Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer.

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Chapter 2

Dragyn sat at the table in the lunch room that the Cullen's normally sat at. He didn't know this, but no one made any effort to tell him. It was Monday and his second week at school. He was sitting and reading a novel from his English class reading list. This was the only time he was able to read the books on the list and he was still only on the first book. He sighed and rested his chin on the heel of his left hand. The book wasn't that interesting and it was boring Dragyn so badly he was almost asleep. Dragyn was so bored that he didn't even realize that the five Cullen's had walked up to the table until Rosalie spoke.

"Move it," she snapped. Dragyn's head snapped up and he stared wide eyed at them. He pushed his headphones back a bit because they had almost fallen off of his head. "This is our table." By now everyone in the cafeteria was looking at them and whispering. Dragyn didn't need to hear what they were saying to know that they were talking about them. Teenagers had absolutely no restraint on their thoughts what-so-ever and with Edward back it felt like Dragyn's head was splitting.

Dragyn closed his book and put it into his old book bag. He stood, pulling the bag onto his shoulder. Dragyn didn't say anything, only kept his head down and walked out of the cafeteria as fast he was able. He walked to his next class and sat at his desk. He started reading his book again and it actually helped him to ignore the voices in his heads. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and he turned off his music and pushed the headphones down around his neck. He put his book away in his bag as the students came in. Dragyn had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning when he saw Jasper Hale walk into the class room and take the seat next to him. Well that explained which Cullen was in his class.

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When Dragyn and his siblings got home he immediately went to his room just like he always did. His room wasn't really a room at all. He slept in the attic on a cot and the attic wasn't empty either. It was practically full with their stuff that wouldn't fit in the rest of the house and most of the things were covered in dust. He put his bag down and got out his homework to start working on it. He had just finished his math homework when the trapdoor to the attic was pulled down. He put his things under his cot right before his dad walked into the attic. Dragyn kept his eyes on the ground as his father walked across the dusty floor toward him. His father stopped in front of him and Dragyn fell onto his side on the cot as a slap sounded in the attic.

"Who do you think you are? You're not supposed to draw attention to yourself," his father said coldly.

"I'm sorry. It –" he was cut off by his father hitting him again.

"I didn't tell you to speak," his father snapped. "Get up off the cot." Dragyn stood slowly and kept his eyes on the floor as he stood facing his father. "Move over to the wall," his father commanded. Dragyn walked across the room and behind several stacked boxes that blocked the view of the small circular window. He heard his fathers footsteps follow him. "Take off your shirt and put your hands on the wall." Dragyn did as he was told. He removed his jacket and shirt and put them on a box. He braced his hands on the wall and kept his head up. "Turn your head and open your mouth." Dragyn did as told and a leather strip was placed in his mouth. He bowed his head as he heard his father remove his belt.

Dragyn flinched as he felt the first strike of the belt against his back. He bit down on the leather strip as his father continued to whip him with his belt. "Don't speak to anyone, ya hear? You stay away from those Cullen's. They're good people, upstanding citizens, and they don't need to be bothered by trash like you." His father punctuated every few words with a strike of his belt on Dragyn's back. When his father had finally finished he put his belt back on and left the attic. Dragyn heard the padlock on the trapdoor click shut. He cleaned himself up the best he could and went back to his cot. He got his homework done before laying on his stomach and going to sleep.

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Two more weeks past and the beatings continued. Dragyn was in his English class, waiting for lunch to end. He was reading his book while his music played in his ears. The teacher didn't mind him staying in the class for lunch, but he had to have everything away before class began. When the bell rang he put the book away and turned his music off. The other students entered the classroom and took their seats. The teacher went to her desk and let the class talk amongst themselves until the bell. The students quieted down once the bell rang again.

"Alright class," the teacher began. "We're going to be starting a project today. I will put you in groups of three though one group will only have two people. You will have to do a presentation on one of the books on your reading list. This will require you to spend time with your partner so no complaining. I'll now tell you your groups. You'll have the rest of the period to discuss your project in your group." The students thoughts all went crazy at this news and Dragyn zoned out for about a minute. He regained his focus right when the teacher was announcing the last group. "Finally, Jasper and Dragyn. Now split up into your groups and discuss your project." The class all split up and got in their groups. Jasper turned in his seat to face Dragyn.

"What book do you want to do it on? I've already read them all," Jasper said.

"I only just started reading the second book today. I don't get a chance to read much," Dragyn admitted quietly.

"Then we'll do it on Dracula since you've read that. Where do you want to work on it?" the blonde asked.

"Would your house be good? My parents don't really like new people over the house," Dragyn said quickly.

"How about we start tomorrow? That way I can tell my family," Jasper said. Dragyn nodded. "How do you want to do the presentation?"

"Well we can write a report, make a slide show, or a poster board. I think a poster would be easiest," Dragyn said. Right when he finished Jasper heard one of the other students say the exact same thing. "Sorry that's not what I meant to say. I do that sometimes. Though, I really do think it'd be easier for us to do the poster board."

"How can you do that?" Jasper asked. He let a calming aura drift over Dragyn and he saw the red head's shoulders tense instead of relax.

"I just can. I've always been able to," Dragyn said quietly. "Please don't do that. I don't like it when you do that."

Jasper immediately pulled the calming aura back. "Sorry it's a habit," Jasper said softly.

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The next day Dragyn left school with Bella and the Cullen's. Alice made it quite clear that Dragyn was not to sit in the same car as Rosalie. She, Dragyn, and Jasper sat in the back of Edward's Volvo. Edward was driving and Bella was sitting in the passenger seat. Dragyn was between Alice and Jasper, his music on and head down. He was trying to ignore their thoughts, but it was hard with Edward in the car since he had the same ability as Dragyn. No one in the car was talking and Edward had the car radio off.

"Can you please not try and read my thoughts? It just makes everything louder because you're really redirecting the others thoughts to me. It really hurts my head," Dragyn spoke up. The thoughts got a bit quieter as Edward tried to block him out even though he couldn't hear him already.

"It's not good for your hearing to have the music that loud," Alice said to Dragyn.

"It makes the voices quieter," was all Dragyn said.

"You learn to live with it," Edward said.

"Easy for you to say," Dragyn muttered. Nobody said anything else. The car stopped and they got out of the car and entered the house. Jasper and Dragyn sat on the floor in the living room, putting their things on the coffee table. They started planning how they were going to do the poster board. The others were all just doing their own things. Emmett was playing video games, Edward and Bella were sitting at the piano, Esme was making food for Bella and Dragyn, Alice was talking with Carlisle, and Rosalie was doing her nails. Things were quiet in the house and it was rather peaceful. That is, it was peaceful until Dragyn suddenly dropped his pencil, stood up, and turned sharply toward the piano, glaring at Bella.

"Will you stop insulting me!? That's all I've ever heard from you since day one. You criticize everything I do, say, and wear. Why do you have such a problem with me? What did I do to offend you?" he demanded. His hands were curled into fists, but they were still shaking.

"He's lying. I haven't even spoken to him at all," Bella said. Her brown eyes were wide and she looked like a deer caught in head lights.

"You haven't spoken to me because you detest the very idea. You think I'm a freak just like everybody does. The first week we were here you hung out with my siblings and you agree with how they think of me. Edward may not be able to hear your thoughts, but I can hear them loud and clear," Dragyn said.

"You're lying. I'd never even think something like that," Bella protested.

"I don't lie," Dragyn said calmly.

"That's a lie in itself," Rosalie spoke up. "Everybody lies. It's human nature. You can't help it."

"I don't lie. You get in trouble for lying. Bella lied when she said she'd never think that I was a freak. You're annoyed by me and how loud I play my music. Right now you really wish you could slap me. Isabella wants me to shut up and she'll throw something at me if I don't," Dragyn told Rosalie.

Bella stood suddenly and none of the vampires were able to stop her as she ran at Dragyn since they hadn't been expecting her reaction. Dragyn didn't try to fight back, he cowered down, covering his head with his arms and trying to make himself as small as possible as Bella hit him repeatedly. Jasper pulled Bella off of Dragyn and Carlisle gave her a sedative, putting her to sleep. Jasper was reaching out, leaning down to help Dragyn up when the smell of blood hit his nose. Carlisle was at Dragyn's side, helping him up, before Jasper was even across the room.

"Where are you hurt, Dragyn?" Carlisle asked worriedly.

"My back," Dragyn admitted quietly, hesitantly.

"Can you show me?" the blonde vampire asked gently. Dragyn bit his bottom lip but took off his jacket, leaving only his too big shirt on. He looked nervously at the other Cullen's and Carlisle noticed. "Can you all leave the room please?" Carlisle asked his family. The other vampires left the room without a word, Edward taking Bella upstairs. Dragyn turned his back to Carlisle and removed his shirt. He heard Carlisle's shocked gasp at the scars crisscrossing his back. He stood there as Carlisle got the medical supplies he needed. He hissed when Carlisle started cleaning his wounds.

"Who did this to you Dragyn?" Carlisle questioned as he cleaned the teens back.

"I'm not supposed to tell. I'm being a bad boy by just showing you. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to stay away from all of you. My punishment will be worse now," Dragyn said quietly.

"You're not a bad boy, Dragyn. I won't let anyone hurt you again. Does someone in your family do this to you?" Carlisle told him quietly.

"I am a bad boy and bad boys get punished," Dragyn said. His voice was quiet and he sounded so much like a little kid.

"How are you a bad boy?" asked Carlisle as he started dressing Dragyn's wounds.

"I hurt Mother," Dragyn quietly told Carlisle.

"How did you hurt your mother?"

"Mother and Father want more children, but because of me they can't have anymore. When I was born I hurt Mother and almost killed her. She can't have anymore children and they refuse to adopt. I'm the last child they'll ever have and I'm a retarded freak. I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but Mother and Father always tell me not to lie."

Carlisle finished with Dragyn and moved around the teen to look at him. He knelt down and looked the red head teen in the eye. "I'm going to give you something for the pain, Dragyn. It'll make you go to sleep for a little while," Carlisle told him. Dragyn looked hesitant, but he nodded and Carlisle gave him the shot. He picked up Dragyn, standing with the boy in his arms. Carlisle went upstairs and put Dragyn in the guest room that was never used. He went downstairs and saw that the rest of his family was already back in the living room. Dragyn's jacket and shirt were missing and Carlisle knew that Esme must have moved them before any of the children saw them.

"Will he be okay, Carlisle?" Esme asked worried.

"Physically he'll be fine. Some of the gashes have the start of infection, but that's curable. Mentally I'm not certain. He truly believes that what his family does to him is okay. When Bella attacked him he didn't try and defend himself. Instead, he just took the blows without making a sound. You all heard what he told me. He's been treated like this all of his life because of something that couldn't possibly have been controlled or prevented. Carol Sherry has had seven children total; four of them being twins. With the amount of children and the time between the birth's, it put too much stress on her body. Statistically and medically, it's no surprise that problems occurred while she was giving birth," Carlisle explained.

"I have to take Bella home. It's best if I do it while she's still sedated. Charlie should be home and I'll have to tell him what happened," Edward said to Carlisle. The blonde doctor nodded. Edward got Bella from upstairs and took her home in his Volvo.

"I'll go sit with Dragyn," Jasper suddenly said. "I think he's having a nightmare and I can keep him calm." He went upstairs and to the room Dragyn was in before any of the other could say anything. He sat at the foot of the bed and cast a calming aura over the bed. Dragyn slowly stopped tossing, turning, and whimpering. Jasper did not lift the calming aura, though. He stayed there while Dragyn slept a deep, drug induced slumber. He made sure that Dragyn wasn't haunted by nightmares, and slept peacefully.