Twisted Intentions

~ Part 1 ~

Serena

    I scowl at myself in the mirror, yanking on the tight tie around my neck and tugging the too short skirt down my thighs.

"Who even uses fucking uniforms anymore?" I growl flicking my long, sleek black hair out of my icy blue eyes with an irritated huff. I hate this, looking so proper and perfect. It's nothing like me.

Willow, my old grey cat lets out a raspy meow from her tower and I sigh. Walking over and scratching under her chin, her purring soothing me for a small moment. "I don't wanna go." I tell her and she blinks her yellow eyes up at me.

I stare at my vans in sorrow as I put the black, short platform Mary Jane's on over my knee high socks. Rolling my eyes at how pretentious this all is.

I step down the stairs slowly, praying that I won't run into him before I slip away for the day. But of course, as I hear his footsteps approaching the front door slowly I have to remind myself God has never listened to me.

"Serena." Stopping and closing my eyes, I turn around to face the man who brought me into this world. His warm dark brown gaze asses me as he hovers by the doorway, looking very uncomfortable as he gives me an approving nod.

"You look, nice. Respectable." He says, the word wrapping around my chest and squeezing tight. I think that's what he's always preferred. Where my mother let me cry when I wanted, yell when I needed to yell. Laugh as loud as I could, pierce my tongue and get a tattoo behind my ear. And now she's gone.

Swallowing down the sudden grief, I look briefly into his warm dark brown eyes and turn away. Grabbing my backpack off the floor and slinging it over my shoulder.

"Yeah well, I've never cared so much about looking respectable." I say, gesturing to my tongue piercing and he sighs heavily.

"Listen. I understand this is hard for you. It's difficult for me too. I know I wasn't really.." he trails off, swallowing hard before stepping back and straightening his tie.

"I just want what's best for you, making a good impression at Wraithmore matters." He says, stuffing the tiny bit of emotion he allowed back inside tightly. "Maybe to you, but I don't really give a shit about what people think." I bite back, sick of feeling so much all the time.

"Serena." He sighs, placing a hand on my shoulder awkwardly, "I'm sorry this happened to you." Tears burn the backs of my eyes at his sudden softness, and he really looks at me for the first time in my life probably.

I know their story, mom fell in love and he wanted money more than a baby and a wife. So when she found out she was pregnant, he lashed out at her. Breaking it off and pushing her away. Though, over years he tried to send letters, checks that she'd rip up and toss in the trash. Though I think she always loved him.

And I know what he sees when he stares at me, my mother's beautiful face mixed with his own. I pull back, brushing past him and snatching my car key up. "Be careful, and try to make some friends." He calls from behind me and I yank the door closed at my back, tossing my bag and myself into the car and slamming the door shut as I let out a guttural scream.

I'm so tired of this grief, the hollow ache that echoes in my chest caving in further each day. I just need something, one good thing to prove to me that there's a reason to keep going.

Because sitting here, sobbing in my car over my dead mother and estranged father is not the way I want to live.

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    Wraithmore Academy stands large and imposing before me. Trees lifeless and tall, weather gray and cloudy adding to the ominous air surrounding the large building.