Elizabeth's alarm went off at 5:30am just like every school day. It was Tuesday... the week wasn't even close to being done. She got ready like usual, put on her black uniform piece by piece. She puts her arm through each cold, sheer black sleave. Then pulls it over her head and using one arm to pull the tight shirt away from her body trying to specifically not touch her make up she did prior. She steps into her Black and gray plaid skirt, buttoning it on the third button loop making it tight for her thin waist. Lastly, she slipped her little feet into each solid black thigh high socks, threw on black tennies and ran downstairs to quickly eat. If she waited too long she knew Vernon would leave her , and she would have to walk. She grabbed a frozen waffle and threw it in the toaster. As she waited she heard Vernon running down the stairs. “Morning,” she said taking her food out of the toaster. “Morning. Hey, I forgot to ask you but who was that boy you were talking to yesterday?” He said curiously. "Which one?" 

"The one with his arm around you." 

"Oh. That's just a friend. his names V. Why?" 

"When a guy has his arm around my sister I kinda need to know who it is."

"It's nothing. Not a big deal." 

"Yes, it is. You're young and pretty and I don't want anything to happen to you." he grabbed her other waffle and ate it.

"okay, 'dad'.." she laughed.

Vernon glared at her for a spilt-second. It was different though. He's never glared at Elizabeth this way. It was almost the way he glared at Niel. All irritated and what not. He hated talking about their dad. Whenever Elizabeth brings him up he'll change the subject, walk away, or just flat out say he's not gonna talk about dad. Yes, he would glare but this was different. He and his sister never fought or anything like that. *The is his deal...at least he actually knew dad...* she thought. Elizabeth never really saw her father. He left her mother when she was just 5. Around her 7th birthday, he told her mom he had moved out of the country. Her mother refused to tell Elizabeth where he was. She feared Elizabeth would run after him. Her mother always said he had international business.

"Let's go. We're gonna be late, hoe." Vernon teased. "I told you not to call me that, ." The two laughed and got in the car. Outside was foggy and it felt like it had just rained. On the way to school, Vernon saw Niel walking. He slowed down. "Don't you dare." She hissed. "He's still my best friend, Elizabeth." He rolled his window down and pulled up by Niel. "Need a ride?" Niel looked in the car and saw Elizabeth looking the other direction. "No, it's ok." He said politely. "Niel, shut up and get in the damn car." He didn't argue. He got in and it was awkward as . He broke the silence. "Hey, do any of you guys know where Ricky went yesterday? He showed up to practice 2 hours late." Vernon tried to answer before Elizabeth to save himself and her from the drama. "Nope, I haven't seen-"

"He was with me." Elizabeth cut him off. Vernon shot her a look to say 'WHAT THE ARE YOU DOING!'

"Oh okay........Thanks" Niel sunk into his seat and didn't speak the rest of the way. 

As soon as Vernon parked Elizabeth got out. V was a few cars away. "ELIZABETH!" he called out. Her face lit up all excited. "Hang on I'm coming." "That's what she said" No, that did not come from V but rather it came from his friend Ryan. He punched Ryan in the arm and made him wince. "Hey, V." she smiled as he hugged her. He was warm. She felt butterflies in her stomach as his hands went on her lower back and rested right above her . V starred at Niel the entire time he hugged Elizabeth. He was sending a message. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Put your hands any lower on my sister and you'll be in a casket." V laughed at Vernon's warning. Throwing his hands playfully in the air. "Copy that." He replied laughing. Niel angrily grabbed his bag and slammed the car door. "Easy, bro. I can't afford a new door." Vernon noticed how mad Niel was. "Hey, you alright dude?" he asked. "I'm fine." He snapped at Vernon and walked faster ahead of him. Clearly, he was not fine and for some reason, he wouldn't talk to Vernon. Them two told each other everything, so this....this was weird. 

"How are you feeling?" V asked. "I'll be fine. ya know I'm not even sure what's going on. One day we're best friends and he likes me, then this girl shows up and all of a sudden he wants nothing to do with me and basically hates me. I don't understand... it was so random and none of it makes sense.." she looked up at V. The two turned away from the group and walked to their first class. "Well you see, it was really random but he doesn't hate you. I think he's just confused about how he feels and he's bottling it up so he's lashing out and ." Elizabeth agrees but she was still questioning the whole situation. 

V and Elizabeth met last year. They never really talked until now, their senior year. V has always had a thing for her and there was tension on both sides but no one ever spoke of it. 

"Eliz, what are you doing tonight?" V asked opening the door to her first class. "Nothing, probably just homework. Why?" her heart started to race. Yes, Niel was still in the back of her mind but she could use some fun and a distraction from the bull revolving around her. "I and some of the guys are going out tonight. you wanna come? Get your mind off everything?" She smiled big and blushed a little. "Yeah, sure, that sounds fun." 

"Alright, I'll text you."

Lunch came around and normally Elizabeth sat with Niel and the rest of the guys but today she had no idea what to do. She started looking for Changjo but ended up catching sight of Lillie playing with Niel's hair. Lillie noticed Elizabeth starring and played with his hair even more. "What are you looking at?" Niel asked and turned to see Elizabeth walking away. "It was nothing, Babe." Lillie said caressing his warm cheeks in the palm of her cold hands.

"Elizabeth! Wait up." She turns around to see Changjo walking towards her with Ricky. "Hey, guys." She replied with a smile. With Changjo being her best friend, he saw right through it. "What's wrong, Love?" Changjo asked. Elizabeth wouldn't look up from the ground. "I rather not talk about it," she replied. "Let's sit here." Ricky pointed at the planter cement bench. Of course its a direct view of  Lillie and Niel. Elizabeth looked up and accidentally starred. The two boys noticed Elizabeth starring at something, which caught there attention too. The two looked but only Changjo realized what was going on. "Did you hear they're official." Ricky accidentally let it slip.

"SHUT UP IDIOT!" Changjo hissed punching his arm. Official? The two were dating now and if you listened closely you could hear Elizabeth's heart break just a little more. She was so hurt he would do something like that to her.

Niel knows damn well what he was doing but he had to do it...

 *THEY'VE ONLY KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A WEEK AND A HALF!!!* Elizabeth screamed in her head. "I gotta go to the bathroom" Elizabeth grabbed her and left. As soon as she walked into the bathroom she ran straight into someone and fell on her . "Watch where you're going, freak." Of Course, out of all people she could have run into it was Lillie. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Now move and stay away from my man." Lillie warned.

"Your man?" She scoffed. "Okay girl. Get on with your prissy self and get out my face, Thanks." Elizabeth was starting to get mad. The last time Elizabeth got mad she was Suspended for a week for dragging a girl down the English hall by her hair. Literally dragging as in she was walking with her hair in her hand and the girl was on the floor sliding on the floor. 

"God. I'm appalled by your grammar, oh but I almost forgot you were raised by convicts and drug dealers with your mom since your daddy wasn't around, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised." 

See Elizabeth lived in a, what some would say, "proper" town. If word got out about her past she would be labeled as a nasty child of drug dealers and a bunch of high school kids would start making up. Rich kids are Evil. Straight up from hell. At least that's how Elizabeth Feels.

Elizabeth stormed out of the bathroom and headed straight for Niel. She wanted his head on a stick. Vernon caught a glimpse of his sister and rushed to her. "Wait wait wait,-" He said stopping her. "What's going on?" She pushed him off her. "I'm gonna kill him." 

"Why?" 
"He told her how I grew up!"

"I don't get it what's wrong with that? It's his girlfriend." 

"VERNON SHE JUST LOOKED ME IN THE FACE AND SAID I WAS RAISED BY DRUG DEALERS AND CONVICTS!! THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY GREW UP!!!" Elizabeth was ready to drag a again. Vernon realized how bad that could be for her. 

"Elizabeth let me handle it." Vernon didn't want her to jeopardize anything. "I'll talk to him." 

"No. Not this time." She pushes her way through the crowd of kids. Niel was sitting there facing the opposite direction talking to some boys she'd never seen. They all stopped and looked at her. "Hey, Niel." He turned around only to be met with a slap. "The was that for Elizabeth!?" He whined. "That is for betraying me and telling that about my life with my mom." She turned away and walked past Vernon. Still standing in the same spot he sarcastically asked: "You happy now?" Vernon 

"Yep." 

She sat down in between Changjo and Ricky. The two of them were in shock. "Everything ok?" Ricky asked. "Fantastic." She clapped back sarcastically and faked a smile.