Page 9 of Wicked Nasty

As I make my way to my bedroom and lock the door behind me, my mother's yells and the sound of crashing objects echo through the house. This isn't the first time our disagreements have escalated like this, but it never fails to shock and anger me every time. My mother may still technically be alive, but she died in my eyes long ago. And nothing she can do or say will ever change that.

I head into my bathroom and stand in the mirror, staring at the blood dripping down my face. Opening the drawer, I clean my face up and step back into the bedroom, looking around at the emptiness.

With a deep sigh, I survey the small amount of belongings scattered around my room. Not much for a seventeen-year-old girl, but it's all I have. The familiar ache in my chest rises again, but I quickly push it down, remembering Katya's words.

"We are strong girls. No more tears."

Gritting my teeth, I force myself to sit at my desk and focus on the stack of papers waiting for me. Calculus homework, English essay, history notes... anything to distract myself from the emptiness that haunts me. But no matter how hard I try, memories of Katya slip into my mind like tendrils of smoke, suffocating me with their bittersweetness. I miss her so much it hurts.

And as tears threaten to spill from my eyes, I can't help but think that this is not the life we planned. This is not the future we dreamed of together.

How am I supposed to survive without her?

Chapter four

Daniel

Granite

Leaningagainstmylocker,I watch the bustling crowd moving through the hallways. Suddenly, Kaiden appears at my side. I can feel his presence before he even speaks.

Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I try to walk away, but he grabs my arm with a firm grip and pulls me towards him.

"Heard you got paired with black heart Becca in class," Kaiden taunts with a smirk.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Yup. We got assigned some stupid community project."

As we make our way down the hall towards class, Kaiden suddenly steers me into the locker room instead. Before I know it, he's locked the door and the rest of the Elite Five have surrounded me, their imposing figures casting long shadows on the walls.

“Is this some sort of intervention?”

The air is thick with tension and unspoken emotions.

“Yes,” Kaiden speaks up, his tone serious and somber. “We all deal with the same shit. I watched your sister die, but it was my own goddamn girlfriend's hands that took her life. How do you think I feel? Daisy was like a fucking sister to me!”

Xander nods slowly, memories flooding back to their childhood days spent together in this very room. We had all grown up together, a tight-knit group of friends forged by shared experiences and bonds stronger than blood.

“Not to mention, I tried to stop that whole shit show from happening,” X chimed in, his normally stoic demeanor giving way to raw emotion. “And what happened? I needed the Elite Five. We can't do this shit by ourselves.”

Feeling overwhelmed, I collapse onto the floor as tears well up in my eyes. My heart races as flashbacks of that fateful night play over and over in my mind.

“I… I can’t fucking get it out of my head!” I cry out, my voice cracking with emotion. “It just keeps playing.”

Iz gently pats my back as he speaks, his words laced with empathy and understanding. “Seriously, call my mom. Just ask X how she helped him.”

Before anyone can respond, the bell rings. We all silently make our way out of the locker room and head off to our classes. As Kaid pulls me into a quick hug before leaving, he whispers in my ear.

“Seriously, man, we’re here for you. Just don't leave us.”

“Alright.”

I step into the classroom, the low hum of chatter and shuffling papers filling my ears. Desperately needing to drown out the noise, I pop in my headphones and turn up the volume. The familiar song "Granite" by Sleep Token blasts through my ears, momentarily blocking out all other thoughts.

As I make my way to the back of the room, I see Becca sitting in her usual spot, papers scattered across her desk. Ignoring the chaos around her, she is completely focused on her work. I plop down in the seat across from her, pushing some of her papers aside to rest my feet on top.

Becca lets out a frustrated sigh as she gathers up her papers. "Are you not going to work today?"

I shrug nonchalantly, still lost in the pounding beat of the music blasting through my headphones.

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