Tedium (H.S)

One

CHAPTER ONE

Alyssa Solace

I scoffed as, yet again, the wind blew my brown hair in my face leaving me unable to read the page of my book.

I was sitting on the swing hanging off the tree branch in my back garden. My mother insists on chopping the tree down but I begged her not to, there were too many memories attached to this tree with the simple rope and plank of wood swing attached to it. Though I tried to push those memories out of my head, I couldn't get rid of this one.

I looked down to my wrists, checking if I had a hair tie, groaning when I realised I didn't and knowing my father said I couldn't come inside until his meeting was over.

I know some people might think I'm conceited being 19 not having a job and still living at my parents house. I wanted a job but my mother said it was unnecessary, I don't know if she meant that in a sexist or a "we have enough money" way but I didn't bother to argue with her.

My hair blew in my face yet again, getting caught on my lip gloss and making it sticky. I decided I would sneak in the house through the back door, crossing through the living room, and upstairs to my bedroom to get a hair tie without my father or his squadron of intimidating business men.

Sometimes I wondered why the biotechnology business my father ran required all the employees to be so terrifying. They were all dressed in suits, hair slicked back or just completely shaved off, wearing sunglasses.

I always thought the sunglasses made them look like douches but I wasn't about to say that to my father.

I slowly slid open the sliding glass door in the living room, taking slow steps inside and slipping into the hall with the stairs that separates the living room and the kitchen, where the meeting was currently being held.

"I don't give a fuck who is running it! They are putting me, my family, and all of you in danger!" I heard my father scream.

What does he mean he's in danger?

I'm in danger?

I let my curiosity get the best of me and hung back to the side of the closed door of the kitchen, intrigued to hear more about this so-called danger.

"Sir, we have tried to find him, but we can't. He's a ghost" A smaller, weaker voice speaks up.

"He's a ghost is he? Well how does a ghost kill 11 of my men with his bare hands?" My father speaks again, calmer this time.

Why would someone kill my fathers employees? Employees of one of the biggest biotech companies in the world whose only motive is to help people.

"I want him dead on my doorstep by next Sunday! Are you hearing me? I'm giving you, 35 men, a full week to find and kill this man. Appreciate my generosity" My father yells, I knew the calmness in his voice wouldn't last.

I hear footsteps approaching the other side of the door. I quickly bolt up the stairs, thank god I only have socks on or he definitely would have heard me.

I hear the kitchen door open just as I make it to my room.

Seeing as their meeting is presumably over I don't need a hair tie anymore, I had been outside in the semi-warm breeze for 3 hours today and that was enough.

I lay on my bed listening to the sounds of my father's employees leaving through the front door, their conversation still ringing in my head. I just couldn't understand why anyone would be trying to kill the workers of my parents company.

Three sharp knocks on my bedroom door distract me from my thoughts.

"Come in!" I yell.

"Ms. Solace, how are you today?" Liam, one of my fathers workers says as he steps into the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I thought I told you not to call me that, Li."

"I know, but your father insists" Liam replies with a small, sincere smile.

I slightly roll my eyes, knowing that's exactly what my father would do. Liam was one of my fathers higher up employees. Which confused me a bit as all my fathers employees were scientists who had studied biotechnology and the development of synthetic insulation for treating diabetes for years, but Liam wasn't very smart.

In fact, Liam had the job of 'protecting me', as he calls it. But to be honest I think my father gave him this job because he didn't want to pay more attention to me than he absolutely had to, which wasn't very often.

"Do you want to go somewhere? You know, shopping or... shopping for other stuff" Liam says.

I give him a weird look, "Is that all you think I do? Go shopping?"

"Well what else do you do?"

I lightly laugh, this is what I liked about Liam. All of my fathers other employees were too scared of my father to not walk on eggshells around me. But Liam knew I could take a joke.

"So what is it then? Anything you feel like doing today?" Liam says, sitting backwards on my vanity chair to face me.

"I don't want to do anything." I say, rolling over to lay face down on my bed.

I wish my father wasn't so protective of me, he kept me cooked up in this house all the damn time. Well cooked up is an exaggeration, it was a mansion with a huge back yard that I had free range of.

But still, I wish I would have been allowed to go to an actual school instead of home school, get a job,and make bad decisions with the friends I didn't have.

I know my father means well, I truly do love him, he just wants to make sure I'm safe. He says that people might try and use me for my money, or his money.

I heard Liam walk over and then felt the bed dip where he sat on the side of it, if my father walked in he'd probably go ape shit. But I know Liam would never try anything with me, he just wants to try and be a friend.

And I guess he is the closest thing I have to a friend.

"Liam, can I ask a question?" I said moving to sit cross legged across from him.

"Babies come from the baby store." Liam answers without missing a beat.

"Ha ha ha, you're funny." I say, my tone laced with sarcasm and humor.

"Thank you, thank you," Liam jokingly bows, "But yeah go on."

"What was that meeting about? I heard something about killing and my father being in danger." I say cautiously.

Liams eyes leave mine, looking down at the blanket that he's fidgeting with.

"You know I'm not allowed to discuss your fathers business with you, Alyssa." Liam says, his voice sounding apologetic.

"I know." I sigh.

There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence before Liam began to speak again.

"How about shopping, hey?" Liam says, trying to lighten the mood.

I smile, "I think I might just read those new books I got. Thanks though, Li."

"Those gross romance books? Come on! Read something better." He says with a scoff.

"What's better than a cheesy romance?" I ask, a fake offensive tone to my voice.

"I dunno, like diary of a wimpy kid or something."

I stare at him with unamusement on my face.

"Bye Liam."

He laughs slightly, "Okay I'll see you in a bit Alyssa. Call me if you need anything, at all, okay?"

I smile and nod at him.

He pats my shoulder before standing up and leaving my room.

I lay down on my bed again.

Sometimes I wish I was born into a normal family.