Eric wakes up drenched in sweat. He squats on the bed and comb his hand through his black hair, unable to erase from his mind the nightmare that contributed to his heart still beating hard with fear.
It's been like this all his life. He can no longer remember when he got a good night's sleep. Haunted in his dreams by ghosts, he can't escape his parents' mistakes. He is punished for something he didn't do. At times, he gets fed up, and because of this, he walks around perpetually irritable and clings to other people for no reason.
As a child, he experienced a nightmare. He did things he was not aware of. Something was controlling his body, and he couldn't fight it. He suffered and no one could help him. It even seemed to him that his parents considered him inferior, favoring his sister more, who did not let on that she was also dealing with the dead.
Why did this thing take over his body and not his sister's? Was it because she was mentally stronger?
— Are you okay? Are you feeling well? — Out of the corner of his eye, he glances at Lucas, who has been watching him for some time. — You look bad. You're terribly pale.
— My blood pressure is low this morning, that's why — he answers him hastily as he gets off the bed. — In forty minutes, we start the first lesson. We have to hurry if we want to have time to eat breakfast.
He leaves the room, intending to use the bathroom. In the corridor, his head spins for a moment, but he manages to support the walls before grabbing the door handle.
He is sleep-deprived and nervous.
In the bathroom, he passes laughing senior students who are talking about pretty first-graders. It seems to him that everyone is in a good mood, just not him, but people have never been able to understand his mood. If, as a child, they had been confronted every night with an unfriendly spirit that sucked all the energy out of them, they wouldn't have had the strength to be positive either.
The 16-year-old would live best in the shadows, but people are drawn to him like flies, so he takes out all his anger on them.
He washes his hands in the sink and rinses his face with cold water to finally rouse himself, but when he lifts his head, he sees the reflection of a teenage girl behind him in the mirror. Drops of water run down his pale skin, and he thinks the phantom is touching his cheek.
The girl with short cropped hair, smiles grimly.
— You resemble your father.... just as handsome. — Eric looks at her with wide-open eyes. — Don't worry. I will protect you, as strongly as your mother. — He is horrified when the sorrowful face of a teenage girl, takes the form of a black demon without a face. — You, and Veronica, are mine.
Eric stares at his reflection, ignoring the presence of the other students. People look at him, noticing that he is not feeling well.
— Are you sure he's okay? — Only Lucas' voice brings him back to reality.
He blinks his eyelids and looks at his friend with confused eyes.
— As long as I'm not dying, I'm fine — she replies hastily, dropping his hand from her shoulder.
— It would be great if you at least opened up a little and started sharing your concerns, if only with your sister.
The brunet smiles sourly, thinking that Lucas' words are a joke.
— Share concerns with his sister? At night, I tried to talk to her, explain what my problem was, but she pounced on me, claiming I was making it up. You can see with the naked eye that she only cares about you. She probably regrets that you are not her brother — she says in a bitter voice. — I will take care of myself. I don't need pity.
He was already hiding in the shadows as a child, isolated, not allowing those close to him. He was closed in on himself, hating to talk about what was bothering him. He thought his parents favored his sister more, but when they tried to reach out to him, to help him, he pushed them away.
His sister is a social person, while he hates people, and teasing them makes him happy.
And he won't admit that he suffers all his life in solitude.
*
Veronica feels like killing Henry when, by fooling around, she spills honey flakes on the table. Everything sticks to her hands, which makes her go crazy.
— Wrap yourself up, boy — she mutters under her breath.
Nicki picks up the food from the countertop with her hand and teasingly slides it under her friend's nose, telling him to eat it.
— I'm older than you — he admonishes her in a warning voice. — Respect me, she scowls.
There is a noise inside, the third-graders get into a fight, the cause of which is a text message flirtation with Nicki. One of them is furious that his best friend is hitting on the girl with whom he has been in love for several months.
The blonde is embarrassed because everyone is looking at her with accusing eyes.
— I didn't do anything wrong. How could I have known that his pal was into me? — she burbles under her breath.
People gossip about her, thinking she is to blame for this conflict, and she does not defend herself in any way.
— Shout that you're a victim, or they'll pin the slut patch on you — Veronica says, taking a bite of cereal.
— Should I yell out to the entire cafeteria that I'm not a slut? — The brunette only shrugs her shoulders, chewing the food in her mouth. — Are you crazy? I have no intention of sitting in the principal's office at the beginning of the year.
— So you'd rather be called a slut for the rest of the year? — Henry adds his three cents, having a laugh at the situation. — With your appearance, no one will believe that you are a virtuous woman.
— Choke up, moron. — The blonde pushes a handful of cereal into his mouth — At least there will be one less idiot.
Nicki feels like collapsing to the ground as people point fingers at her and gossip among themselves. Someone tries to separate the beating third-graders, and she just hides her face behind her hand.
— Are you really going to put up with these gossiping mouths? — Veronica is not going to remain silent on the subject, since her friend is being accused of baseless. — I know you can be patient, but currently it is excessive.
— Just see... The teacher separates them, so I have to tear into the whole cafeteria to get punished along with them? — She still has the same explanation, which is not at all convincing.
— Are you terrified of punishment? — The brunette crosses her arms on her chest and sighs loudly. — Can you shut up for a moment! — she shouts unexpectedly, causing the entire room to go quiet. No one is even using cutlery. — Just to be clear, I would rather not hear someone slander my friend. I guess you don't know the concept of the word "slut", if you call a girl like that, who is the victim of an argument between these two cymbals. Besides. Stick your mouths in your plates of food, not in someone else's life!
The teacher pays no attention to the student's inappropriate vocabulary, focusing on getting the 18-year-olds out, who created chaos during breakfast. Holding both of them by the ears, she lectures them on mature problem-solving.
Loud clapping sounds in the room.
— Sister, as usual, you are making a fuss around you. You would die if you weren't the center of attention. — Eric is still uncomfortable, yet he couldn't stand it if he didn't make fun of her. He's angry that she completely pounced on him during the night, accusing him of making it up.
She immediately notices that there is something wrong with her brother. He is pale and has chapped lips. He hasn't looked like this in a long time.
— What's wrong with you? — She asks, rising from her chair. — Are you feeling bad?
The 16-year-old forces a crooked smile, out of the corner of his eye glancing at Lucas, who accompanies him.
— It's disgusting that you're trying to be the center of attention, pretending to be caring towards me, when in fact you're dangling how he feels. You are hopeless.
Friends look shocked, witnessing the unusual sibling relationship.
— Watch your mouth, Eric — she warns him, fed up with his coldheartedness. He is becoming more arrogant every day, even towards his family. — I'm your older sister, the caretaker at Horace Mann, so you're supposed to tell me everything, is that clear?
— Not really — he replies, taking cereal from her table with his fingers. — How can I tell you everything if you don't believe a word I say? — Veronica looks confused. — Sometimes I seem like a stranger in our family. You are a bright ray, I am a black spot.
She chews on the cereal in her mouth, looking at her friends accusingly.
— Ever since I showed up at Horace Mann, I have not been myself. Your company makes me out of humor — mutters Lucas under his breath, taking a seat next to his best friend. — The Scott siblings are a nightmare.
Veronica sits down on a chair and grabs his thigh, squeezing it tightly with her long fingernails. A shriek erupts from the boy's mouth.
— Take these claws away from me, predator!
— And are you still angry with me? — She whispers, tickling his cheek with her breath. — Do you know that I become nervous when you don't speak to me for too long?
Eric presses his lips together in anger. The naked eye can see that he is jealous that his sister has a better relationship with Lucas than with him.
He has helped her many times in the past, protected her from her parents, taking the blame, while she has always only sided with Lucas. She helped him with the smallest problem, even when Eric was suffering the most.
Since you want to be my protector, I will put you through such hell that you will finally remember that I am your brother. You will cry from helplessness, he thinks, piercing her with his eyes.
— Yesterday I was angry, but today I am not angry with you. I'm over it — Lucas says in a laughing voice as Veronica squeezes his thigh even tighter. — I'm serious. I'm even going to take you to the land of sugar after class.
Miranda, who is standing in the middle of the cafeteria, looks towards Lucas, feeling jealous. She realizes that she doesn't stand a chance in competition with his best friend. Even if she gets close to him, she will never be able to climb to the first place in his heart.
Eric tilts his head to the side at the sight of her, in his mind forming a fiendish plan.
— Barbie! — He raises his hand, making Miranda finally notice him. Her face purples with shame as she remembers that he witnessed her exposing herself during the night.
The tray falls out of her hands as he directs his steps towards her.
The girl panics and slowly backs away, not intending to face him. She bumps into a student, causing her to fall to the floor.
— Eric! — shouts Veronica, guessing that her brother intends to humiliate her friend again. — I'll kill the puppy — she adds more quietly as she walks away from the table.
Brunet stands over Miranda and grabs her around the elbow, forcibly lifting her off the floor. She is ashamed and helpless as he bestially captures her face in his hands, looking intensely into her eyes.
— Listen, Barbie, from now on, you will do all the crazy things I decide with me, if you oppose me, everyone at school will know that the first night you were so desperate that you climbed into my bed. I will describe to them in detail and even draw what your body looks like. — He leans over her face, smiling devilishly. — From now on, you are my doll. — He possessively kisses her, which causes a giant uproar in the cafeteria. She tries to push him away, but she doesn't have enough strength to win against him.
Veronica stops in mid-step, looking at her brother with wide-open eyes. Currently, everyone in the cafeteria looks shocked by his behavior.
— He is doing this on purpose. Veronica will have trouble with him — Lucas says quietly, resting his cheek on his hand.
— He can be cruel, and chicks fall in love with his perfect looks anyway. — Henry looks like he's about to cry. — He has snatched the prettiest girl from Horace Mann. I got depressed. — He falls face down on the countertop, with puppy eyes looking towards the new couple.
Eric looks arrogant as he puts his arm around his friend, who is twenty centimeters shorter, and turns to face Veronica.
— I don't need your care anymore, sis.
It still doesn't occur to Miranda what's going on and that she was just kissed by the baddest asshole in Horace Mann.
Is he really blackmailing her with lies, wanting her to become his puppet?
— After all, you hate being the center of attention, so what's with the puppy show? Why are you taking advantage of a girl you don't like? You're embarrassing her. — Veronica crosses her arms on her chest.
Miranda tries at all costs to free herself from the brute's grasp, but he won't let her.
— Do something with your stupid little brother before I kill him — she turns to her older friend.
He smiles wickedly.
— I suddenly realized that I have to stop being a freak to gain recognition among my family and peers. Isn't it because you are a bright ray that everyone around you loves you? I also intend to stop being a black spot, Vera. — The brunette is disturbed by his words. She guesses that he is planning something. — Isn't Miranda considered the prettiest girl at Horace Mann? Handsome looks and a fake chick by her side is the best scheme to become a popular guy in high school. Maybe, when I too start to shine brightly, my parents will see something more in me than a demented child? — His words, make the 17-year-old unable to get a word out. — I intend to stop being a black spot. Perhaps when you take my place, you'll understand how I felt all my life?
Miranda also has a sibling, but she can't imagine that their relationship could look so nightmarish. They have never competed, they love each other and can count on each other in any situation.
Veronica looks toward the exit of the cafeteria, spotting a ghost who giggles under his breath. He is clearly rejoicing at the sight of the fighting siblings.
Something undoubtedly wants to divide them, and the real nightmare will begin soon, the moment they open the door to the past.