CHAPTER ONE

The first chapter of "Phoenix Parker"

1 

Early one evening just as the sun began to set behind the rolling hills, a rustling noise was heard in the distance. “Lizzy? Is that you?” I called out to the noise. Lizzy was my former best friend turned backstabbing enemy who mysteriously disappeared a couple of years ago. I decided to investigate. 

Just as I wandered into the woods in my backyard, blood-boiling images of her decided to crawl into my brain. I shuddered as a chill went up my spine. It was cold, October 30th, tomorrow was Halloween. Everything bad happened on Halloween. Including my birthday. The day she went missing, the day a huge truck collided headfirst into my parents, the day Maw Maw died. I heard her running, she was fast, but she wasn’t graceful, breaking twigs and crunching through leaves, I heard her getting closer. I could almost swear I heard her snarling my name as she ran through the woods. 

“PHOENIX! I’LL SEND MY GOONS AFTER YOU! THEY’LL KILL YOU!” I thought that those were the last words I would hear her hiss at me. In the school cafeteria, standing on a lunch table, right in front of the entire school. It was our senior year. I turned my back to her and scoffed, “BUT NOT IF I GET TO YOU FIRST!” She screamed. Then she lunged at me.

She took a swing at me. I ducked. Then she tried kicking me, I grabbed her foot and yanked, pulling her on her back like a roach. I put my legs on either side of her and got to my knees. I started to punch her. She growled and thrust her pelvis to try to throw me off. I grabbed her hair and yanked so I could stay on her. Then I slammed her head on the hard vinyl floor, holding my handful of hair above her head. She groaned in response. My fists were flying. She tried yanking my hair to get me off but luckily for me, I don’t have a tender scalp. I threw blows until my knuckles were bleeding, and even after that, I threw more. She’d provoked me before, and pissed me off as her “best friend” tens of thousands of times. I even had my Maw Maw buy me a heavy punching bag for when she made me angry. That was the first real adrenaline-fueled fight I’d ever been in. AND I WON! 

The teachers ended up pulling me off her. What? She came at me. I have a rule, don’t hit them, unless they come at you first. Then, give ‘em everything you got. My best friend Danny taught me how to fight, that’s where I got my rule from. She came out with a black eye and a bloody face. Then, after that whole ordeal, we never talked again, months later, after we graduated, she went missing.

My mom named me Phoenix because when I was born, she was obsessed with the book Maximum Ride, you know, the one written by James Patterson. She named me Phoenix because of the last book in the series. She even made my middle name “Ride”! Which, if you haven’t read it, I won’t spoil it and tell you what it means. Momma read me the Maximum Ride books when I was little. I read them by myself when I was in middle and high school. Her name was already Max so she decided to name me Phoenix. After Max’s--oops, I almost gave it away. 

* * *

Three years later (present-day).

My breathing started to quicken as the sound grew closer by the second, the faint glow of the moonlight shone through the trees. I squinted my eyes to look for her. “Lizzy . . . If you’re out here . . . I’m not sorry! You got what you deserved!” I cried and started running towards the dark figure.  

“Meow!” I skid to a stop. Muffin! It was just my neighbor’s cat. I squatted down for a minute and pet the little white and black striped kitty, she was like a little white tiger.

“They should’ve named you Tiger.” I quietly said to Muffin. “I swear they overfeed you, you’re such a fat little cat!” I coo while stroking my hand back and forth on her head. “Only non-graceful cat I know!” I let muffin trot on back to her house, and calmly, I walked back to mine.  

Ever since Lizzy disappeared, I’ve had to watch my back very carefully. When we were best friends, she would always brag about how she had friends straight outta prison who weren’t afraid to go back, and when she was really mad at her ex-boyfriend, she ordered a hit out on him and her little minions pulled up to his house and I had begged her to stop, to call it off, but by the time she finally agreed, it had been too late. He was only sixteen. The police never figured out who did it, who the shooter was, but it didn’t matter, Johnny was dead, and he wasn’t coming back. And it was all Lizzy’s fault.  

Johnny’s brother was my at-the-time boyfriend. He was so depressed after what happened to Johnny. I understood losing someone close to you was hard. I tried doing everything I could to cheer up Thomas. I sprinkled him in kisses, I took him out to eat at his favorite restaurant, I even took us to go see a game. He thanked me for my effort, but ended up breaking it off with me a week later, said he needed some time. After that, I was so glad I had Danny (My best friend). I don’t think I’d ever been in such pain. Uh, romantic pain that is.

To everyone else, she was a cute little 15-year-old girl who was so innocent and could easily spout out some really convincing crocodile tears whenever she needed them. Like when her parents wouldn’t give her something she wanted, wah wah wah. Then, like magic, she got it. She always got what she wanted. She never got grounded, and when she did, even if it was only for a week, she would throw a fit, scream something dumb at her parents like, “I’ve never been grounded before and I’m not about to start now,” and get herself out of it.  

But to me, Danny, and Olive she was a gang leader, not of our group, cause we’re not a gang, but of a Mexican gang back at her old school. MKG113 (that’s said M-K-G three separate letters and one-one-three, not one hundred and thirteen). She never told us what the letters or numbers were for, but to us, she was someone who gets “rid” of people, someone who “takes care of it,” someone who says, "Don’t worry about it,” almost constantly. To the world, she was just a doe-eyed little girl. To us, she was a power-filled monster, a stone-cold killer, someone you think you know, then after a year and a half, she turns on you, stabs you in the back, and twists the knife. I should’ve never messed with someone so powerful, but I should’ve never given her so much power.

Author's Note

I'd really like to know what y'all think about this.

Reviews

[Ballpark Frank]

This is good Nix. It rambles a bit, but that holds my attention here. Im glad you kicked her a*s. I see a big battle brewing here. Nice. I get the feeling supernatural things will happen too?

[Nix is typing...]

Ahhhh! I love how you can feel what's coming on! A big battle may or may not brew... You'd have to read more to find out 😽😸

[Moth Phoenix]

Love the roach comment!
Can't wait to read more!

[Nix is typing...]

Thanks so much, Moth Phoenix!

[LazerRays]

Hahaha love the fight scene

[Nix is typing...]

Lol, thanks! I actually toned it down a lot 'cause my original version was too violent XD

[LazerRays]

Would've loved the violent version as well

[Nix is typing...]

Lol, thanks. I would post it, but I don't want some people to think I'm like disturbed even though I kinda am lmao.

[LazerRays]

Well f**k the people who think disturbed people are weird yanno?

[Nix is typing...]

Lmao, you're awesome! And I genuinely mean that. I'd just like a wider variety of an audience than just those of y'all who like extreme violence. I was inspired by Maximum Ride, there was violence in there, but it wasn't extremely gruesome. And I just didn't wanna put too much violence. I loved everything I read on your page though!!!

[LazerRays]

Thanks that means a lot! i havent read maximum ride yet, but ive seen the movie

[Nix is typing...]

Welp, coming from someone who was literally shaking to see the movie after reading half-way through the series, that movie was a HUGE letdown. It was absolutely NOTHING like the book, the characters didn't fit their description, like, they didn't look or act anything like how the book described, it was left on a cliff hanger without a second movie, and the movie left out a shitton of stuff that was even in the book. Before I started to actually like to read books, (shortly after I turned 17 [how old I am now]) I never understood my Dad when he said, "The book is better than the movie." But after reading the entire ten book series of Maximum Ride, and seeing the movie half-way through, I gotta tell you, the books are SO much better. :3

[LazerRays]

I bet they are better yeah hahaha, I remember that happened to me with the percy jackson series.

[millennial leo]

Hello!

First, I really like the voice of this chapter! Phoenix is an interesting character to be in the mind of. And Lizzy seems quite the interesting character as well. One thing that might need to be smoothed out is the introduction of characters. For example, Johnny and Thomas. While I could figure out who they were through context, it might be helpful to introduce their names a little sooner. There are some grammar issues as well but that can be easily fixed if you decide to edit.

There is a lot of personality in this piece! Good job :)

[Nix is typing...]

Ahhh, thank you so much for this review, it's my first ever review from a person that doesn't know me. My heart was pounding when I saw the notif for it, I'm really nervous about what people think of my writing, but at the same time, I love getting feedback on my work. I really really appreciate your feedback!!

[millennial leo]

I was happy to read it:) I relate to you when it come to people reviewing your writing. Our writing become our babies in a way so we are understandably protective and want the best! Please keep writing:)

[Nix is typing...]

Thank you so much! I think you might be my favorite person ever XD I've already finished writing this story, I've just been copying and pasting chapter by chapter. I just posted Chapter 4. If you like, go check it out! :3