To Heaven and Hell

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Park

"Do my toes look funny to you?" I stare at my feet outstreched in front of me and wriggle my toes. "I mean...well, I'm not exactly sure what I mean."

"That's it," Greyson declares. "I am never letting you get high again. Or drunk, for that fact."

I look at him, my eyebrows knitting together, eyes squinting. "You are a fun sucker."

"Har. Har." He laughs sarcastically at me.

"Go be British somewhere else then!" I chuck a book toward him and it land to his left. "Funnnnn suckerrrrr," I drag out my words.

"Alrighty then. Cherrio ol' chap!" He is mocking me. "Toodleloo!" He waves at me as well. The door closes with a slight bang.

I sigh and lean back against the wall once he is gone. I'm not high. I mean, I was earlier but not anymore. I was faking and I am surprised that he couldn't tell. I honestly just wanted some time to myself. I mean, I haven't been alone since I arrived. So I decided that I wanted to some exploring by myself.

I open the door, and then I pause. This is hell. I should be doing something fun and daring! I spin around and face the window. I feel the smirk pull across my face. I undo the latch and push it open. I climb on the ledge and swing my legs into the outside air. I push myself out and hit the ground. Well, I just kind of had to put my feet on the ground because my legs are so long. But still I climed out my window. I don't think I've ever done that before.

I suck in a deep breath. The air smells nice. A strange feeling of nostalgia comes over me. Almost as if...it smells like home? Is this my new home? I mean, I guess it is.

I walk across the grass and walk toward the front of the campus. It doesn't look that big from the front, but when you look at it from the side there is a lot of depth to the building. People brush past me as if I am not even there. Maybe that is what I have to do, make a name for myself. I pause in front of a large tree and look up at it. Is that fruit? Growing on the tree? I feel a low chuckle vibrate through me.

"Can I call you Smiles?" The fire haired boy drops out of the tree and lands in front of me. I stumble back shocked and he just laughs. "I mean, everytime I've seen you, for some damned reason you are smiling. Are you high?" Luca seems sincerly curious.

"I was earlier, if that counts."

His face scrunches. "You are one of those people who thinks they are a comidian, aren't you?"

I shrug. "Well." I look back up at the tree. "Why were you up there?"

Luca leans back against the bark. "It's mine. My place, I mean."

"You live in the tree?"

"No you dumbass. It's mine. Like a gang has their turf, this is mine. The only one allowed in it is me. My tree."

"You are a possesive person," I note. "Are you that way with the Eden girl?"

His eyes go wide at the mention of her name and he launches himself at me. He grabs my shirt and flings me around, pinning me back against the tree. "Don't you dare talk about her," he growls. "I swear to God I will kill your ass if you talk about her like that again."

Did I really say something that offensive? I put my hands in the air. "Alright, sorry dude."

He lets go after a final shove. He huffs deeply and he digs his hands into his pockets. He looks back up at the tree and then grabs its lowest branch. He pulls himself up and dissapears.

"Are those apples?" I call up to him.

His head peaks out through the leaves. "Its the tree of knowledge reincarnate."

"Uhmm, what?"

Luca rolls his eyes at me. "Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Were you raised in a cave?" He reaches his hand out, plucking an apple from its branch. He drops it and I scramble to catch it. The shiny, red fruit lands in my palm. I look back up at him and he shrugs. "Eat it if you dare," he taunts. I hear a rustle of leaves and he is gone.

I suck in a breath and look back down at the apple. This thing isn't natrual. Nothing about it feels right. My stomach starts to churn and my head spins. Not right at all. A shooting cold pain goes through my body making me completly ridged and frozen. The apple falls from my hands and I stagger back.

I try to take huge ammounts of air into my lungs, as much as I possibly can. I look down at the apple. And then I run. I run from the unnatural.

I crane my head back around as I run. The apple melts and sinks into the ground. A black rose pops up in its place, and the grass around it starts to die.

Milo

Bright eyes look into mine. Whereas mine as a light blue hers look more green. Our eyes are a sharp contrast from our mocha skin.

"If you're not coming I'm doing it alone." My twin says finally.

"You can't be serious." I whisper. I look around my room. Even though I know no one is around I feel uneasy. Our mom is working her extra shifts anyways.

I always have known Mila is a little off. She would be alone at school, always looking around. She may have been quiet but she would always direct the attention of other students, particularly the boys. But this is insanity. Her plan is disastrous and appalling.

Something inside me tugs. Our mom is always working to keep up with us. Mila has no sympathy for her. As Mila puts it, 'she shouldn't have had a one night stand.'

"I am serious." Mila persists. "Milo you can't back out on me now."

"Yes, I can." I say.

"Life will be so much easier. Milo, please. No one will know it was us. The story will die down after a while." She pleads with me.

"I'm not hurting innocent people."

"They aren't innocent." Mila pauses. "If you don't come I'm dying with them."

My throat closes up.

"I'm coming." I croak.

In the blink of an eye I'm at a place that seems eerily familiar. There's bodies scattered across the ground. One gazes at me with wide glassed over eyes. Bile creeps into my throat. There's a whirring sound as large lights circle the scene. Each time a light hits a body the earge to puke grows stronger.

Mila's wild eyes look up.

"Milo." Mila whispers. "I'm so sorry. I can't let us get caught." Her bright eyes are sympathetic but her actions aren't.

I bolt forward in bed with a shuddering gasp. I can't help but relive the desicion that cost our lives. Mila may seem fine with it, but I'm not.