• Chapter 1
    "Annelise,what's on your wrist?"Ms.Daniels voice rang out interrupting my chain of thought.I looked at my wrist,Crap! I knew I had forgotten something this morning.Why did it have to be my wrist band?! I sighed and gave her the same excuse I gave my mom the day she asked,"The cat scratched me.I pulled her tail again,she really hates that,"I said and smiled.Usually I was a very good liar.You had to be when you wanted no one to know what you were actually feeling and thinking.Ms.Daniels looked like she didn't believe me.
    "Would you like me to still answer the question?"I asked politely.
    "Of course,"She said like I should have known.
    "Kingdom,Phylum,Class,Order,Family,Genus,Species."I said perfectly. Everyone groaned quietly,I could hear the stupidest blonde in school,Kelsey,whisper to her boyfriend,Zach,"Of course she knows the answer.She's never wrong."I rolled my eyes,I wasn't always right.Sometimes I was wrong,on rare occasions.I looked around the classroom,it seemed no one was even paying attention hopefully that meant no one had heard Ms.Daniels ask me about my wrist.That was the last thing I needed now.A rumor to go around about how the perfect straight A student was a cutter.Well she was,but I didn't want anyone else to know that.Ms.Daniels assigned a couple workbook pages for us to do then asked me to go out to the hall with her.Crap,she was probably going to ask about my wrist.Why were teachers always so nosy? I went outside into the hall with her and watched as her eyes assesed me wondering if I was actually a cutter.She was seeing me with my straight black hair and dark blue eyes.Today I had chosen to wear a black tank top with a white Abercrombie jean jacket to go over it,my favorite Hollister jeans,and my black converses.I had put alittle too much eyeliner on,but it still looked good on my pale face.I smiled at her trying to make her realize,I was not the kind of kid who would cut.I was just a perfect straight A student who was on Student Council,in the Honors Society,and on the Yearbook commitee.I was the Ivy League's dream student,not a depressed little girl who's only way out was a needle.She thought about it for a moment and still didn't believe me.I sighed and looked around the high school hallway.Great,Jacob was in the hallway.He was reading a book,probably for make-up work or something,but I knew he was listening to me and Ms.Daniels.Jacob was the perfect guy,who I just happened to be in love with.He had dark brown hair and bright green eyes.He was wearing a blue and white polo with dark jeans.He was also a straight A student.He was on the football,basketball,and soccer team.His little sister had committed suicide though,and in this small town in Virginia that was front page news gossip for week. I had felt so sorry for him.His little sister's name was Christie.She was probably 14 I think,she had swallowed a bottle of pills.Everyone knew that she was a cutter before that though,a teacher had caught her and sent her to the counselors office. Poor girl.If they would have just left her alone she probably would have still been alive and Jacob wouldn't look sad all the time. I wish Jacob would go back inside his classroom,if he knew that a perfect girl was a cutter like his sister was,especially a girl he had been best friends with forever,he would go crazy.
    "Ms.Daniels,"I said very calmly,"I know you think that these are self inflicted,but I'm telling you they are not.My cat is just very mean.I asked my mom if we could get rid of it."I smiled trying to make it all better.
    "I don't believe you,Ms.Parker. I think that these are self inflicted,and ever since that accident alittle while ago I think it would be crucial if we got you some help,"She said calmly.Did she not see that that "accident's" brother was in the hallway with them?! I shook my head,"I'm fine,Ms. Daniels.Thank you for your concern but I'm perfectly fine and happy,"I said through clenched teeth still trying to be polite.I looked over at Jacob who looked halfway between crying for me and wanting to beat me up.He wasn't even trying to cover up the fact that he was watching us anymore.
    "What do you use?"Ms.Daniels asked me suddenly.
    Without even realizing what I was saying I answered back,"A needle."She gasped.
    "Like drugs?"She said shocked.
    I laughed quietly,"No,like needle and thread,"I said. I immediatly shut up,did I not realize what I was doing to Jacob right now? I didn't even think about looking in his direction right now.Who knows what his face would look like now? Ms.Daniels gasped quietly and looked up at her.She was an old lady with white hair and hazel eyes.She was wearing a pant suit.It looked hideous on her,but I don't think she realized it.She thought for a moment then said quietly,"You are going to go to the counselors office and talk to them about this."I tried my best not to laugh but I did.She glared down at me like I was supposed to respect her.Usually I would,but in this case I had to say something."Excuse me Ms.Daniels,but what exactly are the counselors going to do? Are they going to wave a magic wand and Poof! I'll be perfect.I highly doubt that,Ms.Daniels."I said smiling the whole entire time.Ms.Daniels looked like I had slapped her."Go there now!"She exclaimed.I kept standing infront of her though.She looked around and saw Jacob.Crap."Jacob,come here please,"She said in a sweet voice.Jacob stood up.His eyes were red like he'd been trying not to cry and his fists were clenched.He was definitly angry."Yes,Ms.Daniels?"He said evidently trying to control himself.
    "Please take Ms.Parker to the Guidance Office,"She said ignoring how angry and sad he looked."Thank you."
    I sighed,I couldn't believe this witch of a woman was getting Jacob to take me to the counselors.Jacob nodded and Ms.Daniels looked back at me."Stay here,I'll get your stuff and then you will go to the office."She said and went back into the classroom.I looked everywhere but at Jacob scared that he might kill me if I looked him in the eyes.Ms.Daniels returned an eternity later with all my stuff.I took it from her."Thanks,"I said sarcastically.
    "Your welcome,"She said smiling.Obviously someone had never heard sarcasm before.She looked at Jacob and he and I immediately started walking toward the Guidance Office which was two hallways away from here.After we were out of site I looked at him.He was staring at me his eyes full of pain.Something inside me broke and I dropped all my stuff and hugged him tightly.He was unresponsive for a minute but then he calmed down and hugged me back."I'm so sorry,"I said not realizing till then that I was crying.Oh,how my eyeliner would be messed up.Jacob hugged me even tighter and I realized he was crying too.
    "Why? Why? Why?"He kept asking me over and over.I didn't feel like going into the details of all the why's and how's.There were too many.I just shook my head.After five minutes we let go of each other.I knew my eyeliner was messed up beyond repair."Jacob,don't make me go.Please.They won't help me.They will make me worse,"I said.I knew they would make me worse.They did before.Jacob nodded and handed me my stuff.
    "Go."He said.I nodded and ran out the back door of the school.