I changed clothing, avoiding looking at myself in the mirror. I hadn't truly looked at myself since that night. It was another common task I couldn't manage without anxiety.
The large door to my room loomed over my head. I almost second guessed opening it, but then I realized I was being ridiculous.
I'm Sadie Gallagher, I'm happy, I'm perfect.
I scampered out of my room, and stepped down our grand stairwell. People scurried through-out the mansion, rushing things to and from. I found Melanie standing by the pair of double red doors.
Her long nails tapped away at the phone screen. It took her a few moments to notice me.
"Sadie." She startled, looking up from her phone. "I didn't see you."
I didn't answer her, only waited.
She slid her phone into her pocket and tapped her heels. Her eyes scoured my body from head to toe. "You look pleasant. Obviously not of your own accord." She mumbled the last part.
She pulled past the large doors, and stepped into our extravagant courtyard. Gold fountains depicted angels crying pools of water around us. Bushes curved around the driveway, decorated with flowers as colorful as my sundress; or more accurately, Mother's sundress. I followed Melanie into the garage, where she began logging into our security.
First voice recognition, and then her palm. I remember asking Father why he added both. He said it was so our dead bodies couldn't betray him.
I was never a Daddy's girl.
We stepped into the garage. Beside the entrance, was a safe chock-full of keys.
"Our first day back has to be grand, doesn't it?" Her dark hair twirled as she moved about, snatching a set of keys and veered towards the left; where our Father's personal favorites rested.
She walked past the cars. In this section alone were enough cars to last a lifetime. Ranging anywhere from modern day sports cars to rare classic trucks.
Melanie stopped in front of our Father's red Jaguar. She climbed into the drivers seat, and immediately began checking her makeup.
We'd walked maybe 30 feet. How could she have messed her lipstick up?
I climbed into shotgun and immediately rolled the window down. Melanie threw on a pair of rose-tinted sunglasses, and backed out.
I folded my hands over the open window, resting my chin on my biceps.
Melanie drove down out driveway, caution be screwed. I clung to the window and shot her look. She grinned, and pressed the pedal harder.
She slowed at security, just to burst off onto the highway when the towering spiked gates allowed it.
"You'll ruin your curls." She warned.
"I don't mind."
"Of course you don't." She rolled her eyes, switched on the radio, and blasted it till we reached Trillium High school.
The Jaguar tore into the parking lot full of students lounging before class, blasting Katy Perry. She veered to the front half of the lot where Magnates parked.
I peeked at the back half. Dark eyes paired with slick hair and leather jackets stared at us from their shaggy cars. I avoided the jealous and hateful looks in their eyes. Not many Magnates feared Scants, at least not until they actually got into a fight with one. I wasn't a Magnate. I didn't feel like one even if I do look the part.
Magnates were free and wild. I was weighed down with chains.
Shiny expensive cars littered the front lot, each one more obnoxious than the last. A particular lime-green buggy had my eyes bleeding. For once, I missed the lonely green of my walls.
Action surrounded us; Magnates sat on their hoods, ran through the lot, and lied in the grass, The noise thankfully drowned out by the radio. The Radio drowned out by my thoughts. There wasn't a day, an hour, a minute that passed without thinking of Him.
My hand scratched at my thighs.
Melanie slid the car into the parking lot at the very front of the school. She took out the keys and pulled open the door. I reluctantly followed.
"Melanie!" Voices immediately began shouting. She smiled and waved. Her aura beamed at the attention. She pulled the sunglasses to the top of her head, and closed the Jaguar.
"Stay out of trouble." She snapped at me before rushing towards a group of seniors at the entrance to the school.
I headed towards the large black truck. It's tires looked more like spiked balls than devices for movement. Music blasted obnoxiously loud. Teens twirled around the truck, dancing and laughing.
He stood in the center of it all. His tanned glory on display from the bed of the truck. His sandy hair fell in soft curls on her scalp, dipping into his eyes. His smile was pure gold when he spotted me. He waved.
Alexander Fellings, Trillium's golden boy.
He offered his hand, and I accepted, allowing him to pull me onto the bed of his truck. "How's my favorite Vice President?" He pecked my hand.
I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile.
He tucked his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts.
"I would say good, but I've been waiting for a certain president to get in touch with Trillium news." I accused.
He sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Well you see I was-"
"Distracted? Nice try. we both know that means you've been partying."
"I'll get it done by the end of school."
"You better." I teased, although the humor was dry as bones.
"I will." His tone was firm, but balanced with a golden smile. The same smile should've sent a pang to my heart, and it did, but it wasn't the proper pang. This pang was one of jealousy.
The truck shook as someone climbed onto it. Jason Snider slid onto the bed of the car. His eyes drooped with a red tinge tainting the scleras of his eyes.
"Hey, the Bitch is here." He continued smoking the curled blunt in his hand.
"Getting high already?" I put my hands on my hips.
He grinned up at me. His smile was less like gold, and more like a stoners: Small and hopeless. He smelled like one too.
"It's for medical reasons." He smoked. "Have you accepted my proposal yet?" His dark hair was cropped into a spiked point on his head. He swayed to the crappy pop, his hands flailing around.
"Do I look like a stoner?"
"Not yet." He chewed bit the bottom of his lip, and winked.
My heart dropped, the cold chills of anxiety teased my mind, my thoughts. I stifled it, and pressed on a flat smile. His eyes flashed through my mind. His slimy tongue darting out replayed nonstop.
"No." I rejected harsher then I met. I reached through the open back-window of his truck. On the backseat sat a cooler full of icy drinks. I grabbed the first drink I saw, and prayed it wasn't spiked.
I just needed feel the cold. I just needed the distraction.
"You alright?"
I startled, whipping around to find Jason had returned to dancing; and more importantly Alex stood in front of me. I felt the heat from his golden body poking
I couldn't think with him being so close. Rational thoughts replaced themselves with morbid paranoia. Alex wouldn't hurt me, he's not like Him.
Still, I found myself stepping to towards the back of the truck, and sitting down. The bed moved again, and he sat beside me.
"Didn't you already ask that?"
He rubbed his freshly shaved chin, and shrugged. "Well, I suppose I did." He smiled, and nudged me. "What'd you do over break?"
I lied in bed; screaming when I had nightmares, jumped at any shadow that resembled his, replayed that moment again and again, wondering what I'd done to done wrong.
"Oh you know." I fiddled with the skirt of my dress. "I helped out Father with the campaign."
His eyes lit up. "Oh right, congratulations on winning. I'm sure Dad wouldn't want anyone else taking over."
"Thanks." Silence consumed us for a moment. The teens around us laughed, and danced. They threw their heads back without a concern, without a glance over their shoulder. I missed that.
The school bell blared through the parking lot, signaling the end of freedom and fun.
I hopped down from the truck, Alexander following beside me. Something pulled at my backpack. I whipped around.
He raised his hands, a guilty smirk on his face.
"Watch it Fellings."
"I didn't do anything." He caught the sour look on my face and laughed. A couple girls froze to look at him, completely mesmerized. Who could blame them? Everything about him leaked warmth and comfort.
We climbed up the steps to Trillium. Everyone hated these steps. They were too high, forcing short students to lift their whole knee to climb them. To make matters worse they never seemed to end.
Alexander, without paying attention, jogged ahead of me. I lagged behind him, huffing and puffing as i climbed.
"Come on, Sadie." He urged.
When I reached the top, he was waiting with the door open.
"Ladies." He tilted his head to a pair of girls. They giggled, thanking him and entered. His eyes followed the tight denim shorts that bounced when they walked.
I sucked in a sharp breath. Was that how he had looked at me? How long had he sat in the background watching me? The cold chilled my shoulders, sending a shake over my spine. Sweat trickled down my skin. Everything blurred together. My breathing went wild.
He could be watching now. He could have eyes everywhere.
A hand touched my wrist and I jumped, eyes wide.
"Geez Gallagher, you're almost as bad as Panic Patty."
I cringed at the nickname. It was stupid, and yet it still managed to make the poor girl cry in the bathroom every lunch period.
"Gallagher, you're acting like a freak." A smile flicker across his face, but quickly molded into a frown. I tried shaking the fear from my body, not to my surprise it didn't work. The black hole in my chest still chewed at my heart, taking it bit by bit.
"Sorry, I'm still stressed from Father's campaign."
He looked at me suspiciously, but decidedly forgot about it and entered the school.
I tried ignoring it, but the gap between us only grew. Alexander was my best friend: Was. He took that away from me along with everything else.
"The Principal wants to talk with us after school to talk." Alex walked a couple feet in front of me. I couldn't bring myself to walk beside him.
"Alright, I'll be there." I tugged the backpack higher up my back, hoping to shield myself.
He froze, and I nearly walked into him. His fist clenched at his side. His teeth ground together, making a sickening scraping noise. I knew how much he cared about his teeth, and only one thing could lead him to damage them:
Scants.
They lounged in a corner by the vending machine. A Scant dressed head to toe in denim slapped it around in what seemed to be a random pattern. The loose bag of potato chips jiggled, but refused to fall.
my breathing stopped. This time, the clamminess hit me full force. My legs swayed, and I pressed a hand to my forehead.
They're just boys. I reassured myself. Their greased wild hair would leave my mind. It forced itself down my throat, and into my lungs, making every breath impossible. It twisted and boiled in my stomach till breakfast was ready to spill. My vision twirled
"What's the matter?!" Alex shouted after them. The boys turned to face him. His golden smile slipped away and turned into a sickly smirk. "Mommy didn't get you breakfast?!"
My skin burned, and itches. Get rid of it, get rid of him. My conscious urged. My legs wouldn't move. I found myself shrinking into my backpack.
The boys sent Alex a sick glare, one that had me cowering.
"Come on, let's just go." I pleaded.
"You can." He scoffed sizing the Scants.
They cracked their own knuckles. It was four-to-one, not even Alexander's anger could force him to do something so mindless. He sent them one final glare, and walked away.
We didn't speak. His golden aura had faded to a stormy one. Alexander was like weather. One minute he's fresh and sunny. The next, trees are being ripped apart by lightening.
Finger tickled my skin, fingers that weren't there. I was stupid to think I could handle this. I curled up inside the black hole in my heart, letting it's empty quietness to take me away. Chatter of students fell upon my
His fists stayed pressed tightly against his sides.
"Alex?"
His hand settled and rubbed his face. "I really fucking hate them."
"Cussing isn't the best image for a president."
He stared at me for a few seconds, before nodding and righting his attitude. He blew out a clear breath and rubbed his neck. "You right, I just." . . He paused for a moment. "They don't belong over here and they know it. Where do they get off thinking they can come over here and mess with our stuff
"If I had it my way they'd be-"
He fell silent when we turned the corner, and spotted the door of his locker crumpled like a soda can. A out of cops surrounded it.
"Mr. Fellings!" One of the officers had spotted him.
The whole school froze, staring at the middle-aged officer rushing towards us. A dog trailed beside him, clipped loosely to a leash. Other officers joined as well; a particularly chubby one investigated the locker once Alex stepped aside.
"Did you store drugs in your locker?"
"What? No sir." Alex's head shot up.
A rustle came from the locker. The officer digging through his locker pulled away with a Ziploc bag. Inside, was a collection of green leaves I'd seen one too many times. The memory of the smell had my stomach twisting in nausea.
The officers glanced at one another, and then Alexander.
"I didn't know that was in there, I swear." He pleaded.
The officers softened with pity. "We believe you. Still, we'll need to talk to the Principal.
Alexander ran a hand through his tousled hair, and chewed anxiously on his lip. "It wasn't me. It was one of those damn Scants."
"Just cooperate and this'll all be sorted."
Alexander suddenly turned back into the seething monster he was earlier. The Scants from before were watching, and trying unsuccessfully to smother their smirks and laughs.
Alex's tongue ran across his teeth and he glanced at me. I read the message perfectly. We both knew he had been framed, and it wasn't hard to guess who framed him.
"Come on son, we better get going." The officer gave him a pat on the back.
"What's going to happen?" I stepped forward.
The officer looked at me. "Nothing, go ahead to your classes."
Alex shook his head and mustered up a smile. "Listen to the cops Sadie. We'll handle this." He straightened his spine and walked side-by-side with the officers. They leaned into a huddle and whispered with one another.
I closed my locker, and looked at the Scants.
One of them leaned against the shiny lockers, smearing whatever crap had been on his jacket onto the metal. He kicked a foot back, startling me. His eyes met mine, and he grinned.
I lowered my head and bo