'Why don't you get out of this house then if you hate living here so much?!' my mother shrieked.

'DON'T THINK I DON'T WANT TO!' my father screamed back.

I turned the music on my iPod up louder, until the headphones were vibrating and it was all I could hear. I would focus on nothing but the song. 

'And if you think I'm wrong, maybe you should go...' I mumbled along, closing my eyes. 

A few seconds later however, I felt the other side of the bed weigh down slightly, the duvet was pulled a little. I glanced over and saw Maddy curled up in a ball, facing away from me. Her tiny body was shaking.

Pausing my music, I curled up next to her.

'Maddy? You okay?' I whispered.

'No,' she sniffed. 'They're arguing again, I can't sleep.'

'Oh sweetheart.' Something tugged at my heart, Maddy's pain and suffering caused me to hurt too. How could they be so selfish? Maddy was only seven years old and here she was, an absolute wreck. I stroked her hair. 

'It's okay,' I murmured. 'Want me to tell you a story?'

She turned over and I saw the glimmer of a smile beneath her tear-stained cheeks. 

'Which would you like to hear?'

'The one about the princess and her secret lover who escaped!'

I smiled. That one was her favourite.

'Well, once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess named...Madison,' I grinned. 'She had the most gorgeous hair in all of her valley! Everyone loved it! It was what she was well known for; her silky blonde locks. However, she knew there was more to her than just her hair and she wished people would understand that, that they would see the real her...'

'What does that mean?' Maddy piped up. 'I know what you mean about people seeing the real her, but why? Why isn't she just happy the way she is?'

'Well,' I started. 'How should I put it? Okay, when you get older, much older, and you find yourself interested in a guy wouldn't you like him to know the real you? Which would you prefer: a guy who only loves you for your looks, or one who took the time to get to know you as a person, to see beneath your beauty?'

'Guys stink,' she scrunched up her nose.

I laughed. 'Oh Maddy, that'll change for you soon!'

She giggled along with me and I felt a comfortable warmth begin to spread throughout me at her happiness. At least I had taken her mind off the arguing.

'I'm tired now Zo-zo.'

'You go to sleep Maddy, sweet dreams,' I kissed her forehead and watched as she slowly drifted off to a land much more suitable for her than this harsh reality she was living in. 

If only I could do the same.

RATE THIS CHAPTER!

Author guidance for This exercise

Closed collab between me, ImprintedHeart, Kiri, dancingshoes14 & JordiePop14

Characters for Beverly Hills
Name: Zoey Taylor
Age: 17
Appearance: Long light blonde hair she normally wears straight. Clear blue eyes and typical Californian tan. 5 foot 7, slender figure. Takes care of her appearance.
Personality: On the outside she is confident and a social butterfly, but inside she's fragile and fully aware of how her fake her Beverly Hills friends are. Just wants people to see the real her. Feels she has a high status to uphold.
Author: xkatieshepherd

Name: Chardonnay DuBois (Pronounced Du-bwa)
Age: 17
Appearance: Long brown hair with loose ringlets, Californian tan, perfect skin complexion and deep brown eyes. Forever checking her appearance and commenting on others', she always has the latest designer brands and isn't afraid to let everyone know.
Personality: Shallow, materialistic, fairly dumb, lives in her own Beverly Hills world. She can be unkind to those who don't conform to the Beverly Hills stereotype, and she is terribly arrogant.
Author: Kiri

Name: Candice Vega
Age: 17
Appearance: Tall and Slim, very self consious about her weight - almost looks anorexic. Blemish free, always caked in makeup.
Long and curly waist length black hair and brown eyes.
Personality: Never goes anywhere with out her mobile and is very clingy to her boyfriend. Not afraid to tell people how she feels - gobby.
Likes to think she is Zoeys best friend!
Author: ImprintedHeart

Name: Ben Freeman
Age: 18
Appearance: Short spiky black hair, blue eyes, dashing smile, extremely handsome, muscular, very tanned.
Personality: A complete player, overconfident, is Zoey's boyfriend, loyal to his friends and Zoey, kind, sometimes thought of as a jerk but he shakes of the remarks, careless.
Author: dancingshoes14

Name: Pheonix Ryals
Age: 16
Appearance: Curly red hair, and california tan skin, a few sun freckles, one green eye, one blue. Not incredibly skinny, but not fat. Has a very new york style to her.
Personality: Pheonix is very outgoing, and outspoken. She doesn't reallly care what other people think about her, and she is nice to everyone, unless they are mean to her. She know's her flaws, and she hides them well, but other than that she's probably the realest person in the world.
Author: JordiePop14

Characters for New School

Name: Eloise Parker
Age: 17
Appearance: Waist length ash blonde hair, and big brown eyes which she often uses to her advantage usually rimmed with eyeliner. quite tall with an olive complexion.
Personality: Extremly loyal to her friends and wouldnt intentionally hurt them but seems to have countless blonde moments every day but her friends love her all the same.
Is dating Ray
Author: ImprintedHeart

Name: Ray Hartly
Age: 17
Appearance: Spiky dirty blonde hair, green eyes, mischevious smile, pale complexion, quite handsome, muscular, tall.
Personality: Clever, kind, can read people easily, sometimes seems like he's in his own world but he knows what's going on, always says what he thinks, confident, would put his life on the line for someone he loves.
Is dating Eloise
Author: dancingshoes14

Name: Verity Piper
Age: 17
Appearance: Short chin length red hair, green eyes, neither tanned nor pale skin. She's 5ft3 and rarely wears make up, she's quite quirky with her style and reminds people of an artist.
Personality: Quirky, smiley, quiet in alien situations, caring, always sees the other person's point of view. She enjoys cheerleading, but isn't perceived as the regular cheerleader, she's a gymnast and concentrates hard on her school work.
Author: Kiri


Name: Codi Prudence Ryans
Age:16
Appearance: Long curly black hair, stunning green eyes. Has a very bohemian look. She's 5'7" with flats on, but stands at about 5'11" to 6'0" on most day due to heels. Her skin is a golden honey color, and tends to have a radiant glow.
Personality: Prudence can actually be really nice, besides what some people think about her. The only reason people don't like her, is because she doesn't want them in her posse. She loves giving makeovers and helping hook people up, when she isn't shopping with her best friends.
Other: Goes by Codi, Prudence, Prudy, Pru, Co, Di, Coco
Author: JordiePop14

updated May 26 '11 by xkatieshepherd