The Kids on Exspes Street

Chapter 3: Levi

Levi sat on her bed, the pale light from her phone screen casting light colors on her face in the darkness of her room. It was a nightly routine when she had no more homework to preoccupy her thoughts with, just to lay in bed and scroll through the artwork done by others on various websites to give her something to do until she fell asleep. However, another nightly routine had prevented her from doing that tonight.

Levi's phone was on the verge of combusting with the incredible amounts of incoming comments flooding her page.

Really, is that the best you can do? You have the artistic skill of a kitchen sink.

What, too busy wallowing in self pity and suicide preparations to create any more pathetic excuses for art tonight?

Don't hurt her precious feelings, guys. She'll sic the school counselors on you then cry about it.

What's she gonna do? Summon the only friends she has back from the dead to haunt us?

I bet Annabeth faked her death just to get away from Levi anyway.

Wouldn't surprise me.

Nobody likes snitches or whiners, you know.

With incredible frustration, Levi turned off her phone and slammed it rather forcefully to her nightstand. They knew nothing. They were just idiots who spoke without thinking. She had wanted to keep her blog open and public so there was a possibility of her artwork getting out there and noticed. It got noticed alright. Just from the stupid delinquents she attended school with. It wasn't the ignorant comments that bothered her, but the conversation about her deceased best friend.

She died in a car crash. They know nothing. They know nothing. They just want to get to you, Levi. You know there's been rumors about you and suicide attempts since Annabeth's been gone. You know they aren't true. Ignore them. Ignore them. It'll all be done in the morning, and you can go and delete the page. It's going to be fine.

That's what she fell asleep telling herself, anyway.