My world turned hazy as I gazed into my mother's anguished eyes. The raw fear etched onto her face is an image that will haunt me forever. Tear after tear cascaded down her cheeks as she implored, "Escape! Please, just run. Mommy will follow you. Run now! Go!" I locked eyes with her for what felt like an eternity before I mustered the strength to flee. The crackling of the fire surrounded me as I sprinted into the distance. As I distanced myself from the inferno, the reality set in: Mom wasn't coming. She had deceived me. Regret consumed me as I turned back, only to find our home reduced to a heap of ruins and smoldering debris. My mother stood motionless amidst the devastation, gazing at what was once our sanctuary. Tentatively, I approached her, stopping three feet away and calling out to her. "Mom, it's me! It's Alex, your son. It's over now, we can leave." she didn't even turn around. She hadn't said a word. I walk around her to look at her face. "Mom?" she jolted up and grabbed me by the neck. Her hair was singed, her skin melted and her eyes rolled back to the whites. She was screaming like she was in pain and began to choke me. "You did this to me! You ran away! Alex!"
My eyes snapped open, and I found myself in my dimly lit bedroom. I quickly scanned the room, my heart racing, until I was sure that I was alone. Taking a few deep breaths, I tried to calm down. It was only a nightmare, the same one that had plagued me every night since that terrible incident. How could I not be haunted by it? After all, I was the one who ran away.
"Alex, gosh dammit. Get your ass down these stairs right now. You're going to be late!" I sighed as I heard the echoing voice of my adoptive mother traveling up the stairs. Her sharp tone pierced the air, resembling the relentless buzzing of an infuriating alarm clock. Alice and her husband Max became my guardians following my mother's passing. A year into my life with them, they discovered that Alice was expecting twins. This revelation brought Tyler, my younger brother, and Angel, my sister, into the world. The mischievous duo seemed to excel at making my life difficult, although they managed to maintain an angelic facade to everyone else. Yet, in the shadows, their mischievous tendencies surfaced, causing chaos in my life. I couldn't help but feel that this was somehow my fault. If only I had found the courage to face my fears and return to my birth mother, perhaps my life could have been different.
Downstairs, the aroma of sizzling breakfast wafted from the kitchen where Alice was diligently cooking, but I had lost my appetite. In the living room, Max was engrossed in the morning news, keeping an eye on the twins. Disinterested, I made my way to the door. However, before I could take more than a couple of steps, the twins spotted me and darted over, each seizing one of my arms and exclaiming, "Caught you!" as they tried to tug me back into the living room. I resisted, telling them, "I'm not in the mood, guys. Just leave me be today, okay!?" They seemed taken aback by my response. Annoyed, I rolled my eyes and pushed past them towards the door. Stepping outside, a wave of relief washed over me. I knew I needed to compose myself before meeting up with Chloe; she would instantly pick up on my unease. After taking a few deep breaths, I felt ready to face her. As I strolled down the street toward her house, I halted outside the gate, anticipating her arrival. After waiting for about five minutes, she finally emerged. I greeted her with a wave as she made her way to the gate.
"Where were you? You always call. What's going on?" I groaned and folded my arms. I realized that I had forgotten to do something, all because of the rough morning I had. She took hold of my arm and guided me as we walked towards the school. We still had five to ten minutes before we arrived, so I took the chance to share how my day had been so far. She let out a few sighs as I spoke, which made me worry that I was boring her. When I finished, she looked at me with a concerned expression, and I understood that her sighs were because what I was saying was making her sad.
As we walked, I reassured her, "Don't worry about me. This isn't the first time and it won't be the last, but talking to you about it always makes me feel better. I'm fine." I could see the worry in her eyes, and I knew that keeping her calm was crucial. "Good! Then that means next time you'll call me. I don't want you waiting outside. What if Jayden saw you out there alone? You know what he'd do if he got the chance. You have to be careful!" she exclaimed, her voice rising as she grabbed her backpack and hurried along, pulling me with her.
It's okay, I'll call you. I don't even want to deal with Jayden. He is only interested in kicking my ass these days. I don't even know what I did. Even though I tried to be his friend for two years, he ignored me. Now it seems he won't leave me alone since I'm no longer interested in him!" My complaint is met with Chloe gasping, and she leaps up and down with a huge smile on her face. I look at her like she might be mad, mostly because she might be. Before I could question her about whatever it was that she did, she turned to me with the expression of someone who had just discovered someone's dirty little secret and was blackmailing them. It seems a bit dark, but I can guarantee it isn't the first time she's done it.
"What if Jayden actually has a crush on you? That could be the reason he's upset that you're not giving him attention?" I was taken aback by her unexpected words.
"Are you out of your mind? He wants to harm me, not be affectionate! How could someone like him be interested in me? He's unstable!" I shouted. Her smile quickly turned into a frown.
As we walked down the path, she wouldn't shut up about Jayden's sudden interest in me. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her over-the-top theories. We finally reached the school, but before we could even get inside, a group of chatty girls surrounded us. It was chaos with everyone trying to talk at once. Thankfully, Chloe managed to calm them down, and we all ended up walking into the school together in a big, noisy group.