Beautifully Broken

Chapter One: The Day

Hazel Jacobsin was woken up by her stepmother's screeching voice. It was like finger nails running down a chalkboard. Not a very wise mixture. "Hazel you better be down here in an hour!" Hazel through the covers off her bed. Great, another day to look forward too. Plus it was the first day of her senior year at her new high school. How fun?

Hazel walked into the bathroom and turned the hot shower water on. The steamy water against her skin felt so wonderful. Now she had a whole day to look forward too. She didn't know anyone at this 'Degrassi' high school. The only thing that she knew was that someone was shot and someone was killed. That's a whole lot to go on.

She stepped out of the bathroom in a burgundy towel. Walking toward her closet she tripped on her phone cord. 'A great way to start off the day' she thought. Once Hazel got up and brushed herself off she started for her planned destination.

Hazel picked out a dark denim cut off mini, leggings, a black tank top, arm warmers, and to finish off the out fit, her checkered slip on vans. Today was going to be great. She could tell.

Hazel walked down the stairs for breakfast. What would it be today? A cold waffle? Possible pancakes if she had the time? And of course her stepmother makes Megan breakfast A.K.A. 'Barbie'. Barbie was her stepmother's daughter. Of course Hazel and Barbie were the same age, seventeen.

You could defiantly tell them apart though. Barbie had beautiful straight blond hair and Hazel had straight red hair. Also Barbie was the pink high heels, and a polo type of girl. Hazel on the other hand was more into dark clothing. She hates labels but if you put one on her it would be a mix between a punk rocker and a Goth. But hey, who's labeling?

Hazel looked at the clock. Crap, it was 7:30 already. She had to leave. Hazel picked up an apple and was out of the door before anyone could say a thing. As Hazel walked on the pavement she was to wrapped up in Tacking Back Sunday and her journal to notice she was about to run into someone. BAM! Everything the two held was on the ground and so were Hazel and the other boy. "I'm so sorry." Hazel said gathering her things. "I wasn't looking were I was going."

"It's alright. Who can pay attention when you have great music right?" the boy was now looking at Hazel's Ipod, which was on the ground also. "Yay, someone with good taste in music!" Hazel said trying to sound excited but not succeeding. The boy got up and offered his hand for Hazel. "Thanks" she muttered. Trying to focus on her things. "Um… are you new? I don't seem to know you." The boy said then starting to walk. "Yeah I just moved here. I'm Hazel." She said sticking her hand out for him to shake it. He did. "I'm Craig." He replied.

"Do you want me to show you around?" he asked. Hazel nodded. They walked for a few minutes before someone yelled out Hazel's name. "HAZEL!" Hazel turned around to see who it was. It was her stepsister Megan. Craig and Hazel stopped to wait for Barbie to catch up with them.

Once Megan caught up with them the first thing out of her mouth was "Who's this?" Hazel had to think quickly. The first thing that popped in her head she did. Hazel grabbed Craig's hand, "This is my boyfriend Craig." She hoped that Craig wouldn't be very mad at her. Thankfully he wasn't he actually pretended with her. "Yep, I'm her boyfriend." He said leaning over and kissing her.

"Whatever." Megan muttered and started walking quickly away from them. Yes! She was mad. SCORE! Hazel pulled her hand away from his. "I'm sorry. I just had to think of something or she would be around you, us all day." She seriously didn't feel this way. One she didn't want Megan to like Craig because she liked Craig. She liked it when he kissed her.

"It's okay. Let's get going." They walked to school talking about the music they liked and about their lives. So far Hazel learned that he was bi-polar and his dad abused him. She told him her dad worked too much and about her mother's affair. When they walked on the steps Hazel decided she had to tell someone this so she would tell Craig. "Craig I need to tell you something." Hazel then got on her tiptoes and whispered in Craig's ear, "I'm a cutter."

Hazel stepped down and looked in Craig's eyes. They were filled with disappointment and disgust. "Oh God, I'm sorry. I had to tell someone and I thought you might be able to handle it. I'm sorry." She started to walk away. Before she could Craig grabbed her. Now there were tears in her eyes. She had never told this to anyone and now the one person she was telling wasn't taking it so well.

"Hazel it's okay. I understand." Then Craig wrapped her in a hug. He was a few inches taller than her so her head rested in his shoulder. "Craig, I've known you for thirty minutes and I've already told you my whole life story. It's scary." Hazel said in between sniffles. "It's okay." He replied and then let go of her. "Come on let's go find some of my friends to introduce you too. I think you'll like Ellie she is um a cutter too." He said the last part in a whisper. Hazel liked the fact that he was going to keep this a secret.

The halls were very crowded. Craig grabbed Hazel's hand and led her to Ellie. "Hi Ellie." Craig said once they got there. "Hi Craig and?" she said wondering who Hazel was. "Um. Ellie this is Hazel. She um cuts too." Craig still said the last part in a whisper. Ellie's eyes widened. "You are?" She asked. "Yeah, family problems." Hazel replied shyly. She already told to people she cut. "You should come to group with us tonight." Ellie suggested. "I would but I don't have a ride." Hazel replied. She really did want to go to group with them but she didn't have a ride and she was not going to ask her step-mom. "I'll take you." Craig said grabbing Hazel's hand. "Group it is. Now let's go find Marco and Jimmy."

"Wait! There's Megan." Hazel said looking at Megan who was talking to another blond haired girl. She was too late. Craig grabbed her hand and Ellie pushed her toward where Megan was. Ellie was the first to talk this time. "Paige this is Hazel. Hazel meet Paige, Paige meets Hazel. "Hi." Hazel said waving softly. "So hazel you seem to have met your kind of people." Megan said rudely. "I see you met people. They couldn't be your kind of people though because I don't think anyone is as fake as you. Good bye." Hazel grabbed Craig's hand and Ellie's arm. "I was trying to avoid her as much as possible." She wined. "Then you two have to push me towards her."

Craig silenced her by kissing her on the lips. She returned the kiss thoroughly. She then pulled back. "Two kisses in one day. I must be lucky." Hazel joked. Craig kissed her again. He then pulled his head to her ear. "One kiss means friends, two means good friends, and three means more than friends." Hazel counted her kisses. "Hmm… looks like were more than friends." Hazel whispered back. "Yep. Now let's go to class."

The first class of the day was Media Immersion. Mr. Simpson knew everyone but Hazel. "And you are Miss?" he asked curiously. "Hazel Jacobsin." She answered lifting her head from her notebook. "Two Hazel's how fun?" he said with a bit of a laugh. She looked around the room. There was another Hazel in her but who? Mr. Simpson then pointed to the girl sitting next to that girl, Paige I think.

Once the lunch bell rang Hazel was excited yet sad at the same time. One, she wanted to see Craig, two she didn't know if Craig meant what he said. Hazel walked into the lunchroom with her bag at her side. Were to sit. Hazel was scanning the room and then she saw an empty seat next to Craig. She started to walk towards it but a girl with red hair took it. The girl leaned over and kissed Craig. Hazel couldn't tell if he kissed her back. One thing was for sure though; she didn't want to know the answer.

Craig must have known Hazel was looking because he pulled back and looked at the girl in confusion. Hazel's eyes started to get teary so she turned around and headed out of the room. Looks like she will be eating alone at lunch. Hazel found a lunch table surrounded by trees and set her thing's down. Hazel saw a shadow in the distance. Not much to her surprise she saw Craig. He had a hurt look on his face.

"Hazel look, that girl that kissed me is my girlfriend. I told Ellie we were pretending the whole time so she wouldn't tell Ashley. I want to keep dating you but I also want to date Ashley."

Hazel couldn't believe this. All of it was fake. He had a girlfriend! "Craig, I'm not going to be the girl you cheat on Ash with. You have Manny for that. You shouldn't be cheating on her anyway. She loves you and you love her! Just leave me alone Craig. Don't say you want to date me because you don't know what you want!" Hazel yelled. She was pissed now.

The thing Craig did next was unbelievable. He slapped her across the face. 'What just happened?' Hazel thought. Craig then shoved her into the ground and kicked her in the side. Hazel looked into Craig's eyes. Her eyes were now filled with tears.

Craig dropped to the ground on his knees. "Oh God, Hazel I'm so sorry." He started kissing everywhere he hurt her: On her face, lips included, on her stomach and on her hands. He then pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"Craig why did you do it?" Hazel asked in-between sobs. "I think I did it because you were saying I don't know what I want. I know what I want I want you." He said looking Hazel in the eye. "And Ashley!" Hazel said she knew this was a mistake by the anger in Craig's face. Before he hit her again she apologized. "Look Craig I'm sorry it's just what you said hurt me. I want to believe that you want me but I won't be a 100 sure until you break up with Ashley." Hazel said leaning closer to Craig.

"I can't do that." Craig said shaking his head.

"Then I can't do this. I can't date you Craig." With this Hazel grabbed her things and walked away. "HAZEL!" Craig called after her. She kept on walking. She was crying silently. Someone might say Hazel was lucky. Hazel was one of those girls that looks beautiful when she cries.