Don't listen.

Chapter 1: back to school

Lorelei:

"Lorelei, get up, you're going to be late!" mum yells, waking me up. "No need to yell", I grumble, swinging my legs of the bed. Suddenly, I freeze. School. Going back to fake friends, boyfriends I don't love, silent panic attacks in school bathrooms. I look at my phone. 7 am. Already three unread texts from Aidan, my current boyfriend. I've had a few in the past, though I never really seem to genuinely love them. Aidan is not an exception. I sigh and text him back: "I'll meet you at 8, okay? Cya later". He answers me almost immediately "Okay, bye, see you ;) xx". My stomach flips. I've always felt uncomfortable with people expressing their affection towards me but this bothers me more than usual. Oh well. Aidan will always be Aidan. 

I get dressed. While pulling my favourite crop-top over my head I glimpse myself in the mirror. I look horrible. My stomach looks bloated, my thighs too big, my face swollen. "You look disgusting, horrible, enormous, a voice I don't  recognise whispers into my ear, but I can help..." "Who are you?" "A friend, someone that can help you", the unpleasant voice replies. I decide to ignore it, so I walk downstairs for breakfast.

"Hey Lor!", mum says enthusiastically, setting a plate of toast and jam in front of me. "Excited to be back to school?" " Yeah, sure" I mutter. I look at the plate. The strange voice speaks again: "I hope you're not thinking of eating that? You'll look even worse if you eat it~". Stomach rumbling, I push the plate away: "I'm not hungry, I'll get something on the way", I say in a barely audible voice. Mum turns around looking surprised, "If you say so honey, but eat a good lunch, okay?" "Sure.."

I meet Aidan in front of the school. "How was your Christmas?", he asks while swinging his arm around me and pulling me close. If I were to answer honestly, I would say terrible. A week with annoying aunts and uncles, too kind grandparents, noisy little cousins. Only upside to meeting family was my cousin, Leila. She's 17 years old and I've always looked up to her way of dealing with stuff so confidently, as if nothing mattered. We have the same status in each our school, both the most popular, confident, beautiful girl. 

Only I was falling apart. Bit by bit, so slowly even I didn't know it just yet. 

Della:

I pull my hood and sleeves down lower. Another day, hiding, avoiding peoples gaze, just being the silent nobody I am. I mean, I did make this reputation myself. I chose to ignore people. On my opinion, most people are too nosy. They ask to many questions. Honestly, it just tires me. My attention span is rather small so people get annoyed since I'm not fully listening to what they're saying. Oh well. Not my problem. I'd rather be at home, drawing, my only escape from this world. The only way to express how I really feel. My arms are striped. It's the only way to temporarily calm the pain. 

I can't stand my face in the mirror, those big, grey eyes with dark circles underneath, staring back at me. I think everyone hates me. Even my pa.  I just...don't fit in. While the other girls my age go on and on about who likes who, makeup, some new band, I prefer to sit quietly on the side, listening to Girl in red while drawing. Just in case you're wondering, yes I'm lesbian. No-one knows. Not even my pa. I'm used close to him. Really close. Sadly, that changed. I don't have a mother. I mean, I do but I don't see her.

My parents got divorced when I was 3, and it was the best decision my pa ever took. My mother was a very toxic and manipulative woman, that always got things her way. After 8 years of marriage, my pa finally got the courage to get himself out of this abusive relationship, taking me with him. I never saw my mum since then, and never wanted to. If she didn't try to contact me, why should I? 

Me and my pa got along flawlessly. We had the same hobbies, the same passions, the same music taste. I was perfectly happy until I turned 10. Me and pa started growing apart. It was like a woollen sweater slowly unraveling. I discovered my mother was trying to get me to live with her. That led to numerous arguments over the phone between my pa and her. Of course, all I wanted was to stay with pa, make him happy and proud of me. If only I could... *ringgg*  the school bell chimes, pulling me out of my daydream. I start walking over to my first class, maths. The teacher hates me, he always has. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to stay quiet. 

Lorelei:

The bell rings, I start walking inside, Aidan still holding me. Ugh. "Why does he always have to touch me, he knows I don't like it", I think uncomfortably. I look at my agenda: first lesson is maths. Great. How could this day get any worse. My stomach rumbles loudly. Aidan looks over: "Are you hungry?" "I'm fine, don't worry", I sigh as he tries to kiss me. I push him away and tell him I'll see him later. I step into the classroom and take my usual seat by the window. A blonde girl slides into the seat next to mine: "Hey Lor!! How was your Christmas?" "Hey Mina, mine was fine, how was yours?", I answer my friend. Me and Mina met two years ago and became rather close friends. As she opens her mouth to answer, the teacher walks in: "SILENCE!", he yells as everyone hurriedly gets their text books out. I sigh and start listening.

I see her tell him she's not hungry. "My plan is working", I think. Now I have Xya to help me scare her, it's going to be so much easier. "It's perfect", I tell Xya happily. Ruining, destroying teenage girls is my speciality. Occasionally, I'll do a boy or an adult, but teenage girls, thats easiest. Lorelei is my current victim. 

I need to befriend her, get her to trust me. I'll slowly take control, and she'll think I'm just helping. I'm a genius, aren't I? This is going to be so fun.