58Claire was crying when I left.
Her tears darkened her pretty face. Her blue eyes were clouded, her short dark hair fell onto her shoulders like a curtain, and her body trembled with sobs. She was so convinced that that was the end. Why? I didn't know. Remembering it now, I think I was about ready to end things between us. We've been preparing for that day for a while now. And I thought I might've been able to get some closure.
I was wrong.
When I saw her sobbing form in front of the truck, hands covering her face, my heart melted. I couldn't leave her.
But I had to go.
We didn't end it. We promised to try. I told her I'd text her everyday. She promised she'd go online as much as possible. In the end, we agreed for a long-distance relationship.
We were naïve.
I left. And as I stared at her petite figure from the rear-view mirror in the car, I could've sworn I heard something inside me break. Up until now, I thought I could escape my past. Up until now, I thought I could be a normal teenage girl.
Not anymore.
The Phoenix have found me.
And I know nothing will ever be normal again.
"Hi."
My gaze turns upwards. She's tall and slender, with tanned skin, long brunette hair dropping down in waves, and piercing green eyes that's staring deep into my dull dark brown ones. She has a friendly smile. And the clothes she's wearing fit her just perfectly. They hug her curves, show off her breasts, and reveal her slim legs. What a typical princess. It makes the muscle in my eyebrow twitch.
"You're the new girl, right?"
I nod. Her melodious voice is so sickeningly sweet, I feel like gagging.
"As class representative, I'm gonna need you to fill this up." She slips three sheets of paper onto my table. I don't need to look at them to know what they are. Sports applications. Club forms. So on, so on. There's a reason I didn't accept them on the first day, and there's a reason I'm not bothering to look down at them again.
"Thanks," I say casually. "I'll be sure to pass them up soon."
She smiles at me again. Stop that. Finally, she straightens her back, and walks away.
I don't hate her. She's just a normal girl. With an unbelievably high reputation. But I'm not in this school to socialize or make buddies or whatever. I can't afford to get attached to anyone, whether I take a liking to them or not.
It's been 4 months since I left Calgary. 3 months since I first met the Phoenix. And 2 months since I've started schooling here in Vista, California. So far, I've managed to attract little attention. The only true friend I've made is my roommate, a fellow Phoenix assassin. I try to distance myself from everyone else. The Phoenix have given me a mission. And this mission requires stealth.
I absolutely cannot draw attention to myself.
I stuff the papers neatly into my bag, making it look as if I'm actually gonna read them again later, and get up in unison to the sound of the bell ringing. I've counted the time to seconds, and now I can easily tell when a class ends and begins. I make my way out, ignoring the empty feeling in my chest.
My name's Nightly Thorn. Previously Nightly Rosalie Moore. I'm at 17 years of age, living strictly under the parental guard of an underground order called the Phoenix. My mother was a victim of the Phoenix. She had tip-toed into enemy territory, and when I was only 3 years old, she was murdered. I grew up with my father after that, living with him in Calgary to try and escape the Phoenix who have suddenly took an interest in finding me. It took them 13 years to find me. And when they did, my whole life turned upside down.
I am now a Phoenix assassin. A spy, trained by elite men. A liar, face replaced with something that can't ever be seen. And a killer, skilled, hardened and perfected to the bone. I can never go back to the girl I used to be. I've seen too much. Experienced too much. I saw death before my very eyes. I heard the screams of souls too corrupted to ever hope for redemption. I felt the sleek feel of the red liquid dripping down my arm to my elbow. I know what it's like to kill. And after 4 months of experiencing it all,
I don't feel anything anymore.
I weave past the crowd of students busying themselves with trying to get to their next class, and I side-step the minute that familiar white door comes into view. I enter the little ladies room quietly, shoulder-bag secured tightly over my shoulder, and make my way to the sink.
There's only one other person in here besides me.
Her name is Evangaline Winston. She's a year below me, with short curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She'd be pretty. I'd actually like her.
If she isn't my next target.
I turn the tap on, and wash my hands with gentle strokes as she applies lip bum onto her peach lips. She notices me, but she makes no move to acknowledge it. Finally, when I look over, she meets my gaze, and sends me a friendly smile.
I smile back.
And the trap commences.
She puts her make-up set back into her bag, taking her sweet time about it too. I've stopped washing my hands, and now instead of that, I focus on wiping my hands with the paper towels next to the sink. I'm getting ready for the strike. A kill's best done clean, after all.
"That's a beautiful bag."
She turns to me, surprised. Of course, she didn't expect me to try and make conversation. But the words have been laid out, and she takes the bait.
"Thanks!" She says cheerfully, looking down at her bright pink backpack. I'm surprised it isn't decorated with flowers. But then again, that would be just a little bit too much. "My dad got it for me from LA."
Oh, did he now? I let my voice turn into a cool texture. "Your dad has good taste." I turn around, matching her now slightly weary gaze with my own. "Could I maybe see it?"
She smiles. A little bit forced now. "Sure." Reluctantly, she edges closer, and presents the bag to me. I reach out a single hand, and the minute I touch it, I know the game's over.
I pull on the bag forcefully and suddenly, leaving Evangeline too stunned to even scream. As she tips forward from the force, my hand comes back and grips her neck tightly, shoving her towards the wall beside us to keep her from shouting. She looks at me with terrified eyes, but I can't see them. I can't see anything but the porcelain skin on her body. With a quick flick of my wrist, I have a needle stuck up her lower abdomen. She tenses instantly. But soon, her whole body goes limp, and she falls onto the ground completely unconscious.
I place the needle back into my bag, and pull out a small yellow piece of paper. I grab her body forcefully, and push it into one of the toilet stalls. I grab her bag too, and stuff the yellow paper into it before throwing it into the stall with her. As I give her limp body one last glance before I close the door, I try to search within me to find some sort of emotion. Any emotion.
Nothing.
With a roll of my eyes, I slam the door shut, and escape the bathroom. As I make my way to my next class, I can already hear a terrified girl's frantic scream coming from the girls' bathroom. She must've found Evangeline. Good for her for being the first! Gold star!
I duck into the locker room. Next subject is PE. One target down. 13 more to go.
Author's Note: Sdknfskjadfn. I wanted to try something along the lines of assassin and such. Something different. Hehe. Please bear with me here! Next chapter will contain more details about the Phoenix AND romance! Woots woots!