Antiquities: A Short Story Collection

Phantom

Sophie Lotter

I knew what it meant to go to a new school. It meant no friends, and lots of rubbernecking. My parents needed the money but I didn't want to start over. Who would? I had a good thing going at my old school.

It scared me to have to find my place all over again. I didn't know what to expect. At my old school, I was well liked. I could go from group to group and hang out wherever without causing trouble. There was no telling where I'd fall into place here.

Starting as a sophomore in a new high school would be a challenge for sure. Leaving my best friends behind, even more so. I'd grown up with those guys. It broke my heart.

I turned the volume up on my Ipod until it hurt drowning out my thoughts. I didn't even have much time to settle into the new house before school started. It sucked so hard.

"Ow!" I winced. "Fencen, what the hell?" I glared over at my little brother. The headphone cord was still clasped in his grubby little fingers. He had this stupid grin too, like he'd one-upped you, but that was just his face.

"Language, Sophie." my father peered back at me in the rearview. There was no real threat there. My father was a pacifist. He would have compromised with a burglar if they didn't shoot him first. My eyes slid back to Fencen and I snatched the cord out of his hands.

"Bed-wetter." I muttered.

"Mom says to turn it down." He had the most annoying voice I could ever recall hearing. It wasn't because he was my brother. It pitched too high when he spoke and had this nasal quality that made me want to recoil. I turned down the volume. I could already tell this would not be a smooth transition.

Seth Aken

"Ouch!" I twisted in my bed and slammed my face into the headboard. A great start to the day.

"Seth? Are you up?" My mom's voice penetrated my closed door. My mom could throw her voice anywhere in the house. Incredible.

"I'm up." I had to shout back to be heard.

I hauled myself out of bed and went to shower. Every first day was like this. Full of dread and angst. If I was an optimist, there would be hope, but I had no chance of making school a better experience. I was in the negatives on the social ladder. I had a grand total of one friend. He was a good guy, in the way that he would ditch me if it suited him.

Sitting in class gave me hella anxiety. I let warm water run over my face. Even waterboarding myself wouldn't get me out of school today. My mom anticipated a struggle. I wasn't going to give her one this year. It did nothing but get me in trouble in the past. What was the point?

Jennifer had something planned for the occasion. I was sure of it. Jennifer was one of those star pupil kids. She was the pastor's perfect daughter. Not grades wise though. She could have been smart, but nobody would ever know because she paid others to do her homework. She was a master manipulator. Thanks to my dad, I knew what gaslighting was and her tricks rarely worked on me.

I liked to think I was above her but it was quite the opposite. None of that crowd ever stayed friends for long. There was always new drama. When they got sick of tormenting other people, they turned on each other. It was fascinating in its own right.

They bothered me less now that I didn't react much. But it made me sick to have to watch them strut around the school like they ran the place. I guess they kinda did. Two more years, I thought. Freedom in two more years.

"Seth, you're going to be late!" My mom's banshee cries wafted through the walls, even over the thundering of the water. Incredible. I finished up and got ready to go. There was a different kind of freedom that went with being a loner. I didn't mind being alone. I could wear and enjoy whatever I wanted without anyone's input. I scrambled with the remaining time I had and thundered down the stairs.