Cold December.
Gone.
Dear Diary,
I feel almost normal today—like I'm finally blending in. The watchful eyes have stopped, the mishaps have been forgotten and I think my life here in Washington could gradually get better. As if it wasn't bad enough that mom is gone—that comfortable thought of coming home to her warm smile feels like knife searing through my chest.
Ethan, Nelly and I barely have the house set up. It's not the greatest place in Port Angeles, but it works for us. Quiet, distant, homey. Mom would have liked it. That's what mattered. It was a small, cabin looking house nestled right on the edge of some unknown lake, just in front of one of the many forests. The scenery is beautiful.
The school, however, could use a touch up.
For the first week, I felt tormented. Being the new girl in town was bad enough—not knowing my way around the streets, failing to inform Becca of my current residence was terrible enough, and as if I needed the nagging of hormonal teen boys on top of that.
They're all the same, the guys. Complete pigs, that thrive on the attention of bimbos who couldn't say their alphabet if they tried. But, I guess I shouldn't judge all too much—the place is under a near constant cover of rain clouds and black skies.
But, something about this city gets to me—like I suddenly feel like a stranger in my own skin. Maybe I'm losing myself, and I guess that's okay—"
I dropped my pen and shut my eyes. I refused to let the pounding sensation of unease distract me from my almost happy mood. It had been a while since I felt close to whole, and I was pretty sure this was as whole as I was going to get.
"C'mon, Leah. New day, new adventure." Nelly said from behind the bedroom door, voice floating easily down the hall. My aunt had is easy—she was accepted. She didn't care what people thought of her, anyhow. I couldn't wait to become eighteen, then I could finally move away and do away with my life as I wanted.
I opened my eyes to reveal the darkened sky outside my window. Ugly was the very first word I had used to describe my feelings towards the town. It rained constantly, was cold and I hadn't taken a liking to the murky, damp grounds.
After I hid my diary, I pulled my bag up over my shoulder and moved towards the door, catching my figure in the tiny oval mirror on the wall.
I wasn't the most beautiful sixteen year old. I had messy brown hair, that covered a majority of my face. Which, most people said was a shame, because I had 'striking' blue eyes, and a 'beautiful' complexion. Despite my efforts to style my hair out of my eyes, I just ended up using thin plastic headbands. Maybe once in my life I might have thought myself as pretty, but I thought that it was selfish to think so much of yourself.
"Good morning." Ethan murmured from his place at the kitchen table. He had the paper spread out in front of him, and a brown mug filled with steaming liquid in his pale hand. "Sleep well?"
I rolled my eyes, taking my seat next to him, "How could I? I'm surprised anyone in this place sleeps."
He shrugged, eye's narrowing down on the article he was deeply interested in. "You'll get used to it.." He trailed off, eye's following the black inked words on the paper. Ethan absently took a swing from his coffee and sighed, "Can you believe this?"
I glanced at the headline, and froze.
Abductor Loose: Another Teen-girl Gone Missing.
"That's five in total. And, they're all girls." He rubbed his face tiredly, slinging his bag onto his shoulder. "Leah, do me a favour?"
"Sure, anything."
His brows pulled together, "Stay out of the woods—stay away from the forest areas in general."
"Sure thing."
Nelly came into the hall just as I pulled an extra scarf off the hanger by the door. "Remember, I'm working late tonight, so there's some chicken left in the fridge. You can make an Alfredo pasta; the green peppers and onions are down under the counter."
"Thanks, aunt Nell, but I'm almost positive that Leah and I will end up ordering in."
She frowned, "I don't want you two picking up any habits. I won't always be gone for dinner, and this limited time to learn how to fend for yourselves will make use in the future." Her ran a hand through her tamed hair, "Have a wonderful day at school, and I will see you later."
"Love you." Ethan and I had a tendency to leave the house same time every morning, say the same thing everyday and depart only when we needed too. Other then that, my brother and I were attached to the hip.
When Ethan pulled off our street onto the main road, he turned to me and asked, "Do you think she'll realize that she doesn't need to play grown-up?"
I shrugged, "We're the closest things shes got to kids, Ethan. And she's our only family left," My eyes moved over the passing buildings, "so, I think that we should enjoy the mothering while it's still being offered."
"Are you asking me to take advantage of Nelly?" He asked, highlighted, shaggy hair flipped over his blue eyes.
I shook my head, "I'm not asking—I'm telling."
With a dark chuckle, Ethan relaxed back into his seat and continued down the long, winding road towards my torment—my personal hell.
High school.
I feel almost normal today—like I'm finally blending in. The watchful eyes have stopped, the mishaps have been forgotten and I think my life here in Washington could gradually get better. As if it wasn't bad enough that mom is gone—that comfortable thought of coming home to her warm smile feels like knife searing through my chest.
Ethan, Nelly and I barely have the house set up. It's not the greatest place in Port Angeles, but it works for us. Quiet, distant, homey. Mom would have liked it. That's what mattered. It was a small, cabin looking house nestled right on the edge of some unknown lake, just in front of one of the many forests. The scenery is beautiful.
The school, however, could use a touch up.
For the first week, I felt tormented. Being the new girl in town was bad enough—not knowing my way around the streets, failing to inform Becca of my current residence was terrible enough, and as if I needed the nagging of hormonal teen boys on top of that.
They're all the same, the guys. Complete pigs, that thrive on the attention of bimbos who couldn't say their alphabet if they tried. But, I guess I shouldn't judge all too much—the place is under a near constant cover of rain clouds and black skies.
But, something about this city gets to me—like I suddenly feel like a stranger in my own skin. Maybe I'm losing myself, and I guess that's okay—"
I dropped my pen and shut my eyes. I refused to let the pounding sensation of unease distract me from my almost happy mood. It had been a while since I felt close to whole, and I was pretty sure this was as whole as I was going to get.
"C'mon, Leah. New day, new adventure." Nelly said from behind the bedroom door, voice floating easily down the hall. My aunt had is easy—she was accepted. She didn't care what people thought of her, anyhow. I couldn't wait to become eighteen, then I could finally move away and do away with my life as I wanted.
I opened my eyes to reveal the darkened sky outside my window. Ugly was the very first word I had used to describe my feelings towards the town. It rained constantly, was cold and I hadn't taken a liking to the murky, damp grounds.
After I hid my diary, I pulled my bag up over my shoulder and moved towards the door, catching my figure in the tiny oval mirror on the wall.
I wasn't the most beautiful sixteen year old. I had messy brown hair, that covered a majority of my face. Which, most people said was a shame, because I had 'striking' blue eyes, and a 'beautiful' complexion. Despite my efforts to style my hair out of my eyes, I just ended up using thin plastic headbands. Maybe once in my life I might have thought myself as pretty, but I thought that it was selfish to think so much of yourself.
"Good morning." Ethan murmured from his place at the kitchen table. He had the paper spread out in front of him, and a brown mug filled with steaming liquid in his pale hand. "Sleep well?"
I rolled my eyes, taking my seat next to him, "How could I? I'm surprised anyone in this place sleeps."
He shrugged, eye's narrowing down on the article he was deeply interested in. "You'll get used to it.." He trailed off, eye's following the black inked words on the paper. Ethan absently took a swing from his coffee and sighed, "Can you believe this?"
I glanced at the headline, and froze.
Abductor Loose: Another Teen-girl Gone Missing.
"That's five in total. And, they're all girls." He rubbed his face tiredly, slinging his bag onto his shoulder. "Leah, do me a favour?"
"Sure, anything."
His brows pulled together, "Stay out of the woods—stay away from the forest areas in general."
"Sure thing."
Nelly came into the hall just as I pulled an extra scarf off the hanger by the door. "Remember, I'm working late tonight, so there's some chicken left in the fridge. You can make an Alfredo pasta; the green peppers and onions are down under the counter."
"Thanks, aunt Nell, but I'm almost positive that Leah and I will end up ordering in."
She frowned, "I don't want you two picking up any habits. I won't always be gone for dinner, and this limited time to learn how to fend for yourselves will make use in the future." Her ran a hand through her tamed hair, "Have a wonderful day at school, and I will see you later."
"Love you." Ethan and I had a tendency to leave the house same time every morning, say the same thing everyday and depart only when we needed too. Other then that, my brother and I were attached to the hip.
When Ethan pulled off our street onto the main road, he turned to me and asked, "Do you think she'll realize that she doesn't need to play grown-up?"
I shrugged, "We're the closest things shes got to kids, Ethan. And she's our only family left," My eyes moved over the passing buildings, "so, I think that we should enjoy the mothering while it's still being offered."
"Are you asking me to take advantage of Nelly?" He asked, highlighted, shaggy hair flipped over his blue eyes.
I shook my head, "I'm not asking—I'm telling."
With a dark chuckle, Ethan relaxed back into his seat and continued down the long, winding road towards my torment—my personal hell.
High school.