Before you start reading just a few questions I'd like to answer.

1. You're gonna finish this right? Maybe Brady, could have like the kinkow king's birthmark?

Yes, I am going to continue this story, and if you think Brady should have a birthmark leave a review about where it should be. (Boz's is on his belly button)

2. Are you going to write about when they get older or is it always going to be when there young?

I couldn't start the story off with them being 16 or 17 because it wouldn't really make any sense if you didn't know about their pasts. I am going to write about when they are older, so just be patient and we'll get there.

3. Is Brady going to speak soon?

I cannot tell you if he is going to speak, that would be spoiling the story... So just keep reading! :P

Previously On The Silent Victim

I closed my notebook and the tears started to fall, but I wiped them away as quick as they came. I looked at my clock that read 9:23pm. I knew this would just be another sleepless night, so I grabbed my poetry book, and started reading.

Chapter 4

Behind My Smile

8:25am, that's what it read on my clock. As I got ready for school, I took my backpack and put my notebooks inside of it, then I put my poetry book inside of it for later. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, I was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. I looked closer at my face and for the first time I saw it.

I didn't look the same. If you saw me on the street you'd think I looked the same, but if you really looked, you'd see what I see now. My face was pale, almost as white as a ghost. My eyes were dark, empty, and they don't hold the joy, or happiness that they used to. I don't even recognize myself.

I smiled forcefully, it wasn't the same, but I need to look like myself again. I took one last look before heading into the dining room. I saw a photo on the table, I picked it up, and looked at it. It was of my mom and dad, on their wedding day.

Tears started to roll down my cheeks, when I realized I would be alone, forever. There's a permanent hole in my heart. I headed to school not even bothering to wipe my tears away, knowing more would just come. I was halfway there when I heard the bell ring, but I didn't run.

I got to the school in 10 minutes, I walked down the halls looking for my classroom. When I got there, I quietly knocked on the door, I waited a few second until the door opened and Mrs. Adams appeared.

"Hello Brady, I marked you absent so you're going to have to go to the office and get a note." I didn't know where the office was so I stood there looking at her hoping she would get the hint, fortunately for me, she did.

"Do you know where the office is Brady?" She asked. I shook my head in response, and she looked around her classroom.

"Well than let's get...Mikayla to show you where it is." A girl who was writing on a sheet of paper looked up at the teacher.

"Excuse me Mrs. Adams?" She asked in a soft angelic voice.

"Could you show Brady where the office is?" She gestured towards me, I met the girls eyes, and remembered she was the girl from the jungle. She put her pencil down and nodded, then walked out the door with me. While we were walking down the hall she looked at me with a smile on her face.

"So you do have a name, Brady." She said with a grin on her face. I nodded.

"I really wish you could talk." Me too, I thought. I only looked down in response.

"Maybe I could teach you how to talk." She stopped walking and looked at me. I didn't understand what she was talking about, I knew how to talk, I just...couldn't. I looked around the hallways, and ended up staring at a blue locker. The girl turned around to see what I was staring at.

"Do you have a locker Brady?" I shook my head.

"They cost 10 Kinkowian dollars. You should ask your parents to buy you one." I shook my head slowly.

"You don't want one?" She asked, I shook my head again and took my speaking notebook, and a pen from my backpack, I wrote down "No money" on a sheet of paper and handed it to her. She read it then handed it back to me.

"Do you want to share a locker, with me?" She asked while I put my things back into my backpack, I shrugged in response.

"Okay. We'll try it someday and see how it goes. Let's go to the office now." We headed down the hall and turned a few corners, I tried to remember the way, but it was getting harder for me to focus for some reason. We reached the office, went in, and sat down on the chairs. A woman walked out of a door and looked at us.

"Hello Mikayla, who's your friend?" She asked. Mikayla stood up and explained that I was late and needed a note. She looked at me.

"What's your last name Brady?" She asked me while Mikayla shrugged. I took out my notebook to write but she stopped me.

"Is it Carlton?" I nodded amazed at how well she guessed. She chuckled and looked back at me.

"Mrs. Adam's told me about you, although I was very surprised. Not that you have a speaking problem, but that I haven't met your parents. Could you tell them that I would like to meet them?" I looked at Mikayla who was staring at me, I wrote "Can I tell you something in your office?" in my notebook, she looked at me, then at Mikayla. She nodded and told Mikayla to wait here.

"So what would you like to tell me Brady?" She asked. I opened my notebook again and wrote "My parents are gone, but I promise they know I'm here, my dad told me he would always be watching over me. Please don't kick me out, my mom was teaching me at home, but she can't anymore. I made a really important promise to my dad, and I can't keep it if I don't get a good education." I handed her the notebook, she read it and looked at me sadly.

"I'm so sorry Brady, that's terrible. I want you to know that I would never kick you out Brady, education is very important. My mother died a few years ago, and I know she's watching over me, it's what my dad always told me, so as long as your parents know, it's fine." She smiled sadly at me. I looked down at my hands that were folded in my lap, she was the only person who knew. I didn't want to tell her but I had too, I was afraid she would kick me out. She started to write something down, she called my name and I looked up at her, she handed me a sheet of paper.

"You can give this to your teacher, it's an excuse for being late." I nodded and headed towards the door but she stopped me.

"Oh, and Brady, I won't tell anyone about this." She looked so sincere it was impossible to not believe her, I nodded a thanks and headed to the waiting room, where I met with Mikayla again. She looked up at me and headed out the door, I followed.

"So what happened?" She asked while we walked down the hallways. I handed her the note the principal gave me.

"Well, your excused so now you don't have a detention or anything, lucky." She handed me back the note and smiled at me, I smiled back, but it wasn't a real smile, I guess I lost my smile too.

"Why do you have tear stains on your cheeks Brady?" She asked, and I froze. After a minute or two I shrugged and we continued walking to class. I remember how I put on a fake smile this morning, I looked down and decided I would always wear a fake smile, it's not easy, but easier than answering the questions.

We reached the classroom and headed in, I handed my teacher the note which she read and nodded at me. I took my seat in the back, which was surprisingly behind Mikayla's table. She turned back and smiled at me.

"I didn't know you sat here!" She said, I nodded and she continued writing after giving me another smile. I started to take out my notebooks, when the boy in front of me turned around again and whispered loud enough for just me to hear.

"Stay. Away. From her. Do you understand, or do I need to spell it out for you?" He whispered harshly. I just started at him in response.

"No one likes you, you're a freak, she's just pretending because she feels bad for you. Did you actually think she likes you?" He asked smirking. I nodded trying to stand up for myself, but he just started laughing while turning back around. Mikayla turned around again.

"If you need any help just ask me okay?" She smiled again. She had a really pretty smile, I wanted to tell her that, but she didn't like me, she just felt bad for me. I smiled back, but it wasn't real. She turned around, while I opened my poem notebook. I opened a new page and started writing.

Behind My Smile

Behind my smile, is a hurting heart.
Behind my smile, I'm falling apart.
Behind my smile, is tears at night.
Behind my smile, I'm too scared to fight.
Behind my smile, I live in pain.
Behind my smile, I'm going insane.

I signed the bottom of the page with my name, then closed my notebook while my teacher passed around a sheet. She told us to pick a partner, someone we didn't know a lot about, and learn more about them in the next 2 weeks. Mikayla turned around and asked me if I wanted to be her partner, I didn't have anyone else so I nodded. The orange haired boy turned around and glared at me.

Thanks for reading, make sure to review and give your opinion about Brady's birthmark. If you think he should have one, tell me where and remember, Boz's birthmark is on his belly button. So we can't put it there. :P