The Silent One: Cursed Daughter (Book 1)

The New Boy

(Alice's POV)

There he stood, patiently waiting in the doorway, while the guidance counselor informed our teacher of the new student joining our class. His appearance is casual, a white t-shirt and ripped blue jeans, simple yet charming at the same time. He greeted everyone with a smile as he walked into the classroom.

I blushed when he looked at me, so I quickly averted my attention away from him. I looked over at Anna, hoping she would distract me, but even she was fixated on the latest addition to the class. I could hardly blame her. His smile almost had me drooling.

As I peered over the edge of my book, I took a closer look at him. He stood at the front of the classroom with Mr. Robinsky. His perfectly white teeth show through his soft-looking lips. When our eyes met, I could see the deep emerald-green color of his eyes shining from the stream of light coming from the window. They seem to glow, but they also show a hint of hurt and pain. He’s taller than our teacher, and his body is muscular.

The longer I stared at him, the more I learned about him. I didn’t realize how long and hard I had stared at him, but luckily, I wasn’t the only one. Occasionally our eyes would meet, and I felt my breath catch in my throat every time. There’s something different about this boy, but I couldn’t figure out what. It was like a sixth sense. My attention snapped back when Mr. Robinsky started talking again.

“Well, class, we have a newly transferred student joining us this year," Mr. Robinsky said before asking him, "What is your name?”

“My name is Tate, Tate Evermore,” he said in a rich, velvety voice.

A voice like that was soothing enough for me to sit and listen all day. The only problem is that I would probably make a fool of myself or scare him away. As much as it pains me, I must come to terms with myself. Someone like him couldn't understand me because I was a freak. And so, I continue to tell myself that no one would ever love a freak like me.

“Well Tate, there are only two seats left in the classroom. One is next to David, and the other is beside Alice," Mr. Robinsky said as he pointed in David’s direction, then mine. "Take your pick.”

Tate didn't hesitate in making his next move as he nodded his head and smiled before walking towards me. I could feel sweat forming on my hands as he sat next to me. The room was filled with the sounds of whispers, and I tried to ignore them as I buried my face in my textbook.

“Hey, what page are we on?” Tate asked me as he leaned in.

“Don’t bother talking to her. I think she’s mute. She never speaks,” Maroona said while turning around.

I knew it was only a matter of time before she said something. That girl is known to be the most popular girl at school, who thinks she is better than everyone else. She has never stayed with anyone longer than a week. From the looks of it, she has already eyed up the fresh meat, claiming him as her fling for this week.

“That’s a shame,” he said, as he looked at me with an apologetic smile. "I feel like a pretty girl like her would have a lovely voice."

“Don’t boost the freaks' ego that high, it would be a waste of time,” Maroona says before asking, “Why do that when you could take your time to get to know someone who can hold a conversation with you?”

I watched as she leaned over his desk and touched his hand. When I saw her fingers trailing up his forearm, I quickly stood up and ran out of the room. Then I sprinted down the hallway and around the corner to the girls’ bathroom. I refused to let my emotions take hold until after I checked all the stalls to ensure no one else was in the bathroom with me.

I was alone, and that’s how I prefer it. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the reflection looking back at me. The shell of a fragile girl who held a secret deep within, desperately scratching at the surface to be released. Before I knew it, the same burning sensation itched at the back of my throat. I gripped the edge of the porcelain sink with my left hand and my burning throat with my right hand.

My hair falls over my face as I bend over. In the mirror, I could see it begin to change at the roots, then gradually move its way down to the tips of my hair. My nails grew into claws that scratched at the white paint on the sink. They slightly peeled the paint away as it made a screeching sound. A sound that resembled silverware scraping against a glass dish, or nails on a chalkboard.

When I could no longer hold it in, I looked at myself in the mirror, staring at the stranger in my reflection. The secret I fought so desperately to suppress reached the surface and over time, it had become even more difficult to control. I opened my mouth, releasing a scream that echoed against the walls. It caused all the mirrors to shatter, flinging glass through the air. Pieces of all the broken mirrors lay scattered on the floor around me.

Once I had let it all out, I sank to my knees and silently cried into the palms of my hands. Anna slowly opened the door and hesitantly walked in my direction. I quickly changed back into my human form. She wasn’t supposed to see me like that. It’s the part of me I don’t want anyone to see.
I couldn’t look at her.

Especially after I was so careless, my reactions were uncontrollable and reckless. I didn’t have to look at her to know she was disappointed in me. So, I stared at my reflection in the shards of the mirror in front of me as I cleaned up my mess.

Anna sat next to me and helped me pick up the broken glass. I hissed at the pain when a glass shard sliced my hand. She quickly grabbed my wrist and took the glass away from my hand. While shaking her head, she discarded the broken glass then grabbed a few paper towels from the dispenser.

She helped me clean my wounded hand, before throwing away the bloody paper towels. After sitting down next to me, she placed my head on her shoulder while wiping away my tears. At that moment, I felt weak.

“Don’t listen to her,” Anna said as she shook her head. "You aren't a freak."

“They don’t even know what I am, and they think I am a freak,” I said with a sniffle. “What would people think of me if they saw the real me?”

After a moment of silence, Anna finally said something.

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks and you shouldn’t care either," Anna said softly. "I see you, Alice.”

She took my face into her hands, but I pushed them away. I turned away from her and resumed picking up the glass.

“You don’t get it, Anna," I said while shaking my head. "I really want to talk to him just as I am with you, and it kills me to know I never can."

"Alice..." Anna says before I cut her off.
With my back still facing Anna I said, "I’ll never find love if I can't even talk to a boy.”

“They will never find out. Don’t worry. You just need some faith,” she began to say. “As for love, you will find someone who loves you, and every part of you at that."

When I don't respond, she says, "I love you, Alice, and you know that. You are my only friend and the closest thing I have to a sister."

She pulled me into a hug, and I turned around to hug her back. It was a long, much-needed hug. I could feel the banshee retreating into the depths of my mind. When we finally pulled away, I looked in the direction of the door.

“I don’t know if I can depend on faith, considering it hasn’t worked in my favor so far,” I said while shrugging. “I’m starting to think the only people who will ever love me are you and my mother."

"That's all you need," Anna said with a half smile.

"You're right, and I’m grateful to have you as my friend, Anna. You're like the sister I never had but always wanted," I say as I look away. "I love you, too.”

All is quiet again, other than the scraping sound of cleaning up the broken glass. With Anna's help, we managed to clean all the glass up. Then we washed our hands, before Anna bandaged my hand with the first aid kit she kept in her bag.

“We should return to class,” Anna said with a smirk. "I have a few choice words for that bitch."

I shook my head while trying to keep Anna from leaving the bathroom. We barely made it a few feet out of the bathroom before running into Tate in the hall.

He caught me off guard and I could tell Anna was too. Especially with the way she squeezed my arm. I’d be surprised if I didn’t have a bruise. He looked up from his book and smiled at us.