Liability notice: For the sake of anyone who doesn't like blood or cutting, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER. I will not be held accountable if you throw up on reading this. If you have a weak stomache then don't read this chapter. Thanks.

The Tortures of Living
Chapter 2

I got my bag and we walked to the area where they'd take us to our assignments. I had set my face in a determined look, but a minute later it fell in defeat.

"I don't know why I try," I said to myself as I looked down at my feet. "I knew that people would treat me different just because I look different. So why did I come here?" Just then Romulavon came up to us.

"Told you you wouldn't make it," he said to me.

"Shut up you little bal'shelth," I yelled at him. I knew that it wasn't right to curse, but I couldn't help it. I was furious. Romulavon took the hint and left me, for then. Sharon wrapped her arms around me.

"Don't let him get to you. He's just a-" she was inturupted as the loudspeaker came on.

"All graduating cadets please report to their assigned ships."

"Well," James said. "I guess this is the part in the movie where the friends cry hysterically and make false promises to write twice a month." We all laughed at that. I nodded.

"I guess so." Then I hugged them. "I'll miss you. You were the only people that didn't treat me any different than an 18 year old. Thanks."

"I'll miss you too," Sharon said.

"Me too," James agreed. He then kissed Sharon and we all went to our separate ships.

The ship that I would be on would go to two places before it went to the Deep Space Nine. The first would be the Enterprise, unfortunately for me. Then it would go to the Reliant. I stepped onto the ship and to my extreme disappointment Romulavon was there. He was sitting beside another boy I called Pretty Boy Aronal (real name being Aronal.) Pretty Boy Aronal was a boy that loved his looks, but loved to pick and torture me even more. I had forgotten that they were placed onto the Reliant. They were looking at me with a sickening smile, but I managed to ignore it and sat down. When Wesley came onto the ship, it took of and we were on our way towards destiny. I looked out the view port for the last time. I'd not see Earth for a long time.

After we jumped to warp five I donned my headphones for my portable CD player and started listening to my favorite Green Day CD. A little more than a second later Pretty Boy Aronal and Romulavon were beside me.

"Hey," they said in a very mean voice. I mumbled a hello back to them. Then Romulavon opened my CD player and said, very rudely I might add, "Little children shouldn't listen to this type of music. Here is a good CD for someone your age." Then he handed me a CD called 'Nursery Rhymes for Nap Time'. I reached for my CD withoutcursing Romulavon out, which would be my normal response to him doing this, but Pretty Boy Aronal, who was behind me after I turned to get it, pulled me back and held me across his lap.

"Aww, ain't that sweet?" he said. Then he pulled my headphones off and pulled me up to kiss him. I tried to fight him but he had pinned my arms down. What's worse, he had the strength of a Vulcan and the ego of a Klingon.. He didn't let me go till he had kissed me for at least half a minute, or that's what it felt like. When he let me go, he pushed me to the floor. Another person helped me up. When I looked to see who it was I saw Wesley. My opinion of him rose a very valuable notch. "You need to learn how to kiss," Pretty Boy Aronal said to me. I just glared at him.

"Leave her alone," Wesley told them.

"Of course," Romulavon said, but I could tell he didn't mean it. I reached for my CD but it was again pulled away. After the third time trying to get it and having it pulled away, I was on the verge of shooting him and getting it over with. Then he finally handed me the CD, but kicked it out of my hand as I went for the player and my bag. I cringed as it shattered on the floor behind me. So that I actually wouldn't kill him I ran into the room next door. "Sorry six-year-old," I heard him call out behind me, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I sat in the farthest corner of the room, my earlier feelings rising again, when I heard someone walk in. I put my head in my hands and just sat there.

"Are you all right?" Wesley asked me. I nodded. "They didn't hurt you did they?" I shook my head. "Why did Avonli call you six year old?"

"You mean you can't tell? You're stupid then."

"Because of your appearance?" I nodded. Then I raised my head in frustration.

"Some times Romulavon and Pretty Boy Aronal make me so mad I just want to-" unable to find the right word I stopped. I looked at Wesley and saw him raise an eyebrow.

"Romulavon and Pretty Boy Aronal?" I blushed.

"They're mean nicknames," I explained quietly.

"Like six-year-old?" I nodded. "Well, if you're sure you're all right, then I'll leave you alone." He started to get up. "Oh, and I'm sorry about getting your assignment." I sat there dumbfounded as he walked out.

"How did he know?" I asked the air.

About thirty minutes later, Wesley got off on the Enterprise. Romulavon and Pretty Boy Aronal looked at me with an evil smile. I tried to hide, but they found me. Then they took one of their knives and started to cut little slits in my skin. Later on they went back to the kissing (still nasty) and finally just started torturing me with name-calling. In Four hours I was finally free because they were dropped off on the Reliant. I took a shower to wash off the blood and took a moist eye shadow and covered up my cuts and bruises. I dried my hair, brushed it, and put my crown back on. Next, I went over to my CD and threw it into the recycler ray (I still don't know why they call it that). Then, I started a meditation cycle to calm myself down. It wouldn't do to show up on my first assignment about to shoot my commanding officer.

Reply please. Should I continue or drop it?