Chapter 1: Our Own Little Hell (Ellie’s POV)
The alarm shrieked for the third time, and I just…gave up. Just got up. No point fighting it anymore.
“Ellie, you’re going to be late!” My mom’s voice came muffled through the wall.
“I’m up!” I called back, my throat already feeling sandpaper-rough. I grabbed my water bottle from the nightstand and took a few long gulps before just staring at the floor. A sigh escaped me before I finally swung my legs out of bed, shuffling toward the lights. I flicked them on, the sudden brightness blinding me for a second before I rubbed my eyes and let them adjust.
I grabbed the clothes I’d laid out last night and headed to the bathroom, went through the usual routine – brushing my teeth, washing my face, all of it. Back out, brushing my hair, pulling it into a high ponytail.
I glanced at the time, and my eyes nearly jumped out of my head. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” I hissed, grabbing my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, snatching my phone and car keys, and then just *running*. I stopped short when I heard a car horn. Ran to the window and peeked through. A car in the neighbor’s driveway. Wonder who *that* is.
“Ellie!” my mom yelled again.
I ran down, grabbed a slice of toast with avocado – my mom’s an angel, I swear – and bolted for the door.
“First day of junior year, doing great, Ellie, just be late, that’s right,” I mumbled to myself, unlocking the car, throwing my bag in the passenger seat, wincing as I remembered my laptop was in there. Climbed in, hit the gas, and sped toward school.
Okay, so, I’m Ellie. Seventeen. And I’m incredibly late for my first day.
Isn’t that just perfect?
Hudson High. Our own little hell. Not really, though. I think our school’s actually pretty good, pretty laid back. Maybe *too* laid back sometimes.
I made it in about ten minutes, five to spare. Five minutes isn’t enough. Not nearly enough to get to my locker.
“Just give me one spot, God, please,” I mumbled under my breath, scanning for a parking spot. “Yes!” I cheered, spotting one. Except someone else was about to take it. Absolutely not. I saw it first.
I slammed my foot down on the gas, watching people scramble out of my way and shriek in panic before I swerved and parked. Perfectly. Yeah, I’m a great driver. I heard the brakes screech behind me as I turned off the car, grabbed my stuff, and jumped out, locking it up.
“What the *fuck* are you doing?!” The guy stepped out of his car. Whoa. He looks… forget it.
“Sorry!” I blurted, adjusting my bag and running toward the office to get my schedule.
That guy… looked exactly like *him*. How is that even possible? It’s been two years. It’s probably just a coincidence.
“Ellie Hart, can I get my schedule, please?” I was panting by the time I reached the office.
The secretary shook her head at me, a disappointed look on her face, and handed me the paper. I checked my locker number and dashed off, dodging the bodies loitering in the hallways. I reached my locker, sighing with relief as I opened it, grabbed the things I needed, and checked to see where my first class was.
“English Literature, room C24. Other side of the school. Fantastic,” I mumbled, resisting a groan while speed walking over there. I slipped into class just as the bell rang, letting out a sigh of relief when I saw Ashley had saved me a seat.
Ashley is my best friend. Along with Brett, Nathan, and Spencer. All guys.
“Sleep in?” she asked knowingly.
“Yup,” I replied, getting out my pen and paper, ready for class. I tried.
Mr. Prichard walked in with a little flare and bounce to his step. Mr. Prichard happens to be the best teacher there is. He’s extremely laid back and amusing. He also happens to be gay, which only made him more popular.
I respect him a lot.
“All right kids,” he sighed, setting his laptop down at his desk. “It’s the first day, frankly, I’m not in the mood to do much. Just go through this year’s syllabus and ask if you have any doubts. That’s all we’re doing.”
See? Exactly.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The day dragged by perfectly smoothly. Finally, lunch. We were all starving. I don’t know about the others, but I definitely was. I was also too lazy to get up and grab my food.
“Brett, bring me food, please?” I stuck my bottom lip out at him, holding my money out for him to take.
“I’m getting myself a brownie,” he stated, before taking it and walking away.
“So, who was the guy you almost killed this morning?” Ashley asked.
“Huh?” I blurted.
“You stole the spot he was going to park in…” she trailed off suggestively.
“Oh, I don’t know who it was, I was in a rush,” I shrugged.
“I do,” Brett said as he sat down. I glanced at him, then at the lunch line. “I’m nice to the lunch ladies. It pays off, clearly,” he shrugged with a smirk.
“So, who is the guy?” Ashley asked as Nathan and Spencer walked to the table.
“Maybe I should keep the secret, wait for you guys to find out on your own,” he chuckled.
“Find out what?”
We all looked up. Him. The last person I expected to see. Standing right there.
“Miss me?” he smirked, sitting down in front of me, between Brett and Spencer.
I was frozen. I couldn’t move. My jaw was on the ground. I didn’t know what to do. I stared while he greeted the others, who seemed to be just as shocked as I was.
“Ellie,” he nodded at me.
I narrowed my eyes at him, watching him with suspicion.
What the hell is he doing here?
“Zach,” I replied meekly.
“How’ve you been?” he questioned.
How *dare* he? How dare he walk back in here like he owns the damn place and act like nothing happened?
“You tell me,” I cocked an eyebrow at him.
He chuckled before shaking his head and getting into a conversation with the others.
I watched him, scrutinizing him, analyzing every little detail. His hair was longer, his shoulders were broader, I was sure his body was more muscular, and his v-neck didn’t do a favor at hiding the tattoo on his bicep.
It was still Zach. Just ten times worse. In the best way possible.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and believe me when I say, I was the first one out of that room. I was walking to class, completely lost in thought.
Let’s tell you his story, shall we?
Zach, Ashley, Brett, Nathan, Spencer, and me, have all been friends since elementary and middle school. Spencer joined us in middle school, the rest of us have always been together.
Zach was also my neighbor. Our families were super close, our moms were best friends, so were our dads, it was tradition meeting every weekend while our dads watched the game, our moms cooked, and we played in our backyards together.
Two years ago, at the end of school, we were all hanging out to celebrate the upcoming summer. We were all fifteen, having fun, enjoying, messing around. And he acted completely normally, giving us no hints at all.
Nothing to tell us he was leaving the country.
We all found out the next day when we were supposed to hang out and he didn’t show up. My parents told us. We were all devastated. I’m not saying I took it harder than the others, but it’s possible I did. He was the first person I ever became friends with, not to mention, I liked him.
Like, *really* liked him.
He even kissed me a few days before summer break. That was my first kiss too. Then he disappeared.
He was out of reach of all of us. He wouldn’t answer our calls, texts, completely ignored us. We stopped trying after a while and just started moving on, the rest of us sticking together. It broke my heart when I had to act like he never existed and I never cared about him when everyone knew I did. Even he knew.
He had always been a troublemaker. Always breaking things, pranking people, breaking rules.
His parents were going through a tough time but didn’t want to divorce, so they sent him to boarding school – to discipline him and give them time to sort things out.
I had no idea about this at the time, but my parents told me after a while. They said he’d told us his goodbyes.
Liar.
After two years, without any contact with any of us, he’s back. He looks different. Something about him has changed. I can tell. Something tells me he’s come back ten times worse than the devil he was growing up.
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Chapter one
Just to let ya’ll know, Hudson High is NOT a real place, not that I know of, I just took the first name that came to mind, so please excuse me if it is.
I hope you liked that chapter. Make sure to tap the star and leave a comment on what you thought about it.
<3
Next Chapter: Chasing You
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───