The Baneflower

Chapter 11

Lina
6:39 am, done unpacking.
He lives in this town. I know it. He is the disease, he is the loser. I heard many stories from the teachers, because I was registering for my new high school.
The problem child.
Morley
At first glance, I barely recognized him, he changed a lot. I saw him sit behind the school alone. He looked pitiful.
Honestly, I didn't want to move to the suburbs because for a while, my father and I stayed at one of the buildings. It was nice there, and I was close to many restaurants and other venues.
I also didn't want to see Morley ever again. Things were complicated. Now that's inevitable, because I'm going to Canyonwell Secondary. It's the 4th best school around here, but ironically has the most problematic kids mixed in.
Like Morley.
Ever since my mom and his dad ran away to London, what ever connection I had with Morley was cut off by family conflict. We were aiming for a platonic kind of love but that didn't work, instead, we had actually feelings for eachother.
Which made the situation worse.
But that was grade six, whatever we felt in grade six should be gone now. To me, what we had was burnt away.
Morley
7:38 am, why am I up?
I had a dream where apparently my whole life was a dream. All the hell was fake. I was smiling.
Pure euphoria.
Reality was gone.
Then I woke up, and Kody is sleeping somewhere on the streets, Sasha was dead, Maralynn got fired, the door was half broken, and I'm here opening another beer bottle.
Stop.
I walk out of my house, dragging my backpack. The smell of smoke flooded the air.
I'm tired.
The streets were empty and the fog was thickening. I hear footsteps behind me, and I walk faster. Avoid everything, that was my motto.
Then I hear someone.
"Morley." She says. I don't want to look back. I am afraid. Afraid of facing what was broken before.
"Fuck off." I snap, but the girl doesn't flinch. I look back.
It was her, with her green eyes looking dull, and her brown hair slightly tangled.
Silence filled the air and I knew what was coming. She was going to yell.
So I walked away, away from the past, away from her, away from everything.