Chapter 1:
Waking up to the brightening sun sickened me to no end. I loved the way shadows formed themselves around my bed. The way the hall light seemed to flicker as if on the brink of sure extinction. I was a monster, I was a killer, and I was a disgrace. Sighing I rose out of bed to the feel of cold hard tiled floors beneath my feet. My room took on the theme of my mood not surprisingly. The walls were as black as fresh tar put down before it had a chance to dry, liquid running down its surfaces defying the laws of physics but seeming not to care in the least. My curtains were thick blotting out all the sun with its ruby satin cloth. Sadly, it was another day of school, another day of hell. Finishing my daily morning routines I glanced at the clock on my way to my room to put on some clean clothes. It was 5 a.m., plenty enough time to get ready. Pulling on some black silk underwear I put on a bra to match. Today was going to be like any other day. Pulling on a black tank top I threw on a mesh long sleeve shirt to at least show some modesty. Next came the black skinny jeans and the black combat boot doc martins. I loved my shoes to death. It took me weeks to afford them, saving up pay check after paycheck, they were my love and joy. Stomping down the stairs to the main floor I made a run for the front door hoping to get out before anyone noticed my escape.
"Chloe!" a shrill voice screamed coming from somewhere behind me. Gulping I slowly turned around to face the one and only- Rachel.
Rachel was pretty enough. Nice body, great hair, great tan, and she had the skanky clothes to show it off, but if you got even a taste of her actual personality you would run for the hills. So she usually keeps all of the ugly hidden under lies and illusions.
"Where the hell are you going skank?" She sneered popping her hip out to the side looking like a model in a shoot.
"Why don't you just fuck off man? You got to have other things to do besides annoy me all day long. I got places to go and people to see." Her momentary shock gave me the chance I needed to escape. Slamming the door behind me I ran down the street in a full off sprint praying to god that my bus would be a few minutes late. Making it to the corner I took a sharp right almost becoming parallel with the asphalt as I righted my self momentarily only to see my bus making its way to pull itself from the curb. Giving it all I had I made it to the back side of the bus slamming my hands against the yellow banner trying to get the bus drivers attention. I ignored the laughing of the other kids and even the name calling; sadly I have gotten use to the abuse from my former class mates. Throughout the years I have developed not hatred per say towards them but a feeling more close to that of pity. They would never grow up, and for that I was sad for them. The bus came to a squeaking halt forcing my shoulder into its side. The laughs only got louder. Gasping in pain I made my slowly to the doors just to piss the driver off a little more. Hell, it was his fault for my shoulder and I was going to make him pay. Climbing the stairs I ignored the man behind the wheel trying in lost effort to find an available seat. Every day I looked for a seat and everyday I never found one. My bus stop was the last one on its route to Hades High, the hell of all schools, more importantly meaning the bus was already full before it got to my stop. Standing in the middle of the isle, like always I grasped onto the backs of the two seats on either side of me swaying with the bus almost gracefully thanks to all the practice I've had.
"Hey," a male voice intoned from behind me. I ignored it.
"Hey," the voice came again, and again I ignored it. No one ever talked to me.
"Girl in the isle! Girl standing in the isle! Hey!" Looking over my shoulder I paused catching the eyes of a boy around my age. His smile was as big and open as his eyes seemed to be. He was new. He didn't know our customs. Trying not to be rude I nodded politely showing more respect to him than I have throughout my whole 17 years of life. The bus grew instantly silent. This was not a good idea. I kept my face completely blank, my eyes dead, trying to piss him off enough to leave me alone and save himself from complete shunning. No one talked to me. Yet he still continued to stare at me with those open eyes and honest smile, it was so confusing. It would be impossible for him not to hear the whispers my other classmates spread around about me, impossible for him to ignore it. Yet there he was, and here I was.
"Hey, you look like your in need of a seat," he began stating the obvious, "would you like to accompany me on this bench?" His voice was kind and joking as if we were long time friends already. The amount of my shock apparently showed through my own stone cold façade, I thought he might laugh or make fun off me, maybe even through something, but he did the exact opposite. He winked. He winked. At me. If I hadn't known any better I would have sworn he was flirting with me. Thank god I knew better. Glancing around at my frozen class mates I decided to do the unexpected. If this guy was willing to be nice to me I was definitely willing to take advantage of his warm demeanor. So instead of doing the usual turn and ignore I decided to take him up on the offer. Walking to the very back of the bus I slipped into the seat next to him. I nodded once again in appreciation causing a guy I knew from third grade as Dalton to choke on his coke sounding as if he was dying. I didn't offer to help; I already did enough for today. Facing forward once more I tried to ignore everyone else's stares, but it was hard thing to do, especially in such close quarters.
"My name is Simon," the guy said from besides me. Watching him from the corner of my eye I decided to use him as a distraction. Turning to face him entirely I placed my back to the isle. I was prone to an attack, it made me uneasy but I would have to deal with it. The boy named Simon seemed a little surprised at this, but it was a pleased surprise, not an unwanted one. I took in Simon's appearance for the first time. He had warm slightly tilted amber eyes that seemed to light from within making me pause. His hair was just as golden as was his skin. All in all he was the true definition of 'Golden Boy', I wondered if he played football. He had a slight build, not skinny but not too bulky either. All in all he was a truly attractive boy. Why was he talking to me?
"What's your name?" he asked facing me in the same way I was him.
Taking a tentative breath I met his eyes full on showing no mercy, "My name is Küçük canavarların," I replied in a whisper, "but the name people call me is Chloe, it's a nickname of sorts." A nickname I hated.
"How'd you get the nickname Chloe?" He asked politely. My anger rose to the fore front of my mind, I knew he didn't mean anything by it but the reminder whether intended or not was not at all pleasing to me. I turned back around deciding that a bus full of insolent ruthlessly cruel teenagers was less dangerous than the one boy who made me want to open up. I would not open up. Not to him. Not to anyone. Dalton turned around to face the new kid, Simon. He was going to recruit him and bring him over to the other side. To the side everyone wanted to be on, the one I was shunned from.
"Dude I wouldn't be talking to that." Dalton spit out vemently as if hoping to hurt me physically with just his words. He would be sorely disappointed, I was not hurt. I was fine. When Simon didn't respond Dalton continued on ruthlessly, "You know why we call her Chloe?" Again Simon didn't respond an again Dalton continued, "You see if you take the name Chloe and put the 'L' in between the 'o' and the 'e' then get rid of the 'h', what word to you come up with?"
"Cole." Simon intoned emotionlessly. Spinning my head around so fast my hair flew out behind me I stared at Simons profile keeping my emotions intact, but only just. His eyes that seemed to be so warm before were cold as ice now, his smile was still there but now it had razor blades imbedded into it. It was almost as if he were a completely different person.
"You get the joke? Because she's worth just as much as her name sake, she's worth less than Cole." Laughing at his own joke, everyone listening joined along furthering his own amusement. Just then the bus pulled up in front of the school. Running off into the crowd of the other students I was safe, at least for now.