Chapter 2

See all other descriptions. -Feeling Lazy-

"So, how's school?" The Father says.

I look up from my Lucky Charms, quickly shoveling a spoonful of cereal into my mouth so I don't have to answer right away. School wasn't going to well for me. I don't know why, but a severe lack of sleep due to being haunted by an ex tends to affect one's grades. Maybe I'm just weird like that.

"School's school," I replied. That sounded good. Neither comfirmed nor denied anything.

It seemed to satisfy my old man. He adjusted his square glasses as he shook out the paper so he could read it more easilly, then took a sip of black coffee.

"Thats good. Did you talk to your counceler like you were supposed to?" he then asked.

Doh!

"I scedueled it, but they haven't called me in yet," I lied.

He grunted. "I see. Well, have you made any decisions about collages yet?" he then asked.

I repressed the urge to groan. God d****t. "Not yet. None of them have really matched my tastes," I answered, this time truthfully.

His eyes looked up at me. And I knew the almost weekly speech he gave to me every morning was about to come. But fortunatly for me, I was running late, and I had just finished my cereal. I rose from the table, tossed the bowl and spoon into the filling sink.

"Sorry Dad, I've got to go," I quickly said, grabbing my binder and out the door.

The Father merely waved in response as he took another sip from his coffee.

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"Hey! Awe man, you should've totally been there!" Roy said. "Last night's party was amazing! Eric was totally trashed, and he like stripped naked and started doing the macarina, it was hilarious,"Roy laughed.

"Wow, sounds fun," I yawned, trying to keep my eyes open.

"Yeah... I guess it was one of those things that you had to be there," he muttered. "It was like that time down at the pit, you know? Like... oh wait... you weren't there either... nevermind," he paused.

There was a long stretch of silence between us.

"Dude, did you go to Mariposa's grave yet?" Roy asked me.

Second period, chemistry. We had a sub, so naturally we did pretty much nothing. The girls were chattering away about nothing, though I thought I heard the word 'Winter Prom' mingled with their words. Was it that time of the year already? F**k, I needed to pay attention more.

"No, didn't have a chance yet," I replied with a yawn. "You're still going on about that?"

"Well yeah dude, I'm worried for you. I mean, it would suck to have a Revenant haunting you, let alone Mariposa as a Revenant. She was terrifying alive, let alone dead," 

That word.

"What did you call her?" I asked, suddenly wide awake. "A Reverie?"

"No, a Revenant. Don't you know anything?" he replied dully.

"Explain to me what a Revenant is, please," I asked nicely.

He rolled his eyes. "A Revenant is typically a vengeful spirit who likes to torment the living. Like a zombie, but smarter. Generally speaking, they have a specific task in mind, and won't rest until that quest is done," he answered dully, his chin in his palm. "Why the sudden interest. Is Mariposa haunting you?" he then asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, I just never heard the word before is all," I replied casually. "Pfft, like she'd haunt me. I'm the ex, remember? She'd probably haunt her boyfriend at the time,"

"Mariposa didn't have another boyfriend after you," a voice said from behind.

I quickly turned around.

Callie was behind me, her copper hair was long and sleek, with thin highlights and thin stripes of dark red shining in the flaurescent light of the classroom. Her large blue eyes looked at me with surprising intensity, and curiosity.  

"Ssshe didn't?" I quickly sputtered out. Crap! I could feel my face burning up in emberassment.

"Nope," Callie took a seat beside me. "Which was odd. She could've had her pick out of a whole bunch of cute guys, but she didn't want any of them,"

"Really?" Roy asked. "Huh, maybe she didn't take being broken up with as well as you said she did," Roy then turned his green eyes towards me.

You're tellin' me.

"Wait, you broke up with her?" Callie said, eyes wide. "I didn't know that!"

"Wait... what does that have to do with anything?" Roy said, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"Well that changes everything!" Callie said. "Mariposa has never been broken up with before. She's always the one who does the breaking!" she said rather loudly. I stared at her in slight shock. Woah...

"Okay...?" Roy, once again, speaking for me.

"Naturally she's going to be pissed. She's the type of girl that is... you know... 'nobody breaks up with me, I break up with you' type. Do you get it?"

"Yep," I nodded. "So let me get this straight, she'd haunt me just because I broke up with her?"

Roy and Callie shrugged simotainiously. "Maybe,"

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"Mr. Heathcliff, would you wake up?" Mr. Fowel snarled in my ear suddenly.

I sputtered awake, looking around in surprise. Where was I? What was I doing? Mr. Fowel... so that must mean... irk! Geometry. When did I fall asleep?

I noticed that my classmates had conspiciously disappeared. Mr. Fowel was looking down at me angrily. "You and I need to talk," he stated.

My stomach dropped to my knees.

I stretched, stood up, and yawned. I was pleased with the fact that I had not drooled all over myself, as I thought for sure that I did. "Erm... I'm sorry," I said. "I was up pretty late last night doing my homework,"  

"I've noticed a disturbing trend of the amount of times that you've fallen asleep, or very nearly fallen asleep, in my class, and I've talked with your other teachers, and you manage to catch a few more Z's in their classes too. Your grades are slipping, especially your chemistry," No s**t, sherlock. "You're not normally like this. You're quite possibly one of the brightest kids in the school, and you hold so much promise. Whats going on? Is something happening at home?" 

I stared at him, sudden disgust probably crossing my face. What right did he have to ask about my home-life? Since when did Highschool teachers give a crap about us? As for the so much promise thing, what did he know?

I didn't say anything for a while, till other students started filing into the class. "Nothings is happening at home. I'm just getting a little worn out, is all. Maybe I just need a break is all," I lied. The lies were coming much more easilly now, I noticed. It was almost frightening.

"Well, Winter breaks coming up fast, so rest up then. Try going to bed earlier too," Mr. Fowel said. "I'm calling your house tonight,"

My heart stopped.

"Please! Mr. Fowel! Don't!" I quickly said. "I promise, I'll do better-"

"Beg and grovel as much as you want, I'm still calling. You're grades are below satisfactory, and you still haven't turned in your job shadow forms," 

I felt my temper rising. I wanted to burst on him, yell at him, tell him that I had a stupid Revenant haunting me every night, keeping me up and not letting me go out. A stupid ghost that is ruining my life.

But I merely gave a small smile, and left the class room.

Eric was waiting for me, and we set off to English.

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Fortunatly, Mr. Fowel didn't live up to the threat. The Father was on a business trip in Centrailia, and I was home alone. I hated this whole Day-light savings thing. It got darker, faster, so Mariposa started coming sooner. But I celebrated the absense of the The Father,  by drinking most of his booze. He wouldn't notice. He never does, and that certainly wasn't going to change.

"Damiaaan," Mariposa's familiar voice said cheerfully. "I'm here again, darling," 

"Awe, Marypossa," I slurred. "How nice'ta shee you," 

Her face twisted into disgust. "You're drunk?" she asked.

"Durrrrrr," I answered, chuckling slightly as I took another long swig.

"Babe, what brought that on? I never pictured you to be the type to  get drunk in your own home," she said coolly.

"My bio..bio...logical.." I tried to say the word, but it stumbled out of my mouth. "biological sperm donar happens to be on a bushiniss trip," I popped the P at the end. "Why wouldn't I celebrate?"

Her face then relaxed in understanding. "Ah, so he's still an a*****e I see,"

"Yuh know whut? I've a been thinkin Mare, I mean, about our relationship, ya know? I mean, I heard from Roy that you'd be a Refenant, know what them are?" I asked, chuckling slightly as I leaned against my wall, taking another swig. I didn't give her a chance to answer. "They say that a Refenant is a smart zombie, that only haunt people whom they knows, and usually has a goal in mind. Whuts yer goal, Mare?" 

I looked over at her, her eyes looking at me in something that looked similar to fury. Was she pissed that I knew what she was? Or was she disgusted by my totally drunken state.

"Baby, you're going to get sick if you keep drinking like that," she then whispered. "Let me in, so I can take care of you. Knowing you, you'd drown in your own puke," Were I sober, I would've noticed that she was avoiding the subject. But I was trashed, so I didn't.

"I miss you Mare," I whispered, climbing onto my bed. "You were always sho nice, always thar for me. I forget why I broke up with you in the firsht place," I sighed, resting my head on my pillow.

"Do you really? Why is it that I don't believe you?" she answered.

My head shot up. "Are you calling me a lie'ah?" I stated.

Her lips quirked into a smirk. "Maybe. What'll you do if I am?" 

"I do miss you," I said, sitting up and stumbling to the window. I pressed my fingers to the screen, the cold winter air stinging my skin. "I do..."

Her eyes watered again, and she pressed her cheek to mine, her fingers attempting to align with mine. Her hand was too small, but I remember how perfectly they used to fit into mine.

"Damian..." she murmured. "Let me in," 

I inhaled, and I could smell her scent, a mix between vanilla suger and candied apples. It was comforting, and inviting. But there was something else in there, something disgusting. It was like it was the smell of rotting meat. I felt my stomach roil.

"Damian, let me in," she said more firmly.

I glanced at her, her bright, jade-green eyes locking with my dull brown ones. "Damian. Let. Me. In," she now demanded.

But, as I tried to open my mouth, I felt my stomach twist, and my hand flew to my mouth.

That was the second time I ran away from the window to throw up.

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The next day sucked. Not only was I horribly hung-over, I was dead-meat because I forgot to do my report for Englisht and my homework for Geometry. I couldn't believe myself either. I almost let Mariposa in.

"Dude, what did you do last night, you look horrible," Eric asked during lunch.

"Leave the man alone, man. He's clearly suffering," Roy stated. "What'cha do? How much did you drink?" he then asked. "How many cases did you guzzle?"

I held up finger, symbolizing the single case of beer that I had single-handedly emptied. I was amazed that I wasn't dead.

"Holy cow. I know your Dad doesn't get the cheap stuff either," Roy said. "F**k..." 

"Don't speak," I growled. "My head is killing me," 

"Why the sudden alcohal intake?" Eric asked.

"The Father wasn't around. It was the only chance I got," I answered dully.

The buzz of the Common was excruciating. And that hamburger looked disgusting with it's plastic cheese. Roy was happily eating a slice of Domino's pizza. The rich basterd.

"Mm, well. So are you gonna go to the Robinson twins' party this weekend, I heard its gonna be awesome," Eric said.

"No," I slowly shook my head. "Can't make it, job...shadow..." I groaned.

Eric and Roy faces suddenly looked dishearted. "Oh... that sucks..." Roy  said.

The bell rang, and we gathered up out stuff to class. "Well, see you later," Eric waved.

Yeah... see you later...

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I came home to the Father waiting for me, his arms were crossed over his chest, his beady little eyes leering at me.

"I got a phone call today, from your teacher," he said. I inwardly winced. "Says that you fell asleep today in class, and that its not the first time you've done it,"

I said nothing. I merely put my bag down on the sofa. "He also told me that right now you're getting a D in geometry, and that you haven't done your Jobshadow and haven't even started on your culminating project. What the hell is going on, Damian?" he growled.

Again, I didn't answer. I didn't know how. I knew that there wasn't going to be an excuse good enough, or one to convince him. I knew that if I did tell him the truth, he'd think me crazy and disown me. I knew I was cornered.

I picked up a can from the fridge, slowly sipping some cola.

"Well? Are you going to answer me? Or are you gonna stare at me like an idiot?" he snarled.

I adverted my eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're smart Damian, too smart. Yet you prefer to lounge around here like a lump on a log. Why don't you go out and actually do something with your life? Ever since that Mariposa b***h died, you've done nothing but park your sorry a*s here," 

As I endured insult after insult, criticism after criticism, I felt my eyes start to water. I couldnt't do this anymore. I couldn't take it. I was losing touch with my friends, my grades are sucking. I was never going to graduate, I was never going to meet The Father's expectations... I just wanted it to stop. I didn't want these burdens. I wanted to live a worry-free life. One without these stupid responsibilities.

I made myself promise right then and there.

I was going to get rid of the source of my problems.

I was going to get rid of Mariposa.

Author's Note

Ewe. Its a horribly rough draft, and I plan on going over it later and heavilly editing it. But it's something, so blegh.