answer. So I change topics. "So… how old are you?" She visually relaxes. "I'm uh, 17. I'll be 18 in two months, so in March." She stares back at her shoes. "How about you? You look young. Really young." She looks up at me. "I'm 25" I say.

"Well this was fun but you probably want to finish you're sandwich" She says. I wish she could stay and talk but she can't.

"Yeah. I guess" I shrug. She walks to the door. "Bye. Stay out of trouble bad girl" I say laughing. She smiles and waves goodbye and disappears into a hallway of students.

After Schools let out I pack up my shit. I'm so tired. I just want to go home and sleep. I'm walking towards the front door when I hear Courtney yelling at someone. I turn a corner and see a group of kids surrounding something. I have Courtney Third period. She sits in a group of girls, she's obviously the leader. She seems like a brat to me. But I could never say that to her. I'd be so fired. I walk to the kids in the back.

"You're a little bitch!" Courtney screams. There's a loud pang of something being hit against the lockers. I scan the back the crowd, and pick out the first kid I recognize, Eric. The brown haired boy is hopping on his tippy toes, trying to get a better look. I grab his shoulder. "What's going on?" I ask frantic. He shrugs "Don't know, too short" then he returns hopping. I flinch when I hear the loud pang again. "Huh bitch? You won't fight back?" and the pang again. I'm scared now. I begin pushing my way through the crowd. Kids start running, because they'll get in trouble just for watching. I'm soon at the front and terrified at what I see. Courtney is kicking the ribs of another girl, curled in a ball. There's blood under the girl on the floor and some on the locker. "You're a fucking freak!" she yells. I feel frozen in time. Then I see it. The girl on the ground is in white jeans and a gray tank top, her red hair a mess, no doubt there's blood it. I unfreeze. I run to Courtney and shove her away from the hurt Anna on the floor.

"A FUCKING FREAK!" She screams one more time. By this time the principles also here. She grabs Courtney's arm and they stomp off to his office leaving me alone with Anna in the hall. "Anna!" I yell running up to her. I touch her arm and she flinches. I'm not strong but I'm suddenly strong enough to pick up the bleeding Anna. She flinches when I touch her ribs, other than that all I can see is a few arm scrape and a really bad nose bleed. By this late our school nurse is gone but I take her to the nurse's office anyway. When I walk in I lay her on the cot thing in the middle of the room. I grab a tissue for her nose. "Anna? Anna it's me. Elsa…err Ms. Winter. Anna please. It's OK now. Un-curl yourself" She slowly un-curls her body. There's blood dripping from her nose, it's slowed down now. "Anna... open you're eyes." Her eyes open, but there still full of tears. I hand he a tissue. "For your nose…" She takes the tissue and holds it against her nose.

About five minutes later I'm getting out rubbing alcohol and Band-Aids for the scrapes on her arms. I'm facing away from her in a cabinet when she speaks. "My nose stopped bleeding" she whispers. I turn towards her and walk to the bedside. She hands me her bloody tissue and throw it away. "Can I see your arms?" I ask. She nods and reaches her arm out to me. I clean all her cuts with rubbing alcohol and she slightly jumps when I touch her skin with my fingers. "I need to use the bathroom… when I get back I'll put on Band-Aids" I smile, but she's searching my eyes. I don't know what she's looking for, but I pretend to not notice. In the bathroom, I don't even use the bathroom. I splash my face with cold water. I almost cried when I saw her getting hurt, why? She's just a student. Just my student. I think. Elsa…. Don't you dare think you like…

I cut my thoughts off and flush the toilet so I don't seem liar. I let the sink water run for a few seconds. I walk out of the door to her. Her eyes are closed. "Anna, I'm back" I say. Her eyes snap open. "Hi" she mumbles. I begin putting Band-Aids on her arms. I can't help it anymore. "What exactly did she do to you?" My voice sounds hollow. She thinks for a second the talks. "She uh… shoved me and punched me in the stomach. She….. Banged my face on the locker… and kicked my ribs" I flinch, poor girl. "Can I see uh… you're um…" I begin mumbling "your ribs?" I finish in a whisper. We make eye contact and she's searching me again. She nods softly I walk and close the door, putting the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside. She lifts her arms and slides the thin fabric off with ease. I gasp at the sight, well both sights really. She's skinny, but not too skinny yet you can faintly see her ribs. But not this time there's deep purple and black bruises scattered over her ribs. Oh and the other sight was amazing, She had perfect breasts. I guess a B-cup. Not to big, not to small. Again, I can't help myself I reach out and touch a bruise; she flinches but doesn't pull away. I run my fingers from one bruise to another. "Why? Why would she do this to you" I ask, I feel like I'm going to cry. She whispers one thing "Because I'm a freak" I can't handle her saying that. "Don't say that! You're not…"

She reaches out and grabs my chin, lifting my eyes from her bruises to her eyes. I stare at her for a second, and then she closes the space between our lips. Her lips feel so warm against my cold ones. This is it, my first kiss.

When she pulls away, she starts crying. "Anna? What's wrong?" I ask. She crosses her legs and speaks. "Me. I'm wrong. I loved that kiss though. I'm so sorry." She jumps up and puts her shirt on. She has her hand over her jean crotch again when she looks at me. She's still crying, but she turns and walks out.