Sometimes I really hate my life.

I had no idea what to say, so I just said the first thing I could think of... "Oh... What's your name?"

I know: Wow Cyrus. So original. How did you come up with that? Hey, it was the only thing I could come up with!

"Li-Lily-Lilyainna. My name's Lilyainna."

"Is it okay if I call you Lily? Lilyainna is kind-of a long name. Ow! What did you do-"

"Lilyainna is a beautiful name. Cyrus, if you say anything else, I will slap you across the back of your head again!"

So she can't say that I said anything, I just put my thumb up.

"I think I'm going to hit you anyway."

Thank goodness Lilyainna started laughing at that. Because otherwise, I really think Nicole would have hit me again.

I look down at my watch, "Oh, crap! I'm going to be late for dinner... Hey, Nicole. Would-"

"It's fine. I know how your Mom is. Go-ahead, I'll take care of her."

"I was just going to ask if you wanted to come over for dinner. Lilyainna too, of course."

"Oh... It's a nice offer, but I don't think I can. Sorry."

"Yeah, okay. Um..."

"See you tomorrow. Come on Lilyainna, you can come home with me tonight."

"Okay"

As the two of them walk away, Lilyainna looks over her shoulder and says, "Yes."

"What?" I ask her.

"You asked if you could call me Lily. The answer is yes."

"Okay, goodnight Lily."

"Goodnight, Cyrus."

***

On my way home, I run into no other then Jeffrey.

"Smyth! What do you think you're doing with my girlfriend?"

"Number 1: I'm her history tutor. We were discussing the American Revolution, and the Declaration of Independence. Number 2: She broke up with you, therefore, she's not your girlfriend."

"How about I put your face in the ground?"

Before I can answer, he kicks me in the stomach, and I double over in pain. He then jabs his elbow in between my shoulder blades, and I fall to the ground. This is it. This is how I'm going to die. But instead of killing me, he steps on my wrist, and I hear it snap. I scream in pain. "Maybe that will teach you not to touch her. If I ever see you with her again, you're dead!"

Because I don't trust myself to say anything right now, I just nod.

After he walks away, I lay there on the ground for a couple of minutes. When I think I can walk without passing out, I push myself up on my good hand.

I walk the two remaining miles to my house with a broken wrist, and never feeling more alone.

When I walk in the first thing Mom dose is yell at me for being late, then she actually looks at me and sees that I'm holding my arm close to my chest. "Cyrus, what happened?"

"I-it was nothing. I just tripped, and tried to catch myself, and my wrist broke."

I could see the only people who thought that was true, we're Dad, Caleb, and Alex. Mom looked even more worried about me, and Jacob already knows the problems I have with Jeffrey. But luckily, they didn't push me for a different answer.

"Come on Jacob, you and I are going to take Cyrus to the emergency room. The rest of you can stay here."

The way there wasn't to bad. Mom didn't push me for the truth, and Jacob didn't say anything about it. But... I was in the back with a broken wrist... That part wasn't fun...

When we got there however, the doctor was much more pushy. "so... How did you brake your arm?"

"I was on my way home from meeting someone at the library, and I tripped."

"Okay, who did you go to the library to meet?"

"One of the kids at school that I'm tutoring. What does this have to do with anything?"

"I just want to see how your story holds up against the evidence."

"Excuse me, but are you calling my son a liar? Cyrus would never lie about something like that." 

"Of course, ma'am. I'll be right back."

***

After we got home mom told me to go up to my room, and rest. Well I'm not good at holding still, so I go over and grab the book I'm reading. But I don't read vary much of it before mom and Jacob come up to talk to me. 

"Cyrus... Do you want to tell me what's going on? Jacob's told me as much as he knows, but I want to hear the whole thing from you."

"it's nothing, mom. I told you, I tripped."

"Cyrus, I love you, and I want to believe you, but I can't. That's not the truth. Please tell me." 

I give in, I tell her everything. "... So, yeah. That's what happened." well, I did kinda skip the part about Lilyainna. 

"So you were walking Nicole home, and her ex-boyfriend jumped you?" 

"Um... Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Okay. Well, try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay. Goodnight."

                                ***

It's about an hour and a half later, and I still can't fall asleep. I don't know why it takes so long for my brain to shut down... So, I'm sitting here, on my bed, reading a book, because there's nothing better to do (and yes, nothing better to do includes watching TV.). When all of a sudden I get a phone call from Nicole. "Hey, what's up?"

*"I heard about what happened between you and Jeffrey."*

"Oh... Yeah..."

*"I swear, the next time I see him, he Is so dead."*

"Nicole, it's nothing. Really."

*"No it's not! I'm going to come over to your house tomorrow, and I'm going to bring Lily with me."*

"Um... I not sure that's a good idea. I don't know how mom will react to you coming over... Even if you bring Lily with you."

*"Yeah... I guess you're right. But we need to figure out what we're going to do about her... And I need to talk to you about something else too."*

"What do you need to talk to me about?"

*"When I come over tomorrow, I'll tell you."*

"Nicole, I told you. It won't be a good idea to come over."

*"I know what you told me. But I'm not going to listen. I'm coming over tomorrow, whether you like it or not."*

"Why are you so stubborn?"

*"Because. Life's funner that way. Goodnight Cyrus. We'll see you tomorrow."*

"Goodnight." and then she hung up. "Why are girls so confusing?" I say to my self. 

I put my phone down on the nightstand and pick up my book again. I read it for a about an hour, but then I finally fall asleep. That's when the dreams started...