I popped my ear buds into my ear, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes chasing me through the hallway. I wanted to get through my year here with as little trouble as possible and when I turned eighteen I could do whatever I wanted without needing anyone's permission but my own. As I rounded the corner of another hallway I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, moments before a heavy force knocked into me.
I stumbled to the ground, palms slapping against the hard tile as my bag went sliding away from me, contents spilling out. I felt a spark of anger radiate up my spine as I pulled myself together, reaching out for my bag. Another town but the same old game, nothing in the world had changed while I had been asleep. The earth kept on spinning even though I felt like I was frozen in a place where nothing moved. The land of the dead and grieving, population me and no one seemed to care.
"Sorry about that, my friends are idiots." I lifted my eyes to find a handsome face hovering before me. Blue eyes sparkling, Blonde hair coiffed perfectly, dimples fixed in his cheek, set there by the apologetic smile he was sending my way. I forced my attention away from him to the group of boys laughing amongst each other, most of them carrying athletic bag. Meatheads, they were all the same. They thought that they were above the rest of us because they could catch a ball good and run around with it. Dogs were the same way but you wouldn't find them acting uppity about it.
I pushed myself up to my feet, "Whatever." I bent forward to grab my bag but he lunged forward, picking up a piece of paper that the guidance counselor had given me this morning. I had sat through her speech about where I was going in life and how I could come out ahead if I made a plan and took advanced courses. The thing was I wasn't really trying to get anywhere. I didn't see why my whole life had to planned out. Why couldn't I just move through it and see what came my way? Adults always wanted to plan, but where did that get them? Dead just like everyone else that's where.
I watched as he flipped over the page to reveal my doodling. I had gotten bored in my second period class, they were discussing a book that I had already read, with a title that was unmemorable.
"Wow, these are really good. Did you do these?" He complimented me with his question and I felt my cheeks rush with heat. I never showed people my art, it was just mine and I liked it that way. I snatched the paper out of his hand quickly, as I grabbed my other stuff off the floor, shoving everything into my bag in a hurry. I wanted to get away from the perfection standing beside me, reminding me how low I sat on the totem pole.
"I need to go." I mumbled under my breath as I walked away from the laughing crowd of his idiot friends, anxiety building a lump in my throat.
"Hey!" He called after me but I fixed my earbuds back into my ears, hopefully he'd read my body language and figure out that our accidental interaction was now concluded.
"Hey, wait up..." He was a like a shadow following behind me. When I sped up he made sure his steps matched mine, coming up close on the right side of me. I peered over my shoulder at him with an exasperated sigh. I pulled the earbud from my ear, "Look I forgive you or whatever. It was an accident. Now that your conscious is clear you can go back to your idiot friends."
His eyes narrowed as they traveled over my face, as if he trying to read every line and freckles before they focus on my lips for an uncomfortable second that has my breath catching in the back of my throat. Those blue eyes lift slowly to meet my gaze and I feel a chill creep up my spine as if the air around us has changed.
"Can I help you?" I could feel the eyes of the hallway beginning to focus in on the two of us like spotlights, the urge to turn and run to the safety of the nearest bathroom crossed my mind for a fleeting moment.
"We've never met before. Don't you think you might want to be a little more friendly?" He snapped out his question harshly. I stared at him blankly and that seemed to irritate him more, he let out a exasperated sigh. I watched as he lifted his hand to scratch the back of my hand, "Let's start over, okay?"
He gave me a more relaxed smile, somewhat forced, "I'm Alec, and you are?" As if he was some kind of hall monitor that needed to see my identification before he would let me go. I furrowed my brow, glancing at the people passing by us in the hallway, some of them slowing their speed to get a look at what was transpiring.
"Why do you care who I am? We aren't going to be friends." I pressed, adjusting the strap of my back, "So let's skip to the part where we avoid each other and never speak again." The bell chimed loudly, defusing the tension that had built up between the two of us. I shook my head and took a step away from him, watching the way his brows furrowed in confusion as he continued to stare at me.
"Alec! Come on!" One of his friends called to him. He turned away from me for a moment and I took the chance to escape. I spun on my heels and hurried away from him and his friends. I noticed the way people watched me with more curiosity as I speed walked down the hall, cutting through the crowd afraid that my new shadow would try to follow me again.
A familiar surging pain ripped through my head and my vision went fuzzy around the edges. Not now, I thought to myself as I made my feet move quicker. The panic was building in my chest as I rushed for a place of safety, a couple of faces looking in my direction with strange expressions. I shouldered my way upstream through the movement of of bodies trying to get to class.
The pain in my head becoming more steady and my vision shifting in and out. I pushed the door open to the bathroom, and made my way to the first empty stall. I locked myself inside, leaning my forehead into the cold metal as I tried to calm myself down. I reached my hand into my bag, shuffling around my things, "Come on..." I growled. I felt a sense of urgency as my skin began feel tight against my bones, my hand wrapping around a small pill bottle. I ripped it out, struggling to pop the lid in my shaky hands.
The lid slipped between my fingers as I freed it, clattering to floor at my feet. I pulled away from the door and bought the bottle to my lips, shaking a magic pill into my mouth. I slowly sank down to the floor, not caring about how covered it germs it was.
I waited for pill to do it's job, like I knew it would. I breathed in a small breath as the pain slowly faded and my hyper aware senses began to return to normal. These weird fits had begun when I hit puberty and the doctor my father taken me told me it was probably an imbalance with my hormones, and given me the magic pills as he called them.
They seemed to help but lately the fits had been coming on every time I got stressed out, which considering everything was practically all the time. I opened my eyes and stared down at the bottle in my hand, counting the pills that I had left.
Ten.
What would happen when I ran out? It's not like I could simply get more. I closed my eyes again and took in another deep breath, trying to get myself to relax more. After all of that I decided to wait out the rest of the period in the bathroom stall, I didn't want to deal with anymore stares.
Hell, maybe I'd spend the rest of the day in this damned metal cubicle.
~~~~~~
When the bell chimed again I knew I couldn't hide away for the rest of my life. I was stronger than that. I was my father's daughter after all. I made my way out of the sanctuary I had found, hesitantly putting one foot in front of the other--following the swarm of voices and bodies.
The cafeteria was already broken up into it cliques and to them I was the outsider looking in, scrambling to try and find a place that I would fit. I wondered if they could see how much I didn't care to join them, to be apart of their little self created fairytale world that they lived in.
I grabbed a tray, heaving a heavy sigh as I followed the stream of mindless sheep and made my way down the row of other bodies, letting the lunch ladies fill it with an assortment of indistinguishable and undesirable foods. I suddenly wished that I would have taken the blueberry poptarts that Lucinda had offered me this morning before I left the house, at least I could stomach those.
I walked away with my tray and grabbed the only table unoccupied by another body, ignoring the stares that came my way as I passed by the other crowded tables. I was happy knowing that I was able to snag the table next to the doors, it made for an easy and quiet get away.
I stared down at the tray contemplating whether or not I should even attempt to stomach the food or wait until I got home and hope that Lucinda had actually stocked our empty cupboards. The sound of metal scraping against tile floor had me lifting my gaze. I was surprised to find another human in front of me. I hadn't even heard her approach.
The tall female took a seat across from me, her eyeliner making dark circles around her eyes, the bright pink color of her hair made it look like freshly spun cotton candy. She gave me a toothy grin as she bit into her apple, "So you're the new kid." Her dark eyes inspected me with interest, "I dig your style, unlike the rest of the people in this town you've actually got taste." She glanced toward the table of meatheads and meathead wanna-be's, making it clear who the other people were to her. Alec was turned his face in our direction, meeting my gaze from across the cafeteria. I quickly looked away back to my tray full of uninteresting food, still feeling his gaze on the side of my face.
"Looks like someone has a crush." She commented with a small laugh.
I lifted my face toward hers with a frown, and she leaned forward, elbow pressing into the table, "I'm Roxanne, but I'd rather you call me Roxie if you have to call me anything." This town was full of a bunch of overly friendly types. A part of me missed the city that Lucinda had moved us away from, at least there I could blend in with the crowd if I wanted to go through life unseen.
I lowered my gaze back to my tray, picking at the soggy french fries in disgust, "Mary-beth..." I gave her my name realizing that she probably wasn't the type to give up no matter how much you gave them the cold shoulder. She kind of reminded me of my sister, except Lucinda would never entertain the thought of dying her hair pink or wearing such dark make-up.
"Hmm, a double first name. Sounds like your parents were indecisive assholes. I think I'll call you Beth, you don't look like a Mary to me..." She said with a thoughtful expression clouding her amusement.
I shrugged my shoulders as I put my hands to my lap, wiping them on my pant legs, "Whatever."
"Not much of a talker?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side as she took another bite from her apple. I stared at into her eyes with a blank expression. My back stiffened as they seemed to catch the light for a moment, making them seem to glow golden, before turning honey brown again. I looked away quickly, anxiety building a lump in my throat again.
Roxie chuckled, "That's fine with me. I like to listen to the sound of my own voice anyway, ain't it pretty?" I turned my gaze back to her to have her wink at me before she dropped her half-eaten apple onto my tray of untouched food.
I watched as she pushed back up to her full height, reaching out and picking up my tray, "Come on, let's get out of here. This sea of mundanes are boring me, and the food here is shit. I know a better place. I'll take you, my treat." She turned her back to me and walked to the nearest trash can and dumped the contents into it without even asking if I was finished or if I wanted to go with her.
She glanced back of her shoulder at me, "Beth." The way she called my name seemed more like an order she expected me to follow. I gritted my teeth, clenching my hands into fists in my lap. Still, I found myself rising up from my seat, grabbing my bag and throwing the strap over my shoulder as I made my way toward her. I could feel eyes on me from every direction.
I lifted my head a bit, not wanting to cower under their stares. I felt my frustration growing into a teeth gnashing beast in the back of my mind. I was like a cornered animal in a cage, everyone tapping against the glass wanting me do something to entertain them. Roxie peered over my shoulder toward the table of meatheads and gave a small taunting smirk.
I glanced back to find them watching with narrowed gazes. A silent war transpiring between my new friend, and the royal court of fools. Alec was the only one who seemed relaxed, those blue eyes fixating on me. I turned my face away quickly cheeks flaming with heat.
Roxie walked next me as we left the cafeteria, "If I were you I would stay away from Alec and his friends. They are bad news."
I rolled my eyes at her words, "I had no plans to go near him or any of them but thanks for the suggestion." I had no desire to go anywhere near the young god. I was content with my place in the world amongst the undesirables and outcast. They left me alone and I left them alone. There was no reason to upset the social order as things were.
"You say that but you haven't faced the full power of those baby blues. They can make a girl forget herself." Roxie said with a teasing smile. I rolled my eyes but inside I felt a flutter in my stomach as I remember the clarity of the eyes in question.
"Speaking from experience, Roxie?" I questioned with a bored tone as I approached my locker.
She laughed as if I had told her the punch-line to a great joke, "Me and Alec?" She laughed some more before she got herself under control, wiping away some stray tears from the corners of her eyes, "No way. We grew up together, used to be good friends before things changed..." The way she said changed, left many things in question, like what had changed between them and what had caused the changed.
"Alec is pretty harmless, it's more his sister that you need to be careful around." Her voice took on a serious note, "She controls everything and everyone, even him."
I swirled the combination of the lock, "Sounds like a real bitch." I replied without much thought, pretending to be interested in the conversation.
Roxie chuckled at my comment, "You could certainly say that."
The lock popped free and I opened the old blue painted metal locker door with a small grunt as the edges stuck. I pulled my bag from my shoulder and shoved it into the small space.
"Speak of the devil and she shall appear." Roxie commented as I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. I turned and looked over my shoulder to see a tall blonde, strutting towards us with a smaller brunette flanking her. She looked like she was on a mission, and her gaze was focused on us. People scrambled to get out of her way.
"Roxanne." Avery hissed her name like a snake, eyes narrowing into thin slits.
Roxie gave her a toothy grin that showed way too much teeth to make me feel comfortable, it reminded me of the cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. She leaned back into the locker, crossing her arms lazily over her chest, "Avery, how generous of you to step off your throne for a moment and make your rounds among the peons. To what do we owe this honor?"
The brunette that flanked Avery, sneered in Roxie's direction, "Watch your tongue, Wolfe."
Roxie eyed the girl up and down, before pushing forward. The air seemed to shift with the tension, it felt like there was a heavy fog of aggression building as she moved in closer, "Wouldn't you rather watch it for me, Kenny?" She licked her ruby lips in a seductive manner but the tone she spoke in was not nearly as teasing.
I glanced between the two girls as they faced off, my skin prickling with awareness that this was a powder keg of a situation. Avery held out her arm in front of her friend, "She isn't worth it, Kennedy." The brunette gave Roxie one last look before she took a step back. I guess Roxie hadn't been exaggerating with her previous claim regarding the Alec's sister.
Roxie snorted as she glanced toward Avery, "One day, Princess." I don't know what to make of the comment other but I could decipher that there is a hidden threat in her words.
Avery only sneered in response before she turn her icy gaze in my direction, "So you're the one who is living in the old Wolfe Manor." She looked me up and down, judgements screaming in the heavy silence. I wondered what it was about these people that attracted them to me, whatever it was I would happily change it if it meant they would leave me alone.
"Guess so." I replied dryly, "Unless you want to count the ghosts." I could already see from the look in her eyes she thought I was freak, why not ride the wave that she'd already put me on. Roxie laughed at my comment, clearly enjoying my joke.
Avery's blue eyes narrowed, "Listen, I am only doing this because my father told me to..."
"And Avery always does what daddy's says." Roxie taunted.
Avery flashed her teeth toward Roxie an animalistic sound coming from deep in her throat. It sent a shiver up my spine. My gazed danced between the lot of them, wondering if anyone else had heard it.
Roxie seemed completely undisturbed, giving her a victorious grin, enjoying the rise she was getting out of the blonde, "Now, now. Not in front of the mundanes. Wouldn't want to make daddy upset by breaking one of his precious rules." She chastised. I had no idea what she was talking about but it seemed as though there was some kind of secret conversation happening between the three of girls.
Avery straightened her back, and took a small step back but I could almost see the anger coiling around her as she stared Roxie down, "You think you're untouchable Roxanne because share the name Wolfe but remember you're only half. One half is bastard and the other half is riddled with crazies and murderers." Roxie lost her amusement at Avery's comment.
She turned her gaze to me again, "You'll find quickly new girl that there are some people that will only drag you down, be careful who you let into your house." With that said she turned and walked away, snapping her fingers for her friend to follow her.
"What was that all about?" I asked unable to stop the curiosity to know.
Roxie rolled her shoulders, "Nothing that matters, just a bunch of gossip from the mouth of bitches and liars. Come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm suddenly starved." She pressed as she turned her back to me. The bell signaling lunch was over chiming loudly against the rush of footsteps. I stood for a moment unsure what I should do, should I follow Roxie or should I keep my head down and get through the day with gritted teeth?
I felt my skin prickle with awareness and I turned to meet the gaze of my new shadow as he came out of the cafeteria. His were brows drawn together like he was trying to figure out something complex. When his sister approached him she gave look over her shoulder in my direction and I turned away with a feeling of dread building in my stomach.
"Roxie, wait for me." I called out as I slammed my locker shut.