I have never been a morning person.

In fact, I always had trouble sleeping at night time; before being subdued when the sun rose. I was freshly active and prolific, too busy penciling in all of my swarming ideas into placid walls, before the moon would shone brighter compared to any star I have ever seen.

Admitting to no one, the sun was never my friend.

Because I was a night owl.

I spent more hours drawing shapes with my calloused finger casted to the ceiling like a magical wand, than training my subconscious into vegetation. Sleeping had made me vulnerable, so I always hated important early events like first days or Mondays in particular.

These were the thoughts that collided rapidly into each other, before I wrapped a cool towel around my hot body after exiting the shower. I hurriedly got dressed for my first day at a new school, after brushing my teeth with a jittery hand.

Darcy had to peel my eyelids open, to jump start me awake. Last night after making it home, I realized it was the first night that I didn't have to fight drowsiness, with purging thoughts reigning inside of my barricade of such elastic and electrical contemplation.

My dreams were alive, there was no need to sleep.

"Why hadn't you showed up at the diner last night?" Once I got my tee shirt over my head, I slowly buttoned up my blue jeans  while Darcy stared at me through the mirror, applying lipgloss to her naturally red lips. "Me and Robin waited for you all night," I added.

Darcy looked beautiful as ever, clearly another trait she possessed in which I didn't. She was awoken before her alarm went off, ranging louder in my own ear. She dressed in a teal skirt with a white turtleneck to match. Blonde curls fell at her shoulders in layers, making her appear more youthful; more innocent.

"I told Robin not to wait for me," Darcy sighed before rolling her eyes. "I had other plans. Too tired afterwards." She sends me a wink, before leaving the bathroom to collect her high heeled shoes. If only I had put so much effort into my school appearance. Eight hours weren't enough to get a dedicated gym membership, nor spend all my money on cosmetics.

I secured my hair into its distressed high ponytail, reflecting on the previous night and my past life. Things were moving so quickly, but it's too soon to account for it's pace. Too soon to be accountable for what's next to happen.

Upon hearing Darcy call my name, signaling it was time to go to school- I began to climb into her vehicle, more aware at how weary, drained, and jaded I was becoming on our way to Bellingham's Highschool.

After arriving shortly, as suspected, Darcy parked alongside Robin's car, which I recognized easily by the SpongeBob stickers which decorated the hood. Unbeknownst to me, everyone seemingly around me moved like slugs. Darcy leaped outside of the car with her expensive purse in hand before dragging me outside to stand beside her.

"I'm so excited, Lilah. Aren't you excited too?" The blonde chirps.

"Ecstatic." I pitched sarcastically.

"Your first day was yesterday," I sighed, impatiently grabbing my book bag as Darcy escorted me inside of the school. "Why are you so thrilled?" Darcy smirks down at my question from the imperious height the heels gave her.

I probably looked like a childish ant in comparison to her side. 

Darcy cooly draped her arm across my shoulder before getting closer towards my earlobe to say,

"Delilah, gauge your sight on what's all around you," I attempt to squint my eyelids in order to picture what Darcey was seeing.

The hallways were full of new and pictorial faces, which I noted the specific ranks in which people seemingly took in order to assimilate. There was no threshold to keep them from blending in, from the athletes dressed in letterman jackets to the highly educated and sophisticated nerds.

"High School is a place for younger society to cope the magnificent transitions into puberty." Darcy declared ever-so confidently.

"By magnificent?"

Right on cue, Robin approaches me and Darcy with the most radiant smile perched on top of his lips, dressed in khakis and a lilac purple shirt. Without interjecting, I accept his friendly side hug, smiling at his cologne which wafted my nose.

"Well if it isn't my favorite blondie and brunette." Robin squeals aloud while smirking down at me.

I smiled lowly, appreciating the height difference between the three of us. Darcy appeals just below Robin's neck, with me flanking her side without reaching the top of her shoulder blade.

"Delilah isn't a brunette," My cousin frowns, "She's more like a sultry dark haired raven." She says.

Robin doesn't hesitate to boop my nose making me blush favorably.

"There is nothing sultry about her." Robin reprimands my modesty rather nicely.

Darcy rolls her eyes before disappearing amongst the void of nameless students who all hastily ran around in order to get to their classes.

"What's your schedule, birdy?" Robin comes to a halt, reaching the beginning of the stairwell.

Suddenly the bell rings, while I scramble around my book satchel to retrieve the small piece of paper I received by mail. It was a yearlong list of my classes.

I unfold the slit of paper in hand before tossing it to Robin. "Biology." I stated sharply, looking to Robin for guidance. By now the halls were empty and all I needed was a direction... and to use the bathroom.

"Right hall on the second floor. First door to the left. I Don't expect you to be late birdy!" Robin beams loudly before he slips the paper in between my fingertips, whilst clutching the door leading into his class.

I look over my schedule, pursing my lips at the selection. World literature. Biology Labs. Greek Mythology.  Finite Math. Art. Nice selection, easy passes. Where could I go wrong academically this year?

I turn back around to thank Robin, but he was already gone, smiling at me from beyond the glass of the room he belonged to.

Rolling my eyes, I began to follow the ominous instructions Robin gave me. So far so good,

Inevitably soon, I found the class I was suppose to enter— which I would have, if it wasn't for my pouncing bladder ready to burst any second now. Having a mini debate, I pondered momentarily on which was more important. So I skipped down the hallway with purpose.

As I neared the water fountain, I finally opened the bathroom doors upon hearing loud voices, which I ignored to invade the musty stalls.

I did my business quickly, exiting to rinse my hands clean. I brushed my fingers throughout my hair, quantifying my brazen appearance in the mirror.

I tied my shoe strings even tighter, tidying up my first day presentation of myself. Before I could edit, I heard shuffling around in another stall. Just in time, I turn around to see Darcy, pulling her skirt above her knees. She smiles lowly, "I knew it was you. First day jitters."

"Did you make it to class yet, Delilah?" Darcy asks me. I shut the door of the bathroom behind myself before returning to face my cousin.

I sucked my teeth at her before replying, "Not even." I muttered before beginning to turn around to leave again when promptly, she stops me.

"I forgot to tell you something this morning," Darcy fluffs out her blonde locks in the mirror, she puckers her lips out in a circle to apply more lipgloss. I turn around to look at her, hand still clasped around the door knob to exit.

"You have another session today. At the mental clinic." Her expression is blank and empty. I didn't consider until now if she'd known about my many problems, but from the gratified gleam in herself - I bet she knows.

"You don't say." I retort, grimacing down at the floor tiles.

Suddenly the sight of her irritated me to no sensibility. All I could think about in this moment, was how I'll have to spend gruesome hours stored away in some cruel, boring facility.

"Yeah, I'll have to take you there after school." Darcy states.

I simply nod, without a care to argue, as if I could. What good would it do? What would it change? She was glimmering over the fact I had frank issues. I couldn't help but to feel awkward and overwhelmed.

I began to walk down the hallway, quietly and slowly in attempt to retrace my steps. I still couldn't place where exactly my class resided, I just know I needed to be there otherwise I'd be counted absent.

Then there were these voices again.

It sounded to be an argument between two males, when I made a sharp turn around the stairwell. As easily as I had made that turn, I quickly regretted it.

Damn, I wish I hadn't followed the voices.

Some guy dressed in all black all the way down to his sneakers, had this other guy in a choke hold- lifting him up toward the ceiling. The guy being thrown around, all of his weight was being supported against the lockers with his feet dangling midair. It didn't take long for me to place the identity of the guy in all black, who proceeded to choke his victim.

It was Silver.

Silver snarled wildly, choking the guy further as pure anger riveted in his irises. He punches his victim several times in the gut before allowing the other guy's body to collapse to the floor. Silver kicks him in the stomach twice when the person he assaulted began to groggily turn over in my direction, bellowing loudly. How could no one hear what was happening?

His dirty blonde hair sweatily clung against his forehead while he attempted to crawl away. The sunshine appearance he seemingly had, faltering and almost broken. Sporting the same varsity jacket from yesterday evening, I knew this male from only one occasion, who I knew to be one of Silver's acquaintances. At least I knew that to be true, after the exchange shared between them that I'd witnessed in the diner.

"Aslan!" I gasped.

In an instant, I sprinted over to him, crouching down at his disheveled obedient figure on the floor. Silver goes to strike another blow at Aslan, when his eyes glazed over upon realizing I am now shielding the person his frustration was aimed at.

Aslan groans, pulling at the hems of my shirt, coughing abruptly. "Why are you hurting him?" I shouted with so much anger bubbling up inside of my chest.

Silver sneers, pulling the rise of his jacket down around his shoulders heatedly, "Why are you defending him?" He spat.

I shake my disappointment away, waving him off as I cradled Aslan in my arms. Aslan was thought to be friend of Robin's. I couldn't just standby and watch him get hurt. I refuse.

Silver flexes his arms, tearing his jacket off completely to reveal his ink colored wife beater. "This had nothing to do with you," fists were balled at his side, "Get lost." He demanded with so much venom spewing from his tongue.

"No." I still sat, covering Aslan's bruised cheek after caressing it softly. The  gleam about himself was washed up and dissipating. A painful glimpse pangs across Silver's face, menacingly. If we were in a cartoon, I swear smoke would be spouting from his ears.

"I'm not leaving him so you can just go." I say with finality

Silver takes an erratic look around, heartbeat fluttering pulses inside of my mound. Everything inside of my bodice began to vibrate, as I held my ground, readily to defend it.

"A girl as my hero..." Aslan sighed meekly. I draped my body over his, straddling him closer with a complete disregard for his statement.

Silver bends down, beautiful eyes boring into mine. Instead of my life saver, I now saw an abuser.

He clears his throat.

"I told you to be more careful," Is the last thing Silver says to me, before storming away pathetically.

.