Chapter Two
Avery
Life sucked. Not that I wanted to die or anything—I mean, in death, there was nothing, so even crappy days were better than that—but it was more the way my life was that sucked. Like the hand I’d been dealt.
Being poor was what sucked I guess. And everything that came with it.
People looked at you differently, like you were somehow lesser than because you didn’t have money. Lazy or worthless because you struggled getting by. Funny that I didn’t get bullied that much for my emo appearance, but I sure as hell did because of being poor.
Running into that big, jock guy in the hall was just the freaking cherry on top of the shit-brownie sundae that was my day. The dude had been huge too, looking like he could squash me with one punch.
He’d tried talking to me, but I’d left, not really caring what he had to say.
Declan was going to be a freshman that year, so he was getting his own schedule and seeing where his classrooms were. Crazy how my little brother was now in high school.
We’d taken the bus there, and we needed to be at the stop in about twenty minutes, otherwise we’d be walking home. And it was a long walk.
Declan was talking to a group of girls when I approached him. They giggled and looked at him like he was a tree they wanted to climb.
He was fourteen and a total slut. But the ladies couldn’t resist his dark-brown hair, brown eyes, and athletic build. He’d lost his virginity at thirteen and had been with like five girls since then.
I didn’t really blame him for his slutty ways. When you didn’t have anything good going for you in life, why not play the cards you had, you know? Maybe the attention helped him feel better about himself. Helped him cope. Just as long as he was smart about it, I didn’t really care how many girls he screwed.
“Hey, D,” I said, getting his attention.
The girls stopped smiling and looked me up and down. Some of their noses crinkled as if just the mere sight of me disgusted them.
Whatever.
“We need to go?” he asked, ignoring them.
I nodded, and he turned his back to them without a second’s hesitation. Even with his rude dismissal of them, the girls still stared after him and excitedly whispered to each other.
“I think I’m gonna like this school,” Declan said with a grin.
“How can they still be into you after that?” I asked, glancing back at them again before looking at him. He was an inch taller than me, and the kid was still growing. I was pretty sure I’d be this height forever. “That was sorta cold.”
“They’re shallow.” He shrugged. “I have a pretty face, I guess, so it doesn’t matter how much of an asshole I am. Just as long as they can date me and parade me around to their friends like a trophy or something, they don’t care. And as long as I get laid, I don’t care either.”
As we walked, we passed more people, and I couldn’t wait to get away from everyone. It wasn’t that I was introverted—okay, some part of me was—it was more that I just didn’t trust people. They lied, cheated, and used others for their own gain.
The only constant in my life was my family—Declan and my mom. They were the only ones I trusted. Ever since we were kids, me and my brother had been close, and even though he could probably take care of himself now, I still had that protective feeling over him.
He’d always be my little brother, no matter how tall he got.
After the bus dropped us off at our stop, we walked through the surrounding neighborhoods toward home. It felt amazing that day; still summer, but not ungodly hot. As we moved down the sidewalk, I breathed in the air.
Port Haven was a pretty cool place from what I’d gathered.
We moved about a month ago from a bigger city over an hour away. We were used to moving around, and I wished that for once, we could just stay somewhere. And Port Haven seemed like the perfect place to settle down.
As we ventured into our neighborhood, my brief bout of positivity crumbled.
We lived on the bad side of town. Houses and run-down apartment complexes were all crammed together, and it looked like people had pretty much stopped giving a damn about appearances. Trash littered the streets and some of the houses had so much crap outside that it looked like a junk yard.
The smell wasn’t the best either—a combination of fish and garbage.
As the house came into view, I sighed when I saw our mom’s car was gone.
I wasn’t sure if she’d left to go to work yet because it was still a bit early for her job, and she worked nights. Her line of work upset me, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Not until I could get a job and start making my own money to help take care of her.
She loved me and Declan and was an amazing woman. Selfless, loving, and so freaking kind-hearted. She deserved better than dancing on a pole all night, being groped by horny, old men and being made into a damn sex object. Just so she could pay the bills and keep food in our bellies.
Well, as much as she could.
I hadn’t eaten a full meal in about two days because mom hadn’t been able to grocery shop due to not getting paid yet, and any food we’d had, I’d given most of it to Declan, telling him I was full or not hungry.
A guaranteed two meals a day was one of the main reasons I was looking forward to school starting.
“You okay?” Declan asked as I stopped in the grass and stared at the house.
Moving my gaze to him, I answered, “Yeah. I’m not ready to go in yet. It feels too great out here. Just give me a few.”
He nodded before going inside.
The house had a weird smell, a muskiness that lingered on all the furniture and carpet. The cramped interior didn’t help, either. It had two bedrooms—so Declan and I shared a room—but the room was so freaking small that we could both barely fit into it. The living room and kitchen blended together, and the one bathroom was so small, I could hold out my arms to the side and touch the walls.
It was the best Mom could do, so I didn’t hold anything against her. Heck, it was better than sleeping under a bridge. With it feeling amazing outside, I wanted a little longer to enjoy the fresh air.
***
Monday morning, I was showered and dressed before anyone else woke up. Mom had worked late the night before, and I cracked open her bedroom door to check on her. She hadn’t taken off her makeup and some black was smeared down her cheeks, but she looked peaceful as she slept.
I pulled the blanket up to cover her and kissed her forehead. After tucking her in, I went into mine and Declan’s room.
“Come on, D. Wake up.” I gently shook him. He snored and rolled over to face the wall. “Don’t make me tackle you.”
He slept like a rock and had always been difficult waking up. I shook him again and was ignored, so I grabbed the blanket and tore it off him.
Declan jerked up and glared at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “You ass! I’m cold.”
“Well, get up and put some clothes on.”
Once he was dressed, we went into the kitchen, and I searched the fridge for anything to cook. Looking inside, I saw nothing but an expired carton of milk and some questionable slices of cheese.
“Let’s grab breakfast at school,” I suggested.
He shrugged, and we grabbed our backpacks before walking to the bus stop. Riding the school bus was a little embarrassing, especially since I was the oldest kid on it. We didn’t live close enough for me to walk to school, though, and I couldn’t afford the city bus every day.
Oh well. Kids already made fun of me, so I shouldn’t care. It was just one more thing for them to hound me about. It didn’t even matter that none of them had met me yet. They were all the same.
Arriving at school, I reluctantly stepped off the bus with my old, tattered backpack and headed toward the main building.
Declan waved at me before heading toward a group of giggling girls. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.
For being middle of August, it was cooler than average. The cloudy day and wind coming off the sea might’ve had something to do with that. Port Haven High sat right beside the shoreline, which I guess was kind of cool, but scary in a way as well.
Large bodies of water freaked me out. Not sure why. Maybe it was because I didn’t know what lay beneath, or the thought of getting lost at sea.
I didn’t know how to swim either. So yeah… that too.
Students were standing outside, talking to each other as they waited for the first bell to ring. Most were in at least groups of three, but some had like eight or more, all laughing and talking loudly. I’d never had that type of friendship; one where I could be myself and know they were laughing with me and not at me.
I passed them, keeping my head down and trying not to make any eye contact. If I didn’t look directly at them, they’d ignore me.
I sort of brought it on myself, I guess. But in a way, I didn’t. That was me: the emo kid who loved wearing skinny jeans, black shirts, eyeliner, and who listened to alternative rock. Yeah, I might’ve been too skinny and too pale, making me look like a walking corpse most days, especially with all the black around my eyes, but it was how I expressed myself.
“Hey, guys. Looks like Jack Skellington is in our class,” some dude said as I passed a group.
Looking up, I narrowed my eyes at him.
He looked like one of those Abercrombie guys: perfect blond hair and nice—more than likely expensive—preppy clothes. The other guys in his group looked like his minions, all wearing the same type of clothes and arrogant expressions.
A retort was on the tip of my tongue, but I clenched my jaw instead and kept moving toward the building.
The cafeteria should’ve still been serving breakfast, and my stomach screamed for some food. Once I was inside, I went through the line and was disappointed when I saw they were only serving those super small, personal serving sized boxes of cereal. I’d been hoping for something more substantial, but it was better than nothing.
I grabbed a Froot Loops box, a bowl, and a thing of milk before finding a seat at an empty table.
I was so hungry that I felt nauseous, and I was afraid I’d puke if I ate anything. Which I knew wasn’t a good sign, but sadly, I was used to the feeling.
After I scarfed down the cereal and drank all the milk—without puking, yay—I went back outside. There was a shaded corner right beside the front doors that would be a great hiding spot until the bell rang. Once I reached it, I slid down the wall and sat in the grass.
It was chilly in the shade, but I didn’t care. It beat being the spectacle for all the kids to point at and mock.
As I waited, I pulled out my class schedule and looked it over. History was first, and then AP Biology. I’d wanted to take the advanced placement course because it’d look better on a college application—if I even got accepted into one. I had Study of Fine Arts third period—whatever the hell that was, but it sounded cool.
I liked learning. Most people looked at me and thought I was a trouble-maker by how I dressed, but school mattered to me, and I’d always kept a high B to low A average. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be after I graduated, maybe go into engineering or be an architect. Both things I’d need a degree for.
However, I feared college was out of the question for me, no matter how good my grades were. I couldn’t afford it.
The ringing of the bell pulled me from my depressing thoughts and I stood up, slung my backpack over one shoulder, and walked through the doors. I hoped I’d go through the day unnoticed.
I was good at being invisible.