Nicole

For the second time this month, I am in the hospital. Lionel is in a coma. I try to stay by his bed and hold his hand, but I have to go to school too. I called the cops on Paul and he's going to jail for multiple counts of abuse.

I can't do anything to help put him in jail because the time I do have off school, I am with Lionel.

"Nicole ," I hear a bunch of girls call towards me. In the group there is Coco; a dark skinned girl who has electric blue eyes, and neon green hair, Malibu, a super fake tan girl from, you guessed it, Malibu. Tansy has black straight hair and wears too much eyeliner, and Missy, who I don't mind. She has brown long hair, and glasses. She is tall and elegant. She loves to read and hang out with Grace and Emily. I like her, as a friend, of course.

"Girl, come over here!" Coco shrills. I brush my short hair out of my face with my hand, and walk over there.

"What do you want?" I ask, rudely, but not on purpose.

"We wanted to know if you wanted to hang with us later? Maybe go see a movie and go out meet some hot girlsss." Malibu says while extending the 's' in 'girls' so she sounds like a snake. She looks so artificial. She has bleach-blonde hair and a fake tan that makes her look a bit like an orange. She wears color-correcting contacts so her eyes are blue.

"I don't know… What movie?" I ask them, trying to send a subtle hint that i wasn't interested.

"Oh, it's a good one! We're watching 'Clueless'! Redone in 3D." Malibu ran her fingers through her fake hair and smiled, "So, you coming?"

"Do I even have a choice..?" I murmur to myself and continue what I was doing.

"Okay! Then just meet us after the bell rings and we'll drive. I have my permiiiiiittt…" Malibu continued to interrupt her friends and spoke aloud, "Plus, I know how to pass a ticket if you know what I mean." She says glancing down to her feet. Or chest, I don't really know.

I drag through classes, barely alive. I keep thinking about Lionel. The reason I agreed to go with those girls is because I can't stay in that hospital for much longer before I go crazy. I feel bored but then I remember what my aunt would say "If you're bored then you're boring." That always made me shut up. I suffer through more classes and the bell rings.

"Hey girl," Tansy greets me at the door. No one else is around us. All the girls are around the populars. "I heard about you and Fae."

"Hasn't everyone?" I reply snarkily.

"What I mean is that I'm sorry for you," She says not breaking eye contact. She brushes her hand against my shoulder, and I walk towards the group. Malibu was touching her glossy skin and swooning with two other girls.

"Oh stop it! It's the same as yesterday…" Tansy coughs loudly causing her to pause, "Huh?"

"We're ready." She says and pokes at my shoulder. Malibu shrieks, "Where's Coco? She was supposed to be my popcorn buddy tonight."

"She told me her dad's were taking her out tonight, so she's off."

"What about Missy?" She asks, her frown growing.

"She said she would meet us." Tansy dug her fingers into my shoulder playfully (but it didn't seem playful for me because it hurt). "She's bringing her brother though…"

"What's wrong with that?" I ask sensing the tension between the two.

"He's straight." They say in unison and place a hand to their hips, Tansy's clawed hand still in my shoulder. Her hair was pulled up today and her eyeliner was a little smeared, but it looked nice.

"Can we go?" I ask, uncomfortable about the topic 'straight'.

"Yes! Bye girls, talk later!" Malibu kisses and waves to her other friends. "Let us go before five-o'clock, that's when the cops are swarming."