It was a normal day in Springfield, Illinois. A few dark clouds, shadowing the rows of houses in Rillan Marie Hallows' suburban neighborhood. Rillan, known as Illa (eye-la) at Marywic High school, lived like a normal teenager in her supposedly perfect home. She was 5"4, with long brown hair dipped in red. Her eyes were a dazzling hazel color, hidden by her big rectangular glasses. She wasn't skinny, but she wasn't too big either, at least she didn't think she was. Her pale skin made it look like she had never seen the light of day in her life.
Her house was big and covered in beautiful red bricks, and large detailed windows. A tall doorway supporting two large, gorgeous white doors with golden handles, and tall, well groomed trees and shrubs. Her yard was a decent size, and it had flowers surrounding the trees and driveway. Her favorite flowers were her mother's sunflowers in her back yard, which was surrounded by a large white fence. She had a large patio with a decent sized swimming pool. Everyone in the house knew NOT to touch her mothers pool chair, she had it specifically made for her liking and no one was allowed to use it.
She had the "perfect family," or so everyone thought. Her mother was the vision of perfect beauty, with her blond, always curled hair and her striking blue eyes. Her husband, the rich business owner, with the shiny car and the perfectly done dark brown hair, as well as the same striking blue eyes, was the man to go to for a corn-hole game or to get a beer with while watching the football game. The men in our neighborhood have a thing called "Fantasy Football," kind of ridiculous if you ask me. Listening to them hoot and holler isn't very pleasing to the ears when I'm trying to study, but my father is always stressed from his job and takes it out on everyone in the house. Me more then anyone to be honest, because I guess I'm just that designated punching bag.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling as my music blasts through my earbuds. My breath comes out shallow as I try to calm my raging pulse. Images flash through my head, My mother's hands in my hair.. pulling.. shoving.. yelling. Tears pool on either side of my head, dampening my soft maroon pillow. I clutch the bottom of my sweatshirt until my hands turn white, my legs shaking.
Buzz, I glance down at my phone, it lights up with a text.
{Nate}- Hey Illa, u finish the english assignment?
I sigh, he was never good about doing his work. I glance down at the edge of my bed and see my unopened backpack. Guess I hadn't done the assignment either.
{Illa}- Sorry bud, I haven't started it. :(
I grab my bag and wipe the wetness from my cheeks. As I start pulling out my homework, my phone buzzes again:
{Nate}- woah :/ that doesn't sound like u, everything ok?
{Illa}- Yea, everything's cool. just took a nap and it ran a little long lol :p
{Nate}- ur not still having nightmares are u?
I smile, Nate's been my best friend since preschool. Our families have always been very close, but no one really knows how my mom acts besides Nate. He's a sweet, skinny kid with light brown curly hair, blue eyes and very tan skin. I could never tan correctly, we just pretended I was born a vampire. Anyway, Nate had snuck over to avoid going to parent- teacher night at school to discuss grades. He had climbed the tree next to my bedroom window and saw my mother throwing me around and yelling like a banshee.
From then on, I've never been bale to keep anything from him. He's the only person that knows about what goes on in this house, and how truly fake they act around everyone outside of the house. I respond after a few seconds:
{Illa}- No, Hvnt had 1 in a few months.
{Nate}- u would tell me if u did right?
{Illa}-of course i would nate, ur my bff
{Nate}- good, txt me when u finish the hw
{Illa}- Okie Dokie
I put my phone down and turn my music up, I needed to finish this assignment without being interrupted.
A couple hours later, I look at my clock: 1:45am
"Crap, It took longer than I thought." I mutter.
I put everything back in my backpack, "Sorry Nate, you can copy tomorrow before class."
I walk into my closet and pick out a red and blue plaid pair of shorts, and a Panic! at The Disco t-shirt. After changing I turn off my light and climb into bed, bringing my thick covers over my shoulders. I shut my eyes and succumb to my exhaustion.
^^^^^^^^^
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Rillan! Shut that god awful alarm off!!" My mother's voice yells from downstairs. Then I hear keys and the front door opening and closing.
I groan and roll over to pat the side of my bed for my phone. I find it and open my eyes, pushing the orange "off" button on the screen. I toss my phone back down and stare at the door, images from that night flash through my mind, but I shake my head and they disappear. I hear a soft knock on my door, I sigh and sit up.
"COME IN!" I yell tiredly.
My door opens and my step brother walks in. He's 5"9 with light brown hair, and soft brown eyes. Nickolas looks at me and laughs, I pick up a pillow and throw it at him.
"Rillan you look like crap," he says dodging my pillow.
I smooth down my crazy hair, "I was up all night finishing my English assignment. Being a junior sucks."
He grunts in response and walks into my closet. I hear him shuffle through my clothes. "Jeans or Skirt?" He asks.
"Jeans, I'm too tired to worry about my butt showing." I reply getting out of bed.
I hear a chuckle and I walk into the bathroom connected to my room and start brushing my teeth and hair. Nick walks in handing me an outfit and shoes then sits on the edge of the bathtub. I put on a light amount of powder foundation and some mascara.
"Good enough, I'll go change. Wait here."
I walk out and into my closest, closing the door behind me. I pull on the high waist, light wash jeans with holes at the knees. I grab a gray bra and put it on pulling my shirt over. I look at myself in my floor length mirror and see Nick picked out a dark purple, v-neck, with long, loose arm sleeves. I pull my sleeves up and see the faint dark red lines on my wrist, I frown and pull it back down. I pull on the light brown boots he picked out and walk back into the bathroom.
"Cute and comfortable, good choice Nick." He gives me a thumbs up.
"Ready to go?" I nod and walk over to my backpack and swing it onto my back, then pick up my earbuds and phone, shoving them into my back pocket. We walk out and down the hall towards his room so he can grab his keys. Nickolas is a Senior at the same high school I go to, he drives me to school so that I don't have to worry about gas or parking. Plus dad won't buy me a car until I'm a senior so even if I wanted to drive, I wouldn't have a car to drive anyway.
I walk behind him on the stairs, Nick disappears into the kitchen while I wait by the front door. He walks back out and tosses an apple to me, I catch it and take a bite out of it. I hum in pure bliss as the fruity juice runs down my throat. Nick laughs and unzips my bag placing my lunch inside, then zips it back up and holds open the front door for me.
We walk outside and climb into his Black Jeep, He pulls out of the drive way and heads to school.
"Did you make my lunch?" I ask, with a mouth full of apple.
He nods, "You got home pretty late last night and didn't eat the left overs from dinner. I thought I would make you something to eat for lunch, you must be starving."
I sigh, "Thanks Nick, I really appreciate it. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here."
"Starve?"
I laugh and punch his arm, He smiles and turns the radio on. Party In The USA, blasts through the speakers and me and Nick give each other one look before yelling the lyrics at the top of our lungs. We pull into the school parking lot and he parks towards the football field. Nick is the Only senior Running back on the team.
He turns the car off and we both hop out of the car, grabbing our stuff. A bunch of his friends from the team walk up to him, shoving each other around and slapping each other's backs. I roll my eyes and wave goodbye to him, making my way towards the front doors of the school. I toss my apple core into an outside trashcan on the way.
My phone buzzes, {Nate}- Where u at gurl
I laugh.
{Illa}- Walkin in now
{Nate}- kk
I walk up the stairs to the front double doors of Marywic High.I push open one of the doors and run right into a brick wall. Or well, it felt like one. I stumble backward and before I fall flat on my ass an arm shoots out and grabs my wrist, I wince. They steady me and I look up to thank them.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't paying atten-"
My eyes widen, there in front of me was the schools notorious Bad Boy Darius Iyvan. His signature smirk already plastered on his face, I frown. Darius is 16 and a grade below me but he asks like an ass 95% of the time. He's got dark brown hair and bright green eyes, I can just imagine the muscles underneath that shirt.
"Seems like I even have the schools most popular Nerd falling for me too." He says, his hand still wrapped around my wrist.
I groan, "Your such an ass Iyvan." I say back, rolling my eyes.
He narrows his eyes at my use of his last name, he always hated when I did that. Which made It even funnier every single time. I yank my wrist from his grip, "Don't touch me again." I growl out.
He laughs and walks past me, shoving me with his shoulder. I frown and glare at his retreating back. "Queer Ass." I grumble.
He stops dead in his tracks, my breath stops short. He turns around slowly, his eyes deadly and menacing. I gulp and start backing away slowly, he follows my steps coming closer to me.
"What did you just say?" He growls out, his voice dropping to a deadly tone.
I turn and bolt it down the hallway, I hear his footsteps hot on my heals and I pick up the pace running twice as fast. Up until last year I was running competitively for a sports center. No one on the team could keep up with me, I'd like to see Iyvan try. I snicker in my head as I turn a sharp corner and enter the stair well, I slide under the stairs and push my knees to my chest. The door slams open hitting the wall and I hear his frantic footsteps racing up the stairs and out the second floor door.
I let out a breath and slowly climb out from under the stairs, I lift my ear to the air and listen, I don't hear anything. I smile and make my way out of the stairwell and to the library down the hall. I walk in and spot Nate in the corner, he looks up and waves.
"Whoa, why does it look like you just ran a mile?" His eye brows scrunch up.
"I just insulted Iyvan and then out ran him."
He busts out laughing and we hear a sharp"SHH!" from the school librarian. He picks up his bag and we both walk out, when the door closes behind us he starts laughing again.
"You out ran the school bad boy?!" He says clutching his stomach.
I laugh, "Yea I took a sharp turn into the stairwell and slid under the stairs, he came in a few seconds later barreling up the stairs."
He high fives me, "Way to go!"
We walk into our class and take a seat near the middle by the windows. I take out my note book and flip to an empty page. Nate takes out a piece of paper and a pen. I roll my eyes at his laziness, his backpack is just filled with loose pieces of paper.I wonder how he even finds anything. The bell rings a few minutes later, and the teacher gets up and begins class. Just then we hear sirens and Nate and I glance outside to see an ambulance pull into the school. We give each other a puzzled look but return to our work. Half way through the lecture of Victorian Monarchy's, The Door opens and a girl walks in. She walks to the teacher and whispers something in her ear. Her face pales and we all start whispering, she looks towards us and walks to the front of the room.
"I regret to inform everyone that school today will be canceled due to a death on campus. Mr. Darvis has passed away of a heart attack. Please collect your things and head to the gym."
The class explodes in noise and me and Nate look at each other slowly. "No, it can't be Mr. Darvis.. He was my favorite teacher.." Nate says wrapping his arms around himself.
"He was everyone's favorite teacher, and I can't believe he's gone." We both grab our stuff and follow all the other students to the gym. We all sit on the bleachers and wait for something to happen.
"I wonder why they didn't just tell us over the intercom." Nate yells over the noise. I shrug and turn towards the doors watching everyone flow in. I feel someone watching me and I look behind me and see Darius glaring at me. I gulp and look towards Nate. He notices right away that something's wrong and he looks behind me noticing Darius. He grabs my hand and pulls me down a few bleachers, farther away from him.
"Relax he's not going to do something in front of the whole school. If he wants to still be a student here he'll bite his tongue." Nate says glaring at him over my shoulder.
I smirk, "Darius is just mad I ripped his balls off and fed them to him."
We here a deep grunt behind us and we start laughing. Nick high fives me and our attention turns to our principal walking to the center of the gym with a microphone. "Hello students of Springfield High, We are here because one of our most treasured teachers has passed away today."
"I never liked him anyway." My head snaps to the direction of the voice, and my eyes land on Darius.
"What the hell did you just say?!"
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