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Chapter 2

Yay, you decided to read the second chapter! I guess that means you don't hate it. On the real though, I appreciate each and every single one of my readers. Thank you so much for believing me me and this book. Okay, I'm done.  Carry on! The delicious Johnny Burt as Adam Baxter.

He turned to look at me, as if my asking him how he knew my name was a universal insult that everyone understood, but me.

"We go to the same school." He deadpanned. I scrutinized him, wondering how someone so unusually attractive as him could pass under my radar. I was a pretty observant person, and I took note of the beautiful things I saw, even though I saw none in myself.

"But you're not wearing school uniform." I interjected, taking in his sporty attire.

"I had soccer practice after school. Frankly, I'd do anything to get out of that ugly uniform." He pointed at my grey school skirt, white shirt and striped tie. I rolled my eyes, because that was the socially acceptable response for irritation.

"It's not that bad." I said, not really trying my best to seem defensive.

"No, it's entirely worse." I said nothing after that. It took me a whole two minutes to realise that I didn't know the name of my redhead acquaintance.

"My name is Adam, by the way." He offered, answering my unasked question. He stopped, turning his entire body so that his tall, imposing body blocked all the sunlight in my way. Holding out his hand, he waited expectantly for me to comply and shake it. When I did, he smiled, a smile that just brushed the surface of creepy and continued walking, to an untold destination of my house.

I stood there, watching him, waiting for my brain to catch up with my feet. Adam was definitely a strange individual and it was probably not wise of me to keep company of a person who projected similar qualities of a demented person. But then again, I wasn't one to adhere to the norm.

When we finally reached my house, I contemplated thanking Adam and inviting him inside for a snack or something. I didn't know if that would be weird, so I decided against it. Who's to say this wasn't a one time thing? Maybe Adam made a habit of walking hallow-hearted girls home.

"Thanks for walking me home." I said, my voice rising an octave higher than normal.

"No problem. I kinda like walking you home. You live in a nice neighborhood." I agreed. The way the oak trees blended in the scenery like an age-old friend was appealing.

"I should go inside now, " Taking two steps at a time, I asked, not very gracefully, "I'll see you at school?"

"Yeah, sure. You'll be seeing a lot more of me, Aura. You can't get rid of me." He then proceeded to skip, not walk, but skip down the driveway from my house. And for the first time in my life, I smiled a genuine smile.

"Visit your mom's grave, Aura?" My aunt Sarah waste no time in asking as soon as I shut the front door.

"Yep." I said, carelessly throwing my bag on the vintage couch Aunt Sarah allowed no one to sit on. She glared at me for a long moment which I took as my sign to pick the bag up and carry it up to my room.

My room was my solitude. It was the one place where I could stop feigning things I didn't feel. I couldn't even cry at my own mother's funeral. I never felt a pang of jealousy toward any person I've met. Even my heart didn't skip a beat when Joshua Waters asked me out on a date last month. I politely declined of course, it wasn't in my nature to lead boys on. Well, the few I've had the chance to talk to anyway.

My mom always used to joke that having a toddler who never cried or threw tantrum was a blessing to all single mothers. I try to remember the old her, before she got addicted. She used to laugh a lot, her smile a little too wide for her face. That was before she discovered the euphoric effects of heroine.