Searching for Sawyer

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Searching for Sawyer
Chapter One

The sun was high in the sky, lighting up the footpath and roads into the small town on the outskirts of Wisconsin, USA. The small town was bordered by trees and a massive lake, that shone a light blue in the mornings and a crystal-clear blue in the afternoons. The birds flew between trees, singing a melody only they understood.

A pristine, simple sign was placed at the start of the town's territory. It was free of mould, weather-damage and bird poop. It looked as if it was cleaned frequently, as if it were an important aspect of the town. It reflected who they were as people – if the sign was immaculate, so were the people.

In lame, cursive letters, the sign read 'Lakewood'.

There was a picture of a lake underneath it, looking as crystal-blue as it does in the summer time. It's beauty was envied among all others. The town was rich in people and land, and not many went poor in the town of Lakewood among many other things.

There were two schools in town, the richer side of town and the poorer side. It showed due to the lack of care the second school was given, not to mention the lack of funds. The school may not have been the greatest, but it sure held minimal character.

Lakewood School of Fine Arts was the most respected school in town, for it showed that people cared to look after the building's state every few years.

The school was not far from the lake, and definitely didn't obscure the view in any way. The teacher's lunch room's window held its own private view of the lake. Many teenagers from interstate would move there just to attend the school – it held such a reputation that was envied by many.

Today was the first day of school and nobody felt it harder than the new seniors.

"Malory, get up!"

The sound of her mother's voice woke her from her slumber, making her groggy and unaware of the time.

"It's time to go to school!"

Malory closed her eyes once more, attempting to tune out her mother's screechy voice.

"And, I don't care young lady, you're going because I pay enough for that bloody damn school," Matilda Keagan shouted from down the stairs, in the kitchen. Malory huffed in response, rolling over in her bed. She remembers their argument from last night as if it were only mere moments before. Her head was beginning to pound as she took deep breaths.

Her mother often acted as if she knew exactly what Malory was thinking before she would ever have to reply. She found it infuriating but also felt relieved that she didn't even have to speak to her mother if she didn't want to. They only spoke whenever they began their infamous weekly shouting matches. It would be heard from four doors down and yet neither had ever seemed to care.

Begrudgingly, she forced her lazy butt out of her warm and cosy bed.

Malory stomped over to her drawers, hoping each step would be one step closer to popping a vein in her beloved mother's head.

As if on cue, her mother shouted an incoherent word.

A smirk made it's way upon her lips in a sadistic manner. She enjoyed annoying her mother to no end. She knew her boundaries well, however, and never stepped two far out of line. Mothers could become beasts when angered just the right way – she would know, she'd transformed her mother into one once.

"Just one year," she murmured to herself as she picked out her regular clothes; black jeans and a black cardigan.

It was just one more year until she never had to see the doors to that wretched school ever again. Malory sneaked a look over at her calendar, frowning at the date. She was counting down the days until she would finally be free of all of that high school stuff.