"All the small things, True care, Truth brings. I'll take one lift, your ride best trip." I shut off my alarm clock and rolled over. I didn't wanna get up today, especially more than normal cause today was my birthday. I waited a few before actually getting up. I walked over to my dresser pulling out some clothes to change into. I pulled out a checkered shirt and buttoned it, I slipped on some dark jeans.

I finished getting dressed straightening my hair. I put various jewelry in my piercings and stuff. I looked at myself in the mirror. If you were wondering Jack hasn't talked to me since friday, he didn't even come to school yesterday. I finished and walked down stairs, I didn't even see my father this morning. I slipped out of the house and walked up to my car. I got in and started it. I took my time going to school.

I got there a little earlier than normal, I didn't wanna be late to class today. I walked over to my locker and opened it. Balloons billowed out and went everywhere. At first I was surprised until I realized some of the things that were written on the balloons. Such as; Junky, just kill yourself. Nobody wants you here. If you disappeared no one would look for you. Just terrible things like that. It's true though my arms do look like a junky's. I had red dots all over the inside of my forearm from where needles were inserted.

They're from the multiple times I've gone to the hospital for my condition. It's just not fair. I pulled one of the buttons off my back pack and started popping the balloons with the pin. "Is it your birthday?" I turned and looked at Jack. I nodded. "What does the balloon say?" He asked pulling one down. I watched as he read over the words again and again. "Junky?" He asked. I pulled the balloon from his hands and popped it.

"It's cause of these." I said showing the dozens of insert sites. "Why?" He asked. I pulled my arms back and finished popping the balloons. "Nothing." I said closing my locker, I turned and walked away. I took my seat in my first period. I finished my work and yet again stared out the window of my math class. I had my head laying on the desk.

I didn't even wanna go outside for lunch today. I decided I wanted to sit by my locker. That and no one was sitting outside, it was raining. I turned the corner to the place where my locker was and saw Jack talking with a couple kids by his locker. I was gonna find another spot to sit when I heard my name. I sat on the floor, around the corner and listened.

"So Barakat, you get in her pants Friday?" Alex said. "Look at him he's blushing he totally did." Another kid said. "Was she good, at least?" I heard another ask. I covered my mouth listening to them talk about me. "Aren't you glad we dared you to do it?" Alex asked. I felt the tears roll down my face. This is why I don't have friends. "Stop." Jack said with what sounded like a laugh.

I stood up and rounded the corner, running down the hall way and up to my locker. I heard someone run behind me. I ripped open my locker throwing all my books and stuff into my backpack. "Paige, how much of that did you hear?" Jack asked standing next to me. I didn't answer just let tears roll down my cheeks and continued to shoved stuff into my back pack.

"Paige." Jack said and turned me around. "Enough to know I was just a joke, so you and your friends could get a good laugh!" I said and wiped my face and threw my back over my shoulder. I slammed my locker shut. "I bet you helped with the balloons didn't you?! I bet you heard me tell your mom my birthday was coming up. Who did you tell Josh?!" I screamed walking down the hallway.

Jack grabbed my wrist. "Paige, it's not-" I turned and smacked his across the face. "There's a reason I don't have any friends. That reason is people like you and Josh. Don't talk to me Jack Barakat." I said and pulled my wrist out of his grip and walked down the hallway outside. I walked to the doors and pushed them open. I walked down under the awning till I heard a voice I didn't want to.

"Hey, I was looking for you. Did you like your little birthday surprise?" Josh said. I wiped my face and continued to walk. "Hey, you better stop." He said. I didn't stop though. He ran after me and pulled me by my hair. "When I say stop I mean stop, you got me?" He asked. I nodded. He took my hair in the other hand and pushed me so my back was against the brick wall. His hand went to my hip.

"So I heard about you and Barakat, you slut." He said and gripped my left hip in his hand. I could feel the bruise forming. "I never knew you were such a whore-" "I am not a whore!" I yelled at him. He took my neck in his left hand and slammed my head against the wall. I let out a whimper. "Don't you ever raise your voice to me-" "Why?" I laughed. "So you could make my life more of a living hell than it already is?"

I said and smiled. He took his fist from my hip where it had a n extreme grip. His fist collided with my face twice. I could feel my eye start to swell. I did cry or whimper. I pushed out of his grip. "What would you do if I wasn't here tomorrow, Josh?" He didn't say anything. I took a step closer. "Who would you find to pick on then? Hmm?!" I I took yet another step and he jumped back.

"I'm just a kid who has rumors that revolve around her and an attendance record that speaks for it's self. You don't know any of the things I go through on a regular basis!" I yelled at him. He looked genuinely scared. I raised my hand and punched him the best I could. He held back my arms and I kicked him.

I pushed him to the ground. I was blinded by anger at the point. Rage was relevant in my body. I climbed on top of him and started hitting his face. We rolled in the parking lot for a minute both getting covered in water as it rained bucket loads. "You're fucking crazy!" He shouted. I slammed my fists into his chest and stood up. "So what?! Just add it to the fucking list Josh!!" I said and went to hit him again but someone pulled me off him.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted as they pulled me under the awning. "No, this wont solve anything." I heard Jack say. I wiggled out of his hands. "I said leave me alone, Jack." I said crossing my arms across my chest cause I was cold. "I can't..." He said. "And why not?! I was just a joke." I said and started to walk away from him. He turned me around by grabbing my wrist and waist.

"Just leave me alo-" I was cut off by his lips crashing into mine. His right hand had a hold on my left hip, where Josh left the bruises. I didn't even care about the pain. My left hand found it's way into his hair as our tongues molded into one another. His grip tightened if that was possible and he pulled me closer to his body. "I'm sorry." He said against my lips. His left hand and my right intertwined fingers.

He pulled away. "Lets get you home so you can clean up." He said. I blinked a couple times. I saw his group of friends watching from the doors of the school, with their mouths hung wide. "Jack, I can't let you throw your friends and status away for me. Just go back inside." He gripped my hand tighter. "It's ok, I told them I liked you. They'll get over it." He said and lightly kissed my lips again. He took off and pulled me behind him.

I giggled and we ran out in the rain to my car. I handed him the keys. "I'll tell you where to go." I said and we got in. I pulled on my seat belt. My dad's gonna be so mad, did I really care though? Maybe I can be happy? Jack took my hand in his own. I looked at him and he turned his face to look at me. I reached my hand up and touched his face where I slapped him.

"Sorry." I said. "I deserved it." He said. He pulled my hand down to his lips and kissed my hand. I smiled. "Turn here." I said and pointed. He did. "It's the third house on the right." I said. He pulled into my driveway. My dad's car was gone and I smiled and pulled him out of the car. I ran up to the door pulling my keys from his hands and opening my door.

We walked in and he pushed me up against the wall. He kissed my lips again. He trailed kisses down my neck to a spot where my knees went weak. I let out a moan and could feel him smile against my skin. He looked back up to my face and ran a hand from the top of my neck to my hip. "We should get your face taken care of." He said. I bit my lip and nodded.

I pulled away from Jack and walked up my stairs. He stood. "You can come up if you want." I said. He smiled slipped off his shoes and ran up the stairs after me. I walked into my room and went to my dresser. I pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt. "I have a pair of sweats if you would like to borrow them?" I asked. "That would be awesome." He said. I handed them to him. "Bathroom through that door." I pointed.

He walked in. I slipped off my jeans and pulled on another pair of underwear. I pealed my shirt and bra from my body. I pulled on the sweater, not even bothering with a bra. Jack opened the door and walked out. "Here just give me your clothes and I'll throw them in the dryer." I said. "Ok, but lets do your face first." I nodded and followed him into the bathroom.

I gasped at the look of my face. My nose was bleeding, and I have a bruise on my cheek. "And you decided to kiss this?" I asked with a laugh. "Well, it's still pretty." I blushed and wiped underneath my nose getting the blood off. I shook my hair, it was wet. I turned to Jack. "I'm gonna have this bruise for like a week." He stepped up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, our chests against one anothers.

"Like I said still pretty." I leaned forward and pecked his lips. "What would you like to do on this fine 18th birthday?" He asked. "I don't know... do you wanna watch a movie?" I asked as we left the bathroom. "Sure, what movie do you wanna watch?" "I like the Nightmare before Christmas..." I said. He smiled. "That's one of my favorite movies." I smiled and we walked down stairs.

He ran over and jumped on the couch. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Sitting in front of the TV.
waiting for the movie." He said. "We have a movie room, why watch movies in here?" I said he stood up and ran up behind me pulling my back to his chest, leaving his hands on my waist. "That's awesome." He said leaning his head on my shoulder. I opened the door and turned on the lights.

"Would you like some popcorn?" I asked walking over to the popcorn machine. "Dude, that's so cool." He said. I laughed. I finished making it and walked over to the couch. I pulled the handle back and the whole thing gave leg rests. "So where's the T.V.?" Jack asked. I stood up and pulled the curtain on the wall across tho reveal a huge screen. I turned on the projector and put in the movie.

I walked back over and sat down on the couch. Jack scooted closer to me. He huffed and pulled me closer to him. I giggled and the movie started. We sat there and sang along and spoke the words, occasionally throwing popcorn at each other. "My dearest friend, if you don't mind I'd like to join you by your side where we could gaze into the stars and sit together, now and forever
for it is plain, as anyone can see, we're simply meant to be." Both of us finishing the end.

Jack pulled away and sat criss cross looking at me. I copied his look. "I wanna know stuff about you." He said. "Like what?" "Everything." He said. "Hmm. I'm not interesting, Jack. I'm boring." "You can't be. Stuff like I know you have a tongue ring, I never kissed a girl with a tongue piercing." "Well, my belly buttons pierce too." "That's hot." I giggled.

"I've had a couple surgeries before. It's just me and my dad. I miss school a lot." "Yeah, why is that?" "Umm... I go into surgeries and need time to recover." I said. "Why all the surgeries?" "To remove cysts that form in my body. I actually have one in my leg." "Why don't you get that one removed?" "It's too big and surgery wouldn't work." "Oh..." Thank god he stopped asking.

"So what happened to your mom?" I took a gulp. "She died of cancer." "I'm sor-" "Hey, It's ok. It was a harmless question." "What kind of cancer?" "Ewing sarcoma." He nodded. I wiped a tear away from my eye. "Hey, it's ok." He pulled me into a hug. "I know. I just miss her. I didn't really know her but I wish I did." He hugged me tighter. "It will be alright, I promise no one will hurt you." I kissed Jack's cheek and hid my face in the crook of his neck.

Notes

Comment please!! I told you the type of cancer her mom had.. wink wink. If you wanna know the symptoms you can google it. LOVES :P

Outifit 1: http://www.polyvore.com/birthday/set?id=101807114

Outfit 2: http://www.polyvore.com/lazy/set?id=101813912