1: Lila

“Lila!” My dad screamed at me from the kitchen. I hurried out of my room to see what he needed. I only had a few minutes left before I needed to start walking to the bus stop.

“Yeah, Dad.”

“Lila, do we have aspirin? My head is killing me.”

I walked to the cabinet where the aspirin is always in and grabbed the bottles, dumping two pills in my hand, then grabbing a cup and filling it at the sink. I handed them both to my dad.

“Thanks.” He grumbled.

I left the house and started making my way to the bus stop. That one thing about living somewhere so rural the bus doesn’t come to your house I need to walk a mile just to get to the bus stop to get to school. Thankfully, it's my senior year.

“Does he ever wake up without a hangover?” Lately, my thoughts have taken on their own personality. It’s weird that I always had just my line of thoughts, but recently, it’s like a separate person is in my mind. Maybe I’ve spent too much time reading that I started thinking in a separate inner dialog or maybe it’s because I feel so alone sometimes that this way of thinking helps me feel like I’m not going through my life entirely alone. Either way, I know it's weird, but it’s also comforting.

“Well, if he doesn’t wake up hungover, he’s either still drunk or sober and angry,” I respond to myself. It started to feel strange talking to myself so I named my inner dialog. I know, I know, I sound crazy. I call her Nova. My thoughts just kind of named themselves. One day, I said out loud What should I call you and my thoughts answered me with Nova.

Seriously, I know it sounds weird. I had just woken up one day, and it was like a separate person was living in my mind with me. I honestly don’t know how else to explain it. Maybe I’m losing my mind. I was worried at first, but if I am losing it, I’m kind of okay with it because since Nova joined me, I have felt less alone, and life doesn’t feel quite as hard with her with me. I looked up what Nova means, and it means new. It's also a term for bright stars that suddenly appear, releasing powerful energy.

“Your dad is going to drink his life away. I don’t know how he holds down a job.” Nova says with a frustrated huff.

“It’s his life, Nova. If he wants to wash it away with a bottle, that’s his choice. I accepted this long ago, and you need to do the same.”

The bus stop always has the same kids. These are the same kids I’ve gone to school with since we came here when I was in the first grade. Mark, he’s nice enough, just a little strange. I know it's laughable when I think someone else is strange when I was having a conversation with myself. Mark has safety pins all over his clothes today and is also wearing them as earrings. Brendon is your typical jock, and Chelsea is hanging all over him as usual. Their relationship is off and on constantly, and today, it is very on. That's everyone today.

I used the bus ride to do some homework I couldn’t finish last night. It can be hard to get things done when my dad is drunk. He constantly has random people at the house and hates being alone. So it was loud, and trying to keep people from getting behind the wheel and keeping my dad somewhat upright is a lot of work on its own.

I finished my classes at noon. I only have half days now as this is my last semester, and I’m ahead on my credits. I work after school. I’ve been trying to save up money so maybe I can leave this town someday. It’s hard, though, because if I leave, who will care for my dad? I feel stuck, but I also want nothing more than just to take off running and never look back.

I work at a small little diner called Crickets. It’s a cute little place and they let me work for just a few hours after school so I can still catch the bus home. This little town has no public transportation, so getting places or finding work without a car is hard. I appreciate that they let me have these few hours.

“Hey, Lila, I just sat a group of guys at a table. Can you take them?” asked Mary, my boss and partial owner of the diner.

I grabbed my pad of paper and pen, making my way to the table. “What can I get you, gentlemen, to drink?”

These men can’t be much older than me, and hot damn, they are one gorgeous group of men. Three of them, to be exact. They are muscular and rugged-looking but laughing and looking at ease. I knew right away they aren’t from here. They stand out. All three are dressed casually, but their biceps make their shirts look a bit too small. The man on the left is blonde with blue eyes that you could get lost in. His jawline is strong and he has a golden tan with a five-o-clock shadow. His eyes are locked on mine. His friends have dark hair and are equally attractive, but something about this man has Nova pushing her way into my thoughts.

The blonde grabs my wrist, not hard, but enough to pull me a bit closer to him. “There's a pack here?” he asks.

A pack I think what the hell is this guy talking about.. Maybe he wants a pack of beer.

“I’m sorry we don’t serve alcohol,” I say, slowly looking at him, hoping that’s what he was asking about, but he’s giving me a strange look.

“No, what is the name of the pack you're from? I didn’t think there was any pack located in this area.” He says, a bit exasperated.

“I’m not really sure what you're talking about,” I say honestly Nova is practically screaming to take over. I don’t need her right now, though, and shove her thoughts aside as best I can.

“Your pack, where is your pack?” His hand gripped on my wrist tightens, and his voice has lost some of its earlier kindness. Now he’s just starting to frighten me.

I try to yank my hand free and say icily, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t have a pack. I don’t know if that is some new term, but I’m not a part of any group, so whatever you want, I am not the person you should be talking to. Now can I get you all something to drink? “

He lets go of my wrist. “You're a rogue?”

I stand there confused and can't help but reach out to Nova. I’ve gotten used to her company and help. “What the hell is this dude talking about?” I ask Nova.

Nova responds almost before my thought is finished. He knows about me, she says.

Cool, Nova, that's an awesome answer that helps so much.

“I don’t know what you're talking about. Honestly, I’m sorry. Maybe you’d be happy if another waitress took over your table.” I say, starting to tuck my notepad into my pocket.

The guys whisper something to each other, and the blonde stops me. “I’m sorry.” He says.

I finally am able to take their order and turn it into Ron, the cook. Mary checks on me, asking if everything is alright. I guess I look as unsettled as that man made me feel.

The rest of the shift went without issue.