Chapter 2: A New Beginning. Or Is It?

I was awakened when I felt someone shaking my bed as if they were trying to recreate an earthquake scenario.

"Ughhh, just five more minutes, please, Danny!" I whined at him.

"As much as I love you and want to give you more time with your bed, you need to get up, or you'll be late for school," he said, acting like a mother—but definitely not like my mom. I didn’t bother to listen to him. Instead, I buried my head deeper into my lovely pillow, trying to fall back asleep.

Just as I was drifting back into dreamland, he said something that made me freeze.

"Roselyn Maye Morgan! Get your butt up this instant and get ready for school before I bring Athan in here," he blackmailed.

"All right, I’m up! Geez, Danny, no need to call him," I replied instantly, tossing my blanket aside and pushing myself to stand. The moment I stepped into the bathroom, I heard Danny’s footsteps and faint laughter fading away. I shook my head in annoyance and started my shower.

Danny, also known as Daniel Carter, is my best friend. He’s the only one I trust in this world, aside from my cousin Athan and my Uncle Peter. I love them all so much, but when it’s Monday morning and they’re ruining my sleep, I can't stand them. I mean, while Danny was the irritating, bubbly one, Athan was the short-tempered one. He won’t even care if I want to sleep; he’ll just barge into my room, pick me up, and throw me in the shower.

Seriously, what a lovely cousin he is.

I’m 17 years old now; two years have passed since the tragedy I went through. I’m also in senior high school, home-schooled while attending counselling sessions with my psychiatrist. I currently live with my Uncle Peter and his son Athan, as they adopted me. They’re a lovable family, and with them, I learned to smile again.

For a whole year, I was devastated by what happened to me and was diagnosed with PTSD and depression. However, with the help of Mrs. Smith, the psychiatrist who helped me recover from my trauma and pain, I was able to heal—not completely, but enough to keep moving forward.

"Hurry up, Rosie! You’ve been in there for half an hour!" Athan shouted from downstairs. Seriously, patience was not in my cousin’s vocabulary.

I quickly dressed in a simple V-neck grey shirt, pants, and white sneakers, letting my long black hair fall naturally down my back. I’m not a girly girl, but I’m not boyish either—just average. After dressing, I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.

"Good morning, guys!" I greeted my uncle, Athan, and Danny, who were already eating breakfast, as I grabbed my own.

"Finally! I thought you’d never finish," Athan whined.

"You know what, bro? You really need to learn the word ‘patience,’" I said, still munching on my food.

"And you need to learn to use your alarm clock. Let’s go!" he said, grabbing his bag along with Danny.

We said our goodbyes to my uncle, hopped into the car, and drove to school. Oh, I forgot—it’s the first day of school.

In other words, it’s my first day confronting other people since that tragic day… The first school year, I’m leaving my home-schooled life.

Earlier, I was irritated by the two of them in front of me. But now, I was hyperventilating, and the worst part? I was pretty sure I was about to have an anxiety attack.

I didn’t even realise we had already arrived at school until Danny noticed my situation and moved to the backseat with Athan, both looking worried.

"Hey, Rosie, you’ll be all right. Just breathe, okay? Breathe," Danny said, trying to calm me down while Athan came to my side and pulled me into a hug. Whenever I have anxiety or panic attacks, only he can calm me down.

"Sssh, sssh. Now, Rosie, calm down. All right? I’m here. Your Danny’s here. We won’t leave your side, okay? We even requested the same class as you. Come on, Rosie, breathe. You’ll be fine. I swear," he said softly, stroking my hair. With his actions and words, I finally calmed down.

"You all right now?" Athan asked, looking down at me with Danny behind him.

"Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry," I muttered, looking down.

"Hey, it’s all right. Come on," Athan said, lifting my chin and guiding me toward the school.

And that’s how we entered the school—me in the middle of them, with Danny’s arm around my shoulder.

Danny and Athan were both popular in this school. I mean, why wouldn’t they be? Danny had a tan, muscular body and stood 6'1" with brown eyes and messy hair. Athan was 6'2" with pale white skin, a toned body, and messy hair.

I know they could protect me, but honestly, I didn’t want protection. Two years of weakness was enough for me. The two of them may be popular, but they’re not like the guys I’ve seen on TV. They didn’t bully anyone, and they didn’t hang out with those cheerleaders and jocks who think they own the school.

Danny was the bubbly type—fun, talkative, and always joking—while Athan was the serious type. They treat you well, but they’re also people you don’t want to mess with when they’re mad. Trust me, I’ve seen it.

As we walked through the school, I could already feel the glare of the girls and the stares of the guys.

They must have been trying to figure out who I was.

As for the jealous glares from the girls? Well, I’m sure they were envious of me walking with the two hottest guys in the school. Of course, that would be aside from their other friend, who I still didn’t know.

I heard he’s known as the hottest of the three of them—in short, the hottest guy in the school. The Jock… The It-boy.

And to make matters worse, igniting the menacing eyes of girls on me, Danny’s arm was around my shoulder.

What a great way to start my high school year after all my tragedy, right?