No More

Chapter 1: Here I Go

Liz

"Ooh! Look, over there, he's cute!" My extremely unobservative and hair-brained friend, Beth, said as we walked to the cafeteria.

"Bradley Willams, co-captain of the football team, very arrogant, makes D's and C's, and is a senior." I said. "How? How do you do this? Your brain confuses me." She said, shaking her head. I was just good with faces.

"I'm just trying to help you know. You need someone in your pitiful life." She said. Ha, if only she knew how pitiful my life really was.

"You have Luke. Monica has Levi. I am, and always will be the third wheel, I think you need to be at peace with that. Plus, I don't need anyone, thank you very much." I said.

I really didn't. I was fine on my own. I had been since I was 13. That was when my step-dad started hitting me. When my mom died and he fell off the wagon. When I had to get a job and take care of us both.

When my life turned into a lump of coal that would disappoint any kid on Christmas.

I graduated this year though, and this year would be my year to break free. The past two years I had been researching, looking, finding, trying to figure out how to get away from him. I finally had a plan, after two years I had finally mapped out a fool-proof trail that would be untraceable. Even for my step-dad's connections.

I would succeed this time, and I wouldn't die at his hand.

"Ugh, well this smells horrible, as always." Monica said as she sneaked up behind us in the lunch-line.

"As always. You know this school has the funds, why don't they invest in better food? I mean if we don't have good food, some of the students could get food poisoning. Most likely the athletes considering how much they eat, then our athletic program goes down-hill, along with the students and staff's entertainment. Then where will the funds go, you ask? Why, then they go to "building a better athletics program," when the problem is sitting right in front of their noses, where they can certainly smell it." Monica ranted.

"Monica, you realize that this hasn't happened yet, meaning it will never happen?" I said. "Well yeah, but what about that new lunch lady? Wanda, isn't it?" She said.

"We haven't had a new lunch lady for as long as I've been alive." Beth said. "Ugh, whatever." Monica said in defeat as we sat down at the table.

"Ooh, did you hear ab-" Beth was cut off as we heard yelling from across the cafeteria.

"UGH, SERIOUSLY!? WHO LET HER SIT HERE? EVERYONE KNOWS THIS IS MY SPOT!" The school beauty queen/bully, Chloe, yelled at the girl sitting in her spot. I think her name was Rose. She had a baggy hoodie, thick rimmed glasses, jeans, and sneakers on. She looked like a typical nerd.

Rose had a death glare pointed at Chloe for a split-second, then regained her shy demeanor. That was weird. She shyly got up, and moved to the next table over.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, geek!" Chloe yelled. God, that girl has a temper. I looked over at Rose, she was sitting there with a murderous look on her face, which I thought I was weird because she seems like the non-violent, person that always keeps the peace.

The cafeteria was silent for the rest of lunch, after Chloe's tantrum.

Rose seemed okay, but I didn't see her walk out. Oh well, she'll be fine.

~●~●~●~

"Ooh! This one is sooo pretty! I bet you would rock this dress!" Beth said. She and Monica were looking into the window of a dress shop called, 'The Palace'. I could see why. Row upon row of, beautiful, sparkling, flowy dresses, that were crazy expensive.

"Eh, I think you would look better in it. My shoulders are too broad to pull that off." Monica replied. I was now looking into a book store window. I think I preferred this over the dresses. Row upon row of beautiful, warm, snuggley, rectangles of knowledge. Someone get me out of here.

"Ooh! Let's go to the food court! I want Auntie Ann's!" Monica exclaimed. I honestly didn't know how she manages to eat so much and stay so skinny. I swear, I eat a sunflower seed and I gain five pounds.

Gaining weight has never really been a problem for me though. We never had enough food to worry about it.

As we head over to Auntie Ann's, I see Rose. We make eye contact and I lightly smile. She scowls and ducks her head. Maybe she's just having a bad day?

"What do you want Liz?" Beth said as she elbowed me. "Um, I'll take a cup of pretzel nuggets." I ordered. "I want a cinnamon sugar pretzel." Monica told the lady behind the counter. "And I think I want the sweet almond pretzel." Beth said.

"Alright, that will be eleven dollars and fifty-four cents." Beth handed her a twenty before we could even get any money out.

As we got our food and Beth got her change we sat down. I told them I needed to use the bathroom, and went to go check my makeup.

I looked at my neck in the mirror. Still
Good. So was my arm, wrist, and cheek.

I walked out, back to the table. We silently ate our food until Beth said,"Ugh, I almost forgot, my mom wants me to be home at 5:00. We should get going.

We exited the mall and hopped in Monica's car.

As we drove downtown, she stopped at my house. "Here you are, Liz." As I got out and walked to the front door, I yelled back at the car "Thanks for everything guys!"

They smiled and waved, not hearing me. I walked up to the door, a tornado full of butterflies swirling in my stomach. And I opened the door.

Here goes nothing.

☆☆☆

Hope you enjoyed! Warning, I may not be able to post chapters very often, due to school and some stuff going on outside, so please hang in there with me!