{3}
Since the very beginning of my high school career I heard about people hanging out in a secret room down in the basement. I always thought it was odd. Why would anyone want to hang out in the basement of a high school? And I didn’t get it, not until Bay led me towards the old stairwell off to the side of the gym and down to the underground level of the school.
It was dark at first, cluttered with old desk, chairs, and tables that never made it to the trash bin outside. But the deeper we went, the clutter thinned out and it started to look less like a possible murder spot and more like a hangout- sort of.
It wasn’t until Bay ushered me into a room in the back that I realized why so many people talked about the secret room down in the basement. Large enough to hold about fifty people, the vast room held old couches, an old soda and junk food vending machine that looked as if it hadn’t been stalked in years. Only a handful of people were in the room when Bay and I entered and what sounded like The weeknd played in the background. The soft melody of the song created a relaxing environment.
A girl with white blonde hair and purple tips sat on a guys lap; can of soda in one hand as the other played with the guys hair. From where I stood, he looked to be asleep. At the Coca-Cola vending machine a tall guy stood, plucking in his change into the slot slowly. On the couch across the room, secluded from everyone sat another guy, his blonde hair pushed back behind his ears.
I couldn’t make out what any of them looked like but then again, even if I did I wouldn’t know any of them. Up until today, I didn’t know who Bay even was.
“I brought new meat.” Bay said as she fully stepped into the room and bounded towards the couch where the girl sat on the guy’s lap.
At the sound of her loud voice everyone looked up, including the guy who I thought was sleeping and the one who was buying something at the machine.
Stepping into the room, I stuffed my hands into my sweater pockets and slowly drifted towards the middle of the room.
“Aren’t you that dead girl’s twin sister?” The guy who I originally thought was asleep blurted out.
“I prefer being called my name actually,” I replied. “But yes, I am.”
The girl with white hair and purple tips smacked the guy upside the head and rolled her eyes, “Excuse him.” She said with a small smile. “He doesn’t have a filter between his brain and mouth.”
Glancing over at Bay, she shrugged as she took a bite out of her liquorish. “It runs in the family,” she smiled. “That’s Mark, my twin brother.”
“’Sup,” he nodded his head, “I’m Mark.”
“And he’s extremely baked,” the girl sitting on his lap laughed, “I’m Carrie, his girlfriend.”
I nodded and forced a smile onto my face, “Malia.”
Carrie returned the smile and turned to look over her shoulder, “That’s Viktor,” she said pointing towards the guy who was still standing before the soda machine. “And that’s Conrad.” She added as she nodded towards the guy sitting across the room with blonde hair slicked back and held behind his ears. “They’re cousins.”
“Well since we got introductions out of the way, who wants to light up a joint?” Bay sang out.
++
As the last bell of the day rang, I walked through the gym doors and stepped into the after school hallways rush. The loud chatter filled my ears and I cringed at how loud it was. After being down in the basement for three hours surrounded by slow music with explicit lyrics and joint after joint of marijuana, my senses were a bit numbed.
It turned out that Bay and her friends were pretty cool. Bay, Mark, and Carrie were the ones I carried conversation with the most. Viktor and Conrad tended to sit on the other side of the room and smoke on their own. I wasn’t sure what was with them, but for some reason they spiked my interest.
“Hey, Malia.” A hand clasped around my elbow stopping me in my tracks. Glancing over my shoulder I met a pair of dark brown eyes.
“David, hey.” I said pulling my elbow out of his grasp and turning to face him.
David Carter was the definition of cliché nice, popular guy. Captain of the swim and basketball team, his status put him in the top twenty. Add his positive and caring attitude, his charming ways, and great looks; he was the guy every girl wanted at their side.
And for two years, I had him at my side.
“How are you doing?” he asked as a small smile tipped the corner of his lips up.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I shrugged and glanced up at the clock on the wall half down the hall. Most of the traffic in the hall had thinned out, leaving only the few remaining students who stayed after school roaming the halls.
“I’m fine.” I wasn’t. I was far from fine.
“Are you sure? Because when we were dating you usually weren’t fine whenever you said you were.”
At the mention of the both of us before now, my frustration seemed to rise. “Not to be rude, but is there a reason why you stopped me? I would really like to go home.”
David seemed to be taken back by my sudden outburst. Taking a few steps back, David ran a hand through his hair before he crossed his arms across his chest.
“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” he said.
“Well I’m fine, David.” I replied as I hitched my bag higher up my shoulder.
He nodded and I took that as my chance to walk away. Maybe I had reacted in the wrong way. He was only checking up on me. But just because he was everything every girl in Crimson wanted, he hadn’t been the picture perfect boyfriend as he portrayed himself.
I could recall all the nights he stood me up on dates, the drunken phone calls at three in morning when he went out with his friends, the fights, and the jealousy that was the reason why I preferred to stay away from people in general.
He and I weren’t a good fit. We were too different. Both of us liked and wanted different things from life. He liked our small town. I wanted nothing more than to leave Crimson Heights. He thought about marriage and having a big family, and all I could think about was getting through the day without breaking down and strangling someone.
As I rounded the corner and started towards the front doors of the school, I felt a pair of eyes on me. Turning around, I stopped at the main doors and looked around the empty hall. Viktor and Conrad stood by the staircase by the main office, hands stuffed into their jean pockets as they stared in my direction.
Chills ran down my spine and for some reason I felt the need to leave, as fast I could.
