The unexpected

Falling In love with a man I couldn't have wasn't what I wanted to happen. My heart, being the Rebel it was, decided to not listen to my brain and went off on its own and decided to fall in love with a guy who will never in a million years, love me back. His name is Tom. He's kind of an outcast at my school, no one really sees him, but I do. I notice the way he longingly gazes out the windows during class as if wishing he was free, I see him pick at his nails when he gets nervous, and the way he subconsciously taps his foot along with his music in class. I see him, but unfortunately he doesn't see me. About a year ago, my family and I were involved in a car crash, my family which consisted of my mother, father and  younger brother made it out alive. But I wasn't so lucky; I died on November 1st 2014. My brother and I were being driven to school by my parents when another car collided with our car head on, I didn't have my seatbelt on and went straight into the windshield from the backseat. 

What people don't know is that I still roam around my town, I see people grieving my death and I see my family regularly visit my gravestone. Sometimes I wander the school hallways, remembering what it was like when I was alive. 

 At the moment, I'm at the graveyard watching families visit their family members, it's hard to watch them cry. I hear rustling and look up to see someone coming towards my grave. I notice the brown shaggy hair and torn up jeans and instantly know that it's Tom. He had tears in his eyes and had a guilty look on his face. He laid some flowers on my grave and left a note right next to them. He kept mumbling "I'm sorry" over and over.

When he left, I picked up the note and started reading. After moments of reading, I realized that it was a letter to my parents apologizing. For what you may ask? Tim was the one driving the car that hit me and my family. I'm in love with my own killer. 

Unrequited

A young boy, with his heart almost filled to the rim with gold. A young girl, her heart broken and cold. The boy busy with work and making people proud, the girl who just wants to be swallowed up by the ground. She allowed herself again to be open and free, wishing on a shooting star that he wouldn't flee. The boy was kind and had open ears. He promised she wouldn't be left in tears. 

Until one day a new girl came into the mix, she was kind and thoughtful and had a bag full of tricks. The boy fell in love with this new one and so, left the other girl behind to weep and drown in her own sorrow. Heart eyes turned into a glares and no longer longing stares. 

Unrequited love, oh what a shame. 

The young girl, stuck with a wild heart she couldn't tame. 

Two girls, pining over a guy who already made his choice. He chose the Beauty over the beast, understandable you see, because why on earth would he, of all people, pick me. 

You'll Just Lose By Amanda Rivera

She stole him, she took him away from me. He fell in love with her, that hideous creature. Her dark black, almost raven. Her pale skin, almost porcelain and her blood red lips. He left me all alone, his own mother, well stepmother but still why her? Where did she even come from? I never even heard of her until my magic mirror announced her as the “fairest of them all”. I looked into this so called woman and she is nothing special, yeah she can talk with animals but that is nothing compared to my powers.

I have the power to take this girl out, forever. To make sure she never see’s my stepson again, and to regain my beauty back and make sure that I am once again, The fairest of them all. Not some pathetic girl who sits around cleaning for dwarfs and singing all day to animals. Me, the most beautiful woman in the world.

I devised a perfect plan, I am going to disguise myself as a horrid old women who the girl will befriend and trust.  I make my way over to the dwarfs house and knock on the door, the black haired girl opened the door and smiled sweetly at me.

“Why hello,” She said in a gentle voice, oh how her voice irks me, it’s like pins and needles in my ears.

“Hello Dear, I was walking about the woods when I heard a sweet melody which sounded like it was being sung by an angel, and it led me to you”

“Oh my, thank you ever so much” She says, her cheeks as red as her lips.

“No problem sweetie, would you care for an apple?, I picked it this morning, it’s very ripe and juicy.”

“Well, I am very hungry, thank you” She says, as she takes the apple from my wrinkled hands. Such an ignorant fool she is.

I watched in anticipation as she took a bite out of the apple and smiled as she froze, her eyes widened, I watched as the blood red apple fell from her pale hands, then she collapsed.

I bend down and slowly tucked some of her hair behind her ear and then whispered “ Oh dear, just a word of advice, never mess with the queen, because Snow white.. you’ll just lose.

The Money By Amanda Rivera

THE MONEY

Saturday evening, colorful leaves fall from the old oak tree outside of the St. Patrick's church. Somber people in black clothing gather around the church, used tissues in hand and dried tears on their faces. A long black limo pulls up and a young woman in her early 20’s steps out with her family. The young woman named Lilly was the closest to the deceased, helping her aunt through chemo and other various stages of cancer until she finally succumbed to the deadly disease 2 years later.

Lilly chatted with other mourners outside of the church when she heard a noisy car pull into the church's parking lot. A young man in a wrinkled suit steps out of the car, and proceeds to kick the tires with a frustrated groan. He makes his way over to the church's entrance, a lit cigarette in his hand. This is Lily's cousin Derrick, and the son of the deceased.

Growing up, the two cousins were never close. Lily, being the popular girl had many friends and was nice to everyone, while Derrick was the recluse and never had many friends. Lilly always tried to talk with the boy but he never made any effort back which upset her. During the time his mother had cancer, he was too afraid to visit her and decided to let his cousin take over, he still shudders thinking about the moment he found out that his mom had passed away.

He walked passed his family and saw their shocked faces and flashed a sarcastic grin displaying his rotten teeth. After the shock wore off and everyone exchanged knowing faces, they made their way into the church and sat in the squeaky and uncomfortable pews. Soon after, the priest began talking. Lily’s eyes danced around the room to survey who was there. Her aunt's employees were there, old friends and new ones were there also. But then her eyes fell upon Derrick, who sat staring at the coffin decorated with his mothers favorite flowers with a blank, emotionless face. He was tearing himself up on the inside, he was filled to the rim with guilt, he could feel his whole body start to tremble but he tried to compose himself.

She turned away and and gazed at the coffin also, as if waiting for aunt to just magically wake up, to take this unbearable pain away. She sat back and closed her eyes, hoping this was just one big nightmare that she could wake up from, but no such luck. Her eyes snapped open to the sound of her name, the priest just announced that her aunt left Lily all of her money from her savings. Lily’s aunt was a successful woman with her own retail business and even when she was battling cancer she still made time for her work, determined to not let it plummet into the ground.

Derrick was envious of his cousin, that was his mother, not hers. He had his reasons for why he couldn`t be there with her, reasons that he never shared with anyone other than a therapist that his doctor recommended. When the priest finished talking, the boy stormed out and sat in a quiet, empty room thinking about his mother and the events leading up to her death. While she was in the hospital, he sent her letters almost every day saying how sorry he was for what he had caused and how scared he was to face her. But he was closer than she thought, he was in the same hospital just one floor below her being treated for a drug overdose. That was when he realized that he needed to change his life around.

His mother fortunately forgave and continuously wrote him back, in the last letter she wrote him she said “When I am gone, I am going to leave you something that you deserve more than anyone” But what was it? Lily got all of the money, her co-manager Susan got the company, he was never even mentioned in the will. He was confused and hurt that his mother had lied to him.

He was startled when he heard a voice in the doorway, he turned and saw Lily, a nervous smile on her face asking if he was okay. He turned towards the window and frowned when she sat down next to him. Being the nice person she is, she continuously asked him how he was and tried to comfort him. He finally snapped and bellowed a loud “NO I AM NOT OKAY, MY MOTHER JUST DIED AND I WASN'T BY HER SIDE BECAUSE I WAS A STUPID ASSHOLE WHO JUST SCREWED UP! ” She jumped back in fear and his face softened, he began apologizing over and over.

Lily was concerned and asked him why he thought he was stupid and he finally caved and told her everything. From the gang, to the pointless initiation which ruined him, to the drug selling, to the time he almost died and had no one by his bedside. He confessed that when he found out about his mother's cancer, he realized that he couldn't face her and put this burden on her, so he started to write letters to her and told Lily what his mother said in the last letter.

It was all too much to take in and she was wondering what she should do, keep the money or give it to Derrick to help him recover. She hugged him tight and he stiffened before melting into her arms, not being used to affection from anyone. They sat there hugging and mourning and him mumbling “I'm sorry” over and over. They finally departed and laughed at their messy hair, wrinkled clothes and at the eye makeup running down the girl's face.

The two of them proceeded to Derrick`s car and Lily directed him to her house where they ordered pizza and stayed up all night talking about their childhood and lives now. Around 1 in the morning, Lily was fast asleep while Derrick was still up gazing out the window looking at the stars, he saw a particular one flash brighter than the rest and remembered what his mother once wrote in a letter to him “When I am gone, look up into the sky at night, that shining star you see? That my darling is me.” He looked back at Lily and realized, he didn't need the money or a fancy rehab, he needed someone by his side to help him through. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that his mother did leave him something that he deserved, a family. And for the first time in years he fell asleep peacefully beside his cousin.

See me -Amanda Rivera

Catching him in bed with her wasn't what I expected to come home too, both fast asleep in our bed, but I didn't hold it against him. 

I stand there in the closet watching, waiting till they wake up to see what happens, he awakes first and freaks when he sees her and immediately wakes her up, screaming to 'Get out!' She scurries to get her clothes on and leaves and he begins to cry. The guilt has set in, but he was too drunk last night and saw your face the entire night. 

I slowly walk out into the room and ghost my hand through his hair, he tenses but he has no idea. For I am dead, have been for a year now. He still hasn't moved on, but I've been here on the side lines watching my true love date other girls but I can't let my selfish ways get ahead of me. 

A week goes by and I return to the house and find something horrifying, I see the man that I love down a bottle of pills in less than a minute then collapse on the floor. I scream and go to save him but there's no use, he's gone. I sob and run my fingers through his hair when I felt a tap on my shoulder, and he has a huge smile on his face, a small smile on mine with tears dripping down. 

He can finally see me. 

As they lay their heads down trying to sleep, in their pillow they start to weep they think that no one cares about their feelings, while I sit here worrying about their well beings I sit and listen to their current condition and start to cry because this amazing person wants to die I try to explain that people in this world are cruel and they think they're just being cool So you there crying into your pillow, I may not know you but I know you are an amazing person and your mind should not be tainted with the thought of death, so lay your head down and get some sleep, I can no longer bear to hear you weep. -Weeping Angel by Amanda Rivera

Forever by Amanda Rivera

~Forever~

I was nervous, at this moment I am getting ready for my first blind date. I've been single for a few months now, no time to get out and mingle. My mom came to me the other night telling me her co-worker Monica, had a son around my age who's also single. Monica is a nice lady, but she has something odd about her, her skin is always ice cold, and she has these eyes that tend to change color. But nevertheless, she's a nice woman who is one of my moms friends, so I try and forget about it. I agreed to go on the date, I look myself in the mirror again to check my dress and hair, when I hear the doorbell ring, I run to the door, stop and take a deep breath. I open the door and see a handsome man on the other side, he smiles and I almost swoon. 

"Hello love" He says. "My name is Jason, and yours is Rebecca, I assume"

"Y-yes" I responded. I clear my throat and repeat "Yes, my name is Rebecca, it's nice to meet you" 

He grins and goes for my hand. "Are you ready to go?" I smile and Grab my coat and handbag. "Yes" I responded and grabbed his hand. 

The night was amazing, Jason is a sweet guy and tells great stories. He told me about where he grew up, and stories about his family. I told him about my job and my family and my aspirations In life, he listened intently and I loved it. 

Days went by and we continuously went on dates together, I was happy. Something I noticed though, like his mother, his skin was ice cold and his eyes changed colors too. But he liked me and I liked him so I let it slide. 

After months of being together, I finally decided to stay over his house one night, he made dinner and we sat on the couch watching a movie just enjoying each others company. He started to tickle me and I fell back onto the couch thrashing my legs while laughing. He smiled from on top of me and finally stopped, he put his head in the crook of my neck and kissed it, he came back up and looked me into the eyes and whispered "you are so beautiful, It's only been a few months but I want to be with you forever, and I plan on it". He put his head back to my neck and suddenly I felt an intense pain in my neck and screamed, he looked at me and I noticed his eyes were a deep red and he had fangs sticking out, my vision started to blur and I felt sleepy. Before I passed out, I heard him whisper one word...

"Forever"