Love Is Overrated

Chapter 3: No such thing as different.

Reign's POV.

The worst thing in the world is waking up and preparing for school.

I hate high school.

I hate high schoolers.

But I have no choice but to go to school because I tend to believe that it's my way out, school determines who I'm going to be in the world, which is anything other than a girl who works at a small town milkshake shop.

Sigh.

I grab my backpack from my desk, swinging it over my shoulder before rushing out of my room.

I descend the stairs and amble into the kitchen to check if she got up this morning, I spot my mom standing by the sink, looking lost in thought.

"Mom?" I call but she doesn't respond or turn to look at me.

That happens a lot.

I grab an orange from the counter and I walk towards her, tapping her shoulder, she spins around and brings her hand to her chest, looking frightened.

"Rei, you scared me," her voice sounds hoarse and she looks like she hasn't slept in days if not weeks, her hair is literally a bird's nest.

I know she hasn't been sleeping.

Less sleeping and more drinking.

It's been happening since my Dad got arrested and my older sister left home and never came back.

Mom and I don't talk about that.

"Sorry, you looked lost," I say.

"You look great," She tells me, only because she doesn't have anything real to say, I'm wearing baggy jeans with a white crop top and white sneakers. It's my signature outfit and it's so uninteresting to a lot of people because they'd rather I show my legs more.

"Thanks," I respond, turning on my heel to leave.

"It's our anniversary," She speaks, I halt, turning to look at her with a confused expression.

"What?" I narrow my eyes at her.

"Your Dad and I, we got married on this day," She informs me, I just nod my head.

"Cool," I force a smile, "I'll see you later, Mom," I turn around, walking out of the kitchen.

My Dad got arrested for fraud a couple years back and he was sentenced to twenty years in prison. My mom believes that he was framed, I also used to believe that but then I grew and I understood how the law works and all evidence did point to him.

My mom doesn't think so.

Sometimes I think I don't believe in love because I've seen what it does to people, it turns them a little blind and a little dumb. I've seen what it's done to my mother and I don't think I like what I've seen so far.

I take the bus to school and as soon as I get there, I release a restless sigh as I take in my surrounding.

Chatter, fake laughter, stupidity.

Make no mistake, that's what high school is all about.

"Hey, Rei!" Someone shouts my name around the parking lot. I snap my head to look.

Andy Grad.

What is he doing on enemy grounds?

Enemy grounds?

Geez, I sound just like them.

I start walking towards him, he's leaning his back against his car door and he's smiling right at me.