Lizzie entered the French fry smelling hallway and breathed in the deep scent. Monday was always bad, but that didn't make Tuesdays any better. Turning the corner she made eye contact with Miranda briefly, who was standing in front of her locker chatting with Jason. Lizzie lowered her head and kept walking without looking up until she reached her own locker. Fumbling with her lock, her fingers felt like jelly and she had a hard time getting the right combination. At last the lock unlocked and she was able to retrieve her books. Peeking at her locker mirror, she looked at her reflection in awe. She did well today, she woke up early to have enough time to take a shower and dress with style. Her brown hair was freshly washed and framed her face. Not being one for make up, she decided that a little pink blush to give her skin some color couldn't hurt. She also decided to add some black eye liner which made her eyes seem big and bold. Looking in the small mirror, she applied some fruity lip gloss and smiled at herself. 'Perfect' she thought. Looking down at her wardrobe, she was very happy with the choice she had made today. She had chosen to wear tight black jeans slung low on her hips. On the upper part of her body, she wore a small little tank top that showed the world her belly button. Closing her locker and locking it, she saw a boy she didn't know walking by ...he was obviously very intrigued by the way she looked. Lizzie smiled towards the boy and thought 'I look better than perfect today...I look hella sexy!'

Walking by Miranda and Jason again, Lizzie began strutting down the hall like a model. She was glad that Miranda and Jason took immediate notice. She heard Jason whisper "Is that Lizzie?" to Miranda. She focused on trying to hear Miranda's response.

"Yeah that's Lizzie. I have a feeling she dressed that way to catch the attention of a certain someone." Miranda spoke the last part loudly so Lizzie could hear.

Lizzie turned around to say something back to Miranda, but then thought better of it. She just simply smiled and turned around to keep walking.

"Manda, are you and Lizzie fighting or something? You can tell me hun." Jason watched his girlfriends face as she was arguing with herself in her mind on weather or not to tell him.

"It's nothing...She just got all pissed at me because of this new guy. She's all into him and she doesn't even know him, I'm just afraid...I don't know...Its stupid, I just don't want her getting hurt." Miranda looked up into his eyes hoping that maybe the answer was there.

Cupping her chin in his big warm hands, Jason kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose. "Baby if you're worried for her, then maybe you should talk to her. You two have been friends for so long...And I can't tell you what to do, but your friendship with her isn't worth giving up on."

Miranda smiled up at her boyfriend and leaned in for a kiss.

"You always know what to say...You're so perfect. I'm so glad I met you." Miranda cooed in his ear.

Feeling the heat from her lips, it sent tingles down his spine. Miranda then lightly began to lick his ear delicately. 'Oh my god...I can't believe she's doing this right in the middle of the hallway.' Jason thought. Feeling his member grow hard he bent his head down and began nuzzling her soft neck. Sucking at her neck he heard soft little moans and whimpers escape through her soft lips.

"Oh Jason..." Miranda realized she let the words escape a bit too loudly. Looking around she realized that people were glancing towards them and some were giggling.

"Hey babe, why don't we continue this after school at my house?" Miranda whispered lustfully into his ear.

"It's a date sexy." Jason smiled down at his beloved and secretly thanked Lizzie for this amazing hookup.

Hearing the last bell, Miranda placed her hand in Jason's and they began their short journey to first period class.

REWIND

Jamez was walking alone on an abandoned street. Then all of a sudden the street lights lit up. He felt scared at that moment because the street lights exposed him and made him vulnerable. Crossing the street slowly he stopped in the middle because he thought he saw a dark figure approaching. Standing in awe and confusion, the dark figure came closer and closer with every thudding step. Eventually...when the dark figure was close enough, Jamez peered into his face and realized with a shock that it was his father. Feeling a smile spread across his lips, he was about to run towards him and throw his arms around him. He had always waited for the day when his father would come back to him...And finally, he was here. Running with arms wide open (like in a bad commercial), Jamez couldn't wait to wrap his arms around his dad and hug him...To actually feel him. But he stopped suddenly in mid-run as his father opened his trench coat and fingered a black metallic gun. Fear creeping into his heart, Jamez' smile had vanished and his heart pounded fiercely in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a shrill loud scream. He looked up towards the buildings along the street. He knew it belonged to his mother. But all he could see was empty balconies. "What did you do to mom?" Jamez yelled towards his now smiling father. He watched in confusion and fright as his father pulled out the gun from underneath his jacket. Jamez stood with fear as his father aimed the gun at his heart. "Dad...Please, Oh god don't shoot me...I don't want to die!" Jamez spat out like a little child. He felt helpless as his dad's face lit up with amusement.

"You know what you have to do son..." His dad's cold words bit through Jamez's heart as he watched his father pull the trigger. The pain hit him almost instantly and Jamez collapsed feeling his own blood surround him. He looked up, tears streaming down his face, as his father turned around and walked away.

Jamez awoke with a start, sweat trickling down his back and neck. The same damn nightmare again. How long was this going to happen? For a year now, it was always the same dream. Getting out of bed, Jamez opened his drawer and pulled out a bottle of painkillers. Popping two into his mouth, he drank the glass of water that had been sitting on his night table. He could still hear the gun shot ringing in his ears and his head ached with pain. Flopping back down on his bed, he stared up at his ceiling. His curtains were opened slightly and the sun bounced off his walls...Making his room feel safe. But Jamez knew better. He knew what he had hiding in his room, knew that he would be put away for a long time if the cops found out. 'How the fuck did I get in this deep?' He thought to himself. He was apart of something dangerous. He saw people die or being beaten brutally, many times by his own hand. This sort of lifestyle always made him feel powerful, he was after all...The one in charge. But at times like this, he felt lost. Being in a "safe" room was unusual to him. He liked living on the edge and surprising people. His people often thought he went too far at times. But he loved putting fear in their eyes; it let them know who the one in charge was. Sitting up now, he glanced towards his clock and realized that he should have left twenty minutes ago. "Fuck! I'm gonna be late now." Jumping off his bed, Jamez got dressed quickly. Throwing on an old pair of faded jeans and a black t-shirt, he quickly glanced in the mirror and decided that his hair needed gel. Opening his door, the smell of cigarettes hit him almost instantly. His mother was awake and already chain smoking. Breathing in the deep odor, he quickly made his way down the small hall towards the washroom. He was instantly disgusted with what he saw. Used Kleenex was all around the sink with puddles of water surrounding them. Toothpaste was squirted out of its tube and left a green smear over the counter. Looking into the water spotted mirror, Jamez looked with disgust at his reflection. 'Why the hell do you care if you're late for school?' He asked himself. 'It's not like you're even going any where in education...Besides, you hate school.'

Squirting the clear gel into his hands, he ran his finger tips through his hair and began spiking it. After reaching the right height and observing his hair to make sure it was perfect, he washed his hands and made his way downstairs. After almost stumbling over a trash bag filled to the max, Jamez inhaled the scent of nothing but cigarette smoke. Entering the small kitchen, he saw his mother hunched over the kitchen table in an old pale pink robe. A cigarette dangled loosely from her yellow fingers, and her hair from the back look like a tangled birds nest. Making his way slowly around the small round table, Jamez pulled out a chair and sat in front of his mother. Her pale face was a weird pasty white and her tangled blonde hair stood up all bushy. Lifting her pale blue eyes, she met her sons gaze and decided to break the ice. "You're going to be late for school if you don't get a move on boy"

"I know that mother, what's for breakfast?"

"The hell? You want breakfast? Boy you're old enough to make your own breakfast."

"I just thought that maybe for once you would cook something instead of me always having to fend for myself." Jamez tried to keep his voice down, but the anger that was boiling in the pit of his stomach began to bubble with disgust.

"Oh god kid, don't play the pity card here. We both know you can fend for yourself. I know what you been doing boy! You're going to get taken away you hear me? Just you wait and see what happens to ya, I won't be here to help ya you can count on that." His mother got up and wobbled over to the living room where she plopped herself down on the couch. The little journey to the couch made her chest heave and she began coughing. Reaching for the remote on the table, she clicked on the television. With the images running across the screen, the women slowly forgot about her son sitting at the kitchen table.

Walking on the sidewalk, Jamez turned up his CD walkman and ignored the birds and the sunshine. The sunlight was never his best element. He worked best in the dark...Where no one could witness his misdeeds. Picking up his pace, the high school came into view and he sighed deeply. This school sucked and he knew it. The students were a bunch of preps that didn't know shit about the outside world. If they ever found out about his reputation, then he would surely get expelled. His mother would freak, which is why he had to try and keep this part of his life sane and normal. He had to make this work. He knew he needed some form of education incase his private life fell apart. But not only did he need it for surviving, he needed it to feel normal. He wasn't even twenty but he already felt like he was living the life of an old fat pervert...The ones that wear suits and have big classy jobs. He had been working with those types of men for about a year now. Every week or month, a new customer arrived. They were always the same pretty much, never shy about what they wanted...or what type they wanted. Usually he always had the same customers, which pleased him because he knew he could trust them. They wouldn't breathe a word to anyone...They knew he had evidence against them; Evidence that would put them away for a very long time. Once in awhile he got the weird kinky customers, the ones that liked it weird and hard. He liked those ones the best, they paid a sweet dollar and usually threw in some crack. Which was his best drug in getting the girls...---

The bell rang suddenly pulling Jamez out of his thoughts. "fuck this to hell!" Jamez yelled loudly as he ran the rest of the way towards the school.

Lizzie sat in first period class and pulled out a piece of lined paper and a pink pen. Mr. Aleck was droning on and on about their upcoming test and was going through a review. She knew she should have been checking her notes and writing the ones that she had missed. But her mind was clouded over with lust and she decided to write a little letter to Jamez. She planned on slipping it through his locker at lunch time, or maybe she would even summon up the courage to give it to him in second period Photography. She hadn't really decided yet. Tapping her shoe against her desk leg, she began writing her little letter.

Dear Jamez

Hey there stranger. I hope you're enjoying yourself at your new school. I know it seems kind of boring, but I promise it'll get better. So I was just wondering if you had anyone to hang out with at lunch time. I would love to show you around the school if no one has done that yet. If you're interested, meet me near the office at 11:30. I'll show you around or we can have lunch on the lawn if you like. I would really like to get to know you a little better.

Love Lizzie.

Lizzie smiled down at her pink ink writing and folded the paper neatly. Pressing it to her lips, she kissed it gently for luck. Tucking the letter away safely in her purse, she decided that she didn't even want to be in class. She thought about asking to use the washroom, but then just not come back. She knew a lot of students did that, but sometimes they got caught, so she thought against it. Instead she pulled out another piece of paper and began drawing. She ended up drawing a heart with the initials L and J in the middle. Smiling to herself, she could feel that this one was real. Not just some crush...She felt like she knew Jamez, like he was a lost puppy just waiting to be rescued. Lizzie was so caught up in the moment that she didn't notice Larry peering over her shoulder.

"So who's the "J" belong to?" Larry asked grinning.

"None of your damn business Larry" Lizzie shot back at him. She quickly hid her drawing paper in her desk.

"Oh come on Lizzie, remember when we went out? It wasn't so bad, so now I just want to know who the new love of your life is" Larry leaned in closer, breathing against her cheek.

"Gah Larry, you're such a freak. How long ago did we date? Like years ago! God just forget about it"

Seeing the hurt spread over Larry's face, Lizzie felt instantly guilty. She always had a lid on her temper, even when it came to Larry. They were on friendly terms and even though people thought he was geeky and annoying, she never thought that about him. Trying to make him feel better, Lizzie quickly changed the subject.

"Hey besides Larry...I thought you had the hots for ...Ooo what was her name...ummm" Lizzie looked towards Larry for some sort of hint.

"Oh you mean Helga?"

"Yeah! Helga! So..Like how's it going with her and all?" Lizzie looked up at his pale face and noticed that it had turned pink. She couldn't help but smile herself.

"Well...I don't want to toot my own horn, but we're going to the star trek convention together on Friday. You know Lizzie, I finally met the perfect girl! I mean she's pretty, she likes science fiction, and she also loves broccoli!" Larry's grin spread across his face revealing how happy he was.

"Well I'm happy for you Larry...I truly am"

"Larry and Lizzie, please pay attention. I won't be able to help you guys during this test, so I suggest you begin writing down some notes" Mr. Aleck snapped at them. The young teacher sported a nice looking dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the top revealing a little bit of chest hair. Lizzie, now looking at him, realized how sexy her teacher was. But she knew she would be nuts if she ended up having a crush on her History teacher! So she pushed her thoughts out of her mind and quickly apologized for interrupting the class. After apologizing she could hear snickers from the back of the classroom. Turning around she saw Kate looking at her.

"I doubt Lizzie even needs to write down notes. She's like the biggest geek ever! I mean she doesn't even go on dates, all she does is stay at home and study every night!" Kate whispered loudly to some red head girl sitting beside her.

The red head then eyed Lizzie, she looked her up and down and then replied to Kate "Like totally, what a loser"

Both girls began giggling and continued on whispering. As Lizzie turned back around, all of a sudden a big paper ball bounced off the top of her head. Turning back around again, this time her face red with anger, the girls at the back of the class room began giggling at her again.

"You bitch, leave me the hell alone Kate" Lizzie whispered harshly towards them.

"What the fuck did she just say to me?" Kate asked the red head friend.

"Umm I think she said for you to leave her alo" –

"Ugh I know what she said!" Kate barked angrily at her dumb friend.

Looking at Lizzie with disgust, she gave her a smug look then stuck up her middle finger. Lizzie rolling her eyes turned her focus back on the blackboard, where notes were being scribbled down. Not wanting to write any notes, she decided to just sit there and wait for the bell. As the time neared 10:10, she began to get nervous because next period class started in five minutes.

Sighing deeply with anticipation, she began studying the clock. She knew that watching it only made it go slower, but apart of her didn't want second period to arrive. Once that bell rang, that meant no more being nervous...She had to actually talk to Jamez in order for anything to happen. She liked him a lot already, and she was willing to talk to him. She WANTED this more then anything.

But did she really want to be with him? Or was he just an escape?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review! I welcome criticism as well, teehee.