Darkest Hour

.1.

"Come back here Atlas!"

I scream to the little boy with black hair. We're playing tag on the playground. We finally convinced our parents that 12 isn't to young to go alone anymore.

"Got you!" He says back as he touches my back softly.

"Hey! I wasn't ready!"

He smiles back and laughs his charming laugh, his one dimple showing at me.

"Yeah you were. You didn't know it yet though." He says kissing my cheek.

He took off running again.
"Atlas!"
——BEEP BEEP——
"Atlas!" I scream looking around my car.

"It's green lady!" Some old lady says in her car behind me.

I take a deep breath and make the left turn.

Last day of school ever. I don't want it to end. It's the only thing left of us. But it's also where I learned no one waits for you and they don't care.

My brakes squeak on my car as I come to a stop.

I bought it for 300$, yeah it's cheap but it's all I could find. I saved up my checks with the little money I got.

College was to long. Going for business was also extremely tiring. I hated the tests.

"Shasta!"

"Hike hike!"

"Mush!"

"Get on little doggy!"

Everyone says as I walk past them.

Just because my names just like the one in Snow dogs. Shasta, what the fuck good is my name?

My mother loves winter.

We never see my father, he's always out on "business" yeah my ass.

I try to hold back my tears as I speed walk to my class.

I think I'm going to leave early again today. Four hours of nothing but sitting around when not in class.

"Shasta?"  Mrs. Sterling says.

"Here." I say and put my head back down.

After school I head to the gym.

It's my fathers building he bought. It's the only thing he got me and says work for my money.

He never does anything for me or to help me out.

I put on my earbuds and play some rock music.

"Hey! Shasta!"

My brothers girlfriend says to me as she takes out my headphone.

"What?" I say trying to finish my pull ups.

"Wanna go out with me and my two friends tonight? We wanna celebrate graduation!" She says happily.

"Maybe." I say with a huff.

"Please?" I roll my eyes.

"I guess..." I say sitting back down taking a swig of my water.

"Yes! Your not going to regret this!" She hugs me and runs out.

Yay me. More shit to deal with. I went out once and I got picked on because I was pushed into the pool with beer.

I called my mother and she came and picked me up. I was so beside myself.
—-later that night—-
"It's 6:30 Shasta, she's gonna be here in five." My mother says to me from downstairs.

"Fuckin' sweet." I say under my breath.

I chose to wear a simple black dress with lace and some black slips. I also brought vans in my purse so in case ya girls gotta run.

I hear the horn.

We arrived to the club and it was packed. There were nasty looking girls standing in line.

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me." I say when I see Jess the "whore" of our school. She's already grinding on some guys.

"Let sluts be sluts Shas. They are a product of where they came from."

"I told you that before." I say and she laughs and nods.

"Well then your very wise."

We got to the door and she found her two friends.

They were already cocked.

"Yep, no." I say and go to turn back and Layla spins me back around. I give her an odd smile.

"These are my two friends! Kayla and Tracy!" She says screaming over the music that's booming out of the speakers.

It's so loud I feel it deep inside my chest beating.

At least it's Chop Suey! from System Of A Down.

Layla hands me a drink. I look at it and it looks nasty.

"Just drink it!" She says and so I chug it down.

"Yes!!" They all say as I slam the glass down.

Everything was loud and great.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Is all I heard my ears were ringing loudly.

"What the fuck!" I say as I grab the girls and they grab onto me hiding.

——————