The Fallen

Elizabeth

Summer is coming to an end, and I knew what that meant... new school year. But it was different this time, I was in a new town, dad said we needed to start fresh after mom's death. I honestly think it was because he wanted to live somewhere where he wasn't known as the town drunk for once.

"Hey honey, can you help me with these boxes please!?" I ran downstairs from my new room to help him out.

I have to admit, I do really love my dad, but I don't think I could ever forgive how he's abandoned me after mom dying. I mean sure he was there, but not really there you know? After all, he wasn't the only one grieving over her. It wasn't fair that he got to check out and just choose to forget everything, including his daughter.

I grabbed a couple boxes from the truck "Thanks honey."

I took them inside and set them in the living room when suddenly I heard my dad coming in "Hey honey, look, one of our neighbors came by to greet us!"

I turned around to see the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, geez I looked like a potato compared to her. She had long blonde hair, and the most beautiful blue eyes.

"Hey! My name is Jess, I live right next to you guys on the right. I live there with my brother and my uncle. We'll actually be going to school together!"

All I could do was smile, seriously, it must be illegal to be as beautiful as she is. She would definitely have a career in modeling.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Elizabeth."

She smiles "That's such a pretty name, where are you guys from?"

"Washington, we were looking for a fresh start."

"Well you guys are at the perfect town for it! I'd love to help if you guys want."

"Oh you don't have to-"

"We'd love the help!" My dad chimes in before I even have a chance to turn her down, I'm not really good at making friends. I kinda like being alone, it suits me well.

Jess claps her hands in excitement and starts to pick up four boxes, my eyes nearly pop out of my head with how much she can carry. She wasn't this big huge brute after all.

With Jess's help, we were done unloading the truck within the hour. "Well that looks to be it, hey Elizabeth, I was looking to go shopping to get some new outfits for school, would you mind accompanying me tomorrow?"

"Oh well I don't know, I have a lot of unpacking to do."

"Don't worry about it honey! Go have some fun!"

Thanks dad, never skipping a beat are you? "Uh I guess that works for me then."

Jess jumps up and down, clapping her hands with glee "Yay! Just come knock on my door at 11:00am and we will get started!"

She comes up and gives me a huge hug "It was so good meet you Elizabeth! See you tomorrow!"

And just like that she was out the door and gone, I was here for all of a day, and I already had a play date. Was I really that likeable?

The rest of the day consisted of me trying to make my room look as normal as possible. Unpacking as much as I could, before I knew it, it was 1 in the morning. I crawled onto my bare bed and passed out, soon enough my alarm was going off, the one I forgot I set for my shopping adventure.

I crawled out of bed and dug through some boxes before I finally found some decent clothes to wear. A white tank top and jean shorts that were thigh length. I did some basic makeup and brushed out my hair, I looked in the mirror one last time before heading out.

Sure enough, red hair, freckles all over my face, green eyes, pale skin, I looked like my mom. God, I missed her. I grabbed my phone and my bag, then headed out. It wasn't a long walk from my house to Jess's, after all, we are neighbors.

I knocked on the door, no answer, I knocked again, nothing, finally I knocked for a third time and the door swung open. I was greeted with a tall, muscular figure, and from my short point of view, all I could see was a muscular chest. I looked up and was greeted with the most gorgeous face I have ever seen, he was so sexy, incredibly hot, and I was pretty sure I was drooling.

He had the most beautiful piercing blue eyes, shaggy chocolate brown hair, and was so much more taller than me. I felt like a child standing next to him. But God I couldn't stop staring at him, and he couldn't stop staring at me. There was something happening here, and I was damned to be the person that looked away, breaking whatever this was.

A few moments had passed before I heard "Elizabeth you're here! Yay! We can get started on our shopping day!"

He snaps out of whatever it was and walked away from the door, I was nearly out of breath. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath during the entire encounter, and all I wanted was to go after him right there.

"I see you met my brother! His name is Luke, he looks intimidating, but he's honestly a softy. He'll be going to school with us you know."

Oh great, now I had to try to keep myself together every time he was around? Now I know this year is already screwed.

"He didn't really say anything."

I say as we walk to her car "Yeah he mostly keeps to himself, he prefers it that way. So if you're ever around him and he walks off or doesn't say anything, just know that's just how he is. He rarely ever lets anyone get close to him."

If that isn't me to a T then I don't know what is, after my mom died, people didn't really show any sympathy. People would simply smack my shoulder and say "Buck up kid, you'll be okay."

No "I'm so sorry for your loss." or "If you need anything, I'm here."

I knew then that people sucked, only ever cared about themselves. And I would never let anyone in to take advantage of the pieces of myself I had left. Which I admit, wasn't a lot.

We got in the car and headed off to the big city, this town was too small to have any decent stores, said Jess anyway.

"So tell me about yourself Elizabeth, I want us to be super close friends."

As much as I hated getting close to people, being Jess's friend didn't sound so bad. I may need someone to help me survive the school year after all.

"Well, I'm 17, I'm 4'5, I like to read, go swimming, as well as music. Music means a lot to me."

My mom loved music the most, she would always belt out any song she loved, even if she had a terrible singing voice and sometimes didn't even know the words to the song. I got my passion of music from her.

"You and my brother would totally get along, he loves music too. He has a piano in his room that he plays relentlessly. He even writes his own music sometimes too."

So he's tall, hot, and he plays the piano? Just kiss me already.

"I don't know about that, like you said, he keeps to himself."

"Yeah, but something tells me that's not gonna last."

She glances at me and smiles, giggling a little bit too. What did she mean by that?

"We're here! Are we ready to get our shopping on?"

Oh boy, I'm not sure I was gonna make it out of this alive.