Chapter three

I glanced at my watch. 8:30, it proudly said, sneering at me. My mom stopped the car and got out while I unbuckled my seat belt. She was about to say something but refrained from doing so.

Trying her best for nonchalance she, undoubtedly, tried to get as she drove me to school, she couldn't quite hide the hurt peeping from her green eyes. My own, twin replica of hers gave away nothing. "I will not talk to you if that's what you want. I won't stay away, no matter how much you detest me because I'm your mother and it's my job to see you're alright." I almost smiled. " you've been doing a very terrible job." I said.

Nodding, she sashayed into my school to, no doubt, make an excuse for me being late. She could have said I went crazy and they would believe! Because of the strain, they would say. With anger overruling any other emotion, I covered it up with a mask of calm and composure.

The door bell rang as Becca was towelling her wet hair. Who was that? She yelled "Liz! See who's at the door! " Being the big baby she was, Liz yelled back "you see who's at the door! "

Mentally gnashing her teeth that would soon disappear if Liz continued behaving like a baby, she hastily threw on a robe and walked past Liz where she sat on the sofa, making faces at Becca . Becca stuck her tongue out at her and smiled. They were children sometimes.

The poor doorbell rang again. She slid the chain halfway and peeped. Standing outside, in the glare of the afternoon sun, was Luke Hawkins,looking vibrant,wearing a cheerful smile like always.

Rolling her eyes, she slid the chain entirely and opened the door. His pea green eyes assessed her and fell on the stupid robe that had parted a bit, showing a hint of cleavage. Being the stupid flirt he was, he said "looking smashing as always, b. Did you do that on purpose? "

She laughed, ignoring his stare and hugged him. Not knowing someone had a crush on you was something ,but when you knew, it was 80% awkward. Luke had had a crush on her since she met him and his flirty attitude didn't help.

Slapping him lightly on the head, she said, playfully wagging her finger at him "you know your charms don't work on me, Luke. "

What a pathetic liar she was! He could charm any one between the age of nine to ninety. His handsome face smirked "I'll still try. Besides.. " he said as Liz walked into the room "a guy can dream. " Liz glanced at us, a tendril of reddish brown hair floated across her pretty face.

Her eyebrows went up as she barely spared her twin brother a glance. "Ugh! You just had to come and spoil everything with your annoying face, Luke." She faced me, "keep him dangling, Rebecca. Boys like him need to be kept dangling cause they're nothing but loads of trouble."

Spinning on her small legs, she sauntered away, muttering under her breath about how she wouldn't admit she missed him. Becca hid a smile and wouldn't meet Luke's can-you-believe-her?look. She walked into her room and giggled, closing the door. She missed Luke which was normal. Who wouldn't miss a guy that could make you laugh?

As she smiled and was about to undress, somewhere in her mind full of thoughts, she registered the glint of metal and the click and shutter of a camera nearby just outside her window.

I sat, my lunch tray in front of me, my sketchbook on the left side. I bit into the banana and studied my latest sketch. I stared at the dark Shadows, the figure darting past the open window of a two or three bedroom flat. Why had I seen this?

A lunch tray dropped on my table, interrupting my thoughts. I, slowly, looked at the figure that sat down and settled contentedly on his chair.

He glanced up and smiled at me and, like the person I was, I didn't return it. His azure eyes assessed me quizzically, then frowned.

"is there something on my face?" he asked.

I blinked. "urm.. No. I think you have the wrong seat". I said. He stared, searching my eyes for God knew what. Shaking his dark curls, he dug into his sandwich.

"I don't think so".

I frowned. Who was this one now?! Why was he acting so content about sitting with me like I was an old friend? I was 'the freak'.

I sighed, annoyance held at bay by a very brittle thread, almost snapping under the strain. "I don't know,, nor do I care why you're here or what you're playing at, but please, I don't do friendship".

He barely glanced my way. "I appreciate the smart mouth and the nonchalance,but, I just decided to sit here". He held his hand in surrender.

I almost smiled. Almost. "you don't know who you're sitting with. Like I said, I don't do friends so don't bother". I rifled through my sketchbook, praying he left me alone like everyone else had.

"I know you can draw. It's so beautiful. What's that? " he asked pointing at my newest sketch. I shut the book, sliding it out of his reach. I glared at him, not quite used to anyone disturbing me. He met my gaze coolly. " Ah! Where are my manners? " he said. I mumbled, "probably in your half eaten sandwich".

He smiled. "Who knew you had a sense of humour? My name is Matthew. L. Henderson." I rolled my eyes, not caring I was sitting next to the mayor's son. He cocked his head, clearly waiting for me to introduce myself like the lady I wasn't.

I raised an eyebrow quizzically. Hadn't he seen the news, the papers and websites?

"Have you been alive these last five years?"

He nodded.

"I don't need to introduce myself because everyone knows me. There's not a single paper that's not talking about me or rumors that aren't insulting me." He nodded again"well, I was just being polite."

I stared at my tray, ignoring him. Time was ticking away. "You don't talk much. You haven't said hundred words since. It isn't healthy to keep to yourself and be a misanthrope. "

Before I would say something I would regret, I got up and walked away, clutching my sketchbook like a lifeline.

Where did it get worse? I angrily slapped my sketchbook into my bag, along with other books as last period ended. Scenes overwhelmed my mind, leading it down Memory Lane.

Crying, talking, begging and lots of tears filled the scene. My mother was bound, gagged and she was kneeling close to my father's body. His gray eyes were widened in shock and the bullet hole was pouring out blood.

A cruel hand grabbed my chest, bruising my tender breasts and I knew, even before it happened, that I would never be the same again.

Quickened breathing, whimpers and pain filled my brain as I lay face down, enduring the slow torture. I removed my mind from what was happening, not letting my mind register how he was abusing my poor body.

A hand settled on my shoulders and I jerked my head up where I stood at the bottom steps of the hallway stairs. A quick glance at my watch told me it was 4:10 pm. "Why are you crying? ", came the annoying question. Because my life was messed up when I was eleven and it's none of your business. I brushed my years away, while Matt stared at me. 

Grabbing my bag, I started walking towards the main entrance of the school. On getting outside, I saw nothing sign of my mom. Matt was still behind me, his bag slung over his shoulder. "Adrianne, are you alright?"

"Are you new? Because I haven't seen your face before and no... I'm not a misanthrope." I knew too well that the best form of defense is attack and I really didn't want to start talking about myself to a boy. 

"Yeah, I just got here yesterday. What about you? " I so didn't want to have this conversation right now but I had to while away time. "I'm still new. Arrived here like two weeks ago."

I spotted my mother's car drive into the parking lot. I flashed him a weak smile and trudged away." see you tomorrow, I guess. "he said. I didn't respond to that. I saw my mother giving me a magnetic smile. I tucked a stray curl behind my ear, mentally tossing between silence or cruel words. Silence won.