War of Peace

Chapter One

This is my first story and I'm really excited for readers to dive in! 

If I have any spelling or grammar mistakes, don't be afraid to correct me. 

*********************************************

Madison

I'm a sixteen year old sophomore at Shaewick High School. It's homecoming night and I'm going with my boyfriend Jason, my "not so friendly friend" Becca, and her boyfriend Logan. I only agreed to go with them because I didn't want to go with Jason alone. I enjoy Jason's company more when there's other people with us. He often likes to take out his anger on me. My friends tell me it's not healthy, and I need to break things off with him, but how could I? I love him.

The dress I'm wearing is pine green with silver flowers embroidered at the top. The bottom is asymmetrical and flows smoothly as I walk. I used a good chunk of my money to pay for it and I know my mother will yell at me for it later. She is a person with a substance use disorder and most of her money goes towards a new drinking stash. My sister and I both have jobs to get by. Most of the time we're on our own. Some nights my mother doesn't even come home, and others she waddles through the front door with her mascara running down her cheeks and her hair all disheveled. She would later be found passed out on the couch in the early hours of the morning.

"Maddie, you're so beautiful," Jason claims as he strides towards me with confidence from around the corner. It's about time he shows up; he's late, of course.

"Well I don't look anything like Bella Hadid," I reply.

Bella Hadid is a model who Jason would kill to be with her. I mean, yeah, she's gorgeous, but I don't see all the rage.

"Well I say otherwise, tonight you're looking even more gorgeous than Bella Hadid ever will," he says with such confidence I can never understand.

Then he gets closer to me, leans in, and kisses me on the lips. I quickly slip away as soon as I notice something different. His lips are tense and it feels different. Almost as if some of the passion I've always felt with every kiss has left. Could he have... no, he couldn't have.

"What's wrong Maddie? Did I do something?" He asks, although he doesn't look the slightest bit concerned.

My hand becomes a fist and I notice I'm digging my nails into my palms again. I release my fingers and cross my arms to try and look as though everything is fine. I'm avoiding eye contact with him because I'm too afraid to look at him; too afraid to see nothing but two eyes staring blankly through me like a window. How can one kiss feel so significantly different? I try not to think about it as I conjure up a fake smile and look into his eyes.

"Yea, your lips were just cold is all. It startled me, sorry," I lied.

Perfect. It's a cold October night, that's a perfectly believable excuse.

We are standing in a beautiful garden with picture-perfect scenery. There are thousands of bright colored flowers lining the edge of a grassy field.

"Could this dress be any more annoying?" Becca grunts, pulling the top of her red dress up.

I leap as I forget there were others here. The dress is beautiful on her but it's a size too small, and skin tight. However, I like the dark shade of red that contrasts with her pale skin and blonde hair. If she doesn't constantly pull up the top of the dress, she'll be exposing herself.

"You look beautiful Becca!" I try to brighten up the conversation while we wait for Logan's dad to show up. He's supposed to be our photographer, but he's already ten minutes late and we've been standing out in the cold impatiently.