• Chapter One: Another New Beginning


    There I was, all alone. It had to have been the darkest night I had seen in ages, the mood; wasn’t right. Its times like these you wish you could go back in time, or look into the future to see if things where going to turn out alright. Sadly, I could not. But I knew he could, which to some point made it feel safe, made it feel like everything was going to be perfect. But that look on his face; that terrified look of absolute horror… Brought me back to reality. Everything was not going to be alright, or perfect or end in the fairy tale she had imagined. In fact, this was the horror movie I wished I would never live out. This was the only time I had seen this side of him, this scared un-sure side. I wasn’t sure how I felt about seeing that side of him. That’s when it kicked in, my weak spot. How could this happen? Right here. Right Now.

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    Moving; the one thing in the world that I absolutely hated. Not just because I had done it every year of my miserable life. Making friends was the easy part; it was the packing and unpacking that drives me crazy. I have learned to keep most things in its box. Taking it out would only make things harder for me when it was that time again. My so-called-mother said this was the very last time, she promised. But how many times has she promised… More than the number of pills I take in a week. And I take quite a few. My mother (after debating with my grandmother) decided to call me Alexia. It’s a funny story actually; it took them a month to decide what my name would be. One week it was Jennifer, the next it was Brooklyn, after that it was Hayden. Until my grandmother told my mom to just decide. She ended up picking Alexia. Imagine that, my identity was unknown until my fourth week of living. I guess that’s were my indecisiveness came from. I have an older brother Jeremiah, I just call him Jerry. Don’t ask.
    Pale, brown-red headed, big lipped, short, dark brown eyes, and dull. How I describe myself. My older brother is tall, black hair, strong, green eyes. We came from different fathers. Don’t ask. My brother had more characteristics from my mother, who is amazingly gorgeous. But I, I have the characteristics of my mothers ex-boyfriend. Which various times made me atrociously angry. Mainly because my mother can’t look at me with out feeling the regret of being with him. Another spitting image. How disgusting.
    Average Canadian family of three, I think not. There was one thing that separated me from everyone else I had known. Something no one knows, something I don’t think I’ll tell anyone. I have…… special abilities. Most would call them psychic abilities. Reading minds, speaking to the dead and undead, and talking to spirits. That sort of weird thing.
    So far, I haven’t met anyone like me, a child with abilities. I know there are others like me, out there; some where.
    This new place I’m moving to is called “Richdale” which surprisingly enough is known for having some of the poorest animals; I mean people around. How ironic. At least I have my own bedroom, at this point I can’t bare looking at my “amazing” brother any longer, it just reminds me of what failure I am. I unpacked my valuables, which include, the new Noted from the Teenage Under-Ground books, an old painting I had made, a portrait of a lady, my art supplies, sketchbook, camera, and most importantly my journal. I was starting school in a day, I needed a place to vent my feelings to, like I would vent to anyone I have met within the first few days…Ha. I took out my blood red lighter and took a single cigarette out of my olive colored buckle bag. I lit and slowly took a long inhale, breathing the cigar smoke.
    “How peaceful,” I spoke to myself in a sarcastic quiet voice.
    I sat cross-legged on the cold chestnut wood floor pondering on what I was going to do, a new boyfriend for my mother, a new house for me. How fair…I rolled my eyes at the thought of my mothers new boyfriend. Harold. He was short, wore glasses, has urine colored teeth, partly bald, and is as exciting as tea bags and grey faded wallpaper. How amazing, I wasn’t too sure what she saw in him, he was predictable. One quality that I personally hate, though it seems to me he makes her happy. Right now that’s all that matters.
    I snapped the orange hair-band I had tied around my wrist, just hard enough that I would get out of the state of mind I was in then tied my long hair up into a pony tail. I took deep breathes in then put my almost-done cigarette down. I closed my eyes and laid back. I had left the window open so I could listen to the rain slowly drop onto the rooftops, the chilly air felt a tad relaxing. I heard a strong knock on my door and an
    “Alexia!!” coming from my mother this meant something was up, I quickly got up, and I threw the cigarette out the window and unlocked my door and opened it slightly letting her come in.
    “Yes?” I asked annoyed at her
    “Ah, so I see you’ve unpacked a few things,” she eyed the painting on the wall, she never did like it, she said it was “devious”
    “Yeah, decided to make myself at home” I replied sarcastically with my signature eye-roll that seemed to bothered her so much
    “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you just have a positive out look on things? Geez Alexia,” she stared at me with her villainous eyes trying to devour me viciously “And why does it smell like smoke in here” she waved her hand vigorously in the air
    “There’s nothing wrong with me, I don’t enjoy moving around as much as you do in case you haven’t noticed” I clenched my jaws biting my tongue trying not to speak anymore because if I did I would most likely end up saying something I would regret, or get a slap across the face.
    “I just came to tell you that I was going out with Harold tonight, don’t wait up for me” she said, and like that she walked out of the room. I rolled my eyes one more time then looked at the large box staring at me right in the face containing my wardrobe; I walked over to it then dragged it across the floor over to my corner where my closet was. I opened it slowly, and there right on top was my black lace Lolita dress. I picked it up and smiled for the first time in awhile. How wonderful, I could still smell the strawberry incense I was wearing that day when I put it on. That last day.
    A flash back went through my mind, my black and purple dress on the floor, Mathew and I lying on his blue bed, I in pink and yellow pajamas and Mathew in his over-sized shirt and pajama shorts, he was staring at me right in the eyes gently stroking my blushing cherry pink cheek smiling at me, telling me how much he loved me, I caressed his arms softly with my finger tips expressing how he was my one true love. Mathew and I never made it past lying in bed. We would spend our nights holding each other tightly and giving kisses that could last a life time. After I met Mathew I didn’t think I could ever love anyone the way I loved him. I gripped the dress hard, and stared at it with anger, knowing I would never see my love again. I threw the dress up against the wall enraged. Tears began to stream down my cheeks hitting my neck, burning my skin. I pressed up against the wall and slowly sat down. With my hands in my face rubbing my tears away, I ripped the hair band out of my hair and shook my head messing up my hair. I continued to cry angrily, hating life. I had nothing to live for. I ran into the bathroom and without thinking I grabbed the anxiety pills that had been given to me. I was only supposed to take one pill; two pills would be considered a hazard. I took four. By the time I knew it, I was lying next to my bed. Asleep.

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    It was eight in the morning when I heard my mother yelling at me to wake up, there was school today and I just couldn’t miss it according to her. Though, for today I could live without school. I struggled to get up from the ground still feeling the after-burn from those pills I took. I rubbed my aching head and yawned. I dumped the large box with my clothing in it onto the ground I dug through pile of clothing and found an old beige lace sleeve-less shirt and through on a pair of old skinny jeans. It was still raining but I didn’t care much about that. I put on my usual black vixen eyeliner on and peachy red lipstick on. I ignored my mothers pestering, telling me to eat some breakfast or to pack a lunch. Instead I swiped some change off the counter and slipped it into my jean pocket. I threw on a black hooded jacket and slung my olive bag over my left shoulder and walked out of the house on my way to school.
    The air was cold and humid, there was fog everywhere. I inhaled the chilling breeze and smiled. Where I lived before, they never had this weather. The air was always dry and crisp. Very hot. Though I’m not complaining, the fog and chill was my favorite weather.
    I walked along the grass and rock path, I looked at all the houses, white picket fences, small yards, everything looked the same to me. Quite an average place, yet it seemed so surreal… My bangs swept over top of my pale green eyes. My brown hair didn’t go very well with my peculiar pale skin. One thing is for sure, my pale skin didn’t blend in, and here in Rich-Dale everyone was suspiciously tan, not only tan, but almost orange.

    I had arrived to my new school at the most painful time; when everyone was gathered in their bunches all over campus. I was entering school in the middle of grade ten, the year I had been stressing about the most. I entered the field of the school, I walked up to the school to check into the office, but as I jogged down I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, I could hear them whispering about me. I could hear their horrid thoughts… I could feel someone come up behind me, turns our Harold is much more; well known than I had thought. He had been telling everyone about me, which seemed slightly disturbing to me. Before I knew it I could feel a hand on my shoulder and I jumped while jerking around and screaming. As much as I saw it coming I had become lost in my thoughts. I had closed my eyes while turning around; I heard a gentle masculine voice apologizing for startling me.
    “Oh, it’s fine” I slowly opened my eyes to look at a blonde tall boy around my age named Robert, he had light silver eyes, and was over-all an attractive boy
    “I’m Sorry again, Alexia right? I’ve just heard ton about you. Ha-ha I didn’t mean to scare you,” he replied, amused at me
    “It’s fine, really. And yes I’m Alexia, and you are?
    “Robert, well Robby,” he didn’t hesitate to answer, he held out his hand as I just stared on at it “Nice to finally get to meet’cha Alexia,”
    “Nice to meet you too Robert, or uhm Robby, and you’ve heard about me?” he pulled his hand away; I think he had realized I wasn’t going to shake it any time soon. He shot me a smooth toothy smile; I couldn’t help but give my usual awkward mouth-closed smile.
    “Yeah, everyone has. We’ been waiting for awhile for ya to move down here,”
    “Oh, wow. That’s surprising,” A worried look plastered my face until I say Roberts embarrassed reaction, I quickly smiled as if I had been joking the whole time
    “Yeah, Harold is a huge guy here, he’s been telling everyone on how you were gonna to move here and stuff, I was super excited to meet you,” he smiled again
    “Thank you, I’m not very exciting though, I don’t want to disappoint” I smirked and began to walk to the building he was following me up. From then he just began babbling on about school, teachers, people he wants to introduce me to, or something like that. I wasn’t up for listening at the moment; I was much more focused on the look of surprise on the faces of my new peers as I slowly walked by all of them. What were they expecting? Was I much less glamorous than what they thought? Was I looking that hideous today? I slipped the hood over my head to hide my face; Robert read my well and asked me what was wrong, I explained to him that I didn’t want to sound arrogant but it seemed as if everyone was staring at me, as if I was less than what they had been excepting. He flashed his remarkable smile and told me that I was better than most were expecting, and everyone had been expecting a lot. I rolled my eyes without him noticing, I was in utter disbelief. His babbling continued from there, this time it was something about a dance coming up, something I think I agreed to go to along side with him; I would have to find out.
    We reached the school; it was a particularly large building. He walked me into the office, cheerfully looking at my school schedule his eyes lit up when he got a glimpse and saw that we both had chemistry and algebra together. I was happy that I had at least met one person that seemed content to see me, everyone else seemed to dread the fact that I was here. I talked to the old secretary that I analyzed head to toe; she had a mole over her top lip that I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off of, strawberry blonde hair that was in need of a shampooing, victim of a bad perm, and a weird lime-green suit. Was I that critical? She was all-around peppy, at some point she seemed to be a female version of Robert, a let out a little giggle thinking about Robert in a lime-green suit with a perm. They both stared at me wondering what I had found so comical, I gave them a shrug then filled out the forms that the secretary needed me to sign. I skimmed through the code of conduct pretending to read bits and pieces before signing. Robert was easily able to tell that I hadn’t bothered reading it, though the secretary was just clueless.
    Robert walked me back outside to a group of people, his friends, all of which were male. There was one overly muscular blonde haired guy, Timothy. The others were the typical brown haired semi-strong jock-like preps. Joey, Reynolds, Christopher, Jerry, and Mike. They all had winning smiles, great eyes, and fantastic hair, for a moment I was jealous. I didn’t mind their peppy personalities; most of them were thrilled to find a girl who wasn’t as hyperactive as most, though I felt like the odd one out. I smiled awkwardly and nodded occasionally waiting for the bell to ring so I could get on with my classes, and maybe try to ignore the different glares I was getting. Finally that brilliant bell rang; I said my good-byes quickly as they watched me skip off to class, finally being able to meet my peers and my teachers. I felt a sense of excitement, then a bit of dread and sickness as I reached closer and closer to my class room. I was glad I hadn’t gotten lost on my first day. I figured I was late seeing that there was not a person to be found in the hallway. I clutched my bag close to my chest hearing my heart beat; I slowly opened the classroom door, my first class was Social Studies. The teacher was young, in his late twenties I would have to say. He had red hair, green eyes, and small pink lips; he wore black fifties glasses that seemingly worked for him. I gave him a weak smile while he gave me a large grin that scared me at first.
    “Hello Alexia, we’ve been expecting you,” those are the exact words that came out of his mouth that suddenly made me un-easy “My name is Mr. Porter, and welcome to Social Studies, why don’t you introduce yourself to the class?”
    I shook my head with a worried look, then his smile grew wider which forced me to say my name in this exact form….
    “A-Alex……..ia!” I turned crimson while I watched the class let out a giggle, I hid my face behind my olive bag with buckles and asked Mr. Porter where my seat was. I took my seat and listened to my teacher talk about ancient Egypt. That’s when I received the note. The horrendous and mysterious note. It was passed by a ditsy blonde haired girl, she wore glasses that made her look like she had some intellect, but the moment she opened her mouth she would you prove you wrong. She gave me the note silently; it was a small piece of green paper folded into square with my name scribbled on it. I slowly opened it, scared and anxious, it was a little intimidating. The note read
    “Porter haz da hawts 4 Alex-ia watch out” my heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened. I looked around checking the faces of the students. I saw little smiles and devious eyes staring at me. I didn’t know why, but I was embarrassed.
    After class I few guys approached me, so did three girls, Tara, Harlow, and Sadie. The conversation short and sweet, turns out we had all our classes together, they were pleased to meet me, as was I. Mr. Porter wanted to meet me after class, so I asked Harlow to wait by my locker.
    “Mr. Porter, you wanted to talk to me?” I questioned scared of what he was going to talk to me about, I picked up my bag and headed towards his desk
    “Yeah, how are ya liking it here?” he asked me smiling intensely
    “It’s pretty good here, I’ve met quite a few people, everyone seems nice,” I smiled awkwardly as he walked over to the door and closed it he a sat down on his chair and patted his lap,
    “Come sit on my lap Alexia,”
    “I would rather not Mr. Porter,” my smile disappeared as he got up and took me by the hand and sat me down on his lap and held onto my waist, “Would you please let go Mr. Porter?”
    “You know Alexia, ever since I heard about you I was dying to meet you, Harold and I are good friends, he showed me a couple of pictures of you, I must say you are much more stunning than what I thought,” he stroked my hair still holding on to me tightly I bit of panic raced through my body and started to kick him and struggle,
    “Please Mr. Porter, let go” I said firmly trying to get out of his strong grip I continued to panic and struggle he wouldn’t let go until I began to scream and yelp, he pushed me onto the floor and told me to be quiet. I began to silently cry rubbing my arms which were now aching thanks to Mr. *****.
    “Poor little girl, meet me here tomorrow, we’ll talk.” those were his last words. He left the room, and left me on the ground. I cried for a little longer, taking in what had just happened. It all happened so fast, it seemed so unreal.