The Fallen Angel || Gustav Schäfer

.Caught Between.

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I'm finally eighteen, and I stayed awake all night, packing my things silently. If I wanted to escape, now was my chance; I took one last look in my wooden mirror.

My hair was a dark brownish color, but when under light, it looked like melted chocolate. My eyes were crystal blue with a hint of green surrounding my pupils. I noticed the photo I had taped on the mirror; it was of my mother and me just after I turned Ten. I smiled, seeing how happy she was. Her smile would light up a room; it was always us. Me and her against the world.

I grabbed the photo and ripped it in half, throwing it on the floor. "I can't stay here anymore."

I quickly grabbed my suitcase and left the room, headed straight for the door. "Lizzy, is that you?" I heard a faint voice say as the living room lamp flickered on. "I'm leaving," I said, reading My mother's face; I could see she was high again and by the beer cans left on the coffee table. Drunk, too. "Liz, what are you saying?" Her voice sounded cracked and dry, "I can't do this." I replied coldly, grabbing the keys to my trunk and slamming the door shut behind me. I didn't bother to look back at the house I grew up in; I needed to forget this place and leave this town.

*One Year Later*
I stared down at the text I received from my close friend Katie.
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-Katie Bug- Partiez is going down for two nights. Be there or be square! And please don't dress as I forced you to go. Trust me, people will know.•

-Elizabeth- Yeah, yeah, I know you only told me like 56 times today.
•••
I shut my phone and left it on the couch before heading to my room to prepare. I picked out a few outfits from my closet and examined them.

After trying each of them on, I decided to go with a classic silky black dress that fell just under my butt, it was more revealing than I would have liked, but it would have to do. I went over to my mirror to fix my hair and check my outfit, and I became fixated on my legs, specifically my thighs. I hated how I looked in anything that showed my skin. Growing up, I had heavy bulimia and struggled with weight gain. Even now, it's hard to 'Choke' down my food.

I brushed off the thoughts and began focusing on my hair. I usually leave my hair down as it's too much of a hassle to style, and I also never wore makeup since my skin was quite clear. I smiled slightly, content with my reflection, before grabbing my bag with the little things I needed.

I grabbed my keys off the nightstand and went to the parking garage. I lived in a studio apartment, and considering how expensive it is for one person, I figured all I needed to get by was food, water, and a single room.

The street lights lit up my beat-up 1995 Toyota Tacoma, and I smiled seeing the old thing. She wasn't the best truck, but she held many memories. I named her Amy after my favorite musician, Amy Winehouse.

I hopped into the truck and started the ignition. I Caught Myself By Paramore played, and I hummed along as I drove.

After 15 minutes, I arrived, approaching a typical-looking frat house. People scattered throughout the premises, with strong alcohol and the typical Mary Jane lingering in the air. I knew I would instantly regret being here. I took a deep breath and headed inside, squeezing through the people until I entered the kitchen. It was less crowded despite the different brands of liquor scattered throughout the countertops. I removed my jacket and scanned the crowd. I rolled my eyes at the groups of young adults jumping to loud music, and I began to study the public, looking for the person who begged me to show up.

I reached for my bag in search of my phone..."FUCK!" I yelled, knowing that no one would hear the blaring music. "Shit...shit... I left my phone on the couch." I slapped my forehead before being shoved. I looked over to see my drunk, redheaded friend Katie. "You made it!" she slurred. I grabbed her arm, holding her steady as she almost fell into me. "Of course I did... I couldn't leave you to end up in some random guy's bed tomorrow morning!" I said with evident sarcasm. "HA HA Very funny, now are we gonna get fucked up or what?" Before I could respond, she had already pulled me into a crowd of people dancing.

We began jumping to the song's beat, screaming the lyrics in each other's faces. Katie had already started grinding on her fling for tonight, so I headed out and got some fresh air.

An October breeze blew through my hair, drying the sweat from my forehead. I smiled, gazing at the crescent-shaped moon, the bright silver glow illuminating just enough to see the surrounding stars.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here?" I looked to my side to see a man around 8 inches taller than me with black tightened braids and a lip ring on his bottom lip.

"Thought I could use the space." I laughed awkwardly, his unannounced appearance not giving me time to build up the strength to deal with his basic flirting skills.

"...do you smoke?" He questioned me, holding out a Marlboro red cigarette. "Fuck it..." I said. Knowing I don't smoke, I placed the cigarette between my lips and held out my head slightly, allowing him to light it.

I breathed in too deeply and began to cough as the smoke stung my throat. The man quickly began to pat my back, hoping it would help. His sudden touch made me jolt away. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable-" He spoke, concern laced his deep voice before I stupidly cut him off. "This cigarette is... a bit strong, don't you think?" I laughed, rubbing my free hand against my chest. He chuckled at my attempt to change the subject. "Yeah, but it does the trick..."

"You're up. Bill needs you!.." We looked back toward the voice to see what I assumed was His friend. The male was maybe only a few inches taller than me and had short blonde hair. He eyed me up and down, though his face was unreadable; they both spoke with a sort of accent, reminding me of my father.

"I should probably go. My brother needs me, but I don't think I caught your name?"

"How rude of me... I'm Elizabeth!"

"I'm Tom Kaulitz"
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