For Better or Worse

Prologue

Prologue

(Brinleigh)

She slumped against the wall, cold brick scraping down her back, leaving little white scratches, but she didn't mind the pain, she felt pain every day. Searing, unbearable pain that succumbed her very being. She was lost, lost in the emptiness of her heart, drowning in the misery of feeling completely alone. She was abandoned, no one to turn to.

Brinleigh buried her head in her hands, begging the tears not to spill. Stop it, don't cry. You're so fucking weak. No wonder no one wants you! the voice in her head screamed. She hated herself. She hated everything about her. She hated how everything got to her, hated how she couldn't do anything right, how she couldn't look anyone in the eye. She was ashamed of herself, didn't feel worthy of intimate things such as this.

Everyone left her, and she didn't blame them, she wished she could run away from herself, too. Her demons were too far gone, she was too far gone. The voices in her head were haunting, the voices echoing around, filling her until she wanted to scream, run, try to get away, but she knew it was useless. The darkness was caving in on her.

"Do you even speak English, you mute freak?"

"Why are you crying, you're such a drama queen, Brinleigh !"

"Get a hold of yourself, you're pathetic!"

"It's just a phase, quit acting like it's the end of the world."

But it was the end of the world for her, she had no desire to do anything. All her energy was gone, carried away by the wind whipping against her skin. Motivation disappeared beneath the waves of her misery, and happiness was something she'd long since forgotten how to feel. She didn't really know if she'd ever smile again.

There wasn't really a purpose to her pain, no one thing had caused it, just a domino effect of things gone wrong, and people walking away. One thing after the other, building up, bringing her to the brink of explosion, weighing her down, like an anchor, and she couldn't float anymore... she was sinking...

(Aiden)

He held the bottle of Vodka, mumbling under his breath. He welcomed the familiar sting as he swallowed his particular choice of poison. He picked up the pocket knife from his bedroom nightstand, pressing it against his forearm, rippling the muscles beneath.

He longed for relief, but he knew that wasn't the answer, so he put it down. He repeated the process a few times, debating whether or not it was worth it. He decided to be strong, and threw it in the drawer, covering his face with his hands and taking a deep breath.

He just wanted was to just find someone that wasn't using him for his body. Ever since he could walk, they'd used his body for everything. By five he was wrestling, by six he was a baseball star. He had no friends until he started elementary school, when his popularity soared from his athletic abilities.

Aiden wasn't afraid of death; he welcomed it, often times he'd day dream about the moment he'd leave the world, the hell he was in. To Aiden's friends he was a jock. But to him he was empty inside, overwhelmed by all the expectations. He had to be perfect. He had to get good grades, had to be the best, had to try the hardest.

He was convinced no one could truly love him, it was all shallow attraction. They just wanted a pretty face, they didn't care about his hopes, his dreams, his challenges he faced, or the fact that he often had to fight the urge to end it all. Aiden put the bottle down and began to cry; begging God to just once take the pain away.

God had another pain for him, though. Aiden didn't believe in "true love", because it was to clique. His parents divorce in his childhood had cast a dark shadow over his view of love, and he sometimes blamed himself.

Aiden believed he was one of Gods mistakes. However, God was about to show him he wasn't a mistake, and change Aiden's outlook on life. His whole world was about to flip upside down, completely turned around. His opinion on everything was about to be completely transformed, or even better his outlook on true love

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