I was walking to my job at Barnes and Noble when suddenly I feel someone watching me. I shake off the feeling and keep walking. I feel it again and walk faster wanting to get to work. I was then pulled into an alleyway and shoved up against the wall. "Hey gorgeous, what's going on?" Oh my god, not again. "Please let me go Jace I have to go to work." He just laughs. "Now why would I do that? You know that we have unfinished business to take care of since we won't be seeing you anymore." I cringed when he said 'we'. "Ray, Bryan, David! Ready to have some fun?" They all laugh and say hell Yea in unison. One second later they start punching me in the stomach, face, and ribs. Jace let's go of me and I land on the ground spitting out blood. They kicked me in the stomach once.

I prepared myself for the pain of the second kick, but it never came. I opened my eyes to see my bullies running and a boy looming over me. He had sleek black hair, beautiful blue eyes deep enough to get lost in, a nose and lip ring, and was wearing all black. He bent down and put his hand under my chin lifting my head. "Are you ok?" He asked, examining my facial expression. It was one mixed with pain and wonder. "Yea, I'm fine my stomach just hurts a little." I lied, still wanting to go to work. "Yea by your facial expression, I can tell that a little,is really a lot." I smile and get up grabbing my backpack pushing back the urge to fall back down. I grab the water I had in it and drink some, wanting to get the metallic taste of blood out of my mouth. "No I'm fine, I've been through worse. All I wanna do is go to work." He smiles. "Where do you work?" I put the water back and say,"Barnes and Noble." His face lights up. "Me too. I just started there a couple of days ago." I smile. "Well what's your name. My boss might have told me about you." He looks at me. "Andy, Andy Biersack."

An hour later we had already learned a lot about each other. I learned when his birthday was, his favorite color, food, animal, and music genres. How old he was, and much more. I basically told him almost everything about me. It was already eight at night and we had to close up shop. "Hey Pepper, do you work tomorrow?" I was turning the lights off when he asked. "Yea I work from seven AM to eight PM. What about you?" He smiles while putting books up. "I'm doing the same. Maybe we could talk more later if that's ok with you." I thought that Andy was pretty cool from what I've learned about him so far. "Why wait for tomorrow when I can just give you my number?" We exchange phone numbers and go our sperate ways after locking the store up. I run by McDonalds and pick up some food, preparing to return to my house. The natural habitat called hell.

~ At Home ~

"God damnit Pepper! Why did you come home so late!" My dad yells. "I went to work, and then to McDonalds because I thought that you might want something." He grunts. "Ok, well thanks. Clean up the kitchen before you go to sleep. I need you to go grocery shopping tomorrow on your lunch break. Remember to get my beer." He says while taking his food and sitting down at the table. "Yes sir, I won't forget." Well there goes my lunch break. I've been saving up for my own house since I was fourteen. Ive had enough money for one since I was sixteen, but decided to wait until I finished high school. "Pepper, I'm gonna have some friends over tomorrow night for a party. I expect you to be home by eight thirty to start barbecuing." I nod and start cleaning up the kitchen. I basically to everything around here even though my dad works. He does nothing to help out around here. I pay the bills, clean, cook, buy groceries, ect. My dad said that once I finish highschool he expects me to get in my own place to stay. I agreed and made a plan to go somewhere close to college.

By the time my dads asleep I finished the kitchen, showered, and cleaned my room. I couldn't sleep so I decided to call a friend up. "Hey Reyna, what's up?" I her her scream through the phone. "Oh my gosh Pepper! I haven't heard from you in forever!" We were talking for about an hour. I told her about how I finished high school, got jumped, and made a new friend. "Ok. Hey you should come to my party tonight, its totally awesome." I sigh. "Reyna, I don't really want too. What would I even wear if I went?" She laughs. "You always look hot, but you need to look nice and cute for this party. So wear a skirt or dress.ok? See you when you get here!" Uuuuuuugghhh! I can't believe she was making me wear a skirt or dress. Oh well, as long as I have fun right? Yea, as long as I have fun.

I ended up choosing a black crop top with the batman symbol on it. A skirt that comes a little before the knee but thats high enough to cover my belly. I am fairly tall which was 5'8, so I wore black combat boots and my favorite leather jacket to top the outfit off. I grabbed my phone, and some money, put them in my bra, grabbed my car keys and went on my way. I think the safest place to keep your stuff when you don't have pockets is your bra. I have a motorcycle and a car that I bought for myself. I decided on taking my bike, since its less hassle. I hope the night goes well.

• At the party •

I arrived and parked my bike. I walked in hearing whistles and gross comments from the drunk guys outside. Almost everyone at the party was from school, so I knew almost everyone. "Pepper! You came! Omg you look hot, let's go get drinks." Reyna was wearing a pink and white patterned dress that fit her body perfectly, along with white heels. "Hey do you still have your lip piercing?" I smiled. Of course I did, I love my piercing too much to give it up. "Yea, I went and bought a whole bunch of new lip rings." She handed me a red cup with fluorescent blue liquid in it. In her cup was a fluorescent pink. "Um Reyna, what is this?" She laughs. "Its ice cream blended with vodka. Yours is guava flavored." I smell the drink. It smelled like a smoothie, but it had alcohol. "Tell me all the colors please Reyna." She smiles and takes a sip of her drink. "Well the red is cherry, pink is strawberry, Orange is orange, yellow is banana, light green is pistachio, dark green is lemon, light blue is guava, dark blue is cotton candy, light purple is grape, dark purple is watermelon, white is coconut, and the black one is chocolate." Holy shit, that is a lot of drinks. And she still has eight cases of beer, and much more bottled liquor. This girl is crazy. I take a sip just to try it. "Oh my god this is so good." And I drink two gulps down. "A word of advice Pepper, be careful not to drink it fast, it will hit you hard. Now let's go dance!" She says while giggling. We make it to the dance floor and she just moves to the music. I just stand by the wall sipping my drink.

All of a sudden a guy trips and falls on me causing us both to crash on the ground. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. That was my fault I wasn't paying attention." He helps me up. "Its ok. I wasn't really doing anything anyways. I just came for my friend." He smiles. " Me too. He is just all over the place flirting with girl after girl. Oh I'm Gerard by the way." Hmm, that name sounds really familiar. Holy shit, he was apart of the band My Chemical Romance! I exclaim in my head. He laughs. "Yes I was. It was fun. Do you still listen to our music?" I nod. "Oh damn did I just say that out loud?" He laughs harder."Yeah you did. Hey I wanna introduce you to some people." He says. "Ok sounds good." I say back.