Hourglass

1.

Dora let out a deep breathe with her knuckles tightening on the steering wheels of the old blue Chevy that used to belong to her older brother till a year ago.

"It's fine, Dora." Percy, her older brother, said placing his hand over her hand. "It's just another week."

Dora nodded her head and scanned the parking lot of her school. It was supposed to be the final year of her school life. But she wasn't going to continue her education. Dora had her mind made. This was the last week of school for her. She would be free of the hell hole of the school.

While internally cursing the place she once loved, her eyes landed on one face that never failed to brighten up her insides.

She picked up her backpack and climbed out of the car with a look back to make sure that Percy was following her. And just like always, he was there. Never far from her.

"Hey Daliah." She greeted her friend with a hint of jealousy in her heart but a polite smile on her face.

"Dora!" Daliah squealed in excitment and threw her arms around to hug her. "I thought you weren't going to come today."

"It's the first day. I had to come." Dora said.

"Yes. This year is going to be a blast. I will even set you up with one of Trace's friends. We can double date." She said excitedly pulling her towards her boyfriend and Dora's crush, Trace Colton.

Some might think that Dora would hate Daliah for dating her crush but it was anything but that. She didn't hate her.

When it came to feelings of others, Daliah could never understand. That was one of the reasons, Dora had stayed friends with her. She never had to hide her feelings. The girl never understood.
Apart from that, she was a nice girl.

Sometimes, Dora felt jealous that they were together when she wanted to be in the place of her. But Trace was her happy place. She liked seeing him from afar. His face, his smile, him with Daliah and imagining herself in her place. She didn't want to ruin her safe haven by risking everything like that.

"Say something." Percy's voice whispered in her ear from behind and she was pulled out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Trace was asking how was the vacations for you." Daliah said.

"Oh. It was good. I didn't do anything great. What about you?" She asked her crush.

His dirty blonde hair was shining under the sun and he was wearing a green shirt and black jeans with black converse. His shirt clung perfectly to his lean muscles that were result of him being in the baseball team.

He had left the team a year ago, at the same time Percy had to leave.

"I went to Ohio to visit my Grandmother." He said and they started walking towards their classes.

"Grandma Betty." Dora asked with a soft smile. "How is she?"

Trace's Grandmother Elizabeth was a close friend of her family. When they were kids, Trace and Dora used to be neighbours. Then Trace and his family moved out to Ohio after his parents split when he was fourteen. It wasn't until two years ago when he came back to the town to live with his mother and Dora couldn't help but notice how great he had become.

"She is doing great. Recently won a second prize at the Grand Race for Grand people." He said with a hearty laugh that made him look even more handsome.

"Sounds like something she would do."
She said.

"Yeah, My Grandma doesn't even like to get off her chair these days while yours is so cool." Daliah complained.

Dora felt bad for her interfering in their conversation but wasn't she the one who was interfering and they were both polite enough to let her tag along.

She, who had been walking in between the two of them, slowed down so that they were both together and Daliah didn't waste a second to lace their hands together.

"Why do you do that all the time?" Percy complained.

"They are together. I don't want to ruin my friendship with either of them. Besides I am her for a few days. So why to try to start things that I can't end." Dora shrugged her shoulders.

"You are weird." Percy said and threw his arms around her shoulder to comfort her and Dora snuggled closer to relish in his comforting scent.

The day went quicker than Dora had expected and she found herself walking back towards her car at the end of the day at school. The whole day at school passed in front of her eyes in a blur.

As she took careless steps, she collided with someone.

"Sorry." She said rubbing her forehead where she had managed to hit her head on the person's chest. "I wasn't seeing..."

She looked up and felt a punch on her heart as she saw the face of her ex best friend. Timothee. The guy who was literally her best friends since they were kids and who abandoned her when she needed him the most.

"Sorry." She said and rushed away. Like all the time she wished he would try to stop her and rekindle their old friendship but like always, he didn't.

"Let it be." Percy said. "Its just a week you have to see him. After that you are coming with me and you won't have to see any of their ugly faces again."

"It just hurts Pers. How easily it was for all of them to change. Mom, Dad, Timmy, Cara. They all changed so easily as if I was nothing for them." She shut her eyes tightly to keep the tears in.

"They don't love you, Dora. So don't waste your tears, your emotions on them. They will regret it eventually. Let things happen as we have decided."

Dora nodded her head.

"Hey, Hey. Dora. I'm here." Dora woke up to a hand brushing the hair off her face. It was her brother's face in front of her.

"Percy?" She asked rubbing her eyes.

"Yes. Its me. I am here for you."

"You are sleeping here again?" She asked drowsily. "You will hurt your back."

"Don't worry about me. I can't sleep peacefully knowing that you will be having nightmares." He said as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I hate these nightmares Pers. I want to sleep peacefully." She said with tears in her eyes.

"They will go away Dora. I will take them away from you. You will sleep peacefully again once this week is over. Isn't that something to look forward to?"

"Thank you, Pers. I love you." She murmured.

"I know. And I love you too." He said caressing her cheek. "And from Today, we are going to enjoy our time here. We can't leave this place on a sad note, can we?"

Dora shook her head in a No with a smile on her face.

She would be enjoying her last week in the town. No matter what happens and how people behave.

She would leave the town with a bang.