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Warning: This book contains serious topics such as mental illnesses, self harm, and more. Please read at your own risk. -----------------------------------------------
The school walls were silent and calming. Dust shrouded almost everything, causing Clementine to let out a soft sneeze.
"Wow, you sound like a kitten." Louis joked, earning a soft slap to the arm from Clem. "Ow!" He dramatically added. Clementine rolled her eyes and turned her eyes to the boy beside her.
AJ strutted next to the brunette and let out a sigh, watching his cold breath slowly fade from sight. The kids had run out of medication, so he had been extra distracted recently. Clem removed her hoodie and handed it to the tall fuzzy-haired teen.
"Thanks, Clem." He mumbled, snuggling into the warm hoodie. It was about two times smaller than his size, but he wasn't bothered, he was quite content with the clothing. "So. Texas Two, am I right? It's been a while." AJ chuckled, his eyes focused on the platinum blonde behind him. Violet gave a blank expression to him, leaving him somewhat sad to see the once loveable girl now depressed.
"This place always sucked." She said in a monotone voice, her blind eyes flaming with sorrow. The blood on the walls didn't even have to be seen to make its presence known. It stained the halls, sending a deathly chill across Clementine's skin.
"Honestly, I agree." AJ said in a deep voice. It had been seven years since the day everything changed. AJ had become much taller than her, and was beginning to become more like Louis. The boy had spent most of his free time with Louis, and eventually started to think of him as a father figure. Well, either that or a big brother. Clementine couldn't tell, but she knew they were close. His hair had been cut and was now combed back. His brown eyes almost always showed deep emotion. The black haired boy now wore a Deadpool hoodie, ripped jeans, and torn up black converse shoes.
A while ago, AJ went blind in his right eye, which turned his eye into a gorgeous pale blue.
Clem turned her head to the blind blonde, staring at her with empathetic eyes. She doesn't deserve this.
As the petite girl limped forward, a bark could be heard in the distance. A large brown figure appeared, bearing its teeth as the group approached the former cemetery. The dog's yellow eyes glared into Clem's, and the anger quickly turned to joy.
She wore a gold chain and her ears stood stiff as she wagged her elderly tail. "Good girl. I've missed you too." Clementine sighed, stroking the pitbull's head. "I'm sorry we left in such a hurry."
Violet's head perked up in caution as she clutched onto her cane.
"It's just Rosie, Vi."
"Oh. What's she look like now?" The pale girl asked, blinking her one visible emerald eye. Somehow, even though the life from her face had been drained, her eyes were still a gorgeous shade of green that could easily mesmerize someone.
"She's skinny, missing an ear, and she has a shit ton of gray fur." AJ answered for Clementine, shooting a sad look towards the lively dog. It was truly a miracle that the dog was still alive, and there was no doubt about it.
Louis emerged from the other side of the wall, letting out a groan as he studied the graves. He spat in the direction of one of the graves, but the brunette couldn't see the pianist.
"What a bitch." Louis growled at the words plastered across the cross. Marlon. "Sure, he was a good friend, but what kind of person makes deals with those horrid fucks?"
Clem couldn't help but feel a spark of spite as she was reminded of Lilly.
She could feel herself begin to weep, but she wasn't sad. She showed no emotion as she curled into a ball next to the short wall. Her mind soon became flooded by the memories of that night. All those lives. Lost. It was something that none of the kids enjoyed talking about, or even thinking about for that matter. Especially after Tennessee.
Louis rushed to the girl's side and embraced her, nuzzling his face into her jacket. Clementine let out a deep breath as she felt his heart thump against his chest. She pressed her head against him, focusing on the hypnotizing rhythm. She felt safe. As her breathing steadied, AJ stared at his foster mother with a blank face.
Clem's mood quickly dropped again as she felt herself being stared at by her son. Sure, they hadn't talked in years, but Louis and Violet had updated her with news on his emotions and thoughts. She didn't understand why they stopped talking. Why they stopped caring. It was the day that everything turned to shit.
Clementine could feel the sorrow radiating from Louis, so she laid her head against his chest once more. Maybe things will get better, she thought. But they didn't. They only got worse.
