Laura Sawyer

Chapter One: The Introduction

"Shove off!" I push his shoulders but he barely sways. I groan and he puts his hands up in mock surrender before turning on his heels and walking away. I was surprised to see him go, usually, it took more.

    "Mr. Hotstuff annoying you again?" Lizz comes up to me flipping her long silky brown hair over her shoulder.

    "Stop calling him that," I grumble as a response taking my bag out of the car and slam the door shut. I didn't have lectures for another hour but after fall break I would give my soul to the devil to get out of my house. Lizz gave me a knowing look before shrugging her shoulders and making her was to her dorm room, I followed.

"Didn't you hear that Chemistry lecture was canceled today?" Lizz asked while swiping her ID to get into Lookout One. My eyes widen as I gasp and clutch my chest.

"The Universe must not truly despise my existence! How will I ever repay this gift!" I shout arms raised to the sky, or in this case, the crappy university ceiling that looks like it might collapse is you stare too long. Lizz looked at me and chuckled.

"I don't know why I'm friends with you," She says opening the last door to her room. She swung her legs and perched gracefully on her bed and I dropped my bags on the floor before swinging myself onto her desk chair, falling back slightly as it rocked.

"Because you love me," I look up at her with a small smile and bat my eyes. Looking around her dorm room I notice how small it seems but I would give Hades my heart to live here. Lizz only huffs with a smile before collapsing back in her bed staring at the ceiling.

"I'm not going to meet you for lunch today," She states and my eyebrows raise.

"Oh?" I ask counseling my hurt. She's been doing this more and more recently. She's been cancelling plans and hanging out with other people. Usually it's nothing big but it hurts to see my best friend drifting away. I shake the thought from my head, it's just lunch.

"Yeah, I'm hanging out with Kelsey and the girls again," Liz says then flips to look at me. I smile at her and her eyes light up. Kelsey and her other friends are all in the same major as her, it's not surprising she wants to be with them. After all, besides chemistry they are in every class with her while I'm not. Sighing I resolve that I need to make more friends.

"How was your break?" She asks me and I wrinkle my nose, "That bad?"

"Yeah," I croak out. My Dad left two years ago, where he went or why we don't know. Ever since my Mom has gone into a strange depression. She shuts herself in her room and just stares at the wall. She doesn't have a job, I've had to pick up extra shifts at work to pay the bills and to keep my little sister happy. She's a freshman in highschool and is on two different sport teams that keep eating up all my extra money. If I didn't get a free ride to University I would probably just get a full time job and skip the degree. Usually I was at school or work and the small amount of time I'm at home I spend hanging out with Anne, my sister. However, sometimes my Mom changes, like this weekend. Anne went to her room to give her breakfast only for Mom to start shouting profanities at her and throw her glass cup shattering on the ground and getting a sliver of glass stuck in Anne's foot.

I got the glass out and cleaned her up but she wouldn't stop crying, and not because of her foot. Sometimes I feel like burning the house down with Mom inside for the emotional damage she is doing to Anne. Anne just wants her family back.

"Once we get enough money,' Lizz states standing up and spinning in a circle as if money was raining down on her, "You, Anne and myself will have our own apartment near school. And you won't have to worry about her being at home alone when you have late classes or work. And we'll always have food and she'll eventually go to Uni on a sports scholarship while we meet our rich hot husbands and move into adjoining mansions with our dream jobs." She sighs and I chuckle. While that sounds nice and better than my current situation it most certainly wasn't my dream.

"Oh look at the time!" Lizz jumps up and I grab my bag, "We have to go! I'll see you at dinner?"

"No I have the late shift today," I cringe just thinking about what time I'll be getting to sleep.

"You're going to crack on of these days Laura Sawyer," She calls as she runs to class and a small sad smile forms my lips. Indeed, I will.