Hey, guys. I don't know if I'm gonna keep writing this. What do you think? Any good? Let me know what you think. Review or PM me. I'll read everything and probably reply to it. So, thanks! Luv ya! 3

As I finished up my obscene amount of unpacking and the clock ticked past nine, an absent thought crossed my numb mind. The same thought that had been swimming around my head since last Wednesday, came back and made itself known. I wanted to stop thinking all together and go to bed, but I didn't trust this place.

How the hell did I get here? My mind wondered. Again.

I sat down on my still unmade bed for a second before flopping back and wishing I hadn't. My right eye throbbed where it was blackened and my vision faded a little for a second. I wanted to wince, but knew it would only make my pain worse. I forced myself to close my eyes and find my happy place. Back in Boston, with my best friend Sam, and her crazy quirks and kicks. With my other friends and they're creepy, perverted attitudes toward life. My weird teachers that let us get away with anything we wanted, until it really mattered. Not my parents though, because we didn't get along and I didn't really care about them much.

I sighed audibly and really, really wished I wasn't such a dumbass with a temper. I knew that of all the rules at my high school, the one that was actually enforced was no fighting. So, of course, I broke it. I mean, it wasn't my fault. Not really anyway. He really deserved what he got, which wasn't much. But with his snooty, rich parents…things didn't go well for me.

The judge hit his gavel on the wooden circle in front of him. His eyes were cold and scary, deep as hell itself and leaving no light to be seen. None even reflected and left his face dull and lifeless. His cheeks were sunken in, skin pulled taught. Gray, greasy wisps of his hair fell in front of his forehead and stuck there, damp with sweat.

I sat in the courtroom, across the isle from Josh Hansen and his parents. They were with their fancy, expensive, city lawyer. Josh was sporting a nice shiner on his left eye that was painful just to look at and matched my own. A white bandage was over his swollen, bruised nose that was beginning to heal from the wicked punch I landed on him. I almost wanted to smile, but one look at his parents and lawyer made me restrain myself. They all looked very professional in their suits and black ties. And it scared me deeply.

I swiveled around in my wooden seat and it creaked loudly, breaking the hush of the room. The few people in the courthouse were for Josh or paparazzi because this was a huge case. But, I still saw two faces there that were friendlier than the rest and made me want to smile.

Sam Penn, my best friend since sixth grade, sat almost directly behind me, in the first row. Even she dressed up a little for the hearing. Her black dress pants that see normally reserved for jazz band concerts and her maroon, lacy tank top that was just one size too big and always fell down to reveal the little cleavage she had and could always use to her advantage. A little black jacket was over that to keep her always frozen body a little bit warmer. A flame-orange headband rested in her short hair, keeping her sheep-dog bangs from her eyes so she wouldn't jerk her head in the middle of the hearing. Her hair was naturally dirty blond, but she dyed it a strange red-purple-brown that shimmered oddly in the dim lighting. But she was letting it fade, slowly, back to her natural color so her roots were pale. I thought she could pull off the look well. With her hands folded in her lap, trying to make it seem casual, but I could see it her raw stress and worry. She seemed like a little doll, resting gingerly in the hands of someone that was trying to break her. I felt bad I was putting her through this but, she did come willingly.

My heart ached when I watched her. Sam smiled carefully at me and her eyes sparkled. I wasn't sure if she was going to cry, but I sure was if things didn't start moving faster. Time stood still to me. Sam wasn't one to cry, ever. I had known her for seven years and her way of coping was getting quiet and thoughtful. I, one the other hand, was very, very upset and I swore tears were going to spill over my eyes at any second. I couldn't stand watching her invisible pain much longer and my gaze slid over her to a little farther down the bench.

Sitting not too close to Sam, as to not be in her bubble, but close enough people would know they came together, was my other best friend, even if he didn't want to admit it. Ricky Skye. He was a year ahead of us, a junior and sixteen. He was sitting in his dress clothes, which I had always begged to see him in to no avail. I just wished this wasn't the occasion I got my way. He had on a light blue button-down with a black tie to go with his black dress pants. It was different from his usual jeans and black hoodie. But I liked it nonetheless. His face was grim, a rarity form him, because he was always making jokes and smiling. But now, he was just pale and sad, if not angry. His green eyes were blank as he stared forward zoned out. His hair was just a shade darker than mine and newly cut because of a lost bet. It used to be long like mine but was now shorter and fluffy and I loved to run my fingers through it because he didn't mind and it was super soft.

Rather than race, my heart ached for him. I really liked him and everyone said he adored me. I wasn't sure what to believe, but we were really close and now…things could change forever. He un-zoned out and captured my gaze with his beautiful eyes I always seemed to be lost in. he gave me a sweet, sorry smile and winked.

The gavel banged again and I snapped back into reality. I spun back around and re-crossed my legs, trying to look professional. I didn't want to seem worried, but I was on a major scale. I knew my eyes read like an open book, because they always had. The judge looked into my eyes and I could tell he felt nothing for me. He stood up, paper in hand and put his hands in front of him on the wood. He leaned forward, staring at me, then Josh, back to me as he read the sentence of my own personal hell.

So here I was. I relived that moment, only three days ago, a million times by now. Now that I was more or less in the middle or nowhere, in the mountains of Colorado. It was late Saturday night and my roommate had disappeared and I hadn't met him yet. Yes, him. I was currently at an all-guys boarding school. Even though I seem to be missing a certain piece of genitalia. I'm a chick. Get I was rooming with a fifteen year old guy. What the hell.

But, for the moment, I was too tired to care. I hadn't slept at all during the trial. And not much sleep came, even in the small windows I had time to rest. The rest of Wednesday was mostly in shock because I was found guilty of assault and battery. Not that they would listen to my reasoning, which would make it self defense. But I had spent a day on a plane, which was yesterday. Then the day before that packing and whatnot. I barely even got enough time to say goodbye to Sam and Ricky. Now, I wouldn't be able to talk to them at all. The school didn't have cell service and any emails I sent would take forever. Dial up. And even when the internet wasn't being slow, the school was instructed to read every email back home I sent, just in case.

I reopened my eyes, sighing again and for the millionth time, really trying not to cry. I hated being vulnerable more than anything else. I was exceedingly weak and susceptible in reality, but I hated showing it. So, sitting up and taking everything the world could through at me, I bent down and untied my high-tops and tossed them aside, careful to keep my shit on my side of the room. I changed quickly into sweat pants and a tank top before I threw some blankets on my bed and flopped down again. It hurt like a bitch, my bruises throbbing in rhythm. My head felt like I was hungover or something. And I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Or at the very least get my hands on some ibuprofen. But that wouldn't be possible. So, I pulled a pillow closer to my head and closed my eyes tightly.

I guess I'd just have to wait until morning to meet my roomie.