Those Emerald Eyes

Chapter 3: A New Beginning

This Chapter in Devon's Point of View! Enjoy! Please Vote and comment! :)

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Devon

September. 28. 2010

An alarm clock rang, echoing off the walls of Devon Grey’s small bedroom, sounding louder than necessary. He cringed. He hated that annoying, high-pitched sound. He’d set it last night for 6:15, but he hadn’t ended up needing it.

As he lay in bed, eyes open, wide awake, he wondered just how things had gone so wrong in the past year. In a mere year, his life had completely fallen apart. During the span of 365 days, he had lost everything. The life that had once been so close to perfect was now shattered into a million pieces.

The air in his room was chilly. Devon could see his breath, slow and even. He’d been up for a while now.

He’d been staring at the same spot on the ceiling for a couple hours, thinking.

He didn’t get any sleep the night before, he was too anxious to rest. It was the day; his first day at the renowned Bridgedale Private School, the most prestigious Private School in the country.

He’d gotten in on a scholarship. His family would never have been able to afford to send him to a school like this.  Not even before, when his dad had still been with them, and especially not since he’d walked out on them, a little less than a year ago.

He didn’t know what to expect. He’d gone to school with the same people his whole life. They’d all been together; shared everything since their diaper days.

For a split second, he felt a sharp pang of regret, but almost as soon as it came, it was gone. It had been his choice to move. He’d managed to hold it together for almost a year, before he finally gave in.

It had finally dawned on him that he couldn’t stay there anymore. He couldn’t stand having to see that hell-hole of a place everyday, a constant reminder of what he’d seen and done. It looked innocent enough, a little abandoned playground, in the middle of a field. But every time he passed by, it was there, taunting him, willing him to crack, break-down and finally tell everyone, confess what had really happened the night Anthony died.

The weight of his memories pressed down on him. He applied to Bridgedale, knowing that because it was one of the best schools in the country, his mother couldn’t possibly refuse. He had told her that he wanted a better education, and she, however reluctantly, had agreed to let him go. He’d felt guilty lying to his mother, who’d always wanted nothing but the best for him, but his fear of exposing the secret overpowered his conscience.

Devon jumped out of bed, biting his teeth against the bitter cold. The heater wasn’t on, and it was chillier than it should’ve been. But what did he expect from here, in this cheap old rat-hole apartment building?

He rummaged through a pile of clothes sprawled near the foot of the bed, wondering what private school kids wore.

He wondered what Anthony, his brother, would have done in this situation. He had had it all; the reputation, the looks, the girls, everything. Had.

Every now and then, Devon thought of him; mostly when he was uncertain about something. Anthony would always know what to do – always knew what to do. He’d always looked up to his big brother. It was times like these that triggered the memories, times that left him feeling a mixture of emotions.

Feeling slightly shaken, he grabbed a shirt, his favourite leather jacket, and a pair of jeans off the floor, annoyed at himself for taking so long to choose.