Chapter 2
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"Give me the paint!"
"No, it's mine!"
"Dammit, just give me the paint, Melinda!"

I groaned, prying my eyes open and sitting up in bed with a jolt.

"What in the name of Hades?" I muttered, referring to common Percy Jackson methods of swearing.

I heard my mom's voice drift through my door from down the hall.

"No, Jarold! We will not color our room like a darn rock!" my mom shrieked, sounding quite like a mandrake. Yet another Harry Potter reference... I need to stop.

"It will not look exactly like a rock! And besides, I think it's tranquil!" my dad yelled back.

Gods, why were they arguing over something as stupid as this? It was irritating.

I slid crossly out of my bed, straightening my now ruffled blouse and white skinny jeans before I smoothed my blonde hair down carelessly with a hand and stormed out of my room, swinging open the door and letting it bang against the wall.

My parents fell silent for a moment, giving me the perfect chance to burst into their bedroom, my jaw almost dropping at the horrific sight.

There, in front of me, was my mother, her clothes, face, and arms smeared with gray paint, while my dad looked the same, only with dark purple paint.

"Oh, for the love of all things sane," I muttered.

I glared at my parents and snapped, "You two are acting like children! What has gotten into you?" I demanded furiously, placing my hands angrily onto my hips. Oh, God, now I sound like my mom.... oh, well.

My mother looked slightly taken aback before she scoffed and glared at my dad. "He started it by rubbing paint on my cheeks!" she said in a child-like manner.

"What are you, a 6 year old?" I demanded, scowling at her. My dad looked triumphant, but as soon as he began to smirk, I shifted my scornful gaze onto him. "The same with you, Dad. I expected better. Of both of you. I try to sleep for about ten minutes and then you two are arguing? Honestly, sometimes I think I'm the parent, and you two are bickering siblings-- er, couple," I scolded them before rolling my eyes.

My mom hung her head slightly and then she sighed. "I'm sorry, Ariana. You can go back to sleep. I promise we won't fight anymore." She then glanced at my clothes and gasped. "You're wearing your best clothes! You better not sleep in those!" Called it.

Instead of replying, I frowned at her and bolted down the hallway, skidding into my room, slamming the door shut, and locking it before sliding down onto the floor.

I buried my face into my hands, taking deep breaths to level my breathing as my head was suddenly racked with a strong pounding throb, a dull ache.

Great. I have a headache. What else could get better?

I closed my eyes shut tight, squeezing them until the lids burned, hoping to crush the pounding feeling inside of my head.

Was it the stress of moving? Probably. Maybe. I have no clue.

I took a shaky breath and stumbled to my feet before squinting, since I didn't want to make the effort of opening my eyes too wide, and dragged my feet towards my bed and collapsed onto it, curling up into a comfortable ball and snuggling in among my blankets once more.

What's wrong with me? I thought as another violent aching seized my head. Am I getting sick?

I closed my eyes again, burying my face into the pillow, and didn't even attempt to block out my parents' as they began bickering over paint again. Another broken promise from my mother, I thought dully.

I let all the noise fade into the background as I drifted into another nap.
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I woke with a sharp jolt. Again.

My palms were sweaty, tightened around my blankets, and luckily, the throbbing in my head had ceased greatly.

I sighed and stumbled out of bed, arching my back in a stretch. I felt better now; well-rested and refreshed.

The house was silent, so I assumed that my mom and dad had stopped arguing over their choices of paint and came to an agreement. Or, they had taken it outside. Either points could go. My parents are crazy...

I peered into my dresser, my brow furrowing when I saw how ruffled and frazzled my hair (and self) looked. My eyes had crust beneath them, my hair looked like a rat's nest, my lips were chapped to a very, very dry consent. Hmm. Well, then.

I turned away from my reflection, letting my eyes slide shut, only for the images of Suzan crying and Tyler swearing loudly to fill my head.

Oh, gods, I missed them. My heart ached so much it felt like it might pop out of my chest, which sort of frightened me.

I let out a deep breath and then ran a hand through my blonde tangles of hair, ruffling them up even more.

Suzan would instantly start picking out an outfit for me, then she'd force a brush through my hair, give me some chapstick, then get a wet rag to clean my face with. Suzan is just like that. She has to make almost everyone she knows look good, or she'll flip out. It used to be irritating, but now I'm used to it and actually grateful for her quick skills. They especially came in handy if I ever came to school looking like a mess.

Tyler, however, was like a big brother. He would threaten any boy who tried to flirt with me, even the ones who were bigger than him, and he'd always have my back in anything, even if I was wrong. We didn't like each other, though; no, we've known each other since we were 6, and I've only seen him as a brother. Tyler sees me the same way, only as a sister, and I think he secretly likes Suzan. I don't have a problem with it; I was secretly trying to get them together, or to hug, kiss, hold hands, confess their feelings, anything! But now I'm gone. I can't. I might not ever see them again.

Then the tears started flowing.

(A/N: And thus the drama erupts. I've moved before, and oh God it sucked. I knew literally none of the people since my old house was like an hour away from the new town, and it was in 6th grade, too...

ANYWHO, changing the subject from myself (gods I seem self-centered), let's talk about Ariana and Rixton!

I know, no Rixton in this chapter :-(

I'm sad, too. But don't worry! He's coming up soon.... (maybe in the next chapter.... ;)

So, if you want to see some Rixton-ish action, then VOTE, COMMENT, FOLLOW, and ADD THIS INTO YOUR LIBRARY.

It helps, I assure you.

Thank you for reading, and either continue doing so or please wait patiently for updates :)