Already Dead

10

Chapter 9

I died again that night, but I won't tell you about it. Every time I remember it, I feel the skin peeling off my--no, I can't think about it, let alone write it down. Even if I have nothing better to do. When I woke up, I ran to school, trying to shake the feeling of my blood dripping down off. "Hey," Conner said.

"Go away," I said calmly.

"Look, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad? Do you know how horrible that was for me?"

"No, I don't. But I've died thousands of times! Please accept my help!"

"No. It was horrible, and now I have to live through that every night because of you."

"You're being stupid."

"Am I? What about you?"

"Wh--"

"Look, I don't have time for this," I said clearly, walking away.

"We'll talk later!" he called.

"No, we won't!" I replied over my shoulder.

***

I went to my locker to get my books before going home, sneaking a glance at Winter. Winter, who used to be one of my best friends. Before she decided my group wasn't "right" for her and "image". Or at least that's what she said before she ditched us for some snobby blond transfers who I preferred not to look at, they all seemed to look alike. As I watched her, she turned. I whipped around to face my locker, trying not to reveal how much I missed her.

"Hi, Autumn," a familiar voice said.

" Hello, Summer," I replied.

"Why are you all alone? Summer and Spring ditch you?" she teased.

"Jennifer and Leena are out sick," I said, putting excessive stress on their real names. Nicknames are for friends. And she wasn't my friend, no matter how much I wished she was. No matter what I called her when she wasn't around, I wasn't going to let her know that she was anything other than Summer to me.

"Well, wanna go hang?"

"I'd love to, but I have homework! Sorry, another time!" I lied, knowing Jen and Len would never forgive me if I said yes.

"Right," she said, unconvinced.

"Hey, darling!" Conner said cheerily. I sighed. Just what I needed.

"What? Bad day?" he asked as if he cared.

I scoffed. "I know just what'll cheer you up!" he exclaimed, then leaned down and kissed me.

"Are you two going out?" Winter said, wagging her fingers.

"N--" I started.

"Yes!" Conner chimed happily handing my hand. I tried pulling away but Conner was too strong; I barely made our arms swing.

"Really?"

"N--"

"Yeah!"

"Ok then."

"Come on, babe, let's go." Conner pulled me outside until we were by his beige Lexus.

"What the hell was that? Telling Winter that..." I shook my head.

"Summer seems like the type to get something all over school over night. You can't push your boyfriend away."

"So you did this-because I want you to leave me alone?"

"Yep. Pretty much." He was so calm and cheerful it made me want to puke.

"Winter may be able to spread rumors but so can Jenny and unlike Winter, people can trust her to tell the truth. I can have this written off as a rumor in a week."

"Don't." He had stopped being all cheerful but was still deadly calm.

"Try and stop me."

"Alright."

I stomped off to my Prius as he got into his Lexus. I fished for my wallet to put money in the parking meter that my school had made specially and my hand hit the silver iPhone. It hit me how unfair it was. I was just a girl who had gone a date with the wrong guy. Well, I decided, I'm not going to put up with anymore.

I set the silver iPhone behind my back wheel, got inside and headed home, hearing a satisfying crunch as I pulled out. Damn, it felt good to be free of that dratted thing.

})i({

Woah, shit just got real... O.O

CAN Avery push Conner away, despite that everyone thinks she's dating him now?

AM I a good writer?

WILL I ever finish this book?

Find out in the next installment of....

ALREADY DEAD

PART ONE: IN A DARKER FOREST!