chapter 1 Kassia

As she scrambled to get her sister, Chicago, and herself ready for school, Kassia couldn't help but feel anxious. They were already running late, and to make matters worse, they were trying to avoid their mom. Kassia knew that if her mom came home now, they wouldn't be able to make it to school that day.

She tried to prepare cereal for breakfast, but they were out of milk. Kassia made a mental note to do some grocery shopping with the little money she had managed to save from her part-time job at the laundry shop. Although the pay was minimal, it helped her get a few essential items for the house, and the flexible schedule didn't interfere with her classes.

Chicago was still in kindergarten and would soon be moving to grade one. Kassia needed to save up money for her education, as their mom didn't seem to care about their well-being. Her priorities lay with her drugs and gambling habits.

Sometimes, Kassia felt like escaping, even if only for a little while. Whenever her mom was around, she caused havoc, and Chicago was scared of her. Her mom often took Kassia's savings and spent them on herself.

As Kassia carried Chicago on her back, she couldn't help but think about their difficult life. She had taken on a lot of responsibility, working to support them since she didn't have enough money for transportation to school. She decided to walk to school instead.

As a senior in high school, Kassia was hoping to secure a scholarship to a nearby college. She needed to keep her priorities straight, especially since she had to care for her little sister, Chicago. Her daily commute to school was a 30-minute walk. She managed to arrive at school with just five minutes to spare before the first bell rang.

After dropping Chicago off at her kindergarten class, Kassia headed to her first class of the day. She was lucky to have at least one close friend, Christy. Christy was nice, and Kassia appreciated her personality. She spotted Christy already seated in class, so she sat down beside her. Their teacher, Christian, walked in and began the lesson.

Time flew by quickly, and soon, it was lunchtime. Kassia and Christy grabbed seats in the cafeteria and started discussing their weekend assignment. Christy had been crushing on Williams, one of their school's notorious bad boys. Kassia wasn't surprised; Williams had a reputation. But then there was Caleb - the absolute worst. He was like a Greek god in their school, with everyone fawning over him. Kassia just didn't get what the fuss was about. He seemed too full of himself for her taste.

Time flies quickly ...

After lunch, Kassia headed to her last class of the day. To her dismay, the students were grouped to work on a project, and she was paired with Caleb. Could her luck get any worse?

Classes finally ended, and as the students were packing up, the teacher called Kassia over. With Caleb standing beside her, grinning like a fool, the teacher asked if she'd be willing to tutor him, citing his poor grades. Kassia tried to maintain her composure despite feeling uneasy. "I'll think about it," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

As Kassia exited the classroom, Christy was nowhere to be found, but Caleb lingered, attempting to persuade her to tutor him. Her answer remained firm: "NO" .

Kassia was still walking when Caleb fell into step beside her. He was trying to persuade her to lecture him, but she was hesitant. "Caleb, no matter what you say, I just can't lecture you," Kassia said. "Honestly, I don't have the time to do that right now. I have lots of things to do after school."

"You're not the only one who's busy with something else after school," Caleb retorted. "Besides, what do you even do that's keeping you so busy? What's more important than teaching Cain?"

Kassia sighed inwardly. She thought to herself, There's nothing more important than me in my whole life. Caleb should be grateful that their teacher asked Kassia to tutor him. He always behaved like he was smarter and better than everyone, but he wasn't. He was just an attention seeker, a piece of worthless trash.

Caleb's words cut deep, but Kassia tried to keep her cool. He grabbed her hands forcefully, and she knew it was going to leave a mark. Her body was sensitive, and she'd have to hide another hideous bruise again.

"Cassia, what's going on in that little head of yours?" Caleb asked, hitting her forehead slightly. "Earth to Cassia! I'm talking to you, and you're busy daydreaming."

That was it. Kassia had had enough. "Caleb, what's your problem?" she snapped. "You have no right to talk to me this way. Who do you think you are? I can decide on my own if I want to tell you something or not. I already told you I'm busy. You better let go of my hand before I scream, and security comes to find us here after school hours. You know what that means."

Kassia forcefully removed her hand from his. "Don't you ever try this nonsense again, or I'll report you to the principal for bullying. You're an a******!" She stepped on his feet and walked away.

As Kassia left, Caleb muttered under his breath. "I'll make her life a living hell. She thinks she's special, but I'll show her she's nothing but a worthless piece of s***. I'll simply ask her friend Christy for her number. I'll get to her through a friend."

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Chapter 1 :is complete! I know it's a bit slow, but please keep reading - it gets better, I promise!