Finally, it was Friday. Ell was completely worn out. A combination of her home life, homework, and Luke had taken all of her energy. Because of this tiredness, Ell had completely forgotten the date and the reason for its importance. She rolled into the school parking lot and wearily climbed from her car. She was calmly organizing her backpack when two arms suddenly snaked around her waist. Ell barely stifled a scream.

Her worries instantly disappeared as her attacker revealed his identity, "Hey, babe. Did you miss me?" It was Trace Richert. Trace could be described in three words - All American Boy. He was the quarterback of the football team and had been her boyfriend since sophomore year.

"Hey, Trey. Of course I missed you. How was Australia?" Trace had been touring Australia with his family for the past month.

He smirked, "Hmm. Not nearly as good as it is right here." Slowly he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Immediately he ran his tongue against her bottom lip asking for more. Ell replied, opening her lips, knowing that if she didn't he would force himself upon her. When he was satisfied, he pulled away, "So there is a party at Hayden's tonight. I will pick you up at ten. Don't keep me waiting." He smirked and walked away to join his friends. Ell was not surprised. Trace did not really care about other people, but he was part of the picture perfect life she led at school. One thing was for certain, Ell did not want to go to any parties, but she knew she had to. She couldn't risk messing up her seemingly perfect life.

With a sigh, Ell continued towards her locker. Standing at her locker, the familiar feeling of being watched passed over her. Ell quickly turned to realize it was merely Luke. Since her apology on Monday, Ell and Luke had become good friends. They went everywhere together. Luke made her feel safe and loved. Never in her entire life did someone love her. At one point it had scared her, but Luke had changed her in one short week. Ell was stronger.

"Hey, Ell," Luke said in his silk smooth voice, "Ready for English?"

"Never. That woman hates me! She's trying to fail me."

Luke chuckled, "No one could ever hate you. You are too good for your own wellbeing. And besides, she hates me more. Apparently I am not a 'proper gentleman' as she puts it."

"Well it might have something to do with your supposed pot selling career and my moonlighting as a prostitute!"

Ell laughed as he held out his arm and in an English accent asked, "Shall we be off, my lady?"

"Thank you kind sir," she said as she took his arm. "Are you going to the party tonight?"

Luke raised one eyebrow, "Are you?"

"Trace is making me," Ell made a face of disgust.

He sighed and shrugged, "I'll go." He paused and started again, "Why do you go out with him, Ellie? I can tell you don't love him."

Ell was saved from having to respond as they arrived at the dreaded class and took their seats. Mrs. Fields entered the room shortly after the bell, "Okay class. Today we are going to start our research papers. Wahoo! Get excited because I am allowing you to do them in partners. I have decided to be nice and allow you to pick your partners. Your paper will be about a mythological creature in famous works of literature. Pick your partners and then one person from each group come up and pick your topic out of the Magic Hat of Wonder!"

Ell and Luke immediately turned to each other. "Will you do me the honor of being my partner?" Luke asked.

"Of course! Who else would I ask? Nicky dropped the class as soon as she realized that we would have to do actual work."

Luke laughed quietly, "Do you want to go get the topic or shall I?"

"I will go," Ell replied as she stood up. She walked up to the Magic Hat of Wonder and pulled out a slip of paper. On the sheet was written one word, "Angels."

--------------------

Ell waited impatiently for Trace to pick her up. Around nine she had started getting ready by curling her hair and putting on her only nice dress. It was completely black. The dress was form fitting until it flared out above her hips. It ended around mid-thigh. It was now after ten and there was still no sign of Trace. Just as she was about to head to bed, someone honked from outside. Knowing it was Trace, she quickly locked the door and got in the car. Trace looked her over and smirked, "Is that the best you could do? You really tried hard."

Ell was use to the emotional battering. Nothing she did was ever good enough. The rest of the ride was silent except for the techno music Trace insisted upon listening to. Luckily, the ride was relatively short. As soon as they arrived, Trace hopped out of the car, not bothering to wait on her. Ell knew she would not see much of him all night. She immediately started looking for Luke. However, it was Luke who found her, "Hey, Ell. How are you doing on this most crazy of nights?"

"Oh! Hey, Luke. You scared me. To answer your question- not so good. I don't really like parties. Yourself?"

"I agree with you there. I do not really like parties either. You look beautiful by the way."

Ell blushed. She was not used to compliments. Before Luke no one had ever given her a compliment - not even Trace, "Thank you." Then Ell turned confused, "If you don't like parties, then why are you here?"

Luke thought for a moment before he answered, "I wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to you. I...I don't trust Trace," Luke admitted, "Speak of the devil."

Ell was about to reply when two arms constricted around her stomach. It was Trace, "Who are you talking to, Babe?"

The way Trace said it implied a threat. Ell knew she had to speak carefully as Trace was clearly drunk, "Hey, Trey. This is my English partner, Luke. We were discussing our paper." Ell prayed that he would leave the subject alone.

Trace laughed darkly, "Only you would talk about school at a party. Come on there are better things you could be doing." With one last desperate look at Luke, Ell was pulled away. Things started out innocently enough. Trey just wanted to dance and drink and been seen with his girlfriend, the prettiest, smartest girl in school. Unfortunately, when Trey got drunk, things never stayed innocent for long.

Trace pulled her to the kitchen, "Lay down on the table. The guys and I want to do some body shots." Trace forced her onto the kitchen table where other members of the football team waited to hold her down. They placed shots between he breasts and legs. Ell sighed as she lost the last sliver of her self-dignity. They continued this until all of them were sufficiently drunk. This was also something Ell had become use to. The first time she had fought back, but they quickly knocked her unconscious. Ell soon learned just to let them do whatever they wanted. Tonight was worse than the others. Luke was here, watching her at her lowest. Ell shut her eyes tight, fighting to ignore her surrounds and his dark, brooding eyes.

Finally, Trace allowed her of the table and pulled her up the stairs. Ell felt like she was going to puke. She knew what he wanted, and she knew she could not give it to him. Trace shoved her into the first available bedroom and onto the bed. He forced his lips on hers. When Ell felt her skirt start to rise, she knew she had to stop him. If he pulled off her dress, he would she her bruises and he would know her life wasn't really perfect, "Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop! Trey, you know how I feel about this."

Trace groaned and pushed her away, "Dammit, Ell. None of the other guys have an issue with their girlfriends putting out. What do expect me to do?" When Ell didn't respond, he stormed out of the room.

Ell slowly collected her shoes and purse before heading down stairs. She could not leave. Trace was her ride home. Ell decided to wait down stairs for him. As she was nearing the bottom of the steps, Ell saw Nicky entering the house. Ell hurried over to her best friend. She knew that only a best friend would know what to do in this situation. "Nicky," she shouted, "Nicky over here!"

Eventually Nicky turned around and smiled, "Hey, girl. I was hoping to see you here." Nicky narrowed her eyes, "What is wrong? Did something happen?"

Ell explained the night's events to Nicky, "Do you want me to kill him? I am plenty happy to kill him"

"No. No. No. I was just wondering if you could give me a ride home?"

"I am so sorry, Ell, but I walked here with a group of people. None of us brought our cars."

Ell put on her brave face, "it is fine. I will just get Trace to take me. In fact I am going to go find him right now."

"I am so sorry, Ell"

"It is fine, Nicky. Really. Have a goodnight with whatever boy you choose."

"Don't worry. I will," Nicky, replied with a twinkle in her eyes as she walked off, enticing boys far and wide as she sashayed through the throngs of people.

Ell turned around to find Trace. She found him very soon, wrapped around a topless Marisa.

Ell did not cry or get upset in the least. She merely turned around and walked away. She knew what she and Trey had wasn't love. They both just wanted to be seen in a positive light by their peers. Ell wasn't surprised by his behavior. It had only been a matter of time before they broke up. At least now she wouldn't have to put up with his belittlement and cruel words. Elizabeth Wylkerson and Trace Richert were no more.

After several minutes of random walking, she ran into something - a human something – and fell to the ground. She did not get up. "Well this is just déjà vu," Luke said. He looked closer at her, "Is something wrong?" He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.

After she was upright again, Ell replied, "Can you give me a ride home?"

"I thought you got rides from Richert."

"Not anymore and never again."

"If you don't mind my asking – Why?"

"He cheated on me with Marisa. I am not really surprised. I assumed it would happen sooner."

"I am sorry, Ellie. I cannot imagine what that is like."

Ell merely shrugged, "I didn't love him so it's not really a loss." She looked up and was surprised to find herself in front of a black Mercedes Benz, "What happened to your motorcycle?"

"I had a weird feeling that I would need the Benz tonight, so I brought it instead. Looks like I was right. I do not think you would want to ride a motorcycle in that dress."

Ell shrugged, "Why do you even drive that thing? They're so dangerous."

Luke's eye lit up as he thought about his ride, "It's like flying."

Luke opened her door and helped her in - something Trace had never done. Then he walked to his side and slid into his seat, "Where do you live?" Ell told him the address slightly embarrassed by the crap neighborhood she lived in. Soon the smooth vroom of the engine filled the silence of the night. The smooth motion of Luke's driving lulled her into a state of contentment.

"You can go to sleep, Ellie. I will wake you when we get to your house."

"Thank you," Ell said as she fell into a deep slumber.

What felt like seconds later, Luke was gently awakening Ell. He lifted her out of the car with ease, carried her into to her house, and up to her bedroom. Ell knew it was too early in the night for her mother to have crawled back home, so she let Luke carry her and allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of being in his arms. Luke laid her softly on her bed and proceeded to remove her shoes. Once that was done, Luke asked, "Do you need anything else?"

Ell sleepily replied, "I can't sleep in my dress. It's the only nice one I own. Can you please unzip it?"

She turned her back to him and Luke smoothly unzipped the dress. Then he gasped. Ell had forgotten about the puckered, rolling scars that covered most of her back. Normally, she tried to forget about them, about the ugliness, and she never thought that anyone else would have to see them.

"What happened, Ellie? Who did this to you? Was it Trace?"

"No. It wasn't Trace. He never hurt me."

Then Luke's eyes flashed as he made the connection, "Whom do you live with?"

Ell's breathing and heart rate increased as she panicked. She couldn't let him know about that part of her life. She would ruin his perfection with her emotional garbage. But she had to tell him something. Ell wasn't a legal adult yet, so if anyone found out about her mom and that she practically lived alone, she knew she would be shipped off to foster care. She couldn't do that. There was no telling what would happen to her if she got sent away. Better to stick with the devil she knew. Ell began to hyperventilate and her vision began to go blurry, but she managed to choke out a few words before she ran out of air, "It doesn't matter. He's gone."

"Shh. Shh. Shh. It is okay Ellie. I will never let anyone hurt you ever again," Luke stated with confidence.

Ell knew she could trust Luke. He was one of the kindest people she had ever met, regardless of their rocky start. But still, she couldn't tell him. Instead, she merely smiled "Thank you for driving me home. I'll see at school on Monday." With that Ell turned her back on Luke and walked out of the room.  

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