Her heart was a paper..

                                                                            ..and he had a pen.

It was supposed to be just an ordinary day.

I was supposed to have an annoying Sunday dinner with my family just like every single week, feel underestimated by my parents, or, more precisely, by my father lecturing me about how I should act more like a lady, politely and immaculately, and be, as he was saying, less distracted by music and writing which is, by the way, what I enjoyed doing the most.

My father..  Richard Wangberg I shall say, the director of Wangberg's Corporation, one of the major oil and gas companies in Europe.

You might think, "She's Wangberg's daughter. What she knows about life struggles?", and I understand you, undeniably, utterly..

Anyways, this isn't where I started with, let's say, my story. I'm not sure how many of you believe in dreams, or whatever awesome things you have planned up in your heart and mind, nor I'm not sure how many of you enjoy in long evening walks, but this time I'm taking you with me..

It was supposed to be just an ordinary day, but it was everything else but ordinary.

I got out from the shower, however slipped and almost fell down as I stepped on the wet floor, when I realized the rain has finally stopped. I quickly pulled my favourite black jeans on and some t-shirt I first found in the closet, wraped my hair into a towel and went downstairs where I found my mother huddled on her favourite part of the sofa, trying not to fall asleep, as usual.

I quietly sat next to her, pulled my bare feet onto the sofa and muted the sound of the tv whose light was giving this white, monotone living room some freshness, life.

"I was watching that." My mother mumbled as I was about to change the channel.

"Yes, of course you did. I heard you snoring all the way up to my room."

She lifted her head up and looked at me as I gently pushed her with my elbow, a smile on her lips, I could barely notice it, making her face less tired than it actually was.

"Is father at home?" I asked quietly while removing the towel off of my head.

"No, Lexi. He called saying he will come home late tonight." She paused taking deeper breath. "You don't have to call him 'father' when he's not home. Those are his rules, not mine. I prefer you being a normal teenager than pushing yourself to be something you're not."

Giving me a clue about her opinion, mom stopped talking for a while, as if something suddenly cut her off. She just motionlessly stared at me for few minutes as I lowered my head letting my wet, already wavy hair fall on my face so I wouldn't have to look into her eyes.

The things she was saying to me, sometimes felt like she knew me better than I knew myself.

I cleared my throat to break this odd silence when I felt an indentation on the other side of the sofa slowly disappearing, a shadow crossing over my body once mom got up.

"Mom?" I raised my head quickly and turned around to see her standing almost behind me. "Does that mean I can take a walk with Caroline tonight?"

I uncomfortably faked a smile, or whatever that was, and prayed she would be as an indulgent as always, but according to the look she gave me, my hopes kind of sank deeper than where they already were.

"Lexi, I always give in when it comes to you. I'm not sure about this time." She raised her index finger in the air, frowning, then turned around and started walking away from me.

"I know, mom!" 

I ran in front of her, smiling from ear to ear and picking cute words from my not so special vocabulary to reach to her. Crossing her arms on her chest just as she was about to walk into the kitchen, mom sighed a bit annoyed, angry, and looked at me.

"Come on, mom! Caroline and I have talked about this earlier today. I have to pick her up at 6 which means she's probably waiting for me already." I looked on to the watch. "We haven't seen each other since the summer break has begun."

"So you two have planned all of this?"

Mom placed her hands on her hips checking me out like I was the biggest liar ever. It was as if I did something illegal and by my parents' logic, this wasn't far from becoming it.

"Never mind, mom. It's fine."

I sighed lowering my head disappointing and just passed next to mom letting her behind me. It's not that I was actually disappointed because, through everything, I've learned to respect her decisions without fighting nor pouting, but it seems like this time I caught a little bit different feeling.

"Lexi." I immediately stopped walking when heard mom's voice. "Okay. Fine. You can go, but-"

"Thank you so much!" I cut her off by running into her embrace and, for a moment, I swear I heard her bones crackling as I hugged her tighter than ever.

I smiled so big, wish I could've seen my face, as excitement started engulfing my chest. And no. I'm not going to ask you if you think I'm crazy for getting so emotional over such a simple thing.

I know you do.

"Let me finish, Lexi." Mom has spoken up. "Be careful. You never know what kind of people are out there, even in this area."

I nodded, tried to push all the coming happiness deeper when I ran to the stairs as fast as possible, again, and got stopped by my mom. Exactly, again.

"And don't you dare to be late, because if your father comes home first, he's-"

"You're using that word." She concentrated on me. "I know what's going to happen and it's not that I've never been through it."

That uncomfortable, intense silence instantly set in, all around me, as if a thunder struck between us, there was no a single part of a hallway that could escape it's strong presence.

Of course I knew what is he going to do if he finds out I'm not at home, not to mention if I come home after him.

To put it mildly, if I had luck, I would wake up with only few bruises next morning.

Hearing my answer, mom just stood there several seconds, next to the kitchen door, staring at my suddenly serious face. I'm sure she was too worried, not to mention too scared and helpless, to say anything because she knew I was right. She couldn't deal with the fact that her husband is an abusive, careless human being who's never going to change no matter how hard she tried.

And trust me, she tried a lot.

I walked into my room, opened a closet and just dug out the first t-shirt I saw. I'm not used to special preparations anyways. Keeping it simple was my thing. I put on my shoes, haven't tied them as always, grabbed a rubber band and a leather jacket from the chair and ran downstairs.

"Mom, I'm leaving!" I yelled while putting my messy hair in a ponytail. "I'll be back soon, I promise!"

I closed the front door and soon felt always welcomed fresh summer evening air I've always liked so much, but as I was about to turn around, I bumped into a person who's shriek soon made me laugh.

"Caroline? What are you doing here!?" I asked surprised.

"Where the hell are you!? You should've picked me up at 6, dumbass!" Caroline squeezed my hand and pulled me behind as she started running.

"Caroline, stop!" I laughed as we got out of my yard and went down the street. "Where's the hurry? We are suppose to walk, like normal people, you know, not run!"

"Oh shut up Lexi!" She slapped my arm and gave me her well know angry look. "We're gonna be late if you don't speed up those skinny legs of yours."

"Excuse me?" I stopped in the middle of the road. "Late? Where do you think we're going?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know you don't like football and I know you're not drinking type, but we're just gonna have some fun. It's nothing you can't handle."

I crossed my arms on my chest not knowing what exactly to say not to sound like I was totally going to freak out. "Football? Are you serious right now? I thought we cleared that out, Care."

She groaned, grabbed my arm again and pulled me forward. "You're stupid."

Caroline laughed quietly, slung her arm around my neck letting me know everything's going to be fine.

"You know I mustn't be late and you know how that is the only thing standing on my way. If my father isn't such a "great" person, I would actually have a life." I said quietly tying the t-shirt I was wearing.

"I know, Lexi." Caroline replied even more quiet. "But you know what I'm gonna say to you. Your parents, well your dad actually, he's a bad person for what he's doing to you. You've been through a lot of shit and surrounded by bad people for a long time now, so you be the good one. You show them you're better than they'll ever be."

I sighed with relief hearing out what Caroline had to say and, one more time, I had that unexpected smile on my face which countinued moving me forward, to something better I hope.

I soon noticed a crowd of people going to same direction as we got closer to our school's yard where all sport games were held. Every year close to the end of a summer break, a new football season is opened what brings all the best football teams from all over the country to this place. I've never been to even one game, unlike Caroline.

As the matter of fact, I hated football.

"Are you deaf or something?" I suddenly felt soft blow on my shoulder, it was as if I just woke up from a pretty messed up dream. I looked at Caroline confused. "I asked you if you're going to watch the game or not?"

"You know I hate football."

Arching an eyebrow, I sighed sarcastically trying not to be rude as Caroline rolled her eyes again and entered a parking lot behind the school. I followed her closely, walked more cautiously than her, looked behind few times just in case and soon found myself in a group of people, my friends from school.

"Well, hello guys." I awkwardly saluted since me being out is not a very often thing to be seen.

"I can't believe. Lexi Wangberg is out tonight, people!" Rino, Caroline's younger sister, added, pouring some dark red, almost black, liquid into her plastic cup and I'm sure it wasn't grape juice according to the way she was talking.

"The father had finally let his girl go out with some people who migh actually like her?"

"Rino!" Caroline yelled. "One more word and I swear I'm gonna kick your ass so hard you won't be able to sit for days!"

"What!?" Rino asked intoxicated, the words coming unlear out of her mouth. "Did I say something wrong?"

I happen to pretend I was ignoring her, but, more or less, she was saying the truth.

The people around us were pretty excited, very loud, some of them were already at the stands cheering and some of them stayed here waiting for the game, most of them drunk to be precise, and, with all of that, all I could hear was my heart pounding as crazy.

"You're definitely deaf." I suddenly heard Caroline complaining about me not listening to her as I tucked lock of hair, which fell on my face, behind my ear. "Come with me."

I looked at her, frowning. "Where?"

"You said you wanted to take a walk, right?" She smiled when we started walking towards school. "I'm really sorry for Rino's behaviour. This whole puberty thing hit her pretty hard." We both laughed.

"Do you allow her to be here, to drink and stuff? I mean, she's only 16, Care." I peered at her worried.

"I know, but I can't do anything about it." She shook her head few times and for the first time, I didn't know what to say to make her feel, at least, less uncomfortable.

"Mom let her out again because that little dumbass of my sister probably told her she's going to sleepover at one of her friends. I let her to be with us so I can keep an eye on her and this is how she's returning it."

"If it's about what she said about me, don't worry about it. It's not that she said something wrong." I shrugged, looked at Caroline's annoyed and, somehow, tired face. "Just don't get so crazy about it. She's a smart girl and I'm sure she's not doing this to defy you. It's puberty, nothing we two haven't been through."

We stopped as I slowly lowered my hands on Caroline's bony shoulders forcing her to look at me. I laughed quitely, hoping she would do the same.

"Remember when you stalked that senior guy?" She suddenly laughed, just hard enough not to notice that I was about to hit her with my leg. "Maybe we find you a future boyfriend here."

"Don't you dare, Caroline!"

"Just walk and enjoy the view." I sighed when she looked at me arching a brow. "For God's sake. I almost forgot."

I furrowed my brows as they met in the middle when Caroline suddenly grabbed my hair pulling the rubber band down and let my freshly washed hair being caressed by the soft wind which was slowly becoming something colder than I expected it to be.

"Much better." She smiled contentedly, proudly, as if she did something very smart, when a dose of shame fell over my face.

As the summer was almost over, the days became shorter and not so warm anymore which means nigh came in no time. I remember getting to the toilet after the game, which, by the way, I don't know how ended, and when I came out it was already too dark to see anything in front of me clearly so I rather walked slowly before I hit something or, God forbid, someone. I went back to the place where Caroline and I first came just to find all of them sitting on the ground, including Caroline.

"Care, I should really-" I crawled my hands into the jacket sleeves as it got colder when I noticed Caroline hiding what was pretty obvious and not possible to hide.

"Are you smoking!?" I stood there next to her openmouthed, confused, not to mention I freaked out.

"It's nothing, Lex.."

A nice shapped ball of smoke came out of her trembling mouth, her eyes swollen and watery, stiff smile on her pale and tired face what all together gave a clear picture about what was going on here.

"Get up. We're going home." I pulled her arm when she ripped out of my hand.

"I'm fine, I'm not going anywhere yet. It's not even 10. Chill, Lex." She laughed without even having a reason, passed the joint to some guy sitting next to her what made me feel even more uncomfortable and insecure.

"We have to go, Care!"

"You have to go."

She muttered, emphasizing the first word and making me realize she was actually saying the truth. On one hand, it wasn't really late, it wasn't even 10 pm. On the other hand, you can notice this is me talking so I probably just crossed hundreds of my father's rules by saying that.

"Stay with us, gurl." One of the guys that were with Caroline stood up, trying to grab my waist. "Nothing will happen to you."

"Don't touch me." I immediately backed away from him, placing my arms in front of myself, chest-high, as if I was about to hit him if he comes any closer.

"Dude, leave her alone. She's not like that." I heard Caroline's weak voice breaking through the noise when that guy sat on to the ground again, grabbing a bottle of beer.

"I'll take care of her." I turned my head to the left just to see a girl I used to hang out with and Caroline's sister with her. "I wasn't drinking, don't worry." She smiled at me as I nodded and a big relief suddenly engulfed my body realizing she was telling the truth.

I looked at Rino before leaving this place. She nodded, which surprised me, placing her hands on Caroline's shoulders and letting her sister to lean on her legs. No matter how hard for me was to leave, since Caroline was in a bad shape, as soon as I knew she was safe with people she actually knew, I left this place as fast as I could.

My house was not too far away from school, but it wasn't so close either which meant I had to run, like fast. It was dark, what scared the hell out of me, cold and not so traffic either which was pretty weird for this part of the day.

What scared me the most, was what's going to happen when I get home. I couldn't imagine another painfull morning, another week spent in tears. I didn't want to.

My whole head preoccupied with all those thoughts made me totally forget I'm in the middle of the street when a pair of purely bright lights suddenly dazzeled my eyes and a long, loud screech of brakes played through my ears.

I have never been afraid of dark nor anything similar to it. Believing that it could actually hurt me or that there's something strange living in it, seemed pretty much stupid and unreal. Until tonight, when every inch of darkness' hands has felt just a bit scarier, thicker than the other one, where all the lights I could've seen, felt like they've never existed.

I closed my eyes, squeezed them so tightly that some weird, clenching pain started surrounding them immediately, pocking my skin like if someone hammered thousands of needles in my face, my ears fullfiled with the same high pitched melodie from a second ago I couldn't get rid of, the sound of brakes scratching the road like as if they had a huge fight what all together made me fell like I'm going to pass out very soon.

I just stood there, in the middle of a completely empty street, like if I suddently went crazy, like if someone compeled me not to move nor to do anything else. I couldn't take my mind of of what just happened. I wasn't even sure if I knew what actually happened until I heard muttering, more like someone complaining and laughing in the same time, arguing about something yet laughing again as car's front door oppened and my jaw dropped instantly.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!?"

I freezed, my heart pounding as if it was about to rip my chest, my knees shaking and my throat going dry as paper as I tried to keep my eyes on the ground, but as soon as a pair of feet appeared in front of me, I couldn't hold it anymore.

"Apart from being blind, you're deaf too? What the fuck was that!?"

I fearfully raised my head, glanced, just to see a guy in front of me as he was standing calmly, only few feet away from me, pure anger on his face, unexplainable darkness in the corner of his eyes. Just the way he was looking at me and standing there made me wish I could die right now, his hair, I swear I could feel it's softness without touching it, it was messy and tousled, but groomed from what I could see, as blonde bangs fell accros his right eye making his look even more intimidating than it already was.

"I was just-" I cut myself off not knowing what to say exactly when I felt my hand's shaking, getting sweaty. "I'm sorry-... I was just-.."

"You're sorry?" He came closer when I widened my eyes feeling him so close to me. "What the fuck is that suppose to mean? Should that fix the fact that I almost crashed my damn car?" He waved with his hands staring at me, his eyes getting darker and darker with every single word coming out of his mouth and everytime our eyes would meet, it feelt like a train has driven over me.

I bet that would feel less stressful and scarier than this.

"Oh my God.. " I whispered shakily.

I tucked my hair behind my ears, looked at the guy in front of me, stared at him for a while not being able to look into anything else but just him. The intense silence I shared with my mom was nothing compared to this.

I could hear the wind whispering into my ears whenever it had a chance to, but it was soon interrupted by a laughter, an another voice coming from behind the guy.

"C'mon, she's hot, Adam. No talk needed!"

A yell thrilled my ears, a dose of amusement in it stabbing me so hard I could actually feel the pain in my stomach, my lips shaking like if it was the middle of the winter, my mind messed up with all those thoughts running up and down, in every possible direction.

The guy sighed. "Shut the fuck up, Sam, and get your ass back in the car!" He turned his head back, yelled even angrier than before, then turned to me again giving me all of his attention wanting to hear me say something finally when I accidentally noticed a sheen in inner leather jacket pocket he was wearing.

You know that feeling when you know you screwed up, but you don't know what exactly? Well, it happened right now, here, on this place. I felt something weird, a thought in my head, a voice in my chest telling me I did something I wasn't supposed to.

I didn't understand any of that, not to mention I was completely lost in both time and space, until I caught myself staring like lunatic at his jacket and, as soon as I raised my head, him staring at me, his jaw perfectly clear, bulged on his pale cheeks.

I widened my eyes not knowing what to do for the hundred and second time today. I stared at him suddenly feeling an enormous presure rising against my chest, in my head, making me so nervous my body started to shake like crazy, my limbs going numb soon as I saw the metal thing in his pocket.

I turned my head to the side nervously. "I'm s-sorry-.. I'm really sorry." Gulping the salvia that got stucked in my dry throat, I looked at him once again noticing him frowning, his eyes getting smaller as if he just figured something out. "Uhm, I should really-..." I stopped for a second. "I should really go."

My mind was so messed up as if an airplane has crashed in there, from the fact that it's too late and that my father is probably home already to the fact that I couldn't move even a finger right now.

I was so ready to make the first step, I just needed to move my damn legs, get accros the street and come home, but the second I actually encouraged myself to do that, a shadow crossed my way and I found myself in so much pain and fear that I couldn't even scream.

"No, no.. please!" My voice quivering. "I didn't see anything!" I couldn't follow what was going on, especially when my vision got blurred all of a sudden and I felt my eyes getting watery. "Please don't hurt me..."

"Just shut up!"

His fingers strongly pressed my arms what instantly felt more than just painful and dreadful. His teeth pressed against each other, so strong I could almost hear them crunching, his eyes filled with rage and unspeakable, yet unseen despair, something I've never seen in my life before.

I don't know if I was more afraid of him or of a thought what he could actually do to me.

I didn't even process what just happened, not even when I found myself on the back seat of the car that almost hit me, sharing company with two guys, one on the passenger seat, the other one next to me.

"That was very rude of you, Adam." The guy next to me said, laughing, while checking me out what felt disgusting and almost unbearable as I curled up and tried to stay as calm as possible.

The one who grabbed me, Adam, I suppose that's his name according to what I heard, sat on the driver's seat turning the keys and starting the car. "So, let's take a little ride."

I glanced to the rearview mirror hearing him talk, saw nothing but a smirk on his thin, not so red lips, blonde bangs falling over an unknown eyes which got stucked on me few times instead of on the road and I didn't even noticed that until we drove under one of the street lights and two sparkles got revealed.

I'm so dead. I don't know what to expect nor what to do or say. I was just sitting there with completely unfamiliar people, people who scared me more than anything ever has, and sobbing as quite as possible before I annoy someone and help them to kill me even faster.

"Wait a minute." The guy next to me started talking all of a sudden. "I know you. You're that famous dude's daughter." He pointed his finger at me, smiling. "Wangberg, right?"

I looked at him surprisingly then slowly glanced to the rearview mirror again hoping to catch those eyes looking at me again. "Please, let me go." I whispered frightened.

"Please, let me go." The guy next to me imitated me, waving his hands in the air. "Bla, bla girl. Apparently, you're famous and I'm not, my name is Sam by the way," He offered me his hand, smiling sarcasticaly, seems like he was really amused by all of this. "but your life kinda deppends on our good will, ya know? So do we have a deal?"

"I'm just-.." I didn't know what to say, but the three of them were clearly having a lot of fun. "I promise I won't say anything.."

I felt my nails dig into my knees as I got nervous when I started talking without even thinking about what should I say first.

"Of course you're not." Adam chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road. "I'm gonna make sure you don't say a word."

I completely froze and stared in front of myself couple of minutes, licking my lips nervously.

Sam looked at me while talking to Adam. "You two seem too intense."

"She saw my gun. Should've I just let her go and have cops knockin' on my door the next mornin'?" I happen to just stare to the ground without even trying to say anything. I joined to the silence that suddenly stepped in and no one even tried to answer. "That's what I thought."Adam said.

Sam got serious, for fun. "Well, holy shit then. Girl, I hope you lived your life to the fullest because you're screwed now."

I'm not really sure what's happening now nor what's going to happen later to me, but I'm pretty sure he was telling the truth.

"So, Sam, you said Wangberg, huh?" Adam asked interested, smirk on his thin lips, his voice raspy, rough, but somehow, very gentle on the other hand. He looked at me. "You're some crazy ass chick when you walk 'round the town like you've lost your head."

Everyone laughed, especially the one on passenger's seat, the one who happen to be quite all this time. I lowered my head and let my hair hide the face that got all covered in senseless tears, my throat dry again, my heart going utterly crazy.

"C'mon, we're just warming up. Relax and enjoy the ride, girl. You seem too nervous for such a famous person."

"I'm not!" I answered totally thoughtless.

"What exactly?" He asked sarcasticaly. "Nervous? Because if so, I can actually hear your teeth chattering."

I frowned hearing his words and just blurted what was on my mind. "And you seem too annoying for such a pretty named person." I wanted to hit myself for saying something like this to a person who might actually erase my name with the face of the Earth.

Adam smirked. "Wow, she speaks." He shook his head couple of times, making an annoying noise with his mouth. "You girls happen to be not so careful with choosing words these days." He looked at me through rearview mirror, winking at me.

I closed my eyes trying not to listen to him nor to any kind of sound as everything started making me completely annoyed and, just like he said, nervous, but then an unexpected, strong force suddenly throw my body into the back of the seat as we speed up. I grabbed the door's hande and held it as tight as possible, wanted to scream so hard, so loud, till someone hears me, but I just couldn't.

I was not allowed to.

"This is cool, right?" Sam asked politely, weird, but politely, and I just happen to nod without even wanting to. It seemed like he really enjoyed the speed while I was holding an urge to vomit.

Surprisingly, I was even about to answer when Adam jumped in. "I heard so many fucked up pick up lines, but this one is completely fucked up." He laughed. "Dude, she's not gonna give it to you like that."

"At least someone will unlike in your case." They pretty much got into a conversation I really didn't want to be listening to.

Adam just sighed having the same smirk on his lips since I first saw him. He was so up to messing around with people what, honestly, made him even more mysterious and intimidating.

"So, how old are you?"

I looked at Sam surprisingly, still processing the whole question I was asked. Without even a second thought, I knew I had to answer. I didn't want to take any risks anymore.

"I'm seventeen..." I spit that out like if something hit me when his eyes widened, his face turning from amused to completely serious when he pushed me away as he leaned closer to the front.

"What the fuck, Adam!?" He yelled. "You fucking asshole, you kidnapped a kid dude!" Sam leaned his elbows onto the each of the front seats. "I know you're crazy and stuff, but this is not what we've talked about!"

"What do you want now?" Adam asked not interested, keeping his eyes on the road.

"She's fucking seventeen!"