Chapter One
"Put the boxes next to the door,Lil!" My aunt yelled
I walked into our new home with much curiosity. The walls were painted an ugly, unflattering shade of brown and the floors an ugly hardwood.
"Do you like it?" My aunt,Amy, said.
I sighed and nodded, not wanting to make her unhappy. It seemed as if she really liked the place.
"Maybe I can grow to like it."
She patted my back.
"Be happy, this is it. Your new start, this is what you wanted."
She was right, moving was not only what I wanted, it's what I needed. I needed to get away after what happened in New York, I couldn't go back there, I needed to get away.
"You're right."
My aunt smiled at me and ushered me to the stairs.
"Go get settled in your new room."
I walked up the stairs, wondering how I was going to find my room in this huge house. Luckily, Aunt Amy had it all figured out, she placed a Nirvana poster on the door. She knew me well.
My room was quiet and comfortable. The walls were a peaceful shade of blue and covered with a lot of my posters. The room gave me a a sense of tranquility that I hadn't had in a long time.
"It's nice what you've done with the place." A voice said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I turned around to see a girl about my age with mousy blonde hair.
"Uh... I didn't do it, my aunt did. I'm sorry, who are you?"
She smiled. "The name's Violet. I used to live here."
"Oh. Well make yourself at home...again." I said then laughing at my own cheesy joke.
I know that it was a bit strange that a girl I didn't know was roaming around my house, but she seemed to give off good vibes.
"Sorry to just seem like a creep, but no one has been here for a while. I just come in to get away, this house gives me...peace." She said, looking down.
"It's fine, stay as long as you want. I could use the company."
She giggled.
"Oh, you'll always have company in this house."
I shrugged off her comment and started putting stuff in my drawers. Violet volunteered to help me.
"I think I'm going to like it here. I mean, my aunt really likes it, so I guess it will grow on me. I hope I never leave."
Violet's smile turned into a tight line as her eyes narrowed.
"You'll want to eventually, but the house won't let you."
I raised an eyebrow, but when I turned to ask her what she meant, she was gone.
"Violet?" I called. I got no answer.
I assumed that she was in a hurry.
"Lilith! Come down here!" My aunt called.
"Coming!" I yelled back.
I met her in the kitchen. She sat at the counter with an old woman with red hair. I couldn't help but notice that she had a clouded eye. However, she seemed really sweet and genuine.
"This is Moira, she's our new housekeeper."
I faked a smile. My aunt knew how I felt about maids. I hated the idea of hiring someone to do work that we were too lazy to do ourselves.
"Nice to meet you. Aunt Amy...a word?"
My aunt raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse us."
I sighed and turned around to face her when we were in the living room.
"What's wrong,Lil?"
"You know how I feel about housekeepers."
She sighed and placed her hands on my shoulders.
"I know,but this house is way too big for us to take care of by ourselves. Besides, Moira is really sweet and diligent. I wanted to tell you sooner,but I never got around to it."
I nodded. She did have a point, I didn't see the need for us to have triple the chores. I turned to leave but then my aunt called me back.
"You should go relax, you do have school on Monday."
I froze. I
"School? But I'm homeschooled."
My aunt looked down and back at me.
"Not anymore. You wanted a fresh start, this is your chance. Think about it...new school, new friends."
My head was pounding and my blood was boiling. The room was starting to spin and I just lost all control.
"I'm not going! I don't want to go to school! I'm not going back there!"
I charged up the stairs and into my room. I was hyperventilating as I closed the door. In a frenzy, I went into the bathroom and went into my first aid kit. My hands were shaking as I pushed past the bandages and medicine to get to the prize. I emptied out the contents of the little bag, within the kit to reveal my shiny, metal savior. I turned it over in my hands a few times before painting my arm with a red line. I exhaled before I went to draw another.
"What do you think you're doing?" A voice said.
The voice was unfamiliar and startled me. I looked up to see a boy about my age. He had dirty blonde hair that was in a wild mess on his head. He was wearing a Nirvana shirt with ripped blue jeans.
I couldn't answer him, I was filled with too much shame.
"Answer me!" His voice was angry and demanding.
I was shaking."I- I d-don't know..."
He walked next to me and took the razor from my bloody hands. Then he pushed my long dark hair back with his hand and tilted my head so that my blue eyes were looking into his chocolate brown ones.
"I never want to see this again. Understand?"
I was unable to find words, so I just nodded. I looked down at the new marks I made, but when I looked up the boy was gone.
That was my first experience with the boy, I now know, named Tate Langdon.