Title "Unknown"

        “Another town, another school, another fact identity, just another act to put on, the same old same old.”   She thought to herself as she pulls out my moss green back pack from the moving box. It had pins in it most of them said something like don’t mess with me you won’t win, so what’s big deal who cares.  It was already full of the book she needed, it weighed a ton.   She threw it on her bed. When it hit it bounced and made the bed squeak, she rolled her eyes and continued digging through the box that was on the floor.    Next she pulls out her red laptop, running her hands over the design on the top which was a pair of large angle wing, with her name in between the wings “Lucy M.” she wished she didn’t have to go to school today.   She was already dreading it and she had never even seen the inside of her new high school yet.   Her thoughts were interrupted by a male voice from down stairs “Time for breakfast Lousy.” 

      She rolled her eyes.   Dads need to stop treating me like a little kid.    It was true he had been over protective as long as she could remember.    Even now when she turned 17 just yesterday, he still would not let her go to the mall by herself.   Not that she ever went to the mall; she preferred to make her own cloths because nothing in the store ever fit her style.  Her style was a cross of punk rocker, Goth and hippy.   So it was really hard to find anything in a mall that she liked.  She got up off her knees and walked down stairs. “Wow.” Her father said looking at her up and down with slight shock in his voice. “Going with the bed head look I see.” he let out a small chuckle. She looked at herself in the mirror on their wall next to her.   She was wearing her fuzzy camo pants, her have dark green hooded sweater and her shiny black hair was in a bun messed up from where she slept on it, her skin was pale and there was dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.    She turned back towards her father rolled her eyes. Walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the milk set it on the counter. She dug in a box labeled kitchen dishes, pulled out a plastic cup with blue and green poke dots on it. She poured the cup about half full of milk. Took a sip then said   “No I’m not, because I’m not going to school.”   She turned to put the milk back in the refrigerator.  

      “We already discussed this you have to go to public school.    Because you and I both know you won’t do home schooling, plus I won’t have time to teach you and make sure you do your work with me working full time at office.”   Her father said sounded a bit frustrated with her. 

“Fine!” Slamming the frig door and making the hole frig shake. “What time does freaking school start?” “It starts at 8:30, and ends at 3:30. The bus will be here at 8:00, we are one of the last stops and its only 6:45 so you have plenty of time to get ready.”   “There is no way in hell I’m riding the bus!”   “Well do you want to walk there?”  “No I want a car!!   So I can drive myself there and where ever else I want to go!”  Beeping came from her father’s watch. “We will have to talk about this later I have to head to work so you better get ready to ether walk or take the bus, and I will now if you skip school young lady.” she sighed heavily “ Fine, whatever.”  He walked towards her and kissed her forehead “I love you Lousy!”  She walked away and head back up the stairs. “Whatever!” she yelled down at him before she slammed her bedroom door.

       She heard him pull out of the driveway. She walked to her laptop still lying on her bed and opened her music player, double clicked on a song turned up the volume all the way. Her computer was now blaring heave mettle music. Then got in the shower, when she was done she rapped herself in her robe, brushed her teeth, combed her hair put gel in her hair and an antifreeze serum. Goes back to her room opened the closet, she had hung up some of her shirts already but most were still in boxes and would be all wrinkled and she didn’t want to take the time to find the iron and ironing board. So she pulled out a black and red patch work peasant top with flared sleeves and tossed it on her bed.  

       Then she walked over to her dresser which was in-between two windows on the outside wall of her room. She pulled out the second big door, she picked up a pair of black skinny jeans with rips and holes up the legs.   After getting dressed she put on her knee high converse and walked back in to her bathroom.   She looks in the mirror at herself, her hazel eyes were a silver gray today her skin was slightly paler then normal but she blamed it on the lack of sleep.   After brushing her teeth, she applied her foundation and blush. Then took her black eyeliner and was applied it to her left eye when her phone buzzed she picked it up off the bathroom counter, she had a message from her best friend Liz back in New York City. They had been friends as long as she could remember and told each other everything, they had no secretes from each other.

“Hey girl!!! How the new school? I miss you Louse :’( when are coming back…” Liz texted. 

“IDK Liz dad is being a total dewsh!!! He won’t even get me a car so I can drive myself to school and were ever!! It sucks!!!!! Tell that it can’t get worse!!” Lousy replied. 

“Well… I bet if you are a really good girl Santa will bring it for you LOL JK………… just be cool act like you don’t care ether way but just let him know you would really like one LOL.

“You’re a goof: b you know that LOL!!”

“Yeah I know that why we are such good friends I’m the goof and you’re the series one LOL ;) Try to have a good first day at school K LOL the bell just rang GTG LOVE YA LOUSE!!!!! “

“LMBO Love you to Liz!!! As far as a good first day, I’ve made other plans……………………”

     She finished putting on her makeup and looked at the clock it was already 7:35.  I’m not going to wait for a bus to come around.   She thought to herself as she grabbed her back pack off her bed and slung it over her shoulder, and headed down stairs grabbing an apple and the house keys off the kitchen table on her way out the front door.  She stepped out the front door turned and locked the door.  She placed the keys under a loose brick in the porch step. Taking a deep breath she started walking down the street.  As she walked she pulled her iPod and headphones out of her back pocket. Placed the ear pieces in her ears and pressed play. One of her favorite songs started to play, Secrets by One Republic.   She started to quietly sing along. 

        When she turned the block she felt like she was being watched she looked over her shoulder and no one was there.  She kept walking even though the feeling never left her, the feeling of someone’s eyes on her back.   She looked at her watch it was 7:58 she still had 32 minutes left and only a block and a half more to walk. The neighborhood she was walking through was full of old home her guess they were made in the 19 hundreds or so, and weren’t very well maintained. The paint was chipping of some of the houses, roofs looked like they might cave at in minute and most had been vandalized.  Just walking by them gave her an eerie feeling.   She took out her head phones and turned off her iPod, after a little while she heard the sound of a twig breaking under someone’s foot. She turned instantly but there was no one there. “Hello?” she yelled but there was no answer she ran the rest of the way not even stopping to look to see if anyone was behind her. 

      She reached the school.   Turning around to see if there was anyone there, again there was not a single thing there.   She was out of breath, she places her hand on her knees trying to ketch her breath she looked at her watch, and it was only 8:05 she ran all the way to school in less than 3 minutes.  She had never run that fast in her life before.  She ran track at her old school in Dallas, Texas, and was by far the fasted on the team but her fastest time was a quarter mile in 3 minutes.

        There was no one here yet that she could see any way. She walked to the main double doors pushed one open the halls were empty the walls where just a light tan color and the lockers were a navy blue.   She slowly walked down the empty hall way making her way to the main office to get her locker assignment and class schedule.   Some of the lights would flicker as she approached them. When she finely reached  the office she opened the door and a the first thing she saw was an old lady sitting behind a desk looking over her glasses at the computer screen with a slight look of confusion across her face Lousy walked over to the old woman at the desk.   “Excuses me my names is Lousily Jensen Marten. I just moved here and I need my locker and class schedule please.” The old woman looked at her for a minute as if she didn’t understand a word she said. “Oh, your Jessie Marten’s Daughter, he works in the offices at the news paper doesn’t he?”    “Yes maim.”  “I’d love to help you sweetie but I can seen to get the computer working. I turned it on and the screen staid black, and I can hear it running but I just can’t get the screen to come on.”  Lousy walked around the desk. 

      “May I take a look?” “Of courses Deary.”  Lousy looked at the monitor for only about 5 seconds and she saw the problem. “Ah here we are.” She said as she pushes a small button at the bottom of the monitor.  And the main screen came up immediately. “Oh how did you do that sweetie? I have been trying for an hour to get that silly thing to come on. What did you do.?” “There is a small button at the bottom of the monitor” She pointed to the small button she pushes just a little bit ago. “It the power button and if it ever dose this again you just press this button and it should work.” the old woman clapped for joy “Oh you’re an angle. Ill print off  the information you wanted it will just take a minute, you  can sit rite over there on the sofa while you wait deary.” the old lady said with a big but pleasant smile that exposed her stained teeth. Lousy gave a small smile back at her; she walked toward the very old, very worn, sofa and sat down she felt like she was sinking in to the sofa. The springs were so bad she felt like she was nearly touching the floor.   Just then and older gentleman walked in holding a backpack in one hand and in the other hand the arm of a young man no older then her. The gentleman had a pretty tight grip on the young’s arm.   

“Principle Doling, what‘s going on?” the old woman behind the desk said. “It’s nothing Miss Harris just Mr.  Wilson dissuaded that the side of the school looked like a good place to do his business.” Mr. Doling said as he through the boy on the sofa next to me, it made her almost come out of my seat. The young man was tall and very muscular, no body builder mind you but he was very nicely built.   His short black hair and fair skin was complemented by a pair of dark green eyes, they were dark around the outside of the pupil, but as they got to the iris they lightened in to a light green.   She could smell his cologne it was slightly musty and woodsy but there was something intoxicating about it.   He was wearing blue jeans a gray tee and black leather jacket.   He had a slightly self satisfied look on his face.   Everything about him was attractive in her eyes.   She Must have been staring at him for a long time when he turned to me and asked “Do you like what you see princes?”   She turned away quickly and said nothing her cheeks where red from embarrassment.   “Ah come on sweet checks don’t get embarrassed just because you like the view!”   She turned her back toward him trying to ignore him when Mr. Doling entered the room again.  

“Well”   Mr. Doling said   “You’ve dodged a bullet Mr. Wilson.   I can get a hold of you parents or you probation officer so you are at my mercy.   I think a month of detention plus repainting the outside of the school for at least 3 hours after school every day till its completed.”    “Oh Miss Marten here is your class schedule.” Mrs. Harris blurted out. Crap now he knows my last name! Lousy thought to herself as she stood up and walked over to the desk. “Thanks” she said meekly.  Mrs. Harris handed her the sheet of paper, Lousy  walked quickly out of the offices it was now 8:23 and school didn’t start for another 7 minutes but she went looking for my locker.    Her number was 216, which she had already found out that all the odd numbers were on the right and even was on the left, the class rooms where the same way. So she stuck to the left side of the hall.     

          There were a few other people down the halls but just a hand full I guess the busses were running late.  When she got to her locker she pulled it open and placed her biology book and Her Trig book in there because both of those classes weren’t till after lunch so there was no need to carry them around all day. Lucy closed her locker door and was in the process of throwing her backpack back over her shoulder when she heard someone say.   “So your Jessie’s Martens kid huh?”   It was that Wilson guy again “None of your business creeper.”    He laughed at her, smiled and said   “Wow you’ve got spunk!”    Lousy turned and walked away but he followed her.  “Will you leave me alone?”  Lousy yelled.  “Nope” She turned to tell him to leave her the hell alone just to see he was right behind her.   She gasped at how close she was to running in to him. “What’s the matter honey?”   “I…..I…. you’re…” I stuttered trying to find my words. “You’re invading my personal space!”  

He laughed.    Lousy turned to walk away when she felt he’s hand grip tightly around her wrist. Lousy spun around quickly.   Her free hand raised ready to punch him square in the nose. When she was merely inches away from his face he grabbed her other wrist. Now she was stuck this creeper had both of her wrist held tightly in his rough hand as he leaned closer to her she started trying to break free from his grasp but it was pointless she couldn’t budge even the slightest bit in his grasp.   He opened his mouth as to say something when Lousy attention was drawn away from the creeper to a guy in a letterman jacket very well built and obviously a part of the foot ball team.  He yelled at them it was muffled from the distance but as he got closer she heard him plain as day “HEY LET HER GO!!!!!    Get your hands off her!!”   He reached were Lousy and creeper were standing   “Dude I think you need to back off!   The lady doesn’t want you that close to her at all its written all over her face bro.”     Mr. Jock said (for lack of a better name) very nicely to creeper, placing a hand on his shoulder pushing him away from me.    I wanted to say a lot worse to creeper then what he did.   “First I’m not your bro” Creeper said very hatefully “second” creeper was now looking back at me.  I was slightly hiding behind the jock that came to my rescues.  “What me and the lady have to discus is none of your business.   So go lift some weights or something like a good little jock and leave me and the girl alone!” Creeper yelled as he moved back toward me as he spoke in a harsh tone.   Jock put up his hand and landed in the middle of creeper chest. This seemed to piss creeper off even more.  “You need to leave the girl alone she obviously doesn’t want you around.”    “Keep your hands off me you bastard son of…”    Right the bell rang for first parade.   Creeper slowly turned and walked the other way back down the hall were we came from.   When Lousy had calmed down a little she noticed that the jockey had his hand on her hip keeping her behind him this whole time.   He was protecting her.  He waited till creeper was out of sight.

“Are you ok? Did he hurt you?   I’m sorry I didn’t stop him sooner.”   “I’m fine just a little shook up is all. Thanks for what you did; most guys wouldn’t even look twice.   So what is the name of my rescuer?”  “Chad and you are?”  

“Oh, I’m Lousy Marten.”  “Well Ms. Marten would you like me to walk you to class just in case he comes back?”  

“YES!!” Lousy said without hesitation.

 “But don’t call me Ms. Marten it makes me feels like an old lady, call me Lousy.”   He didn’t laugh or snicker he just smile showing off his gorges white teeth.  

“Ok Lousy, what’s your first class?”

 “English”  

 “With Mrs. Wallis?”

“Yep that’s the one.” 

 “Cool that my first class so you can just hang with me if you want to.”   “If you don’t mind a tagalong, I promise I won’t be a bother.”  Then Chad kind of snickered a little.  “Well we better get to class cause Mrs. Wallis hates it when people at late.”   

  We were a little late coming in to class but after Chad explained what happened Mrs. Wallis was very understanding about the whole thing and didn’t give ether of them detention for being late, but she said next time she wouldn’t be so lenient.  Lousy took a seat right next to Chad she could hardly keep her eyes off him.  His sandy blond hair had a shaggy look to it but it was well kept it wasn’t in his eyes and wasn’t too far from his ears.   He had far skin it looked like it would be soft like a baby’s skin and not a single sigh of acne at all.    She just wanted to touch him.   His eyes were a sky blue that slowly got darker.    His nose and lips were perfect; there wasn’t a fault to them.   

     She didn’t even hear the bell ring she was so zoned in on Chad. “What’s your next class?” Chad asked.    “Oh um…I’m not sure um…..” Lousy said as she dug in her pocket for her list of classes. When she unfolded it she looked over it for a minute then said “Trig……um with Mr. Gibbs….Room 237.”  When Lousy looked up she saw Chad was right in front of her looking at her paper.   “Well anything over 200 would be up stairs I’ll show you the way if you want.”    “I’ll take all the help I can get.” Lousy blurted out. That was so stupid. Why did I say that?  

       Chad just smiled at her with a grin that made her think he’d heard her or something, just the thought of that made her blush.   

“Well then will head that way.” Chad extended his hand to her.    Lousy just stared at him for a minute is a state of shock she never had met a guy with such manners, or that acted like such a gentleman toward her. “Don’t worry I don’t bite, at least not hard.” He said with a smile that was so inviting and yet it was like he wasn’t kidding about the biting thing.   “He’s just trying to lighten the mood.”   Lousy told herself, though it did kind of freak her out a little.   She place her hand in his he closed his fingers around her hand.   His grip was strong but gentle at the same time.  He walked with grace and fluidic as if he was walking on air as he led her up the stairs to the second floor, Lousy was totally mesmerized with him.   “Here you are.” Chad said letting go of Lucy’s hand “Oh…right thanks for the help.”  “I’m sorry for peaking at your class schedule early but I was wondering when your lunch was so maybe we could eat together if you wanted.”    “Yes I Love to go to lunch with you.”   Chad smiled.  Lucy thought she was going to melt like butter when touched with a hot knife.   “I’ll pick you up at the bottom of the stairs at noon.”   “It’s a Date.” He laughed and started to walk away. “Well not like a date” Lucy yelled “but like an appointment.”  Again she had made a fool of herself in front of one of the hottest boy she had ever seen, not to mention he was a gentleman.  She couldn’t wait for noon to come so she could go to eat lunch with him.  

She stared at the clock in her history class. Tick…… Tock….. Tick Tock….. It was 11:53 she was just waiting for the bell to ring so she could run to go meet Chad at the end of the stairs.   Tick….. Tock…. Will the bell just ring already?   Lucy thought to herself when someone touched her shoulder. She turned to see Creeper. She jumped away from his touch.    He was sitting in the seat next to her, her watching her the whole time.    Shivers went down her spine; she quickly turned back around facing the front of the class again.   When she saw him slide a folded piece of paper on her desk, she reluctantly picked it up and unfolded it.   It was a note. 

Don’t trust him!!  

He is dangerous!!!!!

She stared at the note for a while then pulled out her pin and started to write back. Just then the lunch bell rang Lucy jumped to her feet and almost ran out of the class room.  After she let Creeper read what she wrote back. 

 LEAVE ME ALONE CREEP!!!

He crumpled the paper in his hand and through it in rage.  Ran to the door and yelled. “You will wish you lessoned to me.  He is not the night in shining armor you think he is.”   Lucy heard every word he said but she kept walking as fast as she could to the bottom of the stairs.  Right before she walked down the stairs she ran her fingers through her hair straightened her shirt and walked gracefully down the stairs when she saw he was waiting for her she couldn’t help but smile, she could feel her cheeks flush knowing that he was watching her every move. When she almost reached the bottom of the stairs Chad extended his had to her.  She placed her hand in his, as he rapped his fingers around her hand. She couldn’t help but notice his hands were cold, but quickly brushed it off as nothing. Lousy glanced behind her to see creeper watching her again. What is his problem? She thought to herself as her and Chad made their way to the cafeteria.  

      They served typical school lunch that was less then appetizing.  But she was not really hungry so she just got a banana and a bottle of Coca-Cola. Apparently nether was Chad he didn’t even get a water to drink, but he had a reusable sports bottle, so she thought that he might be on a special diet since he was on the football team.  

You know some coaches are like that, having their team on a special diet in hopes to make the superior football player.  She just brushed it off as another coaches attempt to be the best. 

       Lucy and Chad sat down at his normal table, it was full with football jocks, with their shirts that were at least two sizes too small, their letter mans on and the typical jock attitude, and preppy cheer leaders with their mini skirt and tops that were basically see through, not to mention they had so much make up on they looked like porcelain dolls.   Chad introduced them all but Lousy but she couldn’t remember them all.  The cheer leader that was closest to her was Briana.  She was the shortest at the table and had bleach blond hair, judging from her eyebrows he natural hair color was ether a dark brown or a black.   Then there was a big jock he had to weigh over 300 pounds &7 feet tall, he was massive, who looked like a Latino. Chad said they called him El oso, which means bear in Spanish.  Those were the only ones she could remember names to there was 3 other people who looked like they were pissed off or something. Of those three 2 were girls a red head and one with hot pink hair, the guy was average looking not ugly but not hot ether.  “So are you ready for P.E?”   Briana asks Lucy. Briana’s voice was higher pitched and very bubbly. “Um I don’t know…… um do we have it together?” answered Lousy as she pulled out her schedule. “Yes mama we do so if you’re done eating you can follow me there if you want……unless you and Chad are planning skipping ya’ll next class?”  Briana said teasingly. Everyone at the table started laughing and making kissing noises at Lousy, making her very uneasy.  Suddenly the girl with the pink hair shot up from the table, it more apparent when she stood up that her nose, bottom lip, and all the way up her left ear was pierced. She glared at Chad and stormed off.  Briana looked around slightly confused “Was it something I said?”  Everyone but Lucy and Chad started laughing again.   Lucy could see that Chad and the pink haired girl had history together and she must still be mad at him for something, but other than that she didn’t know and she didn’t feel right just flat out asking him about her. So she kept her thought to herself.   

In P.E. they played Volley Ball Lucy spiked it over the net and hit someone in the face and broke the girls nose the coach made her sit out the rest of the time which didn’t bother her much. She kept going over it in her head and she couldn’t understand how it could have broken her nose. She didn’t hit it that hard, did she? As she pondered this she heard someone coming up behind her, she could hear the benches creaking with ever step they took. She spun around quietly but there was no one there.  She turned back toward the court and saw Briana’s face but inches from hers. “Come on your going to be late for you next class if you sit there like a bump on a log” as she said the skipped toward the door stopping to look back and wave her to come on. The day passed rather fast after P.E. it was all kind of like a blur. When the final bell rang she found herself still sitting in her seat slightly in a daze. The teacher came and touched her shoulder which made her snap out of it. 

She walked out of the school doors. The busses had left and there was no one that she could see in the parking lots except a black motorcycle.   Lousy walked over to the bike, it was a Harley Davisson, and it had silver flames, no glass or windshield.  She was totally fascinated by this I wonder what it’s like to ride one of these?  She felt so taken by this; she wanted to just take off on this bike. Then she noticed the helmet. It was black with an eagle flying above a wolf their speed was matched, in a race at would always end in a tie.  “What the hell do you think you are doing?” Lucy jumped when she heard the voice behind her; she set the helmet back where she found it. “I…..I was just…..um” she turned around to see Creeper walking toward her very quickly and there was fiery in his eyes. Lucy froze she couldn’t move. He was but a few feet from her when a navy blue Ferrari pulled up and separated them. It was Chad. “Get in!” she jumped over the back of car into the passenger seat, he spun his tires, and they made a high pitched wine as they sped off. “Lucy looked behind them; Creeper was just standing there with his fist clenched. She let out a heave sigh. “That’s twice today I’ve saved you from that Guy.” he looked at her and smiled

“Yah, I really owe you, thanks.”  

“Your right you do owe me.” 

“What?” Lucy said and turned towards him.

“I said yes you do owe me.”

“What ever happened to chivalry?”

“Well I think I heard it didn’t actually die.” he smiled 

Lucy turned back and faced the road to help hide the fact she thought what he said was very witty.

“Tell you what” he said “in the sixteenth century when a man save a young beauty he got her hand in marriage” he looked at her with a smile that hinted that he wished it was the sixteenth century. “I call it even if you will agree to go on a date with me”

She thought for a moment “And that’s all…Then we will be even?” 

“Well and a kiss would be nice too.”   She stared at him for a minute or two to see if he was just messing with her or if he was ceruse. He was ceruse.   “To the date I would love to, on the kiss I will think about it.”

He smiled “Deal.” There was a long pause were neither of us said anything. “So” Chad finally said “where do you live?” 

She stared at him with a look of curiosity. She knew why he was asking but was not sure she really wanted her dad to see her in a fancy car with a guy she just met.  “Why do you ask?” she said meekly. “Because it’s just that it’s going on six o’clock, and I thought you might need to be home soon?”   

“It’s not that late.”  Lucy said in disbelief, she looked at the clock in his car, it read 6:05. No, no way it’s that late.  She pulled her phone out of her pocket. 

“Oh, crap I should have been home an hour ago, my dad is going to kill me.” “Calm down just tell him we were working on a project together for school, surely he will understand.” 

 “You don’t know my dad, you better drop me off a block from my house it will be safer that way.” 

“Wow, you dad must be a beast or something to make a brave woman like you scared of being seen with a guy.”  

“Please just get me a block away from my house please.”

Chapter 2

     Chad did exactly what Lucy asked and let her out a block before her house. She watched as he drove away slowly.  When he turned the corner she ran to her house and up the steps, grabbing the keys from underneath the loose brick, as she was about to unlock the door it opened from the inside.  She jumps back nearly falling down the steps. “Where have you been!” it was her father his face was red and he looked like if she gave him even the slightest bit of back talk he would slap her across her face.

“Do you know how wearied I was when I came home to see you weren't home yet.”  

“Dad you nearly gave me a heart attack.”  She yelled.

“Do you realize how late it is you should have been home an hour ago.”  Her father’s face was starting to get red and she started to tune out.  Her father yelled at her for another 20minutes and she pretended she was listening.  Just he started to calm down the phone on the wall started ringing.  He looked at her and could tell she had not heard a single work he just told her, he sighed as he answered the phone. 

“Martens’ residents” he paused for a long time and just lessoned to the person on the other line. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up the phone.    

“I have to go back to work.   They need my story my in the morning so they can put it in the paper before it goes out. You will be on your own tonight it looks like. ”

“It’s just like in New York right Dad only it’s a smaller town I’ll be fine.”

“Good” he said grabbing his coat. Walked over to the kitchen counter and laid something down and starting out the door “here is some money for pizza if you get hungry.” He walked through the door and almost had it shut when he stuck his head back though the door and said “Oh and by the way you’re grounded young lady, love you sweetie.”  Her father said as he shut the door behind him.    Lucy wanted to scream and cause him out so bad but she held her tongue. 

It was 6:30 and nothing to do.  No TV or cable, no internet.    She started going through the boxes of kitchen stuff and putting the dishes in the cupboards and silver ware in drowse.   She had completely unpacked the kitchen by 8:23 and she was starving.  Her dad had left her 20 dollars for pizza but she didn’t really want pizza, she wanted Suisse like she used to have in New York.   They had absolutely no food in the whole house.  The store was only a five minute walk from her house.

“Dad said I was grounded which means I can’t go out with friends but that doesn’t mean I can’t go to the store and buy food, but he did say to order in pizza. On the hand fresh food is better for you and you can control how much grease is in your food were pizza is covered in grease that can clog someone’s arteries.”    She debated with herself.   

Lucy decided to go to the store.   She ran up the stairs and grabbed her coat, purse, some cash her dad had giving her for lunch money, and headed out back down stairs.  She looked around for her house keys, she thought she left them on the kitchen table but they weren’t there.   She looked all through the kitchen, though the drawers and cabinets, and she went back up stair and looked in her room, she went through her backpack, her closet and dresser but still nothing.   When she went back down stair she saw them lying on the table right where she left them.   Lucy picked them up and heads out the door locking it behind her.    Her street looked totally different at night then in the day time, by now it was going on 9 o’clock.    She puts her hood up and starts walking up street. The only lights came from the porch lights and very few street lights.    She was walking slightly faster than her normal pace because the lack of light and an eerie feeling running through her body.     Ever part of her body was telling her to run and get away, that there was something after her but there was nothing or no one around.  She tried to shake the feeling but it still lingered in her.  She walked past an old church, where some old were headed to their cars.   Across the street there was an alcohol store where a group of guy already looked wasted and some looked stoned.      

She reached the little small town grocery store.     It was a little run down looking place with metal bars on the windows and doors.   Lucy walked in the front door it and a funny smell to it, she couldn’t put her finger on what the smell was but it made her uneasy and the casher didn’t help ease her eerie feeling.    He was covered in tattoos tall and skinny, in an unhealthy way; he looked like he was on meth or cocaine.   His eyes were dark and unkind.    She picked up a basket that was seating by the door and headed down an aisle to escape his gaze. 

 Lucy picked up Jasmine rice, lemon grass paste, sea weed paper, bread, peanut butter, pasta, tomato sauce, cheese, lunch meat, and ouster sauce,   totaling $23.34 and three bags worth of stuff.   She left the store in a hurry forgetting for a moment that the guy in the store was only one of her worries.    As Lucy started back toward her house, she passes the liquor store and the drunken men were still standing there talking and laughing with one another.   Only this time some of them were looking at her. She kept her head down and tried to walk fast but she didn’t move fast enough for when she looked up she saw 3 of the men who had been drinking were walking toward her. She turns as if she is going to cross the street and walks in to 2 other men who she had seen drinking with the other three,  she went to go back the way she came and another on was in her way.   She began to panic as they walked closer she decided to just barrel through them and hope she could break through theirs lines.   She picked a space she thought might be the weak spot and just as she was about to take flight the one behind her grabbed her wrists and pulled her close to him.  She could feel him smelling her hair, his breath on her neck making her skin crawl.  She heard tiers screech on the pavement, and a car door shut.   Lucy knew she was in way over her head.    A voice cut throw the night like a sword “Gentlemen.” She knew this voice she had heard it every day of her life since she was born.    The drunks turned and saw him, Lucy’s dad, standing there hands in his pocks, sunglasses on, and no kindness in his face.    Lucy had only seen him this way once or twice.   “I would appreciate it if you would unhand my daughter.”    He said so calmly.    The drunks just looked at one another like they thought he was crazy.    One man walked forward, his head was saved he, was covered in tattoos.    He stopped only a few inches from her father’s face.   “I don’t think I will” The drunk said with a self satisfied look on his face.    “No I think I‘ll keep her she is by the way a rare beauty.”    The next thing Lucy sees is the drunk holding his nose and her father grabbing him by his shirt collar pulling the drunk back in to his fist.   Her father threw some quick jabs then tossed him aside where the drunk laid writhing in pain. “Now will you unhand my daughter?”   The men looked at each other and slowly backed away turned on their heels and ran like scared dogs leaving their drunken buddy lying on the sidewalk.   Lucy looked at her father his face was as hard as stone.   “Get in the car Lucy we are going home.” He said as he turned and walked towards the car.    They didn’t speak a word all the way back to their house.    When they pulled in to the drive her father just went inside never saying a word, but she could tell her was mad because of the way he closed both the car door and the front door.