I don't really know what's going on with Jessica, but I'm not complaining one bit. She hasn't been acting like her usual self, although I can still tell she's on drugs, but she hasn't hit me or anything in a few days and it's making me question.

Matt came and got me the next morning, like he promised. I told him that he didn't have to do it because I was only two miles away from school, but he told me that he wasn't going to let me walk in the heat.

When we got there, we did our usual routine, going to our locker and talking until the bell rung. I wasn't sure if Miss Shuler was here or not, but Matt said he didn't see her car. I couldn't stop thinking about her throughout my morning classes. It really upsets me that she would lie to us.

Well, I can't say anything now, can I?

I've been lying for years to that woman and she still doesn't know the other half of my life. But, I choose not to let her know. She has no business knowing about me, when clearly she wants nothing to do with me.

Matt bought my lunch again today. He's the sweetest, but I told him that I didn't want him spending his money on me because I don't like people buying me things.

"So, what am I suppose to do? Let you starve?" he looked at me as he was putting ranch dressing on his salad.

I rolled my eyes, "No, but I can-"

"Don't even say anything. I will buy you lunch for the remaining school year, ok?" he took a bite of his salad and made eye contact with me. I chuckled as he was trying to give me a look of intimidation.

I started eating when I saw Miss Shuler walk into the cafeteria and I stared at her. She was walking to one of the teachers who was supervising us and I noticed that they were looking around.

I felt my heart stop in my chest when they spotted me and the teacher made a motion towards me. Miss Shuler looked at me then back at the teacher. She starting walking this way and I couldn't understand why. When she neared our table, Matt nearly choked on his salad when he seen her. I tried not to laugh as she stopped at the table and looked at us.

"Samantha, can I speak with you for a moment?" she looked at me and I felt my head start spinning.

What the hell does she want with me?

I saw Matt give me a look as I was getting up and heading out of the cafeteria with Miss Shuler in front of me. I couldn't understand what was happening, or what was about to happen, but I knew it couldn't be good.

As we were walking down the hall, I was following behind her and I became mesmerized by her hips as they were swaying back and forth.

I shook my head out of the trance as we were in front of her classroom. She opened the door and lead me inside. She shut the door and motioned for me to follow her to her desk.

She pulled up a chair and placed it next to her desk. I sat down as she sat down in her chair. I watched as she looked at me and I felt my heart start pounding.

"You're not in trouble," oh good. I was afraid of that. She sighed and continued to look at me, "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday," I sat there, waiting for her to continue. I wasn't going to say anything because I had nothing to say. I'll just let her do the talking.

"Breaking into someone's home is illegal and I don't like the idea of you and Matthew doing what you did," she sat there with her hands folded in her lap, staring at me.

I thought she was going to talk about something else, like the fact that she lied about nothing being wrong, when clearly there was. Or the fact that we were in her room, reading her personal notebook.

I decided to say something. "We didn't break in. The door was unlocked, so we walked in. We didn't steal anything or break anything, so technically, there was no law against it," I watched as she continued to stare at me but I knew she wasn't listening.

"You didn't let me know that you were coming, or that you were even in my house. Therefore, you two did break in,"

I was not going to sit here and argue with her. "Ok, Miss Shuler. Whatever you say," I wanted to laugh at her facial expression because it was priceless.

"Just leave, Samantha," she ran her hand through her hair and I thought it was the most sexiest thing ever. I sat there watching her for a moment until she noticed that I was still here.

"Why are you still here?" she questioned while searching my eyes.

I got up and held my hands up, "Alright, I'm leaving. Don't shoot,"

I heard her chuckle, "Just get the hell out,"

I stopped and looked at her then fake gasped, "Miss Shuler," she looked at me and I put my hand over my heart. "As a professional whatever you are, I am appalled,"

She squinted her eyes at me, "That means disgusted,"

I rolled my eyes, "Well then, I am shocked,"

She chuckled and I stood there and smiled as I watched her. She shook her head then her eyes found mine. We stared at each other for a moment, and I felt my heart speed up in my chest.

I knew she was feeling that magnetic pull because she wasn't breaking eye contact with me as I was slowly walking towards her. I could feel myself being pulled towards her and I know that she felt it to, she can't deny it.

As I was about a foot away from her, the bell rung.

I jumped back and seen her look away. I felt a sting of pain in my heart as I slowly turned around then walked out.

*

Matt and I were walking to art class and he hasn't shut up about what Miss Shuler wanted. I didn't give me an answers, because it was fun to watch him think that something happened, when clearly it didn't.

We made our way inside the classroom and took our seats. I sat my backpack down beside my chair then looked to the front of the classroom and saw Miss Shuler. She was standing up, holding a pile of papers.

"Alright class, today I have an assignment for you," she walked around the room and handed each student a piece of paper. When she came to me, I felt my heart speed up as she handed a paper to me. I looked up at her but she wasn't making eye contact with me.

I sighed then looked down at the paper that was in my hands. Before I had time to read it, I heard Miss Shuler.

"Today's assignment will be for you to draw or paint a place that you would call your happy place. Whatever makes you feel safe and secured, and makes you happy without any worries, I want you to draw or paint it," she looked around the room at all the students then she made her way back to her desk.

I sat there and stared at my canvas. I didn't have a happy place, because one doesn't exist to me. I don't like going home, and I don't like being in school. I don't have any other places that I go to, and Matt is my only friend and I don't hang out at his house.

I looked over at Matt and he was already drawing. I watched him for a few seconds, trying to come up with something but nothing was coming to me. I didn't understand why she had to choose something that I didn't have.

I looked towards the front and caught sight of Miss Shuler sitting at her desk. I watched her for a moment, trying to think about my happy place. I studied her as she was looking at some papers on her desk and I couldn't help but think.

When I look at her, she was my happy place.

I know that a happy place is suppose to be a place, but she didn't necessarily say that it had to be a place, so therefore I'm not doing the assignment wrong. I knew what my happy place was, and damn right I'm going to draw it.

I got up to get some paint, because like I said before, I don't want to do what everyone else is doing. It's too boring, and I like to be different. I walked to the table and looked at all the different paint colors. I wasn't sure which ones to get, but I wanted to make this painting a lot more impressive than the last time I drew her.

I grabbed the basic paints then some other colors and walked back to my seat. I sat down and studied the canvas for a moment, trying to figure out how I was going to draw her. I didn't want it to look like the last painting, so I had to make it different, but I don't know how to.

I started thinking about the different times I've been with her, and how she looked, what she was wearing, and how she was looking. I didn't want a straight forward drawing, so I needed it to be angled.

I started painting and I was immediately lost in the painting. I wasn't paying attention to anything else but my canvas. It was like time itself was passing by too quickly and I was constantly lost in it. I wasn't aware that Matt was leaning over to watch me until he spoke.

"Is that..." I shook my thoughts then looked over at him as he was staring at the painting. I knew he knew what it was, or should I say who it was. He was in complete shock and that made me happy.

It means that I done what I wanted to do.

I smiled at him, "Yes, it is her," I looked back at the canvas and it immediately came to me that she was all the reasons combined.

She was the reason for my smiles, my laughter, my tears, my heartaches, my pains, my life. She was the reason for everything the last four years. She's been all the reasons and I was completely amazed.

It's amazing how someone, a simple person, could become something big in someone else's life when they don't even try to be. They come in your life unexpectedly and take a huge part in it without even knowing.

"Alright class, we have a few more minutes left, you may put your canvas' in the back and finish it another day," she looked around the classroom as everyone was getting up with their canvas'.

I waited until everyone was done so that I could put mine in the back without anyone seeing it. I didn't want anyone, not even Miss Shuler to see it just yet. I'm not sure if we're presenting it or not.

As the last student sat down, I made my way to the back and faced my canvas away from everyone else's. I made sure that it was facing the back and not where someone can see it.

As I turned around, I caught sight of Miss Shuler looking at me. She turned away just in time as I turned around, but I seen her.

I sat back down and waited for the bell to ring. I was ready to get this day over with, but I wasn't ready for the weekend. I didn't want to have to stay at the house all weekend, especially with Jessica there.

I looked over at Matt as he was looking through his backpack. I nudged him arm and he looked over at me. I smiled, "What are you doing this weekend?" I sat there and watched him as he grabbed a notebook out of his backpack.

When he put his backpack on, he looked at me, "Nothing really. My parents have no plans, why?" he stared at me as I was about to speak, but he interrupted, "Do you want to do something this weekend?" oh, he knew me all too well.

I nodded and he smiled, "Ok, I'll see if my parents want to go somewhere, if not, we can go find something to do," he smiled at me then the bell rung.

We both got up and I was putting my backpack on when Miss Shuler called for me, "Samatha," I looked up at her as she was sitting at her desk, "Can you stay after class?" she stared at me as I was feeling my heart pound.

I looked over at Matt and he shrugged. I walked to her desk with Matt and Miss Shuler looked over at him, "You may leave, Matthew. I'm going to take Samantha home," she smiled at him as he was looking at me.

He smiled at me then said his goodbye. I watched as he left the room then I looked over at Miss Shuler, who was looking at me.

"The reason why I wanted to take you home was because I wanted to meet your sister," oh no. "This time no excuses," I watched as she held a serioud expression. I knew this was going to get bad before it even started.

*

I was a nervous wreck on the ride home. I was running so many damn excuses in my head but I couldn't come up with a believeable one. This was ridiculous and she's insane. Why can't she understand that talking to Jessica will only make things worse?

I told Jessica that nobody knew that she was on drugs, and when Miss Shuler talks to her, she's going to know that I lied and then I'm really in for it.

I cannot believe this is happening.

When we pulled up, I was trying to calm my nerves. I couldn't hardly breathe and it was killing me. I had to think and I had to do it fast.

Miss Shuler shut the car off then opened her door. She stopped when she seen that I wasn't getting out. "Samantha?" she stared at me as I looked at her. "Are you ok?"

I looked ahead at the house and knew that this was the end of everything that I hoped would never happen.

"I'm fine but.." I tried to think hard about an excuse, anything, "My sister isn't home,"

I seen Miss Shuler look ahead and noticed that a car wasn't here. She looked back at me, "Where is she?" I shrugged and watched as she stared straight ahead. After a moment, she sighed, "Alright,"

Oh thank God!

I apologized then opened my door and got out. As I was walking up the porch, I heard her yell, "Have a great weekend, Samantha," I turned to see her backing out of the driveway.

I smiled as I watched her drive away then I unlocked the door and walked inside. I was tired and I wasn't in the mood for anything that I knew was going to happen.

As I shut the door, I turned and that's when my heart caught up in my throat as I seen that grin that I never wanted to see ever again.

"Well, there she is," he smiled at me and that's when I turned around to open the door and get the hell out of there. "Grab her!"

I fumbled with the damn door knob and I felt someone grab ahold of me and turn me around to face the guy. He grinned at me and walked towards me. I couldn't get my arms free because the guy that was holding me, was strong as hell.

He stopped in front of me then looked at the guy. "Let her go," I felt my body get released and the guy smiled at me. "Don't be afraid," he grabbed my neck and pushed me against the door. I grabbed his arm as he pressed me against the door with his grip tightened around my neck. "Now, we're not going to play any games, alright?" I couldn't nod as I was struggling to get out of his grip. "Tell me where your fucking sister is," I didn't say anything. The air from my lungs were giving out and I couldn't loosen his grip.

When I didn't say anything, he pulled out a gun and held it to my head. I shut my eyes as I could feel myself about to pass out. I felt the cold metal against my forehead but I couldn't do anything about it.

"I want that fucking money, and I want it now. Tell me or I'll kill you and her when I find her,"

I couldn't do anything as I struggled to breathe. I couldn't kick him because my legs were too weak. I couldn't twist his arm because my arms wasn't strong enough in this situation.

By the time I heard the gun click, it was too late as everything faded to black.