Broken, With Open Arms

Blankness. I thought of nothing, no matter how hard I tried, nothing. Not a sound to be heard, not a sight to be seen. I felt so alone in the eerie silence, my body was numb, the blood in my veins slowly ran cold. The painful thumping in my head couldn't be stopped. 'You're being paranoid, Marlena.' My conscious whined. No, I was sure it wasn't paranoia, it was paranormal. The day, I knew, would come. I just never thought how soon it would. I was certain this encounter would change my life for eternity, for that's how long I'm supposed to live. But Fate will choose my death, and I will die the day Fate commands it. The long hallway expanded out in front of me was my only way out. It was dark all around me. No windows were put it. Big mistake. I tediously lurched the the hallway. I spun around slowly, with my powder blue eyes wide as can be, and my bruised arms were stretched out, guiding me through the icy air.

10 MONTHS EARLIER

The panic I felt when I awoke shocked me. My shorts and shirt I was wearing was sticky and clung to me. The dark brown hair set atop my head was a wet, matted mess. Trickles of sweat trailed one behind the other from my forehead, down my temples, and then slid from my rosy cheeks. My clock said seven thirty. I was late for school. My thirteen year old brother, Jason, lives with me. My mom died when I was ten, and my dad was put in jail when I was sixteen for fifteen years. I wouldn't let Jason and I be separated because of foster homes, so I got emancipated and took him into my custody. We'd been living happily for a year and a half. I groaned and shook the covers off of me. I wasn't sure if Jason was still here or at school. All I knew was that I had to get to school, it was the end of the semester testing.

After sliding out of bed, I went to the bathroom and spun the shower knob to let steaming hot water soak my body and calm my tense muscles. I brushed through my wet, messy hair and went to get dressed. I put on a simple pair of blue jeans and a red v-neck tee shirt underneath a very light sweatshirt. I had almost forgotten to go check and see if Jason was still home. I pushed his door open to see him slipping on pants over his boxers. "Marly!" Jason screamed in embarrassment. "Sorry!" I apologized as I slammed the door shut.

Without much time left before I was almost two hours late to school, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar and juice. I scarfed down the granola bar and went through my juice. My toes were squished up against the toes of my too small Etnies that I loved. I ignored the tiny throbbing in my feet and headed out the door with my backpack slung over my shoulder. My rusty, old black Chevy was parked sideways in the driveway. Jason rode the bus because he preferred to, even when I offered him a ride. He's always been afraid of cars, ever since he was in the car accident with my mom that was fatal to her. He'd never rode in one since. I understood his fear, and I accepted it.

My drive to school was fairly boring. The closest school to our house in Oregon was forty-five minutes away, but my high school was an hour away. Since Jimmy was in middle school, he woke up later than me because his school started later than my high school. I'd finally gotten to school, and all of the student parking spots were filled, so I had to park in the open lot across the street. I hurried my fastest to my class that was in session at the time I arrived at school. The room was dead quiet because all of the students were staring down at a booklet with their pencils scratching words.

Ms.Botchler looked up at me an frowned. Her round glasses were at the tip of her old, bumpy nose and her blond and gray hair was a stringy, tangled bun that had a lot of stray locks dangling. Thin, squinted teal eyes burned holes in my eyes. I looked down and headed to the furthest desk at the back of the room. I pulled a pen and pencil form my bag and began on my algebra test. I knew the stuff so well. They wanted to place me in twelfth grade at the beginning of my junior year. I told them no. Why would someone want to skip a year in school when something exciting might happen in the grade they skipped>?

I was one of the first people to finish, even though I started way later the the rest of my classmates. After handing it in, there was still a half hour left of class, so I asked to use the restroom. Ms.Botchler okay'd it, and I took my time walking down the silent, empty hall to the bathroom at the end. After washing my hands, I also took my time walking back down to the math class I'd came from. Nothing special ever happened at Cleveland High School. Yeah, we had our occasional dances, football games, and sometimes we'd have a pep rally. I'm not the kind of person who'd go to every game dressed up in school colors with my face painted and pom-poms, but I would, when I feel like it, go to a game and help cheer on the players on the field.

I arrived back to the class and reluctantly walked in and took my seat again. A few others had finished while I was gone. People were all either annoyingly tapping their pencil, their foot, staring off into space, or sleeping. I just pulled out a book and subconsciously read the boring words concealed within the pages. No book had ever interested me, no matter what the ratings were or how much people raved saying, "You really have to read this book. It's amazing", I never enjoyed any of them.

The bell had finally rung and I heard my classmates sigh with relief, but groan because biology was next. I arrived at my locker, out my combination in, and shoved my unneeded items on the top shelf. After shutting it, I wandered about to biology, boredom had finally claimed me with full force. I was a lifeless student walking amongst people who woke up to coffee. I was the first person to arrive in Mr.Varner's class. I was also the only one in the class. I, in no hurry at all, rushed to my two person desk at the front of the room. It didn't take long for everyone else to arrive. Mr.Varner was five minutes late. He called the class to order.We were re-learning the subjects and different states of matter in which we'd be tested on, again. He spent a half hour defining matter in its most common and uncommon forms. I rested my eyes for the last fifteen minutes of his lecture. Nothing ever surprised me in his class, or any other classes.

The agonizing forty-five minutes of class finally ended, and lunch was next. I never sat with anyone in particular. I'd usually join whoever was willing to let me sit with them. I was an outcast with a few friends. Nothing was special about me; I have something in common with my high school. The lunch line was short, but the cafeteria was packed. I grabbed a burger, fruit bowl, chips, and a simple water. Every table was filled except one. I walked over and sat, not knowing there was a boy, about my age, sitting at the end of the long table. His piercing, dark gray eyes staring at me. The boy's black hair was long at eye level and swept to the side. Sulked back in his seat, he still stared, not breaking the odd gaze. I blushed and looked down to my food, picking at it. Nothing about him was familiar, but I wanted him to be.

"Hi, I'm Nick. I noticed you sitting alone and wondered if I may join you?" Nick's voice startled me, but in a good way. It was like a melody being played it its greatest form. I noticed when I looked up at him, he had moved to in front of me with a breath taking smirk upon his gorgeous, lightly tanned face. After finding my voice from complete awe, I'd finally replied, ending my making of an idiot of myself, and said, "Oh, hi. I'm Marlena Vince." I shyly smiled back. I was astonished that someone, let alone something, could look as beautiful and gorgeous as Nick. "Marlena..." Nick repeated. "I like it." The smirk, that never left, got bigger at his words. The blush in my cheeks was even redder than before.

"Are you new?" I asked, craving more of his melodic voice.

"Yeah, I transferred from a small high school in Germany yesterday." He replied.

"Wow," I Said amazed, "Germany?