Chapter 1
Forth period English class, the most boring class of the day for Jen
Dawson. She would sit through it
everyday, napping or daydreaming. Jen
was your typical 15 year old
Jen's day wasn't going so well. She forgot to do her homework for Spanish and Geometry, picked up the wrong lunch, and had an argument with her boyfriend, Dan Johnson. The only thing she anticipated now was fifth period Biology. It was the only class that of the day she had peace, and it was her favorite subject. What Jen wasn't counting on was Mrs. Campbell, her teacher, calling her name for an answer.
"Jennifer! Jennifer!" she yelled. "What is the theme of the story Of Mice and Men?"
"Oh. . . uh. . . hold on. I've got it here in my notes," Jen answered, flipping the pages of her blue notebook. "You know something? I think I picked up the wrong notebook. Would you mind letting me go and get the right one out of my locker?"
Mrs. Campbell was an old and crude woman. She had been teaching for over twenty years now, and her usual answer was, "No! You should have the correct supplies in class everyday or I mark you in my grade book! Hopefully, next time you'll. . ." The bell rang before she had a chance to finish her sentence.
Jen put her things into he book bag and rushed out of the room before she getting caught by Mrs. Campbell. She walked down the hallway to her locker where she met up with her best friend, Lisa Carson.
"Hey! Sup, J. I heard about you and Dan," Lisa said. "Are you gonna break it off with him any time soon?"
"Maybe, but I don't know. He's really getting overprotective about who I hang around with. I mean, I can't even talk to a guy about homework," Jen explained.
"You two should break up if it gets any worse."
"I know, but I'm afraid to. He hit me in the hallway before I got to English this morning," Jen replied, lifting up her shirt sleeve so Lisa could see her bruise.
"That asshole! How could he do this to you? Once I find him, he's dead!" Lisa stormed off down the hall in an attempt to find Dan.
"Lisa, don't! He's gonna kill me if he finds out I told you."
"If a guy who says he loves you hits you, he doesn't love you, J. I'm not letting you stay in this kind of abusive relationship," Lisa warned.
"Lisa, please," Jen begged, "don't tell anyone about this."
Dan walked up the stairs to find Jen and Lisa talking. "How many times have I told you not to talk to her? Why do you disobey me, Jen?"
"Shut up, Dan. I'm not taking any more of this shit from you. We're through!" she yelled.
"That's my J," Lisa encouraged.
"How dare you tell me we're through? I make those decisions! I say we're still together!" Dan struck back in a loud voice. He took Jen's hand and pulled her closer to the stairs.
"Let me go!" she screamed. Jen began to hit Dan as hard as she could. "Lisa, help!"
"Shut up you stupid bitch!" he ordered, pushing her forcefully without thinking. All of a sudden, everything began to happen.
For Jen, it all seemed to happen slowly. She could feel the floor slip away from her feet as she fell down the stairs. She could see Dan as her shoulder hit one of the steps. She rolled down to the floor below in extreme pain. Her head hit the tiles and she was knocked unconscious.
Dan and Lisa rushed down to see if Jen was okay. Lisa looked at her. She was bleeding from a cut on her arm and forehead. Her head hung in a strange position, and she knew her neck was probably broken. Dan, on the other hand, just stared at Jen. He was shocked to see her laying almost dead because of what he had done.
"You are so dead," Lisa told him. "You'll probably be expelled for this."
"I didn't mean to. I swear, I wasn't thinking she would fall. Oh, GOD! They're gonna nail my ass!" Dan frantically cried. His hand slid down Jen's pale white cheek and he added, "I didn't mean to hurt her. I just didn't want her to break up with me."
"I'm gonna go get a teacher or someone. You stay with J. Don't move her because I think she has a broken neck," Lisa explained. She got up and ran off down the hall.
Dan sat there kneeling next to Jen as she lay unconscious. He felt so much pain and anguish build up inside that he hit the floor with his fist. He took off the flannel shirt he was wearing and began to press it onto Jen's cuts.
Lisa came back with Mrs. Campbell as Dan sat there, still in a little bit of shock. "What happened?" Mrs. Campbell asked as she saw Jen laying in a pool of blood.
Dan shot an "oh please don't turn me in" look at Lisa and she said, " She fell down the stairs."
Dan was relieved to have gotten away with what he had done, but he knew that he would have to come clean with Jen's parents. Lisa gave him a dirty look to show she was angry. Even though this was a cover-up, she knew lying would also get her into trouble.
"I'm going down to the office to call an ambulance. You two stay here and look after Jen," Mrs. Campbell said as she walked off.
"Okay," Lisa and Dan replied at the same time. Once she was gone, Lisa began, "I'm going to kill you, Johnson! What if she finds out I was lying? I'll get into trouble for covering you."
"She won't find out. No one will find out. I promise," Dan assured her.
"And how would you know, Mr. I've Got A Plan?" Lisa retorted.
"Because. . . I just do, okay? I'll tell Jen's parents that it was my fault and that it was only an accident. I didn't know she would fall down the stairs."
"Yeah, sure you will. I can bet that you're gonna chicken out."
"Come on, Lisa. You gotta trust me on this one," Dan pleaded.
"I wouldn't trust you with my life," she replied, slapping him across the face.
"What was that for?"
Lisa didn't bother to respond. She was more concerned about Jen and how she was.