Break (Falling Apart #1)

Chapter Four

~~~~~Chapter Four~~~~~

I only moved when I heard a gunshot echo through the woods. I took off running towards home, half thinking about saving myself. When I got back to the road, I was almost fully out of breath. I pushed myself to run faster, even though I didn’t want to. I told myself I had to get home, to Mom.

As soon as I came within sight of the house, I seemed to be breathing easier. Yes, my breathing was ragged and fast from running, but I was no longer gasping for the panicked breaths I was earlier. I knew that Mom was – relatively – safe.

I opened the front door, then walked into the house slowly. There was an odd smell in the kitchen, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. It smelled faintly like smoke, which made no sense at all because there was nothing smoking, or ablaze.

I walked through the house silently, looking for Mom. I wanted to call out for her, but thought better of it. Maybe she came back and went to bed, as she was oh, so famous for doing. She had the attention span of a small child, never able to do one thing for too long without getting bored. Nonetheless, I had a small feeling of pride when I saw her sitting on her bed, very much awake.

In the corner of the room, though, was a man. I knew it wasn’t her latest boyfriend. She went through so many, so fast, that I had a hard time coming to this conclusion. I didn’t remember his name. I don’t know if I ever knew it, but that’s beside the point. All I know is that there was someone in her room, and I had no idea who he was.

“Thea, we’ve been waiting for you,” Mom said, her voice cold and mechanical. She looked up at me, her eyes just as cold. “We need to talk to you.”

The man nodded once, his dark hair falling forward slightly. It was long by a man’s standards, but not so long as many boys at school. Colton’s hair was longer, although his was still considered short. The man’s eerie blue eyes seemed to glow in the dark,

“Thea, my name is Aiden Hallow,” the man said. “As you probably already know, I am the headmaster of Break Academy. I sent you a letter a few days back…”

“A few days back?” I interjected. “I only just got it today. If you sent it days ago, wouldn’t I have gotten it days ago?”

“Can I finish?” the man said, sounding slightly impatient. “I sent you that letter, but it fell into the wrong hands. I’m sure that the one you got isn’t the one that I sent. I’ll need to see the letter you received for me to be sure about it.”

I went back to my room and looked under and in folders on my writing desk, then went back to Mom’s bedroom, empty handed. I held them up as if in surrender, earning a groan from Aiden and an exasperated look from Mom. “Thea, what the hell did you do with it?” she whined, sounding like a small child. Strange, how I associate voices with age groups.

“Ask Colton,” I said irritably. “He always seems to know better than me.” I didn’t intend to make my voice as cold as it was, but found it strangely fitting how my new voice fit my new persona. Cold, bitchy voice for the cold, bitchy bad girl.

“Ask Colton what?” he asked from the doorway. I spun around and accidently smacked his chest. “Um… Ow.”

“Sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to hit you. But do you know what happened to my acceptance letter from Break?”

“No,” Colton said. “I thought you left it on the table.”

“Strange, it’s not there,” I said. I pushed unceremoniously past him and went back to the dining room. Sure enough, the letter was sitting in my place at the table. I picked it up and went back to Mom’s room, and handing it back to Aiden.

“This is the letter I sent,” he said, “although I did include a copy of your schedule; standard first-year classes. You could change them if you’d like. Did you get your schedule, or was there only the letter?”

“Just the letter, I think,” I said. “I can’t be sure, though, like everything else.”

“That was all she got,” Colton explained. “Sorry there’s nothing of any more use, but that’s the truth.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around my waist, resting his hand comfortably on my hip. I leaned into him slightly, enjoying that he was here and this close to me.

“Strange,” Aiden said. “I wonder who got a hold of it, then, to send it to you. They did an immaculate job, I might say. I’d be interested in seeing who did it.”

“That’s something we’d all like to know,” I muttered tiredly, leaving Mom’s room for my own. I dropped back onto my bed and closed my eyes. I put a pillow over the top half of my face when the light started bothering my eyes. I felt the bed dip next to me, then I felt someone lay down. I knew it was Colton when an arm draped over my waist and pulled me closer.

I settled my head on his chest and sighed deeply. “I don’t know anymore, Colton,” I whispered. “I just don’t want to do it anymore.”

He wrapped his other arm around me. “I know you don’t, baby girl, but there’s no way to avoid it.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, then sighed. I wanted to smile as his breath tickled my scalp, but I was too upset.

I heard a knock at the bedroom door, then I felt Colton leave. “No…” I moaned quietly as he lay my gently on the bed, then got up. I heard him furiously whispering with whoever was at the door, then he suddenly roused me. I sat up reluctantly, then got promptly startled when I saw the worried look on his face.

“You need to hurry,” Aiden said from the doorway. “I’m taking you and your mother now. Your boyfriend can come with, as we might have a use for him soon.”

We might have a use for him? I thought. I have a use for him now. He helps me in more ways than you can imagine. I shake the thoughts from my head, knowing that they didn’t matter. He’d never understand, if I ever did say them.

I grabbed my bags and went out to the hall, where Mom was standing with a bag of her own. I knew, without anyone saying anything, that this wouldn’t end well.