A/N: I hope I didn't make you wait too long. :) I'm really happy that this is conceived so well. I beg you to leave me reviews and some constructive criticism.

Chapter 3

I can't laugh to hard I'm on a diet
I'm trying to lose myself
You ought to try it
Just starve for 6 days straight
Oh it's a riot
Every Sunday night ~ Cause and Effect by Maria Mena


Your nice and trustworthy postman hits his wife. The young woman that cuts your hair has been raped when she was four years old. That old Lady down the street is a drug addict. The little boys that pull your hair, had a sister once but she was shot. The pastor's daughter was abused by her grandfather.

I? I can't remember what happened before I was shipped off into the system. It's not that I don't want to remember - I just don't. I couldn't remember if I liked cheese or not or if I had both parents, if I had siblings. Everything is black.

Sometimes when I smell something familiar a memory comes up but as fast as it was there the memory fades again. My various therapists call it repression I can't help but be thankful for my natural protection. But because for my fear of rejection and people that judge me I can't talk, another form of repression, saying the wrong thing can get you into trouble. Getting in trouble for saying the wrong words wouldn't happen here.

But the Mercers were already getting annoyed with my lack of voice. Evelyn and Jerry were the ones to bother trying to involve me in an actual conversation. Bobby avoided asking me question but tried at least somtimes but he was to easily frustrated and annoyed, so he spoke as little as possible with me.

Angel made many snide remarks about my muteness but you could tell that it was all in good humor for him. For me it was not.

And Jack? Hadn't spoken a word with me since the day we met, he was cold and not accepting at all. But that didn't bother me. I wasn't planning on staying much longer. I never stayed longer than two months tops. I wasn't really a troublemaker, but I unnerved people.

As I lay in this unfamiliar bed on this late Sunday afternoon I couldn't do more then hold my stomach because it was aching so badly. And my kidneys were aching too, I really didn't know what to do, I was sniffing and holding my lower abdomen with my hands.

Slowly I sat up knowing exactly what I needed right now. I quietly walked to the bathroom and took a clean towel out of the drawer and held it under the hot water. Quickly I made my way back to my bed and pressed the towel to my stomach, it helped to calm my nerves and I fell asleep pretty fast. I was so grateful for that.


It was Evelyn who woke me up.

She shook me lightly and smiled as I groggily opened my eyes.

"It's your first day of school, Liv. Hurry up!" She left soon after that and I, still in pain, put some clothes on. I felt pain shot through me but I made it downstairs easily.

As far as pain can be described as easy. It was another quiet breakfast and I knew it was because of me. Everything went awkward when I entered the room.

Once again I shuffled the food from one side to another on my plate. It seemed like I was eating but I didn't. No one seemed to notice, which was good. Evelyn ushered us into different directions so we were all doing something but no one was blocking the other one.

I was the first to go the bathroom so I quickly brushed my teeth and hair, once my morning routine was done and I sat down on the comfortable couch cushions. I wasn't as nervous as I should've been but that probably was because of my constant school and kindergarten changes.

Everything went the same exact way. Some kids were nice some not so much, but all of them started to ignore me after a while, and that was good enough for me, no attention, no trouble, right?


It was Evelyn who drove me and Jack to school, she first dropped of Jack at his middle school and then me at my elementary school, together we walked up to the secretary and introduced us. She rather intodruced us, because I just nodded.

"This is Liv Morelli." Evelyn said for me knowing that I wasn't going to say anything. The schoolmistress – a middle aged dark skinned woman – bent down to my level and shook my hand.

"I am Mrs. Hyde, I hope you'll enjoy your time at this school." I gave her a shrug in response.

Her brown eyes scanned me but she seemed satisfied enough with my answer. "Good then I'll show you your class."

She led me through some long corridors and pointed out everything that was, or could be, important to me. I forgot everything right after it had came out of her mouth. I was preoccupied with my aching body, the pain had spread and was now everywhere I could think off.

I wanted to die right there and then.


Ms. Pimplebottom – an elderly woman with a kind smile – welcomed me in her class quite enthusiastically. Evelyn left me with a shoulder squeeze and a promise to pick me up after school.

"So Liv, how about you meeting your new classmates?" Ms. Pimplebottom had a very husky voice as if she had smoked a lot in the past. Her voice was comforting.

I nodded again not able to unwind my tongue but I really didn't have a choice anyway. She seemed satisfied and held the door open so I could enter the room.

"Class! Listen up!" She waited a few seconds 'till everyone had calmed down and was facing the front.

"This is Liv Mercer, your new classmate." I grimaced as she used Evelyn's name, it wasn't mine and I didn't want it to be.

"She is mute, so she can't speak and I expect you to treat her nicely." I was surprised by her bluntness, it hurt.

She then placed me at one of the tables in the middle of class, next to my seat sat a small brown haired boy.

I ignored the whispers and muttering and watched the boy doodle away on a piece of paper. He wasn't paying attention at all it seemed. I pressed my hand to my stomach and rubbed it. My head was pounding and my kidneys once again felt like a pounding stone.

"I am Ted." He pulled me out of my misery for a second. His eyes were blue, I liked that.

I took a pencil and went to write it on his paper with the doodles. Liv Morelli. He smiled and started drawing a little lemur and then made an arrow from my name pointing to the little creature.

I grinned but the smile was fading from my face as I felt my sight become cloudy.

Ms. Pimplebottom assigned all of us to write a paper about our Thanksgiving. I focused on the task and waited for everything to pass.


When it finally struck time for the break I was relieved to escape the stares and murmurs.

I followed Ted to what I assumed were the toilets and then locked myself in a cabin. I pulled my legs up and rested my head on them desperately wanting the throbbing pain to stop.

I wished for everything to stop and then suddenly everything went black.

It was dark when I woke up. It wasn't Evelyn's home for sure, everything was in a damp was a Hospital. I cringed and closed my eyes again, I concentrated and heard someone breathing nearby.

I was so scared.


To be continued.

A/N: If anyone is interested to be my Beta, please pm me. Again thanks to everyone who reviewed and made me bounce with joy. Also I promise the next chapter is going to be longer and will have more dialogue. Oh and special thanks to the Demon Puncher for her enthusiasm! L.