The Bad Boy and Faith

Chapter 6: Drop Dead Gorgeous

It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize I was an i***t. I didn't need to conduct an entire research project to discover I was probably the most idiotic person on the planet. Running through my head was the constant thought of embarrassment that took place during class. It didn't help that I was majorly awkward and not the most attractive person, but it would help if I could hold a decent conversation or at least be a decent human being. But I couldn't even do that. I don't smile at strangers and I don't even look their way. I didn't possess the quality to be a decent person, I didn't have looks. What did I have?

I sighed loudly and I tossed and turned for the hundredth time in my bed and faced the glowing red numbers of my alarm clock. It was nearing midnight and the days embarrassments were resting in my mind on the beach side with a Corona.

***

"Hey guys this is Faith." Layla practically screamed.

I awkwardly smiled at them as I took a seat at the only available chair in the entire class. I shuffled around loudly as I struggled to quietly get in my seat and the eyes staring at me didn't exactly help. They all started at me in confusion and glanced at a beaming Layla.

The first person to speak after 5 minutes of sitting in awkward silence was one of the two females seated next to Layla and I and who I recognized as the two females Layla had greeted earlier. She was significantly shorter than all of us and she barely sat up in her seat with her tiny frame. She brushed her bangs out of her face out of annoyance and mustered up a smile.

"I'm Hayley. Nice to meet your Faith." I smiled in response and nodded my head. I didn't get a response from the second girl or the guys seated behind us so I decided to face forward.

It was nearing the end of the day but I still found it harder for me to keep my eyes open. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, but the bell hadn't woken me up that time. It was giggling and taps on my shoulder.

"Faith are you sleeping." Sleep deprivation was never good in any situation ever. I cleared my throat and shook my head without turning around. Naturally of course, my body decided it was okay for me to fall asleep once again. I had no control over it at this point.

I had to get home before it was too late. I had fallen asleep in the library and I knew my mom would explode if I didn't make it home in a timely matter. I wouldn't hear the end of it until she blacked out. Those where the really bad days. When she would constantly yell and scream and tell me all the things she hated about. All the things she hated about herself.

I gather my things as fast as I could and sprinted out of the vacant library. I rushed up the street home. I just knew I was a goner tonight.

The last few days had been the worst. Maybe because it was nearing thanksgiving and this was the time her mom and dad abandoned her. She had a lot of demons in her closet and it didn't help that she was creating the ones in mine.

I don't think I have a clear memory of her being the way she used to be. Loving and forgiving. Now any minute mistake could cause chaos.

She wouldn't sleep for days and she'd binge drink, missing days of work. I think her office just knew when it was her vacation time, because there were no calls from work or any calls from collegeaus for two weeks straight. This always left me worried because that meant a start of her psychotic episodes.

She had never been violent but the one time she did, I never forgot it. It was a genuine mistake, falling asleep at the library. I didn't mean to. I barely sleep at night, with having to make sure she makes it to bed or atleast the couch. I always have to be there when she blacks out because she could fall and hurt herself.

My eyebrows furrowed out of concern. What if she had already blacked out? Knowing her, she had probably started drinking when she woke up. She used it as mouth wash.

I groaned out of annoyance and picked up speed. It wasn't long until I reached the street my house laid on.  My heart rate started to pick up and I broke into a sprint. Probably the most exercise I'd get. When I reached the front door, I tried the knob to see if it was locked and I proceeded to bang on the door as hard as I could. After five minutes of relentless banging I stopped and dropped to ground in front my door, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"I'm too late." I whispered. I'm all alone. I silently wept and was suddenly jolted awake by a small hand roughly shaking my shoulder.

"Faith. Class is over. You've been here for fifteen minutes." Layla said.

I awoken with a start, disoriented.

"Why are you crying?" She whispered. Her brows dropped slightly, as her once smiling lips turned upside down. "Are you alright Faith."

I frantically grabbed my things, not providing her with much an explanation but, "I'm sorry I have to check on my mom."

***

"FAITH!"

I hadn't realized I fell asleep last night, but I rested silently in bed hoping she wouldn't call me again.

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"

I sat up slowly and looked at the mess my room was in. There were still things I needed to put away. I removed the cover from my body, causing a blast of freezing air to hit my bare thighs. The perks of wearing a simple over large t-shirt to bed. It was freezing in here. I stood up hesitating to place my feet on the cold floor.

I shuffled to my closet grabbing the most decent thing I could find. And headed to school. It was like this everyday for a week until something strange started to stir amongst my fellow classmate. I also managed to avoid Layla as much as possible. It was hard seeing as we had classes together but I made sure I made it to class when the last bell rung, signaling that everyone should be seated in class. And left class as early as possible, even if it meant making up ridiculous excuses.

It was Monday, the beginning of my second week. I was still currently avoiding all social contact and I still had a slight fear of coming home too late and finding my mom knocked out cold. I made it my mission to be out of class before anyone and sped walked home. 

But Monday was different. There was a ton of murmurs and whispers, no one seemed to pay attention in class and everyone seemed excited for lunch. I had no idea why. This made it hard to avoid Layla, seeing as everyone entered class late and everyone left class early. I sighed in annoyance at being nearly stepped on for the hundredth time that day.

I tumbled into class late and headed to my seat as quietly as possible. Something was way off. Everyone was speaking animatedly to their friends and beaming happily at each other. But it was the girls, the were what stood out to me with their blushing and gushing over something that was unknown to me. I was always so oblivious because I never paid attention to any of my surroundings.

I didn't even noticed I sat next to Layla and her friends until I heard my name being softly whispered among the group.

"Hey Faith. We haven't seen you in a while." I turned to see a smiling Layla.

"Yeah."  Hayley chimed.

"Yeah I've been busy at home. Lot of things on my mind." I mustered up a smile and quickly face forward, hoping they'd get the hint.

"Have you heard the news?" I hear Hayley say. I don't turn around in fear that she's not talking to me.

"I'm sure she doesn't care." I hear Layla respond.

"Faith." Hayley was actually speaking to me now. "Did you hear the news?"

I turned around, hoping to hide my annoyance. "What news?" I pretend to care. Gossip wasn't exactly my forte, after all it required social skills.

"You probably don't want to hear it." Layla interjected.

"It's gossip, everyone does." Hayley smiles and continues. "Well, her bestfriend's notoriously hot brother is back in town. And something tragically occurred while he away at college. I mean you don't know him so you don't know how hot he is. But if you did you'd s**t yourself in his presence. Where are you from? Are there unbelievably hot guys?"

"Paducah." I responded, trying my best to mask my irritation.

"Hmm, sounds small and quaint I'm sure you havent seen anyone drop dead gorgeous guys before." Her words annoyed me, but I couldn't deny the truth in them.

I sighed and face forward in hopes that she would get the hint to leave me alone. I had been hearing about this mysterious guy since I first entered the school. I could care less about hot guys. I mean how could I when I had a mother who would die from alcohol poisoning at any moment. I was constantly plagued with my moms alcoholism and having to be the authority figure I lacked.

***

It was rather complicated rushing home today seeing as everyone thought it'd be a great idea to rush out five minutes before the bell, interfering with my escape plan. Not only that but they all lingered in the halls and walked extremely slow. As if they were trying to catch something. As I was approaching the entrance I stumbled upon a wide-eyed stranger. She stood in the entrance and stared into the distance.

As I approached her unmoving figure my eyes followed the target of her gaze. A tall figure in the distance rough housing with a group of guys was the object of her attention and consciousness. There throaty laughter carried all the way to were we stood. I cleared my throat hoping she'd take a hint to move aside but she remained unmoving.

She stood at the exit in between the two opened double doors, she stood there watching. She was so close to tears. I stood unmoving along with her, only I was watching her distressed figure for signs of unhinged behavior. Their booming laughter started to get louder as they grew closer to us.

She had finally broken from her trance and wiped a single tear running down her flushed cheek as she watched as the group approached us. Her bottom lip started to tremble as she took her now shaking hands to her face. Her roughly bitten lips parted and she released the loudest scream she could produced and everyone turned to look, including her target.

Author's Note: I should clarify that the dream wasn't exactly finished so what you see are the beginning stages of her dream. This dream will appear again. I think this is an extremely important dream and reveals things about her fears and her relationship with her mother.