Page 1 of Unspoken Truths

PROLOGUE

RACHELLE

“Daddy isn’t coming home,” Mom murmurs, blinking at me as her eyes fill with tears. “I’m so sorry, honey, there was a drunk driver, the policeman said.”

A drunk driver…

I don’t realize I whispered the words until Mom nods. “Yes, that’s what he said,” she rasps. “We’ll be okay, Rachelle. I promise. I know we both loved him so much, and it won’t be the same, but I’ll try.”

My legs collapse underneath me, making me fall onto the couch across from her, as I gaze at her in horror. Dad was a very well paid lawyer, and I know for a fact that we live outside of our means because my parents would fight about it constantly.

Am I a bitch for worrying about this? Maybe I’m in shock, but my eyes are dry as I gaze at her, my heart thundering in my ears as I think about all of the repercussions that may come.

“What’s going to happen to us?” I whisper.

Twelve is too young to be worried about things like this, but Mom isn’t good with finances. She spends money as quickly as she touches it, doesn’t have many marketable skills, and married Dad when she was waitressing tables while he was in law school.

It’s a Cinderella romance that’s coming crashing down on us all.

What’s even more worrisome is the way my mom simply shrugs and gets up as if I never spoke at all.

CHAPTER1

Four years later

RACHELLE

Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Their light is so bright, it pulls in those who want to extinguish it, stomp it out, and you.

The question is: Do I let it? Hell, I’m not sure anymore. It feels as if I’ve always had a hard time pulling myself out of the muck, even if now it’s shiny and pretty filth. I’m a new student at Carlysle Prep School, and it’s my first day of school today. I suppose everyone has been staring at me all day because I’m new, but it’s really uncomfortable to have this many eyes on me as I move from class to class.

I feel pretty in my new school uniform, the only identifying thing about me is the complicated braid I pulled my shiny, dark brown hair into. Mom got married to a really nice man last month, which meant moving to a new town, a new house, a new family, and a new school.

I’m rolling with the punches, and am slowly feeling confident that I can handle this.

The hard tug on my hair is the only hint that something is wrong before things go to shit. I’m outside with a few girls that are speaking to me and seem nice. It’s lunch time, and I’m finishing up my bagged lunch when I stand to throw away my garbage.

I didn’t know that a bagged lunch wasn’t cool.The girls simply smiled at me while I ate, their hands empty of food. There isn’t a road map, I don’t know what’s right or wrong, and they seemed nice.

Where did it all go pear shaped?

“Ahh!” I gasp, my feet being forced to move across the muddy field.

I’m not sure why this is where they decided to have lunch today. Portland, Oregon has been getting so much rain the last few days, this is the first break that I’ve seen. Even then, it’s cool and overcast today.

Fuck, I hate to say this, but I miss Florida.

“Let go,” I snarl, struggling to turn around and face the person whose hand is wrapped in my braid.

“Thanks for introducing me to the new girl,” a boy’s deep voice purrs at the group behind me.

“Anything for you,” Marci says with a titter. I want to punch her in the face, but my mother has always preferred that I settle things differently from that.

Maybe she’ll accept the excuse that I was possessed by a demon, though I doubt it.

“Get off me,” I say, kicking back hard with my cute Mary Jane shoes. The bastard laughs, yanking me close to him.

“No one can save you from me, slut muffin,” he growls in my ear. “You’re too pretty for the other girls to like you, and the guys will all want to use you as a cum dumpster until they lose interest in you. So, allow me to give you a not so warm welcome to Carlysle Prep.”

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