Salty Licorice

Chapter 25

Liz's POV

Looking in the mirror to examine my neck to see the bruising now nearly completely faded before I apply light makeup to cover up what's still visible making it invisible to the naked eye unless you look really close. I blend it all together so it is not obvious. I don't want to have to cover my neck today when I'm lazily dressing up for Halloween, which is tomorrow. Everyone seems very excited about Halloween being on a weekend and it's probably because of all the party's they're throwing.

I head downstairs after I'm done with my make up. I'm going with a simple cat ear headband with some makeup to imitate a cat with a black shirt and skirt. Mom is at the stove cooking breakfast but I'm not really hungry so I opt for a coffee and a toasted bagel. I check the time to make sure I don't miss the bus, by the time I'm done eating and rinse my cup the boys are up.

"Lizzie," my baby brother Tyler whines still with sleep in his voice. He stands with his hands out asking to get picked up. I'm not sure if he's aware he's getting a bit big to keep getting picked up but I do it anyway. "Do you have to go?" He tucks his head into the crook of my neck with his arms around my neck.

"I have school bub, you know that. But I'll be home tonight. Do you wanna pick out a movie to watch with me later?"

"Any movie?" He picks up his head and looks up at me. I simply nod with a soft smile. "Okay." He wiggles letting me know he wants down so I let him back on his feet.

"Sister," my other brother Luke says.

"Brother," I mimic his speech.

"I heard something of a movie?" He says trying to sound older.

"Yeah I did, shorty pants," I snicker when I watch his face contort to irritation.

"You say that now, but you just wait, one of these days imma be way taller than you," He crosses his arms trying to put on a mean face that turns more into a pout.

"Don't make me wait too long," I smirk when he huffs in frustration.

"You're a big meany Lizzie," Luke pouts.

"Sure thing shorty pants," I say as I walk past him pushing his head to the side. "I'm heading out."

"Have a good day!" I hear my mother's voice ring out as I let the door close behind me as I walk down to the bus stop.

I stand waiting for the yellow bus to come rolling up the road, luckily I have it timed pretty good by now so I only have to stand waiting for like a minute. Once all the students file on leaving me to find a seat in the middle alone, I sit with my headphones in and lean my head back against the brown pleather, tracing the tips of my finger across a cut in the fabric of the back of the seat in front of me as my eyes read some black writing made from a permanent marker; ET is a cunt and do drugs fuk schol. Clearly they need less drugs and more school if they can't even spell it. The whole ride to school was bumpy mostly because the bus bounces when it hits a certain speed down the road. If I had motion sickness then I would never ride these buses.

When the bus pulled up to the load off near the back of the school I saw a familiar head of long light brown hair staring at their phone with her brows knit, lazily leaning against a pole. Making my way off the bus I go straight up to her but she doesn't see me. So I step in front of her yelling Boo just like what Marisa did to me. Avery jumped so high she almost dropped her phone on the sidewalk. She flashed her eyes at me wide, giving me a good look into her light blue irises.

"Don't, do that," She huffs, getting her breathing back to regular and probably her heart rate too. "I hate that."

I just smirk at this new information. I'll definitely have to remember this for later. "What are you doing anyway?" I ask peeking at her phone screen that's still open to the device's settings.