I'd recommend reading "Enter Fifteen" first since this story directly follows it.

Warning: Mentions of child abuse.

Pairings for this fic: AxelxKoxra, RoxasxXion, and OCxCanon

Disclaimer: I only own Liv, her parents, anyone she goes to school with, Koxra, and Koxra and Demyx's cats.

Nine-year-old Liv Staver was in her room, crying. Now that the shock had left her, reality was sinking in. Why did she just run into the street like that? Her mother had told her time and time again not to, but she had never listened. She had never seen that car coming around the corner.

Liv shook her head. It was too painful to continue thinking about it. If she did, she would surely never stop crying. There was a crash as her bedroom door was thrust open.

Standing in the doorway was her thirty-five-year-old father, Dave. His hazel eyes, which she had inherited, were horribly bloodshot. His dark red hair was sticking up as though he had stuck his finger in an electric socket. He took a drink from the beer bottle in his hand. Ever since the accident, he claimed that the beer was as good as medicine since it made him forget the pain.

"Get moving," he said. "I don't want to get a call from the principal about you being late again." Liv wiped her tears.

"Can't I stay home today? I feel horrible." Dave shook his head.

"Whatever. Take a nap. Throw yourself off the roof. Just don't bug me." He left and shut the door.

Liv crawled back into bed. Her father had been acting like that since he started drinking. It was as though he didn't care anymore. Had her mother still been here, he would not be acting this way. She cried harder. If she hadn't been out in the road, her mother would still be here.

*Seven Years Later

Dave stood up with a beer bottle in his hand. He was rarely separated from what he had originally called his 'comfort medicine' nowadays. He eyed his now sixteen-year-old daughter as she entered the front door.

"And where were you, ya bitch?" Liv trembled.

"I just got held up. My English teacher had to talk to me." Dave hit her arm with the beer bottle.

"You know damn well not to take any longer than normal! You're lucky I let you go to school." Liv backed up. Dave could be pretty easily understood for someone who was drunk. Though, maybe it was because she had lived with him for so long. Liv knew explaining herself would likely be futile, but she had to at least try to avoid extra damage.

"Please, Dad, I won't do it again. I'll come straight home next time."

"That's what ya say every time and it always happens again!" Dave snapped. "I guess you need some punishment so you learn about curfew!" He punched her in the stomach and she crashed into the table. She gasped and tried to sit up.

"Please, I promise! I'll listen!" Dave dug out a knife and shoved it in her face.

"Unless you want me to use this, go to your room and shut up!" Liv nodded and crawled to her room with tears in her eyes. Once she had managed to shut the door, she sat, leaning up against her wall. Thankfully, he hadn't been in a bad enough mood to use the knife without giving her a chance to get away tonight. She lifted her shirt and looked down. Her stomach would bruise for sure. It was a good thing she didn't have gym class tomorrow.

A thought just occurred to Liv and she headed over to her mirror. She wiped the tears that were clouding her vision and got a better look at her face. It was red from her tears and had a few cuts from the shattered glass. She would have to cover them up before she left for school tomorrow. She decided to set her alarm clock now and wait until Dave was either asleep or passed out to risk sneaking across the hall for a shower.

*the next day

"Hey, wake up." Liv opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. Apparently, Cal realized she had fallen asleep again.

"Didn't get much sleep last night," she explained in a whisper. The brown-eyed, blue-haired boy studied her.

"Looking at you, I believe it."

"Mr. Silver, perhaps you can give us an answer," said Mrs. Emmett. Cal turned to her.

"Sorry, what was the question?"

"What is the quadratic formula," asked Mrs. Emmett.

"B over four A C," Cal replied, uncertainly. Mrs. Emmett sighed.

"That is incorrect. This will be on the test next week. You should know it."

"Math never was my strong suit, Mrs. Emmett," said Cal.

"Whether or not it is isn't the issue," Mrs. Emmett replied. "I get the feeling that you haven't been paying much attention all period."

"Sorry," said Cal. "I guess I'll need to control my daydreaming."

"I suggest you save it for a more appropriate time," said Mrs. Emmett.

"I'm sorry."

"Man, Liv, are you still worried about that," asked Cal. "I told you it wasn't that big of a deal. She was bound to get to me sooner or later. I think she knows when I'm not paying attention."

"I thought it was because you had to wake me up," said Liv. Cal laughed.

"Come on. You know Mrs. Emmett doesn't like me much. She would've called on me whether I was waking you up or not." Liv blinked.

"I must've looked more lost than you. Why didn't she call on me?"

"I told you, she likes picking on me," said Cal. "Other than that, she probably took one look at you and felt bad enough to leave you alone."

"I look that horrible," Liv exclaimed. She dug out her mirror and looked in it. Cal sighed.

"Don't freak out. You just have pretty noticeable bags under your eyes. Your dad wasn't keeping you up by having a party last night, was he?"

"No," said Liv, putting her mirror away. "I was up late studying."

"For what," asked Cal. "You didn't say anything about having a test."

"My history grade's pretty low," said Liv. "I thought studying more would raise it."

"Well, don't make a habit out of staying up so late," said Cal. "Studying late at night won't do much good if you can't stay awake during class."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Liv. She suddenly fell to the floor as a boy and girl walked by. The boy had bumped into her and they both kept walking. Cal knelt down.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Liv answered, gritting her teeth. The boy had bumped one of her bruises.

"Hey, Quin, get back here and apologize," Cal yelled after the boy. Quin turned around.

"For what?" Cal narrowed his eyes.

"For knocking her over! What do you think?"

"I didn't knock anyone over," said Quin.

"Cal, it's fine," said Liv. "He probably didn't see me."

"How could he not notice knocking you over," asked Cal.

"Come on, Quin," said the girl, tugging on his arm. "Just ignore them." Quin allowed himself to be led away.

"Why did you stop me, Liv," asked Cal as he helped her up.

"I don't want any trouble," Liv replied. "It was an accident. He was probably daydreaming and didn't notice me." Cal sighed.

"He can still feel pressure. You have to stop letting people walk all over you. You could at least say something."

"I doubt that'll happen," said Liv. "It took me months to say more than two or three word sentences to you." Cal thought.

"Oh yeah. I forgot all about that. Guess I'm just so used to you talking normally to me now." Liv knew that she had only been able to become friends with him because he didn't give up. Most of her classmates hadn't given her a second glance, but Cal had talked to her nearly every day. She hadn't said much at first, but he had been patient. After a while, her short, simple answers weren't enough to uphold her end of the conversation, so she started saying more and even initiating conversations from time to time.

"I think I am too."

"So, did you set your grasshoppers loose yet," asked Cal. Liv bowed her head.

"I had to get rid of them last week. Dad found them and he said if I didn't get rid of them, he would. He also said he's had it with bugs in the house."

"None of them got out and crawled on him, did they," asked Cal. Liv shook her head. "Why doesn't he want you to bring anymore in the house, then? You never said he was afraid of bugs."

"He's not," said Liv. "They just annoy him."

"And he never bothered to ask why you keep bringing them in the house, did he," said Cal.

"He doesn't care," said Liv. "Oh no, what time is it?"

"About three twenty," said Cal, consulting his watch.

"I only have ten minutes to get home," Liv said in a panic. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"The world won't come to an end if you're a couple minutes late," said Cal.

"Sorry, but I was late last night and my dad'll be even angrier if I'm late again," said Liv. She gripped her bag and dashed out the school doors.

Liv decided that she would be able to get home just in time if she ran through the park. However, she had only been running through the park for mere minutes when she saw a crowd of people running away from where she was heading. Wondering what was going on, she skidded to a halt and looked behind the crowd.

She saw what appeared to be a huge, black cloud. There was something strange about this cloud. It was moving toward her and seemed to have many yellow dots mixed in with the black. It was then that she realized that the cloud wasn't a cloud at all. It was a swarm of some cat-sized, creatures that resembled ants. The yellow dots were their eyes.

She turned around and took off in the other direction. Between a known beating and whatever these creatures could do to her, she'd take the beating. Liv felt the ground shake as the swarm of creatures followed. Looking over her shoulder, she realized that they appeared to be gaining on her. Could she lose them if she took enough turns? She didn't have time to try it as she tripped. She couldn't react fast enough to avoid the rock on the ground.

Feedback is appreciated. Constructive criticism, even more so.