Young Writers Society

Ty-

The bottle crashed against the pavement, glass exploding in different directions. Then she was gone, back inside the brightly lit station. I tried to stand, called out her name, but a force pushed me back down.

"Get that crap out of your system, before you go in there and appologize," a girl said.

The rough pavement scraped against my arm and I felt the burn of breaking skin followed by the sticky feeling of blood. A trail of swear words raced through my mind, a few slipping past my tongue. I couldn't stop if I wanted too, I wasn't strong enough. So I kept drinking. Most teenagers would think it was great if their parents let them drink, even bought them alcohol. I thought it was great too. Then I got addicted. It stopped being a party and started being a way of life. And when I managed to be sober my parents were a mess.

The bus pulled up and the others started filing out. I watched Alan climb onto the bus and when she didn't even bother a glance back at me something inside broke. I left the five empty and one shattered bottle on the curb and used my back pack for a counter weight when I stood up. The bus driver eyes me warily but let me pass. We took off with a jolt, sending me stumbling forward in to Alan. We fell into a seat together and I couldn't suppress the drunken laughter that spilled out.

"Get off of me," she said, pushing me back. But I blocked the aisle.

"Just lemme talk to you," I said. The cold wind whipped against my face and I could feel the buzz start to ware off. When you're and addict it's never enough, you always need more. She must have realized she didn't really have anywhere to go because she said back, arms folded across her chest. I lowered my voice, "I don't want to be like this anymore, that's why I left them."

"You're pathetic," she spat, the words flicking at me like fire. I knew I'd hurt her. I'd become something she hated, I could see it in her eyes.

"I know," I said, "I need help. I need you."

Red

The drunken guy collapsed into the seat next to the girl that annoyed me. She told him how pathetic he was and he continued to harass her. I had half a mind to go and pull him off of her, but he looked a little more physically fit than I, so I resorted to my weapon of choice. Words.

"Hey pal. Erm...how about you step off? Hit on her to your heart's content when your sober, but until that time comes, Leave her alone, okay?"

He swung around and raised an eyebrow at me.

"You talking to me?"

I facepalmed. Some people, y'know? They're just...oy.

"No one else is making a drunken ass of themselves, so, yes. I am."

Michal:

The bus finally arrived after a long, dramatic wait filled with tears, alcohol, yelling, and anger. Alan took a seat and Ty fell into it after her. I was sitting a few seats behind them and couldn't help but listen to a conversation I'd had myself before.

"Get off of me," Alan said, pushing Ty.

Rather than moving, Ty blocked the aisle way. As he did so, I felt my blood start to curtle and my nails dug into my palms until they drew blood.

"Just lemme talk to you," Ty said.

Ty lowed his voice, and all I could make out was "I don't...be...anymore...why...left..."

"You're pathetic," Alan spat venomously.

I could see the self hate in Ty's eyes, but I still couldn't help but despise him. He reminded me so much of Mel it was disgusting.

"I know," Ty said, "I need help. I need you."

"Hey pal. Erm...how about you step off? Hit on her to your heart's content when your sober, but until that time comes, Leave her alone, okay?" The guy Red said.

Ty turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You talking to me?"

"No one else is making a drunken ass of themselves, so, yes. I am."

This guy had guts, but he looked a little timid in actually physically doing something about Ty. In a flash of anger and a sudden need to support Red and Alan I shot out of my seat and approached him, breaking out of my shy shell to defend them.

Feeling the anger and the disgust and hurt on my face, I shot up, walked over to Ty, and I grabbed him by his collar and forced him to face me, then grabbing onto the front of his shirt aggresively, pulling him down to my level as I growled venomously, "She said to get away, so back off!"

For a moment Ty just stood there, dumbfounded, probably from the alcohol. But then he gathered his wits and pushed me away from him, muttering, "Don't touch me girl, I need to talk to her. Back off before you get hurt"

Him pushing me was the last straw.

Anger distorting my face, I pushed him back and spat, "I'm tired of people treating me like crap, like I'm no more than a dog. I'm tired of being used. And I outright refuse," I grabbed him by his shirt again and continued, "refuse to let you treat her that way." As I said this, I took a few steps back towards my seat, pulling him with me.

With a snarl, I continued, "Now get your act together."

The pathetic look on his face, a look of self-pity, made my blood boil and I brought my face an inch from his as a growled, "You think you have it bad? Your parents got you into drinking and a girl won't talk to you? Well tough luck kid, my stepfather raped me!"

My anger giving me strength, I pushed him into my seat and finished, "Now sit here, shut up, and leave her alone until she decides she's ready to talk to you." With that, I sat down beside him, crossed my arms over my chest, and looked straight ahead.

Ty-

A whirlwind of things happened all at once. Some scrawny kid tried to stand up to me and then, seconds later, a girl was screaming at about being treated like crap and getting raped. My reaction time was too slow to do much by the time she had dragged me to the back of the bus and put me in my place. Everything they all said was true, I didn't have it bad, not compared to the others.

Then the bus screeched to a halt and we all fell forward a bit.

"Hey," the bus driver shouted, "I don't want to see any fighting, you hear? Knock it off."

We all stared silently towards the front. Then, taking the silence as an agreement, the bus started up again. I wished I would have gotten off. I WAS pathetic, and as much as I didn't want to leave Alan I couldn't hurt her if I wasn't near her. It was hotter at the back of the bus and my blood was pumping from the altercation with the skinny boy and the girl. I started pulling off my jacket and rested my head against the cool window. I'd drank too fast, a six pack in less than 20 minutes, plus a quarter of the bottle of whiskey. I felt sick, and overheated. Soon I was absentmindedly undoing buttons on my shirt.

The bus made another stop in a run down part of town, wherever we were-I'd lost track. I grabbed my stuff and ran off the bus, barely making it to the trees before puking my guts up.

Drea:
Im not sure how much more drama i could handle but there it was when we got on the bus. Ty, still drunk, tipped onto Alan when the bus started. I was getting upset, but, before i could say anything i heard Red. He was a little timid, but, i was proud that someone was standing up.
"You talking to me?" Ty said, his rage growing.
"No one else is making a drunken ass of themselves, so, yes. I am." I almost laughed to see Reds strength, his confidence was admirable. This was starting to get out of control, i stood up but, Michal beat me to it. She walked up to Ty and grabbed his shirt
"She said to get away, so back off!" she hissed. He shoved her back and slurred something about "needing to talk to her", and all hell broke loose. The bus driver yelled at us to settle down and we made a stop, Ty dove off the bus and started hurling on the grass.
The bus started to pull away, but i stopped the driver.
"Wait, just wait for a second. Wheres the next stop?" Everyone was staring at me as if to say "why are you making us wait for him?
"The corner of First and Gauntlet, i have to take a detour, you could walk there and get there before me." I smiled and thanked him. then turned to the rest of them, still glaring at me,
"Everyone deserves a second chance, thats why were all here isnt it? i cant leave someone like that. Im sorry, ill see you at First and Gauntlet." then i got off and sat by Ty.
"why are you here?" he said between heaves.
"Well heres the thing...im a mother type, as much as it kills me, and even from a young age i believed that you stay with your family, no matter what. like that movie, with the alien? 'Ohana means family, Family means nobody gets left behind, ever.'" Ty stopped heaving and i helped him up.
"you ok?" i asked, he nodded. "then lets go."

Ty

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Drea," she replied, trudging ahead of me through the dark. I'd never been taken care of before and it felt weird. I didn't want to get back on that bus, I had made a complete ass of myself and I'd hurt Alan. The only way not to hurt her was to stay away from her, even if I didn't want to. But I had no idea where else to go. It was late and I didn't even know where we were. I was starting to run low on cash and my card was only in case of emergency. They were probably tracking it by now.

We walked in silence, leaving me in the last place I wanted to be-my own head. I kept going back and forth. Should I stay and try to make it to New York or should I go back home? As much as I hated my mom and dad for being awful parents I still loved them because even at their worst they would never hit me or rape me. "My step dad raped me," he words echoed in my mind. I felt like an idiot. My biggest problem was making it home in time to become famous. Hell, a trip to rehab would probably increase my celebrity status.

I felt something buzz against my back, "hold up," I said, swinging my back pack to the ground. My head was still pounding and my stomach churning but I shook it off. Unzipping the main compartment I rummaged through for the phone I thought I'd turned off. It must have gotten jostled in all the crazy movement I was doing. I had upwards of 50 missed calls and dozens of text messages. My best friend's name, John, flashed across the screen. I made a split second decision and answered the phone.

"Ty?"

"Hey," I said after a long pause.

"Jesus, where are you man? You're parents are freaking out. I'm freaking out!"

I heard my mom's voice in the background, "Is that him, is he there? Tell him he's ruining everything." Something in me snapped. I had expected her to be worried about me, ask if I was okay. Instead she was worried about the movie, her career, her fame. I couldn't believe I was just realizing that that was all she cared about. Both of them.

"Don't put her on," I said, "tell them that I'll come home soon."

"What are you talking about? Come home now," he sounded worried.

"I have some stuff I need to do, for me," I replied.

"Like what?!" He yelled.

"Like get clean John!" I shouted back. Then I stopped and took a deep breath, "tell them I'll be back in time to film, I won't ruin their plans." Then I hung up. Anger was coursing through me and I threw the phone into the street before a car passed by, running it over, smashing it.

I turned to Drea, still feeling sick, but a little stronger, "Can you do me a favor?" I didn't wait for a reply, "take this," I held out the flask and my wallet, "don't give it back to me. If you're too afraid give it to one of the guys on the bus, but just don't let me drink, okay?" I looked up at her, waiting for an answer.

Alan Wright

It all happened really fast.

If my father hadn't been an alchloholic, if I hadn't seen and heard enough people die from alchlohol, I wouldn't care. And if I didn't realize that I cared way too much about Ty, I wouldn't have tried to push him off of me.

Even after that, I found myself standing a good fifty feet away from Ty and Drea. Maybe Drea knew I had gotten off the bus after her. Maybe she didn't. Either way, I could help but feel a glimmer of hope watching his cell phone crash into the street, watching him start to hand over his wallet.

I need help. I need you.His words stuck in my head, and I knew what I had to do.

"I'll take it." I said, making myself known for the first time. They both looked over at me, and from the look on both their faces, neither had known I was there.

"Alan?" Ty asked. I didn't respond, but I walked over and pulled him into a hug. For doing what my father couldn't. For wanting to stop drinking.

And as I pulled away from the hug, I took the bottle, but left the wallet in his hands, "Just stick around me and I'll make sure you don't abuse the money. And as for this," I gestured to the bottle in my hands, and then threw it as hard as I could into the nearby woods. I waited until I heard a familiar crash, and then half smiled, "let's not even keep it on us."

Drea looked at me and smiled, "Come on, we better go catch the bus."

I laced my fingers with Ty's, and then we began a walk towards the next bus stop.

**Sorry I'm crunched for time these days, I have my final project due soon!
Ty

She laced her fingers through mine and we started to walk. I needed to stay away from Alan until I knew I wouldn't hurt her. I wanted to pull away, to do the right thing and leave her alone. But she was too good to give up and I was selfish.

We caught the bus and I could feel the heat of the glares from everyone, like my hand was catching on fire. I knew what they were thinking, 'what was Alan doing,' and 'why did he even come back.' I caught myself running of with delusions of grandeur again, the same way I had with my parents. I expected them to be in hysterics, and they were, just not over me-over their precious careers.

We took a seat and I felt the silence pressing on my ears.

OOC: I don't want this SB to die!

Red

The drunkard got back on the bus, along with the tomboy looking thing and Drea. The drunk and the tomboy were holding hands. Icky.

I dug about in my bag and pulled out a book. It was my favorite. A Confederacy of Dunces. For a first (and ultimately, only) novel, it was pretty darned good. The bus lurched forward as it started chugging down the road. I closed my book and laced it on my lap and leaned forward to get the bus driver's attention.

"Excuse me, sir?"

The driver didn't notice me. I spoke a little louder this time.

"Sir?"

Without looking back, he grumbled a response.

"What, kid?"

"I was just wondering. Where is the next stop?"

He paused, thinking, for a moment.

"Coupla hours from here. Why?"

"No reason. And thanks."

He grumbled and kept driving.

((I dont want it to die either :0 but i have finals tomorrow))
Drea:
We got back on the bus and i went and sat next to Blue.
"Hey" i said, quietly. Then i pulled my knees to my chest and pulled my ipod out of my beaten shoes.
"im on the persuit of happiness and i know, everything that shines aint always gonna be gold. ill be fine once i get it, ill be good"
I leaned my head on Blues shoulder. He looked down at my head.
"hold me" i said, missing compassion and a warm hug. at that point i'd have taken a hug from Cthulhu. Lonely and heartbroken, i teared up and bit my lip. i closed my eyes and waited for the nightterrors to come.
The dark no longer scared me. But the thin light through my closed eyes when i slept did. It allowed for fear, weakness. Before i ran, i was known for none of these things. i used to be Ari, Ari the strong, Ari the stubborn, Ari...Ari. I yelled back at myself in my head.
Well Where was The ever powerful Ari when her sister was running into the street? huh? and where was she when her mother cried when she lost a second daughter, who left her with nothing but a note on the table?
My internal war was waging and i had nothing to do but listen.
Ari died along with her sister! and her mother didnt miss her then! Where was her family?
These questions made me think harder. Through my dreams, i heard my physical voice speak alowed what i was too afraid to think:
"What happened to Ari?"