ELYSIAN DAWN
*Chapter One*
The incessant ringing of the alarm pierced the quiet room, jolting Tessa awake. She groaned, her hand instinctively clutching her stomach. The searing pain had become a familiar companion, one she'd grown accustomed to in recent weeks.
With a struggle, Tessa sat up and silenced the alarm. Her gaze drifted to the time displayed on her phone—6:07. She needed to get ready for her first day at Perry Thomas High School.
Tessa swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet dangling in the air. She pulled open the drawer and retrieved a container of pills. As she opened the lid, a knock at the door made her jump, sending the pills scattering across the floor.
"Shit!" Tessa muttered, crouching down to gather the pills.
"Come in," she called out, trying to sound calm.
The door creaked open, and her mother, Joyce, peered inside. "Breakfast is ready. I'll leave you and Tyler to eat; I have to get to the coffee shop."
Tessa forced a weak smile. "Morning, Mom."
Joyce nodded and closed the door. Tessa let out a frustrated sigh and quickly gathered the remaining pills. She popped a few into her mouth and rushed to the bathroom to wash them down with water.
A few minutes later, Tessa stood in front of the mirror, dressed in her new school uniform. She combed her long, wavy brunette hair and applied a light layer of makeup. The reflection staring back at her looked almost normal, but the pain lingering beneath the surface threatened to undermine her fragile facade.
Downstairs, Tyler was already eating breakfast. Tessa ignored the spread of bacon, eggs, and milk, and headed for the door.
"Aren't you having breakfast?" Tyler asked, concern etched on his face.
Tessa scoffed. "Enjoy yours, Ty."
Tyler's eyes narrowed. "You're starving yourself, Tessa. It's not healthy...it makes me worry you know." Tyler said, placing his chin on his interlocked fingers.
Tessa spun around, her eyes flashing with anger. "You don't get to worry about me, Tyler. You left, remember?"
The tension between them was palpable. Tyler's expression turned cold, and he looked away.
Tessa turned and walked out the door, leaving the unease behind.
Tyler scoffed. "This is f**king ridiculous." He said.
Tyler and Tessa were once inseparable but after an argument with their father, Tyler left home and few months later, their father died of cancer.Tessa felt lonely and abandoned because their mother barely cared about her— she just cared about her coffee shop.
*Perry Thomas High School*
The bell rang, signaling the start of the first lesson. Students milled about, chatting and laughing. Tessa followed Hilary, her new friend, through the crowded hallway.
As they walked, Hilary filled Tessa in on the school's social hierarchy. "Savannah Clearwater is the queen bee. She's gorgeous, but also mean-spirited."
Tessa's eyes scanned the hallway, spotting Savannah and her entourage, Chloe and Mariette. Hardin and his gang—Zedd, Khalil and Niko, a Japanese. Hardin is tall, and very handsome— black hair, dark sexy eyes and thin lips with a nice body. Hardin, the school's notorious bad boy, caught her attention. His piercing gaze seemed to bore into her soul.
There are more to learn in this school." Hilary continued as they walked down the hallway which led to class.
"Hope the library is not crowded?" Tessa asked with furrowed brows.
"No one really cares about the library... just the games and music performances once in two weeks." Hilary continued.
"Music!?" Tessa squealed. Apart from studying, Tessa is a music freak.
"Yeah...wow! You do love music." Hilary said, her eyes widened a bit at Tessa's sudden excitement when she talked about music.
"After class, I'll show you the music hall and the library... which one do you wanna see first?" Hilary asked.
"The library first." Tessa chirped.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted nearby. Hardin and his friends were bullying a younger student.
They're bullying someone." She said to Hilary. Hilary's smile faded as soon as she saw a black boy among the bullies.
"Shit! Khalil!" Hilary shot and pointed at the black boy. "That's my twin."
"Why're they bullying him?" Tessa mumbled to herself, people already gathered to watch.
Hardin pushed the boy to the floor and squatted before him, a sly smirk playing on his cute small lips as his dark eyes were fixed on the boy's terrified face.
"You had only one thing to do and get paid... but what? You betrayed me, you reported me to the vice principal." He said and let out a scornful giddy laugh.
"It was my mom's idea... I don't know how she found out and she insisted I report you to the vice principal." The boy said with a trembling voice.
"Mommy's boy huh?" Hardin said, patting the boy's head. "You should know your place in this school... someone like me shouldn't be talking with a lowly human like you but..." He shrugged. "... I just decided to help your bloody life out of pity and you betrayed me. That's a nice one... I'll reward you later--" Hardin was saying but got interrupted.
Tessa's instincts propelled her forward.
"How dare you call him a lowly human? Are you any better than him?" Tessa demanded, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.
Hardin's eyes locked onto hers, a slow smile spreading across his face. "I've not seen you before... who the flipping f **k are you?"
Tessa stood her ground, despite the trepidation creeping up her spine. "I'm Tessa Lockwood. So?"
Hardin's gaze lingered on her face. "You're pretty." He said before he jabbed his finger against her forehead. "But you shouldn't talk to me like that."
Tessa's eyes flashed with anger as she clutched her forehead.
Hilary held her. "Are you okay? I told you not to talk to him..." She said, checking Tessa's forehead.
Just then, a deep voice with an Australian accent cut through the tension. "What are you going to do to her if she keeps talking to you like that?"
A tall, blonde-haired boy emerged from the crowd, his eyes fixed intently on Hardin. Mooney Thomas, the son of the school's proprietor, exuded an aura of quiet confidence and authority.
Tessa's heart skipped a beat as she wondered what would happen next.
"Is war about to happen?" she whispered to Hilary.
Hilary's eyes darted nervously between Mooney and Hardin. "There's a very high chance. Let's get out of here before things escalate."
But Tessa's feet seemed rooted to the spot, her gaze locked on the unfolding drama.
To be continued...
Elysian Dawn.