The Shadow House

Waking up was never my strong point. The obnoxious sun light always managed to snake through my thick black curtains, and pry its way into my vision. Letting out a loud groan, I grabbed my alarm clock and threw it across the bedroom. It landed somewhere in the corner by my ridiculously large wooden oak desk.

Haphazardly I swung my feet out from under my heavy down comforter, and violently positioned them onto the floor. With one last rub to my eyeballs, a quick stretch, and a yawn, I was off to the bathroom to complete my morning ritual before my first day of school.

"You nervous?" My brother asked as he peeked over the top of his motorcycle magazine.

"I don't get nervous." I snapped as I searched the fridge for a carton of orange juice.

"Hah. Okay then. Want me to drive you to school?" He asked.

I knew what he was doing. Ever since our parents died he's been trying to make my life feel as normal as possible. It's got to be a hard job. I'm sure my attitude doesn't help his efforts. Today is my first day back at good ole Savannah High School, and truth be told- I'm dreading it.

See, my parents didn't die in some terrible accident that would warrant me overwhelming sympathy and support. They didn't even die some heroic type of death. Instead, my mother caught my father screwing around with some bar fly, and in a passionate rage my mother decided to kill them both in a sleezy motel room. Only to turn the gun on herself in the end. It was out of guilt, I'm sure.

Fortunately for me, in my small gated community, I get to stay behind and become the certain of gossip. My glory days of being Ms. Popular died with my parents. My first day as a senior will also be my first public walk of shame since my parents deaths.

"You're gonna be late, Ryan. Get a move on it." My brother yelled from somewhere near the front of the house.

Yeah, you heard that right. My parents named their only daughter Ryan. Sweet, right? That's what happens when your mother is overly empowered by womens rights to equality.

"I'm coming, dad!" I taunted as I ripped my bookbag from its place on the kitchen counter.

I made my way out of our oversized house, stopping in the living room to soak in the memory. This house never felt as big as it truly is until my parents were gone. Once upon a time this house was always littered with people. My mother loved to entertain the masses. She was a bonified southern woman. All the way down to her love for gossip and backwoods drama. Now that it was just Killian and myself this house seems like a gigantic nagging reminder of the days where everything felt so care free.

A horn honking ferociously outside tore me from my downward spiral of after thoughts. I exited the house, not bothering to lock it, and hopped into the passenger side of my brothers brand new black Escalade.

"How come when mom and dad die you get a new ride and I get nothing?" I asked as I cautiously applied my make up.

"You'll get things in time, Ry. Over the next ten years you get a total of 5 million dollars. That's more than nothing... A lot more." Killian replied thoughtfully.

"Whatever. You pickin' me up today?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am." Killian said flashing me a smile.

"Ryan, before you take off... Promise you'll call me if it gets to be too overwhelming?"

"Sure, but I'll be fine." I replied, hoping to ease his nerves.

I kissed my brother on the cheek, and lept to my death in front of the entire high school. Well, not literally, but with the way everyone gawked at me when I stepped out of Killians' Escalade you would've thought I shot a preacher.