Reprieval

Part 3 : How it Almost Started

The rising sun woke me up. As light seeped into my room through the gap between my curtains, I slowly drew my eyes open. My mind was groggy and my body was weak but I reluctantly got out of bed. I dragged my feet to my en-suite bathroom, my vision blurry.

Using the heels of my palms, I rubbed the sand out of my eyes. I started the shower and as the air billowed with steam, I stripped out off my clothes and tossing them into the clothing basket. I jumped into the shower and let the hot water spray over my body. I let warmth of the water drown out my groggy mind and strengthen my weak body. There's nothing like a hot shower in the morning to truly wake you up.

I turned off the shower and reached for a towel. Wrapping it around my waist I walked up to the mirror. Using my hand I wiped off the steam. My dark hair was dripping wet and my skin as flushed from the hot water. I grabbed another towel ruffling my hair with it. It took me half an hour to finish up.

Now freshly dressed I made my way out of my room, heading for the kitchen. I was oddly in a good mood for someone who had recently been expelled from their school. That was bad and all that, but firstly I never really liked that school, I was there against my will. Secondly I missed my home and I was just glad to be back even if it was just for a couple of days.

My footsteps echoed eerily through the halls as if the house was empty, which it wasn't. I knew for a fact it wasn't

Downstairs Harrod was already up and from what I could tell waiting for me.

"Good morning master Marcus," he said gesturing for me to follow him into the dining room.

"Morning Harrod." I took a sit. Breakfast was already laid out in front of me.

"Your father called."

"Oh," and just like that today didn't seem so bright anymore, "is he having me sent to another boarding school." It was to be expected. I didn't think I would be here long anyway.

"No. He wants you to attend West Chapel high."

"What?" I nearly choked on the air I was breathing. Did I hear him right?

"As of tomorrow you will be a student at West Chapel High school."

"He actually wants me to stay?" saying I was shocked would be an understatement. This was the same man who wouldn't even let me come home for holidays. I had spent the last six Christmases in my dorm alone. And now he was actually letting me stay. I should have tried getting expelled sooner, not that I had gotten expelled on purpose. It was a just a misunderstanding. The greatest misunderstanding to happen to me apparently.

"Yes," Harrod simply said then left me alone to my breakfast. But I couldn't eat, not after that, I was too excited.

Jumping out of my chair I ran back up to my room. I grabbed my bag pulling things out. I hadn't been planning on unpacking anything because I saw no reason to. I just naturally assumed my stay would be for a few days. There had been no point to unpacking. Now there was.

"I was wondering if we could go shopping I need some stuff for tomorrow," I asked Harrod a hour later.

"Of course Master Marcus."

"Okay, thanks. Just need to put on a jacket," I said running back upstairs.

In my room I put on my leather jacket and grabbed my phone and wallet from the dresser slipping them into my jacket pocket, then headed downstairs where Harrod was already waiting for me by the door.

"Let's go," I said enthusiastically.

Our house was built at the edge of a small town in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by a thick forest it didn't take much to miss this town. West Chapel was your average quiet small town. Had a population of a little less over a thousand. It was the kinda of town where everyone knew everyone except if you were me and spent the first half of your life locked up in your house and the other half locked up at a boarding school in a different state.

I had lived in West Chapel for ten years and this was probably the first time I had ever stepped foot into town. We drove past a lot of shops until we parked right in front of a small department store. A sign painted in big bold letters read Ric's hung in front of the shop.

I got out of the car using one hand to keep the car door open and said, "I think I can handle buying my own clothes" Harrod seemed hesitant but he didn't argue, just nodded. I slammed the car door shut.

"I'll call you when I'm done." I stepped away from the car, turned around and walked into Ric's.

It was everything one wouldn't expect from a small town department store. I walked up to the sales counter. A girl who couldn't be older than eighteen stood behind the counter. She looked up as I approached her, giving me a glimpse of her baby blue eyes. Tucking a curly lock of her strawberry blond hair behind her ear she flashed me a bright smile, showcasing a shallow dimple in her left cheek.

"Hello, my name is Abigail and how may I help you?" she said, her voice as chipper as her smile.

"Hi....um I'm looking for the men's section"

"It's right this way," she stepped away from the counter, and led me deeper into the store.

"Here we are," she said gesturing to the layout of men's clothing in front of us.

"Thanks."

"If you need further assistance I would be happy to help."

I looked through a couple of the items settling on a couple of t-shirts, a hoodie and some jeans. Returning back to the counter I placed everything I had picked out.

"Find everything you needed?"

"Yes, thank you," she started ringing up my things.

"Hey, are you new in town? I haven't seen you around," She asked as she packed my clothes in a shopping bag.

"Not exactly, I just moved back," I explained.

"Oh." She nodded as if realizing something. "I guess a welcome back is in order."

I smiled and put out my hand for her to shake. "I'm Marcus"

She smiled again. "Nice to meet you. I'll be seeing you around?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

A/N : Yeah, see why I changed it.