Chapter 1
Elena's POV
It was the fourth period of the last day of highschool when I received the call. A teacher assistant in her thirties have gone up to my Maths class and told the lecturer that the Principal wanted to see me. As usual, everyone kept quiet, speculating what I could've done. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared, but I, Elena Vanderson was the most popular girl at school, and there was nothing I was afraid of.
Putting on a calm and composed face, I packed my bag and slinged it over my shoulder, following the teacher assistant out of class and towards the Principal's office.
Principal Kate had a grave and sad expression on her face when I stepped in. I heaved a sigh of relief, since she didn't seem to be angry. But little did I know, the news I was about to hear was ten folds worst than getting in trouble in school.
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I stopped schooling once highschool was over. Dad had been involved in a hit-and-run accident on my last day of school, and had left the world before I made it to the hospital. Mom and my elder sister, Taylor, were devastated. I think they liked to take it out on me, since I was the youngest in the family.
Taylor said that dad wouldn't be able to attend her wedding, if she did get married and that he wouldn't be able to see his grandchildren, if she did have any. Mom said she had to sleep alone on the bed from then onwards, and could not come home to dad's laughter in the living room.
They took it out on me. Whenever mom came home and I was watching the television in the living room, she gave me a stare filled with coldness and hatred, for taking dad's place on the sofa. It had been 4 years since that fateful incident and till now, mom still looked at me as though I didn't belong here.
I felt this wasn't fair. It wasn't like I didn't miss dad. It wasn't like dad could come to my wedding when I got married. It wasn't like I didn't miss him and watching the soccer games together at night. Why did they take it out on my? Because I was his favourite when he was alive? Something they will never know how it feels was to not be able to see the only person who loved you for the last time.
They were there when dad passed away. They were at his bedside, sobbing. Yet I was in a taxi, repeatedly asking the driver to hurry only to get snapped at. They will never understand. Will it be any easier for me? No.
So when I turned 18, I moved out of the house and never contacted mom and Taylor again. I rented a bedroom in a 5 bedroom house at the Eastern part of town. I took up odd jobs, working in a music store in the morning, and working in a pub at night. Since I never missed a day of work, I ended up with a pretty large amount of savings once I turned twenty.
The owners of the house was a family of four and they took really good care of me. They were like the family I used to have. Joyce and Christopher Parker had a daughter my age who was currently in college. Her name was Megan and we turned out to be pretty good friends. They had a twelve year old son, Mike who was as adorable as a little puppy.
The day I moved in was the day I could genuinely smile again since the day dad left.
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I pressed a pillow over my ears as the alarm rang. It was 6.30a.m., time to wake up and get ready for work. I had a late night last night, watching movies with Megan in her room and finally going back to mine only at 3a.m. I sort of regretted that.
Grumbling as the alarm continued its shrill ringing, I shut it up and got up to the toilet. Gosh, the dark eye rings. I took a warm bath and put on a red tank top and black skinny jeans, before going to the counter to put on some make up.
