Chapter 2

High School

The sun hung high in the sky the next morning; not a single cloud loomed its bright folds. A cool breeze whispered through the trees, alerting the people once more that summer was over and winter was on its way with its chill winds making the night before seem like nothing more than a bad dream. Birds were singing joyously from their perches and the sun shone high in the bright sky adding warmth against the chill winds. It was just another day for Sheffield High.

“Hey Darren,”

Several girls giggled amongst themselves and sighed wistfully when he turned and flashed them his heartbreaking smile. High-fiveing several of his friends and the popular guys in the hallways Darren strode confidently into the school. The pitter patter of running through the hallways caught his attention just as a woman ran into his arms and squealed excitedly.

“I missed you Dar, Dar,” Mallory pouted up at him while playing with the hair on the back of his neck.

Darren fought from rolling his eyes, “Hey Mal, and how could you miss me it’s been 2 days!?”

“Yes but you cancelled our date,”

A smirk tilted Darren’s lips as he glanced down at her.

“My brother was sick so I had to work his shift babe; I would much rather have been with you,” he murmured; brushing his lips against hers softly.

Yvonne strode into the hallways towards her locker to get her books for first period and head into class; ignoring everyone and everything around her. The youth seemed to have their own morning traditions to follow. The popular kids would take over the eastern hall while the unpopular kids or the nerds went straight to class or the library to get extra study time in. Yvonne just wanted to get out of the other’s eye sight and went straight to the room to get a corner seat in the back out of everyone’s view. She knew the minute Darren arrived by the catcalls. Shaking her head she glanced up to see Darren kissing Mallory in a way that appeared to be gentle. Unable to look away her head cocked to the side as she observed the tenderness with which he kissed her. A gasp of surprise escaped her lips when Darren brought his head up and met her own gaze. She quickly grabbed her books and tried to hide her limp as she went quickly to her class. Darren’s eyebrows narrowed as he stared after her; wondering at the look in her eyes and her quick retreat after he caught her watching them kiss.

‘Weird’ he thought as he stared after her,

“Yo Darren,”

“huh, what?” Darren snapped back to reality at his friend Jake’s call.

“Spacing man?”

Darren chuckled and swung his back pack over his shoulder.

“Had to work late last night,” he lied.

“I know how that feels, come on, we’ll be late to class,”

Darren nodded and headed off to first period. He shared the same first period class with Yvonne and after parting with his friends strode in and took his seat just as class started. During the first half of the class he and his buddies made fun of the teacher’s lectures or the other student’s answers. Casting a glance over at Yvonne he stopped in the middle of one of his jeers at one of the smart kids. Her right arm was bent at the elbow, resting on her desk while she took notes. She looked tired and in pain. A shiver ran down her spine when she felt someone staring at her. she turned to look at whoever was staring at her and swallowed nervously when she saw it was Darren. Quickly glancing away she pulled her Black hoodie nervously over her head and fixed the sleeves to make sure none of the bruising or cuts showed. She glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye and saw him looking at her with a look of intrigue and question. Swallowing hard Yvonne turned all her focus back to the teacher forcing all thoughts of Darren out of her mind.

“So my parent’s aren’t going to be home tonight...want to come over?” Mallory asked as she twirled a golden curl around her perfectly manicured finger looking flirtatiously up at Darren.

School had just ended and Mallory was leaning up against the locker beside Darren’s as he packed up his books so he could go home.

At her offer he glanced down at her and smiled, “I wish I could babe, but…”

Mallory heard his refusal and flashed him her puppy dog eyes; sticking out her lower lip in a way she thought made her look irresistible to any man; she always got what she wanted…almost. A loud bang resonated across the hallways causing Darren to turn and give him a reason to avoid answering Mallory for just a moment. He turned in time to see several of his friends surrounding Yvonne’s locker; Yvonne was sliding down the locker to the floor; her face trying to mask the emotions but even from across the hall he could see her pain. She never cried out…ever. She would never allow anyone to hear even the tiniest whimper much less a scream. His eyes narrowed as he saw her hand cradle the back of her leg that he had seen her limping on earlier and as she bit her lower lip; she drew blood from the previous night’s cut. Darren heard his friends taunting her; she remained silent. She pushed back tears and glanced up meeting Darren’s gaze. His heart stopped and he swallowed hard at the look in her eyes; it was as if she was pleading with him to stop it…he had never seen any such thing from her. She was always emotionless. She never showed emotion. His friends called her the ice woman and normally he would agree but he couldn’t, not with the look of torment that flashed in her eyes a moment before she averted her gaze in helplessness. Darren couldn’t remove his gaze from her but forced himself to at Mallory’s tug on his arm. He flashed her a small smile and flung his backpack over his shoulder.

“Hey, guys, let’s go” Darren called to his friends surrounding Yvonne.

They looked at him in protest but he just narrowed his eyes at them,

“Now! I’m heading to the pizza place and I’m not waiting for you guys,” he called out in a more harsh tone.

Several of his friends grumbled under their breath but turned from Yvonne to follow Darren out of the school.

Yvonne looked up in surprise; meeting Darren’s gaze once again. her eyes portrayed her thanks as her tongue licked the blood from her lips before she mouthed the word ‘thanks’

Darren swallowed hard and nodded subtly; so subtly she almost missed it before he turned and led his friend’s away.

Yvonne glanced after his departing form a moment before she sighed heavily and pushed herself up against the locker to her feet; favoring her right leg and wincing at the pressure placed on it. She was grateful for Darren’s actions but was a bit disappointed as well. He had stuck up for her but not noticeably…except to her.

‘Hey what should I expect, he’s popular, helping the school reject would just hurt his reputation’ she thought with a sigh before grabbing her backpack up and turning to walk out of the school towards home…and possibly another beating.

“Man that was sooo funny, did you see that! She was like practically gonna cry…”

“Yea if Darren hadn’t called us when he had she really would have”

Darren’s friend’s burst into laughter around him as they continued to jeer at Yvonne. Darren ate his pizza in silence; forcing a laugh occasionally for his friend’s sake at something that was being said.

“Darren man you should have joined us, the look on her face was priceless!” Garret was saying.

The look on her face wasn’t priceless at all…but it had burned itself upon his memory. her doe brown eyes pleading with him showing more emotion and pain in a moment then he had ever see her show since he had first seen her the start of freshman year.

“Maybe next time” he said with a smirk to satisfy them once he brushed his thoughts away.

After another hour or so with his friends Darren excused himself for home before he went in for his brother’s shift again later that night; wondering if perhaps he would see the strange girl again that night...for some reason unknown to him he hoped he would.

Full summary:

In a small town in the middle of nowhere, there lives a girl who leads two lives. In the public one, she is a recluse who no one thinks twice about. In the other, she is on the receiving end of her father's violent temper. Will anyone see through her and figure out who she really is?

Just another chap, I’m finally overcoming my writer’s block on these stories so although these chaps have been small I’m posting these chaps on True love is a fairy tale and this one so you guys won’t think I have forgotten about it but will know I am working on these stories and haven’t forgotten about them or my readers!! So please let me know what you think of this chapter by Reviewing and letting me know you haven’t given up on me or my stories!! THANKS!! R&R!