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 ♢    Smiles In Nightmares      ♢  

 Prologue

---_________X _________---

''Inside a gargantuan hospital room full of scintillating light which was emitted from cylinders fixed into the shallow ceiling, sat a young boy by his mother, who was holding an infant on a sterile bed. Beside her was a handsome adult in his mid-30s. Monitors filled the room and swept the eerie silence out the door, only to replace it with sinister beeping. The mother reached to take the boy's hand and seized it with passion. She squeezed tightly. He squeezed tighter. The Monitors' drone seemed to fill the boy with dread, and hopeless emptiness. The man, who was once at the mother's side, had taken the infant into his arms and had walked over to the door. "It's time, Gavin. The doctors need us out of the room." But the boy only shook his head in disgust at the man for walking out so easily. He looked over to his mother only to find she was sleeping. The once patient man was now shouting, his voice stern and somewhat panicked. "Gavin, if you don't get your little butt outside of this door right now, you and I, are going to have a few problems." Gavin squeezed his mother's hand before arousing from his position on the wooden chair. When she didn't squeeze back, like she had earlier, he clutched her hand once more, tighter this time then in the past. She still didn't respond. Suddenly, the monitors' singing dropped to a low, hollow, persistant buzzing. Gavin didn't have time to ask what was wrong before the man had picked him up by the waist, holding the infant loosely in the other arm, and ran both of the children out the door as doctors with large, ghastly equipment rushed in. ''

''"Arron," Gavin asked the man, his voice high and dismal. "what's wrong with Mom?" The man did nothing but spank the child, without care or genuine responsibility, for he just wanted something to take his anger out on. When the doctors came out, their heads lowered, their masks dangling below their chins, their hair tangled and sloppy, that's when he knew. His butt now raw from the spankings his stepfather gave him, the corners of his mouth dropped, his baby sister screaming in his stepfather's arms, he knew now, that his mother, was dead.''

 Chapter One <p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:large;color:rgb(53,80,90);line-height:20px;">~6 Years Later~  <p style="text-align:center;">---_________X _________---

<p style="text-align:center;">''A hammering coming from the other side of my bedroom door woke me up that foggy morning. I groaned, gathering my scattered mind, and realized that it was my first day of school this year. I was now in 11th grade. I curse under my breath before arousing from under my navy blue bedspread and throwing on a dark gray T-shirt. I sigh, throwing miscellaneous school supplies into my rugged backpack. ''

<p style="text-align:center;">''After throwing on appropriate clothing, dark blue jeans and a shirt in better condition than the gray one, I sling my bag over my shoulder and drag my feet into my sister's room. "Sarah," I whisper, only loud enough to wake her from her gentle slumber. "Get up, please. It's your first day of school and we don't want to be late." She nods, grunts, and slowly uncovers herself from under the thick princess comforter, revealing a pink, rugged, cotton nightgown. I leave the room, shutting the door gently, careful not to anger my short-tempered stepfather, to allow Sarah to dress properly for public. I walk back into my room, siezing my blackberry cell from my chipped wooden nightstand and throwing it into my backpack. Waiting for Sarah to dress and brush her hair, I run to the bathroom to comb my hair and brush my teeth. There on the sink lies my blue toothbrush, bristles crooked and worn from daily use. I grasp it in my hand, squeeze a little toothpaste onto the bristles, and begin to brush my teeth.''

<p style="text-align:center;">''Looking in the mirror is something I rarely do, yet here I am, staring at my reflection. My complextion unsettled; my brown hair ruffled; my freckles arranged in a disturbed array; my brown eyes, timid. I look like my mother. Her brown eyes apprehensive, her brown hair unbrushed, her splattered freckles. I shake my head, clearing the memory. ''

<p style="text-align:center;">''From the bathroom I hear a drunken shout. "Sarah! I swear, touch my whiskey bottle again, and you won't be so quick to explore any time soon!"''

<p style="text-align:center;">''An internal scream sparks my audacious will, and I run from the bathroom to the small, dim livingroom where Sarah stands, 10 yards from Arron, blushing and ready to cry. "Arron, yell at her again, and then you won't be so quick to shout any time soon." I say trying to sound sedulous.''

<p style="text-align:center;">''He slams his beer down onto the round table with his left hand and pushes himself up, from his sitting position at the kitchen table, with his right. Shuffling over to me, he raises a hand. I stand, ready for the punishment he has to offer me this time. ''

<p style="text-align:center;">''Sarah runs to cling onto my leg, in a desperate cry of sentiment before Arron puts a foot forward and slaps my freckled cheek with his left hand. He then leans in real close, his breath and skin smelling of booze, and shouts in my ear, "You threaten me again, boy, and you'll get more than a mere slap on the face. Understand?"''

<p style="text-align:center;">I nod.

<p style="text-align:center;">"UNDERSTAND?"

<p style="text-align:center;">"Yes, Arron," I mutter, using everything I have to refrain from ripping his head off.

<p style="text-align:center;">"Good. Now, off to school with you both."

<p style="text-align:center;">''I nod and put my arm around Sarah's petite frame, grabbed her backpack and felt to see mine was still on my shoulder, and giuded her out the door onto the sidewalk. We walk in silence most of the way, for seeing me get slapped by Sarah's father is hard for her to comprehend. She hardly understands that Arron is only my stepfather, not my real dad. I sigh, the autumn air starting to show as it turns our breaths to white puffs. ''

<p style="text-align:center;">''"Are you alright, Sarah?" I ask, returning to my rutine of acknowledging Sarah's peace.''

<p style="text-align:center;">Silence.

<p style="text-align:center;">"I'm okay, really. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

<p style="text-align:center;">"You just love getting hurt, though, don't you," She squealed, her voice squeaky and terrified."You always try to stick up for me, but you can't so you always get hurt, and I can't stop it! I can't stop it, Gavin!"

<p style="text-align:center;">''I stop walking to crouch down and give her a tight squeeze. I whisper, "I love you, Sarah. That's all that matters."''

<p style="text-align:center;">''She doesn't answer, but instead waits for me to release her of the tight hug to resume walking. I sigh and begin walking after her. I stop when there's a faint tap on my shoulder blade. I turn, curious and slightly scared of what I may find. Behind me stands the beautiful character which just so happens to be my eerie, yet kind, girlfriend, Delphi. I greet her with a gentle kiss, brushing back the stray hairs that cover her complexion. Sarah has turned back to watch, her face reading disgust at the sight of mine and Delphi's "hello". However, it doesn't take her long to smile and continue walking towards her elementary school. ''

<p style="text-align:center;">''I reach over and carefully grab Delphi's hand, interweaving my fingers with hers as she looks at me and smiles before frowning again and tearing her gaze to stare at the morning sunrise. "You got beaten again this morning, didn't you."''

<p style="text-align:center;">''"No," I respond. "Only slapped."''

<p style="text-align:center;">''She left her hand in mine, but didn't answer until we had gotten to school. "You better be careful before he does something seriously terrible, Gavin." She stretched and stood onto her tiptoes to brush my freckled cheek with her lips before breaking away to head to class.''

<p style="text-align:center;">I sigh and catch sight of Marcus in the teen-cluttered hallway.

<p style="text-align:center;">I speed over toward him, acquiring his attention with my speech, "Hey, dude. How was your summer?"

<p style="text-align:center;">"Pretty great, I guess."

<p style="text-align:center;">"Yeah, have you seen Trevor, or how about Kylee?"

<p style="text-align:center;">"Umm, nope, I think Trevor's first class is math though."

<p style="text-align:center;">''I nod, now having a reason to be excited for first period math. The bell rings and Marcus breaks away just before the hallway is painted with running teens with binders containing loose, unmarked, papers. I sigh, not sure whether to hope the day ends quickly so I can walk Delphi home sooner, or hope it's stretched out so I can avoid Arron longer.''

<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:xx-large;color:rgb(53,80,90);font-weight:normal;">Chapter Two

<p style="text-align:center;">---_________X _________---

<p style="text-align:center;">''The day had gone by quickly, which I guess I was happy about since I'd get to take Delphi home sooner. Me, Kylee, Delphi, and Marcus all had science last period and had all decided to sit at a table together. The teacher, Mr. Leckbetter had begun to call role when a few rowdy boys in the back corner of the room began to speak to each other in boisterous tones. Mr. Leckbetter looked at them, his eyes containing displeasure and disappointment. He resumed his task when they got the message to shut up. He got through the rolecall list of names quickly and easily and began into the lesson. I didn't listen to much of his curriculum though, for I was busy staring at Delphi's beautifully focused complexion and how her eyebrows slightly tilted inward while she took notes. Her thick, blonde hair cascaded over her slender shoulders like a cataract. Her light blue painted nails reflected the light emitted from the ceiling. She's perfect in every. single. way. I continued to study her, absorbing every flawless crease. Although, every once and a while Marcus or Kylee would give me a look of bewilderment, but I didn't mind. I'm just lucky enough to call Delphi my one and only girlfriend.''

<p style="text-align:center;">''After the lesson was over, Mr. Leckbetter had stopped his droning about parent meetings and project plans, and the bell had rang Delphi, Kylee, Marcus, and I stood and I took Dephi's hand once again. I think we were all pleased with how the first day of school went for us, as teens in Eleventh Grade.''

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