Star and its darkness (Book 1 in the Darkness&Brightness series)

16. Jackpot

The fucking alarm wakes me up. Oh, again! It's Monday and I have to go to school. Not that I have, but I want to. First time I want to. Even when I was going to private school, I didn't want to go. I open my sleepy eyes. Last night was again that night. I remembered my father and wondered what he was doing. Is it better now without me? Is it better when he doesn't have a person to insult? Is it? And 'till the dawn, that question was going through my mind. So, that's why I'm tired now.

I groan, as I get up, wash my teeth and get dressed. I remember how I was going to a private school in Stoenfild Woods-Ridge. How I had friends. Popular friends with popular parents. How I was dating only popular girls and how my father was inviting their parents to dinner. I was never in love with them. It was only because of my father. We were going to invent and I had to go with the girl he told me to. Even though I didn't like her.

I had to listen to him all the time. He was always doing everything for his attitude and cared about what others were sayin'. Made sure to look good in public. Never cared for his son. And the first time I stood up and said my opinion, he was shocked. When I finally said to him that I didn't want to become a layer, that was when insults started. And that was when my life changed. Forever.

"So, what do you want to become? A barmen?", he laughs, venom clear in his voice. "And I would have a son, who didn't deserve me? I hate you, you stupid bastard!"

I wasn't going to special invents, wasn't wearing a tux, wasn't dating girls which parents were father's colleagues and he was just trying to get in their asses no matter how. No matter if I had to date their daughters and pretended I like them.

I started drinking, smoking weed, going to parties, making them. I remember when I found a girl and fucked her just because I was done with fake, popular girls who cared only about fame and money. Girls whose parents were just like my father.

I felt guilty the morning after. I felt guilty doing all of that. But I didn't stop. I didn't stop 'till I pissed my father off and he kicked me out. Now I don't have to go to fundraisers or act properly and nice, to date those girls I didn't like, or to do what I didn't want to do. Now I can do whatever I want. I can go to a real public school, to school where normal kids are going and I can date whoever I want. But I don't want to date. I don't want to be bonded to someone. I want to be alone. I want to use them only when I want, just like those girls in my school were using me, because of their popularity. They're all the same. Or that's what I thought.

When I come to school I try to spot that girl. Mystery girl. She must be already inside, 'cuz I'm late, I don't care if I'm late. I hear the teacher sayin' something, but I don't listen. My eyes search the classroom 'til they laid on her. She looks at me and I again see that fear in her eyes. I approach her and sit next to her. The place is empty, so I don't have to move anyone. Otherwise, I would totally do that.

"Hi." She's not looking at me. "You forgot this." I place the bracelet in front of her. She looks at it surprised and takes it.

"Thanks", she mumbles, barely audible.

"Always, sweetheart."

"Don't call me like that." She frowns, changing the mood.

"Oh, sorry, Bratz", I laugh. Her eyes laid on me and I see dark circles under them. Must be the nightmares. I remembered how I embraced her, while she was shaking and almost cried. "Bad night?" She frowns even more.

"Don't", she hisses.

"Don't what?" I lean toward her.

"Don't mention that ever again. Forget about that."

"About what?", I insist. That annoys her I know. I know what she's talking about. I know she's embarrassed. She shouldn't be.

"You know what." I think she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I don't."

"Michael..."

Oh, no she knows my name. That must mean that she knows who I am. They told her. They told her rumors that were being spread about me. No one knows the real me. And they shouldn't. But she also thinks I'm that kinda guy. The bad boy who doesn't think about anyone. Doesn't have a feeling. Yet they're killing me. And on the other hand,  I don't know anything about her.

"Mrs. Max and Mr. Henson", the teacher yelled.

I and the mysterious girl went quiet, but then a chick next to her whispered:

"Stella, can you borrow me a pen?" Fucking jackpot. So, Stella. Finally. Stella Max. Now I can find out something. She glanced at her as she means to insult her with one glare. A death glare. And certainly, if the glare could kill she'd be lying in a pool of blood.

"I can't."

"But, you aren't using yours..."

"Actually I'm." She starts nibbling it. And that I find really sexy. "See?" A girl went quiet.

"So, Stella..." I look at her. "Stella Max. A Bratz girl. A bad girl", I emphasize.

"So, Michael. Michael Henson." She's not looking at me. "A rich boy." Then she turns to me. "A boy whose famous father kicked him out of Stoenfild Woods-Ridge. What exactly did you do? To live in East Bluff? To go to East High? To become one of us?" She rests her chin on her hand, looking at me amused.

"None of your business", I hiss. So, I was right. She knows. Everything. Every rumor that goes around this school. But no one of them knows the truth. Including her.

"Okay. I don't even care."

Oh, she isn't. I'm not buying it. We're both dying to know more about each other, but we don't want to share our secrets. That is going to be hard. I wonder how we're going to fulfill the goal we both set for one another. I just know that she did that. Just like I did. She wants the same thing as me. To meet my demons and greet them. And I want to meet hers. Because not everyone I met in my life is the broken one. They always were the ones who broke me. And I want to know who break her. But I don't want to reveal to her that my father was the one who broke me.