Hey everybody. Alright….so I wrote this chapter on notebook paper and it is long, like beyond long and there's lots of drama in it. Oh and 2 clarify 4 some ppl, this book is my own workings. Anyway here is chapter 4!!!! Oh and listen to 'Concrete Angel' by Martina McBride, it's the theme song for this chapter.

XOXO

~Kaitlyn

Chapter 4

I nearly ran off the road when I saw the car.

Your just hallucinating Alicia, I thought to myself.

The more I thought about it, the more I thought I was going crazy.

What if it was him? The logical voice in the back of my head is asking me. It can't be him, though. I buried those nightmares for a reason, and he was not going to force me to revisit the events of the awful night.

I shook off those thoughts before I was too affected by them.

Instead of thinking of him, I cranked up my radio to Paramore's 'Careful' and starting singing along at the top of my lungs.

"I settle down, a twisted up frown disguised as a smile, well you would have never known. I had it all, but not what I wanted because hope for me was a place uncharted and overgrown. You make your way in; I resist you just like this. 'YOU CAN'T TELL ME TO FEEL!' The truth never set me free so I'll do it myself…"

I was getting closer to Douglasville. I was maybe 25 miles away when I saw it. The same car from Atlanta. HIS car and it was following me. The black Mercedes Benz, trailing behind me, just inches from my beat up blue '64 Mustang.

I squeezed my eyes shut for just a second, as to not run off the road, and when I opened them, the car was still there.

I broke out in a cold sweat, my heartbeat picking up rapidly, and my breathing turning to gasps.

This can't be happening!

He was following me.

"Oh God, Oh my GOD!" I exclaimed.

For the second time that day, I had a panic attack. Gosh this is getting old, I thought to myself.

My foot pressed down sharply on the accelerator and I lurched forward; only to have him do the same thing.

In order to throw him off my trail, I took a sharp right into a developmental neighborhood and expertly weaved my way until I found another exit. I quickly found my way back to the interstate. I said I spent a lot of time driving all over this city, so I knew my way up, down, backwards, and sideways.

When I checked my rearview, he was gone. I ditched him!

I continued on home. Of course it was past 9:30pm, my curfew, so I got acquainted with Jeff. He was yelling at me some stupid responsibility lecture.

"You should know that when I set curfew that you have to be home on time…," blah blah blah.

While he continued his rant, I began thinking about the car. Was it really him? The man who… who…

A hand whipped out and slapped me across the face. Ouch. I was brought out of my reverie and brought back to reality.

Jeff was leaning down, almost in my face, his face bloodred with anger.

"When I talk to you, you will listen!" he snarled.

I could smell the alcohol on his breath, of course he was drunk. I rolled my eyes and everything that had happened today made me snap.

"You and Jack Daniels friends again? Huh. I though you said you were quitting. Alcohol is not your go-to-get when things suck. Oh, and don't you try to preach to me about responsibility when you sit on your drunken ass all day doing nothing, but blame the world for your problems!!!" I knew this little outburst would cost me. Three…Two…One…

His eyes flashed with fury. I braced my self, and sure enough, he knocks me out of the chair I'm was sitting on and he aimed his kick for my stomach, but on a lucky chance for me, I blocked it with my shin and it hurt like hell. He was furious that he missed and kept repeatedly striking me with his foot.

I yelled and thrashed at him, which only made him angrier.

When he finished, he looked down on me and said, "Don't you ever talk to me like that again!"

I rolled my eyes, which, of course, earned me another kick. My legs were going numb and I couldn't really feel anything now.

I tried to stand up, but my body was screaming obscenities at me and was keeping me to the floor. Jeff just laughed at me.

He got one more kick in before he went back into the living room to watch TV.

After about maybe 20 minutes of struggling, I finally made it to my room.

My legs were in excruciating pain and were black and blue all over. They'd be even worse tomorrow.

Now, I know it sounds weird, but this is normal for me. When Jeff is drunk, he takes his anger out on me. It's just been about a week since the last bruise.

I quickly took a shower and fell on my bed, into complete oblivion.

~~~*****~~~

The next at school wasn't a good one. I had to wear jeans because my legs were hideous. It hurt to walk, but I managed.

Jeff was still asleep on the couch with a half-empty bottle of Rain Vodka in his hand.

Just to get back at him for last night, I took all the alcohol we had outside and smashed the bottles on our back porch, letting the liquid run into the grass, probably killing it in the process. Looks like he'll be an angry, sobered-up person today.

I packed a small overnight bag because I so was not going to face his wrath tonight. If I couldn't find a place to stay, I'd sleep in my car.

Wouldn't be the first time I've done it. I thought.

My car. I didn't have enough money to repair it so I had to drive it around with that stupid ugly scratch on it.

The first half of the morning past in a blur. I wasn't focusing on the teachers, the students, or anything. I was thinking about him and whether or not I imagined him following me. I didn't know what to believe.

Even though I was zoned out, I did notice Zane looking at me, concern showing in his features. I think he knew something happened last night after I went home.

As the bell rang for 5th period, I almost groaned. Gym. I needed to dress out for my grade to stay at a C, but I didn't need people to see my shame. The bruises would no doubt show my life at home and raise up a bunch of questions I wasn't ready to answer.

So I sat on the bench and waited until we were given the ok to go to the gym.

Coach Wilder saw me and told me to dress out.

"I can't," I told her.

"Oh and why not?" she sounded indignant.

"I don't have any clothes" Brilliant answer Alicia, now she'll really leave you alone I thought sarcastically to myself.

"That's no excuse; I have plenty of extra clothes in my office."

Dammit, this bitch was hard to discourage.

"I'm not going to dress out. I don't feel well and I'm not going to"

"Miss Williams, you have to dress out or you fail this class. Which will it be?" This psycho was already screwing with my more-than-screwed day.

"The 'or' option." I smirked. I found a button to push and pushed it.

She frowned. "As you wish, Miss Williams. I will be notifying the office about this."

That almost pushed me off the edge. She didn't realize what she said, but I did. If she was 'notifying the office' about my behavior and such, then that meant that the office knew about everything and had told all my teachers to keep an eye on me. Great, just what I need. I bunch of teachers watching my every move.

She stalked off, mumbling to herself about crazy students. My smirk grew wider.

Unfortunately, Zane had this class and decided to be friendly, and he started walking my way.

"Hey Alicia."

"Zane" I wasn't going to play this game.

He was about to say something, but I just walked off into the gym and onto the bleachers, only limping slightly.

That was when the disaster broke out. I was climbing up the stairs, trying to get to the top row, not watching what I was doing, and I slipped. I fell on my leg and screamed in pain.

Zane was right there behind me, pulling me up to feet.

Unfortunately, the coach heard my scream and demanded answers.

"What happened Alicia? Why were you screaming?? Are you hurt?"

"I'm f-fine." I heard that falter in my voice clearly and was positive that they did, too.

Zane answered me. "Alicia, don't lie to me."

"Really, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. I just slipped and fell. That's all."

"I don't believe crap and I don't like being lied to. Tell me the truth."

"That is the truth. I don't care if you don't believe it."

Zane was about to argue more, when the coach cut him off.

"That's enough Zane. Please escort Miss Williams to the nurse's office to get some ice."

"Will do." He said with slight disdain.

My head was spinning in fear. If I went to the nurse's office, they would see my leg and it wouldn't be pretty. They would ask questions and I would get sent to the nearest foster home in the area.

I was vaguely aware of Zane tugging me to the office. I had to think of something and quick. The only thing I could come up with was telling Zane or out running him, which didn't seem very likely.

I decided to go with option A.

"Zane, stop, please."

"What is it?" he asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I-I…" I didn't know if I could trust him.

"Just spit it out." Yep, there was definitely annoyance in his voice.

"I can't go to the nurse's office. I just can't."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I can't. Please Zane. You have to trust me."

"Why would I do that when I don't get a logical reason as for why I'm doing this?"

"Please Zane?" I was practically begging him to not do this. I was maybe about 3 seconds from groveling on my knees.

"Just tell me why. Then I'll think about it."

I thought about it. I knew I needed someone to trust, someone to talk to. But I wasn't sure if that person was Zane or if he could be trusted.

"Promise you won't tell and you will keep your mouth shut."

"What does that…?"

I cut him off. "Zane just promise. If you wanna know, you have to promise."

"Fine, I promise not to tell and whatnot."

I took in a deep breath.

I pulled him into the little abandoned hallway next to the cafeteria. I bent down and began rolling up my jeans.

"What are you doing?" Zane asked, obviously lost.

I paused with my right leg, before it was past my ankle.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm showing you why I can't go to the nurse's office or dress out in P.E."

I rolled my jeans' leg up to my knee and Zane gasped.

"What…..?"

Ooh cliff hanger. What do you think Zane's reaction should be?

Oh and I know this will be a question so I'm answering it now. I didn't have Jeff kick Alicia in the stomach or anything, because the thought of getting a kick in the stomach made me throw up. So I decided not to do it. Oh and I updated some other chapters, so you may wanna go read them again.

Remember to push the green button. You know your looking at it. Review Review Review!!!

~ Kaitlyn

Oh I almost forgot… I'm writing down the songs I listened to when I was writing this.

Songs:

Concrete Angel- Martina McBride (this story's theme song)

All We'd Ever Need- Lady Antebellum

Breathe- Taylor Swift

Ignorance/Misery Business/ CrushCrushCrush- Paramore

Stupid Boy- Keith Urban