"...Darkness and light entered the world at the same tI'me, but darkness is easier to find. Light is harder to find because so many people's hearts are dark. The light is hidden from some people. Every person in the world is predestined to be one or the other. We all have a spec of the other in us, but not enough to change our destines,"


Every one is looking at me, mouths all the way open. One of the students starts to clap, and everyone's heads snap to look at who it is. Its the new kid, he doesn't know anything about how people see me, but I guess soon he will find out.

" Interesting as always Ms. deyja. I don't know what to say as always. I would like a word though after school with you ," Our teacher Mr. vanhisen says

I nod and return to my seat. I don't get why I'm the only one who has to get talked to anytI'me we have to give a speech, or project. I sit right in front of the new kid. I turn around and tell hI'm,

" Thanks, but you shouldn't have done that,"
He answers me with,
" Why it was a good speech?"

" Elijah, you and Ms. deyja can finish your conversation after school. You both have detention," Mr. vanhisen says.

The rest of the class tI'me goes by faster then I would have liked. I knew this was the last straw for me here. The rest of the day is a blur and then I'm getting told to stay were I am when everyone is being dismissed. Elijah starts to get up and walk to the front of the room to leave.

"Elijah, please follow me," Mr. Vanihsen says," you stay right where you are though," pointing at me.

I roll my eyes and nod my head as they both walk out of the room. I know that He's already been called and when Mr. Vanhisen talks to hI'm I'll have to leave again. They have told me to stop writing about stuff that they didn't like. Then they tell me to write what interests me and I get in trouble. It's been like this for as long as I remember. Every school I go to I get in trouble for being me and I hate it. Why am I different? Why?

Mr. vanhisen walks in along withe the principal and Anthony. I don't look up from the piece of paper I've been doodling on for the couple minutes of silence I had. Anthony's hand touches mine and stops the movement of the pencil. I look up to his face and see, not disappointment, but understanding. The others faces, however look like they are very disappointed. I put my hood over my head knowing what's coming next, a huge speech that I'm supposed to listen to get something out of it. This has happened three tI'mes now in this school alone, not to mention the other two schools in this district.

" Ms. deyja, why can't you just listen and do what we tell you to? You are more trouble then your worth. We don't know how to get you to understand," The principal says.

" I don't know what you don't get. Either of you Mr. vanhisen, or you, Mrs. horshu. First you tell me not to write about certain things then, you tell me to write about that exact subject within your class. Make up your minds," I say.
This is the first tI'me I have ever spoken up without having to and it even astonishes Anthony. The other two look appal ed at me like i just told them they could go die or something to that extent.
" I think it's tI'me that you took a vacation and got your head where it should be miss dejya. I think a week should do," Mrs. horshu says, Anthony she comes tomorrow since it's Friday but then she doesn't come back next week got it?"
" I understand completely Mrs. horshu," Anthony says.
They finish up talking out in the hall and then Anthony comes in and tells me that it's tI'me to go. I put my hood back over my head and walk out with hI'm. We walk through the empty lot except for the three cars that belong to Anthony, Mr vanhisen, and Mrs. Hoshu. We get to Anthony's car and he opens my door for me, then walks around and gets in. We live in a small town so there's not much to look at. Anthony's house is through the trees on the outskirts of town so that you mostly have to drive through half the forest to get to it.

I head straight for my room I have to share with another kid, who is a very disgusting slob. I plop my book bag on my bed and look around. John has left an unfully big mess on the floor again, so I start to pick it up and Anthony walks in and starts to help me pick up.
"John's gone just to let you know," he says
"what do you mean gone?" i ask
"Alice you know exactly what I mean by gone. He was found a home where someone wants a teenage boy," he tells me.
I just nod and continue cleaning. when its all done Anthony tells me to sit on my bed.

" Alice dejya I told you to behave. You know what can happen if you get out of hand at school, I have to move everyone else or give you up. I don't want to give you up, but I can't uproot Jonah, and christofe again their finally making friends. I love the three of you, but the system told me I can't keep moving the other two around just because of you," he says.

I look at hI'm like nothing had hit me, but inside I was a raging storm of confusion.
"Anthony you don't know what goes on in school. you don't see how much people hate me because I'm always getting in trouble. They all stay away from me and no one talks to me," by this part I already have tears in my eyes, "Anthony I never wanted to give you any trouble. You saved me from that horrible place. You don't know how much this has meant to me," I say
I lean in and give hI'm a hug and he returns it. Christofe walks in along with Johna.

"Anthony can we go out and hang with Cameron and Nick tonight?" Johna asks.
"Yeah just be home before nine this tI'me okay?" Anthony says.
"thanks Anthony,"they say sI'multaneously then Johna has to add,
"I heard what happened Alice, I also heard Snide talking again just to let you know,"
"Thanks Johna," I smile at hI'm.


They walk out and its just me and Anthony. Anthony gets up and walks out without a word or a glance at me. I'm alone and I feel so alone. I thought about the girl that Johna had mentioned. She was Kylie's, one of the girls in my class, older sister. For some reason that chick hated me from the fist day of this school. It was half way through the first semester.

I walked into the school office and shes standing there waiting for me.I talk to the principle and she goes over the rules with me again, then Snide shows me around taking me through my whole schedule. That way I dotn get lost trying to find the rooms. She turns to me and says,
"Let's get one thing straight juvie girl you are not welcome at this school no matter what the teachers tell you," then walks off and leaves me standing there confused.

I'm staring at John's empty bed. He was the closest thing I had to a friend, a brother. I'm happy for hI'm really, since he's fifteen and not many people want kids that age. Johna has been with Anthony only about a year, but because of me hes moved a lot. Christofe has been with me and Anthony a lot longer almost five years. Me I've been with Anthony as long as I can remember, his wife antwanette was so kind to me even when I got into trouble for cutting off some girls hair in fist grade, because she called me a dumpster child. Antwanette die though because of a plane crash on her way to visit her sister and nephew in Greece. Anthony didn't know what to do for about a month. He finally snapped out of it though when I broke my wrist by riding a skate board down a three story flight of steps. He picked me up and we both started to laugh at my stupidity.

John's bed leaves me thinking about how much better it would be for Anthony if I disappeared. He wouldn't have to ever worry about moving again. I find myself crying even thinking of leaving Anthony he's dealt with me through a lot of s***. One tI'me I lite his car on fire and that's the only tI'me he screamed at me. I was actually grounded for half that year, but I didn't care its not like I had friends or anything.

This tI'me though I knew he wouldn't yell at me. I hear hI'm on the phone and Creep to the other phone and listen in to the conversation.

"Maria, you cant take her back after all this tI'me that wouldn't be a good idea,"
The person on the other end hangs up on hI'm. He comes by my door,
" Hey Alice since its just you and me wanna order like Chinese or something?"
He knows I cant turn a Chinese meal,
"yes, please, thank you," I say with an innocent smile on my face. He laughs and goes to order.

My window shatters open and tI'me slows done. I hear someone screaming, I realise its me and try to stop,
TI'me snaps like a rubber band back in motion as someone grabs my my head and holds my mouth shut. I look at the persons eyes and realise that they look familiar. I can't place them though.Anthony bursts into the bedroom and stops dead in his tracks.The person holding me smiles at Anthony.
"She told you this would happen if you didn't give us the child,"
Anthony just stands there motionless.The room's starting to blend together and I know I'm about to lose conciseness. Anthony looks at the person and shakes his head,
" You shouldn't have touches her, slikver," Anthony kicks his head and he flies away form me and Anthony catches me right before I close my eyes and black out.

I wake up lying on my bed bandages on my arms and releasing it's the middle of the night. I hear breathing on John's old bed. I look up and it's not Anthony like i expected, but christofe. He's not sleeping though I can tell. He sits up and looks at me,
"Hows your head and arms feel?" he asks me.
" I don't know all I know is I want to know what happened last night," I say.
"I know you want answers, but Anthony had to take care of some stuff so he told me to watch you," he says kindly.
I look at my bandages and see red soaking through them.
Christofe comes over before I even say anything and takes the old bandages off. He cleans my arm with something that stings, and re bandages my arm.
"Christofe what happened last night. I really need to know," I say stubbornly.
"I told you that you have to wait for Anthony," He says.
I just sit there and he gives me a carton of lo mien, and a pair of chopsticks. I eat some of it and then i hear the front door open. Christofe motions me to be quiet. He closes my door and then there's a knock at the door.
" when does a ninja attack?" he asks.
" a ninja attacks in the middle of the night when his enemy is sleeping and has layed down his weapons. That is when a ninja attacks." the person says.
"Come on in Anthony," Christofe says.
Anthony comes in and stands between the two beds.He sits on the floor and then looks at christofe and back to me.
" Alice I'm sorry about what happened last night I wasn't expecting them to come that quickly," He says.
" Who were those people that guy i recognized his eyes," I asked.

Christofe takes a quick look at the window and looks back at me. Christofe walks out of the room at a motion from Anthony.

" Alice I've been keeping this a secret for a long tI'me because they said if i didn't they'd hurt you,but I think its tI'me you know," he takes a pause and tells me everything from how he got me to why the teachers at every school hates me. It's all I can think about for the next couple of days. The week that I'm suspended goes by like the blink of an eye and so does the weekend after that week.



When I walk into school the next day Mr.Vanhisen has changed the seating arraignment so that I'm in the back now in my own little row. Elijah sits right in front of me and I'm actually kinda happy. When I walk past hI'm he stops me and says,

" I missed you Alice this place is so boring,"
I start to laugh and look at his face. His eyes are bright blue with a tint of brown and green. I shrug Past hI'm. Those were the eyes I saw when the person grabbed me. Class drags on and on. When we get to my favorite class, English, Mr. vanhisen says that we're going to write about out past and i get a huge grin on my face.

" you each will share this with one person that you choose. Since this one is more personal than the other ones you have written in the past," He says.
I actually laugh out loud for once and Mr. Vanhisen narrows his eyes," see me after class ms.,"
great now I'm in even more trouble on my first day back off of suspension.
The end of the day comes faster now that I'm dreading the end of the school day. i go by Mr. Vanhisen,
" hello Mr. vanhisen. you wanted to talk to me," i say nicely.
"ms. dejya, i don't care what you write about, but make something up not your real past. got it," he says and walks out.
i smirk and walk by christofe.
"hey wanna hang out today with us?" Christofe asks.
"Nauh me and Anthony are gonna do stuff tonight. thanks though," I say.
Anthony's waiting for me in the parking lot and i run to his car. I turn the radio up and he pulls out of the lot. I smile at the new store on Universe way.
"Anthony can we stop and look,Please?" I ask
"No," he says flatly and i just go with it, because i really just wanted to look around any how.

He stops the car on a dark corner.
"Alice I'm sorry," he says.
Thats the only thing i remember when i wake up on my bed acouple of hours later. Christofe is sitting on the other bed. I roll my eyes. I sit up and christofe moves across the room in three long strides. When he gets to my bed i cringe away afraid of what hes going to do.