I slam the door to my locker, shifting my backpack into a more comfortable position.

"Oh look! She's crying! It feels!" Hanna says.

"You mean the skank feels." Glimmer says. I keep walking, tugging my sleeves up high, to cover the secrets on my wrists. Everyone in hearing range laughs.

"What a whore." Clove says.

"And a cunt." Kaley says louder.

What is that? 27? 28?

I think it's 26, actually.

No clue, I've lost count.

"Oh Katpiss! You left your used condom!" Glimmer screams down the hallway. The tears start to pour. "Katpiss!" Glimmer calls. I keep going straight. This is the main hallway. I dig my keys out of my bag as I walk past the lunchroom, which is half of a half wall.

It's hard to explain, but the whole lunchroom is walled in by a blue wall about the size of a white picket fence.

"Katpiss!" Glimmer screams.

I shove out into the sunlight.

I head across the street, into the senior parking lot, locking my cheery red jeep wrangler and getting in, slamming the door. I don't bother wiping my tears; they'll be back.

I always take the long way home. It calms me enough to get me through the front door.

I honk my horn at someone who nearly read ended me right before I take a right and head home.

My name is Katniss Joy Abernathy, I am seventeen years old and a senior at Osceola Fundamental High School.

I live in Clearwater, Florida directly on Clearwater beach. The beach is my back yard, literally. I live with my Dad, Haymitch Abernathy, my Mom, Effie Trinket, and my Sister, Primrose Lilac Abernathy. Mom didn't take Dad's last name in marriage.

I have a good family and I have good money. I have everything I could ever possibly want.

But then you ask me about school, and everything I just said doesn't matter; because school is my own personal hell.

I vowed to myself in ninth grade I would drop out when I was eighteen.

Unfortunately, my birthday isn't till May, and then there's only like two months left. I may do it, but I don't know.

I'm being bullied, bad.

I have not a single friend. My only friend is my golden retriever, Buster.

I get out at one thirty five, get to relax for an hour and then have to go get my sister Prim, who is in eighth grade, for her middle school, Clearwater Fundamental.

Dad won't be home till nine, because he has to ma mange his huge business. He owns a huge laptop company so we're kind of rich. Mom works at a daycare, even though she doesn't need to. She gets home at five.

I walk into the house and throw my bag down into the couch, running upstairs to my bathroom.

I need relief, and since not a single person that gives a damn about me knows I've been being bullied since ninth grade, I don't know any other way to handle this.

Thank god it's Friday.

I have a rule. Only one cut per repeated word towards me.

For example, if someone calls me a whore at lunch, like today, and then someone else calls me a whore later, then that is one cut.

I count all of them in my head. Eight today. Yesterday it was just seven.

I begin to slice, pushing down. The relief is immediate.

I watch in pleasure as blood pours from my wrist and down the drain.

I clean the fresh cut and wrap it up in a water proof bandage, since its rainy today.

I strip naked and don't look at

Myself in the mirror as I take a shower, getting out from the sound of my alarm, telling me to gofer Prim.

Les see, what were the words today...

Whore

Cunt

Prick

Slut

Skank

Prostitute

Bitch

And then...twat.

I get dressed in another hoodie and jeans and converse.

I do have really cute clothes, but I just can't wear them because I have things to hide.

Like my wrists; definitely my wrists. I'm not ashamed of being extremely skinny. That's not m fault, I'm naturally skinny and apparently have a natural "sexy body" as my friend from middle school, Gale says. He moved away and then moved back and knows he's one of the girls bully's boyfriends. I think it's Kaley's.

Everything that happened today starts to play in my head as I drive the half hour to Clearwater Fundamental.

First, I got to school and everyone in the lunch room left; as usual. Second, I went to first period as was tripped on the stairs, causing me to re-open another cut. Third, I went to second and the same thing happened, but this time I fell down the stairs. Forth, I went to third and got hit multiple times in the face with the balls, causing me to get sent to the nurse my coach Palmer for a bloody nose. Fifth, I went to fourth and got shouted at by the French teacher for misspelling a word. Sixth, I went to lunch and hid behind the half wall, completely alone, listening the Glimmer spread rumors that I fucked her boyfriend Cato, causing them to break out, when really, she fucked Clove's boyfriend Marvel, making them to break up with their boyfriends for cheating, which they weren't, and then resumed the bully group. Seventh, I went to fifth and once again, got yelled at by a teacher. Eighth, I went to fifth and got partnered with not only Glimmer, but Clove too, who immediately handed me all the work and then asked to go to the bathroom so they could to do pot. Ninth, went to sixth and got asked by a teacher if I had still been a virgin. Yes, the teachers believe the rumors. Tenth, I went to my last class, which is math. I have Mr. Cinna for that class. He's actually nice to me, but he did tell me that if I don't pick up my grades I was going to fail. As then eleventh, I went I my locker and got called every single name in the insult dictionary, and then went home sobbing.

And now I'm here, driving Prim home from school.

"How was school?" I ask.

"Boring," she says. That's her answer every time I ask that. It's alright though, she gets that from me. I sigh and go back to my thoughts.

You know I actually used to be inseparable with their whole group?

I mean Glimmer, Clove, Kaley, Hanna, Morgan and Cameron. And yes, all of them are female.

When we get to the house, Prim goes right on the kitchen.

I get everything I need for homework and go up to my bedroom, out to the balcony.

...

Katniss honey! Time for dinner!" Mom calls up the stairs.

"Coming!" I shout. I quickly answer the last math question on my homework and then go inside again from the balcony. I drop all my books on my bed and tug on my sleeves so cover my cuts, fresh and scar. When I walk into the dining room, I'm surprised to see both my parents.

Which means either me or Prim are in trouble, because Dad shouldn't be home for a few more hours. One glance at Prim tells me she's thinking exactly what I'm thinking.

The thing me, my and my father think identically. I know how his mind works and I know the triggers. I normally I'm the one to speak up, because Prim won't.

"You aren't supposed to be home till nine." I say suspiciously.

"Well not anymore." He says with his eyes narrowed. I sit down.

"Why?" I demand.

"Well...the school called today." He begins. It's me, not Prim. "And they told me something interesting." He adds. I sit back and cross my arms.

"Honey...why did you leave school crying today? And every other day?" It's only October...

"I didn't," I lie.

"Katniss, don't lie." Dad warns.

"I didn't!" I say. If they see the cuts, they're going to freak out; and to be completely honest, I'm ashamed of them.

"I'm not lying." I say. I don't want to cry, so I force the tears back. I hate crying but I'm so vulnerable that I can't help it.

"Stand up." Dad orders.

"No." I say.

"Stand up!" He says. I know better than to argue with him.

"Sweatshirt off." Oh god. No! "Katniss right now." He says. I only have a tank top on.

I sigh and pull off the sweatshirt.

He doesn't hesitate to grab my wrist and flip it over.

Not a second later, I rip my arm from his grip and fly out of the dining room, out the back door and onto the sand.

"Katniss!" Dad calls after me. I don't stop.

After a mile, and I'm positive that they're not following me, I start walking, my arms crossed, tears sliding down my cheeks.

"Loner," someone says. They go to my school, obviously.

"Loser," her friend says. They start laughing.

I don't even talk at school unless I'm in class, and even then, I'm whispering. I keep walking for an hour and the sun is setting now.

I shove past someone.

"Sorry," I whisper. I start to walk again.

"Hey!" He person, a guy calls. "Hey wait!" I know that voice. I look over my shoulder and groan under my breath with I see the most popular guy in the entire school behind me. "Katniss! Wait!"

There's no point to running away anymore. I'm tired of running, I'm ready to give up.

I sigh and stop walking.

"What could you possibly want? Are you here to call me a whore or a slut of a skank?" I snap. He's standing directly in front of me.

"Why are you crying?" He asks gently. I wipe my tears angrily.

"Why do you care?" I snap.

"Because you intrigue me." He says. I glare at him.

"Leave me alone." I say angrily.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because you don't care, nobody fucking cares." I start walking in the direction of my house and he keeps up effortlessly.

"I care." He says. I snort and roll my eyes, shaking my head.

"That's real funny." I snap. He sighs.

"I'm Peeta Mellark." He says.

"I know who you are." I round on him. "Why do you even care?" I hiss.

"You're Katniss Abernathy," he says.

"Yes." I snarl.

"You should talk more at school. You're always so quiet." He says. I glare at him.

"Leave me alone." I start walking again, for the second time.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because I told you to." I don't even have a good reason.

"That's not a good reason." He says.

"I don't give a shit." I say.

"Sit with me and my friends at lunch on Monday." He says.

"No." I run away. He calls my name and chases after me, but I'm not stopping.

He follows me all the way home.

"You live there?" He asks, shocked. I huff and walk inside, slamming the door and pulling the blinds. Prim is on the couch with her head in Mom's lap, both of them crying. Dad scrubs his face with him hands repeatedly.

"I'm sending you to live with Aunt Annabella." He says.

"No!" I burst.

"Yes." He says.

"I'm not going there. I'm perfectly fine." I snap.

"You are not perfectly fine! Your cutting yourself because your being bullied!" He says.

"Well I don't have anyone to talk to about it." I snap.

"What's the girls name?" Mom asks. I bite my lip.

"What's her name?" Dad demands.

I look down.

"Glimmer Marcus." I mumble.

"Glimmer! She's your best friend!" Mom says.

"She's not my best friend. She hasn't been since ninth grade." I say. "It's her and Clove and Kalye and Hanna and a couple other people." I say.

"I want you to invite a friend over tomorrow. No, you know what, I want you to invite a whole group of your friends over tomorrow." Dad says. "Either that or I send you to Aunt Annabella." I huff and storm upstairs, slamming the door to my bedroom and locking it.

...

The next morning, I'm up at six.

I don't have any friends to bring over. Looks like I'm going to Aunt Annabella.

And they know I don't have friends.

I throw the covers off me and go downstairs. They're already awake.

I'm going out." I say as I tie on my vans. I'm in shorts and a t-shirt, my hair down.

"Don't forget about that friend." Dad says.

"You know damn well I have no friends." I grab my longboard from behind the door, ignoring Mom's scolding for "inappropriate language"

I make sure my phone is in my back pocket and I have money in my pocket with it.

I walk out the front door, slamming it behind me.

I drop my longboard am kick off, speeding down the sidewalk. I live about a mile from all the stores and the pier on Clearwater beach, but I still live on the beach, it's just the stores are far away.

I head down, way away from the house.

I stop by the gas station and get a soda, heading right back out and setting off again.

I pull my iPhone 5 out when it vibrates, still riding.

Prim: where did you go?

Me: long boarding

Prim: are you okay?

Me: I'm fine

Prim: are you sure?

Me: I-

I slam right into someone, causing both of us to go flying backwards. I yelp as my wrist re-opens, and then the pain in my butt.

"Oh man!" Are you fucking kidding me? "Katniss, are you okay?" It's Peeta Mellark, the guy I ran into last night.

"Are you stalking me?" I demand as I stand up.

"Uh you ran into me." He says as I stand up, snatching my longboard right out of the road. "Your bleeding." He says.

And stupid me, completely forgets.

"I am?" I ask.

"Yeah, right-" he cuts of when he turns my wrist over to show me the cut. His breath cuts off, too.

Tears fill my eyes.

No! I didn't want anyone to know!

I look from my cuts to his shocked face, to my cuts and then his face again.

"Bye!" I drop my longboard and take off on it, tears sliding down my cheeks.

So...as you can see, this story is going to be sad for a while.