Crooked Destinies | An ONC2021 Entry

••blaise••

I squeeze the cigarette between my mouth as I inhaled. Life was pointless. I'm so dramatic.

If I couldn't narrow down 600 students to one Hero in two weeks, how in the heck was I going to lead the criminal world? Using two fingers, I pull the cigarette out of my mouth, exhaling. Watching as the smoke blended into the scene in front of me I felt myself relax.

The roof. I come here every Friday night for the past five months. It was a bit of a climb but I had gotten used to it. Denim used to bring me here when he attended this school.

The view is stunning. I can see the whole town. The Academia was in a small village in the middle of the United States. From the roof of the castle on top of a hill, I could see all the small houses down below squished together with little light shining through open windows. The lights blink off one by one as children fall asleep and I can't help but think about the bright eyes of the boy I crashed into.

I close my eyes, my legs hang off the edge of the roof, as I feel cold cement under my black leggings. Taking another drag from my cigarette, I sink farther into my thoughts.

I had never taken failure well. Even as a child, it was the most toxic quality in me. I still remembered the time I had gotten dead drunk on my father's whiskey after getting a B on a stupid school essay, and that was when I was 12. Then there was the time I had ended up in the hospital when I hadn't gotten valedictorian, in middle school.

I sighed.

The point was, I did stupid, idiotic shit when I was frustrated and I hated myself for it. I hug myself tighter. The rational part of me knew I should call Denim or someone, anyone. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"I just want to be alone," I whisper to myself, convincing myself it was for the best.

The sound of boisterous laughing makes me jump as I hear multiple footsteps climb up the ladder.

The laughing gets closer and I put out my cigarette on the shingle of the roof before throwing it off the roof, hoping it lands on someone's head.

Pulling myself up, I dust off my leggings and walk back towards the door back to the dorms.

"But we didn't even drink, we just had some candy and soda" I hear the partially slurred voice of Storm Marelle.

I freeze and shake my head. Every rational thought in my being pushes me towards the door. He wouldn't even see me and...my curiosity gets the better of me. As usual.

I hear his friend's laugh. "I think we're like...crazy," he says.

I peek up a little from my position behind a long chimney structure. Aoife's head twitches a little and for a moment I think she knows I'm there but then she steps onto the roof and I relax.

"Just a little though," Storm giggles.

A feeling of warmth seeps into me, despite the cold night. He's cute.