Eliazer King's POV

was speeding down the hallway, late for one of my classes. I missed out yesterday because I stayed up late, so I didn't really see the point in coming to school. I opened the class door and slammed it shut, Mr. Phillips greeting me afterward. I was about to take my seat until I saw someone sitting in my usual spot. There was nowhere else that was empty so I sat next to the girl.

I've never seen her before, but I didn't really think of it. I don't associate with anyone, and I prefer to keep it that way. I felt her eyes on me and I knew exactly what she was looking at. She looked at my possessions, which have my name written all over.

I glared at her once she looked back at me, but surprisingly, she didn't look away. I hardened my glare, but she was the first to ever smile. I was stunned.

Who the hell smiles at a glare?

***

Bryn Atkinson's POV

pouring rain didn't fix my mood. Nikolai was holding a black umbrella for the both of us while I was looking at the Promethean casket. I didn't want to believe she was gone, my Charlie. A hand was placed on my shoulder and I looked at whom it belonged to.

"Benjamin? What are you doing here?" I asked him, realizing afterward the rest of the guys were behind him, wearing the same black Versace suits.

"All of our parents are friends." River said.

I nodded, not really in the mood for conversation. It looks like they understood because they just stood there in silence, white roses in their hands. My father was the first to place one atop of the casket. Charlie always had a thing for the color white, I never understood because it was plain, yet she always said it was so bright.

Aspen followed shortly after, placing his own white rose. His eyes were red and a tad puffy, exactly like mines were at the moment. Nikolai followed after me when it was my turn. I didn't want to lay it there, top of her casket. It was like saying goodbye, and Charlie hated saying goodbye. She said it would always make her feel like we were leaving her forever.

I placed the flower gently on the hard surface, Nikolai putting one of his own. Nikolai was Charlie's favorite. Whenever we would visit, she would always want to hang around with him doing jobs, so I know it hurts him as much as it hurts me. My knees felt weak, I felt like I was about to collapse at any second.

My dad came to my aid, taking hold of one of my arms while Nikolai took the other. I fell limp as I let my tears fall. I was hysterically crying, and my father just hugged me to his chest, trying to give me some sort of comfort.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart," he said, his voice cracking. He had a pool of tears threatening to fall from his eyes. The worst thing that could happen to a parent was to lose a child. My father felt heartbroken on the inside, especially when he found out my mother basically murdered Charlie.

At some point, Aspen came, holding me while my father used his handkerchief to wipe my tears and swollen eyes. Nikolai then escorted me to the black Ford pickup we had, opening the backseat door for me. I slid in, moving all the way down since Nikolai came afterward.

"You know, I've lost many people in my life Bryn, and this has been one of the hardest," Nikolai says. "My parents are dead, my brother was murdered, my friends abandoned me... Charlie, Charlie was an angel—But you know..." He continues, "I've gotten past everything. Now I'm not saying you should forget Charlie, no no no."

"I mean, you gotta move past it. But keep a place for her here." he said, pointing at his head, "and here."

The heart.

I nodded slowly, leaning my head against the window, fresh from the rain.

We'll see where life goes.

***

My dad had a discussion with the school about giving me days off. Currently, I was on my skateboard roaming around the neighborhood just taking a stroll. I had passed a few construction sites before stopping in front of one. A lot of the men working had tans due to the sun and were wearing hard hats. One, in particular, caught my eye.

He was pretty young to be working here, around my age from what I can tell off the back. He had on those titanium steel necklace and bracelet set, I recognized them because of Aspen and my Dad like wearing those. He was wearing a Muscle - T, cream Timberlands, faded jeans with smudges of dirt on them, and work gloves so that he wouldn't get splinters.

He squatted down, picking up a long piece of wood that was freshly polished before abruptly turning around. I was so concentrated on his back muscles that when he faced me, I awkwardly shuffled on my feet, realizing it was Eliazer.

"Uh, the trees are pretty... Whooshy today?" I clumsily said. He grunted in response, walking off somewhere. I looked at his retreating form. It was a wonder to me as to why his body was built, he picked things up constantly while working here. Without a second thought, I made my way down the street, a few blocks away.

I passed a few shops and apartments on my way before reaching this creepy street. It was lonely, but thank god it was around twelve in the afternoon. Not to offend anyone or anything, but this street looks like the hood, or as River would call it, the ghetto. I kept walking forward, curiosity taking the best of me. I wanted to explore, have an adventure.

But that was crushed when I heard the horrific sound of a scream.