The Silent Fighter

Chapter 1

Chapter One

I wake up to an alarm clock beeping at me. I slam it down and read it.

5:00.

I groan sitting up looking beside me. My little sister is laying there peacefully sleeping and I can't help but smile at her small figure. Her dark brown hair is stuck to her forehead so I push it away. She's about five now and I'm worried about how I'm going to have her go to school, but I brush it off for now. I get up and get dressed into some sweats, a sweat shirt and put on my tennis shoes so I can go for a run before the first day of hell. Yes, today is the first day of my junior year in high school.

I walk over to Madeline and shake her awake. "Madeline, wake up please. I have to go for a run. I want you to stay here and don't answer the door okay?"

"Okay," she nods sleepily before her head is hitting the pillow again and she's sleeping. I grab the house key and lock the door behind me as I leave. I can't help but smile as I see the trees lining our sidewalk, their leaves turning their beautiful red and orange. I walk down our driveway before I hit the sidewalk and begin to run.

Our neighborhood is a decent one. It's not trashy and dangerous ; it's also not rich and popular obviously. It was in the middle so it made it a little easier for me to pay for stuff.

As I jog down the sidewalk, I flip up my hood, blocking myself off from the world. As I jog I can't help thinking about this school year will turn out. I mean, every one knows who I am, sure, but they still seem too curious. It's annoying as hell, especially when I can hear the conversations in the hall, or across the room.

I never have gotten close to anyone at Crestwood High and I don't plan on it. I've never had friends there, I don't associate with people, and I don't talk in class. The teachers understand so they just tell me to take notes and get good grades, and that's what I do. There's nothing further to discuss after that so they leave me alone.

I've been a straight A student since we started getting letter grades, which was in fifth grade. I never get into trouble- well at school at least. I'm just the quiet one everyone wonders about. I always show up to school in sweatpants and hoodies, I wear my hood all the time, and when it's off, only a few people are around, and they stare.

I walk to school since it's about two blocks away, and apparently that's odd to people, but the thing is, they don't know me. No one does. I don't get close to people because I don't care for empathy, I don't trust people, and last time I got close to people, I was judged. Believe it or not, I was lively and talkative. That's when I was social, I had friends, but people around thought I was obnoxious, so I went quiet.

I think it a total coincidence that I'm judged, first, when I'm talkative, then when I'm silent. Sometimes I can't understand people.

My thoughts come to an end when I come to my house. I unlock the door and call for my little sister, "Maddie?"

She comes from the kitchen, smiling at me as she hugs me. "Sara!"

"Good morning, Maddie. What were you doing in the kitchen?"

"I made myself some cereal, all by myself!" she squeals tugging my hand to the kitchen. When I look around, I see a chair to the counter where the bowls are and milk all over the table, yet some in the bowl with cereal that's spilling over it. I chuckle shaking my head.

"Good job, Maddie!" I kiss her forehead. "Could you wait for me to come back next time, so I can watch you make it yourself, so I can see how much of a big girl you are?"

She nods and stuff a giant spoonful of cereal into her mouth. I pick her up and take her to the bathroom where I clean the milk from her face and fix her hair into pig tails. I take her to our room and get her dressed, before showering and changing into a clean pair of sweats and sweatshirt. I comb out my hair and leave it down, letting it come outside my hood. I check the time to see it's 6:50 and I have to be at school at about eight. I put on my back pack and pick up Madeline before heading out the door to our neighbors house, where Madeline would be staying.