Chapter 1

As Ariel sat shotgun in Chuck's rusty pickup, she watched the tiny raindrops hitting the windshield and thought about what the next few minutes would hold. They had parked the truck right outside the racetrack and she knew what Chuck had in mind. She had been building up the courage to talk to him for a few days and her cue was quickly approaching. Before she could speak, Chuck took over her part.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with that Ren kid. He sure must be something awful special." Chuck's voice taunted Ariel, full of disgust.

"He's a lot more special than you," Ariel said softly, with an equal amount of disgust.

"Excuse me?" Chuck looked at Ariel, challenging her to keep going.

"He actually knows how to treat a girl and not use her as some sort of sex slave," she replied coolly. She wouldn't look at him; she couldn't bear to see his awful face.

"Any girl would consider herself damn lucky to be with me, and you know that." He paused. "Don't you, sweetheart?" He smiled viciously, leaning over to kiss her. She jolted away, hitting her shoulder on the passenger window.

"Don't touch me, Chuck," Ariel told him harshly.

"Aw, but baby you know you love it when I do." He leaned over again, this time more forceful. Ariel shoved him away and unbuckled her seatbelt, opening the car door. "The hell you think you're doing?" Chuck asked as she stepped out and slammed the door.

"Not you, that's for sure." She started to walk away from the car when she felt a hand grab her arm tightly.

"Well, don't you think you're just the cutest damn thing ever. I bet you're on your way to Mr. Boston's house right now so you can wrap your skinny little legs around him and - " Ariel jerked her arm away from Chuck's grip.

"Are you calling me a slut?" she yelled. "God, you make me sick. Don't you ever touch me or talk to me again, Chuck." As she turned around, she muttered under her breath, "Selfish pig."

"The hell did you just call me?" Chuck ran up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder, turning her around and punching her with all his strength on her left cheekbone. Ariel shrieked with pain and shock, trying to wrestle away from him. He brought his elbow back on her right cheek, causing another scream. He let go of her, letting her drop to the ground. She fell hard on her left forearm, grunting softly as she made impact with the cold, wet ground. For good measure, Chuck kicked her hard in the shin, leaving mud on her jeans. "Little bitch," he said, spitting at her and walking back to his truck. As he slammed the door and started the ignition, Ariel slowly and shakily stood up. Once she found her balance, she quickly grabbed a crowbar and brought it down on Chuck's windshield with as much force as she could muster. The glass shattered in a nearly perfect circle directly in front of Chuck's face. He slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, guiding his truck directly toward Ariel. She stood her ground, facing off with the monster. Just a foot before he struck Ariel, he turned his truck and broke hard, splashing more mud onto her jeans. He rolled down the passenger window and shouted at Ariel, "Your preacher daddy can't save you from rotting in Hell, dirty fucking bitch!" He threw a half empty beer bottle at her and drove away. Ariel dodged the bottle but was sprayed with some of the beer inside it. As the bottle shattered, she started to cry: one tear of anger, one tear of shock, and one tear of fear for facing her father.

Ariel gingerly walked up the steps of her father's church, her red boots making tiny clicks with each footstep. She slowly opened the door and saw the Reverend at his pulpit, practicing his sermon for her mother sitting in the first pew. The Reverend and his wife looked at Ariel in the doorway, both smiling. As Ariel stepped inside and her bruised and bleeding face was clear, horror took over their smiles and they ran over to her.

"Ariel! What the hell happened to you?" her father asked loudly.

Ariel chuckled softly through her tears and said, "Daddy, don't swear, you're in church." Her mother held her in her arms.

"How did this happen, honey?" Her mother asked. Ariel looked down ashamedly and was quiet for a few moments. Before Ariel could respond, her father answered for her.

"It was that McCormack kid, wasn't it? God, I knew he was trouble. Ariel, I don't want you ever to - "

Ariel broke in, "Daddy! It wasn't Ren! Why do you have to assume everything bad that happens in this town is because of Ren?! If anything, everything bad in this town is because of Bobby. Why can't we play music? Because of Bobby. Why can't we have a school dance? Because of Bobby. Ever since the accident, this town has been a wreck. It's been three damn years!"

"Ariel, do not raise your voice is my church," her father warned.

"Well isn't it my church, too? Can't I do whatever the hell I want? 'Let the Lord hear your voice,' right? Well I'm talking! I am so sick of having to watch every move I make just because innocent fun is against the law. You brought me home for dancing the other night but you know what? I'm not even a virgin!" Reverend Moore couldn't take it anymore. He raised his right hand and slapped Ariel across the face. The instant his hand made contact with her cheek, he realized what he had done. He hung his head and sighed.

"Ariel, I - " Before he finished his sentence, Ariel was at the door.

"We don't hit girls in Bomont, do we, Daddy?" she said softly, her voice shaking with anger and pure shock . She opened the door and ran out, leaving it swinging on the hinge.

Ren heard a knock on the front door. He turned up his iPod and continued to work on his car. Within a few seconds, his aunt knocked gently on the doorframe. "Ren, honey, there's someone here to see you." Ren looked up and saw a battered Ariel standing behind his aunt.

"Ariel! What the hell happened?!" he walked over to her and put his arms around her.

"Chuck happened," Ariel said quietly. Ren looked at her and clenched his fists. He started to breathe heavily.

"He better hope I never see his sorry ass again," he said, guiding Ariel to have a seat on the work bench. "What exactly happened?"

"I told him off. I went to leave the truck and called him a 'selfish pig' under my breath. He heard me and got out of the truck, then he hit me a few times. Once with his fist and once with his elbow. He let me fall to the ground and then kicked my legs before he got back in his truck. Once I could finally get up, I broke his windshield and he drove after me but turned and threw a beer bottle at me but didn't hit me with the truck."

"Bastard," Ren whispered.

"Then I went to Daddy's church and that turned into a huge mess and an argument and I just had to get away." She paused before adding, "Daddy hit me, too. Not hard, but he slapped me for yelling and saying I wasn't a virgin. That's when I left and now I'm here." She sat silently on the bench and Ren just stared at her.

"Did you tell your dad that it was Chuck?"

"No I didn't, he assumed it was you," Ariel started to say as they heard shuffling feet in the hallway.

"Ren!" his aunt called, trying to give him some warning as Reverend Moore stormed into the garage.

"I thought I'd find you here. You need to come home right now, young lady." The Reverend's voice was soft but angry. He looked at Ren with disgust and said, "You stay away from my daughter." As he guided Ariel toward the door, she desperately tried to speak to him.

"Daddy, I told you it wasn't Ren who did this! It was someone else!" Her father didn't seem to be listening. Ren heard the front door shut and the sound of the Reverend's car starting up. He put his arms through the sleeves of his jacket and stormed out the back door, leaving his tools scattered on the floor.