Hidden Hazel Eyes

Prologue

There was a light knock on the door. With my headphones still hanging over my shoulders I approached the main door.

My fingers carefully unlocked the door and I peered outside, into the dark night sky.

"Miss Knight, I am Officer Cain, may I come in?" a tall man questioned as he looked down at me with eyes that told of misery. Uneasily, I swallowed the lump in my throat and invited the officer inside. "I have some very unfortunate news…"

The man seemed to pause as he watched me with sad, grey eyes. My expression was already in the process of expecting terrible information and he probably noticed.

Suddenly, my six year old brother Danny came scuttling in from the living room. I had been babysitting him for my parents tonight, they wanted to go out for dinner without being bothered by his hyper antics or my sixteen year old ones. Danny cocked his head to the side as he looked at the Officer with his gleaming chestnut eyes, a trait picked up from my mother. He didn't seem to like having someone strange in the house so he immediately looked over at me and jogged over. With my arms open he pulled himself onto my lap, letting me smell the sweet children's shampoo in his dark brown hair.

Officer Cain cleared his throat before returning to my hazel eyes, "Your parents, Mr. and Mrs.Knight have now been confirmed dead in the hospital. They died a few minutes ago after being rescued from a car accident. I'm very sorry, Maria."

The words shot through my heart like a bullet. I could've sworn I could still hear the shot echoing around the room. My jaw dropped open, tears welled in my eyes and I clutched Danny's small frame tightly to my chest. Seeing me tear up made Danny cry. This of course, reminded me that I had to be strong for Danny and I almost immediately cut off my tears.

"Your cousin, Veronica Knight has offered to move in with you," Officer Cain added as he watched Danny cry into my shoulder.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. I rubbed my hand soothingly against Danny's back as he pressed himself even closer to me than before.

"Mommy's never com-ming back?" Danny said with tear stained cheeks.

My jaw clenched as I shook my head and uttered the first words since seeing Cain, "no, she's not. But it's okay, Danny. It's okay, we will be okay." I repeated the same phrase again and again trying to convince myself more than Danny.

Officer Cain stayed until my oldest cousin Veronica (Ronnie) appeared in the doorway. With a few exchanged goodbyes Cain left.

Danny's crying had finally put him to sleep and without a word to Ronnie, I carried him upstairs to his room. After carefully placing him on his bed, I skillfully tucked him in. I kissed his forehead and made my way back downstairs.

"I'm going to take a walk," I told Ronnie as I pulled on a black and white Puma hoodie.

She knew me all too well and didn't go against me after seeing my teary, hazel eyes. I needed a quiet place just to let everything out where no one could see me, even at ten at night.

I grabbed my phone and my headphones before slipping outside into the winter air. The dry, cold air kissed my cheeks as I walked. Each breath that I took in attempted to relax me. With no avail I ended up in the neighborhood playground with silent tears cascading over my rose kissed cheeks.

I found myself swaying slightly on the old swing set. The chain seemed to creak just a bit every time it felt a subtle movement. Rust coated chinks and stained my hands a golden red that would come off with a bit of rubbing. Everything just kept shooting me back to reality as I desperately tried to grasp at a thought the would keep my mind off the reality.

As if on cue, I heard a pair of sneakers hit the pavement in front of the playground. They suddenly stopped no more than a foot away from me. I could see a pair of black Chuck's from under my hood.

"Maria?" the familiar voice chimed carefully toward me. I didn't lift up my eyes, just continued to stare down. "Please look at me."

My chin lifted just enough to see the familiar caramel brown eyes that always seemed to find me. Alex's seventeen year old form hovered over me, I watched his eyes gleam in the moonlight through the mist I exhaled. He stood in a green hoodie and jacket over top of it that matched the color of his beanie.

"What's wrong?" he questioned with his hands in his dark denim pockets.

I just shook my head as more tears welled in my eyes and I leaned my elbows onto my knees. Without meaning to, I began to sob with tears rolling down onto my nose and dripping to the mulch breath my sneakers.

There was suddenly something holding me tightly. Through a sob I managed to look up into the eyes of the one and only Alex Gaskarth. There was warmth etched in his features along with heat eminating from his body as he held me against his chest. He gently brushed a stray, light brown hair away from my face before I erupted in tears once again.

"Easy…" he said, although his soothing voice caused it to come out more like a song. I held his jacket with both hands and just cried. "Dear Maria…" he sang again as he gently cradled me.

He held me like that for a while until I finally calmed down and was able to explain the situation. "Alex, my parents died…" I explained as we sat in the moonlight together.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly toward me. I just nodded and redid my braid to keep myself occupied. I looked back up at my best friend who had honest feelings splayed across his face.

~*~

Ever since that night I had valued Alex as my best friends until he started gaining fame and we lost contact due to him changing his number after fans started going crazy and refusing to give him peace. As I lost his friendship I had to grow up once again and change my outlook on life. No one was there for me anymore, I had to be there for Ronnie and Danny.

And so, three years later I found myself working in a club to pay off my college tuition that Ronnie couldn't afford for me…but it was no ordinary club…it was a strip club.