Love is Blind

Chapter One: The Shooting

 

Chapter One

            9 hours ago

            I stretch climbing out of my bed, my limbs ache from the crappy mattress that lies on top of the box spring, which is on the floor, frameless. The frame broke a long time ago, so now the twin bed rests on the floor. My floor is scattered with pieces of paper and articles of clothing from my lack of time to clean. I stumble into the hall and to the bathroom where I take in my awful appearance. My brown curls are crazy today; my hair is frizzy as it falls around my shoulders. I run my brush through it, but to no avail. My pale white skin looks even paler today. My big brown eyes are plain and boring, I don’t wear make-up because I cannot afford it and most of it is tested on animals!

            Brushing my teeth which have a small gap but, I cannot afford braces. I head back to my room and pull out a blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I slip on some worn out All-stars. I sling my book bag over my shoulder and grab my IPhone which is a gift from my grandma it was free. I hurry down the hall to the kitchen where my mom is standing in her waitress uniform. Her brown hair is tied back in a bun and her green eyes look tired, her skin is lightly tan. She looks worn out.

            “Hey, sweetie,” my mom says with a weak smile.

            “Hey mommy,” I say brightly as I skip over and kiss her cheek. I love her to death, she is the best mom ever and would die to protect me and starve to feed me.

            “I have to pull a double shift today,” she says with a yawn. She works at the diner and is a waitress while going to night school to be a teacher. That’s why we don’t have a lot of money. Before my father left we were fine, plenty of money, now we are poor.

            “Aw ok mom,” I say forcing a smile. “I’m going to volunteer after school at the hospital today,” I tell her and she nods, kissing my cheek, grabbing her purse and phone.

            “Want a ride to school?” my mom asks and I nod and grab a banana heading to the car behind her.

*_*_*_*_*

            We pull up in front of the school that reads Washington High and I turn to my mom. “I love you!”

            “Have a good day. I love you too,” she says and I get out and walk up towards the schools doors past all the groups of students. I keep my head down and like normal no one pays attention to me, heck I don’t think anyone knows I actually go here! I make my way to my locker and exchange out my evening class books for my morning ones.

            Shutting my locker, I continue down the hall unnoticed and to my first class, AP English.  My teacher is sitting at her desk working on something, her blonde hair up in a bun with a nice shirt and jeans on.

            “Morning Miss. Jennings,” she says to me as I take my seat in the middle of her class and fish out my book, cracking it open.

            “Morning Mrs. Reed,” I respond and begin reading the book. Mrs. Reed is my favorite teacher and I feel comfortable around her.

            The bell rings and people slowly file in but I don’t really pay attention. Not until he walks in at least, with a bright smile on his face that brightens the room. He runs a hand through his cute brown hair and his stunning blue eyes glance over the room and for a second I think he saw me, but I am probably wrong. He swiftly sits in the seat diagonal from me and I take in his appearance. His varsity jacket over a white t-shirt, and his dark blue jeans, it is Reece.

            I sigh I wish I had his life just for a moment. The rest my day carries on as usual, going class to class being invisible, spending lunch in the library, keeping my face buried in a book. Now, it is the second last period of the day and I round the corner and freeze as I see a shaky Erwin, who is our school’s weird-o emo kid, stalking through the crowd. Then, my eyes land on what is in his hand as he stops. As soon as I see the shiny, silver weapon of death, it seems that others do too. Erwin slowly raises the pistol in the air and points it at someone. My eyes then follow to whom and fall onto a now, scared, worried looking Reece. His face scrunched up in concern and his friends stare in shock.

            Gasping in a deep breath I watch the scene in front of me in fear. Reece is being noble and begging Erwin to think this through and not shot. Erwin has a distant, scary look in his eyes and the gun is shaking in his hand. It seems, as though, the world has stopped all that could be heard is frantic screaming and Reece’s pleading.

            Reece’s pleading. I hear his voice full of worry, yet concern for Erwin. It almost is as if Reece is welcoming a death that Erwin wishes to give him and I am just frozen where I stand watching it unfold.

            Bang, pow, pow, zing…

            The sound of the gun firing shakes me to my core and I fall to the ground in hopes of staying alive. As I lay on the ground and the earth shattering sound of the gun firing stops I hear voices in panic racing around. Prying my eyes open, I look along the floor seeing people on the ground around me shaking and some trying to stand. Then, the scariest sight ever reveals itself.

            Reece Collins lying on the floor, a red puddle forming around him. People rush to him and try to stop his bleeding head then an ambulance hauls him off. Why did this happen to this school? I feel something hot and wet fall from my face and realize it is tears for a guy I do not even know.