Wisteria Falls

My breaths are choppy as my bare feet fly across the damp forest floor. I can't breathe, and my feet are cut up and bleeding from the abuse I'm treating them to, but I can see the old boat house approaching as the trees start thinning. I'll be okay if I can make it inside and down to the decaying storm cellar. They won't think to look there. No one ever does. It's been my safe space in this town of monsters ever since the first time my stepdad visited my room, thinking I was sleeping. Just checking on me to make sure I was safe. It's more like pretending his vile dreams are the truth when they are actually the farthest thing.

I shake my head to dislodge the awful thoughts brewing that absolutely do not help my current survival rate. Focus. I dare to look over my shoulder to see if my attacker is still following me...and immediately regret it. I lock eyes with a real-life demon, and the disgusting smile I'm graced with will haunt me forever. Fuck I thought they were farther away.

I scream at the top of my lungs because the time for silence has now ended, and I put on a burst of speed, weaving between the remaining trees before the beach. Instead of turning right for the boat house and my safe space, I take a left, heading straight for the pier and out towards the water. Even though every warning bell is going off inside my head about how late it is and how fucking cold that water probably is, what choice do I have?

My breath caught in my throat at that thought, but I didn't break my stride. What the fuck am I going to do? That water is going to be freezing...I don't have a choice. My decision brings a little confidence and hope I desperately need. I can swim to the other side of the bay, and hopefully, they won't keep following once I jump in the icy water anyway.

I can feel how close they are, but I don't check as I reach the end of the pier at a full sprint and dive off into the water. My chest immediately seizes when I hit the water, but I clamp my mouth shut to resist taking a breath full of salt water. It feels like I'm moving through glass, the water slicing my hands and face with its temperature. I try to swim up toward the surface, but it's so dark I can't tell up from down, and my body is in shock from the freezing cold water. My chest is tight with the lack of oxygen. I have to calm down and figure this out. I stop moving altogether, and as my legs start to float above me, I turn my body and shoot out to break through the surface. "Fuck!" I gasp, trying to breathe in oxygen before I drown. My lungs don't let me get much in because of the cold, but I'll take what I can. I search for markers in the pitch black to figure out where I am just as I hear a splash in the water behind me. No.

I focus all my energy on pushing my arms forward and kicking my feet. I can't see where I'm going, but putting as much distance between me and the demon is imperative. I can barely see the outline of the shore on the other side. It's so far away. It feels like I'm moving through ice-cold sludge, each stroke almost freezing in place. Is this what it feels like to die? Am I going to die?

I turn to the left, thinking it will lead toward the shore, giving up on my trek across the bay. I'm too freezing to swim any longer. My body is starting to give out. My little hope instantly fizzles when my arm smacks into something hard. A scream is ripped from my chest when my arm is grabbed so hard my wrist feels like it's cracking in half. I try to pull away, but my energy is zapped from that run, this swim, and the freezing water.

Who would do this to me? is my last thought before everything goes black.

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If you told me four months ago, I'd be starting senior year sitting in my old Ford Taurus in the back row of the parking lot, dreading the walk to class and every interaction after that because I'd be alone without Scar by my side. I would have asked to smoke whatever you were on. Unfortunately for me, I live in Wisteria Falls. Having your best friend turn up dead in the bay wasn't an uncommon occurrence. At least that's what the sheriff told me when they decided Scar committed suicide and threw herself into the bay and drowned. It was "common enough to fit," and they closed the case faster than it was opened.

Even when Scarlett Chesterfield was the LAST person ever to commit suicide, there wasn't even a note left behind to prove that was what happened. And the strangest part about that night was that she lied to me about where she'd been. Or at least partly. I told the police Scar had a date in the next town over but didn't tell me who with because she wanted it to be a surprise. If she was supposed to be in the next town over with a date, why and how did she end up floating in Dogwood Bay?

So many unanswered questions that were just swept under the rug as a statistic like every other traumatic thing that happens in this town.

I sigh as I look at the other students getting out of their cars and walking to class like it's any other day, not their reckoning. My depressive feelings are at an all-time high. This will be the second time I walk into these halls without Scar by my side.

We met on the first day of freshman and have been thick as thieves ever since. Instantly bonding over our red hair, fair skin, and matching names. Names of color that match our hair. Scarlett and Rose. Scar and Ro. Fuck, my chest is hurting again. I miss her so much. I had always been made fun of for my complexion and matching name. My lovely parents went literally with my name--Rose White. I am white as a ghost with deep rose-colored hair. But Scar immediately made it our biggest connection, and now it's my favorite thing about me because it connected me to her.

I take a deep breath to swallow down my emotions and lock them deep inside to get through this day. I can do this. I can be strong for Scar. There has to be something in that damn school.

I grab my backpack and get out before throwing it over my shoulder and locking the door. I went with simple and understated today to catch the least amount of attention possible. I paired my favorite black ensemble of combat boots, skinny jeans that hug my curves, and a Pink Floyd crop top. Scar and I might have had names and hair to match rubies, but we lived in black.

I trek up the sidewalk to the front steps of the main building. It's an average two-story tan brick building built over 50 years ago. Students dot the walkway around me and on the grass by the stairs. I kept my head down and made my way to the glass front doors without incident. I start down the hall to my locker, passing the admin office immediately on the left and two classrooms before stopping in my tracks.

There is sometimes a line near my locker since the bathrooms are right before it, but this is different. Tons of students are clustered around the end lockers, which is right where mine is. That can only mean one of two things. Someone has already started the smear campaign on me and trashed my locker, or someone new has moved into Scarlett's locker. My stomach drops at the thought.

I take a long way around and squeeze through the crowd to get to my locker at the end and find it blocked by none other than Cindi Lane and her two minions, Rachel Masters and Becca Tongs. Cindi is the self-appointed queen bee and a total bitch. She's leaning against my locker, facing the new student putting his things in Scar's locker. I can only see his back from this angle, but he's huge. He has to be around 6'4. He has a black tank top paired with dark blue jeans and black sneakers. He's built like a surfer. Tall and lean muscles run up his arms, accented by the tattoo sleeves covering both arms. I would ask how he already has so many tattoos, but it's not that odd in this town. It's also extremely attractive, so I'm not complaining. A few pieces of wavy blonde locks reach his shoulder, even if he does have the majority tied up in a bun on the back of his head.

If there was ever someone who was my absolute perfect type on the outside, it would be this golden god in front of me. Too bad he won't notice my existence past his locker buddy. I don't know how long I've been staring and checking out Goldie, but I realize how quiet it is and turn to see that Cindi took her attention off her new prey to stare daggers at me. The entire student body in the crowd surrounding us followed suit. I internally sighed, waiting for the bullshit about to spew from her vile mouth, Goldie is none the wiser to my ostracizing while he ignores the world around his locker, but he will soon.

"How can you even show your face here after what you did, you stupid whore?" Cindi spits at me with disgust before continuing, "Scarlett was one of the good ones, and you made her life miserable. Rotting her mind with your slutty ways before she couldn't take it anymore and took a dive in the bay." I fist my hands, nails biting into my palm. She doesn't deserve a reaction, even if she is spewing complete crap. Usually, I would ignore her trash, but I have this weird thought circling my mind that I don't want Goldie to think that of me. My chest tightens as Cindi continues her tirade, "Why don't you run back to your gold-digging mother and stay there? No one wants you here bitch. You should have killed yourself instead of killing Scarlett." She smirked at me and propped her hand on her hip, jutting out to the side. The new guy chose this time to slowly turn around and meet my eyes.

He was even more gorgeous from the front, if that was possible. What's higher than a god? I don't know, but his strong jaw and tanned skin weren't the most striking thing about him. He had more tattoos running up his neck and down under his collar. I suddenly had the urge to follow them and see where they ended up. But when I made it back to his eyes, my breath shuttered. His eyes were the brightest blue I'd ever seen, like the ocean in the morning sun. He didn't send me the menacing death glare as the entire town did. He seemed curious and concerned even.

I could feel his eyes on me even as I turned back to face Cindi and took a deep breath to calm myself before answering, "Do not talk about Scarlett like you knew or cared about her. You are the last person she would ever want to "defend her honor" or whatever the hell you are doing. So shut your mouth and move your ass off my locker so I can get to class on time." I crossed my arms and gave her a fucking try me glare before my gaze was pulled back to the new guy like a magnet. He met my eyes, and a smirk pulled on his face, revealing a dimple on his left cheek.

Come onnn, how can he continue to get more attractive every minute? I have one goal this year. Figure out who killed Scarlett. I can't get distracted this easily over a boy, of all things. Well, maybe boy isn't fair. He definitely looks more man than anyone at this school, that's for sure. Okay, that is beside the point.

He was still holding my gaze, and he thrust out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Austin Graves. What's your name?" My eyes went wide with surprise, but I quickly schooled them. I heard Cindi gasp in outrage that he was ignoring her and talking to me. I took his hand, but before I could answer, Cindi interrupted in a fake, sweet voice, "Aust, honey, you're new here, so let me help you out. Didn't you hear what I said? You don't want to be seen with her. She's no more important than the dirt under our feet." My face heats, and I unconsciously squeeze Goldie's hand to calm my rage and stop myself from rearranging Cindi's face.

Austin squeezed my hand back, almost reassuringly, before turning a dark glare Cindi's way. He looks like a totally different person. Normally, that look might scare me, but it makes me feel safe for some reason coming from him. "I heard you. Doesn't mean I care what you have to say." He turned back to me, dismissing Cindi, which she was not happy about, and she huffed before walking away. Goldie waited for my response like the entire interaction with Cindi didn't happen. I am fully aware I have let go of his hand, but he hasn't let go either.

"I'm Rose. Rose White," I answer with a small smile before realizing how weird it felt and dropping it. When was the last time I'd done that?

"Nice to meet you. Did I hear you say we are locker buddies?" His smile widened as he pointed between our lockers.

The crowd around us had dispersed now that the queen had left, so I could relax a tiny bit and stepped toward my locker. I tried to pull my hand out of his grip, but he didn't let me. He squeezed my hand in a comforting way before pulling me close. I could feel his breath on my lips as he whispered low enough for only me to hear, "I know you. Scarlett talked about you all the time. I'm looking for her and my sister's killer." He took a breath and somehow pulled me closer. My free hand landed on his chest as his arm wrapped around my back, pulling me flush with his hard chest before continuing, "Scar made it seem like you were someone I could rely on. Is that true?" I gasped in shock, trying to take in what he was saying.

He knew Scarlett? Was he her date from the next town over? What did he mean by his sister's killer? What was Scar really up to that night? Maybe he knows?

My breathing was picking up, and a panic attack was on the rise. Goldie must have noticed my distress because before the panic could kick in, his lips were on mine, and that's all that filled my mind. He slowly explored my lips with his, giving me a chance to tell him to stop or push him away. I did the opposite, grabbing his shirt to pull him entirely to me. We were fused from hip to mouth. I gasped when I felt his tongue press against the seam of my lips, and he took advantage of my open mouth and pushed his tongue inside. I moaned loudly against his lips as he walked me back to press me against our lockers, deepening the kiss. Our tongues clashed, and he bit my lip, making me lose another moan. When I felt like my chest was going to explode from lack of oxygen, I wrenched my mouth away, and his breathing was as ragged as mine. "She never told me how absolutely breathtaking you were, though." He said through heavy breaths before placing a chaste kiss on my lips and taking a small step back, putting some much-needed space between us, but he never let go of my hand.

My earlier panic attack was no longer lingering; all that was left was desire and curiosity about this golden god before me. "You knew Scarlett?" I whispered, meeting his crystal blue eyes, now full of heat.

"I did. And I think we can help each other figure out what really happened to Scarlett." He took a breath and looked down the hall, seeming to check who was around, but most students had gone into class, with it being just minutes before the bell. He stepped closer to me again, and I thought he would kiss me again, but he leaned to whisper in my ear instead. "She never made it to see me that night. Whatever happened, Scarlett never left Wisteria Falls." My mouth fell open in shock as he leaned back to meet my eyes.

I took a deep breath before stepping to the left, and Goldie let me go. I opened my locker, switching out the books I needed for class before shutting my locker and turning to face him again. "What the hell was Scarlett doing that night, and what's really going on in Wisteria Falls?"

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