Toxic

The Very Next Day

Hello people! I'm sorry for not updating sooner. School has been hectic! Too many schedule changes and tests and notes to keep up with. Anyways, that doesn't matter now I'm back! Now read on to the experimental story Toxic.

I never ended up going home. I would have thought that with all of the things I had gone through I would be able to handle the tension of opening that door and either facing a passed out father or an angry drunk father. But if I'm honest, I can't handle two drunken men in one night. I did slip in once to wash my hair and change out of my clothes which only took half an hour.

Tying my hair up into a ponytail, I threw on a black sleeveless shirt with a long red and blue sweater coat over it, jeans, boots and my pathetic jacket. I shivered as I stepped out into the cold and hurried to the bus with my MetroCard in hand and bag slung over shoulder. I made it to school just five minutes before the bell would ring. Yet somehow, I sensed that wouldn't be enough time.

Spinning the combination into the lock, I yanked out my books for first period class. Trigonometry. Why did today have to be Friday? The project was getting introduced which meant I would be stuck with Julia and Matt making out while I did the entire thing. Straighten me out, huh? I sprinted off into the hallway desperate not to be late.

"Someone's in a hurry." a familiar voice cackled. I spun around midstep. Matt. "I have to go to class." I say a littler quieter than I would have liked. I stay rooted to the spot as he walks over to me the tension building like the attraction of a magnet. "You don't have the limp anymore." I sense his disappointment. Even though I don't look offended, and I shouldn't be offended since I've heard this all before, it still offends me.

"Well, we're in the same Trigonometry class aren't we?" he says with a sly smile. "See you in class." And with that, he pushes me up against the locker, probably giving me another bruise, probably on my head. The force to my head was making me slightly dizzy. I didn't want to follow up behind him because that would probably lead to another beating and Julia would get the wrong ideas. I stare at the poorly wrapped bandage around my hand. I had to look at the bruise sooner or later. It would definitely be a good distraction. Looks like I'm going to be late for Trig. Again.

***

"Look who finally decided to join us." The teacher stares at me, while I stand in the doorway. I scan the classroom to find that we're not in our normal seats. Did he give out the partners already? "Sorry." He presses his lips together in a thin line and sighs. "Have a seat, Ms. Anderson. Since we have a new student we had to make a group of four. Julia Cain. Matthew Douglas. Maya Anderson. Ethan Wood. Great, I was with- "Wait, what?" I immediately clapped a hand over my mouth.

"Is there a problem, Ms. Anderson?" I shake my head and take a seat in front of Julia who was, of course, making out with Matt. Ethan sat next to me with his usual lopsided smirk. "What are you doing here? You weren't in my Trig class before." I say low enough so the Toxic Couple wouldn't hear. "They switched me out of my old math class since I took the Geometry course already. And then they put me in here." Julia pulled away from Matt, peering at us and then focusing her attention on Ethan.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" She says, slightly out of breath and with a confused smile. Ethan has this thing about him where he can switch from a mischievous look to a puppy eyes look. Right now, he's using the "puppy eyes." I don't dare make eye contact, in fear Julia will take notice of me. "Ethan?" he said it more as a question than an answer. How is it he can be so confident in class but so meek next to these two? My guess is that he was warned about them and he was trying not to make a bad move.

"Yeah, I don't think you got the rulebook." she says, her fake laugh only adding to my wariness. What was she talking about? "Rulebook?" he questioned. "Yes. For one, you can't talk to that." she motions to me and I sink in my chair a little. Ethan glances at me for a split second and then back at Julia. "Uhhh..." It wasn't going to last. I knew that much. The idea of having a friend seemed ridiculous from the start. "And you can't be near that." she gestures to me again. Before she could say anymore, the bell rang and Julia tore her attention from Ethan to Matt. They walked out of the room arms slung around each other and I tried doing the best I could to pack up as quickly as possible.

Stupid zipper. "What was she talking about?" Ethan asks. I try tugging at it again, but instead focus my attention on my binder which was still open. I put away the assignment and shut the binder, shoving it through the small space that had opened because of my ratty backpack. "What was she talking about?" he says it more firmly this time. A tone I was all too familiar with. It had a note of warning in it. He was probably going to hit me if I didn't get out of here soon. Finally, I zip the bag shut and make a move to leave the room.

But just as I'm about to make it to the doorway, he grabs my wrist. Why do people keep grabbing my wrist nowawdays? Is that a new trend for the Maya haters? The Toxic Couple did their damage to the rest of the school who has done their damage to me. "What does everyone in this school have against you?" his dark brown eyes search through mine, seeking an answer that I most definitely didn't have. And his touch made a certain pair of green eyes reappear. The thought made me feel sick to my stomach. His raspy, old voice calling out to me, echoing in the narrow streets. It's easier to hide in a regular jungle with the trees. But it's so much harder to shield yourself in the concrete jungle. "It's none of your business." I snap, pulling out of his grasp and stalking off to next class.

"I'm not gonna leave you alone until you give me an answer." He would give up eventually right? All new kids have tried the same thing but eventually end up turning on me just like the Toxics did to me a long time ago. I was used to that emptiness. I didn't need him to fill it just so the Toxics could crush it again. "Well then you're going to be waiting a long time." I yank the door open to the hallway, this time leaving him alone in the classroom.

***

It was the end of the day and I was scared. Ethan had held up his promise about sticking by me and it couldn't have been more frustrating. "Did something traumatizing happen to you as a kid? Did you steal something or kill someone to make them think your bad? Why do they think so low of you? Why all of them?" I could barely hear myself think.

And what's worse is he might follow me home. I didn't know where to go. I couldn't show him where I lived. I couldn't show him where I worked. Where else do I go? I don't know which bus to take and to where? I have no friends to turn to. "You should come over to my house." Ethan suggests, interrupting my thoughts. His house? I've never been to another person's house before. Except Matt's when we were still friends. That was where we usually hung out. I haven't been there in years. 

"Why?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him. He gives me a curious stare right back. "Why not?" Why not? It would be somewhere to go for the time being. "Okay." I say simply. His curious stare turns into one of a mixture of shock and surprise. "Okay?" I nod. "Okay." Why was he so surprised about it? "I didn't think you would say yes." That stung. Was he already turning into one of them? 

"Oh." I say, trying not to show any emotion. But he could always read me like a book for some random reason. Since the moment he got here right up until now, he's been so concerned about my background. "I'm sorry." he says. I shrug it off. It was going to happen sooner or later. I begin to head towards the bus stop when Ethan calls after me. "Where are you going?" I turn to him, confusion evident in my features. "Your coming to my house, right?" Wait, he was serious? I thought that was supposed to be some sort of test or joke. I nod before I could even contemplate the idea in my head. I guess it was time to see how Ethan Wood lived. 

So so so so so so so sorry for the wait. If I'm really honest, I thought this chapter sucked. I would have expected it to have turned out better but I want to save some things for the later chapter and I'm afraid if I put anything I'll either stray from the storyline or reveal her 'experiment.' Have you guys figured it out yet? No? Well then you can guess. Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate it, like always. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and... virtual smiley faces for everyone!