When Winter Comes

Chapter 1: Winter Returns

Chapter 1: Winter Returns

With a new beginning

There's an old ending.

With a new start 

There's an old finish.

With a new breath

There's an old exhale. 

I never know how I feel about either. 

- Winter Ozlin's diary

The doors were closed to the school. I had shown up a half an hour before school even started. People were in the courtyard already. They were staring at me. I was staring at the door. More than anything I wanted the stupid oak door to open and finally let me back into the hellhole I've been without for almost a year. Behind this door was just more pain, but I needed the pain. I needed to feel something.

So I came back.

I came back to the courtyard where I had bullied so many people. I came back to the place where I broke multiple boys hearts. I came back to the place where I felt the most depended on.

"It's been awhile," a voice called behind me.

My breath stirred for a second and my body tensed. The fingers attached to my hands bent themselves until they calmed down. Then the fingers found their way to my black hair and pushed it behind me small ears. They flattened my pleated skirt and then finally, I turned around.

"Hey Taylor." I smiled. It was so nice to see a friendly face. I trotted down the stairs to greet her.

Taylor was my best friend. She was the girl who I did horrible things with. I was the leader, and she, my follower. Our friendship wasn't the kind where we would be best friends forever, or the kind that would never hurt each other. We were the kind of friends that told the harsh truth and did anything to be better than the other. The friendship wasn't the best, but it worked for both of us.

Taylor scoffed and rolled her incredibly blue eyes. "Still know my name, huh?" She sneered. Taylor back away from the hug I was about to give.

I stuttered back. "What?"

"It's been eight months since you've talk to me," Taylor laughed and crossed her boney arms.

Two girls snaked up behind her and stood on either side of her. They were wearing basically the same outfit as each other, except the brunette on the right wore a red sweater, and the blonde to the left wore a blue one. I laughed. She was the new me. Finally, Taylor had gain followers.

"What is this?" I asked confused.

Taylor laughed even more. "I took over," she simply said with one snarky smile. "Nobody ever liked you. You were a bitch, lets face it." She shrugged and then narrowed her eyes. Darkness crept in on me. "When you took a year off, people finally weren't afraid to say how they really felt about you. I, being the leader of the We Hate Winter club, decided to step up and put an end to your horrendous ruling." She smirked. The girls behind her nodded and glared at me as well.

"Taylor," I whispered. I couldn't believe that my best friend had just betrayed me. At the moment I needed Taylor. I needed somebody to help get back into the world and out of the dark place that I was in.

Behind me the doors squeak open.

"Winter, my dear," someone behind me sighed. I turned to see Mrs. Dugwire. Her hair had grown grey after the year I was away, and her once sparkling green eyes became faded. Being 73 was finally catching up with her appearance. "It is so nice to have you back with us." Mrs. Dugwire opened her arms and I sunk into them. A feeling of warmth pushed away the darkness of Taylor.