[right][color=D1D0CE]Christine "Chris" Wilson[/color][/right][hr][sub]Three days before school starts[/sub]

"[color=D1D0CE]GO TO HELL![/color]" Chris spat at her mother one last time. She had seethed for days over the news of being shipped out to some school in Nowswhereville in the Middle of Nothing. Even the town's name was agreeing with her. It's was a Hollow place in a Hollow world. A world where no one wanted her and she didn't want or need them.

"[color=D1D0CE]I HATE YOU![/color]" Chris screamed. The sound of it tore her throat and made tears come to her eyes. The raw pain echoed in her soul. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone? Her life was over. Done. Finished.

Chris slammed the door shot then the bars. She snarled as her father opened the door. "[color=D1D0CE]Haven't you done enough?[/color]" She threw at him. "[color=D1D0CE]I'm going. I'm gone. I don't need you either![/color]" Without hearing her parent's replies she ran down the broken walkway. No one in their block paid any attention to the screaming. It was normal not to care about other people's business. Especially in their small neighborhood where being a busybody could get you killed.

Chris didn't stop running until she couldn't breathe anymore. She staggered a few more steps before letting her duffel bag slide off her shoulders and hit the ground. Inside the duffel was every bit of clothes she owned. It wasn't much but it was all hers. Chris stared at the bag hard enough to burn it to ash if she had the ability. But she didn't and it just sat there mocking her. The damn pay-as-you-go phone the cop got her for her house arrest (he'd call to check up on her) that her folks now used to contact her rang. She tore it out of her pocket and with a scream of rage threw it against the nearest building. The black monstrosity broke and clattered to the ground. Now she really was free. If she vanished back onto the streets no one would be able to find her.

With a deep breath Chris weighted her options. Both options involved never going home. One involved school and the other control of her own destiny. She looked at the bus ticket in her hand and frowned at it. [I]Crestwood Hollow[/I]. The destination was bolded as if to mock her. She crumpled the paper ticket even further up and reared back to toss it like the phone.

Lily's white face flashed into her mind. Tear stained and fear etched. Chris lowered her hand and looked at the crumpled paper again. Opportunity. This school was supposed to help her somehow. That's why her parents wanted her to go. Only her mother's God knew why. It was just a normal frigin school.

No.

They were abandoning her. Just like Lily. They didn't want her. No one wanted her. Not even this school. If they thought they did they were mistaken. Chris raised her hand again then lowered it and screamed. Screamed her rage, fear and frustrations away. When she was done no one was nearby and she felt just as empty as the early morning street. Like watching someone else move her body Chris grabbed her duffel and walked to the bus stop.[hr][sub]First day of School[/sub]

"Freak."

"Weirdo."

"Crazy."

"Unnatural."

Chris ignored the whispers of the students around her. Ever since her arrival at the High School two days ago she had ignored everyone. She hadn't said one word. Not even to her roommates. Those girls quickly banded together in their dislike of Chris. Whether it was because she was Black and they were White or because of her ignoring them, Chris wasn't sure. But it suited her just fine. She didn't like them either. It was tense and slightly awkward, even Chris would admit it if she had been talking.

Chris stared down at the schedule she had been handed. She skimmed over the courses she had been given. They were all your average math, science, English courses. Except for one that made her laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

[I]Social Conscience[/I]

Tears rolled down her face and she had to literally lean against a wall to stay up straight. Did this Preppy White Kid School really think it was going to save the Poor Black Criminal Girl? 

When Chris finally contained herself she glared at those people gawking at her. She knew that her "break down" would be all over social media and the campus if it wasn't already. A fact that was proved as she walked to the assembly. People avoided her like she had the plague. No one even sat next to her despite the gym being completely full. They choose to sit nearly one on top of the other then tolerate being near to her. A small part of Chris loved it. The rest of her felt contempt.

The rest of her classes were pretty typical first day things. It left her wondering what the hell she was doing in school. She dropped out when she was fifteen didn't she? Why was she back? Just because it was something to do? Chris chewed distractedly on her mechanical pencil.

The last "class" of the day was Social Conscience. Chris nearly skipped. She hesitated by the door as a bunch of kids entered. In the end she entered and choose a spot nearest the back wall and the windows.

[b]Who Am I?[/b]

Chris snickered. Maybe the professor needed to take a trip with Sophie. After all this was a social [I]Conscience[/I] class not Philosophy. Moron. Chris went back to chewing on her pencil and staring out the window. She ignored the other students and only made a passing effort to turn her desk and join her [I]assigned[/I] group. The teacher didn't much care for her attitude, but she didn't care much for his either. Life wasn't fair.

Chris completely ignored the announcement about the school dance. Lame. She was totally skipping. Who needs other people? They only care about themselves.[hr][sub]Day of the Dance[/sub]

Chris had to listen to all the freakin' chatter of her roomies and their friends all freakin' day about the [I]Lunatic[/I] Dance. They were loony that's for sure. Chris frowned at the small school provided chromebook. She had homework to do and it was a bitch because she skipped the last half of tenth. How they finagled her into eleventh grade, Chris wasn't sure. An she wasn't sure if she was happy or angry. If she hadn't been nearly sober she would have solidly been in the 'angry' category.

Listening to a bunch of inane chatter was nearly enough to push her there anyways. But some how over the course of her stay at the school she had perhaps rediscovered why she didn't mind school so much in the first place. Still, that rediscovery wasn't enough to make her NOT want to pick up the p.o.s. computer and lob it at her rommie's faces.

The mental image made her smile briefly. Then Lily's terrified face popped into her brain. Chris cranked up her music as loud as it could go and went back to doing her homework.[hr][sub]Night of the Dance[/sub]

Obstinately Chris turned in early for the night. As soon as the last girl was out of the room she slammed the door shut and turned off all the lights. Chris stayed looking at the door until her eyes adjusted. It was quick, no more than a few seconds. The not inconsiderable amount of light coming through the windows was enough to illuminate the whole room.

Chris turned in a small circle basking in the silence. Silence was one thing she was growing to love. Her home had always been a riot of noise either from her siblings or those who lived in the surrounding apartments. Where she bunked down on the streets there had either been the sound of cars or other people carrying out less than legal business.

But here? Nearly true silence. There was voices sure. But they were faint and far away. Most days they vanished all together by curfew. It was only here that for the first time she was truly alone and she took comfort in that. Chris eventually retreated back to her room and stripped. Naked she slipped under the covers and closed her eyes.

When she awoke it was to a crawling feeling on her spine. Chris huddled under the covers and waited for whatever it was that disturbed her to repeat or go. She didn't have to wait long until she heard a long mournful howl. Nature wasn't something she was used to. Wolves scared her more than most things and this sounded close. 

Chris curled tighter into a ball and waited, dreading the second howl. Unconsciously she knew when it sounded again it'd be nearer to her room. For long agonizing minutes nothing happened. When she finally relaxed enough to move she went to the window hoping there were no wolves around. There wasn't but a building burned. She watched it burn unable to tear her eyes away. Something new, yet very old, solidified in her stomach.[hr][sub]After the dance[/sub]

Rumor abounded that one of the students caused the fire. Aiden. They said his name was. Everyone was all a twitter (literally and figuratively). Some the students near Chris boasted about how they knew Aiden was a pyro. Apparently they had all seen him start the fire. Had all seen the police come and personally escort him away even though the faculty insisted he had been taken to the hospital. Just a cover up they said. They're lying so they wont have to bear the shame of a pyromaniac student.

Ironically when the kid was cleared everyone who had been talking smack about him about faced and proclaimed loudly to anyone who would listen that they knew he had been innocent. And when the real story came out they were proud to add they had personally seen Ellory start the fire. It was all so annoying. Chris didn't want any part of it. 

Not that anyone seemed to care. It was like some sort of cosmic joke. And the punch line was apparently Winter. Would you believe people thought Chris was weird. According to Winter everyone... well was wrong. Her out burst seemed to catch everyone by surprise. Even the teacher. He neatly dodged the question and the girl dropped it. 

With the drama over Chris sighed and turned her attention back to the window she had been staring out of these past few weeks. Social Conscience was NOT a philosophy class. She. Had. Covered. This.

Chris tuned out the class once more to her own musings. She only roused herself when she was passed a piece of paper. She dropped it on the desk and stared at it like it was a snake. The teacher's words were like a dull roar barely heard over the pounding in her ears. Hiking. Outside. Nature. The howls of wolves bounced around her head. People died in the wilderness.

By the time Chris looked up she was alone. She quickly grabbed her bag and rushed out of the room.[hr][sub]Now, on the "Hike"[/sub]

Getting permission had been awkward. The school counselor had taken it upon herself to contact her parents on Chris' behalf and get permission. Which was why she was now in close quarters with a bunch of people she disliked with a small bag full of camping gear that went against everything she knew. If you went camping didn't you need more things? Not less? Unless Lehrar was going to abandon them like Hansel and Grettel. 

Though if Chris thought the van was bad getting out was worse. There were no buildings. Few people and lots and lots of trees. They loomed over her disturbingly. Anything could hide in  there. Chris could die in there. Give her an urban jungle any day compared to a real jungle.

The sound of Scott munching an apple made her jump. To quickly cover her reaction she hurried after Lehrar not desiring to be left behind. Ever. The man would have to think again if he thought he could abandon her in the middle of nowhere. 

As they walked Chris quickly abandoned the lead position. She didn't like everyone behind her. Instead she chose to be last. Not that one cared. They all chatted amongst themselves. Though the only relief was the longer Chris walked without dying the more she relaxed. Outside really wasn't so bad after all. She could actual get used to it.

And then. There was always an "And Then" wasn't there. Whatever set off Aiden set off the group. Soon there was lots of yelling and hysterics and by the God Chris didn't believe in, she was done. She debated turning back around but decided she'd most likely get lost and then die. The universe hated her so much.