Rocky Rivers

three

As the first rays of dawn tiptoed through the curtains, gently kissing the room with their golden fingertips, I stirred from my slumber. The soft hues of sunrise painted the walls in a delicate watercolor of peach and lavender, casting a tranquil glow over me enough to wake me up. I was grateful that Darla had an extra key and took care of Alina like she was her own daughter.

  With a graceful motion, I slipped from beneath the covers, my bare feet sinking into the plush warmth of a soft, woven rug beside Alina's bed. I moved with a quiet elegance, gliding across the room to draw back the curtains, inviting the full morning light in.

    I stood there, bathed in the gentle glow of dawn, I relished in the stillness of the early hour. I still had another hour to get ready as I gazed out at the captivating park in front of us. My gaze wandered out the window, drawn to the familiar path that wound through the park below. I saw a familiar figure as he jogged with effortless grace. I admired his physique as he rounded the corner and stopped to drink water. He wasn't as buffed up as Jake, but he had broad shoulders and an athletic figure in basketball shorts and a hoodie.

   I quickly ducked my head when he directed his gaze my way. The last thing I wanted was his ego to burst and another cheating scandal.

  Was it possible that he lived beside me?

  This was clearly not a coincidence as I got back in sight to find the park empty with water sprinklers that had been turned on for the array of flowers. I was alone in the house as I cleaned up my sister's room and padded to my room to finish my daily morning routine which consisted of brushing my teeth, putting sunblock and layering my soft make up for the day.

  I opted for a laid-back yet polished look with a cozy oversized sweater in a soft, heather grey knit. The sweater draped effortlessly over my shoulders, its loose fit providing comfort while maintaining a stylish silhouette with rolled-up sleeves. I paired the sweater with high-waisted, slim-fit black jeans that hugged my curves elegantly. The denim's subtle fading and it added a touch of casual charm to the otherwise sleek ensemble. I chose classic white leather sneakers that lend a sporty yet chic vibe to my outfit. The clean lines and minimalist design of the sneakers complement the simplicity of my look.

I was ready to fight another day through high school. 

The key was safely put in my bag as I strolled through the street that led to the nightmare ahead. I was right when I told him that it wasn't the first time I dealt with these situations – because I had the same issues with mom. She was no longer in our lives; she was in a different city with a different family.

I had been through the turmoil of betrayal – where nobody believed what I said. That was the sole reason mom dumped us for her extravagant billionaire crush – I really couldn't blame her; they fought like maniacs, and I would rather they divorced than harm Alina emotionally.

Through the stains of my thoughts, I was finally in front of the doomed Lakeside High. I reminded myself to focus on the rhythms of my breaths, but that was cut off when I met the recognizable pair of grudging emeralds with the muscles that was accentuated with his white jersey, then diverged my vision to the guy that was in my house yesterday – my kitchen to be exact. He didn't pay attention as he talked animatedly to the other players, he leaned against his stainless black Range Rover at the parking lot.

The unfamiliar girls came up to me with the widest grins and told me how they wanted to be like me – they seemed like they didn't know a single thing about the news, which was refreshing until Linda came to ruin their bubbles as she shooed them away with her signature scowl.

"You're lucky today. Coach Serena wants to talk to you before our classes start." This was the most civilized sentence she formed up towards me, that made things sketchy as I inspected her from head to toe to make sure there were no sneak attacks.