The One Who Left | In Progress

{ Ch. 4 }

It was early the next morning when I woke up from a nightmare. The nightmare of how I got lost on the streets of New York and how Wyatt saved me from nearly dying by getting mixed up in a street brawl. I will never forget but those resurfacing memories will haunt me all day. Unfortunately.

I sigh, padding to the bathroom - catching my reflection in the mirror. I look like my mom, the same Native American shaped face and slanted eyes. The same automatic pout. The same pale brown dusted skin. One thing that stood out was my eyes, or my father's eyes, but whereas his can blend with any colour mine were a molten silver, not something many noticed as it was mistaken many a time as a dark brown or black.

I push my hair into a loose bun, closing the bathroom door. The bathroom is huge... but a mess. I huff, my stepsisters really liked having their stuff lying everywhere. Girly products litter the entire bathroom, hair tongs, diffusers, straighteners, makeup kits, bras, lip gloss, nail polish, unopened packets of face masks, underwear. It was a mission to just find the shampoo and conditioner and the soap.

From the mess that was a bathroom I knew most of the stuff was Madison's, her name was literally on everything. But it surprised me slightly when I saw Morgan's name on most of the skincare products.

I dressed in a windbreaker and jeans with my long-sleeved white top, opting for my glasses today - my head pounded, a result of combing the Internet on my Mac for any evidence of what happened to Wyatt. I found a lead, one so small I had no idea if Jess could find clues. They cut the tapes - most of the surveillance footage was gone but a broken patch of a known gang was found by me on the remaining footage... no wonder my head was sore.
I pad down the stairs, only to be met with the infamous twins. "You're to make sure you and Morgan get home today." Madison says, her hands on her hips and a pout on her face. "We're going to school with Morgan's car, I have practice today so straight after school meet up with Morgan." Madison glares at me. "Dad's orders, he said you guys have a deal." I groan, it isn't even a full week since that stupid deal and it's already biting me in the ass.

"Fine. Where's Jessica?" I snark back, the woman in question nowhere to be seen. "Mom's working. She was only here yesterday because it was your first day." Morgan explains, silenced by a sharp look from Madison. I shrug, "How's growing that backbone for you?" The rhetoric in my voice evident when Morgan doesn't reply.

"We have to go or we'll be late." Morgan says finally, walking past Madison and I. We follow behind her as she starts up her suv and we hop in the car. "Starbucks first Morzy, I need caffeine." Madison exaggerates and I stifle a laugh. We go through the drive through. "Morning girls, who's the lovely..." A very familiar voice grins and we freeze in place as we make eye contact.
He seems to recover faster, "Well, well, well if it isn't Lilah darling - tell me how's Lark doing?" He grins impishly and I recoil. If it wasn't the bane of my existence. "Lloyd, what the hell are you doing here?" I snarl and Lloyd tuts. "Still as feral as ever Dels." I glower at him - frosting his nerve, "Kael and Jess must've been going crazy looking for you. I know Lark must be." Lark and Lloyd were best friends turned frenemies. Lloyd was the oily snake in our trio, Lark treats the guy like family... well he did until Lloyd joined another gang.

Lloyd turned his attention back to the twins who were watching us. "Your orders?" "The usual Lloyd, an iced white chocolate mocha for Morzy, a caramel macchiato and a pumpkin spice latte for me and a... What do you want, Delilah?" Madison says and I shrug. "Don't worry, I've got the perfect drink for her." Lloyd grins and I raise a brow. "Are you coming today? If you're not at school then you know how Noah gets." Morgan pouts and I laugh. I should've known, should've seen that coming. Morgan and Lloyd. I choke back my laughter and Lloyd smirks, "I'll be there."

Lloyd Nichols was the perfect bad boy. The epitome of male charm, he could charm the pants off anything - just like Lark. He's just got this charisma and a way with words that would make him the perfect lawyer. Sneaky and reptilian. His mischievous green eyes that always got Lark and I in trouble, his mousy blond hair tied out of his face. He winks with that dimple of his as we drive on.

We continue down the drive through. When we get our drinks I look at mine, a cold iced doppio. My lips tug up at the memory.
"What do you want Dels?" Lark murmured to me and I looked at him with big eyes. "Lilah darling is stunned Lark." "Well then what would you choose for her?" Lark retorts to a smirking Lloyd. "An iced doppio sounds like her." "Why cos she's pure?" "Cos she's pure energy." Lloyd laughs as Lark chases him.

"What are you smiling about?" Madison watches me. "Never mind her, let's go to school." Morgan mutters, driving to school.

When I get to my locker, I'm greeted with a beautiful smile from Aubrey. "Morning." She says gleefully, as I slurp on my drink. "Ugh, morning Rey." I reply. "I didn't know you wear glasses." "Only when my head hurts and my focus is shit." I mumble, resting my head against the cool metal of my locker. "Cheer up, apparently the boys of Seaview High are here today." "Let me guess, Lloyd Nichols." Aubrey practically vibrates with excitement. "And don't forget Noah Slater." "Who's Noah Slater?" "Only the most gorgeous man boy on Earth." I shake my head at her description. "Ooh," Aubrey taps my shoulder excitedly. "Here they come."

"What's the big..." I say before Aubrey turns me toward the oncoming wave. My eyes grow as I drink the pair in. "Oh, wow." A breathless whisper leaves me. People crowd against the lockers, making way for the bewitching males. A walking photoshoot. The sunlight glows bright, the excited whispers hushed by the brilliance. The first thing I notice is the slow motion effect, slowing everything down. Midnight blue eyes walks down in all his glory - Lloyd Nichols beside him.
I bite my lower lip, puzzled - he reminded me of something, I just don't know what. Darkened mystery of a blue, teardrops of a luminescent glass, hidden alleyways on a rain soaked road, tender whispers in an empty room. Blue reminded me of that with his face carved straight from the fingers of Picasso, a face that would make Michelangelo jealous. Wavy cinnamon brown hair, each strand kissed by sunlight. His lithe body walking with the grace of a cat, reminding me of predator like movement. And the icing on the cake that was him - was his breathtakingly vivid eyes.

"That's Noah Slater." Aubrey whispers; a laugh bubbles from my throat. Of course blue eyes was the most gorgeous guy on school. "And that's Lloyd Nichols, his best friend." I roll my eyes, ducking into open locker before Lloyd sees me. If he sees me, he'll insist I join in as a favour to Lark, and damn it - I don't want to be Lloyd's pawn.

The bell rings and Rey and I go to first period separating to go to Chemistry and her to her first free period for the week, and I have to go to my elective last period. Sigh.

I massage my temples as I enter the class. Thank God it's empty. No troublemakers for me today. I smile, sliding onto a stool near the windows. The teacher steps inside, seeing me sitting alone in the classroom. "Good morning sir..." "Kade. Delilah Kade." I reply and he nods. "New?" "Yep, just got here on Sunday, sir." "Mr Holland, miss Kade." The tardy bell rings and the students rush in class. Morgan walks in and I groan. Ugh, a class with my stepsister - I would've been happier to pretend they weren't here. She luckily sits a mile away from me, everyone takes their seats and by the time the last two people join class is almost full. "Glad to see you've made it boys." Mr Holland deadpans and I wonder whether all the teachers at this school have the same sense of humour.
"Jeremy, you can sit next to Morgan and Noah you can sit next to the new girl, is that alright with you miss Kade." I nod and Slater slides into the seat beside me.

Our eyes meet. Midnight blue and dark grey. Something out of a movie. The connection is there... then it's gone as I tear my eyes away. Something about it causes me to shiver.