Unloved Unclaimed Unbound

Chapter One - Serenya

Just another dumpster fire day I call life. I didn't want to come home for Fall break. I was perfectly fine at the school my parents shipped me off to. Despite my parents' attempts to alienate the relationship I have with my twin brother; we are still close. I sigh; I'm putting off going to the house. That's why I'm here at Kaelith's school, sitting with my head on my fist under one of the large oak trees at a concrete table. Listening to the latest book release by my favorite Indie author. Not a care in the world, paying no attention to my surroundings, actually enjoying the nice cool weather & picking at the grout between the mosaic tiles on the table.

That is, until I feel a tap on my shoulder from behind me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, slowly and deliberately, I turn to look at whomever disturbed my peace. As I turn, I take out one of my ear buds & face a girl who is the definition of high school preppy. Her hair is platinum blonde, her skin is probably pasty white, but she must tan or get her tan either by self-tan lotion or she gets air brushed. She has a narrow nose & thin lip. Her make-up is caked on, and it is a shade darker than her actual skin tone. She has her beady green contact lens eyes staring at me with her arms crossed.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

She scoffs, “Maybe don't listen with your volume all the way up & you would have heard me tell you that you are in my spot.”

I look at all the other empty tables and back at her. “I always sit at this table, same time, every year.”

“Nice try, but I’ve never seen you around here before, so I find that hard to believe.” She responds.

I’m getting annoyed, “Did you not hear me say ‘every year'? I'm just waiting for someone. Now, if you would please either sit at the bench at this table or preferably a different table, I’m done conversing & would like to wait, in some related peace before leaving.”

She looks insulted & decides to act it too. “Do you know who I am?” I don't respond as I start to turn away from her, but she grabs my shoulder & forces me to face her, “I’ll make sure you don't step foot on this school property again. My father is very prominent in this town.”

I push her hand off my shoulder and give her a disgusted look, “I did not give you permission to touch me. I also don’t give two flying f***s, who your father is. He could be the President or the Pope, daddy’s girl.”

“Listen here bi-" she begins to snarl.

“Am I interrupting?” a voice says behind her.

She turns around & completely does a 180 & turns all gushy to the male voice behind her. I peek around her. Kaelith had his hands in his pockets, he is wearing his Letterman jacket. He has a slight concerned look on his face, and he looks at the off-brand Barbie girl as he listens to her tell him about how horrid I was to her. While he still listening to her, his green eyes flick over to me and smirks, winking at me. I roll my eyes & begin to stand & shoulder my bag.

I face him again and cross my arms. “It took you long enough.”

The Barbie turns back to me. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, don't let your mask fall, just because he showed up.” I say to her, then to my brother, “I just got in, I asked my Lyft driver to bring me here. The principal was excited, she thought I was coming back.”

He chuckled, earning a look from the Barbie. “All the teachers miss you,” he steps around her to walk over to me, taking his hands out of his pockets as he comes up to me to give me a hug, “I've missed you too.” I hug him back.

“Um, am I missing something Kaelith?” Barbie asks. His tone suggesting that she doesn't like that he is hugging and telling another girl he missed her.

“Girlfriend?” I murmur as I release him for our hug.

He shrugs & murmurs back, “She'd like to be.” He scratches the back of his neck and takes notice of my mischievous look in my eye. “Brandi.” She is at his side so quickly it's laughable. “You know trying to use your father’s pull in the community, isn’t a great way to make friends.”

She looks affronted by this, “Well I…”

“She wanted to seem impressive is all. Intimidate me,” I reply, “I don't think she expected me not to care. Sorry Brandi, my ability to care has been gone a long time. “

“Obviously, it hasn't. Your hands were all over Kaelith.” She counters.

I stay silent as Kaelith drops his good-natured smile. “Brandi, your lack of observation skills is becoming more apparent," he takes my bag from me and slings it over his right shoulder. “This is my twin sister Serenya. Come on, Serenya, let's go, before you or I hurt her feelings.” He walks away toward the student parking lot where his Mustang GT is parked.

“You f****d up, Brandi.” I tell her, “Worst thing you can do is piss him off by being mean to me. To think, you might have had a chance with him if you didn't try to impress him with all the makeup & platinum box hair dye. Oh, and it probably wasn’t that you meant to make it seem like I was interested in him, but he took it that way. Sorry, we aren't Lanisters. Toodles.” I wiggled my fingers at her & walked after my brother.