The Awakening

A Story by Breanna Wilson

A student realizes that she could fail and ruin her life if she continues her lifestyle that she's living now.

I pack my things up one by one. I hope no one saw that. I'm Alicia Matthews;a thief,player and cheater;and they'll never catch me. I wasn't always like this. Before my little brother died, I was a goody-two-shoes. I had straight A's,was on the honor student and I cried every time I thought I was doing something wrong.I was a wimp. That was in ninth grade. I have eighty's now in the grade book,but I never earned those myself. Most of those answers are from the boy who sits in front of me in every class except Chemistry. In return, I let him kiss me and call me his girlfriend. He's new so he doesn't know yet. He doesn't know that I have eight more who I use the same way like used tissue. I push the stolen pens and notebooks into my bag. I always carry this bag. There are hundreds of dollars in here. I stole every single dollar. There is no way I'm giving it back. My best friend,Christopher Walkins, kiss both of my cheeks in greeting. I do the same. He is British and it's just one of the things that they do there. I shrugged when he told me about it. Whatever. I smile as he starts to sing Louis Gold's song Stratosphere. I love that song. I am an artist and he's a singer. We are the Arts duo. I link my arm in his and begin to walk down the hall with him. I can't believe this. I am so lucky to have this life. Chris turns and looks at me and without another word...He walks away from me,muttering about "Arses don't even realize that I feel different about them." I'll ask him what that was about that later. Maybe he's in love with someone.

Three months later

I can't believe this....No...No....NO...Why....He's dead...It's all my fault.

I was stealing an electric razor,ipod,mp3 player and Beats headphones when one of the guys that was checking me out the day before started to make sexist comments. I told him to bugger off. Christopher smiled and told me that it was a good one. The man frowned and got mad. He pulled a knife and pressed it against Christopher's neck. I was crying as I begged him to stop. He just laughed and stabbed my Christopher's neck over and over and over again. I was screaming and I cut him up with the razor's blades.

I hid my stolen items just as the cops came. I was arrested on assault charges and because I apparently caused 'unnecessary defensive methods to an otherwise peaceful civilian'. I handed them the knife that the man had stabbed Christopher with and because I lied about my age,I was let go of. The man is in jail for killing a minor and allegedly attacking another minor.

It's all my fault. He had went to the store with me because he heard about my grades dropping-they're in the twenty's now- and wanted to stop me from stealing so I wouldn't get in even more trouble. Now he died trying to help me,just like my older brother. He was trying to stop me from selling stolen car parts on the freeway. I didn't listen and when he walked next to me on the freeway,he was hit by a car. He died two days later in the hospital. My mom committed suicide because of this. My dad hates me for killing his favorite child.

That's why I became bad. I need to change. For Christopher,for my dad,for my mom and for my brother. And most importantly...I need to change for me.

I walk into the bathroom and brush my hair a bit. I am seventeen so why do I look older? Oh well. I tear up a little as I remember that Christopher would say that too. I shake my head as if to erase the memory and shake the memory out of my head.

I put on button down shirt and pleated black shirt. I put on a little makeup and paint my nails black. I'm going to get a job so I can start to earn my pay to make sure I never feel the need to steal ever again.

I ace the interview and head to my school so I can sign up for tutoring in every subject except marketing, music and art class. Chris would do duets with me in music. Turns out that I can sing. I love school,but I wish I could just understand the material.

I hide behind the book case when I see him. It's one of my exes that I used. I used to bully him until Chris died. Now everyone in school thinks that I'm not only a bully,but also a murderer. People are terrified of me and they have a right to be. I just hope that I can change my ways before the final exam next week Friday. I hope that THE AWAKENING came in time.

(A/N:There may be a sequel.Don't know yet.)