Kenzie's Time to Meet the World

Prolougue ~<3~

If you see a ~<3~ at the beginning of a chapter, that means it's been edited...

(Song ~ Before You Start Your Day - Twenty One Pilots)

"Dad... you still home?" I asked from my bed, before sighing when there was no answer. Of course, he wasn't. He never is.

I got up, walking to my bedroom mirror. I softly smiled. "Hey, mom," I said softly, looking at the picture taped to my mirror. "I miss you." Next to the picture was a Post-it-Note. 'Remember to smile ~<3~ Mom'. She had put it there the first day of school last year. I still hadn't taken it down.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "Get over yourself, Makenzie," I whispered to myself. "She's gone. You can't change that." I mumbled.

I took in a deep breath, changing into my school clothes and walking out the apartment door. I lived in an apartment across from my best friend, Riley Matthews. Her parents were best friends with my mom in high school.

My mom died last year. We had moved to Texas for my dad's work. Then, after she died, we moved back. My dad was never really close to the Mathews family. He went to high school with them, but they never got along. But if we're being honest, my parents never got along. I mean my dad loved my mom. But I'm still not sure if the feeling was mutual. I know it might just be paranoia, but it's strange.

I knocked on the Matthews' door and put on a smile. Recently, I'd gotten better at faking a smile. I know that it shouldn't matter. I know they wouldn't judge me for being sad because of my mom's death. But I feel guilty... and they can't know that.

Because... they think my mom died from cancer... but in reality, she didn't. She died because of me. And I have to live with that guilt every day of my life.