"Em, I'm sorry" Arran groaned. He leaned back against his old Impala, carefully watching Emrys as he climbed off the steps of his front porch. Emrys looked him up and down before rolling his eyes and grabbing his skateboard instead. "I'll make it up to you, come on... I'll take you to the Diner, we can pick up burgers and go to the bridge like always. Yeah?"

"Or you can call me a fag. You seem to like doing that" Emrys muttered. He walked past Arran's car deciding he'd rather walk than get in a car with him.

"Jesus Christ..." Arran muttered. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what else you want me to say... And it's not like you didn't already know... It's never bothered you before" He added with a harsh glare in Emrys's direction. Emrys groaned and stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Arran.

"Okay, but it does" Emrys snapped. "It bothers me because that could have just as easily been me or you. Actually, you of all people should know how shitty it feels" He blurted out. "Your dad sure as hell makes sure you do" Arran froze before pressing his lips together.

"Fuck off, Em... You don't know what you're talking about" Arran muttered.

"Yeah, because I totally never cleaned up your cuts or put your arm back in place... Or how about that time I gave you stitches because you didn't want to go to the hospital" Emrys paused before taking a few steps closer. "If I don't know what I'm talking about then why don't you elaborate on that bruise on your side? Or maybe that scar behind your ear... Oh I know, let's all take a look at your back. Do you remember that? Because I sure as hell do-"

"Shut the fuck up, Emrys" Arran's voice was almost too steady. Emrys froze suddenly feeling uneasy. He had definitely taken it too far... Not to mention, Arran never called him Emrys. It was always Em, ever since they were kids and even when they argued.

"Whatever. Go kiss Ryder's ass some more. I'm done" Emrys muttered. He reluctantly tore his eyes away from Arran and continued walking down the road toward Tj's house. At least there he could focus on getting his grades up and eating Tj's mom's delicious cooking... Emrys really needed to get his grades up now that he thought about it. Everyone always assumed Emrys was the smarter one between him and Arran. That was a lie... Arran was a straight-A student. Emrys was lucky to get a C...

Bonnie closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat of Zack's car. His hand was on her thigh and he was droning on about a fight he had with his little sister... She enjoyed spending time with Zack. He was a sweet guy, but she always did feel a little guilty for not having the same feelings he did. He deserved that much... She wanted to love him like he loved her. She wanted that more than anything... But no matter how hard she tried it just never happened.

She reached up to redo one of two small braids in her hair and adjusted the white and blue bandana holding back all of her hair with the exception of the two braids. Her hair was getting long and she had considered cutting it, but she thought she'd grow it out a little while longer. Even if it was a pain in the ass to style, she thought long hair suited her.

"My mom wants you to come over for dinner again sometime" Zack lightly chuckled. "I think she likes you more than she likes me at this point"

A bright smile reached Bonnie's lips as she pictured the petite and well-put-together woman. She wasn't anything like Zack. She wasn't carefree or bubbly, more reserved and well-rounded. But one thing they did have in common was their kindness and big hearts. Although, Zack believed otherwise. Even if he was a total mama's boy, he was terrified of the woman. Even more so than his dad. Actually, Bonnie was certain he had referred to his mother as Satan on a few occasions.

"I love her" Bonnie honestly admitted. "She offered to teach me how to play Rummy" She added with a bright smile. Zack groaned and took his hand off of Bonnie's thigh for a moment so he could fix his fluffy black hair. His dark eyes flicked toward Bonnie before a bright smile reached his lips.

"It's a trap. You play with her once and next thing you know, eight years go by and she still asks to play" Zack snorted. "The worst part is that nobody can beat her so basically the entire time you're hoping she'll take mercy on you and go after the other players instead" Bonnie laughed a little at that before turning on Zack's radio signaling the conversation was over. She smiled and rested her head on the car door, letting the air from the window push away all of her troubles and stresses... Letting the music take her to another realm where she was at peace.

Bonnie wasn't sure if there was a God or multiple Gods... She liked to believe there was because she wanted to believe there was a plan for her. That everything wasn't for nothing. That she wasn't alive for the sake of living and that in the long run, she mattered. But it was moments like these where she hoped there wasn't. Because there was no way in hell she wanted her life to be in the hands of a God that wouldn't give her a moment of peace. Why? Because Zack suddenly hit the breaks and pulled to the side of the road making Bonnie jump.

"Shit... Sorry" Zack instantly apologized. But he didn't give Bonnie a chance to recover because he was already climbing out of his car and rushing to the sidewalk. Bonnie blinked once, then twice before following him out. She winced at the sight and even felt her heart drop as she realized she'd have to interact with the bloodied girl on the sidewalk.

Arcadia sat next to her skateboard, her skin on her palms and wrists skitted down to heaps of blood, her knees bruised and bloody and the metallic smell of blood and alcohol lingering on her. Bonnie swallowed the lump in her throat as she joined Zack to make sure Arcadia was alright. She had to remain a good person, she couldn't be weird around Arcadia... She had to act as if it was anyone else. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she did otherwise.

"Shit" Arcadia hissed.

"Are you alright?" Zack quickly asked.

"Fine... Just remind me to never try and skate after drinking" Arcadia mumbled. Arcadia finally looked up from inspecting her cuts and bruises to meet Zack and Bonnie's worried stares before loudly cursing. "Oh fuck no. I don't want to talk to either of you" Arcadia suddenly snapped. Their eyes narrowed in defiance and she quickly scooted away.

Zack and Bonnie exchanged a guilty glance. They knew why Arcadia hated them as much as she did... Why Arcadia hated the world as much as she did. It was because they had abandoned them and their worst moment. They had left her alone when she needed people the most... Once upon a time, Arcadia had been as friendly and social as Emrys. She had been friends with most of the school, including Zack and Bonnie, and lived a content life. Then the school turned on her after discovering her sexuality, and Zack and Bonnie had turned away with them under the pressure.

"Can we give you a ride home?" Bonnie quietly asked. She brought her gaze to the floor feeling her guilt overwhelm her at just the sight of the girl she had once called a friend.

"You don't have to talk to us... Just let us give you a hand" Zack offered a kind smile. "Besides, I have a first-aid-kit in my trunk... My mother says I'm accident prone" He added with a light laugh. Arcadia glanced between the two before moving to her feet, lightly stumbling in the process.

"Fine. But only because I don't want to be out past nine" Arcadia finally gave in as Zack wandered toward his trunk.

"What? You've got a curfew or something?" Zack hummed before pulling out the first-aid-kid and handing it to Bonnie. Bonnie took it despite feeling absent from reality. Like she wasn't even in her own body... She couldn't form any words or sentences, all she could do was give herself mindless commands.

"No" The girl muttered, not even bothering to offer an explanation. Both girls climbed into the back seat and Zack quickly turned on the radio to avoid the awkward silence that was bound to fill the car. Bonnie remained silent as she undid the latch on the first-aid kit and dug through the supplies. The last time she had touched one was when she tore up her knees playing volleyball...

"I'm going to stop for gas and then we'll head down to... Wait... How do I not know where you live?" Zack gave Arcadia a baffled glance through the rear-view mirror and Bonnie instantly tried to recall which part of town Arcadia was from. Growing up in a small town with the same people your entire life, you quickly learn where everyone lives... Even if you weren't friends with them. Bonnie had spoken to Ben Richardson twice in all of the years she had lived there and still knew what street he lived on. It was just common knowledge, but not once did she even learn what neighborhood Arcadia lived in.

"Just drop me off at the railroads" Arcadia mumbled. Bonnie struggled to read over the packets due to the dimming light and her whirling thoughts. She couldn't focus and it was driving her crazy.

"Are you sure? I can take you to your house" Zack offered.

"Yeah, no offense but I'd prefer to keep my living arrangements to myself, thanks" Arcadia muttered. Zack gave a reluctant nod and pulled into a nearby gas station. He climbed out of the car and Bonnie took the opportunity to read over the packages in the newfound lighting.

"Here," Bonnie mumbled she extended a hand to Arcadia who reluctantly allowed her to clean off the dirt and drying blood from her hands. Bonnie swallowed her discomfort - not only at the sight of blood but because she was alone in a car with a girl who hated her. Bonnie wasn't used to being hated. She got along fine with everyone because she put in the effort to. She put in the effort to make everyone smile, to reach their standards, and tried to be kind to everyone. She even got along with the most disagreeable people like Arran Harley and Ryder Samuels.

Her entire life she had done nothing but adapt to others to fit their needs. She wasn't necessarily happy... But she felt accomplished when she gained a new friend or reached another impossible expectation. She lives for those small feelings of accomplishment. Her mothers had warned her that this was an unhealthy behavior and had offered to get Bonnie a therapist, but she refused to see that she needed one. There were people in the world who had it a lot harder and if they could suffer through it all, so could she.

"Sorry for ruining your little date" Arcadia scoffed. "Bet you were just thrilled to know it was me"

"I don't hate you" Bonnie mumbled. She tried to ignore her tight throat, her racing heart, and the cold sweat dripping down her back. She tried to focus on carefully cleaning off the poor girl and adding Neosporin to her cuts. If she could just focus on that she would be okay...

"Bullshit" Arcadia scoffed. "You hate me because I'm gay. I'd rather you just admit it than pretend otherwise. The worst hate is when they pretend to like you"

"I'm not going to admit it because it isn't true" Bonnie grit her teeth in slight annoyance and pressed her lips in a thin line. She roughly flipped Arcadia's wrist around so she could better see another one of her cuts. She tried to ignore the stench of alcohol that lingered on the girl's clothing... She shouldn't judge. Especially when Bonnie was likely a part of the reason the girl made such terrible choices. Bonnie often wondered how things would have ended if she had remained friends with Arcadia... Would Arcadia still be the sweet girl she remembered?

"You know, we were friends when I first moved here" Arcadia muttered. "I used to think you were this gift from God. You were so nice to me... Even before people started to like me" She almost laughed. "But then I started dating Olivia and you couldn't even look me in the eye. You may think you don't hate me... That you're a good person because you never harassed me. But that's just an illusion because you didn't say anything either. It's just as bad to stand by and not do anything" Arcadia scoffed. She tore her hand away from Bonnie and reached over to put her bandages on instead.

"Look, I'm sorry. Alright?" Bonnie suddenly blurted out. "Did you ever think that I can't stand to look at you because I feel guilty for not saying anything? Or maybe because I'm envious of you for getting to be your true self?" Bonnie froze as she realized what had just left her mouth. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and scooted further away from Arcadia. She carefully brought her pointer fingers under her eyes to wipe away her forming tears without smudging her makeup. She was already shattered on the inside... She wasn't going to look the part too.

Bonnie thought she'd be terrified or frantic when she first said it out loud. But she wasn't... She was weirdly calm despite her tears of guilt. Maybe it was because deep down she knew Arcadia would never say a word. Or maybe it was due to the relief of finally saying it out loud after years of hiding it from everyone... Even the people she knew would accept her regardless like her family. Arcadia didn't say anything for a while, she didn't have to. They both had said what needed to be said.

"Are you happy now?" Bonnie quietly asked as she tightened her arms over her chest and avoided looking over at the shorter girl.

"Not really" Arcadia mumbled. They didn't get a chance to continue because Zack was climbing back into the car completely oblivious to the shift in energy. He attempted to make small talk as they drove through town, taking a right into the biggest part of town. The neighborhoods where middle-class citizens lived in their identical one to two-story houses. Their identical neatly cut lawns with the occasional toddler's toy laying in it. Their simple family cars...

It was the most normal area in Asper Hollows. Bonnie lived there alongside at least sixty percent of Asper Hollows residents. Another twenty percent lived in the more poverty-ridden areas. The old farms, trailer parks, and mobile homes. They always either had too much property that was covered in forest or turned into a junkyard or too little. Arran and Emrys were from those areas. And then another eighteen percent of Asper Hollows lived in the upper-middle-class neighborhood. That was where Zack and Hatte were from. And the final two percent was only a handful of families that lived in old mansions and townhouses... Such as Bay Sandros.

But they drove past all of the neighborhoods and down into the woods where the old crossroads were. The old train tracks that hadn't been used since the seventies were worn and covered and debris. Bonnie wasn't sure why Arcadia wanted to be dropped off there of all places. It was at least a fifteen-minute walk to the nearest neighborhood or cabin. But Zack and Bonnie didn't dare say more than a mumbled goodbye as the girl climbed out.

_________________________________________

Arran wasn't sure what he was doing anymore. There were a few things he often did to hide from reality. To hide from the fact that his life was absolute shit. That his dad was an abusive asshole, that his mother was dead and didn't even care for him and Christian in the first place... That Emrys wasn't going to talk to him any time soon. Sometimes he'd sit in his closet and hide from the world. Sometimes he'd go to Emrys's and pretend everything was okay. Sometimes he'd stay in the shower long after the hot water ran out just because he liked the feeling of the water running down his body. It all helped him forget.

Today, however, he found himself sitting in the back of an old pick-up truck that lacked any tires. Grime coated the sides and nature was slowly beginning to reclaim it. Plants were climbing up the sides of the truck and Arran was certain it had been on his family's property for decades... Maybe it wasn't even his dad who bought it. Maybe his grandfather had bought it long before.

Arran's family had a twisted history... His family had immigrated to America in 1950 from Poland. His great-grandparents had twisted views and weren't good people. They had bought the property Arran's family still lived in to this day in Oregon and lived a shallow life. Their views had been passed down to Arran's grandfather and eventually Winston. Winston wasn't so bad compared to them... At least Winston had gotten over the anti-Semitic views his parents had enforced onto him. But the rest was still there. Christian and Arran had done nothing but continue the cycle...

Arran imagined that in twenty years Christian would own the property. He'd have a wife, a kid, or two, and the same views would be passed down. Except like Winston, he would correct some of them. Arran imagined the racism would quit being taught in their family through Christian, but any children of him would be sexist, transphobic, and homophobic brats. The cycle would never stop. There would always be something wrong with his family and the thought of it made him sick.

Arran knew one thing and that was that he was never having kids. He was never going to curse anything human by having to he related to his twisted family. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to do in a month when he graduated... He didn't have anything to fall back on, he didn't have anything waiting for him. The only thing that even began to make sense in his life was Emrys and he had ruined it.

His hand subconsciously reached underneath his shirt on his back, running over the scattered scars. He hated that Emrys knew about them... It wasn't like he could have hidden it if he tried. Emrys had seen him shirtless enough and he had been in the hospital for it. He had been fifteen and had made the mistake of arguing with his dad over Emrys. Of actually trying to defend whatever relationship he had with the boy and even insisting he wanted to be more than what they were. That was a mistake. He shouldn't have wanted that because it only led to an angry man breaking a bottle on his back.

He sighed and climbed out of the truck bed and headed through the fields knowing he'd have to go inside sooner or later. He felt numb as he pulled open the front door and wrinkled his nose in slight distaste at the smell of cigarettes. His heart dropped as he spotted his father sitting on the living room couch with a cigarette in hand and watching some cheap action movie.

"Where have you been?" Winston blindly asked before glancing over at his son. "Screwing some little brown boy?"

"I don't have the patience for this today" Arran muttered. He headed toward the hallway, but apparently, his father wasn't done with him yet.

"Boy, I know you didn't just talk back" Winston suddenly snapped. Arran winced slightly at the sound of the man's voice and decided that if he kept quiet, he could get to his room in one piece. "Get in here" he was wrong.

Arran reluctantly obeyed and headed into the living room, keeping his head low. His father stood up and roughly gripped the boy's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. Only this time, Arran's eyes weren't filled with fear or pain. Instead, they were full of defiance. Winston had always hated Arran's eyes... Arran never knew why, but it was because from a young age Winston knew he could never control Arran the way he could Christian. No matter what he did and no matter how down or afraid Arran was, his eyes were always defiant.

"If I ask you a question, what do you do?" Winston demanded.

"Answer it" Arran muttered feeling somewhat annoyed.

"So where have you been?"

"Outback" Arran honestly admitted, but Winston clearly didn't believe him.

"Sure you haven't been runnin' off with that filthy little faggot?" Winston scoffed. His grip on Arran tightened, his short nails dug into his skin and the boy resisted the urge to pull away. That would only make things worse.

"I haven't seen Emrys in months" Arran lied. "You can ask Christian, he hasn't been here"

"Liar" Winston let go of his son's chin and instead roughly gripped his shirt, pulling him closer until he could smell the alcoholic fumes trickling off of the man's breath. "You are a filthy liar. Just like that bitch mother of yours... You think you're so fucking clever, don't ya? You think you can just get away with whatever the hell you want while I'm out busting my ass to make sure you have a place to live"

Arran forced himself to stay quiet. If he spoke he'd either break down or start screaming and both of those would just end badly. All he could think to do was keep a straight face, keep his mouth shut, try not to let his father's words spiral in his mind, and most of all, hope to god he wasn't having a bad day.

"I have given you everything you have and I will not hesitate to take it away" Winston continued. "I didn't raise you to be a god, damn cocksucker so quit actin' like one, or I'll kill you myself"

"Leave him be" A deep voice cut in, snapping Arran out of his dazed and unfocused state and back into reality. Arran swallowed the lump in his throat and when his dad let go of him. It was then when he realized just how tense he was... To most people, it might have been weird how quickly the room shifted away from threats and fear to light conversation and relaxation. But not to Arran... He was used to how bipolar his family's moods were. "Got you what you wanted" Christian held up a six-pack of beer before sitting it on the table and collapsing into the living room chair.

"That Mexican boy hasn't been here lately. Has he, Christian?" Winston blindly asked as he took one of the beers and returned to his spot on the couch. Arran forced himself to leave the room and head toward the kitchen to grab something to eat. Maybe that way he could take his mind away from just how afraid he was.

"His family is from Ecuador, not Mexico" Arran quietly corrected despite knowing his father hated that. But he knew Emrys always corrected people... So he'd do it for Emrys out of guilt and just because he cared a lot about him. The least he could do was defend him a little.

"He hasn't been over" Christian interrupted before Winston had a chance to argue with Arran. He shot Arran a warning glance before looking back over at his father. "Haven't seen him in a while, actually"

"Arran" Winston's voice made Arran's body tense up once again. You could never tell if you were going to get screamed at, beaten, or have a friendly conversation. That meant that Arran always had to be on guard. "Make dinned, will ya? I'm starving"

Arran nodded despite the words of a threat he had heard a million times circling his mind. He wasn't sure if they were just words put in place to scare him. If he was anyone else he would have thought a father couldn't do that to his own son... Especially one as unquestionably loyal as Arran. But he knew better than that... He knew better than to think his father wouldn't go through with something so twisted. So of course he was afraid... Because all he could think about was how easily his father could and would kill him. Yet he was so stupidly stubborn and determined to win the man's affections... So he'd do absolutely nothing to stop him.

Question of the chapter: Who's your favorite character so far?