India

India hated moving. It was such a familiar set up. Saying goodbye to the one or two friends she had made, packing up her room, and going to a completly different town. Her Mum only liked to stay in one place for no longer than a year, claiming that adventure was something the world needed more of. That was what she said, when in all reality, her Mum struggled to find work as a lawyer in just about every town they went too. When the demand slowed down, they would move on. India had become used to not letting people in. She never had spent long enough with someone to even want too.

She sighed slightly, putting up the last of the fairy lights around her bedroom. It had only taken her a day and a half to get everything unpacked, and she was pleased with that. She had her own bathroom in this house, plus a balcony from her window that wrapped around an enormous oak tree.
Baltimore was her new home for the next however many months, and so far, it wasnt so bad. The house they had chosen was classic. Two storeys and white, with ivy and purple flowers creeping up one side. It was definitely one of the bigger houses they'd had, and India had most of the top floor to herself. Even though it was a silly thought, she really hoped they stayed here a while.
She sighed, pulling the sleeves of her oversized sweater down over her hands. Winter was fast approacing, which was definitely going to work out in her favour. Not only did she love the snow and the rain, but nobody questioned you if you wore long sleeves during winter. It was perfect,

India wondered what her new school would be like. Today was friday, which gave her exactly two full days to prepare herself mentally to be around that many new people. New schools always made her nervous. She never knew if people would bully her or leave her alone. There were usually plenty of both people though.
India looked down at her feet, kept warm by her odd socks that slipped around a little on the wood floor of her room. Sometimes, she wondered what it would be like to be the popular girl. Or the pretty girl. Or even the skinny girl. She'd like that more than anything.
The full length mirror she had set up in the corner of her room caught her attention, and she bit down on her plump lower lip. Hesitant hands lifted up the fabric of her sweater, and she felt her throat tighten at the sight of her stomach. She grabbed onto it, seeing nothing but fat. Something that the 16 year old had barely any of.
"You're fat." She whispered to herself, mimicking the voice she heard in her head. She knew it was true.
She turned sideways, seeing fat where anyone else would see skin pulled tight over protruding bones, her stomach concave. Her hipbones jutted out, and she could see her bottom three ribs on each side.
India dropped the fabric from her hands, ignoring the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. Crying was for weak people.
Gingerly, she walked downstairs and made herself a big cup of peppermint tea, placing it in a travel mug. She made her way back to her bedroom and grabbed the enormous double blanket from her freshly made bed, going out to her window.
India held onto the tree, her tiny hands looking like a childs against the bark as she climbed onto the railing of the balcony. She set her tea in the gutter carefully and grabbed the blanket, tossing it up onto the roof. She climbed up the tree, walking along the branch that leaned against the roof with her arms outstretched.
Oh how easy it would be to jump in that instant.
She put her feet on the roof and sat down, pulling the blanket around herself tightly, her cup of tea clasped tightly between two hands.
Being alone was something you become accustomed too after a while. At first, you wish you were like the others. Going to parties, having lots of friends.
But when you sink as far into yourself as India had, those sorts of things are out of the question.
Friends hurt you. Friends ask questions. Friends try and make you fat and take away your blades, saying they're 'helping' you
India didnt want any friends, not that sort. She was tired of them.
Peppermint tea slipped between her lips, warming her from the inside out as the blanket draped around frail shoulders kept her tiny body warm from the cold Baltimore air. She could see some of the city lights from up here, and it was beautiful. This was a beautiful place.

Alex drove around the streets of Baltimore, blink blasting in his car much louder than it should be, a sloppy burger in one hand as he drove with the other. He sung along with a mouthful of food, not a care in the entire world as he drove just a little too fast.
It was good to be popular. Good to be the guy that everyone wanted to hang out with. He got invited to every single party in this city, and his attendance was mandatory for it to be deemed good.
He loved it. Alex lapped up the atention like a stray dog being fed scaps. He could have any girl he wanted with the snap of his fingers. He didnt care about them at all. They were nothing but a notch in his bedpost and a drunken nights mistake.
Baltimore had been his home since he was around 7, when he had moved here from England with his parents. He never really got why they had moved here, but he didnt care. His life was absolutely perfect.
He glanced at the time, scrunching up his nose when he saw 11.48 in bright green on his dashboard.
Alex should definitely be at a party right now. He should be having sex right now.
The only thing that was on this weekend was a party at Conner Dixons house, which he had swung by before. It had been dead, probably only around 100 kids there, and Alex hadnt even smelt weed coming from the house yet. Definitely not his type of party. Someone at school had mentioned a carnival tomorrow, which he guessed he'd go check out. Maybe there would be a cute girl or two at the kissing booth.
He finished off his burger and wiped his greasy hand on his jeans, turning up the volume as first date began blaring through his car.
A sharp turn onto his street, and he drove a little faster, sliding into his driveway with finesse. He saw the dimly lit house next door and shrugged, figuring the new people had moved in or whatever. They would probably be old. That house was weird anyway. He got out and shut his door, continuing to sing first date loudly even though the music had stopped. Alex went inside his house, shutting the door and running upstairs to his room.
If there was one thing he wasnt used too, it was seeing fairy lights in the room next door. He grinned to himself, seeing a few posters put up on the light coloured walls, and a set of drawers with jewellry ontop sitting against the far wall.
His judgements were way off. There was a teenage girl living next door, and Alex honestly couldnt wait.
He didnt think anything was funnier than sleeping with a girl, then purposely making it awkward for her by seeing her all the time. Cruel, but it was entertainment. This would be the perfect chance. Plus, it would be even funnier if they got caught by her parents.
Alex smirked and shut his dark blue curtains, stripping off his clothes. He got into his sloppily made bed and grabbed his laptop, pulling up some porn as he prepared to spend Friday night alone with his left hand.