Chapter 1
I feel lost. My eyes were bloodshot red as soldiers brought the coffin in. They sat the coffin in front, opening it to reveal the body. There, there he was. He was in his uniform, they dressed his body well.
He looked like he was peacefully sleeping. His Dirty blonde hair like my own slicked back and Roses were placed in his hands between his pale white fingers. A single tear fell from my face as I stared at my once beloved brother, shot dead in cold blood.
My mother was hovering over my shoulder, tears rushing down her face, the room was filled with friends and family and even neighbors. He once told me “brothers stick together through thick and thin and must protect each other,” Where was I? Where was I when he needed me most? My mind was filled with endless thoughts. Could I have prevented it?
Months passed since my one and only brother passed, Mom threw herself in to work to avoid the pain and drugs to ease it, Dad disappeared a week after the funeral no where to be found.
There I was in my room, it was covered in clothes and trash. I couldn’t be bothered to clean it. Today was my last year at my highschool and today was the day I was dreading most. Everyone will be talking about me and all attention would be on me because of my brothers passing. Yes I was an outcast, but my brother wasn’t he was loved by many and even volunteered on his free time, I was the complete opposite.
Throwing on a Black T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, I put on some old converse and a black beanie to bring the look together. Soon enough I hear a knock at the door, I go to open it which reveal my mother Amanda Simmons. Her dirty blonde hair was rolled in a tight bun, and she wore a white button up polo with a black pencil shirt, and paired with blue high heels.
“Julian, hurry up I have to be at work in twenty minutes,” she says sternly as she is answering emails on her phone.
I sigh, grabbing my phone off my bed and backpack and headed out of my old shaggy two floor house. The house was absolutely falling apart; the stairs creaked when someone walked on them, The once white wall were now yellow from lack of cleaning and my mothers cigarette addiction, and there was layers of dirt forming on the old rotting wood floors.
The house use to never look like this when he was alive. My mother never had an addiction when he was still alive. Dad would still be here if he was alive, but it seems that only good people get hurt by this cruel world. Why take the good brother? Why not me? No one would care if I was gone, Would they?
These thoughts ran through my brain, as I got into my mom’s 2002 mini cooper. My high school was a 10 minute drive from the house, as my mother drove to school listening to the morning radio as usual and I rest my head in my hand watching as we passed houses and people.
The town of Rander Hills wasn’t very populated, maybe less then a thousand people, almost everyone knew everyone and everyone knew everything. So when there was a word of a homicide, my family became the hot topic of the town. My mother just ignored people and camera people, and told me to do the same, which I didn’t complain.
We finally arrived at Rander Hill High, home of the Iguanas, I got out of the car and my mother wasted no time before pulling off. I walked inside, students were all hanging around their lockers gossiping and catching up with each other about their summers. The school was actually quite large for the population of the town, then again in practically had all grades from middle school to high school, which were separated by levels. The top floor was for middle schoolers and the buttom was for High schoolers.
I walk up to my locker 26B and unlocking it by throwing my backpack at it. As I do that two girls approach me. It was Nicole and Dakota.
I knew Nicole since I was just six years old. She had short brown hair which was now dyed a pastel pink, she had pale skin and blue eyes as I did. If you didn’t knows us you would probably think we were related. She was very high-spirited and loved to know the latest gossip on things. On the other end we had her girlfriend of four years Dakota. Dakota had a darker skin complexion and long black curly hair that reached just below the shoulders and dark chocolate eyes. I’ve known Dakota since she moved here five years ago. She was a little of a hothead but also caring at times. She was very sporty and loved doing hair and makeup.
“Sup Mr. Hotshot.” Dakota fist bumps me as I roll my eyes at her nickname she gave me.
“Oh my god J, I’ve missed you so much!” Nicole grabs me and start squeezing me like her life depended on it.
I slowly try pushing her off me as Dakota tries prying her off of me.
“Okay chill, the mans gotta breathe.” Dakota screams as Nicole finally releases and I try to catch my breathe.
“I swear to god you’re going to be the reason, I get asthma or some shit.” I complain but the two girls just laugh at my misery.
After Nicole just talked about her summer and we cought up on small things, we finally decided to head to the office and get our class schedules. Upon reading the paper that would determine my boredom during each class, I found out Dakota and I had the same class which was History, third period before lunch which kind of sucked but we all had the same lunch period so I guess that’s not as boring.
We continued our small conversation which mostly consist of Nicole complaining about something, Until a a guy I believe his name was Jimmy came running down the hall screaming on the top of his lungs “NEW KID!”
We all looked at each other curiously, there were barely any new kids, let alone one without news of a new family moving into town. None of spoke and chatter started to erupt around us. Nicole instantly got on her phone probably trying to figure out who this new kid was, and Dakota decided to lean against the locker with me looking around, yet no sight or any new kid.
“So who do you think the new kid is?” Dakota turns to me and I shrug.
“It’s probably just a fake rumor, You know Jimmy smokes like three joints just for breakfast.” I reply grabbing a few books from my locker shutting it in the process.
“Plus why does it even matter if there is a new kid?” I continued, and Nicole finally put her phone away staring me straight in the eyes.
“We have to make sure they aren’t a psychopath or anything,” Nicole says in a duh tone.
“Plus we need someone new in our friend group because it’s starting to seem like your third-wheeling and that’s sad and lame.” Nicole continues and I roll my eyes at her.
Shrugging it off the bell finally rang and everyone scattered to their first periods. I wonder who the new kid was? Time ticked pass slowly luckily no one confronted me about my brothers situation, because they were focused on the supposed new kid. What finally felt like years third period finally rolled around which was with Dakota, finally someone I knew.
Walking in the old dirty classroom which had three rows of three tables that seat three people. Looking around people were sitting on the tables talking to their piers and on their phones, also no sign of the teacher typical. I finally located Dakota who was also on her phone in the back middle table, and I go and sit next to her.
“Oh finally someone who doesn’t piss me off.” she says patting me on the back as I sat next to her.
“Where’s Mr. Henrick?” I ask and she shrugs.
“You know he’s always late, I’m pretty sure he was late to his own wedding.” she began laughing.
The class was actually not as chaotic as you would think it would be for not having a teacher. About twenty minute pass and still no sign of Mr. Henrick, I wonder if he is okay. I continue to just scroll on Instagram browsing people’s summer vacation and back to school photos, until I finally heard the door of the classroom click open. Must be Mr. Henrick, hearing a couple gasps and Dakota hitting my shoulder I look up.
There was the new kid.
