If Love Can Fade

Chapter 3

It's not long before the sound of my alarm clock fills the small room. I wipe my eyes tiredly before reaching up to hit the snooze button. Once again, my night did not go as planned. Instead I tossed and turned all night, half of the time stuck staring up at the ceiling with nothing but my thoughts to fill the quietness. I stand up from my bed and stretch, causing multiple bones to pop and crack rather loudly. Grabbing the towel off my hook, I trudge to the bathroom in search of a shower to relax my tense muscles.

After a hot shower, I turn off the water before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around myself, then I grab a second for my hair. I quickly brush my teeth before doing my makeup. I apply a light brown eyeshadow and a thick line of black liner on my top eyelid, adding a bit of mascara. When I'm finished and happy with the results, I walk back to my room quickly, still wrapped tightly in my towel.

I waste no time heading straight to my closet. I pull out my favorite pair of jeans and favorite purple sweatshirt. I put on my bra and panties, slip into my outfit, then take my hair down to brush through it. After my hair is brushed and dried, I pull it into a sloppy bun. Slipping on my favorite pair of moccasins, I grab my bag and my phone off of charge before making my way down to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

Checking my phone for the time, I grab my cup of coffee and dash out of the house to avoid confrontation with my mom. I know I can't avoid her forever, but I decide to push her to the back of my mind for now. I can worry about her when it's absolutely necessary. It's seven-thirty and right now I just need to focus on getting to school. I'm a little giddy to start my new classes, happy for the distraction that it gives me. I'm also a little excited to see Payson today, whom I am supposed to meet early in the cafeteria so that we can walk to class together.

I make it to school, grateful that there were no interruptions on the way, and find my way back to the school cafeteria. I ignore the many stares I receive as I open the double doors and walk through. I spot Payson towards the back, at the same table we had sat at yesterday and make my way through the crowd, fully aware of all of the people staring at me.

As I reach the table, Payson jumps up to greet me with a big smile on her face. "I see you decided to arrive on time today."

"So did you." I reply, flashing a smile of my own.

"Claire, this is my idiot of a cousin Jessie." She introduces me to the boy she had been talking to before I interrupted. I take in his appearance and find that I'm a little intimidated. His spiky green hair stands out from the others spread throughout the cafeteria. He looks up for a split second, a smile taking place on his lips and it's then that I notice the glimmer of his lip ring. I have to admit one thing, he's definitely easy on the eyes. "I think you'll like him. He's actually pretty cool once you get past the intense appearance."

"Hi." He says, looking back down at the magazine in his hands. "What about this one?" He practically shouts, showing Payson whatever it was that caught his attention.

"It's a classic, there is no way I would ever be able to afford that." She looks back at my bewildered expression. "Do you like cars?"

"I don't really know anything about them."

"If you hang out with Payson enough, you'll be a car expert in no time." Jessie states as if proud, never taking his eyes off the magazine at hand.

"At least I'll know who to call if I ever have any car troubles. That's if I ever own a car."

"Tell me about it!" Payson shouts a little too loudly while Jessie laughs at her.
" Will you just shut up, you potato head. You are no help whatsoever. I've been looking for a decent car for ages and I can't find a single one within my price range."