I stared at the big billboard at the airport waiting in irritation for my friend Carmen she is returning from seeing her dad who lives in California, her parents are separated but somehow she managed to stay happy and currently lives with her Mom, I sigh in annoyance as I check the time, I really hate waiting for her anyone even if it's carmen, talk about annoyance, I know I was going to get annoyed the moment I see her all too perfect smile directed at me, I always hated the fact that she is happy too happy for my liking her family is not perfect but she is always smiling in contrast to my own which was all too perfect at least that is what everyone thought, I was not close to being happy I don't really care now, it's already a foreign word anyway, my parents are together but their faces only makes me want to throw up especially my mom, I sighed and stood up from where I was sitting and looked around the building; people were going and coming with their luggage, some chattering and laughing with their friends and family, and immediately a feeling of nostalgia hit me as I saw a scrawny boy with ginger hair.
"Hey, what is happening? ... Hey, Art... Atticus are you really crying in the airport? Woah, what happened to 'I'm a big boy now'?" I teased my younger brother as he tried sniffing back tears that were threatening to escape his eyes. He was finally going to achieve his dream, and I couldn't be happier for him. He couldn't say anything and just hugged me tight, crying on my shoulder. I gulped as I pushed back my own tears.
"I... I... I'm going to miss you, Ames," he called me, sounding so weak.
"I'll miss you too, champ," I said before we separated. His eyes were glossy. I chuckled and went to ruffle his scattered hair, looking into his sharp orbs that looked like he was about to cry again. I wanted to say something again but was interrupted by a raucous voice behind us.
"Okay, that's enough; you will miss your flight. That's enough, baby boy; let's go," my mom said, smiling before separating us. I glared at her but quickly shut down the anger that was brewing in me at her sick voice and turned to Raphael, smiling at him.
"I'll miss you, Raphael," I said, and he waved at me. "I'll miss you too, Ames. Ugh...ugh, come visit me often," he said before leaving. I watched him leave.
And that was the last time I saw him and also the last time I felt good.
End of flashback*
"Hey!"
A voice startled me, and I turned to see Carmen with her pink luggage smiling at me. I don't smile back; I don't need to. I just stare at her in annoyance as she happily strolls towards me. I roll my eyes at her excitement and start walking towards her too; she immediately stops. As her attention diverts to something __ someone, my eyes move to see the person standing before me, and I wish I didn't look.
It's Velda, and her cancerous makeup filled face. I look at her exaggerated dressing with heavy earrings and jewelry that obviously cost more than a luxurious house will cost. People were complimenting her, and she basked in it.
I probably didn't mention my mom was coming back today too, and she must be joking if she thinks I'm here to welcome and pick her up. Her eyes moved to me, and she smiled, which almost made me sick. I breathed in and walked past her, pretending she was never there. She frowned at me, clearly giving me a disapproving look, and was ready to say something but was quickly interrupted by a group of reporters that immediately flooded her line of view, and she immediately fixed her expression, smiling at the camera and giggling like she was not scowling just a second ago, making me snort. "Thought so."
"Woah, you look like someone owes you 200 grand." I narrowed my eyes on her.
"You are late, and technically you owe me two hundred grand! Did you forget?"
She just laughed it off and started telling me about her trip, half of which I don't care about, before she paused to look at me.
"By the way, aren't you going to, ugh... talk or, I don't know, acknowledge your mom? She has kind of been glaring at the back of your head."
I narrowed my eyes at her; she knew the bad blood between me and my mom.
"Fancy walking, Carmen?"
That quickly shut her up as she shook her head immediately, mouthing, "Nope, forget I said anything." I rolled my eyes at her. "Good, now let's go before I change my mind," I say before walking towards my car, and she squeals excitedly, running after me.
CHAPTER TWO
THE NEW GUY.
Amory's POV
"Mom, can I...I" I hesitated as I looked at my mom's perfectly manicured nails as she trailed her hands on my feet before she proceeded to untie the laces of my ballet shoes. I tried to move my leg from her, but she had a tight grip on it before she quickly removed my shoes to reveal my feet that were filled with bruises, especially my toes that were already beyond recognition because I kept tripping during dance practice out of fatigue, leaving me with numerous injuries. I was practically limping because of it. I looked at my mom, my eyes pleading, practically close to tears,
"Mom, I want to take a break, maybe a week... no, three days; my feet need to heal for me to continue." But my mom looked at me and frowned, dropping my feet in discontent.
" It looks fine to me Amory, this is not enough for you to take a break it just an excuse to stop
It is how an athlete's feet should look; it's nothing to complain about." I continued to plead, tears threatening to come out as I looked at her, but that only infuriated her more, and she called Coach to schedule a meeting for my practice this time with her watching me to make sure I don't bail out.
I was mad... Clearly because that was the memory that came to hunt me this morning as my mom continued to complain that I missed ballet practice, she still has come to terms with the fact that I had become rebellious within a month she was away, that I wasn't the little crying girl who would shrivel up at the mention of her commanding voice.
Right now I don't care, I hated ballet and I wasn't going to hide it anymore nor will I pay any attention to her anymore.
"Amory, your behavior is becoming a real problem. Why won't you listen to me?" I didn't say anything as I reached the dining room and went past the kitchen to get coffee before heading to school with every intention to ignore her. I haven't been to school in a while, and I wasn't going to keep skipping classes, especially since I very much intend to graduate.
"Amory. stop. come . here"
I felt a shiver run down my back, making the scar on the back of my neck tingle. Amory in the past would freeze and wait for the punishment, but the Amory right now was different; right now the only thing that came slamming back to me was anger. I became furious, and I turned to look at my mom, and she had that expression that made me…
I breathed in and left with the coffee in my shaking hands I was trying to keep myself under control take my bag and leave before I acted on the things the voices in my head was ordering me to do, and at that moment , she made the mistake of trying to repeat her order which finally made me lose control and out of instincts threw the glass cup I was holding in her direction with the full intention of shattering her head in the process, at least that will be able to save me from hearing her sick voice, but luckily for her, Dad came downstairs in time to pull her out of the way as he screamed in horror.
"Amory!! that's enough are you trying to kill your mom" He said looking at me
" Well hold your wife and warn her never to use that voice on me again if she doesn't want to end up in the ER"
Mom was looking at me in horror trying to process what just happened and recollect herself as my dad held her from my assault , I paid her no heed before taking my bag and leaving the house still seething in anger, this wasn't the way I wanted to start a Monday morning in school but I couldn't stay here either, so I took my car and left for school I'll definitely find someone to release my anger on when I go to school .
__________________________________________________
Kale pov
I tapped my leg repeatedly in slight irritation. I was sitting in a history class and listened to the teacher talk about the Roman Empire over and over again. I was getting slightly annoyed. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with history or the professor teaching us; in contrast, I actually enjoyed it, but not now. Today something... Or someone has made it their point of duty to irritate me for no reason. I squinted my eyes, my brows scrunching up together as I felt the tap on my arm again... This time I gritted my teeth. I hate it when people touch me much without my permission, though the hand that tapped me was not close to a touch, but it's worse when it comes from a girl.
The red head beside me has been trying to get my attention which I have given her none totally ignorant of her existence which is what I have been doing since I came into this new school not just her but everyone else, most people don't pay attention to me which is ideal plan but some people were just persistent like the red head beside me who has been tapping and flirting with me since I entered into the class in a not so subtle way, my cold eyes never turned to her not even once, so she is obviously assuming I haven't heard or noticed she was trying to call me since I was focusing in the class .
"And that will be all. Make sure you finish your assignment and forward it to the class email."
The voice of the professor echoed in the class, followed by students' sighs of relief and people scrambling out of the classroom since it was already lunch break. Needless to say, I was among the first people that left the room; I was in no mood to hold a conversation. I never was one anyway.
" Can I borrow your note" I heard someone said behind me catching up to me quickly, she followed me, " No"
I replied without looking back to face her; someone immediately hit me playfully as my attention was diverted to Elijah, who immediately intercepted, smiling sweetly at her. "You can borrow mine; don't mind this grumpy old man." She took his note and thanked him in a tone that said she was not impressed, but that was not my problem.
" Hey dude, if you continue with this your attitude, I'm sure you will end up alone your whole life, come on you gotta make friends and that girl you just rejected is like one of the hottest girl in the school"
"I don't care," I said, walking into the cafeteria. Elijah is the only person that I know here; we were together in California before I moved to New York after I woke up from a coma. He is a chatterbox, but I can tolerate him sometimes by simply just ignoring him.
"Hey, I met this girl yesterday; her name is Carmen... God!!! Kale I haven't seen anyone that beautiful in my entire life. She is, like, one of the most popular girls in the entire school, and you know what!! I got her number" Elijah was so excited as he continued to talk about the girl he met that he practically ordered salad as we went to get food, and I raised my brows at him because I know very well that Elijah hates salad, but he was far too gone to even notice he was ordering the wrong food.
"And I think she's religious, ugh... Catholic. I don't really know, but I think I'm going to become Catholic too."
I narrowed my eyes at him as we sat down to eat. "What!! "I'm a Christian too," he exclaimed, trying to convince me. Elijah was a liar; he was no Christian. I didn't care and went back to my food, but I was interrupted yet again. I frowned at him; I hated when someone interrupted my eating time.
"Look!! She's coming. Ooh, they're coming towards us. Wait!! She's staring at me. Hey man, do you think I look presentable?"
"No," I replied absentmindedly but still looking in the direction he pointed.
"Carmen is the blonde, while her friend, the brunette, is Amory. She is like the queen bee in the whole school, and everyone obeys her. Both of them are best friends."
I adjusted my glasses and what caught my attention was the brunette who was walking into the room confidently like she owned it, the aura around her oozed power as everyone got out of way and the whole attention was on her, my eyes was trained on her, indeed she is a beauty and then she smirked and I knew at that moment she is an Enchantress, I was transfixed at her face that was spreading into a smile that was all too familiar to me and a feeling of de ja vu that I couldn't explain, her eyes was trained on me looking directly into my eyes and a shiver ran through me which made me squint my eyes in confusion but she was already standing before me smiling an evil smile before muttering
"Hi Kierson..." And I froze.