The Shadow Sisters

[E1] Chapter 14 - Marie Shadow

Relief was the predominant feeling as the final bell punctuated Marie's first day in Willow Wood Secondary School. The emotion itself was no surprise. She'd expected to be happy leaving the place in her dust. It more stemmed from the fact that things had been nowhere near as bad as she'd anticipated. Heck, she'd even enjoyed some of it.

However, the year was still young and this was only day one. Things could easily take a turn from here.

Deja and Curtis had gone out the back exit. Apparently they both lived just around the corner from each other in Evergreen Bank. Ashley, Curtis's big sister, had only received her license a couple of months ago and was still seeking for any excuse to get behind the wheel, so she regularly offered to lift them home.

"So, what'd you think of the circus?" Riley asked as they trotted down the front steps.

"It wasn't so bad," Marie said. "Thanks for making it semi-bearable."

Riley shrugged. "Hey, we all had to endure our first day in this place. I still remember how it felt to be a frightened little eleven-year-old, coming out of primary school and into the lion's den."

"I couldn't imagine young Riley," Marie said.

"Oh, I was a handful."

"I wasn't exactly a bag of fun."

They were both laughing as they rounded the corner to enter the bus waiting zone.

That was until they were halted by a figure. A tall, broad boy with brown hair intentionally stood in their way, like a great wall.

Riley backed away, her eyes fearful as if she'd just been confronted by the grim reaper. Marie stood stock still, rooted to the ground.

The boy scratched the back of his head and addressed Marie. "I was, uh, just wondering if you wanted to talk."

Suddenly Marie recognised him as one of the members of the table of narcissists.

Riley tapped Marie's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Marie whispered. "I'm not afraid of him."

Riley nodded. "I'll tell the bus driver you'll be another couple of minutes."

"I only need one."

When Riley wandered off, Marie rounded onto the brown-haired boy. He was much taller than her, and muscular enough to hoist her up with ease. So it was rather comical to see how her glare caused him to shrink back into the shadows.

"What do you want? Come to be rude again?"

The boy shook his head. "No. I just, uh, wanted to say I thought it was really amazing how you stood up to Katie like that."

Marie rolled her eyes. "She's a kitten."

"She's more trouble than you might realise."

"Oh?"

"Comes from a powerful family. Her dad sits on the city council and he's rumoured to be involved in... other activities. A lot of people even reckon that he might be mayor next year."

"I really don't care about any of that."

"Right."

"So is that all you wanted to say? Can I get on my bus now?"

He chewed his lip, appearing as if he wanted to retreat, but then he must've found courage, because he said, "Listen, there's a concert coming up this Friday."

"And?"

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go."

Marie snorted. Then she saw his face. "Oh, you're serious?"

He shrugged. "Yeah." And he seemed so pathetic for such a big, imposing lad, that she almost felt bad.

Marie sighed. "Listen... What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. It's Ryan. Ryan Quick."

"Listen, Ryan, I don't really know you, and to be honest, the first impression hasn't been all that great."

Ryan's eyes lit up like he'd just had a wonderful idea. "Exactly. You don't know me. So how do you know that we wouldn't be good together? Why don't you give me a chance first, then you can think about it?"

"I've seen the company you keep. That says a lot."

"Those are just the people that I've always been friends with. To be honest, the more the years go on, the more I realise that I have less and less in common with them."

"But you still persist with them."

"Sometimes change is hard."

Amen, Marie thought. As she considered what he said, she also remembered something her Dad told her when she was a little girl.

He'd knelt to her. He'd just come in out of the rain and was soaked right through to the bone. His long hair was saturated to his thin face as he lay a hand on her shoulder and said, 'Do you think everyone deserves a chance at redemption, button? A second go at things?'

That's what he'd always called her, my little button.

Marie's eyes had been full of tears. He'd never spoken to her like that, his voice so thick and wrought with emotion. It was an entirely new side of the man who was her rock, her foundation.

'Yes,' she had whispered.

'Not everyone thinks so.' He wiped his thick hair so that more water splattered down onto the carpet. 'Do you think they deserve another chance even if they have done something horrible? Something that'll hurt a lot of people?'

On that, she hadn't known what to say.

She still didn't know the answer to that question.

"Alright," Marie said, "One date and I'll consider it, but you're already on thin ice."

He grinned and ran his hand through his hair. "That's all I ask."