Tears pooled in his eyes, sitting against the brown wooden wall. His body shuddered when a gust of wind blew past him, and even though the temperature was cold, he was only in his worn out T-shirt and blue jeans. He couldn’t help the fact that his clothes stopped looking the way that they used to. His seventeen-year-old heart was currently broken, shattered into small little pieces. A wave crashed onto his perfect life. His entire world flipped, and all because of one person. His life was filled with the warmth and comfort of his family, but then he met her.
He was in eleventh grade when they had their first conversation. And he remembers it like yesterday. She asked him for help on a homework assignment, they had biology together. He was the quiet kid, who never spoke out, made any comments. Most people thought that he was a stellar student, all A+s, including her. She was the one who never tried to learn, spending her time with her friends and talking away like there was no tomorrow.
“Come on, please?” She begged him. Her straight blonde hair was tucked behind her ears. Her big brown eyes, pleading with him. She was in her face, and he was all about personal boundaries. He took a step away, his black hoodie covering his dark brown hair. His sweaty hands crept their way to the side of his black jeans.
“Why do you need my help?” He asked, his voice raspy from never speaking out. No one ever paid him much mind, not even his siblings. He couldn’t even remember the last time he spoke to someone. She looked at him, astonished, whether it was the deep and raspy voice, or the fact that he actually responded, he didn’t know.
“I don’t understand the concept. I was wondering if someone smart, like you, could help me?” Her voice, high pitched and quite annoying, and he knew that he would hate that voice forever.
“I won’t be much help, ask Daniel.” He began to walk away from her and down the hall to his plain, metal locker. It looked as if no one used it.
“But I want your help!” She chased after him and he paused in his tracks. He slowly turned around to face her, his lips in a tight line.
“Biology and all of the other classes are pointless. Why do I need to study it? Everything about school sucks! I am no genius with all A+s. Go ask Daniel, he is the smart one and he will happily teach you this concept, which I don’t even remember learning.” His outburst caused a few people in the hall to look their way. Her entire face turned red as she stomped off.
One thing that he did not know was that she always got her revenge, and it was always brutal.
He reached his house, and noticed an unknown car parked on his driveway. He ignored it and made his way inside, hearing the laughter of his siblings and parents. That wasn’t unusual. He began his ascent up the wooden stairs into his bedroom, until his mother called for him.
“Asher, come here. We have a guest.” He groaned as he left his bag by the stairs, and rushed towards the kitchen where the voice came from. He saw her.
“What are you doing here?” He asked, all of his energy was put into not shouting.
“Your sister invited me over, should I leave?” She put on an innocent expression.
“No! Don’t leave Ema, Asher apologize to her.” His mother said, and she never was on his side, why would she be now? Especially when one of the richest people in the city was against him. He scoffed and exited the room, picking up his bag and leaving the house.
By the time that he returned home that night, her car was still in the driveway, but all of his belongings were out on the porch. He watched as she exited the house and threw something towards the rest of his belongings. “What are you doing?” He shouted at her.
“Just throwing out some unnecessary belongings.” Her annoying voice responded.
“What?” He began to panic. Sure, he had a part-time job outside of school, but it would not be enough to support himself. Did his mother not care, what about his sister? Maybe his little brother would be there for him.
“My father will be out of town for a few months, and your mother kindly invited me to stay here. I couldn’t decline that offer, and she even offered me your room. She said that you have enough money to live on your own.”
“I don’t have enough money, what made her think that?” He mumbled to himself. But, he remembered the times when he caught his sister snooping around his room. Did mom put money in there for me? And was she stealing it? Now, his rage was directed at his sister, she was just as much of a brat as the girl in front of him. He began to pick up his most precious belongings. And leaving everything else behind. Maybe he could just drop out of school and find a full time job that could support him.
He began to walk away from his home, looking behind one last time as a teardrop fell. He knew that he could stay at the tree house in the abandoned park, no one goes there anymore.
By the time he reached the old tree house, he was exhausted and wanted to sleep.
What did he do to deserve this? He wasn’t a bad kid. Tears fell down his face, his last bit of hope gone. He felt a tap on his shoulder, making him wake up.
“Good morning, Asher. Did you have a nightmare?” Asher’s mother asked him, concern written on her face. A look of relief covered his face and soon realized that it was just a horrible nightmare.