savior

four

DAY THREE; TWENTY EIGHT DAYS TO GO

My younger sister, Kaitlynn, and I had to be swift getting ready for school the next morning. My alarm hadn't gone off at the right time. We woke up later than usual. I hopped out of bed quicker than ever before, causing me to get dizzy.

I pulled a yellow tank top over my head once I removed my plaid pajamas. We only had thirty minutes to ready ourselves before we had to storm out of the house. Normally Anna and I would walk to school, and Kaitlynn would have a friend pick her up, but because we were late waking up, we had to borrow my mother's car. I slithered into a pair of tight jeans, and covered my shoulders with a heavy blue jacket.

My hair only took about five minutes to do; I just brushed through it and pinned part of it up. Then I scooted out of the door.

We didn't have time for breakfast. Kaitlynn grabbed my arm, and pulled me through the door to our apartment. We said goodbye to Mom. Then we started our journey down tons of stairs.

"Shit, shit, shit! Re, we're going to be so late," Kaitlynn yelled as she dragged me.

She's always been so careful to have a perfect record at school. She had just become a high school student a few months before. The trouble she got into in middle school disappointed my parents, and now that she understands that she was wrong, she's been trying to clean up her act. Unfortunately her perfect record may be scarred because of a tardy. If only she'd set her own alarm.

We burst through the doors to where my mother's beautiful car was parked. Then we climbed in, fast, but careful enough to make no marks on it. She'd kill us if we did.

Out of corner of my eye, I saw someone familiar. The woman from the funeral was walking down the sidewalk, still in that same elegant purple dress. She and I made eye contact, but she didn't come to say anything. Still, I was completely mesmerized by her. As old as she was, she was still very beautiful for her age.

"She's such a fair old woman," I muttered. "Isn't her dress wonderful?"

When I looked at Kaitlynn, she held an expression that resembled Ashton's from yesterday. Her eyebrows were furrowed. She looked back and forth, left and right, every direction. Then she looked back at me like I was crazy.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I pointed to the woman standing on the cracked sidewalk. Her grey locks were pulled up into a bun on top of her head. She walked down the pavement like she had been a model when she was younger. Kaitlynn looked at me again, still very confused. Couldn't she see her?

"Regan, he's not wearing a dress. You must still be extremely tired," she said. She crossed her arms, closing her eyes, and resting her head on the headrest of her seat.

I looked back where the woman had been, but instead it being her standing there, looking all beautiful, and elegant, it was Ashton, walking out of the doors of the apartment building. He had his backpack strapped to his back, a water bottle in his left hand.

"He's not a woman, but he is gorgeous, " my sister said, taking another peek at him. I swatted her on the shoulder. "What? He is."

I rolled my eyes at her, not so happy with her talking like that. I knew because she thinks he's attractive, she'll try her hardest to distract him, and that would cause the whole plan to fall in shambles. That can't happen.

Ashton started walking down the street in the direction to the school. I started the car, and pulled out of the parking space. When I got closer to him, I rolled my window down a little.

"Yo, Irwin! Get in!" I yelled to him from the car. He whipped his head around. When he saw me, he shook his head, but I wasn't taking no for an answer. "Now."

He scowled, but got in anyways. Ashton huffed in the backseat. I looked back at him in the rear view mirror, watching him stare out the window.

"You didn't have to bring me to school. I was okay with walking."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have been fine being late for school. How would your parents feel?" I asked, turning a corner. He didn't answer me.

Kaitlynn turned around to face him. "She's a bit persistent, in case you haven't noticed. Sorry about her. I don't want to be the car with her either, but unfortunately, I have no choice."

He faced the window, the frown deepening on his face. I knew he was depressed and suicidal, but he didn't have to be so rude. He didn't say anything the whole ride. Ashton occasionally would look at me, but he'd never stare for more than five seconds.

We reached the school right on time, luckily. Kaitlynn departed from me as soon as she slammed her door, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Ashton tried walking away, too, but I sped up enough to be right next to him as we headed towards our school.

"What do you want?" he asked, looking at me as he stormed up the front stairs. We entered the building together, side by side.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you invite me to your apartment, make me ride to school with you. You decide to sit right next to Michael and I in first period," he said, pulling his jacket from his body. His bracelets weren't on his arms. "What? Do you have a crush on me or something? Because I don't, and won't ever have a crush on you."

I almost laughed at him. If only he knew. Although I didn't have a crush on him whatsoever, he was still being a bit harsh to me.

"Please, just—just leave me alone, okay?" he whispered. He walked away, disappearing into the crowds in the hallways.

If only he knew that I could never leave him alone. Not until my job was done.

Stupid Death.