CHAPTER TWO

I woke up to a knocking on my door and my sister's voice.

"Jas, mom just finished with breakfast," Kira's voice said through the door. She knew better than to barge in here.

I groaned and stretched a while before answering. "What'd she make?"

"Omelettes."

"Mmmmm, alright. I'll be down in a few."

"Kay," she said and I heard her footsteps retreat from the door. I stretched for a few more minutes before sitting up in bed and looking around my room. My walls were painted a dark purple and were almost completely covered with posters of punk rock bands and some drawings Kira had made for me. My ceiling was also painted with a starry sky that Kira had helped me with. She was a really good artist and I sometimes found myself envious.

I had a desk in one corner littered with notebooks and writing utensils. My closet was overflowing with clothes and I knew I needed to clean it soon, but it could wait. My violins sat in their usual corner in their cases. My parents had begged me to learn something productive and though I was iffy about it at first, I had come to love the violin. They hadn't been so happy when I had also bought an electric violin so that I could play some modern music.

I sighed and finally decided to stand up. I stopped at the mirror and examined my reflection. My black and blue hair was still in its bun, but only barely. My mint green eyes popped next to my tan and freckled cheeks, and I could still some traces of lipstick on my thin lips. I had forgotten to take out my nose piercing last night as well as the weaving in my left ear. The tank top I was wearing showed off my half-sleeve of lotus blossoms on my upper right arm. I had another tattoo, a dragon that took up almost the entirety of my back.

I took out my piercings and then started to head downstairs. The way down the stairs was lined with family photos. I had voiced the fact that this was a cliche place to put the pictures, but my parents didn't seem to care. Turning the corner at the bottom of the stairs, the smell of eggs and spices hit me like a brick wall. My mouth started to water when I remembered that I hadn't eaten last night. I began to walk faster toward the kitchen, eager to get to the food that waited for me. With a final skip I entered the kitchen and began to sit down before being stopped by my mother.

"Good morning, Jasmine," she said with a stern glare at me. She glanced at my father, who sat at the head of the table as usual, and then back at me. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

I sighed and pushed my chair back in, turning to face my father. I held my hands together in front of me and bowed deeply to him, reciting my every day lines. "Good morning, father. How are you on this morning?"

"Fine. Sit," he said shortly, and I did. I put my hand in a steeple and silently prayed in my head, whispering an "Amen" before picking up my fork and digging into my omelette. I let out a sigh of ecstasy as I chewed. Mom's cooking was the best. I silently ate my food before my father spoke again.

"You got a letter in the mail today," he said quietly.

I swallowed a bite of food before answering. "From who?"

"True Cross Academy."

"True Cross Academy? Is that a high school?"

"Yes. It's a very prestigious school. You're mother and I decided to apply you there," he replied, looking back at his food as he cut it.

"I don't think I ever said anything about wanting to apply there, father," I said, sending him a glare. "What did it say? Did I get rejected?"

He shook his head. "No, you were accepted."

"What?" I exclaimed, causing my mother to flinch and drop an egg.

"You were accepted, Jas. Isn't that great?" my mom said as she cleaned up the broken egg. "I just knew you would be accepted. You're such a smart girl and-"

"I don't want to go," I said.

My father and mother both looked at me with wide eyes. My mother spoke first. "Well, of course you want to go! Jas, it's such a good school!"

"I don't even want to go to high school, mom," I replied, stabbing at my omelette.

My father spoke up. "You're going to that school, Jasmine. It's what's best for you. Everyone should get an education."

"I don't want to go," I whispered angrily, glaring into my father's eyes. "I'm not going to high school."

"Then what are you going to do?" he shot back. "Clearly you won't be staying here."

"Kaito!" my mother exclaimed.

"Are you going to be a racer? Is that it?" my father questioned. "Are you going to throw away your life to be a racer?"

"Shut up!" I shout at him. "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know that you partied last night. I know you participated in a race," he said in a steely tone. "And then this morning, there was a note on the door talking about how you keyed someone's car?"

My eyes widened and I shut my mouth. Oh shit. I forgot about that. I struggled to calm myself down as I replied. "What did it say?"

"It said, 'Next time come up with a better insult,'" my father replied and I snorted a laugh. I couldn't help it. My dad scowled at me. "You think this is funny? This man could have pressed charges on you for this!"

"It's none of your business!"

"It is my business!"

"Stop acting like you care!" I shouted. My mom stared at me with wide eyes and my dad's expression mirrored hers, except his face was red from yelling. He opened his mouth to speak but I got up and ran out of the house. I couldn't take him anymore. He didn't care about me. He didn't care about anything except his reputation. I began to get on my bike when a voice stopped me.

"What are you doing?"

I turned around and there stood the guy from last night. He was looking at me with confused eyes. Like I was crazy. I frowned at him and continued to get on my bike. I heard his footsteps crunching up the driveway toward me. "What do you want?" I asked.

"I want to know what you're doing getting on a motorcycle in your pajamas," he replied. I looked down at myself and groaned internally. He was right, I hadn't even changed out of my pajamas. I couldn't ride around the city like this! But I wouldn't let him know that.

"It's a fashion statement. I should be aloud to be comfortable wherever I go," I muttered and I heard him snort. I looked up at him to see him smirking at me, amused. "What do you want?"

He shrugged. "I saw you storm out and got curious."

"Well, it's none of your business. Thanks for worrying, though."

"I never said I was worrying."

"Whatever."

"Why'd you key my car last night?"

"I dunno. I felt like it."

"I could press charges, you know."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. It was a dumb decision."

"So, you're sorry?"

I snorted. "No."

He looked at me incredulously. "No?"

"No. Stop parking in front of my house so it doesn't happen again." I kicked up the stand of my bike and turned the key in the ignition, roaring the engine to life. "Later, asshole."

"Hey! Get back here!" he shouted over the engine as I began to drive down the road. He ran to keep up with me. "You can't just do this!"

"You're not my boss, dickbag!"

"Skank!"

"Dick!"

He shouted another insult, but I was too far away to hear it. I looked back to see him standing in the middle of the road, watching me as I got farther away. His face was red and he looked pissed. I smirked at him and waved before turning back toward the road in front of me. I smiled and thought about someplace I could go to chill. Someplace that wouldn't mind if I showed up in my pajamas.

The Demon's Eye.