Demons

Chapter Two

I’m walking down the last street before I get to my best-friend Lauren’s house. I hitch my backpack up a little as it starts falling down, breathing in the clean morning air, I sigh out a breath of relief. The bruise on my cheek doesn’t hurt as much as yesterday. Straightening my shirt, I turn the corner to Lauren’s street and am surprised to see her already walking over to me. 

“Dawn,” She walks over to me with a happy kick in her step. Her bouncy black curls frame her rounded face, and her mascara make her hazel eyes pop. She smoothes down her flower-print skirt she matched with a simple white tee and blue cardigan. I envy her kitten-heels that click with each step. She stops in front me, smiling, then frowning. “Where were you last night?”

“Lauren,” I say looking at her with an obvious look. “You know my dad doesn't let me leave the house.”

“Again?” She asks looking at my cheek sadly. I guess the concealer didn't work well enough. Her eyes turn sad and her whole face changes. “Let me help.” She opens her purse and takes out some concealer, smoothing it over my bruised cheek, it hurts a little still, but I hold back the wince for her sake. “You have got to leave, Dawn. You can’t let him keep doing this to you.” I see a small darkness in her eyes.

“I don’t know why you’re my friend,” I say as my eyes focus on her black thumb ring with weird S’s wrapped around each other. I’ve never seen it before.

She pauses in the process to look me in the eye. “I’m your friend because you’re one of the only real people I know, you’re not a fake and you never lie to me.” She finishes and puts it back into her bag. “Now come on, we’re gonna be late.”

I never get tired of the sun on my face and lunchtime is perfect for that. Sitting underneath a tall maple tree, the leaves are changing from orange to a golden yellow, and the perfect rustle they sing every time the wind blows is soft enough to sing me to sleep. I close my eyes and when I open them, I have to blink twice before thinking I’m not actually dreaming.

The most - handsome doesn't cut it - what’s that word again? Oh yeah, pulchritudinous, quite a word to go along with such a beautiful boy. I know I shouldn’t waste my time because I know there’s no way he’s here for me, probably just the shade. Yes, I do like denying myself even the smallest possibilities.

“You mind?” He asks, his voice lazy and careless, yet the first thing I think is that I could just listen to him all day. The alluring, husky sound of his voice.

“Oh, um, no, go ahead,” I mentally kick myself. Why can’t I be smooth and not stutter for once in the presence of a nice looking guy? I go back to my own world, where I’m sitting here alone with a notebook and a pen reveling in the slight caress of the wind, and acting as if I never have to go home.

I suddenly come to my senses. How on Earth would a guy this good looking go under my radar this long? I may not date, but that doesn't mean I don’t notice the good ones. His stunning good looks would have him marked in anyone’s book as a model. He has to be new, because I’ve never seen him before now. His blonde hair that lazily falls over his left eye, his beautiful blue and green eyes, his high cheekbones, and his straight jawline. All I need is a small smile to see if his teeth are straight and he makes the top of my list for dream boys. I try to go back to my poem, but I’ve completely lost my train of thought, due to my unexpected visitor that shares the shade of this tree with me. But a new one soon comes to mind. I start writing.

...Help me Graceling, hold my hand and keep me from ever falling.

Except for the one time that I have, for I have fallen for you.

Will you do me the honors of falling with me?

Let us both fall for I know you shall lift me up,

Your wings causing us to fly and never fall again.

For whenever I am in your arms you are all I can think about

Graceling.

Graceling I love you,

Can you not see...

I just read the poem over and over again until its class time. I close my journal and right when I was about to say “see ya later” to the new pulchritudinous boy, I realize he’s gone. Well, isn’t that weird? I didn’t even hear him leave. I shake my head, am I going insane? I stand up brushing off my jeans and start walking back to the school when I feel something that definitely wasn't there before in my pocket. I stop and take it out. A note.

Happy 16th Birthday - E, it reads.

Who’s E? I put the note back in my pocket, walking into the school, still wondering in my mind who this mysterious person is, when I nearly bump into Valerie - she does the song no justice. Bumping into her is an accomplishment because she’s paper-thin. Colliding with her should be an Olympic sport.

“Watch it, poster child!” she says, strutting away and flicking her hair.

...So clumsy - always running into me. Her clothes are ugly...

I hear this in my head, but dismiss it as one of my own thoughts.

...I really should’ve studied for the Math test yesterday instead of playing Black Ops...

...I hope Mike says yes when I ask him to prom...

...Why is my hair so stringy?...

The voices in my head torment me - it’s like I’m overhearing the thoughts of the entire school.

I have this terrible headache. It’s so overpowering I have to put a hand on the wall for balance. Thinking I must look like a fool, I do it anyway because I’ll fall otherwise. I have no idea what all these voices are in my head, but they’re driving me crazy. Finally making it to my locker, I lean against it for support.

The throbbing in my head feels like there’s a Black Eyed Peas concert going on in there. So I close my eyes, although it hardly helps. When I open them, I see this aura that forms around everyone. Black wisps of ash come out from each person. Some reach out further than others, almost as if trying to pull others in with them. But some have this light inside, looking like it wants to escape but it can’t because the darkness is holding it. One word whispers in my mind...Demons.