The chill. It's the first thing I ever really knew in this world. The chill that others bestowed upon you in their own ignorance... Or hatred. I truly hated the cold, but the chill it placed upon your mind and soul was incurable, because no matter how many you have close to you, that awful sting of resentment remains. It was the first thing I ever really knew of this world. That, and light; artificial light I made for myself to keep going, that, somehow, at some point became the real thing that warmed that chill, and drove me harder with every passing moment to the very end.
I was Erika Bacik, a small girl that liked the color green and pandas, though not many knew the... Smaller details. I had never been a very sociable person. I'm still not. Yet I found myself to be a kind person, that knew people... Even if they didn't know me back. I had somehow started amassing information on people without knowing it, now I couldn't live without it. Much like a plastic flower, that provides an acceptable substitute for the real thing, for me collecting these estranged bits of information was actual human interaction. But that doesn't matter. This story is not my own, I'm a wallflower and I'm comfortable with that label. This story is about one bratty boy who received a bit of a dramatic wake-up call.
The crisp breeze ruffled the hair of the steady stream of students of Dominick's public high school as they filed out of the brick building to continue their journey home. One such individual was in a foul mood, but that was typical as of late. His dark hair and spiteful glare one of a kind in the school. One Erika had come to recognize, even at a distance. She finally saw him exiting the building, and did a brisk jog-walk to catch up with him. He had left his math book in class and she had hoped to return it for tonight's homework.
"h-hey...!" She meekly called after him, her words more like an exaggerated whisper than a call.
Dominik heard a small plea and turned to glance at who may be trailing him. He looked at a short girl with pale skin, and long wavy brown hair that reached the small of her back, parted on the left. She wore a long sleeved dark green shirt and dark jeans that lead down to black tennis shoes. She had a navy blue beanie on her head, but she held it there so Dominik knew it was either homemade or a hand-me-down because of its poor fit. Her backpack was lazily slung over one shoulder, its regulation beige color restricting any originality as she held onto the strap to keep it in place. A long cord connected her hip to her head; headphones. She held a worn textbook in her free arm.
"Please go away, I have no time for you."
"b-but...!?" She stammered after him, slowing as she tried to wrap her head around the rude greeting she had just been slapped in the face with. Dominik rolled his eyes and allowed a small smirk to creep onto his face as he climbed into his chauffeurs silver car. They rounded the corner to leave school property and Dominik cast a bored glance out the window only for a moment to see the girl who had followed him out into the parking lot still standing in the same spot, her eyes following the car with a dumbfounded expression. Looking a lot like a lost puppy. Dominik chuckled.
Erika had never been confronted so, so... Audaciously! Repugnantly! or in such a cruel manner ever before, so to say she was stunned would be an understatement. In that moment a torrent was created. All at once, emotions she didn't know could mix did, she was outraged, shocked, and put down all at once, mixing like the most unholy of paints in a whirlpool of confusion. As the vehicle pulled out of sight her mouth dropped, her upper lip twitching on one side in an irritated half-snarl. That would not be the end of it.
Dominik had just retired to his room, and was about to log into the Suicide Room whenever he heard their front door opening and closing after a few moments pause. Checking his computers clock he realized that it was late and neither of his parents business partners would be over at 11:30 at night. He tossed aside any curiosity about the whole matter until a knock came at his door. He closed his laptop and heard his mother speaking to him through the door.
"Dominik, one of your friends has dropped by." She called out in that tone that was politely saying to come out and be semi-sociable. Dominick's eyebrows knitted together, no one ever comes to his house, let alone at this hour. He sighed loudly to himself, "people are so annoying.." He muttered and lazily opened up his door. His eyes widened when he saw the same strange girl from before, now in his home and clutching the same book, though she was more appropriately dresses for the cold weather.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded with a hostile look. He noticed his mother off to the side, encouraging him with her eyes to not be so rude while his father watched from the couch with suspecting eyes, the latest newspaper in his hand.
"Like I was t-trying to tell you e-earlier, you left your math book in class. The teacher asked I return it to you." She handed Dominik the thick green book and nodded her head in a formal farewell and turned to leave. He watched her leave out the front door, saying a quick goodbye to his mother before walking down the sidewalk. Dominik stood for a stunned moment before running to his front door, swinging it wide open.
"How did you even find out where I lived?!" He shouted out after her. Erika turned her head and saw Dominik glaring after her with a curious irritation.
"You friend Ada told me, I asked her on Facebook."
"That's creepy." He mumbled spitefully as she turned to continue on her way.
"Don't care! I've done what was asked of me."
Dominik, shocked she was somehow able to hear him, watched as she gave an unsympathetic smile and turned away, leaving him speechless on his porch. After he shut the front door, Dominick's mom walked back over to him with a sly smile.
"It sure was nice of that girl to come all the way here to drop off your book."
"Uh huh.." Dominik nodded absentmindedly as he walked back to his room and shut his door, the soft click of the lock sliding into place sounding as he isolated himself again.
The next day Dominik almost felt a sense of anticipation at school, a little scared to see if the girl from last night would continue her stalking today. He would look just a little early around the corners to see if she was there before continuing his way to class. He was starting to feel at ease with himself again, the weird girl had not been seen yet today, even as he entered his math class. He had expected to see her waiting on him, watching him silently from a seat that with his luck might be next to him. To his surprise he didn't see her at all. Math class came and went quietly, and he almost began to believe that she hadn't happened at all, and that he had made her up. After that one moment the worry seemed to just melt away, she was no trouble after all. The day ended...and Dominik went home and prepared for the cycle to start its boring routine again the next day.
Erika could not believe this. She had spent the greater part of the day tracking down that arrogant snob, and what does she get?! Not a simple thank you or smile, Erika got a nice stroll in the freezing rain and, guess what! SICK. Erika couldn't stand it. She sat up in her bed, brooding over last nights events. She wasn't particularly mad at the prick himself, his behavior maybe a little, but she had gotten used to the different forms of dislike. She was irritated at herself for being sick, and being unable to anything. Her unusually happy and authoritative mother keeping her on lockdown. Mrs. Bacik was a stay at home mom whose happy personality had made her a favorite in high school, she was a brown eyed blonde with a busty frame that Erika had no hope of living up to and could be super scary when laying down the law... at least Erika thought so. She had inherited more of her father, she was a short and lanky brunette with grey eyes. She had also apparently inherited his terrible social skills. None the less she knew that yesterday's events were history, so now she could happily disappear back into the background, if she was lucky she would never have to deal with that stuk up prick ever again. She rolled her eyes once again as she shimmied into her sheets, the warm bed inviting to her sickly frame. She felt the ache of fatigue creep into her bones yet she fought on, keeping sleep at bay. she glanced around her room, before her eyes settling on the bookshelf next to her bed. She reached over and swiped at the air several tomes before she managed to hook the spine of a book that was barely within reach, not looking to see which of her varied selection she now held. Her irritated expression fell at the sight of the text before her, her face giving way to a much more solemn look of sadness mixed with regret. She looked down at the small scrapbook she had made a long time ago, its zebra print cover accented with bright pink ribbon. She smiled slightly at the sight of it, she'd had this book since she was in grade school. She gingerly flipped it open, taking in the first page with a strong sense of nostalgia. she was greeted by the smiling faces of herself and her younger brother as they held the pair of puppies they had brought home that frigid day, the duel balls of fluff being cuddled tightly by a pair of smiling children, wrapped tightly in their own winter gear. When she had started this so many years ago she had scrawled her name in shaky bubble letters above the picture, her brothers name in less extravagant print below the picture. Erika dared to give a small smile as she continued, the next picture was filled with her earliest doodles as well as a small poster the size of a post card of a unicorn by a fountain. She turned the page again greeted by a sight she had forgotten long ago. She had cut a piece of paper and written the word 'friends' in the very middle with curvy calligraphy that showed the progress she had been making artistically. The paper was barren of any words other than what she had written herself. In the corner was a small picture of herself and a small group of friends at their middle school graduation. she had gone though quite the awkward phase during that time in her life, and stood out easily. She had opted to wear a bright pink and green tank top under a black cut up shirt with colored leggings and equally bright sneakers, her hair messed up and sticking out in all directions as the locks attempted to free themselves from her makeshift ponytail. She stood behind everyone else, the rest of the group close together and smiling while she was a bit more distanced than the others, the one closest to her looking at her from the side with a strained smile. Erika's smile faltered before she breathed deeply and shut the book, that's all she wanted she could bear to remember for now. She shook her head to clear her thoughts but was only greeted by a headache in response. She groaned and wedged herself deeper into her bed, the thought of her misadventure the previous day crossing her mind.
"What a jerk." She mumbled grateful for her train of thought taking a different direction before she felt the darkness embrace her into a long sleep.
Dominik was just only starting to feel at peace again. Two days had passed since the crazy girl had followed him home and he was beginning to think that maybe he had come up with the whole scheme in his own mind; the only thing that kept him from accepting this idea as fact, was his mother's constant questioning about the girl who had suddenly shown up at their doorstep. He easily brushed them off since she was never home, but he wasn't sure how long she would wait before his mother demanded answers. He wondered why she suddenly cared so much.
Beata Santorska had never been a patient woman. Many would attest that this fact is what fueled her success, but she can't deny that the recent development in her son's social life has concerned her. His actions at the opera had caused her to want to become more informed about her son's life. So she did a little solo digging on a social media site she knew Dominik visited often.
She had been digging for what seemed like an eternity; the seemingly stark pages of black text against white nearly blinding Beata with the senseless disregard for her son.
How could anyone say such awful things?
How can they make such obscene gestures?
...How can they laugh about this?
Those questions rolled about within Dominik's Mom. She choked back tears of resentment and pain for her son, covering her mouth to stifle a sob. "Oh, my baby…" she whimpered.
a moment later her sobs died down and she took a shuddering breath.
"Something needs to change."
Hello! This is going to be another one of my fanfictions that I'm going to try to update semi-regularly. Some of you might know my other, "Masks" and this goes for both stories.
I do have a life, and it tends to demand time. I write when I can, but please don't ask me for a new chapter every other day, it kills me inside.
So, thank you kindly!
I bid you adieu.