second day

I wake up sweating, panting. It was terrible, the fire, the blood. These nightmares are the worst I've had in decades. I shake my head in fright and make my way out of bed, tiptoeing out of the bedroom. I find Anna and Henryk snuggled on the sofa.. Mum and dad had probably arrived home already because the couple is covered neatly in a blanket and the place is cleaner, rubbish from dinner had been thrown out.

I walk over to the fridge in search for a drink and found three cups of freshly bought Starbucks neatly aligned at the front of the fridge on the top most compartment. So, even mum and dad knew that Anna was coming over, it's just me. I take one, insert a straw and gratefully sipped it.

Java chips, my fav.

I sit on the table and for a moment I just stare at Henryk and Anna.

How is it someone like Henryk is my brother? We are polar opposites. He is bright, open, popular and confident. I am dull, cold, and I like to be alone. At least now I am.

I sigh and head back to my room.

It is five in the morning. Wouldn't hurt to be early to school. I shrug and pack my bag and run over today's schedule again before heading for a shower and changing into some random clothes I took out from the drawers. I grab my drink and walk back out of my room, and only an hour passed.

Harry and Anna are still lying comfortably on the sofa so I leave a note at the fridge and leave the house, gently clicking the door behind me and tucking my feet into my shoes. I walk to the bus stop, and couldn't help but start to make up an excuse for my early departure yesterday, my mind briefly flashed an image of that guy who sits in front of me in class.

Niall.

I still don't know his name.

Before I knew it, I was stepping into school grounds. Again.

Breathe... I tell myself.

"Hey." A voice behind me shattering my steady breathes, causing me to nearly drop my drink.

"The heck?" I turn and glare at... oh. Him. "Hi?" I say unsure of what else to say. More like because I forgot his name.

"Mason? Dude from your class." He winks.

Is this a joke?

"Okay." I respond to him and walk off.

He catches up within a second, "Hey relax, tell me your name at least, I didn't catch it. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Okay." I repeat harsher this time. He forgets my name, but somehow knows who I am.

He frowns, "You haven't said your name."

"Skyla Styles, pretty sure you did not forget." I pick up my pace and turn a sharp left nearly knocking myself into the wall. "Your brother is Henryk Styles, right?" He confirms.

How is he still behind me? I had this urge to run but with all my might, I acknowledge his comment.

"Cool." He breathes into my ear. No... "What... what do you want?" I back away from him.

"Nothing? Just talking with the new girl." He shrugs and my eyes goes from his shoulder blades to his arm. He is muscular and taller than me. Sharp jawlines, sharp eyes and eyebrows that matches his looks.

"How do you know me?" I stop with a sudden jerk catching him off guard.

"Everyone knows you, come on." He beckons me to continue walking.

"I think you mean my brother." I correct him.

He shakes his head and waves his arms, "No. You." Oh no...

I falter but try my best to act relaxed and I start walking again.

"So... what lesson do you have now?" He continues to bug me.

"Science." I answer. "Do you have friends?" I add. He looks at me, confused and I look back at him and for the first time, I realize that he is quite hot, but seriously, are all guys this noisy?

"Yes, of course." He replies.

Relieved that he has friends, I wave him off, "Then go to them, I don't do friendships."

"Oh." He says a little hurt I think. "I'm having science too. Catch ya." And he jogs off just like that.

Are you serious? I don't want to see him.

I walk into my class and everyone's eyes darts over. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and head to the same place. The unlucky seat fitted for the unlucky girl.

Yea, that's me.

—————

"Bored yet?" Mason turns around and looks at me as I slowly lift my head away from my paper.

"What?" I frown at him.

"You've been doing nothing but scribbling on that dumb piece of paper." He grumbles.

"Wait till I give you a piece of my mind." I threaten him but he just mimics the expression of a kid who just found out that his mother did not get pregnant herself.

"Ooo. I'm scared." He mocks.

I retort, "Give me a peace of mind, will you? All you do is talk and talk... and talk! When do you ever shut up?"

"When I hit the bed." He jokes but then says, "Actually, never."

"You mean you sleep talk?" I glance at the teacher who has already looked up from his papers and is staring intently at us.

"No, I give sexual education in my sleep." He winks and turns back to his paper.

Gross.

The teacher shoots me and Mason a concern look but doesn't question. He wouldn't want to know what we're doing, or rather talking about.

The bell rings and I sigh with relief, my face however, remains expressionless as I strut out of the school.

"Hey sis." Henryk surprisingly greets me at the school gate with girls swarming around him asking for his autograph, cameras flashing all over echoing a clicking sound as their thumbs make contact with their phones. Each girl attempting to lure Henryk closer to them, trying to get his attention but his eyes are focused on me. Some ladies scowl and turn back to whatever they were doing.

For a moment, I feel a sense of pride and stand a little straighter. I wanted to tell them, 'he's taken, bitches', right in their pretty faces, but it'll only make things worse, the fact I'm not okay with Anna. Plus, I wouldn't want Henryk to hate me, so I lower my head once again and tell Henryk, "Let's go."

He looks like he is going to laugh and say, "Like I didn't want that?" But he remains silent and moves to his door and opens it before his body slides in and disappears. I follow suit and close the door with a loud 'thud', shutting the growing crowd out. The moment I get my belt strapped on I ask, "What's up?" He doesn't reply me at first, and starts driving.

After a while, he replies, "Ann invited us over to her house for some party, I'm going and I'm asking if you wanna come. Ann invited you, specifically, to come too." I was about to open my mouth to argue, but he continues, "Given that you had a lot of... things... struggles going on in you, I think it'll be a good time to live a little, you know? Be fun for once... it's... been a long time." I literally, almost thought he was going to say given all the trouble I cause I should not be going but it'll be rude to say no to Anna so I should actually go with him, but his words are like a net to all the words stuck in my throat. They keep building up but remains inside my gullet, I fear it may blow up.

"I don't know..." I finally find my voice, but even when I say it, my voice is dry and uncertain.

"Please... Sky... think it over." He begs, his eyes catches mine through the rear mirror and I hold my breath.

Never in my life, since five, have I ever gone out, not for a party, not for groceries, for walks, for school. Nothing. Just me and home.

"Okay." It comes out louder than expected and I cover my mouth in an attempt to take back what I just said, but what is done, is done. He stares at me for long seconds that stretches to a minute which stretches to minutes. I stare at him as he absorbs the irony and finally clears his throat and what seemed like a sigh comes out.

"Great." Was all he manages before he turns into our driveway.

"Skyla?" He calls after me the moment I got off the car. I turn to him, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing." He finally says and I frown hard at him.

"What?" I ask even though I heard him loud and clear. He clears his throat and changes his words, "I said mum and dad are not home."

"Oh. That's normal." I tell him. It isn't new to me, half the time my parents spend are all spent as a workaholic, they hardly even communicate with us. Or with me, or even with each other. Couldn't blame them, I am after all the cause of their grief, their loss, I am their trouble an work is their distraction away from me. Henryk, however, seemed unsettled. His eyebrows twitches and he nods before moving towards the house.

Strange. He must have had a tiring day.

An hour has past, so quickly and Henryk is yelling at me from the bottom of the stairs to hurry up. "I'm on my way!" I called back to him.

"I'm going to sing Watermelon Sugar to myself to entertain me while you keep trying to look better than you already are!" He says with a hint of sarcasm inside.

Right. Have fun.

My looks have never been my concern but mum showed me how make up can make a lot of difference not only to my looks but to my personality. It makes me stand a little taller, feel a little more confident which makes me try it on for just this once, but she made it seem too easy.

I was struggling to get the eyeliners straight, my lipstick seemed to be too much but too little at the same time and I groan in frustration. My eyelashes seemed way too long for my liking and I figured my hair would look better untouched and I'm right about that. I wear a dress with a loose skirt and sleeves, but it feels too short. I was about to change to something longer just as Henryk makes his way in and says, "For the love of God you look fine! Get the hell out, right now!"

He sounds impatient so I just glare at him and admit defeat, "Fine. Next time, you either tell me about a party earlier, or don't even bother telling me about it."

"Mood." He says and I glare at him. Chiding, I added, "Have some justice for girls will you?"

"Okay." He replies and sooner than expected, we are at the driveway of Anna's house. The first thing I see isn't the golden door, or the white bricks connected to beautiful glass panels, or the expensive looking driveway, or the size of the house, but the pool where everyone is stripped to their inner wears and jumping into the sickening water.

Some girls are there swaying their hips to the loud music, and men flirting around obviously drunk.

Anna has a really great taste of friends...

"Oh." Henryk catches my eyes and what he saw was probably covered by the flames of anger that had overtook Skyla Styles. Maybe not. Maybe I was already overtaken, driven out by Skyla Styles. Yes, that's right. Emma Styles, the sweet and kind girl was driven out by Skyla Styles, the angry and cold girl.

"You didn't tell me." I say through gritted teeth.

"Sorry. I forgot, but you can avoid it if you want I'll tell Anna you're a—" He was interrupted by me before he could even complete what I would have hated for him to say, "I will go, just not the pool." I glare at him one last time before heading out of the car and taking a huge breath.

"I'm sorry, really." Henryk says behind me.

"Yea, of course you are." I roll my eyes at him and allow him to guide me into the house. "Don't do anything stupid." I tell him after he informs me that he is going to look for Anna.

"You too." He warns before leaving me in a crowd of unknown people.