The Aster Effect

Chapter 4: Save a Dance

Song number 4: Time to Pretend By MGMT

As the period came to a close I placed my nearly finished piece beside a large fan, and made sure to turn it on so the paint could dry a little before I continued it tomorrow. "I gotta talk to the teacher so I'll meet you outside." Neil explained, while I paced up my sketchbook, and loose papers into my bag "Alright. See you at the front doors, and don't take too long!" I flung my bag over my shoulder and walked out of the classroom, noticing Noel right away, mother fucker! I was about to turn around and walk back into the classroom but Emma, the twenty two year old art teacher who insisted on us calling her by her first name instead of her last, closed the door. "Aster I know you're pissed off at me but I just wanted to say sorry...I know you hate it when people apologize to you but I'm doing it anyways." I sighed "Apology accepted, now leave me alone!" Noel flinched, and ran away. What a fucking pussy. I shook my head, while I grabbed my earbuds out of my pocket and plugged them into my phone, wanting to desperately get away from the real world for a moment.

Only to get pulled back in before I could get away, "There's the bitch that got me detention for a month!" Bethany bitched, looking over at me as she walked out of the school, with Nicholas's arm draped over her shoulders. I silently despised her, and all the friends she had, and yes I understand the word despised is harsh, but if she wasn't stuck up, and was at least relatively nice to everyone...I wouldn't have to use the word despised. The thoughts that were running through my brain were interrupted when the door to the art room hit my backside, pushing me into the large crowd of people who were exiting the school. It smelled like an ocean of perfume and cologne, which made the remaining brain cells evaporate for a quick moment, before Neil wrapped his veiny hand around my wrist and pulled me out of the crowd.

His deep, throaty laugh rang through my ears, as he flattened my hair "I can't leave you alone for one minute eh?" I rolled my eyes "Shut up and walk." We exited the school, and began walking through the rain towards our complex, which was about a block or two away from the school "Y'know I completely forgot to ask what your Aunts reaction was to you not getting any treatment." I bit the inside of my cheek as I thought back to her long lecture she gave me when we arrived home from the hospital that night.

"I can't believe you would do this to me, and everyone else you love!" I stomped up the stairs "When the doctor said it wasn't your choice I guess you didn't listen to him!" I yelled back, Elizabeth huffed "Your mother wouldn't be happy about this!" I stopped dead in my tracks "If you don't remember, I was there when my mother was going through all those painful treatments, and unlike you, I would rather not go through all of that, just to end up dying in the end!" She stared at me, blinking slowly "She fought for years if you don't remember!" I laughed sarcastically "I do remember actually! I remember everything! And I witnessed the last few months unlike you who just decided to leave the country to go on your stupid fucking vacation!" Elizabeth gasped, her mouth agape "I was tending to her! I needed one!" I clenched my fist, and felt the anger flow through me "You weren't the only one that was tending to her. You didn't see my father leaving for vacation cause he 'needed' one!"  She ran her hands through her hair "He took a permanent vacation a month after your mother died though." That one comment sparked a fire in me "Don't you dare say that about my father!" Elizabeth leaned against the table closest to her "You're the one that started this." She was like a teenager fighting with her mother! She was immature even though she was 46. "I started this?! Y'know what Elizabeth...Fuck. You." I stormed up the rest of the stairs and entered my bedroom, making sure to let all my rage out when I slammed the door, and locked it. I heard Elizabeth stomp up the stairs, yelling "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE SAY THAT TO ME! BE GRATEFUL THAT I EVEN TOOK YOU IN AFTER YOUR DAD KILLED HIMSELF!" I leaned against the door, and closed my eyes, hoping that maybe, just maybe, I could die right there on the spot. But I didn't. She unlocked my door, I forgot she had a key, and ran into the door, pushing me off of it. I stood there, staring at her in the doorway. I recognized the look she was giving me, the look of rage, the look that she gave me before she did something she regretted. She walked towards me, which made me back up out of instinct, but my desk stopped me from moving even further away from her, and for the first time, I was genuinely afraid of what she was going to do to me. That's when I felt her hand connect with my cheek, and with a loud slap noise my cheek turned red, and became warm to the touch. Tears threatened to fall down my cheeks, but I held them back, not wanting to show any weakness in front of her "And this" I motioned to my cheek "Is why I said fuck you...Because you have no self control and you don't understand how to be a good fucking person." I could see the hurt flash through her eyes, and the anger subside in her "I wish I didn't take you in, you ungrateful bitch." She spat, her venom didn't sting though, because I didn't care anymore "I'm the ungrateful bitch huh? I work every day, I even pay for house expenses because you fuck around every Saturday at some bar, trying to pick up guys younger than you, and do you see me calling you ungrateful for not recognizing things I've done for you?!" She blinked, not knowing what to say "Now fuck off...Cause you've said enough." Elizabeths facial features softened "I'm-" I've heard it all before "No. You're not sorry, so don't give me that bullshit, cause you'll just do it again, and again, and again...The sorry's are losing their meaning. So the best thing to do right now, is...GET. OUT." And with that she left me in my room, alone once again.