Chapter One - Jocelyn

I sat under a tree in the park, listening to 'Crimson Rose' by Liannah, my favorite artist. Her music always spoke to me, but this song felt especially close to my heart. The lyrics and melody captured my emotions perfectly, like she understood me in a way no one else did.

     I was going through a lot at the time. My dad rarely came home, which prompted my mom to cheat on him and get a divorce. She even refused to take custody of her only child and I was devastated. After the court hearing, my dad said I was moving to Westfield, which was a really big town and also where he grew up.

     Without much of a choice, I agreed and I took a plane there the following week. As I packed my bags, I couldn't help but think about the horrible memories I had there. In middle school, I was bullied by a group of girls because their leader's father happened to be my mother's lover and she decided to "teach me a lesson" by making my life miserable. She wanted me to know how it felt to be in her mother's position. "Damn that girl is a bitch."I muttered as I zipped my bag closed and walked through the door of my former home.

     After a two and a half hours flight from Ivy Creek,  I took a cab from the local airport to the address of my uncle's house but no one was home. Luckily, I had been there some months ago so I went to the park and sat under a tree to listen to my favourite song.

     As I slowly got lost in the song's deep lyrics, I felt a presence beside me and it turned out to be a dark skinned boy who looked like he was in my age range. He took a glance at my phone screen before looking at me with his soft hazel eyes. "Um, you're sitting on my notebook."he said in a smooth voice. "Oh shit, sorry." I quickly stood up and handed it to him. "Thanks."he muttered before picking up his guitar case and left. Embarrassed, I wore the hood of my jacket and buried my head in my laps.

     From a distance, I heard my name and I lifted my head to see who it was. "Chloe?"I said to myself. "JOCELYN!"she yelled, adding extra emphasis on the last syllable. A wide grin appeared on her face as she saw me and ran towards my direction with her corgi, Milo. She jumped on me as I stood up and we both fell on the grass. "You're here! Finally, someone I can associate with."she said excitedly. "Could you get off me? You're crushing my internal organs." "Oops, sorry. I'm just excited but why aren't you at home? Riley is there."

     "Really?"I asked while dusting off the sand on my clothes. "I knocked on the door but no one answered. So I came here." "Along with your suitcase? You're strong, let's go."

      When we got to her house, it was still locked but luckily, she had a key. As she twisted the door's handle, the sound of crashing pots and pans were heard. "Not this again."Chloe muttered. She slam opened the door and ran to the kitchen. Riley was on the floor, covered in flour and milk. "Mom has told you several times not to do this but you never listen. Wait till she comes home."Chloe said. Her younger sister began to beg her and that took a long time. Once they were done, Chloe took me to my room upstairs. "Hope you like it."she said before going back to Riley and her mess.

     The room was, at the least more spacious than my old one. It had a built-in wardrobe in one of its cream coloured walls and a bed big enough for two people opposite it. A breeze softly blew the curtains which some of the sunrays passed through it, giving an aesthetic vibe. I kept my suitcase and backpack near a small desk with old textbooks and novels on it then fell facing forward on the bed. "So this is my new life."I said softly.

        As I stared at the white ceiling, memories of my life as a little kid began to play in my mind. My cheerful laughter and the tune my dad loved playing on the piano were as if they were right there. Soon, my eyelids grew heavy and I slept off before I knew it.

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