asylum [kai parker] editing/rewriting

Thirty-Four

S I M O N E
I should've known. I should've known that school was just around the corner. Two weeks was the amount I got before Dad sat down and told me I needed to graduate. Graduation? Hadn't I missed that? Apparently not seeing that it's pretty much May already. Yesterday was Mother's Day. The second hardest day of the year. The hardest being two weeks ago when I watched my best friend get murdered.

Of corse Dad didn't celebrate yesterday, he knew that I'd prefer not to. It just reminds me of my drunken mother. Which, for the record, isn't a pleasant memory.

So here I am, in the passenger seat, watching Nick pull into the school with his nice squad car. The stares I get are nothing, because I no longer give a shit about what they think. I'm actually looking forward to seeing Aaron. You could say I've had a change in heart, because I'm no longer the frail Simone that lets everyone walk over her. Not anymore. If Aaron wants a fight, I'll give him one.

My backpack is light, which allows me to swing it over my shoulder without worrying about breaking my back. The window rolls down, and I can hear Nick shout. "Have a good day."

Waving my hand tiredly, I return to the sidewalk and make my way towards the front door.

The squad car exits the parking lot, and everyone seems to go silent as they stare. The second the doors are pushed open, someone comes into view. The six foot frame is easily identifiable.

"Isn't is my favorite pyromaniac." Aaron's voice echoes, even as I try to escape it and make it towards the hallway.

I only make it a few steps, which I'm quite proud of. But Aaron grabs my shoulder and looks at me. "It's your fault I'm off the team, Alexander. Don't think that I'm just going to forget about what you've done."

Shrugging his hand off, I focus on him. "Like getting kidnapped was enough, Aaron? Lay off." Something in my voice is venomous, and part of me wants to strangle him. I'm growing so used to this violent side of me.

Aaron falls silent, like he didn't know. He turns down the hall without a second glance, leaving me to head to my locker.

"Simone?" There's a quiet voice that interrupts me before I'm able to open my locker.

I honestly don't feel like turning around. But at some point I have to. When I'm able to gather the strength, I turn slowly, only to be greeted with bright blue eyes filled with worry.

My smile must not look real enough because the blonde clearly doesn't believe it. His arms are wrapped tightly around me before I'm even able to get any words out.

The hug is full of warmth. Ethan holds me close, and just as I am about to pull away, he is pulling me back in like a magnet. Sure, I didn't know Ethan too well. We went out for drinks once, but it's nice to have a hug. "I'm sorry..." He whispers, taking a step back.

Behind him are Avalon and Nakota. They give me a small nod, and a small sympathetic smile.

The stares I get as I walk with them through the hallway are unimaginable. Glares, remarks, insults, are all thrown my way.

Today Mister Smith's class doesn't go well. Sure, I figured the guy held grudges. But this was worse than I'd thought.

"Simone, nice of you to join us today." Is the first thing I hear when walking into his classroom, Ethan trailing behind me.

"Yeah, wish I could say the same to you." I shoot back, fighting a smile as I take my seat. The empty chair behind me only sends chills through my back. It makes me want to cry, almost. But I know that's not how I should handle this situation.

He's dead. Get over it.

But the thing is, I can't. It's like Stockholm syndrome, but far worse. For some reason I can't get over the fact that he died. He died in the most selfless way possible; he died to save the family I had left. Sure, he could've killed them. By he didn't.

"What was that?"

"Absolutely nothing, Mister Smith." I sigh, ignoring the eyes that repeatedly land on me.

Shaking his head, he picks up the clipboard and goes through attendance. Of corse, with my last name, my name is called out first.

"Here." After I speak up, Ethan also has to let the teacher know he's here. But my heart stops when I hear it.

"Mason Parker?" It's like the teacher knows it will get to me. He just knows that the most important thing in my life is dead.

"You sorry son of a bitch." I exhale, shaking my head at the teacher whom has a small smile on his face.

Ethan frowns at my mood, turning in his desk, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion. "You okay?" He mouths, making me nod.

"Not here. Never will be." I snap, slamming my books on my desk and staring at the teacher. He checks something off the list with a small nod.

Kill him. Do it.

The small voice has gotten larger, more persuading recently. School angers me more, causing me to be irritable to a certain extent where violence very well could be the answer.

The class carries on. School carries on. Like the students don't even realize that this place once housed a sociopath. It's like no one realizes that I could be dead. It's like no one cares. Ethan, Nakota, and Avalon only care to a certain extent before our friendship stops. It is obvious friendship isn't my thing, because I can't maintain these relationships all too well. Unless it's someone like Kai, then somehow all I get is never ending trust and love I don't deserve.

I want it back.

Sure, last month, I wanted to be freed and allowed back to my family. I wanted to be away from Kai. But now all I want is to be back in the red pick up truck, letting the blue eyed boy take me wherever he wanted to go.

But I was stupid, and here I am, on the bus. In some empty seat that reminds me of him. The boys in front tease me, and I can hear them talking about me from where I am sat. I'm the shut-out once again. The girl who hung out with Kai Parker. The girl who plays with fire.

Dad is inside once I'm home. He's sitting at the front table with the paper, and his cup of coffee. We do the pathetic routine where he asks me how my day went, and I lie straight through my teeth.

He gets up and walks into the other room, leaving me to stare at the newspaper page. Something that is rather never see in my life.

Malachai Parker, killed by police after murdering multiple people.

Of course I can't stop there. I have to keep reading.

Malachai Parker was shot twice in the back last week. Simone Alexander was found in his car. The police were safely able to retrieve the girl and return her home. Authorities found the body, and sent it to the morgue to be evaluated and later buried in Salem. Federal Agents are working on this case to discover the young girl, Simone Alexander's role in this.

This was something I didn't want to read. This is something I know everyone at my school will read eventually. But I didn't know that this article would have a positive affect on my life in the long run.

Sooner or later I'll have to be interrogated. Perhaps even brought to court. All because of one man.

One dead man.