Silent Poison

The week ended with TJ not acknowledging his sister and her 'relationship'. Chris played his part to a perfect tune. Autumn and him held hands, she sat at lunch with him and his friends, but ignored them to work on her computer for the cash that would get her out of here. She didn't expect her parents to pay for the way of life she wanted. They would want her to stay her in Ipswich. Ipswich was a place she didn't want to stay. It was dark, too dark for her liking. She hoped to get away hence the hiding of her money. With it, she could make it on her own without her parents. She even had enough to go to whichever college she chose.

Autumn stopped thrumming on the acoustic guitar. Looking down at it, she could remember tuning it herself after her aunt got it for her thirteenth birthday. It had lost some of its shine, but was still a beauty to behold. Her aunt had said that with as fast as she tuned it, she had extreme talent. That was just from tuning a guitar. Dad had only squashed that with telling her how she had other talents that would be put to better use that ridiculous music.

Come to my window

Crawl inside, wait by the light

of the moon

Come to my window

I'll be home soon

Keeping my eyes open

I cannot afford to sleep

Giving away promises

I know that I can't keep

Nothing fills the blackness

That has seeped into my chest

I need you in my blood

I am forsaking all the rest

Just to reach you

Just to reach you

Oh to reach you

She strummed, singing the tune, a smile perking on her lips. After the song, she set the guitar down and laid back on her bed. Homework was done. Other work was done. It was strange to not have anything important to do. She'd already applied to colleges. Both she and TJ did on their parents request. They had said that the two of them only needed to apply to the main university, but she applied to several with the exception of art schools. She wanted choices, the right ones. Yale, Princeton, Berkley, Harvard, she applied to smaller colleges too like North Carolina State, Loyala University in New Orleans, Cal-U in Pennsylvania.

Autumn sat up, coming out of college thoughts, at hearing a knock on her door. It's Friday night. Why is there anybody coming to my door? Why would anybody come to my door period?

There was another knock. Autumn got up and answered the door before it became persistent and annoying.

"Oh, you." Autumn said flatly.

"Me." Chris smiled at her lack of amusement with his presence. It certainly wasn't what he was used to. Most girls melted over him if he came to their door.

Autumn held the door tightly as he tried to walk in. He raised his eyebrows at the rejection of his entrance.

"Well…"

"Rules playboy." She said stone cold.

He ignored the comment like he did with most things she said.

"Why aren't you out being a teenager like the rest of the population?"

"Teenager?"

"You know, going out, partying."

"Because."

"Because?"

"My private life isn't your business."

"Ah, but it is. See, you're my girlfriend. I have to take an interest in you and we have to show a little PDA."

"Again. Rules. No being seen out in public like that together." She replied.

"So many rules. It's making this relationship hard." He winked at her.

Autumn stared at him long and hard knowing that he was just trying to get under her skin.

"C'mon. We're all going out to the Dell. Hang with us."

"No thanks." She said.

She closed the door, but Chris caught quickly and forced it open. Autumn looked at him alarmed.

"Why are you such a hermit? Are you afraid to let people in or something?"

"I'm not a hermit. I just don't hang around people below me."

"Below you?" he scoffed.

"It was a polite term."

"For what?"

"Idiots."

Chris narrowed his eyes into a glare at her and stood up at his full height, towering over her.

"We can't all have the perfect IQ that makes mommy and daddy happy." Chris shook his head in dismay. "You think you're above everybody, but you know what? You're just like the rest of us. You should learn to live like us."

"Immature? I think not." She snorted.

"It's called life. Live it."

"I am. I just don't do it according to everyone else's standards." She spat.

Autumn slammed the door in his face.

"Well, if you ever get a life you can come join everybody else down at the Dell sweetheart."

Autumn smiled at the sarcasm in his voice.

"The Dell isn't a party Chris! You wouldn't know a party if it hit you in the face."

Chris stared at her door for a few seconds. A real party huh? Do you know a real party?

Chris turned and walked down the hallway to the main parking lot where Tyler and the others were held up in Rickys silver Hummer.

"Where's Autumn?"

"She wasn't interested."

"That's a shame." Jessica said. "I was hoping we'd get to see her unwind."

"That might be difficult."

"She's naturally uptight." Ryan added to Chris comment.

"Let's just go." Chris said

The weekend was naturally quiet. People went home to visit families or were off campus hanging out with friends. Autumn normally took this time to go off campus as well.

Chris stopped by her room on the way to the dining room only to not receive an answer. He leaned against her door frame thinking about the words they shared last night.

"If you're looking for Autumn she's not there." Her neighbor was coming out of her room, her backpack over her shoulder. She pushed her glasses up her nose. Reid guessed that she was more than likely heading to the library. She looked like the sort who found pleasure in books. "She's barely ever here on the weekends. She goes to H-U."

"No," he laughed.

"Yeah, she takes college visits seriously." she said.

Chris stared after the geeky girl. So Auty wasn't lying. She does party, just not here. She goes out to the next county over, Haven University. I'll be damned.

"Autumn!" Cami squealed coming out of the large white Victorian house. Gamma Delta Omega.

"Hey!"Autmn smiled.

Her hair was down around her face. She wore black jeans with a black kimono top that hung off one shoulder. Silver bangles ran up her left arm.

"It is so great to see you!" Cami exclaimed as she hugged Autumn tightly.

"Autumn!"

More sisters came down to greet her. They hugged her tightly.

"Ladies!" Autmn smiled brightly.

She had come up here during her freshman year because her parents wanted to look at colleges early. The sisters had shown her around the house. Her mother wanted her to be involved on campus. These girls could see clearly where she stood and took her in immediately not caring that she wasn't coming to H-U. Even the Iota Betas knew that. Whenever her parents came down to partake in the family events like the football games for example, they would say nothing but good to them about her. They just left out her partying.

"Let's get you settled." Cami said.

She got Autumn's bag from her sleek car.

"So, is TJ still being an ass? I can't believe I slept with him."

"Not recently. I've found a repellent to him." Autumn said.

"Oh? Do tell."

"Maybe another day."

Cami narrowed her eyes at her, but she just shook her head. The two headed up to Cami's room. She was the president of the sorority and that meant she got the largest room without having to room with another sister. Amelie got to stay with her. Cami wanted it that way anyway. She was graduating next year as an engineering major with a psych minor. The girl had brains too. She just looked like a Barbie and Amelie found that to be not only contradictory, but very conniving and genius.

"You came on the right weekend."

"I come almost every weekend." Autumn laughed as she sat down at Cami's vanity.

"It's Iota Beta's noir theme party night."

"Really?" Autumn's eyebrows quirked with interest. "What will I wear?"

"Hmmmm, I figured that you could maybe wear this…" Cami opened her closet and pulled out a silk dress.

"Whoa."

The dress was floor length with a slit up to each thigh, a single strap to wrap around the nape of the neck. It was simple, glamorous and seductive.

"I also have jewelry and heels to match." Cami smirked.

"Sounds good to me."

"Good. My dress is red."

Autumn whistled in appreciation. The woman did have great taste.

"We can get ready a little later. Let's eat first."

The two along with a few others from other German life that Autumn knew went out for Mexican. Even though it had only been a week, it was good to catch up with them. It was a completely separate part of her life that nobody knew about. Sure, a few people knew that she came out her, but they didn't know why. She liked to get away from high school and into the real world. High school was a stepping stone that she didn't need, but went through the motions anyway. College was more exciting, more free, more her level. And, the parties made the Dell look like a kid's birthday party.

After eating they all hugged and split off to go get ready.

"Autumn, zip the back up for me?"

Autumn obliged after putting in her other sapphire colored stud. Cami spun to face her, her long golden curls bouncing lustrously. Amelie smiled in approval.

"And I'm even wearing red lace bikini to match," Cami winked.

Autumn laughed then turned and grabbed the beaded choker that went with the studs. It sat around her throat perfectly. By the end of the night she knew she'd not only be completely wasted, but also in somebody else's' bed. Cami and she usually never came back to the room, but ended up elsewhere. Cami with her boyfriend and Autumn with a cute frat boy she normally had flings with. Maybe it would be Tommy this time. In any case, life was never boring here, but she still didn't want to go here. It was too close to home.

Chris yawned and looked over at his desk. Textbooks sat on it stack up on one another. He could do it, but procrastinating seemed so much better. It was only Sunday. He had all day. Grabbing his cell phone and keys, he left his room and headed down the hall and down to the first floor. Turning, he stopped. Autumn was coming down the hall carrying a bookbag on one shoulder. She had earbuds in her ears. Chris smiled at her not paying attention as she continued to walk towards him, her eyes fixated on the iPod in her hands.

Looking up, Autumn jumped swallowing back a scream. Chris chuckled some.

"What do you want?"

"Have a good weekend Auty?"

"Don't call me that."

Autumn glared at him and walked to her room. Back for ten minutes and he's found me. What did he do, put a tracking chip in me?

"Don't you have homework to do?" she asked.

"I do Auty. Would you like to tutor me?"

He wiggled his black eyebrows at her seductively.

"In your dreams."

She unlocked her doors.

"So, where were you? I was getting worried about my girlfriend. Were you with other guys?"

"None of your business and maybe."

She closed the door, but stood there. He was getting to daring for his own good. Calling her Auty when she specifically told him not to. It was a rule. 'Was' is an operative term though. She knew that if he didn't get to break at least one rule he'd crumble, and he would fuck up everything.

"Boys." She shook her head and dropped her travelling bag aside.

The weekend was over and another long dreadful week was coming. She and Chris would pretend some more. She wondered when she'd have to prove more PDA and hoped that it would never happen. The last thing she wanted was him to think he had an actual chance.