(My Life... Sucks. It Won't Matter If You Tattle Or Not, So Go On Ahead)

KORRI POV

I walk up the sidewalk.

I lick my parched lips and keep my head down to avoid everyone's stares.

I'm not the one who might die soon.

Because of ME.

I'm a murderer.

Even though my murder was unintentional.

No matter what anyone says.

I shove my hands in my pockets, and turn onto a path that I always make sure is left alone.

The forest-y air calms my racking anxiety as I sit beneath one of the pines, and eat my lunch.

Kids at school hate me.

So I ditch, and I have my ways to get back before the bell rings.

How do I, Korri Sallow, have SO many people hate me, and have ways to get around without being attacked?

And by who you might ask?

The kids around the rural area of Mordigan say I'm a serial killer, and that's why so many kids have gone missing.

My family moved, saying that, "We need a new start, the city has bad memories that we should leave behind."

Or, more accurately, my mom said that.

My dad's too busy to say anything really at this point, trying to figure out where the missing kids are going.

My mom says I can help by looking around at my school for kids who might know the missing, cause the kids are around my age, more or less.

Not like I wanna help.

And bullies like to occasionally pick on me.

Luckily I can keep my own.

Why in the hell-

"Well well," the famous bully, Lydia Miller says, as she and her goons corner me. "Look at the infamous Sallow."

I roll my eyes. "What do you want?"

"I want you to scram."

I stand and throw my sandwich wrapper at her face. "Nah. But... If only I coul-"

She throws a punch that lands in my nose.

The sickening crunch makes me wince, and pain flares and I feel like I might die inside.

"You should've thought that comment through, dweeb." She smiles, and smacks me across the face.

I smirk, and kick her in the shin, HARD, ignoring the blood streaming down my nose. "Nah, I prefer to make trouble, but hey, since you wanna pester me, you may as well be on my list."

One of Lydia's goons—Aimee McRey—frowns. "What 'list?'"

I wipe the blood off my face with my shirt sleeve and grin, running my tongue over my top teeth, and reply, "My list of future victims." I give her a mock-pity look. "You haven't heard? I'm a serial killer. Blood stains my clothes, so I have to burn them, I have to make sure I don't get caught. And since I'm so young, they can't send me to prison." I start to taunt them with how I torture my victims while they are living their last seconds.
Lydia and her goons slowly back away, I step unexpectedly forward and they bolt.

"YOU'LL GET IT SALLOW!" Lydia shouts. "YOU'LL GET IT!"

.☪.

I get glares, like normal.

It doesn't really bother me, oddly enough.

I grin.

I walk like I'm badass and sit in the back of the classroom.

People despise me, but I'm popular at least, in my own way.

No one really bothers me.

Except those who have the power to back themselves.

School is a battlefield, made of different clans.

But there are the two main groups: popular and unpopular.

I prop up my feet on the chair in front of me.

"You're SO dead," Bianca mumbles as she pulls a seat up next to me.

She's probably the closest thing I'll ever have to a friend in this hellish town.

"Nah," I smirk. "They are."

She raises her eyebrows. "You literally kicked Lydia Miller in the shin, they think you fractured it."

I laugh. "BUT IT WAS GREAT."

Bianca rolls her eyes. "You're such a moron."

"Yeah, but for some reason you still sit by me AND talk to me like I'm a human being."

"KORRI SALLOW!" Mr. Everett calls from his desk.

I stand and walk toward his desk with an outward defiance...

And inward terror.

I'm a good actor, and that often gets me in trouble.

"Miss Sallow, to the principal's office."

.☪.

The principal's office is my normal hang-out spot.

LOL

Just kidding, I'm just there.

A lot. ☹

"Well," Principal Hernandez laces her fingers together across her desk. "Well, you apparently kicked Lydia Miller in the shin."

I shrug.

PH sighs. "Did, or did you not kick her."

I cross my arms and shrug. "Depends,"

"Depends on what?"

"Depends on what the story was."

She rolls her eyes. "I was told by the victim, and she has proof."

I lick my lips. "Oh, I DID kick her, BUT she DID bust my nose."

PH laughs. "No she didn't! She's a darling girl with a wonderful family-"

"You can freaking check-"

"You have a history of faking-"

"I don't though."

"You have detention."

I stand and walk away.

PH stands. "Don-"

"I got detention, got it."

.☪.

I lost the argument.

Not like ANYONE would have believed me otherwise, I'm a murderer, right? And Miller Girl is Princess Perfect.

"Oh, perfect little Miss Miller,"

Blah, blah, blah.

Bleh.

English is bad.

"You are lucky you didn't go to Juvie," Bianca said.

I frowned. "I'm not gonna go there not ever. No."

I won't let them.

The kids and teacher stare at me the entire time.

Soon school's over and I run home.

Hey, DWEEB!" Lydia calls, and I turn.

"What the hell," I reply. "She came back for more."

She frowns. "No, I just want payback."

"Go for it," I growl. "Elsewhere."

"Not until you pay for giving me that bruise!" She says, and shoves me into the icy cold water of the river.

I hear my leg hit the sharp rocks before I feel the pain.

I choke on the icy water, but somehow get my bearings.

I can't walk, but I can hop...

Kinda.

I wince in pain as my leg protests each movement.

"So," Lydia says, cracking her knuckles. "You came back for more?"

By the time I get home I have my nose busted, again, have my busted leg kicked.

All in all I survived.

"You really can't die can you." Lyida asked.

"Nope," I answered, and smacked her, "I only kill, it isn't the other way around. But hey, at least you can let me give the last hit."

I open the door using the spare key tapped under the stone table.

No one really ever sits on the chairs out here anymore.

I wish someone did.

I shiver, and open the door.

"Kor, dear," Mom says as she rushes to me, and lifts up my heavily bruised arms. "What did you do? Sleep in a hawthorn bush? And you're sopping wet,"

I shake my head and wince. "No, I'm fine."

"You limping Korri-"

"Korri." Ann says as she holds out my report card and gives me the Look. "You're failing."

My elder- older sister has an excellent talent for focusing on less immediate problems, and I have a talent to normally avoiding problems involving me.

"Bs aren't failing Ann," I say, as I wiggle out of my mother's embrace and shrug. "I'm-"

"YOU'RE FAILING."

I roll my eyes.

"Don't give me that-"

I lick my lips. "You know what? We should instead about worrying about ME we should worry about Lola-"

"SHE'S GONE." She says. "We can't keep living in that fantasy."

My jaw drops, and a tear is precariously dripping down the corner of Mom's eye.

I frown. "What the hell-"

"Do not use that language in this house."

I feel my hot temper boil. "I. Am. Going. To. Check. On. My. Sister."

Ann nods. "And we'll hire you a tutor."

Lola is still laying still in that plain white bed by the window.

Moonlight reflects in her matte eyes.

I limp over to her and tell her about my day, and tell her about my problems, and tell her how much I want her to come back.

But her glazed gaze stays attached to the blank ceiling.

I squeeze her hand and I hear the door open.

"Visiting time is over," Ann says from the door.

If there was any hint of sympathy, or kindness in her tone, I can't find it.

I sigh, but nod, and follow her out.

She sits in one of the chairs at the dinning room table, and I sit as well.

My mom is sitting on one of the chairs and stirring cold soup with her spoon.

"Eat dinner, I need you to leave her alone."

Dad calls a number on his phone.

After a few minutes I hear sirens.

Ambulance sirens.

"Mom?" I ask, as panic fills me.

She stays quiet.

Two paramedics come in and hoist Lola up on a stretcher, and leave the house.

I frown. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Lola..." She starts but trails off. "She's having a check-up basically,"

I lick my lips and sigh.

She's going to the hospital, AGAIN... isn't she?