A Match Made In Hell

Chapter 1

I rest my head against the hard cold exterior of the blue lockers that filled our school's hallways. The tip of my brow slightly dampened by sweat due to how fast I had left my last class thanks to Eres Chasten. My fingertips tap against my thighs as I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth rhythmically matching the pace of the seconds ticking by on a clock. My head tilts back momentarily staring up at the ceiling and remarking all the dirt stains above me. As well as silently counting down the minutes I've stood against these lockers waiting patiently for my friend dearest to finish her makeover.

"You're so sweet, Raefiya"

Lie.

"You're like the nicest friend I have"

Lie.

"You are the kindest and most gentle soul I have ever known, okay?"

Lie.

"So don't let her get to you" My best friend Juliet says muffled by a hair tie between her teeth as she gathers her chestnut brown hair together. A crease folds her skin between the brows as she focuses on her image in the tiny mirror of her locker. "She's a literal walking troll and I'm not just saying that cause she looks like one" She winks. I hold in my laughter watching halfheartedly as she tugs the hair tie out of her mouth. She pulls her hair back into a neat high ponytail and I can't help but smile when she beams brightly at her reflection.

"Don't worry. She doesn't bother me" I mutter.

"Good. Cause she's a bitch" She replies bluntly all the while taking a crumpled bag of chips out of her backpack.

I know she's just trying to protect me. She practically has been since the moment she popped out of her mother's womb. She makes it her life mission to guard me. To keep me safe. Out of harm's way. It can be a bit much at times but I mean I'm no better. I can be just as protective as she is. She just doesn't know it.

To everyone in my life I'm nothing but sweet and precious little Raefiya. 'I could never hurt a fly', my best friend would say. I've never showed them I could anyway. The things my best friend had seen me do is volunteer to help tutor kids in our class. She's seen me participate in local charity events in our town. She's seen me taking care of my baby brother and sister. She's seen me cleaning the house for my mom and tucking my drunk Dad to sleep every night. She sees all the good parts.

While everyone else gets all the bad parts.

I love Juliet like a sister. She's been like family for as long as I can remember. She cares for me. She's always there for me. My mom even sees her as one of her own daughters just as Juliet's mom sees me. And I wish I could say she knows me better than anyone else, but the truth is she doesn't. She knows mostly everything about me. Favorite movie. Favorite food. Favorite music. Biggest fear. Biggest pet peeve. Most embarrassing memory. Anything, you name it. She knows. She just doesn't exactly know the other half of me.

You'd think she would considering the amount of time we spend together. Which was basically all the time, but I don't fault her for not knowing considering I never show her that side of me. I've never showed anyone I love that other side of me.

She doesn't know that I can take on the likes of Eres Chasten just fine. She doesn't know that I'm not some soft spoken sweetheart brought down to the earth to spread some holy light illuminating the world with justice and peace. No. What she doesn't see are the times where I'm truly myself. The real Raefiya and what I'm like. Little did she know that I've grown out of that innocent phase by the time we turned eight. I just forgot to ever give her or anyone else in my life the memo.

"You know I never really got what her problem is with you." She frowns slamming her locker closed with the same hand she held the chips in. I bite down on my tongue pouting sadly and shrug my shoulders. When in reality every vile thing I had whispered in her ear comes to mind. Everything I've said and all the accidental 'opps!' I've done causing misfortune around her. In my defense I only did it cause she started it first and every time she retaliated that just made me all the more eager to have the last word.