|chapter one:: first day troubles|

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3 months later
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NOTHING was the same anymore and everyone knew it. The weather was different, the food was different, the tv show you laughed at and binged on repeat for months is now different. People walked in the streets with a dull look in their eyes, all feeling for a positive change, but we all knew it wasn't coming. We just knew it would get worse from here on out.

"Mom!" I bellowed as I searched through the stacked up boxes furiously, "Mom!"

"Yes, Adriana, I heard you the first time." My mom suddenly said as she came into view, "What is it?"

"I can't find my uniform," I told her as I continued searching all the boxes in my room, "The box literally said 'uniform'."

"Well, mija, if you unpacked when I asked you to, you would have found it like Guzman already did," She remarked and I huffed heavily, showing that I wasn't in the mood, "Maybe the movers confused the boxes, okay? It probably downstairs with Marina's uniform."

I hesitated at her name as I looked in another box. I looked at my mom, and she gave a sympathetic smile before walking off. I sighed to myself, knowing I had to head downstairs to get my uniform. It sucked that we had to move, but none of us could stand walking around that house anymore. It was just too much to handle.

I went to the basement and seen more boxes, causing me to let out an exaggerated groan. I didn't want to do this. I would rather search for another hour hopelessly for a tiny pin than look through more boxes. I looked through the labelled boxes, until I saw two boxes with the words 'uniform', which made me almost jump for joy.

I quickly opened the first box, though once I did, I noticed it wasn't my uniform. It was Marina's.

"Since when did people stop waiting for a response, Marina?"

"Since it's the first day back to school!"

I picked up the blazer that was on top and held it in my hands, smiling to myself.

"I'll buy you a coffee on the way."

I then opened one eye at her offer, "Iced?"

She hummed, "With cream and everything else you desire."

A soft chuckle escaped me, but I jumped a little when I heard footsteps slowly make their way downstairs. I glanced back to see Guzman, though he looked different. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Mom said to hurry up, breakfast is getting cold," He sighed, looking around the room briefly before going back upstairs. He dreaded coming back to school more than anyone and it showed.

I looked back at Marina's clothes and closed the box before grabbing my box and heading back upstairs. When I changed into my uniform, I headed into our new kitchen that was now half the size of our last one, seeing mom and Guzman already eating.

"Morning," I lowly announced and neither responded as I sat down. I looked over at Guzman and raise a brow as I began eating, "New hair cut?" His eyes traveled up from his plate and at me, clearly displaying his shaved head, "I like it." He only nodded at me before going back to his meal.

We don't talk anymore. Well, not like we used to.

"Will you guys be driving together?" Mom asked us, and Guzman met my eyes briefly.

"No," We said in unison before I turned to our mom, "I have to pick up Ander since his mom had to get into school early."

She nodded and when we all finished, we departed ways- mom went back to her room, Guzman went to school his car and I went to Ander's house in mine. None of us had anything good to say to one another, only giving brief sentences and nodded heads to show agreement.

It wasn't long for me to reach Ander's house, especially since Ander was already waiting outside of his house for me. He smiled when he seen me and I couldn't help but smile back as he got into the passenger side of the car. He reached over and gave me a brief kiss, "Good morning, hermosa."

"Good morning," I greeted back before driving to school now. After Marina's death, Ander was by my side every moment and I couldn't have been more thankful. He would let me cry, scream and do whatever it was for me to feel better for the next fifteen mini because he couldn't just let me lay in my bed until the feeling past. The feeling still hasn't past, but it just doesn't hurt as bad more. Lu took care of Guzman, and surprisingly he let her, seeing how they left things.

When we got to school, Ander quickly turned to look at me before we got out the car, "Are you ready?" I look back at Las Encinas, my stomach churning slowly.

Hesitantly, I nod and though I wasn't ready, it was too late to turn back. I got out the car and sighed deeply, "More ready than ever." We walked away from the car, but when we were starting to get closer the school, my chest instantly felt like it was closing in.

"I already want this day to end."

"Don't be sour, Adriana. School is only eight hours out of a 24 hour day," Marina encouraged and I gave her a look.

"Was that supposed to lighten my mood?" I asked her.

I get startled a bit when I felt a land grab mine, but then I look up at Ander, who held worried eyes, "You know, I'm here for you every step of the way, Adriana." I nodded slowly, letting my fingers intertwine in his, a small smile on my face as I was beginning to feel calm again.

"Thank you," I breathed out and he kissed my forehead again before we kept walking. It felt like I was holding my breath, expecting the worst to come, but I reached for my neck, grabbing the necklace that hung from it. I let the coldness of the golden necklace wander around my hand, finding comfort from it as we went to the office to get our keys and schedule.

When we got our locker numbers, we headed to it, only to run into Lu and Guzman, who were back to being close and affectionate. I no longer found disgust in their relationship, since I knew would be there for him through everything. She even convinced him on having them to go to our grandparents house for the rest of break, in hope to 'detoxify' him. That was an entire month ago.

"Guzman," Ander smiled, pulling him into a hug, "Long time no see, didn't see you post a single photo."

"Yeah, there was no signal in Astoria," Lu said, hugging me before fixing my shirt, "Took a lot of photos, though no matter how many filters you put on it, a cow is still a cow." I chuckled lightly, but look at her to watch her eyes look past us. I furrowed brows before following her gaze, and now Ander's, before Guzman does the same to see Samuel coming down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" Guzman seethed at Samuel when he reached our classroom, his face displaying his instant anger. Samuel's brother, Nano, was found to be the one that killed Marina. Apparently, Samuel had reported seeing Nano run out of the school before seeing Marina on the ground, causing him to be the prime suspect besides Guzman and I. He was convicted because he had no legit alibi, unlike Guzman and I both had.

"I have every right to be here," Samuel argued, "Same as you." In an instant, Guzman pulled his fist back and hit Samuel directly in the face, causing all of us to go after them both as they stumbled into a classroom.

"Guzman!" I called out as he hit Samuel again and blood began to drop down the side of his face.

"Get the fuck out of my school!" Guzman yelled at Samuel as I pulled on his arm, before Ander and Polo helped me hold him back as Christian held onto Samuel.

"Guzman, stop!" Azucena yelled to my brother as he still tried to lunge himself at Samuel, "Guzman, that's enough!"

I then stand between him and Samuel, having him meet my eyes, that were trying to fight off tears, "Guzman, please."

As if I said the magic word, he froze before relaxing himself in Ander and Polo's arms and I pulled him into a tight hug. He reciprocated the hug before I heard Azucena speak again.

"All of you in a seat, now." I pulled away from Guzman and sit down along with the other kids that were in the classroom at the time, "Now, I know Marina's death was very hard to deal with these past couple of months, so I know that anger is within us all." She let out a deep sigh, "Adriana, Guzman, I can't even imagine what you're going through right now -"

"That's right, you can't," Guzman snapped, looking up at Azucena, "Imagine being in my shoes - my sister's shoes as we have to walk down the same halls everyday and past by the person who caused these wounds."

I looked down at my hands as Azucena glanced over at me, "Samuel isn't the one at fault."

"If Samuel never came to school," Guzman argued, " If he and his fucking murderer of a brother stayed in their little trenches none of this would of happened. "

"You're father that gave him the scholarship." She explained.

"But you renewed it," I suddenly said, meeting her eyes before Samuel's, "Why?"

"He's a good student, Adriana," She told me, "It was only fair."

"Fair?" I questioned, "None of this is fair, ma'am. None of it. It's not fair that I have to go to that pool everyday only remember my sister and her blood everywhere on that floor, no matter times you scrubbed it clean. It's not fair that she didn't even get to live her life the way she wanted."

"Our sister is dead," Guzman added, standing from his seat, "Our sister is dead at sixteen years old. You tell me how that's fair?"

"I'm not going to argue with you, Guzman." She sighed, so Guzman turned to face us.

"As of right now, if any of talk to that fucking waiter, you are dead to me," Guzman declared, "It's either him or me."

"This isn't about choosing sides, Guzman." She told Guzman, but Guzman scoffed.

"Yes it is," He debated, "And you chose yours." Without another word, he left the classroom and Azucena stood in front of the class silently before, Lu's half brother, Valerio began speaking to her about a party that no one paid attention to. Everyone was all partied out.

The bell soon rang and Ander walked with me out of the room, with Lu ahead, so she could get to Guzman, who was standing outside of the classroom. We turned as Valerio began fucking around with Polo, watching them out of boredom, "Surprised he's here."

Lu scoffed at my words, "I think the correct term is annoyed." I laughed a little as she went on, "Somehow, he convinced our parents to let him come back for his last year. He's a literal nightmare."

"I'm shocked his best friend didn't show up," Guzman added, crossing his arms, but as if it were on command, Valerio stopped playing with Polo and looked ahead past all of us.

"Niccoló!" Valerio yelled out and we looked behind us at Carla's brother came into view. Valerio ran down the stairs and immediately hugged Niccoló.

"You got to be fucking kidding me," Guzman groaned, "Can this day get worse? Like what's next, a fucking earthquake?"

I watched Valerio pull Niccoló over to us, a wide grin on his face, "Guys, you remember Niccoló?"

"How could I not, Valerio?" Guzman sarcastically said, "He threw up in my mom's vase and didn't tell anyone about it until it began to smell like shit in my house."

"Nice seeing you again, too, Guzman," Niccoló smiled at my brother, who didn't return it, but instead rolled his eyes. He then smiled at everyone else, but when his eyes landed on me, he smirked evidently, "Adriana, good seeing you."

"Nic," I simply said, "Can't say I feel the same."

"Liar," He called out, noticing the smile appearing on my face before scooping me up in a hug. He twirled my around nonstop, until he grew tired and I began to feel nauseous, only to grin down at me, strands of his brown hair falling on his forehead, as he held my hands in his, "Miss me?"