Dark Angel

Imogene silently walked down the hall. She didn't want to risk getting yelled at by Brad again. She despised Billie's step dad. He was so cruel to his stepson, calling him a 'fag' and whatnot. It just made her blood boil. She once had gotten in huge trouble with Brad because she had seen him actually lay a hand on Billie. That night she lost it. She had screamed profanities at him, calling him a 'fucked up child abuser' even though Billie wasn't exactly a child. That little episode had almost gotten her kicked out of the house, but Ollie some how persuaded her second husband to let her stay.

Imogene cringed at the thought of being yelled at by the 'child abuser' and hurried on down the hall to her room. She stepped inside the dark room and grabbed her eyeliner before quickly adding a dark line of kohl underneath her tired eyes. She brushed out her damp, chocolate brown hair and then pulled it up into a messy bun. After looking herself over, she skipped out of her room and back into Billie's to kiss Tre and her brother from another mother goodbye.
"See ya," Tre said smiling after his and Imogene's lips parted.
"See ya," she said before kissing Billie on the lips and walking out of the room. She chuckled when she heard Tre scream 'back off of my girl' at the lead guitarist. She took the steps two by two before reaching the landing. There in front of the door were her pink chucks. She slipped them on before leaning against the front door, waiting for Mike to step down the stairs. A smile spread across her lips as the bassist groggily walked down the stairs, dragging his back pack behind him.

"Just wake up?" Imogene asked. She gasped when Mike nodded his head yes. It amazed her at how much the bassist could sleep through. All morning her, Billie, and Tre were being rather loud and he still hadn't woken up.
"What?" Mike asked, a little perplexed by the look Imogene was giving him.
"Oh nothing really. I'm just surprised you didn't wake up," Imogene said as she walked into the kitchen. She frowned when she remembered about her coffee. She walked over to the coffee pot and grabbed a small mug before pouring the cold brown liquid into her mug. She took a sip while walking over to the table.
"Hey, Mikey Boy. Could you get my back pack?"
"Sure. Where is it?" he asked with a slight yawn.
"In the living room," Imogene directed as she took a sip of her coffee. The bassist nodded and walked passed the front hall and into the living room. He spotted the blue and black back pack before bending over and picking it up. As he straightened up, a yellow bus caught his attention. It was leaving from the house. He sighed and shook his head before walking back into the kitchen.
"You missed your bus," he said, handing her the backpack.
"So. Why do I have to ride the bus when you can drive me?" Imogene said with a smile. Mike rolled his eyes and looked down at her half-empty cup of coffee. He snatched it from her and gulped the rest of it down before setting the empty mug on the table.
"Hey! I was drinking that," Imogene pouted as she stared at the bassist who was wiping his mouth.
"C'mon. Let's go," Mike said as he grabbed his backpack and started to walk to the door with Imogene in tow.

The bassist pulled his car keys out of his pocket before stepping outside and walking over to his old truck.
"I still can't believe you use to live in this," Imogene said as she opened the passenger side door and climbed into the bucket seat. Mike rolled his eyes. Every time they got in the truck with the second guitarist, he heard the same thing over and over again.
"I know this gets old, but you lived in this shitty car. You must've been cramped," she said as the bassist started the truck and pulled out of the driveway.
"Imogene, how many times have we had this conversation?" he asked, driving in the direction of Pinhole Valley High.
"Like a thousand times," she said with a sigh.
"Exactly," he said glancing at her for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to the road. The car ride to school wasn't silent. Mike and Imogene talked about the band and what the future had in store for them. Their first album had seemed to be a hit. A lot of copies were being sold all ready. As the high school began to come into view the two finally quieted down. Mike pulled the old beat up pick up truck into the parking lot and found and empty space before parking. With the flick of the wrist he had switched off the truck and pulled out the keys. The two band mates both exited the truck and entered the school building just as the bell rang. Muttering their good byes, they walked in opposite directions to join their home room classes.
* * *
Imogene found herself walking out of the school building towards the large grounds for gym, a class she knew she wasn't going to take. When no one was looking her way she immediately began to jog away from the rest of her class and towards a small hill just off of the school grounds. The hill had been dubbed 'Tight Wad Hill' a while back and it was a familiar spot where the band and her hung out during school. Of course, it was just her now a days since Mike was wrapped up in his studies and Tre and Billie had dropped out. She pulled her small cover up jacket tighter around her, digging her hands into the pockets of her black jacket and fingering the small pack of cigarettes. It was nearing the end of Janurary, and naturally, it was a little cold outside.

Imogene quickened her pace into a slight run and made the uphill climb to the top of 'Tight Wad Hill'. She sat down and looked over the grounds before pulling out her pack of cigarettes. She pulled out one of the cancer sticks and placed it in between her cracked lips before replacing the cigarette box into her coat pocket and pulling out a black lighter. She lit her cigarette and took a long needed drag, all the while placing the lighter back in her pocket. Laying back in the dry, yellow grass she pulled the cigarette from her lips and let the smoke escape her lungs. A sigh of content escaped her lips as she watched the smoke disapate into the afternoon air. She took another drag of her cigarette and turned her head to find Mike looming over her.
"Hey," she said, exhaling smoke as she did so.
"You and Billie need to drop that habit," Mike said as he took a seat next to her.
"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Imogene said as she sat up, tapping ash from her cigarette into the grass.
"I could ask you the same question."
"I don't like gym," she said taking another drag.
"Seriously, you need to drop that habit."
"You smoke, too Mike. Stop being a fucking hypocrite and leave me alone," Imogene snapped, inhaling more smoke than she could handle in her lungs. She pulled her cigarette away from her mouth as she began to cough and sputter. Mike patted her back as she continued to choke. He was sure she would throw up like the last time she had started coughing from smoke. Using her free hand, Imogene shoved Mike away and gagged, still not exactly throwing up.
"That doesn't help," she sputtered as she began to regain her composure. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and decided it was enough of her cigarette. She put it out in the dirt beside her and laid back.

In the distance the bell rang from inside the school building signaling that it was lunch. She groaned as she got to her feet and slowly made her way to the building with Mike following after her. They looked around for teachers before walking into the hallway. Seemingly they had slipped in unnoticed, but they were so wrong.
"Miss Clark and Mister Pritchard," a teacher called from behind them.
"Dirnt," Mike muttered under his breath as they both whipped around to find their principle standing a few feet away from them.
"You were seen running up to the ruddy hill again, Miss Clark. And you, Mister Pritchard, told your english teacher you were going to use the restroom, but you never showed up. I am sending you both to detention."
"Ugh. But Mrs. Webber. I haven't eaten all day," Imogene complained, stomping her foot.
"That is the punishment you get for being caught skipping class. I expected this from you, Miss Clark, but not from you, Mister Pritchard. You cleaned up your record so well. I suggest you should hang with a different crowd. Now off to detention," Mrs. Weber said turning to make her leave.
"I can't believe her. That fat whore as no right to tell you who to hang out with," Imogene muttered to Mike, thinking she was out of the principle's ear shot. Wrong again.
"Miss Clark. What was that?" the principle asked, turning to glare at Imogene who wasn't phased one bit.
"You heard me, you fat whore. You have no fucking right to tell Mike whether or not he should hang out with me," Imogene said with a sadistic smirk playing across her lips.
"Imogene, don't," Mike whispered, but his words didn't quite make it to the second guitarist.
"Mike can hang out with me if he fucking wants too. You don't have the authority to tell him what to do," Imogene said as her rant continued.
"Miss Clark. I suggest you hold your tongue or I will gladly suspend--"
"Suspend me!? You can't fucking suspend me because I'm dropping out of this shit hole!" and with that, Imogene turned around and began walking towards the front entrance, Mike quickly following after her.
"Imogene, don't do this," he pleaded.
"Why not? You have a future in this shit hole. You're actually picking up your grades. You can actually graduate. I'm just holding you down," Imogene said as she opened the door to the school and stepping outside. Before the door completely closed she flicked off who ever was in the hallway before shouting, 'See ya later, mother fuckers!'. With that she turned on her heel and began to walk off towards the street.