Dead End

Have you ever felt like you've reached a dead end in life? Like there's no where else to go? Like you have to keep running and running. Maybe you'll be safe. Maybe not...

"I want to do something different this week." Mr. Winkler stated. He was standing in front of his class looking at the faces of bored or amused teenagers.

"I'm going to pair each and everyone of you guys into two groups. You'll write an interview essay on what you guys learn about each other. It'll be a learning experience." Mr. Winkler said. Most of the students grumbled.

"How boring!" Patricia whispered to Joy. Joy chuckled.

"Nina and Amber. Mick and Jerome. Fabian and Drew. Patricia and Savannah." Mr. Winkler went on with the list until everyone was paired up.

"For a week each of you guys will write an essay about what you learned about each other. It's worth fifty percent of your grade." Mr. Winkler smiled when most students grumbled and complained.

"I hate projects. Why do I have to work with her?" Avery BellsWood asked pointing her finger at Mara. Mara just rolled her eyes.

"Because... I said so." Mr. Winkler smiled gleefully.

"Hey Mick. How is your day going so far?" Amber asked Mick while following him down the hall. Mick rudely ignored her and walked away. Amber bite her lip to keep from crying and marched to her locker to see Nina standing near it.

"What do you want?" Amber asked.

"I wanted to know how are we going to do this project. Do you want to come over my house?"

"No. No. Meet me at my house!" Amber quickly rushed off.

"I don't know where you live!" Nina shouted after her.

"Hey Martin." Mara greeted her standing right by her. Nina smiled at Mara. It's been a few days since Nina and Fabian told Mara about what's going going and Nina felt a little comfortable around her.

"Hi. What's up?" Nina asked while walking with Mara.

"Nothing much. Have anything strange happened to you lately?" Mara said her eyes wide with curiosity.

"No. Not really." Nina lied. She still had the nightmares and the lightning scar would not go away. At least her gran stopped worrying about her.

"That's good. Maybe things would get better." Mara suggested.

"Maybe. Do you know where Amber Millington lives?" Nina smoothly changed the topic.

"Princess Millington? Yup." Mara and Nina rushed to class before the door closed on them.

"Savannah Gage? I never heard of her in my life." Patricia complained to Joy at the cafeteria. She wrinkled her nose in frustration. She thought she would liked Mr. Winkler but now she's kinda annoyed at him by announcing this stupid assignment.

"She's that quiet girl in the back of the class. She's a little tall, dark skin with black hair. She's nice. I think." Joy muttered smiling. Joy's been happy since Mr. Winkler put her with Natasha Paul. The girl that's obessed with doing school work that she'll do the whole thing and Joy does not have to do nothing.

"I rather work with someone I know." Patricia muttered. She gulped down the last of her water and looked around. The atmosphere in the cafeteria seemed to be good with most of everyone talking and laughing. Outside was really cold and snowing. Patricia hoped it snowed pretty bad so school will be cancelled tomorrow.

"I love the snow. When I was younger, I always wanted to be a Ice Queen." Joy muttered smiling fondly. Patricia rolled her eyes. When she was younger, she wanted to be a horror character.

"Hi." Patricia and Joy turned to see Savannah Gage standing with a tray of food in her hands. She grinned confidently at Patricia and Joy.

"Hi Savannah. You can sit down if you want. " Joy ignored the subtle glare Patricia gave her and Savannah took a seat next to Joy. Joy and Patricia watched her curiously as she took a large bite of her burger.

"I love myself a turkey burger." Savannah announced after she finished chewing. She smiled again and Patricia wondered if she would ever stop smiling.

"So? Are you two excited about the Valentine's day dance next week?" Joy asked trying to clear the awkward silence. Joy wasn't really the type to go to school dances but she crossed her fingers that just maybe Fabian would ask her.

"I hate school dances. I rather just drink a glass of wine then be stuck listening to kiddy pop songs." Savannah complained. Patricia chuckled at the statement. She felt the same way and hated Valentine's Day. Gross...

"Me too. I mean who needs a Valentine's day dance when you have a big comfy bed to come home to." Savannah laughed at Patricia's statement while Joy looked at the girls weirdly.

"Welcome to the Millington Palace!" Amber gushed the minute Nina walked inside. Nina looked around her surroundings to see a large grand staircase, large beautiful paintings and furniture that cost more than her gran's salary. Amber's house felt like the queen's house because it was super neat and large.

"Meet my daddy! Arthur Millington." Amber pointed to a man who was busy watching golf on the large television set. Arthur looked up and gave Nina a faint smile.

"Nice to meet you!" Arthur got up and shaked hands with Nina.

"It's nice to meet you too." Nina reply back. Amber and her father looked identical to each other with the same long blonde hair and tall height.

"Let's go upstairs!" Amber grabbed Nina's hands and the two rushed upstairs. Amber walked inside her large bedroom and smiled.

"Tada!" Nina's eyes was temporarily blinded by all the pink surrounding the room. Pink walls, pink laptop, pink television set, pink book case, pink closet, pink everything. Amber's smile dropped when she saw Nina's expression.

"You don't like it?"

"N-No. I love it. Pink looks nice."

"Thanks. Now let's start this thing. I don't have all day." Nina sat down on a chair that she found out a second later that was too uncomfortable and grabbed a notebook and a pen out of her school bag.

"So I guess I'll start interviewing you?" Nina asked.

"Yup. I'm ready for my close up."

"And then I was so embarrassed I felt like I was going to die." Savannah told Patricia. Patricia laughed so hard that she had to hold her stomach. Patricia and Savannah were hanging out at Lilly's, a local coffee shop know for the best bagel and cream cheese.

"Wow. Your life is much better than mines." Patricia said feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"No it's not. It's rather dull and boring."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My mom kinda has this depression that makes her stay home all the time. I think she's going crazy." Savannah had a sort of look on her face that made Patricia felt a little bad.

"My parents are out the house all the time. I barely see them." Patricia had no problem being in the house by herself. She actually loved it. She could do whatever she wanted without her parents watching her every move or judging her. Or just wishing that she acted more like her sister.

"Lucky. Are you an only child?"

"Yup. That's the better part." Patricia said. She never mentioned having a twin sister to people because who wants to know about that?

"I have a half sister from my father's side. I can't stand her. Little miss perfect." Savannah licked a cream cheese off her fingers. Patricia smiled. She and this Savannah girl had alot in common.

"I hate people that act like they are so perfect. No one's perfect."

"Exactly. Some people are so full of themselves." Savannah said. She then grabbed her cup of iced coffee.

"Cheers to all the imperfect people!"

"Cheers!" Patricia took her cup of coffee and clicked it with Savannah's. The two girls smile happily.

"Any hobbies?"

"Does reading celebrity gossip counts?" Nina rubbed her head and looked at her empty notebook. She had nothing written down so far and her head was forming a huge headache. Who knew Amber could be such a ditz?

"Okay. Tell me about your family."

"That's easy. My dad is the richest guy around here. He's almost richer than Carter BellsWood." Nina's ears perked up at the mention of BellsWood.

"Isn't that Avery's dad?"

"Yup. My mom is always telling me how that family is going through bankruptcy. I can't imagine Avery being poor through. She's literally going to die of embarrassment." Amber said matter of factly. Nina ponder all the information she just learned. The BellsWood was going poor? Interesting.

"Are you going to the Valentine's day dance?" Amber said excitedly.

"Valentine's day dance?" Nina never heard of this dance. She's not exactly a school dance type of girl. She rather stay at home reading or doing anything else.

"Yes. I have everything planned out. My dress, my hair, my makeup. Do you think Mick will ask me?"

"I don't know Mick." Nina replied bluntly.

"What a ditz." Amber muttered. Nina tried hard not to took offence to this.

"Are you going with that Rutter boy? You guys would look cute together. Not cuter than me and Mick of course." Amber stated.

"Fabian and I are just friends." Speaking of Fabian, Nina didn't see him all day today in school. What's up with that?

"That's what they all say." It was silent for a while and Nina took a peek at her watch. It was getting late.

"I have to go." Nina closed her notebook and put it inside her bag.

"Bye Naya." Amber waved.

"Nina." Nina waved back and left her room. Nina cautiously walked down the stairs even through the house was quiet. Amber's parents must be away. Nina looked around the house in awe. This place was so huge. Nina felt a little curious as she walked to the study hall of the house. Old pictures of the Millington family was hung in the wall. Everyone in the family is a blond. Nina found bookshelves full of books but it was one large book that made her curious. She grabbed it off the bookshelf and read the cover. Diary of Simon BellsWood Jr. Nina thought this book was way too big to be a diary. Nina opened the first pages and let out a loud gasp. This can't be true!

"What are you doing?" Nina turned around to see Amber right behind her. Her long arms crossed and a curious expression on her face.

"I thought you left." Amber said looking at the huge book Nina had in her arms.

"I had to pee."

"The bathroom is not in here. What are you doing with that book?"

"Um. Can I borrow it? I need it."

"Why?"

"Because I do. Please!" Nina begged. This diary contained huge information. Things she had to tell Fabian and Mara about.

"Hmm. " Amber said tapping her feet.

"I'll do the project by myself! I won't ask for your help." Nina said clutching the book tighter to her chest.

"Deal! This project was giving me a headache. You can go now." Nina let out a relieved sigh as she left the house and rushed home.

"Mick! Mick!" Amber grabbed his arm and Mick looked at her angrily. It was the following day and Amber had enough of Mick avoiding her.

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"I'm mad because I thought you liked me."

"I do."

"Yeah? So why were you all over Jerome Clarke?" Mick asked jealousy.

"I wanted to make you jealous okay! You never really pay attention to me and I want you to be my boyfriend. Real boyfriend." Amber admitted.

"You do?"

"Yes." Amber moved closer to Mick. A smile on her face. Mick also smiled as he moved closer to her. Mick leaned in and kissed Amber quietly on the lips. Amber smiled as she savored the moment. Her dream finally came true!

"I can't believe how tight her skirt are." Savannah told Patricia as they watched Avery enter class.

"She doesn't care. She lives for men attention." Patricia said. She sat next to Savannah in class today and she hoped Joy didn't mind. But looking at the way she was laughing at Fabian ,Patricia didn't need to worry.

"What you freaks looking at?" Avery asked while walking to her seat.

"You bitch." Patricia mumbled. Savannah laughed.

"I never realized how cool you are. Way better than any old friends I used to have here." Savannah stated. Patricia smiled. She couldn't believe she never met this girl sooner enough.

"So what's the big emergency?" Mara asked when she and Fabian enter the History classroom. The empty classroom was usually there hangout to discuss what's going on and important announcement.

"How come you didn't come to school yesterday?" Nina asked Fabian. Fabian eyes looked puffy.

"The flu. So what's going on?" Nina showed Mara and Fabian the diary.

"Diary of Simon BellsWood Jr. This diary is bigger than our school books." Fabian exclaimed. He could barely carry the whole book.

"Where did you find this?" Mara said.

"Amber Millington's house."

"Why would this be at her house?" Fabian asked.

"I don't know. Open it." Nina told them. Fabian sat it down on the table and opened it. On the first page in big letters said "From yours truly, Diane Sweet."

"Isn't that Mr. Sweet's mother?" Mara asked. She seemed excited about this news.

"How does his mother know Simon? Simon is like way older than her." Fabian said.

"Not really." Nina turned the next page and quickly read the diary entry for September.

"Diane and Simon were having some sort of love affair. Even after she married Mr. Sweet dad." Nina stated. This made zero sense.

"Do you think Mr. Sweet knew?" Fabian asked. Nina shrugged. As they flipped through the rest of the page a surprise picture caught their eyes.

"Who is this lady?"

"Sarah Frobisher Smythe." Nina answered. The lady looked young and she smiled at the camera. She looked beautiful.

"She looks just like you Nina." Fabian said. He can't seem to take her eyes off the picture.

"I don't see it." Nina lied. Sarah did looked like her. She looked more like her than her own gran did. Before anything can happen, Mr. Sweet and Victor barged in the room clearly arguing. Nina shoved the book in her bag.

"It's all your fault! You can't do anything right!" Victor yelled in rage. He then glared at Nina, Fabian and Mara.

"What you fools looking at?" He yelled.

"Can you kids please leave the room?" Mr. Sweet asked. He had a aggravated expression and his face looked red. The three teens fled the room and went their separate ways all of them but Nina who stayed behind the door to listen.

"You are crazy." Mr. Sweet said. Victor let out a harsh laugh.

"I know I am. And if you don't help me. Maybe they will come after you, the same way they came after Sarah and Simon and your mother." Victor threatened. Nina gasp and quickly ran out. This was becoming far too much.

To all the people that are reading, I hope you enjoy!