You'll Be The Death Of Me

Madison

Empowering. That's what it felt like to strut through the school gates Tuesday morning, after Violet didn't show Monday. Boys stared after me anyway, but the glances I loved the most were from Violet. Her cute little gaze that she so longed to twist into a death stare, but she just couldn't do it. No one could mess with me, not really.

I whip out a cigarette, burn the end and inhale sharply. I catch Violet looking again, this time I throw her a wink. Her body tenses up, but not as if she wanted to hit me. Not as if she was angry at me. No ... I notice the water shining in her eyes. She was trying to stop herself from crying.

Should that feel empowering? My thoughts start to question themselves. I didn't want her to be upset with me; I wanted her to be raging at me, causing a scene, urging to kill me. My eyes fall to the floor. I take a drag. I fluff up my curled hair. And dismiss it.

Tate steps into my path, his soft eyes throw daggers.

"Hey there, lover boy." I chant, flicking ash onto the ground.

Tate comes closer, centimetres from my face, his breath tingling on my lips.

"Coming for seconds, are we?" I whisper, but a harsh hand wraps around my throat and shoves me into the wall.

"Tate!" I barely make out, breath fighting against his grip.

"Stay away from me." His voice was cold, emotionless, stern. His hand slipped away and he disappears into the crowd.

My cigarette falls to the floor. I gently touch my neck, and rapidly pull my hand away. I clear my throat, forcing myself to deal with the pain it caused and quickly dab the tears away with my finger.

"Did he hurt you?" A familiar voice calls out, hesitantly.

By now everyone had trailed into class. Empty. Apart from me. And Violet.

I don't know where she is and I don't bother to look.

I scoff. "Why would you care?" My voice comes out weak, scratchy.

Silence fills the space, and after a few moments I thought she had left.

"I don't."

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion and place a cigarette in my mouth. "Then why the fuck did you ask?"

"Because I was hoping he did." she materialises from behind a brick pillar nearby and begins to head my way, halting just a few steps away.

She lifts up her arm, lighter in hand and flicks it swiftly so a small bright flame protrudes from the object. I watch, uncertainly, as she allows the flame to engulf the end of my cigarette and pulls away abruptly after ash starts to burn up the tobacco.

She smiles, but it isn't cheery. I couldn't read her eyes, how she was truly feeling. She was easily blocking out her emotions so I wouldn't know. She turns away.

She was winning the game. A step in front.

I chuck the cigarette down as hard as I could, and squash it flat as I storm towards next lesson, anger burning in the pit of my stomach.

***

so this is shit and I have had it waiting as a saved chapter but I don't know what else I could add to it so here u go.

enjoy :))