Binding to the ashes

Chapter 1

If you met Verocina that would be the end of your high school. That's what people thought about her. She was reckless and never cared much. If she wanted she would have left a long time ago. Far away where no one was there to bother her. Except the only thing keeping her up was her little brother Jace.

                                         ***

"Long is the way,
                    and hard,
                        Out of hell leads up to light."
 
                                                       - John Milton.

Every morning when Veronica woke up the first thing she would see was her side table and on it a photo frame, a beautiful family smiling at her. But every single time she saw it, it made her cring up. She could not make up her mind about throwing it in with the rest of the things in the memory room.

She always thought why she always ended up on this side of her bed. Shrugging it off she went to draw the crimson curtains and in came the striking beams of sunlight. She closed her eyes her usual habit but this is how she could finally wake up in the morning.
  
She looked around her room. Everything was at the same place. The queen sized bed with floral bedsheets and on the other side was a dressing table, she often thought it was a bit old fashioned but her mother insisted keeping it in her room. Then there was her  side table with a study lamp that she never used. The last time it was used was, by her mother. While she would read her bed time story. This made her groan and trying to forget it again. The memory always pained her, inside out.

She went in for a shower. After getting dressed she headed downstairs usually sliding on it, she landed up with a thump and headed for the dining room, there she saw her brother. Busy reading. She always wondered, he looks so much like him. Shaking her head, she took the chair next to him.

"Morning nut head." She said ruffling up his hair with a grin and it grew wider when she heard him groan.

"Could just stop doing that! I just took half and hour fixing it." He said setting his hair. Such a drama queen she thought rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, can't help it old habit" shrugging her shoulder but still smiling.

"You roll your eyes so much one day you'll find your brain in the back of your head." He said laughing a little. She eyed him but said nothing. It was rare that they shared a happy moment.But it soon faded as she heard the creaking door of her uncle's room.

He walked in the kitchen with a news paper in hand and a kind smile. He had his suit on. He looked nothing like her father. He was quite young maybe 34. But he looked so young as if he were still in college.

He had striking blond hair and sparkling blue gray eyes. He had such a posture  as if he held the authority of everything. Not his fault, he had gotten used to this posture. Fighting cases in the court made him like that with a bold and hypnotic voice. No wonder how he always won the case.

"Morning Jace... Verocina when will you stop wearing these kind of clothes? You look like a gangster or bully kind of a person." He said calmly but with a stern expression.

"Yup, that's the idea." She said under her breath. Busy eating her cereal. Lucian Somerhalder had never imagined that his favourite niece would ever turn up so harsh and rude. He sighed and sipped his coffee.

I am going to throw up.
Verocina thought. She never appreciated her uncle, questioning her again and again about her dressing sense. She finished up her cereal, took the car keys from above the shoe rack and waited for her brother by the car.

After five minutes of listening to All time low, her favourite song at the moment. Jace came up running from the drive way. As she stood up near the gate with her black cat eye reflectors.

"You left me! Again! Can't you wait for two minutes?" He said panting.

"You want the ride or not." She said side gazing him.

"Um did I say you look amazing  in those reflectors." He said smiling and scratching his head.

"Oh thanks for the compliment." She said smiling wickedly.

Soon she was on her way to high school. She drove in the parking lot every single gaze was following her or rather her new car Porsche 911 which was gifted by his uncle. As there was no other option for her cause he already sold her old car.

She parked her car and headed for the gate. On the way to hallway everyone made the way for as if she were a queen. She did not even glance at anyone at went to the bleachers and took out her cigarette packet and picked up one and lit it. She took a deep breath and felt instant relief. She looked at the rising smoke and closed her eyes. She rememberd the last night's dream.

It was dark and she wondered where she was, all around her were trees and she was bare foot, her throat was dry because of shouting. Her hands were covered with blood and her clothes were torn.