Broken Until You

Chapter 1 - You and Me? Partners? Nahhh

Autumn

A reflection of me mirrored my motionless body and looked at me with an emotionless face.

Grasping my mascara tube in my hand, I closed my eyes and inhaled a breath.

"This year may be hard, Autumn, but you will get through it. You are strong, independent, and most of all, smart. Let's just pray that you get a good partner for the big project." I opened my eyes.

You're probably wondering how I already know I have a project when I haven't even started at my new school. Well every school makes the 12th graders do this huge project that takes up most of the year, if not all, with another partner and you have to present it at the end of the year.

Looking into the mirror, I noticed my face was still lacking emotion.

"Come on Autumn, show some Willington spirit!" I said to myself unenthusiastically as I tried to smile.

My crooked, fake smile made me cringe. "Well, at least it's something."

For someone that has a lot of sadness and family problems, having optimism is something you would probably never see from someone like me. But sometimes being optimistic helps me get through tough times.

Untwisting the mascara cap, I leaned closer to the mirror and started applying the thick, black liquid to my long eyelashes.

Reapplying mascara, the door shook three times as loud knocks hit against it, causing me to jump in place.

Feeling a cool, prickly touch under my eye and on my eyelid, I looked into the mirror. "Dammit!" When I jumped, the mascara on the brush scraped my eye, leaving a black mark. "No no no no it's ruined-"

"Autumn! Hurry the hell up! You're going to be late to school," my dads voice boomed from outside my bathroom door.

It's sad how just his voice could make even my fake happiness fade away. "Ok! I'll hurry!" I removed the excess mascara from off my eye and started brushing my straight brown hair.

Opening the bathroom door, I grabbed my black mini backpack, binder, house keys, and quickly rushed down the stairs.

As I ran to the front door, I got a quick glance at my father only to see him drinking whiskey in the kitchen.

Already? At this hour? It's not even 9:30am, I thought as I stared at him.

"Bye Michael," I managed to say over the loud TV echoing in the room my father was in.

My father didn't turn his attention away from television. "Bye Autumn. I won't be home till late."

"What's new," I murmured before heading out the door and walking to school.

***

Kids from ages 14 to 18 scurried around the large Willington halls, bumping into me occasionally. I kept my attention on the mini paper in my hands, which listed all my classes.

My eyes tried focusing on the tiny paper. "Where is room–"

A sudden crash was made against me and another student, causing both our books and binders to fall onto the floor.

I bent over and started picking up my stuff and the other persons belongings. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

The student bent down to my eye level and laughed, "don't worry! It was an accident."

I looked at a blonde girl who was beaming at me. Her tropical blue eyes shone with happiness.

Damn, I wish I could be as happy as her.