Melanie

Two

When I woke up the next morning, I had finished my homework for the three hours of AP classes, but I still felt the need to study more since I was so mentally drained. I was an outstanding student at Dart Mount High. All the teachers, including the principal, admired my public persona. I told them I planned to attend Harvard University but hadn't applied yet. They were telling me that if I went for it, I would be the brightest student of all time, as well as one of the most popular football and basketball players of all time. I'd been thinking about this for a while, so I might apply eventually as an early decision.

Mom informed me she had to leave the house early because of a significant exam for medical school. It was one of the most important exams she had to take, and she had been studying tirelessly for the last few days. After that, Jake called me when my phone rang, and I answered. He told me to meet him outside so that he could drive me to school. Even though I wasn't very rich, I tried to save a significant amount of money before purchasing my first car. I went to open the door, and he was already there, but I could smell cocaine from him. I did not want to pass condemnation, so I had to remain silent as well.

"What a nice brand new day," he said. "I sincerely apologize for my horrible actions yesterday. I don't mean to, which is why I'm depressed."

"No, you don't need to apologize because I understand how you're feeling right now," I explained. "I mean, Jonah is a fantastic person who will be an excellent second father to you."

"Dax, could you just avoid mentioning his name for the time being? I just need to go to school and focus on my studies. I feel like I'm falling apart, but I don't want to lose my Duke University basketball scholarship." I understood when I patted him on the shoulder. His father graduated from Duke, therefore he was determined to make his father proud by attending there.

"Did you apply there yet?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I did, but I won't know the results until November," he continued. We still had time because it was only the beginning of September. Jake had ADHD, so he could frequently complain about his anger issues, but he wasn't a genius like me.

I abruptly nodded and slammed the door, allowing both of us to move to his gorgeous SUV car. He made a sound by clicking his car keys. We opened it and entered the car. When he started the car, the music was too loud in my ears. In front of him, I felt like my ears were bleeding. He chuckled and turned down the radio volume.

"Wait a minute, it was pretty loud; are you deaf or something?" While covering my ears, I said.

"I'm sorry about that. I like the music this loud and I'm not that deaf," he stated. "Because I have ADHD, I like to listen to loud music when I'm angry. It helps me to loosen up."

"Yeah, right," I said, rolling my eyes. He was laughing at me, although this guy may be a pain in my ass, but he'd always be my best friend. Finally, the car started, and he began driving.

When Jake and I walked into Dart Mount High, it was packed with students raving about some new student who was this gorgeous. I couldn't understand a single word they said. They were being excessively loud because they were shrieking, and you could guarantee the males were going after the new student. I couldn't appreciate it when people were too near to me. Because of my traumatic experience, I was claustrophobic when I was kidnapped.

That triggered post-traumatic experiences in my head. It reminded me of flashbacks from my teens. An older woman abducted my former middle school teacher. She stated she would like to have sex with me in order for me to receive an A in her class. Because I was terrified, I refused to trust and perform this action. This was the primary reason I was frightened of losing my virginity. I did not want to break it off with my former teacher, but her husband found me after I had been missing for two weeks. She was a selfish brat who caused me so much pain.