Aidan Blackwood, 18 years old...
The first thing I registered this morning was the harsh sunlight slicing through the rips in my curtains, hitting me directly on my face.
My eyelids were heavy, and for a brief, blissful moment, I forgot where I was. But reality has a way of hitting you hard, especially when it's accompanied by the roar of a voice that could shake the foundations of our already crumbling house.
"Get your worthless hide outta bed!"
The walls vibrated with the force of my father's yelling, yanking me fully into consciousness.
I winced, pulling the thin blanket up to my chin as if it could shield me from the storm brewing outside my door. I didn't want to deal with that asshole first thing in the morning.
"Did you hear me, Aidan? Ellie?" His voice boomed again, louder this time.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the cold touch of the wooden floor sending shivers up my spine.
Another day, another battle.
I ran a hand through my tangled dark hair. I should've got up earlier and left for school before he woke up.
Too late now.
"Ah, now the prince decides to rise!" His footsteps thundered closer, and I braced myself for impact, jaw clenched so tightly I could feel my teeth grind together.
"Look at this dump! You are as useless as your mother," he spat out, his words dripping with venom.
I said nothing. I knew better than to argue when he was drunk.
"Sorry," I mumbled, pushing myself off the bed. My movements were mechanical, and automatic responses drilled into me for as long as I could remember.
Protect Ellie. Keep your head down. Survive.
The door creaked open and my mother, Eleanor, stepped into the room. Her figure was small, almost shrinking under the weight of her own sorrow. "Please, just—" Her voice was a whisper.
"Shut it, Eleanor!" The boom of his command swallowed her plea whole. He leaned against the doorways as he was struggling to stand on his feet.
"Your soft-hearted nonsense is what's spoiled these kids," he growled, his gaze fixed on me with an intensity that felt like it could burn holes straight through my skull.
"Frank, please," my mother tried again, her hands trembling as they reached for his arm. But he shook her off like she was nothing more than an irritating fly, and her hand dropped limply to her side.
"Out of my way," he grunted, pushing past her to tower over us. His breath hit me like a wave, the stench of stale alcohol so strong it made my stomach churn. "You think you can hide behind your mother? Grow up, Aidan. Be a man."
Maybe I should punch the light out of him, I thought to myself. But I knew I couldn't for my mother and my sister's sake.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" he barked, but I was already looking, my stare unwavering as I absorbed the storm.
"Let him go to school, honey," my mother pleaded him. "It's the first day of the semester. Right, Aiden?" she looked at me pleadingly to cooperate.
"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "Is that okay with you, Dad?"
He grunted. "Go on. Get the fuck out."
He stormed away, most likely to continue to sit on his ass and drink.
My hands were balled into fists so tight that my knuckles turned white, a physical manifestation of the anger boiling just beneath my skin. I ground my teeth together, swallowing down the lump in my throat.
"Aidan..." Mom started, but I cut her off.
"Where is Ellie?" I asked.
"She...she woke up early to leave for school," she said.
Good. She must've seen it coming and decided to be smart this morning.
I took a quick shower and headed to school, which felt more like a sanctuary than my house. At least there, I didn't have to deal with Dad's bullshit.
But I guess today was "National Annoy Aidan Day" because as soon as I reached the school entrance, some moron crashed into me.
"Watch it!" I let out a low growl of frustration as I glared at her.
"Sorry," came the mumbled apology from the girl sprawled across the ground.
I walked away without offering to help, but I couldn't help but glance back at the petite girl who was scrambling to gather her things.
Oh yeah, I remembered her from last year. Some stuck-up chick with a fancy name like Ivy or some shit. She was always so quiet, blending into the background like wallpaper. And honestly, I couldn't give two shits about dealing with another entitled brat.
I made my way towards my locker. As I spun the combination and yanked open the door, a figure leaned against the locker beside mine. I turned to see Destiny Richards, the head cheerleader, batting her eyelashes at me.
"Hey there, Aidan," she purred, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Her low-cut top barely contained her generous cleavage as she shifted closer. I took in her hourglass figure, those endless legs on display thanks to her tiny cheerleader skirt.
Damn, Destiny was fine. Curvy in all the right places with a face like a supermodel. Most guys at this school would kill to have her attention. But her eyes were on me.
"What do you want, Destiny?" I asked flatly, shoving my backpack into the locker.
She trailed a manicured finger down my arm. "Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to ditch class with me. We could have a little fun."
I grabbed her wrist, lowering her hand. As tempting as her offer was, hooking up with Destiny would just bring drama.
"I've got better things to do," I said. Before she could protest, I slammed my locker shut and walked away, leaving her pouting those lush lips after me.
I won't lie. Having a sexy girl like her lusting over me felt good, but I couldn't give her what she wanted that easily!
My first class was English and I let out a sigh of relief when I spotted my best friend Mason and his chick, Mia. But then my face twisted with confusion as I saw that clumsy chick from before. What the hell was she doing in a junior class?
I sat down on a desk farther from her but kept my eyes on her. I didn't get a good look at her earlier when she bumped into me but now I had to chance to see what she looked like.
Brown hair, blue eyes, barely there tits, and a basic body. I wouldn't give her a second glance in the halls. No wonder she didn't leave much of an impression on me last year.
"What are you looking at that chick so intensely for? You want to hit that?" Mason joked next to me.
"What? That sophomore? Fuck that. I don't date losers," I said dismissively.
"Oh, come on, dude. She is not that bad. I think she is kinda cute with those big blue eyes," Mason said.
"Who is cute?" Mia asked, narrowing her eyes at Mason.
"No one, babe. Just talking about the new puppy at my place," he said, shooting me a warning look. I rolled my eyes and focused on the teacher coming in.
Maybe he was right. She was not that bad looking, but she could do better than that skirt and blouse combo she was rocking.
I probably would've forgotten about her after this class but fucking hell. The teacher had to go and pair me with that clumsy chick for this stupid group project. Now I'm stuck with her loser ass.
And to make matters even worse, she was acting all smart in front of my friends.
It pissed me off and made me want to ruin the rest of her school year.
Who did she think she was, acting all high and mighty? Maybe if I made her life a living hell, mine wouldn't seem so miserable anymore.
And let's face it, picking on this spoiled brat would be pretty satisfying.