Intruder

I sit up groggily staring into the darkness. I hate waking up in the middle of night. I turn to the side table only to find my water bottle empty. But what I hate more is having to waste precious time moving about while i could be sleeping.

Throwing the covers off me, I grab the bottle and make my way to the kitchen. Without turning the lights on I move to the fridge to grab another bottle.

"What a hair nest," a voice casually comments behind me.

The hair on my neck stands and a cold sweat breaks down my back. Intruder. Holding the water filled bottle I quickly turn in the direction of the voice and throw the bottle into the darkness. An Ouch is the only indication that I hit my target.

"What gives?" The voice snaps. Only now I am able to make it out as Mason's voice.

The light from the fridge illuminates the room and I see Mason standing by the sink holding the bottle that I threw and rubbing his cheek.

"What are you even doing here?" I huff out moving to grab the bottle from him.

"To drink water," he replies.

"In the darkness?" 

He shrugs at that.

Moving his hand from his cheek I check to see if I have done damage to him. Finding none, I move to leave when he holds my hand. Pulling it back I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I heard about your family, sorry about it," he says.

It's been four days since I got the news, and now is when he is telling me?

"Thanks," I say, giving him as big of a smile as I can muster.

We stand there in silence thinking that he is going to say something more, he doesn't. I turn around and walk out the kitchen shutting the fridge door covering us in darkness.

Before I leave the kitchen I hear him say," I like you but I love her," I don't stop till I'm in my room. I sink down to the floor after shutting the door trying to catch my breath and not break down in tears.

Cursing at the water bottle, I move to my bed trying to go back to sleep but sleep seems to evade me.

******

"For the rest of the semester we will be working on sonnets by Elizabeth Barron. You will be working in pairs of two," Ms. Lydia says, taking a pause to wait for the chatter to die down.

"I have already paired all of you. Together with the piece you will be working on. To be presented on Friday next week,"she finishes having the class grumble.

She gives out a paper to pass around the class. Am paired with- Diana. Freaking great. We haven't talked since the day at the waterfall and right now she is seated at the other corner of the class staring out the window. She catches me looking at her and just turns away from me.

The bell rings signaling the end of the period and beginning of lunch. Grabbing my books I make my way to my locker only to find our group gathered at Jason's locker which is right next to mine. Diana passes by me and goes to stand next to Sam.

They looked like they were planning something. Looking at them, I got a bit hurt and jealous?

I walked in on Jason and Sam making out which means they are together,and it sometimes hurts watching them. Kevin and Mason seemed to have gone into a truce not pushing, letting Diana decide on her own who she wants, while Oliver had other things occupying his mind to care.

I wish Olivia was here, I thought as I rounded the corner and went to the library after grabbing my lunch. Eating at the cafeteria meant I would have to sit with them and be uncomfortable for a whole hour.

Grabbing a copy of the sonnet I started reading. Am so immersed in reading that I don't hear anyone walk over.

"Ms. Warren?" A voice calls.

"Ms. Warren!" Someone tapes my arm. Looking up, it's Michael.

"Mr. Ross?" 

"Been trying to get your attention for a while. You must be buried in the book," he says, taking a seat opposite me.

"Yeah," I just said, shutting the book. I still wasn't used to my surname.

"Elizabeth- thats my favorite poet," he tells me reading the cover of the book.

"Really? I barely understand what it's saying,"I let out a sigh.

"Here let me help," he grabs the book. " What is your part?"

"How do I love thee?" I supply.

"Also called Sonnet 43,"he says as he opens the page.

"How do I love thee let me count the ways," he begins and i am immediately entranced.

His voice is low and husky as he reads the poem out loud that has me yearning to hear the next line out from his mouth.

"I love thee to the depth breath and height-"

"Ayla? Can we talk?" Sam stands by the table giving me a smile.

"You know where to find me, if you still need help," Mr.Ross excuses himself.

"Woo, how did you get him to sit with you and help you with poetry?" Sam exclaims, staring at his retreating back while occupying his seat.

"I didn't," I replied nonchalantly, biting into my sandwich.

"How are you fairing?"she asks after a beat of silence.

I give her a quizzical look. I had no idea what she was asking about.

"Your family," she provides.

I release a long sigh,"I have no idea how to feel. On one hand I don't know them so it really doesn't mean that much and the other it hurts. It hurts like fucking hell that I didn't know them. That the choice of wanting to know my family is taken away from me,"I rasp my eyes already glistening.

Today in the morning when Anthony was berating and advising Jason and Mason about their last few months of senior year, I imagined that it was my dad doing that to me, while mum was in the kitchen making my breakfast. And it hurt so much that it would only be that- an imagination.

And to make it worse I don't remember a single thing before the raid at the house. Before I was confused of who I was and who I wanted to be but now I have no idea of who I even am.

Samantha moves next me and hugs me as tears stream down my cheeks and sobs rake my body. She doesn't say anything, just holds me tight, cause what can she say? She has never  had a family that she didn't know about ripped out, not lived the years wondering why she was  alone or forcing yourself to not think about if they didn't want you just the like world didn't.

But I hold her tight and continue crying on her shoulder, she is after all the closest person I have to family.