Serena
Fallingbrook is so different, but I like it. I drove around before I picked up dinner for my mom and me. It is a beautiful small town surrounded by many lakes and forested areas. From what I saw, it is a small community where everyone knows each other. They are also super friendly. I had a pleasant conversation with the lady at the pizzeria. She suggested plenty of places I needed to visit and things to see in town, including one of the biggest lakes.
I pull the car back into the laneway. The smell of the pizza filled my car, making my mouth water. I do not remember the last time I had pizza. I almost feel guilty for wanting to eat, but I deserve it. I eat like a rabbit; I think I should be allowed to indulge now and again.
I grab the pizza box and get out of the car. The night air is still warm, even for September. I miss the ocean breeze and the smell of the salt, but the pine scent is quickly becoming familiar. This place has a weird sense of home.
I look at the cute little bungalow we now live in. The white siding is still bright even at night. The small porch would be perfect to sit on and watch the world go by. There is not much to see with just the four houses here, but I can picture an older couple sitting, watching the world go by. I smile and walk up to the front door.
I can feel eyes on me. I look around and see nothing. The other three houses were dark, but I could have sworn someone was watching me. I must be imagining things.
Mom is unpacking the kitchen, singing I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift. I can’t help but laugh as she sings into a spatula. She belts out the lyrics like she is performing for thousands of people.
Watching her reminds me of growing up. Mom always had music playing, especially when she was cooking. I place the pizza down on the island and join in on the singing. I don’t remember the last time I saw my mom so happy like this. It is amazing.
Growing up, Mom was pretty relaxed with me, but I was such a goody-goody. I never acted out and always followed the rules. That never stopped her from being overly stressed and sometimes unhappy. I remember trying to do anything and everything to make my mom smile. It worked, but I could always see darkness in her eyes. There was always one day a year when my mom would be the saddest. I still don’t know why that day was the hardest for her, but it was. I used to ask, but she would brush it off and pretend nothing was happening.
To this day, I try to go out of my way for her. She deserves it. She always put me first growing up. She never went on dates. She just focused on school, then her career, and me. When she got the job offer here at the beginning of summer, I practically had to beg her to take it. It was such a massive opportunity, and I did not want her to give it up for me. One year in a new town was nothing compared to her happiness.
The music continues to play while we sat down and ate in the nearly empty kitchen. The house was charming, very modern, and bright. It is an ideal home to grow up in. I try to imagine what it would have been like living in a house like this when I was younger. It brings a small smile to my face.
The rest of the evening goes by quickly. Mom and I tried to unpack as many of the boxes as we could tonight. We got the vital things like our bedroom stuff, clothes, and most of the kitchen unpacked. By midnight, I kiss my mom”s cheek and walk down the hall to bed.
My new room was a little bigger than my old room, with an attached bathroom. The walls were an off-white color that isn’t bad, but not my style. I will have to change that.
Evan has been texting me since I left, telling me everything we have to do to prepare for the wedding. He seems to have most of it already planned out, so I don’t have to do much. The more he texts, the more I can feel my anxiety rising, needing an outlet.
Fuck.I run straight to the toilet and heave. Over and over, but nothing is coming out. I can”t stop, not until my body is shaking and tears are running down my cheeks. I have not felt like this in so long. I need to get everything out. Without thinking, I jam my fingers down my throat. My gag reflex has gotten better after doing this for so long, but eventually, I find the spot and dive my head back into the toilet.
A feeling of relief washes through my body before hatred. I have not felt the need or want to do that in so long. I was finally starting to get better. Panic swells in me.
I lean against the wall and try to slow my breathing. After a couple of minutes, I feel my heartrate decrease and my breathing evening out. Shakily, I get up and walk to the sink. I stare at myself in the mirror, hating the girl looking back at me. I am not her, but at the same time, I am. I do not want to be her anymore. I want to be strong.
I rinsed my mouth with water a few times before brushing my teeth.
I pull out a pair of flannel pajamas and start to take off the clothes that I was wearing today. The feeling of eyes on me again sends a shiver down my spine. I look out the window, seeing no one around. The house next door has a window across from mine, but the curtains are closed, and no lights are on. I quickly close my curtains and change before crawling into bed.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Is it seriously already time to get up? I feel like I have barely slept. I roll over and shut the alarm off before rolling back over. Five more minutes is all I need.
“Serena! Time to get up!” Mom yells through my door. I grab my pillow and throw it at the door. I hear a thunk as it hits my door, and my mom laughing in the hall. “Hurry up, it is the first day of school. Get showered and dressed.”
I groan and reluctantly get out of bed, knowing she is right. I need to get ready before the first day of school. I shower quickly before dressing in jeans, a white blouse, and a pink cardigan. I look at myself in the mirror before putting on a little makeup to cover the small bruise that still mars my cheek. It’s not as dark anymore, but it’s still visible.
Mom is in the kitchen, making a huge breakfast. She made enough food to feed a small army. Why she is cooking this much food is baffling to me. I stare at all the delicious food, wanting to eat it all, but I hear Evan’s voice in my mind. You are going to get fat if you eat any of that. I grab an apple instead and sit down at the table.
Mom looks at me and frowns, but she doesn”t say anything about the lack of food I am eating. My mouth waters, and all I want to do is stab a piece of bacon and devour it. I do not remember the last time I had waffles, pancakes, or bacon. None of this is on the list of approved foods.
When I finish my apple, I toss the core out before grabbing my phone and keys and heading to school. Mom stands by the door and watches as I pull out of the driveway in her car. She isn’t working this week, so I have the car for now. I could probably walk to school, but I would prefer to use the car while I can.
A quick five-minute drive and I am pulling into the back of the parking lot. Fallingbrook High looks like every other high school. A giant red brick rectangle building with a few trees lining the outside. There is absolutely nothing special about it. I can see groups of people greeting and hugging each other, catching up after summer, smiling and laughing.
I finally pluck the courage to get out of the car and make my way to the front doors. It seems like everyone stops their conversations as I walk by, and all eyes are on me. I duck my head and make my way to the front door.
Once inside, it is more of the same inside. Students walking around, catching up with friends. I see what I assume is the football team throwing a ball back and forth to each other while they check out girls walking by them.
Just like the outside, the inside looks like every other high school. A weird, ugly beige paint color on the walls. Black and white tiles that look like they have not changed since the fifties. Dark green lockers line each of the walls, only broken up by white doors to each classroom.
Thankfully, the office is right in front, by the doors, so I don’t have to search for it. I open the door and look around. There are a few offices in the back and a large desk with a woman, who looks to be in her fifties, sitting behind it. Her smile is warm and genuine as I walk up to her desk. Her auburn hair is a short pixie cut. She has on black cat-eyed glasses, that make her hazel eyes shine behind. The plaque on her desk says, Ms. Steele.
“Good morning.” She greets me, the smile never leaving her lips. “You must be the new student. Ms. Gold, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have your schedule and locker info right here.” She says while handing me a couple of papers. One shows the classes I have this semester, while the other is a map of the school. There is a circle where my locker is, and the combination is on the back of the paper. Locker 115. “If there is anything you need dear, just come on in to see me.”
“Thank you so much, Ms. Steele.” I smile at her before exiting the office.
It looks like my locker is down the right hall. I turn down the hall and watch the locker numbers descend, with even-number lockers on the right side and odd numbers on the left. Eventually, I found it after walking down the first hall and turning down another.
Thankfully, no one is standing around the other lockers when I approach. Quickly, I open the locker and toss my bag in. I grab a notebook and pen before shutting the locker and finding my first class. It looks like I have English first period, which, according to the map, is on the other side of the school.
I meander down the halls, trying not to get lost. The school is not massive, but large enough that I need the map to help.
Fuck, I think I went down the wrong hall. I groan before turning around and instantly bumping face first into a solid body. I let out a surprised squeak while I tried to keep myself from falling. Warm hands reach out and gently grab my arms before I can fall. My cheek burns from pain, and I clasp it. I look up into the most intense dark eyes I have ever seen before. A dark blue that almost looks black.
Attached to those mesmerizing eyes is the most breathtaking guy I have ever seen before. He towers over me. I have always been intimidated around men, especially ones that are so much bigger than myself, but I do not feel that way with him. His milk chocolate hair is just long enough to rake your finger through and grab. He was a lot more muscular than Evan. He has a tattoo on his right hand, a rose.He doesn’t say anything to me, just continues to assess me with those eyes. His face is blank, but not in a bad way. Like that’s how he always looks. He easily could pull off the aloof persona.
A shiver of… something courses through my body as I get lost in him. I don’t know what I am feeling being near him, but I don’t hate it.
We stare into each other”s eyes for what feels like forever before I hear someone calling out his name. Zeus. Interesting name. It suited him just from his looks alone. I can see why he is named after a god.
He does not take his eyes off me as his friend calls out his name again. I slowly stepped away as his friend got closer, not losing eye contact until his friend finally reached him. I don’t look at his friend, unable to take my eyes off Zeus.
He keeps his eyes trained on me while his friend is speaking to him. I slowly back down the hall, not wanting to look away. I don’t know what it is about him, but he draws me in like a moth to a flame. He seems like the type to burn me. His eyes follow me down the hall until I round the corner. I can still feel his stare even now that the spell has broken between us.
The guilt hits instantly. Evan. I promised him I would not talk to any other guys. Granted, I did not say anything to him, but looking into his eyes, I felt more in those five seconds than I have in five months with Evan.
I finally found my class and walked into the room. It was still empty. Only a handful of students were already here, so I sat in the back corner of the class. Hopefully, seats are not assigned. I want to stay in the back and away from people. I was a loner at my old school, and I planned on staying a loner at this school. It was only ten months; I could do it by myself.
One by one, the class filled up. I keep my head down, ignoring everyone.
“You must be new.” A voice said in front of me.
I raised my head and met with a friendly smile. The girl sitting in front of me was pretty and seemed friendly enough. Her light brown hair was curly and came down to her shoulders. She had pale blue eyes that were so bright. Her fair skin was covered in freckles that gave her an innocent look.
I nodded my head, not really knowing what to say. I planned to be as invisible as possible, and that’s already shot. “Yeah, I’m Serena,” I say.
“Everley, but everyone calls me Evie.” Her smile is bright and welcoming.
I did not know what to say to her now. I tried to give her a friendly smile, but I think it came off as awkward as it felt.She gives me the most genuine smile I have ever received. She goes to open her mouth to say something, but the bell rings.
Evie turns back around, and we start paying attention to the teacher. He droned on about what we would be learning this semester and what he expected from all of us. In the middle of his rambling, the door burst open, and Zeus’s friend walked in, not a care in the world.
He is as tall and muscular as Zeus. His blonde hair is tied into a bun on the crown of his head. One of the first things I notice about him is an eyebrow piercing that glistens in the light. Second thing I noticed was his eyes, they were as blue and bright as the ocean. He wore a smirk that just seemed natural to him. He was dark and dangerous; it was easy to see.
“Mr. Hayes, it’s so nice of you to grace us with your presence.” The teacher sarcastically remarks.
He shrugs at the teacher before taking the only available seat left, which is beside me. I kept my gaze on the front of the class as he sauntered his way over to the seat. He stops beside my desk, but I refuse to look up at him. That was probably a stupid thing to do, but I needed to keep to myself. I did not want to give Evan a reason to be mad at me. He probably already was. He has been texting me all morning, and I have not opened them yet.
Finally giving up trying to get my attention, he sits down at his desk. His leg bounced while the teacher kept droning on about whatever. I tuned him out quickly. He was monotone and dull to listen to. It was going to be a long semester listening to him.
“Psst. Psst.” He whispered, trying to get my attention. I pretended not to hear him. “Psst.” He was louder this time. Other students turned around to look at him and swiftly turned back around. I continued to ignore him. He chuckles like it is the funniest thing to him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him still looking at me, his smirk never leaving his lips. Finally, the bell rang, and I quickly grabbed my stuff and tried to leave.
“Hey.” He said to me, giving me a charming smile that would make the panties melt off any girl he wanted. “The name is Odin.”
I wanted to reply, but Evan”s voice was screaming in my mind, no talking to guys. You are mine.
“Serena,” Evie called before I could even reply. I took the chance to make my exit.
I looked over my shoulder at the door, seeing Odin still staring at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but if I had to guess, I was in big trouble with him.