Sanctuary

Chapter 1.

Bright lights shine through the curtain as the sun rose over the horizon of corn fields. With a soft yawn, I rose from my bed, rubbing my eyes. I knew I obviously didn't want to go to school. So did half of the rest of the sophomores.

I threw back the covers, moving my legs over and standing up. With a soft sigh, I fixed my bed back up, knowing my grandma would throw a bitch fit if I didn't always have her room cleaned up and put back. I looked to my mirror and walked over, examining myself.

Not the slimmest.. I thought to myself as I poked my pudgy stomach. Not the prettiest either. I walked over to my drawers, pulling out a black tank top and cardigan. After some deciding, I picked out my light blue jeans; in fact, the only pair I owned.

I changed quickly, huffing as I fixed the outfit up. After I did so, I went to my bathroom, brushing my hair out and taking out my liquid eyeliner. After brushing my auburn hair, I began putting the eyeliner on in little wings.

"That seems good.." I sighed softly, looking to the blinding light coming from my window. I walked over, shutting the curtains before grabbing my backpack that I had organized the night before, heading down the creaky stairs. To my astonishment, my grandparents weren't in the front room watching The Price is Right while eating Cherrios.

I headed over to the kitchen table, where a bowl of Coco Puffs sat, picking up the spoon and beginning to hurriedly eat. As I ate, I tapped my foot to P!ATD. My friends usually questioned my music tastes, but I questioned theirs right back. Kpop was weird in my opinion but I still enjoyed it.

As I finished up, I sat the bowl by the sink and put the cereal away. I walked over to the door and opened it, looking back at the room to see a turtleshell cat laying on the couch, licking her paw. "Goodbye to you too, Sorrel." I gave a soft smile as I spoke to the cat, then headed out of my home, shutting and locking the doors.

I walked down the driveway, even skipping a bit out of boredom as I looked to the mailbox I has stood by for eight years. When I approached, i flipped the flag to show there was mail, looking down the road to see if the bus was close. A few minutes passed before the bus rolled up, opening the metal doors for myself, Aspen Littner, to get on and head to hell.

Morrigan High School.

Morrigan wasn't that bad, at least that's what i said to myself. It still had the stereotypical social statuses, fights, crappy lunch, and what not. But there were of course people like me.They didn't really belong to a group. They didn't really belong... Anywhere. And those people ended up forming my friends.

At the back of the bus, a tall, beefy looking girl waved me down, smiling. I noticed her and walked to the back, smiling awkwardly.

"Hey there, Sierra. How was your break?" I spoke softly.

"Oh it was fantastic, Aspen! I got to go to a training camp! And afterwards I went to go see Roseanne!" She laughed, a bit giddy.

I smiled a bit at my old friend, who has stayed with me since we were kids. I reflected on the times we went to go get ice cream together at Scoops. Even when we did a movie marathon of all of the Marvel movies, for my fathers sake.

"It's wonderful that you got to go see your girlfriend, Sierra. I can't imagine how it is to have your loved one live in the capital." I gave a soft sigh, rubbing my arm. "It must be nice to have someone like that.." I blushed a bit as she looked away.

"You still crushing on Mr. Clumsy?" Sierra snickered. I whipped my head around, frowning and whining like a child.

"I am not!" I huffed. Sierra let out a laugh as she looked to the front of the bus.

"Wow. Seems like a lot of new middle schoolers and freshman."

"You said that last year." I pointed out, murmuring a bit to myself afterwards. "Don't you think it's a bit.. Crowded..?"

"Nonsense! The more the merrier, am I right?" Sierra smiled.

"Well, to you of course, Social Butterfly."

"Oh come on, Aspi, we all know you wanna make more friends."

"That's what you think.." I puffs my cheeks out a bit as I watched a small, petite girl climb aboard the large yellow Twinkie filled with kids. She made disgusted noises as she stepped over backpacks, legs of kids who were too fucking lazy, and tons of school supplies. The girl noticed the duo and headed over, sitting in a seat right by us.

"Wow Mireille, I'm surprise you didn't chop their heads off." Sierra laughed as she looked over, looking extremely tired and done with life, moving her dyed pastel purple hair behind her and out of her face.

"I was about to.." She frowned, a soft Boston accent hinting at her voice. Mireille looked over to me. "What's got your stomach in a knot this time?"

I returned a glance. "Amount of kids."

Mireille stifled a laugh. "Please Aspen, you're like this every year!" I frowned.

"It's not my fault, you know." I huffed. Sierra patted her head as she smiled.

"Oh you poor kitten.." She laughed.

I shrugged them off, looking outside at the endless rows of corn as the bus drove down a country road. The gears in my mind now turning giving me into realization. My half lidded eyes looked to the asphalt. I grumbled as I fixed my cardigan, the bus pulling into the place I hated most.

I stood up, and after two minutes they let the kids off the bus. Sierra grabbed Mireilles hand and dragged her off as I looked up to the two story school. Slowly, i took her arms by the elbows, almost hugging myself as i moved into the school. The noises of people flooding my ears, countless eyes rested on me as I passed.

"They're talking about me.."

She felt sick to her stomach, her ivory face becoming more pale. Her throat seemed to knot up as she shut her eyes. She took a deep breath.

"I want to go home.."