Eight in the morning was really early this was the time I was waking up but I had to shower and everything by eight it sucked, but I tried my best to put on a smile when I saw the boys at the corner.

"You do this every morning? I could never get up this early everyday." I began to walk with the boys and made small talk with them about the weather and the football team, Stanley (I finally found out Caveman's name) said that they look really good this year. He was proud because he was on the team.

When we finally got to school I went to my 1st period class and made plans to meet up with the boys at lunch. I set off for choir and ignored Alan yelling I don't wanna have classes with you either bitch!

Another day passed by with Alan being an ass hole and me trying not to get too pissed but by the fourth time he told me I was a bitch and that I was ugly I was really tempted to slap him.

All day he was there making fun of me and saying mean things. The only thing that would stop him is when Rex told him to stop. Even though Rex was not as big as Alan he always listened to him. When ever I would turn a corner Alan was there ready to trip me. When ever I walked into class he was ready to pull the seat out from under neither me and call me a whore. Whenever I said anything he was there ready to disagree and tell me that everything I said was stupid and that I was retarded. I was beginning to make a lot more friends but all of them never seemed to know why Alan was acting the way he did. Although most of them didn't know how he normally acted because he isn't normally that out going towards girls. I was sick and tired of Alan and his immature games. I was ready to snap I didn't want to spend one more minute with him ever.

After the last class I met him after school and he informed me that Stanley and Rex had to work on a project and that we had to walk home together. You can just imagine how happy I was to hear that. The thought of spending over and hour with Alan alone was a nightmare in it's self but it was worse knowing that I was stuck walking with him because I still did not know the way to my house and mine was only two blocks after his. So I trudged along and tried not to say anything. Maybe if I am lucky he will for get I am there and he will not have to remind me how ugly, stupid, and retarded I am.

We were almost home and were about three blocks from Alan's home when I heard a familiar voice that sent chills up my spine.

"Oh, so you have a boyfriend to walk you home and that's why you don't need me I see how it is."

Both me and Alan spun around to see the tall boy from yesterday.

"Shit! It is Alan! Sweetie you need to pick your boys better, like me! Alan here is a pussy nothing but a pansy that came here from a trailer park and ran away from his drunken ass bitch of a mother."

Alan was growing a deep shade of red and was quick to reply.

"Jason fuck off at least I had a mother yours didn't even want to be around you so she left you on the streets she is a hooker now oh and by the way she is a lame lay."

Jason grabbed me and started to touch me all over I tried to throw him off but he was too strong. I started yelling but my voice was drowned out by Jason's and Alan's voices.

"I have your girlfriend what now? Talk about a lame lay I bet she is the worse I have ever had."

"Get the hell off of her!"

"Make me! I bet you can't and by the time I am done with her I will kick your ass and the neither one of you will be able to walk straight."

What happened next was a flash Alan went flying and grabbed Jason and started beating on him I was thrown to the ground I slid on the sidewalk and into the street my shirt rode up and I could feel the flesh being ripped from my body. I tried to get up I couldn't so I laid there and was quickly picked up by one of the three boys that were by Jason always. While the other two were fighting off Alan this boy was pulling me off the sidewalk and into the bushes laughing and trying to undress me. I fought him off and ran towards Alan but I was grabbed again by Jason who had thrown off Alan, but while I was yelling Alan once again came running towards him and the other boy and beat them. I was thrown again hard onto the side walk I could feel my ribs being pushed under the impact and they felt like they were breaking from my body. I couldn't get up once again but then the adrenaline came pumping through my body and I rock up from the puddle of blood I was laying in. Alan grabbed me as the boys lay bleeding on the sidewalk. They were all getting back up but we were running fast. Alan pulled me down a street and into a medium sized house that was grey. He slammed the door behind him and locked it. Then he turned to me breathing heavily.

"Are you ok?" Alan looked at me with worried eyes. He was badly bleeding from the mouth and he had some bruises and scrapes and there was blood running though his shirt. I was shocked at what had just happened and I fell over sitting down. Everything was a daze and I could not think. The adrenaline was still pumping through my body and I couldn't stand up I was shaking too badly.

"Raquel? Are you ok? Whoa what is wrong come on lets get you on the couch or something." Alan picked me up from the floor that I was sitting on and picked me up and carried me into a room and got a towel then lay it down on the couch and then laid me on top of it. I then realized how badly my ribs hurt. I looked down and there was blood seeping from m shirt.

"You're bleeding. Here let me see." Alan looked even more worried than before he gently lifted up my shirt just enough to see the large scrape that went from the middle of my back across my ribs and to the side of my stomach.

"Ooh, doesn't look good. Here you need a band-aid or something." He got up and walked over the cupboard over the sink in the kitchen that was next to room where I lay on the couch. He started searching the cupboard for something and came back with an ace bandage and some spray. It looked like the spray that my mom used when I was little when I would fall off my bike and scrape my knee.

"Here we go… your bleeding really badly doesn't that hurt?" I was still in shock of what had just happened and the only thing that came out of my mouth was a dumb reply and nonsense.

"You are bleeding real bad crash?" "I know that stuff yah bike crash."

Alan looked confused and had that worried look back in his eyes. "Are you ok? Maybe I should call a doctor?" I shook my head no. I was now able to form complete sentences now. The adrenaline had stopped flowing as much and I was calming down.

"You look worse don't worry about me I'm fine. You need a band-aid for you or something. Don't worry about me I am fine." I looked at his many scrapes and blood but then it dawned on me that a lot of the blood on him was from helping me up and carrying me. It covered his shirt and was on his pants and his arm.

"I feel really bad you just like jumped in and beat the crap out of that guy…YOU COULD HAVE DIED! Thank you, I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there. I was so scared and you just fought them all off." I quickly jumped off the couch and wrapped my arms around Alan and pulled him into a hug and then I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He began to get an even deeper shade of red then before.

"Really it was nothing; I mean I can't let Jason treat a girl like that. Don't get use to it I wasn't doing it for you Jason is a fucker and he needed the sense to be knocked in to him. Now about your cuts, this should really be covered I mean you're bleeding all over the place. Here let me do it you lay down you got thrown real hard."

He once again lifted up my shirt just enough so he could get a good look at my cuts. He sprayed the anti-bacterial spray on and laughed when I yelled because it stung so much, but he was quick to follow with an apology for hurting me. Then he covered my bleeding side with the bandage and wrapped with tightly, but not too tight. He then told me to rest because I looked pale.

"Alan, you know you really should do something about your cuts. Why don't you get some band-aids or something?" I was truly worried about him because he was covered in my blood but you could still see his own blood seeping through his shirt.

"Well, if your going to be all worried about it I will go get some band-aids." He got up and walked back to the cupboard and returned with band-aids and a wet cloth.

"Here let me help you, your bleeding on your back." I motioned for him to sit next to me on the couch and he took off his shirt and let me gently wipe the blood from his back and sides and put band-aids on where it was necessary. When I was finished he got up and picked up his shirt that was lying on the ground and turned around and looked at me. I saw his abs they were really nice and my heart was beginning to beat faster when I saw his chiseled chest. I never thought about how attractive Alan was normally when I saw him I wanted to throw up, but something was coming over me. He had saved me maybe he wasn't all bad.

"I'm going to go and get a new shirt and probably pants ill be right back will you be ok?"

"Alan, I will be fine I'll stay right here ok?" He shook his head in approval and walked and came back instantly. "You better come with me I don't want my cousins to come home and see you bloody lying on the couch."

He picked me up again after I couldn't stand and carried me up two flights of stairs into a big room that was relatively clean except for a few bits of clutter lying on the floor. There was a messy un-made bed under a window in one corner. There was a desk against the wall across from the bed and there was a couch on the wall to my left. On the far wall there were a few more windows and a guitar and a piano and a few pillows and a bookshelf filled with books. I was amazed at this room. It was so simple but it was so amazing.

"Is this your room? I really like it!" I looked around at the few piles of clutter and looked back at Alan.

"Yah its mine sorry about the mess." He saw me looking at the clutter and then saw my eyes look to the guitar and piano it was as if he was reading my mind.

"I don't play those they are my cousins I just like they way they look. Do you play?"

"A little bit of guitar although I really like the piano but I'm not very good."

"Well, come over and sit down don't just stand there." Alan pointed to the bed and quickly straightened the sheets and the comforter. I followed him and sat down thanking him. I thought it was a good idea to get to know him a little bit better. We spent the next ten minutes talking as he picked up his room and found a new shirt.

"So you live with your cousins? That's cool I like with my mom my sister is college so it just the two of us. But my aunt and uncle are cool too though I love my aunt she is awesome!"

"Yah, they're cool but I really had no choice." He saw the questioning look on my face and explained. "The things Jason said were true my mom was an alcoholic and the state thought that she was unfit to take care of me. So here I am."

I was shocked to find out about Alan and his family I had never known anyone who had gone though something as tough as that. No wonder he was so anal all the time I would be a bitch if something like that happened to me too.

"So what happened to your dad? You said you lived with your mom what about your dad?" he quickly turned away so I couldn't see that he was once again turning red.

"Oh, he died when I was really young."

"I'm sorry to hear that. My dad left when I was really young I never knew him either. Here you look cold take this." Alan threw a sweatshirt at me and sat down on one side of me. I was freezing and was thankful for the hoodie.

"So how do you like Missouri?"

"Well, I was pissed when my mom said we were moving but things are getting better you know except for getting attacked a few blocks from my house but you know things can't be all bad here. I mean I'm making friends and so far I think I have picked really good ones. Especially ones who walk me home and save my life." I smiled at Alan and he shook his head like it was nothing but I once again pulled him into a hug and thanked him for saving me.

"So when do your aunt and uncle get home?" I asked changing the subject.

"Well, not for two weeks they went out of town on a cruise, but I don't live in that house anymore I live here with my cousins there a lot cooler but sometimes I go and spend time at my Aunt and Uncle's house. But my cousin is coming home tomorrow morning I think. And my other cousin should be home anytime now but she probably stopped by her boyfriend's house and won't be back until tomorrow morning. What about you is your mom missing you at home?"

"My mom nah, she won't be home until tomorrow she had to go into St. Louis and fill out some paper work or something. So no I'm home alone for a while." I looked at Alan wondering if that was a hint that he wanted me to leave. I got up and said that maybe I should get going though. But Alan gently grabbed my arm and explained how it was stupid for me to walk home alone right now and then be home alone when Jason was still on the rampage. He said he thought it was a good idea if I stayed here for a while.

The rest of the afternoon flew by we talked and got to know each other. Then Alan surprised me by making a really good dinner. It wasn't until ten at night did he offer to walk me home. I gladly accepted his offer I didn't want to run into Jason again. So we walked under the moon light to my house.

"Thanks again for helping me. Maybe I should drive tomorrow to school. I could give you a ride if you want."

"Yah ok that would sound good Rex and Stanley have to go in early to work on the project. Can you pick me up around 9?"

"No problem! See you tomorrow." I smiled at Alan and unlocked the door to my house then I closed the door and ran to the window in the other room and watched him walk down the street. I never thought I would ever have such a good time with Alan. I always thought that walking home with him and spending all afternoon with him would be hell. But it is the most fun I have had in Missouri. I went upstairs to bed and went to sleep. I hoped that everything would be cool with us the next morning when I went to go and pick him up.