Teen Ink

Prologue

I stumbled out of the car, heels striking the street with a pronounced clack. I stood up, ignoring the fire shooting through my legs, and had started towards the front door when a hand caught my wrist, spinning me around. Devon glanced down at me, worried.

“Ren, are you sure you’re OK?” he asked. I cringed at the name.

“Please don’t call me that.” It came out in a whisper.

A puzzled expression crossed his face. “Why…?” He shook his head. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Yes, Devon,” I replied tiredly. “I am A-OK. Now could I please get inside?”

He let go of my wrist slowly, dark eyes on mine as I stumbled back to the door, fiddled with the lock, and slid inside.

I’d never even said it was a semi-good date.

At least, good by my standards. He’d taken me to a nice movie, a nice dinner, picked me up and dropped me off in a nice car, and paid for it all.

But he just couldn’t stop fussing.

“Renee, do you need help here?” “Is this too high for you?” “Want me to carry that?” “Will your parents be alright with this?” These comments plagued me the whole night. Yes, I’m fine. No, I do not need your help. No, they won’t care any more than they care about the Mets. Which isn’t a whole lot.

And the sad thing was, he was better than most of them.

Sighing, I shucked my four inch high daggers into the corner and crawled up the stairs—literally. Hands on one step, feet three below, hands up, feet up. It was the quietest way to get to the bedroom without alerting my parents to my presence.

I, on the other hand, was completely aware of theirs.

“James!” I winced as the shriek dug into my tender ears. Someday soon they’d start bleeding “What the hell is wrong with you? You bought a three hundred dollar suit just for a business meeting!” I reached my room. Quickly, I entered and closed the door behind me. My elbow snapped completely straight as it slammed shut, and a red haze crossed my vision. I slowly slid to my butt, but the voices continued.

“Yeah, a business meeting! For my job! You know, the one that keeps this roof over our heads?”

I dragged myself over to the bed, and slung a leg over the top. The other followed and, with more than a little effort, I lifted my head and torso to the cushion. Thank G-d I have such a short bed. The screams hadn’t ended yet. I buried my head beneath the pillow, breathing in the faint smell of cookie dough. I love my air freshener.

I stayed there for minutes. After all, what was the point in getting up? Lena wouldn’t text me till morning, and I didn’t have anything else to do.

My elbow begged to differ.

The initial shock of straightening it had worn off, but the dull ache I was forced to greet every night had returned. It grew, bit by bit, until I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Cursing, I hopped out of my bed as if it were still two feet high. As I landed, my knees protested much more strongly than they had before. Dammit, at this rate I was going to be a grandma at sixteen.

I hobbled to the little station I’d erected in my room years ago. A small, chilled bucket stuffed with ice and box upon box of zipline bags. These bags of ice were my best friends every night.

Quickly scooping up and dumping ice into the bags, my fingers starting to go numb, I made decent time. About a minute later I was back in bed, one bag at the right elbow, one on each knee.

I glanced down at myself in satisfaction. See? I thought, towards Devon and all of the rest of them. I can handle myself. I don’t need anyone.

I could only hope someday they believed it. Because at the moment, none of them did.

Not even me.