The Key To Your Heart | Teen Fiction

One|| Unchangeable

You wait for someone to choose you

You wait for someone to stay

But the only love that you're used to

Is the kind that goes away

("Unchangeable" by Matthew West)

The Key To Your Heart ✴ Chapter One

"Do you have the money?" His dark eyes narrowed at me.

"Yes..." I stuck my hand into my large bag, trying to find what he was asking for.

I had no idea that it would come to this -- I knew full well that this was wrong, even devious, and could possibly consist of consequences. But for some reason, I was doing it anyway. I could have just stopped right then and there. Not give him the money. Take the money back to where it belonged. But no, I pushed those thoughts out of my head.

As I felt my fingertips touch the wad of money, I pulled it out and after brief hesitation, I handed it to him.

He took it, looking at me skeptically. What was that look for? Did he think that I didn't have all the money, or something? Of course, I had all the money. I wasn't backing out now. I promised that I was committed to this. I promised him that I would bring him all of it. Besides, I couldn't afford to lose the only friends I had.

After counting the bills that I had handed him, a look of satisfaction spread across his face. Then he looked to me. "You did good."

You did good. I repeated the words again in my head.

"Thanks." I began feeling better about what I'd done. Even though I shouldn't have done it, the praise made me feel good. At least I was doing something right.

"Remember," His voice was cold and hard. Almost dark. "Not a word. About any of this."

"Yeah, I know, I know." He had told me a thousand times already.

We hadn't done anything to this extent yet. Sure, we'd done little things here and there, but nothing big enough to get into any trouble with the police. And this was something we didn't want the police finding out about.

Why did I hang around this guy? I couldn't say. But him and his sister and their group of friends, were the only friends that I had. I needed them. We needed each other. We had to stick together. This probably wasn't the right crowd to be hanging around. But they were always there for me. So I stayed with them. The praise that they gave me when I helped them out on their little escapades, made me feel good.

His name was Isaiah. Isaiah Black. But he went by Zay. He was the leader and definitely the toughest of our little group or gang or whatever everyone else in school liked to call us. His sister, Quinn was pretty close to being just as much of a leader as he was. And then there was the rest of the group; A bunch of Zay's guy friends mostly.

Zay was nineteen. Quinn, eighteen. And all of their friends were around that same age. Me being seventeen, I was the baby of the group. They all took me under their wing and taught me to do what they did. Which was mostly a lot of vandalism.

But the things they did and the things that they were having me do for them were getting bigger...and more serious.

I let out a long sigh. I was a thief.

<><><>

My fingers flew across the glossy white and black keys of my piano. The melody floated throughout the air and calmed my soul. And, for a moment, the thoughts of what I'd done for Zay escaped my mind.

My mom would kill me if she found out. But there wasn't much of a chance of that happening. I'd done many things before with Zay and his group before, and my mom didn't have a clue. Her and I didn't bond very well. In fact, we didn't bond at all. In a way, we were each other's worst enemies.

Not the way I'd like to be in a relationship with my mom. But, then again, not many things went the way I liked now a days.

I continued playing the piano as I tried to forget about my stressful day.

When I was stressed, I would do anything from taking an hour long walk to eating straight from the carton of ice-cream. But usually, getting rid of stress for me consisted solely of playing piano.

As I finished the song, I stopped playing, giving my fingers a short rest. I gazed upon the beautiful grand piano. I could hardly believe that it was all mine.

My dad was the one who gave it to me.

It was the most amazing gift I'd ever gotten. He knew how much piano had meant to me.

And it meant more to me now then ever before. I didn't have anything else in my life that could take away my pain.

When I touched the keys, I felt something amazing. Something beautiful. And I just couldn't get enough. I wanted more. It was the only thing that was keeping me sane.

Only two years after my dad got me my piano, he was gone.

But no, I didn't want to think about him. Not now.

<><><>

As soon as I hit the pillow that night, my thoughts came rushing in.

I tried my best, throughout the day, to keep my thoughts from coming. All they did was overwhelm me. But at night, I couldn't help but starting thinking. I mostly just thought about life. My life. And the meaning of life. Life just seemed so...void. What was even the point in it?

This question always seemed to come up, and all of my seventeen years of living, I could never find an answer.

I sighed, and turned over to face the window. The stars twinkled in the sky, illuminating the night. And I could hear the soft whistle of the wind.

It had been another day. Another pointless day.

I remembered when I used to say a prayer before falling asleep every night. That became much less of a habit now. I didn't pray anymore. I didn't read my Bible anymore.

I used to be on fire. On fire for Jesus. But the flame that used to be burning inside my heart...had died down to a tiny flame trying to hold onto it's last bit of oxygen.

I was dead inside.

I needed love. True love. A love that would be... unchangeable. But why would anyone love me? Especially when I hung out with Zay and his friends.

Everyone at Evergreen High looked at me skeptically now because I hung out with Zay and Quinn. They probably thought that I had gone all "bad" now. But that wasn't it. I just...needed someone who accepted me.

And Zay and Quinn accepted me.