Array
(
[text] =>

Chapter One: Maggie

The weather is in good condition today.

I stared up at the parting clouds looming over the sun as it shot rays of sunlight through the many windows here in the library, illuminating the rows of chairs, tables, and bookshelves.

Diverting my attention back to the book I had sprawled against my lap, I lean back at the chair that I'm sitting on as I indulge in the calm, peaceful atmosphere of the room, a daily routine of mine here in Henderson High.

Though in all honesty, it hasn't always been this peaceful around here. Considering not only a few hours ago did a fight break out before classes had even started, and at this point, I'm not even surprised.

It's not every day the students here have the common decency to just mind their own business and not encourage drama whenever they watch it from afar. Then again drama is the only thing that drives them to live another day within this hell-hole we call a school. 

With that being said, it's nearly impossible to ever make amends with peace here in Henderson High. Especially when the hierarchy exists.

You see, the hierarchy, by all means, was led by those who lived and breathed the idea of chaos - chaos that came in the form of scandals, drama, and basically everything that's opposed to the idea of a normal high school.

No, for Henderson High students, we were far from normal.

Not normal in the sense that there wasn't a day when a student hadn't either initiated a fistfight in the middle of the halls or caused a catfight during class because somebody stole somebody else's boyfriend. Each day, the battle of students just never stops.

And somewhere in the line of smoke dust that led to the start of the explosion of those fights laid a piece of evidence, evidence of how that specific spark turned explosion came to be.

And it always came in the form of a socialite.

The socialites were the so-called rulers of this school, the ones that kept the halls buzzed with newfound gossip to talk about. Somehow giving off the impression that they're worthy of the attention all just because they experience everyday mishaps like the rest of us.

In a way, these students deserve it for letting these entitled snobs hold that kind of power over them, for they are as inferior as they led on. This is why it's only expected that they'll fall victim to the wrath of these popular kids once they step out of line one way or another.

The line that comes by the form of either spewing out gossip that never really even happened and or involving themselves in matters that do become gossip, because unfortunately-

Everybody wants to be a socialite.

Or at least gets associated with one.

But I've managed to look past the pretense that they put up. The idea that being a socialite holds the most significant advantage over any other label there is in high school.

I mean, in what way is having your every move monitored and scrutinized appealing? And just because they face these kinds of predicaments does not mean they deserve to be viewed as some sort of Gods in high school.

We already have too many people trying to play God, I think the statute of limitations needs to stop within the grounds of high school.

But it's of no use, they have that power because people give it to them. This concludes that if you're any more of a kiss-ass than the average punk who gives these socialites that sort of power, then you'll share the same advantage as well.

But how is it an advantage? It's dividing groups from people who don't deserve to be treated any less than the ones who are at the top. This is why I've learned better than to be blinded by it all.

No matter how alluring the rumors are that finally being able to hang out with them is worth all the torturous, life-risking efforts you've made just to be like them, or that they're the best people to be around with.

That being romantically involved with one of them will instantly give you access to join them in their stupid, little thrones which is apparently an experience of a lifetime.

I'd much rather kill myself.

I refuse to be charmed by the illusion that they deem as paradise. Especially now that it's senior year, the year when I'll be closer to escaping the darkened depths of this prison hole, I wasn't willing to sacrifice that for shit.

Especially not for a bunch of spoiled, little rich kids who think too highly of themselves.

"Reading again, I see?"

Looking up at the source of the voice, I was immediately caught off guard when a pair of lips had sealed over mine, but as soon as I registered who said lips belonged to, I couldn't help but melt into the sensation whilst letting the ends of my mouth curl up.

"Hey there, handsome."

Mirroring the huge smile on my face as he pulled away, I stared up into the face of no other than my boyfriend of two years Levi. Levi Chu as many know him by.

Levi and I have gone way back since the start of junior year, which was the time I had officially enrolled in this school. He isn't necessarily a socialite, but he is someone.

Someone in the sense that if he were to be mixed in a crowd of ordinary students, he'll be easily identified right away, due to how he's known for being one of the star players in the basketball team. However, just like me, he likes to keep it low either way. We both did.

Much like him, I didn't wanna spend the rest of my school years not having a social life, and though I could be content with that, I still wanted to live my life to the fullest, or half even.

So once we realized how much we were actually fond of each other, and not just as friends, it didn't take long for us to settle on the decision that we both wanted a relationship.

The kind that wouldn't necessarily distract us from our studies, but the kind we can take on for the long run, and it helped considering both of our parents were in business, meaning we need to be too, so it's more likely that I'll take the same college as him, maybe even the same course.

Again, I had my life pretty sorted out.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, he brushed his fingers along the outlines of my jaw as I let my smile fall into a soft grin "Been here all morning?" he asked.

"I just wanted to give myself some time to breathe after this morning's incident."

"Fight between Brian Tedder and Richard Grimms?"

"I wasn't aware of the names and wasn't planning to until you said it, but yeah, those dudes."

Chuckling, Levi places himself on the edge of the wooden table, his front facing me "It's already nearing the end of senior year, just try to keep up a little bit more with the complete mayhem that takes place in this shithole, it'll be all over soon before you know it."

Like I hadn't been reminding myself of that since.

But biting down on the bubbling sarcasm that was tingling on the tip of my tongue, I leaned forward and plastered on an agreeable smile "Yes, of course, but still. It'd be nice if we hadn't spent the past few years constantly watching a fight somewhere in the distance. Whether it ruined someone's social life or just like, their ribs in general."

The mocking tone in my voice didn't fail to make Levi laugh "Well, that's just how things are around here. Let's just hope to God there isn't gonna be another ruckus or something."

"That's true. Either that or as long as-" and with a knowing smile on both of our faces, the next words almost came naturally as we let it fall past our lips and into the wishing pile of previous reminders from days we've said it, hoping upon it even "It doesn't involve us."

... But how foolish we are to think wishes are anything but an idea of virtue, something to just stupidly hope upon, but never really does anything to save us at the end from our own failed expectations.

Because it wasn't any longer than a second when we let the reminder slip past our mouths, did the doors to the library burst open, revealing no other than the man himself, Evan Williams.

Also known as the king of Henderson High, the boy who wherever he goes, all types of hell just break loose "I can't fucking believe you!" he fumed, and just then had I noticed that it wasn't only him that he had uninvitingly dragged to this room, but a girl as well.

"Evan! Please! You're making a scene, for crying out loud! Calm down!" The girl pleaded as she attempted to pull her hand out of his grasp, but almost as if it was a literal iron grip, she failed.

"Do you think I care?!" He yelled back with the kind of rage that could've sent shockwaves throughout the walls "Do you think I care that I'm making a fucking scene right now?!"

"What the-" and as I attempted to stand up and intervene, did Levi abruptly pull me back as he stared me down with a warning look on his face.

"Don't," he said as my eyes widened.

"Don't? Are you not seeing what I'm seeing right now?"

"You do realize this is Evan, right? You said so yourself, that we don't wanna get involved-"

"But still!"

"Hey!" Evan's sudden raging voice boomed and interrupted both Levi and I's debate, with panic immediately churning at the pits of my stomach, we turned around only to realize that it wasn't us that he was shouting at, but instead, some random guy scrambling his way out the library.

Evan pointed to him in a rather hostile manner, a snarl glued to his face "You tell this to anyone I'll be sure to bust your face in the next time I see you!" he threatened and just like that, my intentions instantly shut down as fear took over.

The guy frantically nodded his head before Evan turned back to the girl, his eyes ablaze as he took a menacing step forward "If only you have any idea how fed up I am with you right now..."

"So what?!" the girl yelled back "You have no right to be mad at me after everything that you put me through!"

"What I put you through?" he repeated, laughing dryly "After what you did to me, you have no right to act like the victim here because we both know whatever the hell I did would not amount to the level of embarrassment that you put me through!"

"Embarrassment?!" she cried out "Of course! Of course, you'd only care about what my actions would do to your image because that's all you ever cared about! Trying to maintain this stupid superiority complex and not allowing yourself to love anyone!"

"But I did! I loved and cared for you so much that it practically broke my heart every single day knowing that you'll never feel the same! That whenever I tell you that I love you, you can only ever look at me as if I'm just another girl that you could give less than two shits about!"

With that, she lets out a sob, one that made her clutch her chest in what I can only describe from my point of view the heavy, torturous feeling that you were never good enough, and it hurts me to see her like that because I knew that feeling all too well.

"How you can never say you love me back, how whenever I try to show the littlest bit of affection, you just push me away. I gave everything that I could give to you..."

"But if you cared so much why'd you go around opening your legs like some sort of skank?" he hissed "You can try to feign innocence all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you screwed my best friend behind my goddamn back!"

The atmosphere suddenly felt a million times thicker, with Levi and I caught in the aftershock of the newfound revelation as neither one of them spoke another word. Allowing the reality of the situation to finally sink in, and for Mandy to realize there's nothing she could say or do to make Evan feel otherwise of what he sees from her doing. Betrayal.

But of course, Evan had to finish what they had started "You are so pathetic, you know that?" he added, the sound of his voice vaguely calm, but his words coming off excruciatingly sharp and unnerving "To go around opening your legs to anyone you can put that filthy cunt into all just because you didn't feel like you were too special enough-"

Before he could even finish, a strong slap landed on the side of his face, one that echoed throughout the room and caused both me and Levi to flinch.

It was silent at first, with the girl looking up at him with her jaw clenched and eyes still watery "Damn," Levi whispered, bewildered by everything that just happened "That was-"

But Levi didn't have enough time to finish what he wanted to say and neither did I, because before any of us knew it, what I dreaded right from the start transpired right before us.

With Evan lifting up his hand and connecting it towards Mandy's face that caused me to jolt back in my seat whilst her head whipped to the other side as she fell to the ground on her knees, mortified.

Evan rubbed the side of his face before he stared back down at her, outraged "Don't you dare fucking touch me." he shot back before moving past her and out of the room.

Leaving her crouched down onto the floor while her hand stayed on the side of her face as if processing what had just happened. But one second led to another, she was crying.

It didn't take me long before I quickly went up to her "Hey," I called out softly, stopping as I was only a foot away as I tried to bend down to her level "Are you-"

But as I tried landing a small, harmless touch to her shoulder to see if she was alright, did she immediately flinch away from me, my stomach churning with a sickening feeling due to her reaction "Hey, it's alright," I reassured, moving closer as she continued to release choked up sobs "I just wanna make sure you're okay."

She remains in eye contact with me before letting her head fall, giving me enough access to come to her side as I put my arms around her to envelop her into a comforting embrace.

"He's not here anymore," I told her in a mere whisper "You're okay now, don't worry."

She clutched the blouse of my uniform, eyes squeezed shut as if she were afraid to open them only to be greeted with the sick reality that she was faced with.

"B-but why does it feel like I'm not?" she muffled into my chest as her cries only became louder "Why does it feel like I'm not okay? At all?"

All I could do was just to hold her tighter and let her cry her fears and pains away...

[text_hash] => 1e5db23b
)