This first chapter of Crooked is dedicated to SallyMason1, because she's always such a big help when it comes to me writing stories. Check out some of her stories! Living With The Choices We Make is a really great one, and Trapped is also amazing. XD

Whittney Rhodes is up in the media, and is recasted by Finn Cole. He fits the character look so well, I couldn't help it. Hope you like the recast, or did you prefer Cody Christian as Whittney?

Now, please enjoy the very first chapter of Harry's POV. Seeing this story through a different set of eyes will open yours to many possibilities...

After over a year of sweat and emotional torture, senior year has finally arrived, and I can't be happier. I just have to survive one more year of high school, so I can go to some college out of state - start my life anew.

With no exact plans on which college to go to, nor what I want to do for a living, my options are wide open to many possibilities. That is my goal for the end of the school year: pick a university, and a plan for the future. Life is hard enough, even with help from the ones who raised and love you, but sometimes you don't get even that.

My father left our family right after I had the courage to come out to them. He had trouble accepting the fact that his son wasn't 'as much of a man' as he thought. When my mom realized that he wasn't going to treat me with the respect she said I deserved, she kicked him out, claiming she didn't want to be with someone who didn't love their child, because of their sexuality.

I clench my fists and my grip on the steering wheel tightens at the memory of him packing his bags.

The conspiracy theories of him leaving for a different reason died with my self-esteem. A certain ex-best friend, more commonly known as Rodney Reid, made sure to lower it significantly almost daily, as well.

Leaving the swim team had a big effect on my drop in social status, but he always seemed to have it out for me ever since he found out about the small fling I had with his sister. If only he knew the real reason for Amber and I hanging out after school. Besides my family, she was and still is the only person who knows my biggest secret.

Since Rodney is the top dog of the school, he was able to make people dislike me, and fast.

The whole time he kept my friend, Austin Griffin, out of the loop. He has no idea why Rodney and I had a fallout, but the two of us have an unspoken agreement not say anything about it.

Rod had ditched me without a second thought, and I have no doubt that he'd do that to anyone. He is not the type to accept anything other than what he himself thinks - as close-minded as they come. When you're not of use to him anymore, or get in the way of anything he wants, you're out in the cold - alone.

I turn into the parking lot of Cromwell High, looking for a parking spot while watching out for a red Dodge Ram. The truck belongs to Rodney, and he's the last person I want to see on my first day.

Charlette, who I totally forgot is even in the car, mumbles something under her breath, but I don't catch it.

"What?" I look to her briefly before picking a parking space.

She huffs, looking out the window to her left. Rodney and his buddies are hanging outside of the entrance of the school, and unlucky for me, Austin isn't there to filter their opinions. There is a lot of power in his presence, and that keeps his friends in line.

"Hey, you don't have to worry," I assure her. "I mean, this is senior year. Can't be living it in the shadows now, can I?"

"I don't think you realize what you're talking about," she sighs, "I mean, it is Rodney, after all."

"That may be true, but he doesn't scare me anymore."

She laughs sardonically. "Right, just like how you weren't scared of the Teletubbies when you were eight."

"They have TVs in their stomachs!" I defend myself. "It's not natural."

My sister unbuckles her seatbelt and hops out of the passenger seat.

"Where are you going?" I ask when she starts walking toward the locker rooms by the football fields instead of to class in the opposite direction.

"I'm just, uh," she says, biting her lip. "I'm meeting Cole for some before school studying."

I send her a pointed look. "But it's the first day of school!"

"Later, Hare-Bear!" She waves me off without looking behind her as she struts over to the stadium.

A heavy sigh leaves me as I watch her walk away. Knowing Cole, their little 'study session' has little to nothing involving actual studying.

My gaze travels to Rodney and his group of friends and in a moment of lacking judgement, I angrily trudge over there.

"What the hell is Cole doing with my sister?" My snappy tone surprises all of them, but it seems to amuse them more than anything.

Rodney's knowing smirk makes me want to abandon this 'sister avenging' mission and run off into the building with my tail between my legs.

"Only what your sister lets every guy at this school do." Rodney cocks an eyebrow when a shocked expression makes its way on my face. He sucks in a deep breath before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. You didn't know?"

"You're lying." My voice is weak, but I don't care.

He only shrugs in return. "I could be, but I'm only speaking from experience."

I want nothing more than to attack him here and now, but I know I don't stand a chance. All I can do is clench my fists at my sides and watch him laugh. The stupid voice in my head convinces my mouth to speak without my permission. "Don't you dare talk about my sister like that. She wouldn't sleep with a pathetic guy like you."

The look that crosses Rodney's face after I spoke chills my bones, and I freeze.

Bradley Stuart presses a firm hand against his cousin's chest to stop him. "Come on, man. He didn't mean that. Let's just go to class, okay?"

"Oh no," Rodney says, shaking his head. He pushes Bradley aside and before I know it, he's face to face with me. "He meant it."

My throat tightens as I look into his eyes. We are the same height, but his muscular frame makes him seem twice my size. Dryness creeps up my throat - my fists are still clenched, but I still don't make a move against him. Fear eats me up and I want so badly to stand up to him again, but my better judgement wins over this time around.

"What?" He says with a challenging glint in his eyes. "Nothing to say? I knew it. You're a loser and a whimp. No wonder it's your sister who always ends up having to be the one to protect you."

"Rodney, that's enough," Bradley snaps, and all eyes are on him. "I, uh, we're going to be late for class."

I let out the breath I have been holding when Rodney concedes. There aren't many people he listens to, but Brad is usually the person who's always able to get through to him.

Bradley sends me a smile of reassurance and waits until Rodney and the others are in the school to walk up to me.

"I'm sorry about Rodney." He looks at me sympathetically and pushes his glasses back into place. "He can be a real dick."

Laughing, I say: "Yeah, I noticed."

"And for what it's worth," he says, "I don't think you're a loser, and you'd have to be pretty brave to stand up to Rodney."

An unstoppable grin creeps onto my lips. "Thanks."

"See ya' around." He winks before he enters through the front door of the school, leaving me wondering how someone as nice as him could be related to a douche like Rodney.

I'm about to follow his lead and head to class, but something in the corner of my eye catches my attention.

Whittney Rhodes sits against the brick wall on the side of the school. A cigarette is between his teeth and he lights it. His shoulders are slumped over, his arms resting on his knees. He grabs the cigarette from his lips and breaths out before wiping his eyes.

I slump down next to him. When he looks to me, there are dark bags under his red eyes, giving him a tormented look. It's more than possible that he hasn't slept at all last night.

"My mom overdosed again last night," was all he said before taking another drag, leaning his head against the brick as he exhaled. "I found her on the kitchen floor when I came home." He sniffles as his eyes begin to water.

"Will she be okay?"

His whole body is shaking when he shrugs, his fingers fidgety. A shaky breath leaves him before he finishes off his last intake of smoke, crushing the remains into the dirt. "The drugs were Jay's, so he wouldn't let us take her to the hospital in case they asked where she got them. I had to hold her up while Jay shoved his fingers down her throat."

"Oh gosh, Whitt. I'm sorry."

"Yeah." He uses his sleeve to wipe the snot and tears from his face, a small wince follows - barely noticeable. "She could have died, but he was more worried about himself. And when she was done puking her fucking guts out, he made me clean the whole thing up. The prick doesn't take responsibility for shit."

Knowing Jeremy 'Jay' Rhodes as long as I have, I know what he's capable of. Even if I were to never have met him, the look in Whittney's eyes, whenever he speaks of his older brother, says it all. He's a monster, and it's a miracle in itself that Whittney's still alive living under his roof.

Whittney digs for something in his jacket pocket and pulls out a flask. "Jay's supposed to text me when she wakes up," he says, taking a sip from it. "If she wakes up."

"You can't think like that," I tell him, not knowing what else to say.

"I just don't know what to do anymore." He takes another swig, his face contorting a little as he swallows. Clearly, he was drinking some pretty heavy stuff. After burying his head in his hands, he lets out a grunt of frustration. "I'm living with a fucking psychopath, and there's not a damn thing I can do to change that."

"You could move out. You could leave." Right when the suggestion leaves me, I regret it. Whittney's eyes are shrouded in a cloud of judgment that digs into every nerve in my body, threatening to tear me apart.

It's not until he speaks that I realize his anger is not pointed toward me.

"And leave my mom alone with the bastard? Not likely," he huffs a minor grimace tainting his features.

When the flask reaches his lips again, I grab his arm to stop him. He looks up at me questioningly and I shake my head. "You can't go into school drunk, man."

He nods in understanding, and while he's putting it away, I notice scabbed-over skin on his knuckles.

I grab his hand to examine it. "Did this happen last night, too?"

A half-hearted smile is sent my way. "I tried to retaliate, but that didn't exactly work out."

My puzzled face made him sigh and lift his shirt. The reveal made my breathing stop - dark blotches cover his whole torso. Starting from his chest, down to his lower stomach, almost all of it is coated with bruised skin. I've always known Jeremy to be a horrible person, but I never thought he'd be capable of doing something like this to his own brother.

"God, Whitt-"

"On the bright side," Whittney is smirking now, the way he always does when he's either being cruel or pretending not to care. "he didn't break anything this time."

"Where was your dad during all of this?"

"He was out drinking with some of his friends, but it's not like he could have done anything to help even if he were home," he explains, "Jay has got everyone, even Mike, on a tight leash. There is nothing that goes on in that house that he doesn't control."

For a moment, I think I've lost him. He stares into blank space, but doesn't move. Tears are flowing onto his cheeks, and at this point I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like if I make the slightest move, he'll fall into an abyss where I can't get him back from. Never in all my years being friends with him, have I seen him like this. It is beyond unnerving.

Eventually, I can't take it anymore. I reach for his shoulder and rub his back soothingly. For a moment he seems to calm down a little, but when he looks at me, his gaze is full of uncertainty. There's a strange glow in his eyes that makes me feel like he wants to run away as fast as he can.

Immediately, he wipes the tears from his face and he jumps to his feet. His hands run through his hair to get it back to its usual upright style, a smirk is then plastered on his face - his eyes even holding up to the illusion.

"Get your ass up off the ground," he says, "Else we're gonna be late for class."

I stand up, looking him right in the eyes before saying: "Dude, if you ever need anyone to talk to, just know that-"

"What is this?" He interrupts with a low chuckle, "A fucking therapy session? Shit, Hare."

He starts backing away towards the door to the side of the school and when he turns around, I can't help but smile at his bluntness. Most people hate this about him, but I can see past it - it is just him trying to separate himself from his emotions. Trying to hide it behind a wall of dick-like behavior is just a way of coping for him.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, and even though sometimes they're unconventional at best, it's still a facade.

And no matter how hard we try, they all reveal themselves in the end.

***

I hope you all liked this first chapter of Crooked! Please leave a comment telling me what you think so far, or maybe even click that little star in the corner if you think the chapter deserved it. (:

~TheWriterD