I : White
I : White
The fanfiction existed solely on mood and tone borrowed from *Fifty Shades of Grey*. The characters were pulled from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the story aimed for a darker, more serious edge than my previous work. And, as always, remember: you are breathtaking. (Your name = (Y/n) Last name = (L/n).)
. . .
I like the haunted look in villains’ eyes. The way they weave lies with their mouths.
. . .
You sat alone in the house, rain lashing against the windows. Thunder rattled the frame, amplifying the loneliness. You stared at the clock on the wall, counting down to midnight. The fireplace offered a meager warmth, a flickering defiance against the chill.
Finally, the hour arrived. You struck a match, held it to the wick of a single cupcake candle, and closed your eyes. A wish formed on your lips.
Before you could speak it, a knock on the door jolted you. It froze you for a moment. No one ever visited (Y/n) (L/n). Not ever.
Slowly, you walked to the door, your hand trembling as you turned the knob. Jason stood on the porch, soaked to the bone.
“Jason?” you breathed, disbelief warring with a flicker of hope. You hadn’t seen him in months.
He looked pale, exhausted, bruises blooming under his skin. He’d been through hell.
“Sister,” he rasped, his voice rough. You stared into his eyes, then a smile finally touched your lips for the first time in weeks.
“Thanks for coming,” you said, ushering him inside. He dripped water onto the floor. You shut the door behind him. “You actually remembered my birthday.”
He turned to look at you, his expression unreadable. You met his gaze, and the smile faltered.
“It *is* your birthday?” he asked, his voice flat.
“What are you here for, Jason?” you countered, cutting through the pretense.
He sank into a chair, hands clasped over his temples. It was an act, you suspected, designed to project helplessness. But he was in trouble, undeniably.
“I need money.”
“You always do. Jason, you’ve been gone for months. No goodbye, no call. You could have died, and your sister wouldn’t have known.” The words tumbled out, laced with desperation.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to figure this out.”
“By dropping out of school, doing drugs, and gambling?”
“I didn’t want it to be like this!” He stood up, yelling at you.
“Our mother is still in the hospital! I’m working myself to the bone to keep her alive, even though she’ll never wake up, and I’m trying to keep *you* from spiraling!” You shouted back, your voice cracking with fury. The sound echoed in the room, louder than the thunder.
Jason wanted to protest, to claim it wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t find a lie to justify his mess. He remained silent.
You walked to the fireplace, staring into the flames. Even now, he was still your brother.
“How much?” you asked, your voice subdued.
“Twenty thousand dollars.”
The answer felt like a punch to the gut. How could you possibly come up with that kind of money, with everything else happening?
“Please, (Y/n). They’re going to kill me if I can’t get the money.” He begged.
You said nothing. But he knew he was counting on you. He turned and walked back out into the storm.
Quietly, amidst the thunder, you whispered to yourself.
“Happy birthday, (Y/n).”
. . .
Your POV:
“(Y/n). The principal wants to see you.”
The classmate’s words distracted you from your thoughts. You stood up, noticing the stares that followed. Everyone noticed everything about you, always. They gossiped behind your back, but you’d long ago stopped caring.
A knot of dread tightened in your stomach. You’d done something wrong, hadn’t you? You tried to keep your face neutral as you walked to the principal’s office.
“(Y/n). Come in. Sit,” he said as soon as he saw you. He'd been waiting. He looked grim.
“Is there a problem?” you asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. Your scholarship…”
“My scholarship?”
“We can’t continue to provide it.”
You forced a smile, knowing it was a hollow gesture. He was dead serious.
“Why?” you asked, your voice cracking. “I don’t understand. My grades are good. I passed all the tests. And—”
“You’ve been absent frequently, and you’ve skipped classes.”
“I need time for my part-time job. How else am I supposed to pay the bills?”
“I understand your difficulties. I truly do. But there are rules. I can’t approve a scholarship if you don’t follow them, even if I want to.”
“…”
You felt a wave of helplessness wash over you. There was nothing you could say to change his mind. You fell silent.
“If you can’t pay us…” He paused, his gaze unwavering. “You have to leave.”
“I understand,” you replied, the words tasting like ash. You stood up without meeting his gaze, and walked out.
How were you supposed to juggle everything? The hospital bills, Jason’s debt, your education, even dinner for tonight.
The bell rang, releasing a flood of students. Their day was over, but yours was just beginning.
You returned to your classroom, grabbed your bag, and headed to Caulfield Bar and Grill.
How long had you been working there? Almost a year, you guessed. It was a decent place for a high school student to earn some cash. All you had to do was take orders and serve drinks.
You were late, again. You hurried through the door, finding the other waitresses already preparing for the evening shift.
They looked at you, and you could feel their judgment. You knew they talked about you, too.
Charlene, the unofficial leader, with her bleached hair braided and glossy red lips, flashed a saccharine smile.
“Sorry,” you said, knowing everyone knew I was talking about being late.
“Tell that to Harrison,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
You walked to the back, to Harrison’s tiny office. He sat at his desk, as always.
“Hey, I’m late again. I’m so sorry.”
He smiled when he saw you, a warmth that felt out of place. His energy felt different today.
“I have a gift for you,” he said, reaching for a small, wrapped package. He walked over to you. “Happy birthday.”
“Oh… you didn’t have to.” You said, surprised. Harrison always went out of his way to be kind. Too kind, perhaps.
He handed you a delicate paper airplane necklace. It was perfect, exactly the style you loved. He always seemed to know what you wanted, even before you did.
“Take it. Now go change,” he said, his smile unwavering.
You went to the bathroom, put on the necklace, and took a deep breath. You had to be tough, work even harder.
“Happy birthday,” Charlene said, her voice laced with a barely concealed malice.
“Thank you,” you replied, ignoring the way she looked at you.
“Harrison gave you that?” she asked, her tone accusatory.
“Yes.”
She didn’t reply. You heard the other waitresses whispering, their voices full of envy.
“I heard your school canceled your scholarship.”
You stopped wiping down a table. “How did you know?”
“Rumors travel fast. I have friends at your school. Anyway, let me know if you need anything.”
You wanted to tell her to shut up.
“Thank you.”
“Oh! I heard Parker Industries is offering a scholarship this year. You could just walk into their company and ask for one. If your grades are good enough.”
For the first time, you were genuinely interested in something Charlene had said. “Parker Industries?”
“Yeah. Spider-Man’s tower, you know?” She smiled, then turned away, letting everyone stare at her behind.
If there was a chance to get out of this mess, you had to take it. You didn’t want to drop out of school, to give up on your future.
“Harrison?” you asked, walking towards him hours later.
“Can I take tomorrow off?”
“Sure.”
You hated how easily he always gave in. You felt like a terrible employee.
“Can I ask why?”
“I… um, the school canceled my scholarship. I need to find another way.”
“I can pay your school fees.”
“Don’t bother,” you said, and walked to Charlene. They were talking about you again, as always. As soon as they saw you they flinched.
“Oh! (Y/n)” Charlene said.
“Parker Industries. Are they really open to scholarships?”
“Oh! Yes! Of course. Walk in there, ask for the information, and wait for their reply.”
“Okay. Thank you.” You walked away, planning your day tomorrow. Little did you know, that Charlene had said something that would turn your life upside down.
“Imagine her face when they tell her what scholarship she’s talking about.”
The waitresses laughed. Of course, there was no such scholarship at Parker Industries. It was just another prank. But little did they know, my life would turn upside down after that day.