The Monster In My Head

Chapter 1 (Edited)

Sixteen-year-old Madison Vernon doodled in her notebook as the teacher droned on about stuff she already knew. She was relieved when the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of class. She quickly packed up her stuff and ran for the door, only to be pushed back by every single classmate she had.

She groaned and rolled her eyes but made her way into the hall without a word. Everyone else was headed towards the lunchroom but Madison was headed the opposite way.

She went against the flow of traffic until finally the crowd had thinned. That's when she snuck into the science lab where there was always a window left open. She hoisted herself through the window and skillfully made her way off campus, avoiding the security cameras.

Across the road, a few buildings down, was Second Chance Baptist Church. Their doors were kept open all day, welcoming in wayward sinners. Madison considered it her safe haven. She ran in and went through the halls until she found the room. HER room.

She opened the door, smiling at its familiar creak. She had been waiting for spring break to end and school to start back, purely for this moment. The room itself was nothing special, just a dusty storage room. What made the room special was what was inside of it.

The room was full of miscellaneous decorations and instruments that had been used in the past. In the far-right corner stood an old wooden piano, a window on the wall behind it, casting a soft, heavenly looking light over it. Madison made her way through the room to the piano. She slowly lowered herself onto the bench and laid her hands softly on the keys.

She closed her eyes and let her fingers wander, playing whatever tune came to her mind, most of them completely of her own making. She started to sing softly, lyrics that had been in her mind all spring break, begging to come out.

She continued to play, getting caught up in her own world, caught up in the feeling of creating music. It was powerful for someone like her, someone who felt they had no control over anything, to sit there and control what came out of that piano.

After a long while, her voice was getting hoarse as it started to beg for a rest. At that point she reluctantly stopped and dug into her pocket for her phone. She looked at the screen and her eyes widened when she saw what time it was. She had been there for almost an hour. Her lunch break was only thirty minutes long.

She quickly stood, shoving her phone back into her pocket and grabbing her bag. She ran as fast as she could out of the church and back to school, and in through the window. She quickly went to her locker, grabbing her gym clothes. Her next stop was the gym locker. She changed with lightning speed, then entered the gym, slipping her short hair into a ponytail.

When she got in there, she spotted her older sister, May, glaring at her as she ran laps, with a look that said: "What have you done?!"

Madison watched in horror as everyone turned their attention to her, including Coach Barnes. Coach Barnes was terrifying. To everyone. Towering over everyone at 6'5, he constantly boasted about his years and years of military experience. He often warned the students that he could ship them to military school in a heartbeat. His eyes narrowed at Madison now.

"Wanna tell me where the he** you were, Miss Vernon?" 

Madison thought quickly, then grinned inwardly. She knew just how to soften the ex-marine up. Something any man, no matter their background, shriveled up at the thought of. She mocked a pained expression, glancing left to right. "I'm so sorry, Coach Barnes. You see, I was stuck in the bathroom with menstrual cramps..." Madison said. 

May was jogging near them when Madison responded and May grinned, stifling a laugh. Madison kept on her façade though. Coach Barnes paled slightly, but still looked unconvinced.