5|| My Palace of Solitude (Fully Equipped with a Lying Loner!)

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Chapter 5: My Palace of Solitude (Fully Equipped with a Lying Loner!)


Loneliness expresses pain, while solitude expresses glory. Being alone isn't a bad thing; you just feel the need to hang out with yourself sometimes.


~Starlight24


I groaned and rolled to the other side of my bed, clutching my stomach. Yes, I had successfully bunked four days of school because I was 'sick'. I had a rush of followers gushing through in my other account (the one that I just made a few days ago; my Day one). I didn't know why I was feeling so terrible about all of this. I mean, I wasn't exactly completely lying; it would have been worse if I Starlight was some total stranger and I had made up all of this rubbish anyway. In my case, Starlight was me! Somehow it still made me sick and nauseous to even recollect the incidents that took place during the past four days.


I couldn't just go and admit it to everyone now. What would I say? 'Hey everyone... I'm actually not Starlight's ex BFF. I'm Starlight herself! Ta-da!' That would flush all of my hopes of people trying to get to know me for being me down the toilet.


"Day, Honey, you okay?" asked mom, looking concerned. She thought I'd had a fight and I wasn't settling in my new school. Truthfully, it was the other extreme.


"Yeah... I'm just sick. I mean, it's no biggie," I muttered, throwing my face into my pillow so that the last few words were muffled.


"You haven't stepped out in ages. You look like a vampire." Mom looked at me matter-of-factly.


"Mom," I muttered, logic getting the better of me. "There are no blonde vampires. Period. Also, vampires don't wear glasses because they have super vision."


Mom rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to talk back for every single little thing anyone says?"


"Um... maybe because that's how communication works?" I asked, hopefully. "You see, when you say something, you need to talk back to reply."


Mom was used to my smart aleck attitude and she made no attempt to correct me. Sorry for the sass, but I happen to not be anywhere close to wanting to change myself. Yeah, I was the sassiest klutz alive.


"My point is," continued Mom, choosing to ignore my previous comment. I was a walking net meme box and she was used to it. "You should get some fresh air. It'll help soothe whatever's going on, which you can tell me," she hissed. I acted oblivious to her obvious hinting.


"Fine," I grumbled. "I'll get out of the house and be a lone, lonely loner."


Mom was also used to my usual melodrama. "Honey, go call someone! You are a very social person, and I'm sure someone will accompany you!"


"What if I don't want to have any company?" Mom raised her eyebrows and I backtracked. "I mean... I'm afraid I might do something embarrassing because I have a really bad stomach ache. I might puke on them or something," I lied. Nope, I didn't want to see anyone. I didn't want to have more strangers gushing about how lucky I was to know Starlight.


"Alright, then," said Mom, walking out. "I don't want you to be locked up in your palace of solitude, that's all."


That had a great ring to it. Day Winter's Palace of Solitude that was fully equipped with a lying loner (AKA ME!). Oh, I was the most optimistic creature on the planet right now.


I decided to wear a hoodie and black leggings and look as inconspicuous as possible. I threw over the hood and dashed downstairs so that I could please Mom and go out.


The cool, autumn air hit my face and I stuffed my hands into the pocket of my hoodie, drinking in its warmth. The breeze that hit my face smelt of leaves, mud and rain and our street was barren, despite the fact that it was Saturday morning. Then again, most normal people get up only after seven o' clock on Saturdays. I just wasn't able to sleep.


My slow pace turned into a steady jog, and I looked down at my shoes so that I wouldn't have to have the wind pushing against my face. The mild cold was already starting to turn my nose numb. I ran across our lane into three others before smacking right into someone.


"Well who's this gorgeous creature?" asked the boy I'd head-butted. Oh goodie, someone who didn't know me at all! He must not have been in my school.


"Day," I blushed, trying to ignore the 'gorgeous creature' comment. The boy was hot, and there was no doubt about that. He had piercing blue eyes, more startling than my own and tousled black hair which screamed 'I-woke-up-and-looked-this-good'. He was athletic and tall, and his jaw and cheekbones gave his cheeks the perfect cave in as they (his jawline) protruded out. His features were marginally bigger than the average kid, including his face.


When a guy calls you a gorgeous creature, you shrug it off. When a hot guy calls you a beautiful creature? Well...


"Are you new around here, Day?" he asked, casually coming closer to me. Okay, then. His eyes weren't even trailed across my face, the pervert.


"Yeah! Moved in here five days ago, actually!" I said, trying to be bright and friendly when he was so obviously trying to be seductive.


"Wanna come over? I promise no one's around. I can show you how to fly, Tinkerbell," he whispered, blowing his minty breath into my face. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he wanted, and I'm sorry for wanting to keep my virginity.


"Darling, I don't need a guy to get me pixie dust," I replied breezily, making him look a little startled but impressed. Impressed that I hadn't thrown myself at his feet and begged him to take me to his house and let him do whatever he wanted.


"Good girl, huh?" he sneered. I rolled my eyes. Someone seemed to jump to conclusions quick.


I know that the average person would've probably kicked this guy where it hurt and run away, or just thrown themselves at him and let him take them away. I defy logic, remember? So here I was, flirtily arguing with this hot but perverted stranger.


"Good girl?" I retorted, scoffing. Okay, I wasn't a bad girl, but he didn't need to make that assumption. "Don't come to conclusions that quick! I'm just really choosy, unlike you. I don't wanna lose my shit to weird perverts on the streets."


He laughed. "I like you, chick. Which school do you go to?" This was logic. I was completely mean and horrible to some random guy on the street and he likes me. Then again, logic never did work with me.


"Unless you want to come into my class and stab my ear and then repeatedly bonk my head with your water bottle until I pass out, I don't see why that information would be important to you." I said, looking at him squarely in the eye, daring him to come back with a suitable retort.


"What if I want to stab you somewhere else?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows and giving me a feisty smile. Sick, what was wrong with him!?


"Eww..." I replied, choking on my own spit. "Go stab yourself!"


"So you are a good girl!" he announced, looking like he just proved a new theory. I raised my eyebrow (just one) at him and he laughed. "You've got skills, gurl." He pointed at my eyebrow raise. I moved my hands in circles, indicating for him to get back on track. "I bet you haven't even lost your lip virginity yet!"


I scowled. I'd never even had a boyfriend, forget anything else. "Just because I haven't lost my v-card doesn't mean I'm a good girl. I've been homeschooled my entire life, and you don't get much opportunity to meet guys at a house with barely anyone there except for your mom, dad and governess." I placed my hands on my hips, which moved his line of vision around there. Perv.


"I've seen you somewhere," he muttered, cocking his head.


"Oh really? Well that's nice, though I do suppose everyone knows me. I'm just extremely famous, you see." I said casually.


"You're smartass chick remarks aren't working on the bad boy, doll," he smirked. I wanted to slap that sneer off his face.


"I've got one right next door, and it worked alright. If that helps," I groaned. Wait a second... did I just call Dylan a bad boy!? And was that a compliment?


"Of course!" he said, looking at me happily, realization dawning on his tanned features. "You're Dylan's chick, the one who had that epic comment war with him!"


I laughed. "For the record, I'm no one's chick if you don't mind. And also, it's a pleasure to know that you enjoyed our spamming session," I stuck out my tongue like the mature lady that I was.


"That means... you're also Starlight's ex BFF or some such shit, aren't you?" he asked, looking at me like an excited wolf. NO! Just when I thought that I might meet at least some pleasantly oblivious creatures in my neighborhood.


"Yeah..." I muttered, drawing imaginary circles on the ground with my toes.


"That's cool, doll. You sure you don't wanna enjoy the ride with me?" he asked, giving me a huge grin.


"I've got Disney Land to meet Tinkerbell, fly and enjoy rides called rollercoasters. So no thanks." I looked at him smugly as he looked really insulted (which gave me this feeling of complete satisfaction).


"No one's ever turned me down, doll," he said in mock hurt. What was up with people giving me nicknames? First there was Dylan, calling me Sweetheart, and now there was what's-his-face calling me doll. My name is Day, if you don't mind!


"What's your name anyway?" I asked, realizing that we'd been walking slowly.


"Jase Tackett," he replied, grinning. "And you're the Day Winters chick." He smiled again, but there was this creepy hunger behind his sparkling blue eyes that made me inwardly shudder.


"I have never gotten that word." I muttered, looking at the ground at my shadow, which looked pretty badass to be honest.


"What word?" he asked, chuckling to himself and awaiting my reply.


"Chick. I mean, not like there aren't male chicks, okay? And when I say chick, I mean the baby chicken version. Why did it get labeled as some way to call a girl? Not like we call you guys tadpoles or something." Indignance was streaked in my words and I looked up at him (being the pathetic height of 5"4) and crossed my hands over my chest, which brought his attention there. I wasn't afraid to stab his eyes just so he wouldn't be that creepy.


"And bitch!" I continued, just as he began to open his mouth. He groaned and rolled his eyes. "Why a bitch, huh? I mean, have you watched Lady and the Tramp? Lady is a female dog, and if someone wants to call me a bitch then I'll take it in my stride and as a compliment, because I'll think of adorable Lady and act like they're referring to her. Dogs are supposed to be a man's best friend, what happened to all of that? How would we feel if dogs insulted each other in dog language by calling each other humans!?"


"Doll, I don't know. The world is a screwed up place." He shook his head, tentatively putting his arm around me. It was a slow and tender gesture, not a creepy rape-like one, so I didn't push it away.


"If you get any ideas, Tackett, I will kick you in the balls and scream rape," I muttered, giving him a fierce glare. He threw his hands up in mock surrender and laughed.


He stroked my hair under my hoodie. "Calm down, tiger. You need to stop getting so defensive about everything." I glared at him and his hand lacing through my hair and punched him in the gut.


"What's your problem!?" he asked, looking at me with mild annoyance now.


"Well I did just punch your gut, so the obvious problem is you," I murmured, and he chuckled despite being in pain.


"You're annoying as hell, but I can see why Dylan likes you," he grinned at me. Dylan what, now?


"I'm not even gonna bother thinking about that,  because I'm extremely likeable." I tossed my hair over my shoulders and he frowned.


"Okay, enough with the bragging," he muttered, groaning. Who was he to talk, the bloody swollen-headed asshole!?


"It's not bragging, honey. I prefer to refer to it as swaging." I grinned. Where did I even come up with this stuff?


"You suck!" he laughed. Okay, so 'you suck' was a compliment. Well that was a first.


"See? I've got sass whereas you're just an ass. WHATTUP RHYMING SKILLS!" I shrieked.


"I'm starting to wonder whether you are in dire need of mental help." He said this so seriously that I burst out laughing.


I looked at my watch and gasped. I'd been with this idiot for two hours? It hadn't seemed like it. "I'll catch up with you later, then," I smiled, pulling away from his thick arm that was wrapped around my waist. He hesitantly let go, but I pushed his hand down anyway.


"Phone number?" he asked, pouting. He scribbled his down on my hand. I nodded, my mind full of wonderfully evil tricks to play.


I had a nasty habit of memorizing random numbers on the streets, and I guess it would finally come of some use. I chuckled as he walked away, the neighborhood car wash's number etched into his skin. It would be funny to see his reaction when he called them up to meet me.


Even in my palace of solitude, I had a knack for talking to random strangers along the way, didn't I?



A/N:


This was a normal chapter with no real action, just to give you a little whiff of how Day is feeling right now and stuff ;) Sorry if I was rambling a bit?


So whose team are you on? Team Dylan, Team Max or Team Jase? Please tell me which character you've liked the most so far!


Pic of Hailey on the right :) Any other TMI fan around here *fangirls*?


Teaser: Max and Day have a very interesting class and Max leaves Day confused about her feelings. Starlight continues to make life miserable for Day, of course.


Please Comment/Vote/Follow/All of the Above if you liked this!! Best comment wins a dedication :D


Song of the day: On my Mind by Ellie Goulding


Love you all,


~Lexi















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