THE RAVENS

eighteen

^ Luke Hayes

- aliyah -

I awoke in the middle of the night as I heard the front door open.

I ran downstairs and saw my Mother with her suitcase,

"Hey, I left some money on the counter for your dinner and stuff," She said, a sad smile plastered across her face.

"Mom, where are you going?" I asked,

It was always like this. My mother leaving for who knows how long and coming back for only a week and then going back to work for another month or so. She was a flight attendant, and she worked many hours. She made good money and was able to afford properties around the world. At first, I found it sketchy, but she reassured me that she was one of the most top paid flight attendants at her work, hence the reason why she was paid so much.

"I'm going to Italy and then China, Aliyah. I left $350 on the kitchen counter, spend it wisely." She said before leaving the house.

As she left the house I quickly locked the front door, grabbed the money from the counter and ran back upstairs.

I laid in my bed, trying to remember the last time my Mother and I said 'I love you' to each other.
Over time the both of us became distant and all that remained of us was my dads' death.

I soon drifted off to sleep as I heard the traffic from outside and the distinct voices of people laughing from the distance.

_______________

I tried my best to keep my attention on the board, while Mrs.Baxton was writing facts about the cell theory.

I hated science. It was a subject that made me insanely exhausted and it often made me fall asleep, but the only reason I got good grades from my least favourite subject was the fact that after school I would make myself watch videos on Youtube about the unit. I usually found myself more intrigued by the subject when teaching myself than rather a teacher physically in a classroom to teach me.

I was counting down the seconds before the school bell rang and we would all soon be out of this posh prestigious high school (or at least what I think it is).

I jumped out of my seat as the school bell rang,

"Class dismissed," Mrs.Baxton stated although half of the students already dashed out of the classroom.

Mrs.Baxton was a strict teacher and if a student disobeyed her in such a way that made her upset, the student would have to face consequences that may be on his/her permanent record.

Let's just say that Mrs.Baxton scared me.

"Hey! Aliyah!" Rachel yelled as she walked over to me along with Carter's arm around her waist. Whenever I saw Rachel, I always saw Carter as well.

"We are all going to Kenzie's house tonight! We're celebrating her acceptance into Harvard!" Rachel exclaimed as she smiled brightly, her pearly white teeth shining as the sunlight from the window hit her face.

Rachel was pretty but she never realized it, which made me sad sometimes because it proves how society can raise the standards of what pretty defines itself to be.

"That's so great! I'll be there!" I said before the both of them walked off.

I sighed as I stared at the two of them, they seemed really happy, hopefully it stays that way.