Stay

Chapter: One

Scarlett

"Hey Donna! I'm heading out. I'll see you later!" I call over my shoulder as I make myself a to-go coffee. I pour the scalding hot coffee into a foam cup just as I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn and see Donna smiling and I smile up at the older lady who has practically saved my life and become almost a mother to me.

"Have a good day at school and I hope you're not too tired for class." She says and I can see the sadness in her eyes as she stares down at me. I smile holding back a yawn and wrap my arms around her careful not to spill my coffee. I just finished a night shift at the diner, and even though Donna hates giving me these shifts she knows I need them more than any other waitress here.

"I'll be fine just like always. Have good day Don, see you tonight!" I say as I pull away and head out of the old 50s styled diner that has become my home. I see her waving in the window as I walk down the side-walk. The harsh November wind pierces through my thin-ratty winter coat and I pull it closer around me before taking a sip of my coffee. After three blocks of walking I finally reach River Valley Secondary school and sigh. Trudging up the steps of this hellhole I ignore the loudness of my fellow peers and make my way to my locker. As soon as I open my locker and I see my old violin sitting in the bottom my posture changes and everything feels lighter.

I pick up my violin and grab my music book before slamming my locker door. I'm on my way towards the music room when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I sigh and set my violin case down on a nearby bench and pull out my phone. It's a text from my mom saying to come home right after school. I sigh and tell her I'm working another shift tonight and shut my phone off before I can get another text from her. I pick my violin back up and finally reach the music room. I grab my regular seat in the back and sit back in my chair to catch up on a bit of lost sleep.

I'm woken about an hour later when students start filling into the room. I sit up in my seat and rub at my sleep crusted eyes. I look up at the teacher and she nods at me smiling and I smile back. We have this unspoken thing where she doesn't ask why I'm always here early sleeping as long as I always keep playing the violin as best as I can. I play a few other instruments well but the violin is my favourite. She gets up and starts class five minutes later and I devote myself to listening to her instead of thinking how nice it would be to be able to crawl into my old bed.

When class ends, I pack up all of my things and it takes me a bit longer to put away my violin because of the broken latch on the case. I'm the last one out of class and I start to hurry to my locker so I can make it to the next class without being late. I carefully set my violin down in the bottom of my locker and grab my biology and math textbooks. I shut my locker and without looking where I'm going I run into a hard chest resulting in me loosing my footing and dropping all of my books in the process. I sit up to a pair of dark chocolate eyes staring intently at me. I scoot backwards when I realize who it is. I scramble to pick up my books as I struggle to shove my papers back into my binder when he reaches out a hand. I back away from him slightly.

"I'm sorry I ran into you. I wasn't watching where I was going. Need any help?" He asks and I shake my head keeping my eyes on the floor. I finally manage to grab all of my books and I quickly stand up. I start to walk away before he calls for me. "Listen I really am sorry. Can I get your name?" He asks and I laugh internally that he doesn't know who I am. I was once best friends with his girlfriend and I screwed things up with her real bad. I'm surprised she hasn't bad mouthed me to him yet but then again I think she wants to put everything she had to do with me behind her and forget about it. I can understand that because I was a bitch to her. I look at him once more before turning quickly around and scurrying away to avoid his intense gaze.

I can hear his shouts from behind me but I ignore them as I reach second period math just as the bell rings. I slump into a desk in the back and try to focus as the teacher drones on about some new math formula. I try to keep my thoughts from going in the direction of Alexander and once the math homework has been assigned I can finally not think about him and his dark chocolate brown eyes.