Please read all of the parts, even if it's not your character's (I know it's long but it's easily the longest chapter in the whole book and one of the most important). They are important to the plot. All of these parts take place in the past at different times, each of them having to do with a certain character's backstory (make sure to pay attention if it is in weeks, months, years, etc). I will put how much earlier than chapter two (the first real chapter of the book) it takes place.

Yes, I realize some parts are longer than others, but if I did all of them about 800 words then I would have about 7,200 words in this chapter (since the twins and two other charaters share parts) and that is way too long, and if I did them all very short then not all the information would fit. Plus, it was hard enough to write 9 different parts.

|ps the word count for this chapter was 5,313 words including the author's note which was much more than I was planning for. it took longer to write than i wanted oops|

|also this is unedited because I wanted to get this out asap and I really don't want to edit over 5,000 words|

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Drugs, gangs, homophobia, lgbtq+ aspects including homosexuality and transgender characters, and swearing

§

Nine And A Half Months Earlier

The music blasted through his headphones, soothing any nerve in his body that might have been worried. Eli Alaska always loved listening to music, but not the crappy pop that everyone his age adored for some reason. He didn't even use a phone like everyone else did. No, he liked the classic type of music, the type that stores had on cassette tapes.

Come As You Are by Nirvana started playing into his ears, and he smiled. He loved that band.

Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an known ene-

"Hazel!"

Eli winced at that name. He moved one of the headphones from his ear, turning around a little. The music kept playing. "What is it, Tilly?" 

Tilly was a little older than Eli by one year. She still saw him as her younger sister, and Eli never corrected her.

"Mrs. Hochman's gone mad," She said, panting. She ran over to Eli, pulling him off the ground. "We need to get to the basement right now."

"What?" Eli asked, startled. He took off his headphones and left them hanging around his neck. Mrs. Hochman wasn't the type to go crazy. She was a kind woman who was in her mid-fifties with three children, one who was in college, one in her senior year of high school and one about Eli's age, who he was actually quite good friends with. "Is Lyle okay? And Georgia?"

"Come on, Hazel!" Worried by how she didn't answer his question, he ran out of his room with her, keeping his headphones and cassette player close to his chest. He heard a scream from outside, which only made him run faster.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Eli asked before they got to the basement.

"They're downstairs, they asked me to get you," Tilly said panicking.

Another scream, a large crash following it too. Something must have smashed into a car, because the alarm was sounding as well.

Without even looking outside, Eli could tell that it was absolute madness out there.

Finally, the siblings reached the door to the basement, and Tilly opened it for Eli, pushing him through. He ran down the stairs as fast as he could. He heard the door slam, and he looked back to see if Tilly was coming and was worried when she wasn't.

"Keep going, I'm just boarding up the door!" She cried, grabbing a piece of wood from the side of the staircase.

"Be safe!" He yelled back. She nodded, and he started to run to the back of the area.

Their basement was huge, most of it unfinished, boxes scattered all around and loose boards almost collasping. Even though Eli had lived there for his whole life, him and his family decided it was best to spend money on other things than a storage room they never went into.

Now, he wished more than anything that they had fixed it up a little more so that it was safer.

Turning one more corner, he found his mother and father huddled up against a wall, sighing a sigh of relief when they saw him.

"Oh, Hazel, we were so worried!" His mother cried, jumping up and giving him a shower of kisses. His father pulled them both back on the ground, holding Eli's mother close to him.

"Where's Tilly?" His father asked.

"She's boarding up the door," Eli said. He sat next to his father. "Are Lyle and Georgia okay? How about Mr. Hochman?"

"Mr. Hochman is at work right now," His father answered. "From what we know, Georgia's suffering bad injuries, but she's still alive. Ambulances are on their way, including some trained Magic Therapy professionals."

"And Lyle?" Eli asked anxiously.

His mother and father looked at each other, both of them blinking back tears. Eli's eyes went wide.

"No. He's not... dead, is he?"

His mother, who's voice was cracked and hoarse, was the first to answer. "He..." She didn't finish, Eli's father continuing for her.

"He might be. We didn't see him come out of the house."

Eli choked on a gasp. "No. H-He can't be." He felt tears form in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, honey. I know how close you two were."

"Are. He's alive. I know he is," Eli demanded, voice cracking. Even though he said it himself, he wasn't sure if he believed it. He fit his headphones back onto his head, pushing down onto his ears with all of his might to block out the screaming sounds from outside.

And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun

  § 

One Month Earlier

Emery Holland picked at the food on his plate, his mind thinking about others things that weren't his breakfast. He had a huge test that day, and even though he studied like crazy the previous night, he still felt like he was unprepared. High School sucked. He knew that for sure, even though he was only a freshman.

"Are you alright, Emery?" His mother asked. His head went out of the clouds and answered.

"Yeah, of course," He replied with a smile that he hoped seemed genuine. However, under the table, he was scratching his palm to relieve his stress.

"You don't have to lie to me. I know you're nervous about your test."

"No I'm not. Why would I? I studied!" More scratching. His mother studied him for a second, then nodded.

"Okay." She stood up, coming towards him. He quickly separated his hands. She ruffled his hair. "I'm so proud of you. You know that, right?"

He nodded, smiling another fake smile. His mother grabbed her bag and left for work, leaving Emery alone at the table. His mother and father worked in the morning, and he had to walk to the bus stop by himself. Sometimes he wished that his sister Mara was still in high school so she could drive him, but since she wasn't and he didn't know anyone else who could drive, he was left taking the bus. Which wasn't always too bad, since he knew lots of people there, but it would have been better to arrive in a nice car than a crowded bus. People would think he was more mature and not the little freshman taking the smelly bus.

Emery finished up his strawberry pancakes, throwing away all of the trash and grabbing his backpack, heading out the door. Almost immediately as he opened the door, he saw someone walking past his house. Emery called out his name, running to join him. Michael greeted him with a pat on the back.

"What's up, Em?"

Emery shrugged in response. "Nothing, really. I mean, besides the fact that I spent all night studying for the Algebra exam."

Michael made a sort of 'yikes' face. "Yeesh. Think you'll do good?"

"I honestly don't know," Emery said, looking at the ground. He tried his best not to scratch his palm. 

"I bet you'll do fine. You're Emery Holland, you're great at math." 

Michael put his hand on Emery's shoulder, making his heart jump. Oh no. Not again. "S-so," He said quickly so his mind couldn't keep thinking what it was. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm going to totally blow it," Michael said, laughing afterwards. Emery let a laugh that wasn't entirely real, his mind still worrying about what happened a few seconds earlier.

Why did he have to think about that right before a big test? Out of all the times to stress about it, it had to be where he already had something to stress about.

"You okay, Emery?" Michael asked, and until he asked Emery hadn't noticed how quiet he had been.

"Yeah, man, of course!" He lied. Michael smiled.

"Cool." Michael went on to talk about a weird incident involving his younger brother, while Emery was only half listening, scratching his palm to his side where Michael couldn't see it.

§

Two Years Earlier

His pencil grazed against his paper, leaving marks designed by his imaginative mind. Cameron Pearce always loved drawing; lots of the time he preferred it to actual human interaction. He was never the most popular or social kid. Not like his sister.

But in his mind, he could be whatever the hell he wanted. He could be this confident kid that owned him true self. One that wasn't afraid to talk to people he didn't know. One that wasn't overshadowed by his sister at school. Just... Cameron Pearce, the almighty.

If only his thoughts and fantasies could become realities.

Cameron scribbled a little more on his paper. A hospital waiting room was not the best place for inspiration. He looked up, checking around the room for anything that might spark an idea. An older man, maybe about sixty or seventy, sat alone in the corner, reading the newspaper. There wasn't any interesting about him, except for the fact that he had been staring at the same page for almost an hour.

On the other side of the room was a whining toddler and an impatient young woman who Cameron assumed was the mother. The toddler begged the woman for candy, but the woman didn't hand it over to her. She pulled on the woman's long auburn hair but she slapped her hand away, tying her hair up in a bun shortly after. Cameron flinched as the little girl's whining got louder. He really wished that he brought his earbuds and phone so he could listen to music instead of listening to the weird, diverse sounds of the hospital waiting room-

Suddenly, it hit him like a truck. Without even stopping for a breath, Cameron shot his head down, flipped to a new page in his sketchbook, and focused on drawing exactly what he was picturing, scribbling so fast his hands cramped up. But he ignored it.

After about ten minutes of concentration and taking in the sounds around him, he marveled at his finished product.

What he had drawn isn't something anyone else would look at and instantly understand. Instead, it was something that would have to explain, and once he told them, then they would appreciate every line he drew and how meaningful it all was. Or at least, that's what he hoped the response would be.

Truth was, all it was was a few shapes he drew inside a square. But to Cameron, it was everything in the room on a single page. It was how he was going to remember the day fifty years from then.

Suddenly, Cameron jumped as the door to the hallway slammed open, his mother standing right there. "Cameron!" She shouted. "Come quick! Something happened!"

Oh no. Oh no no no no no. Cameron didn't take the time pick up his sketchbook, instead sprinting through the door and into the hospital room he knew so well.

Six doctors were huddled around the bed, covering the paitent so Cameron couldn't see what happening. "W-What's going on?" Cameron asked, panicking.

"She's flatlining!" One of them cried.

Cameron's eyes went wide. Before he could think, he rushed to the side of the bed, putting his hand on the side rail. There she was. His sister, Cathy, lying unconsious under the sheets. The constant ringing sound of the heart rate detector filled his ears, making him shake and his eyes water up.

"Do something!" He cried. He couldn't stop shaking. Two of the doctors brought in an oxygen machine, another one giving Cathy chest compressions. Everybody was in a panic

"You got this, girl, breath!"

"Give her more oxygen!"

"Come on, Foster! You're not doing it right!"

"My poor baby! Oh my god, Cathy, oh my god!"

"Please, Cathy!"

The flatline sound didn't change.

Cameron fell to his knees. His mother was hysterical, sobbing so hard he was sure she was about to explode. His sister was so close. She had been fighting it for so long, and she was almost cured.

But now it was all pointless.

She was gone.

§

Two Years Earlier

Mirabelle Adamyan, better known as Mira, couldn't wait for the first day back from winter break. Sure, it meant more schoolwork, but it also meant she got to see her friends she missed so much again! And it finally arrived!

Freshman year was already half way done. How was that even possible? To Mira, it felt like it just started. Oh well. She just had to make the best of it! She would get all of her friends' numbers so they could hang out over the summer. Oh how she couldn't wait for summer. The fresh air, the bright sun...

Mira shook those thoughts out of her head. Summer wasn't there yet. It was Winter. Cold, snowy, wonderful Winter.

Grabbing her books out of her locker, Mira happily strutted toward first period, which was American Sign Language, and also happened to be her favorite class. The bell rang, and Mira slipped in right as it did. She loved getting to class early. No stress about being late. And Mr. Sorman was extremely strict on tardies. Get one and it's a week's detention.

"Why hello, Ms. Adamyan," He said, smiling. She smiled as well, bowing. "Did you have a good winter break?"

"It was splendid! Thank you for asking," She added with a nod in thanks. Some people thought she was just sucking up to teachers so they would go easy on her, but in reality she just liked being nice. Rude people got on her nerves.

Mira took her seat, opening her backpack and taking out her things. She set her notebook on the right and the pencil box on the left. Perfectly organized.

All of the other students started to enter the room, and the bell rang again. Mira noticed that the seat next to her was vacant. That seat belonged to Avalon Sable, a closed off girl she never really talked to. But she seemed nice enough. Mira hoped that she wasn't sick.

"Alright, class," Mr. Sorman started. "Turn to where we left off before the break." Mira flipped to the page and looked over her notes on the colors. Blue was basically 'b' but you twist the wrist a little, red was like a scratch on the chin, black-

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and a blonde ran right into the room, taking a seat next to Mira. She didn't say anything, just got out her things. Mira looked at her and noticed that she had been crying.

"Ms. Sable," Mr. Sorman said. "You're late to my class. On the first day back."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sorman," She said quietly, not sounding truly genuine. She got out a pencil, setting it next to her notebook, and crossing her arms as she leaned back in the chair. A few people stared at her, and she made sure to glare at them to make them look away.

"You know that's a week's detention. Meet me after class."

"I know, Mr. Sorman." That's all she said, looking down at her feet. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

Mira bit her lip. She wanted to cheer Avalon up, but she didn't want to get in trouble. Instead, she decided to go with something in the happy medium.

"Psst," She whispered to Avalon. She didn't look up, but Mira continued. "Can I borrow a pencil?" Thing was, she had a pencil. But she just needed to distract her.

Avalon now looked her in the eye, and Mira saw just how puffy they were. "You should have brought your own," She muttered, then looked back at her feet.

Mira was stunned. She had only tried to be nice! Even though she barely knew Avalon, it didn't seem like her. Something must have happened over the break. Maybe she needed a shoulder to lean on.

That's when she got an idea.

***

American Sign Language was finally over, leaving Mira some time to talk to Avalon. She saw her strut to the bathroom and she followed, preparing what she was going to say. 

Avalon ran into the bathroom and Mira grabbed the door before she could get away. She ran to the sink, shoving water in her face as she quite obviously held back tears. Mira slowly crept over, touching her on the shoulder.

She quickly jerked around, stunned. Mira smiled. "Hey, Avalon. You just seemed sad earlier, so I was wondering if you needed any cheering up, or if you wanted to talk-"

"Why do you care?" She snapped.

Mira didn't know what to say. "I don't like to see people unhappy."

"You know what, Lira? Try minding your own business! Not everybody wants to cry about their problems with you." Avalon stormed away, shoving Mira aside, leaving her confused and upset in the bathroom by herself.

  §

Ten Years Earlier

Devin Bowers sat on the table of her kitchen, her thirteen-year-old older brother Mark next to her. Her other older brother, Austin, who was two years older than Mark, was having an argument with their Mom about something that was unknown to Devin in the living room, and Mark brought her in here while it happened. But whatever it was, it seemed like a big deal.

"What's Mommy yelling to Austin about?" She asked quietly, looking at the door to the living room. Mark turned her around so that she faced the television again.

"Don't listen to her," He whispered, grabbing her hand. He pointed to the screen with his other hand. "Look at that dog. Isn't he cute?"

But no matter how cute the dog was, all Devin wanted to listen to was her Mom and other older brother. What was so bad that made her Mom get so mad?

"I don't see why you care so much! I'm still me, and you've always loved that person!" 

"I will not have a fucking faggot living in this house!" Her Mom boomed from the other room. Mark winced, putting his hands over Devin's ears. But she could still hear. Very clearly.

"I'm not a faggot! What's wrong with loving someone?"

"Yes, you are a faggot! A disgusting, perverted faggot!"

Devin forced Mark's hands off of her ears. "Is Austin okay? Doesn't Mommy love him?"

Mark hesitated, then said, "Of course she does. She's just not used to... what he is." Austin and their Mom continued fighting in the background, which made Mark wince even more.

"What is he?" Devin asked curiously. 

This question took Mark even longer to answer. "He's, um, he doesn't love the same way that we do."

"How does he love?"

"Well, um, he loves other boys."

Devin's eyes widened. "Is that even possible?"

Before Mark could answer, however, the sound of a glass shattered filled their ears, making both of the siblings spin around to the source. Devin started to get up, but Mark held her back. "Let me go, Mark!" She said perhaps a little too loudly. He shushed her, picking her up and placing her back on the table.

"They need time alone right now," Mark said.

Austin started screaming from the other room. "So you're just kicking me out?! Where am I supposed to go?!"

"I don't care! Just stay away from my family!" Devin's mom screamed back.

"But I am your family!"

"No faggot is part of my family! Now leave! Right now!"

"Fine!" There was the sound of someone going up the stairs, then a shout of disapproval. Mark grabbed the remote control and raised the volume as high as it took to drown out the sound. Mark grabbed Devin close to his chest, closing his eyes. Devin hugged her older brother as she watched dogs jump through hoops and over obstacles. Whatever their argument was about, she just hoped that Austin would still be there tomorrow.

§

One Year Earlier

Caleb Ruiz made his way down the street, hands in the pockets of his big jacket and cigarette in his mouth. He checked the piece of paper once again, just to make sure he was going to the right place. Yep, he was. 

Him and his 'gang' had to change meeting locations after they were almost caught a week before, which sucked because it was perfect. A nice abandoned shop in the middle of New York City, right next to jewelry stores. How many of those did you find? Not many, that was for sure.

But this one wasn't too bad either. It wasn't right next to any good shops but it was completely empty. No one had checked it or cleaned it in a century.

Caleb slipped through the alley, constantly checking to see if anyone was following him. From his knowledge, no one was. He got to the door, performed the special knock, and waited for the door to unlock. After a minute it did and it flung open, revealing Zay, the leader in his 'gang'. He was tall, had dark brown skin, and always wore a deep frown. He was not someone you wanted to mess with. Caleb knew that very well. He had first hand experience.

"Caleb. What a delight," He said sarcastically, turning around and heading back into whatever room he just came out of. Caleb walked in and slammed the door behind him, looking around. He was trying to decide what he thought it used to be, but it was extremely hard, since everything was so worn down and broken. It was pretty small, so maybe it was an old bar or something. Maybe even a big storage closet.

Two other guys were sitting on the ground, grinning when they saw Caleb. One of them was Liam, someone who was not very tough but was very quick and good at stealing things. If you say he can't have something, he's steal it when you least except it. One second you have your wallet, the next he's got it, and he's running away. The other was Kim. He was just plain crazy most of the time.

"There he is!" Liam said, standing up to greet Caleb. "The man who saved our asses last week."

"He didn't save our asses," Zay argued. "We were almost caught. He just managed to grab a few extra jewels."

"Hey, those 'few extra jewels' made us a few hundred dollars richer," Caleb retorted. Zay rolled his eyes.

"You got it?" Kim asked desperately. Caleb sighed. That boy really couldn't wait. He reached into his pocket, grabbing a few joints and handing it to Kim. He held them close to his grinning like a maniac.

"Those are my last for a while," Caleb said. How was he going to explain it to them? They weren't the most understanding bunch. "My parents and I are moving tomorrow."

Kim dropped his joints, mouth wide open. Zay furrowed his brows, confused yet angry at the same time. Liam laughed.

"He's joking, guys," He started, but when Caleb didn't laugh, his smile faded. "Right?"

Caleb shook his head. "I warned you this was gonna happen. We're always moving."

"But you're our strategist!" Liam argued. "We won't get shit done without you!"

"Sorry, guys, but you'll have to figure it out." Caleb started to walk away and out the door, but before he could process what was going on, Zay had him pinned against the wall.

"What the fuck, man?" Caleb spat out.

"If we get caught because you left," Zay whispered. "I'll kill ya. Mark my word. I'll kill ya."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Caleb said, throwing his cigarette at his head. No matter how intimidating Zay might look to others, Caleb could take him. He knew that. Liam and Kim knew that. It wasn't worth it.

And with that, he left the three, finding his way back to his house to get his stuff together.

  §

Two Months Earlier

It was eleven-fifty three, which meant her parents would be asleep for sure in seven minutes. Nikita Irving's parents worked late, so they were always exhausted early out in the night and went to bed early. It was perfect, since she always loved sneaking out. She had been doing it for a while, and she had never gotten caught. Once.

The clock ticked, and it was finally time. Nikita opened the window, quiet enough so it didn't wake anyone, and started to slip out.

"Where do you think you're going?" 

Nikita shot around to see her twin brother Lukas standing at the door, head titled in a fake confused way. Shit.

"Mind your own business," She spat out, turning back around to the window. "And go back to bed, while you're at it."

"We're twins. Your business is my business. You wouldn't want me telling Mom and Dad that you sneak out every night, would you?" Nikita reluctantly turned around, sighing. Lukas smirked. He had her cornered.

"What do you want?" She asked straightforwardly. 

He thought for a second, dramatically putting his finger to his chin. "I think two month's worth of chores is fair. Actually, more than fair, since you've been sneaking out for about a year now."

Nikita's eyes widened. Was he serious? "No way! You don't even have that many chores, do them yourself!"

"Okay, then," He said turning around and walking out of his sister's room. He started to call his parents before Nikita gave in.

"Fine! I'll do your chores!" She said, rolling her eyes. Lukas backed into her room, smirking. 

"Pleasure doing business with you, ma'am," He teased, bowing as he said the last word. Nikita sighed a heavy sigh, making Lukas smile even more before he left her room. Nikita turned back around, stepping out of her window and onto the roof. Lukas really did get on her nerves, that perfect child that her parents adored.

Even though, deep down, she really cared about him. But she'd never admit it, not to anyone.

 §

One Month Earlier

Oliver Kendall was not the guy everyone thought he was. On the outside, he looked like this carefree cool guy, but on the inside, he was anything but that.

In reality, he was always stressing out about what people thought about him, whether he was doing the right thing or not, or if people were getting bored of him. But nobody knew that.

He had never taken off his mask,  not a day in his life.

If anyone found out what happened seven years ago, he would be done. His mask would be ripped off him and tossed into a ditch where he could never wear it again.

So he couldn't take any chances.

Oliver walked down the hall, his left arm around Ilani. Ilani was one of the only people he would possibly trust. However, he didn't want her to see him any different. He wouldn't want her to break up with him. He loved her so much, it would absolutely break his heart if she didn't anymore.

"You alright, Oliver?" She asked. Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be? I'm dating Ilani Vasquez!" Ilani laughed, leaning into his shoulder. Her short brown hair morphed around it.

"You just seem distracted," She continued. "In Spanish, when Mrs. Mortez called on you, it took you three times to respond."

"I was just thinking."

Ilani bit her lip. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Oliver shook his head violently. "Don't you trust me?"

After a moment, a small grin arose on her face. "Of course. I love you, babe."

"I love you, too," Oliver said with a smile, giving his girlfriend a quick kiss before releasing and heading into his class.

He did his best to ignore the lump of guilt in his gut.

§

Three Weeks Earlier

They stepped near the mirror, turning sideways as they looked down their waist. Negative thoughts flooded their mind, including some new ones that she had never thought of before. They felt their stomach, wincing as they forced themself to look away.

"Parker, honey!" One of their stepmoms called from downstairs. "Come on down! We're having movie night!"

Parker Ives sighed in relief. Great, something to distract themself. They smoothed their hair and clothes, then ran downstairs and into the living room to find their stepmoms and stepbrother sitting on pillows on the ground.

One of their stepmoms-Dalia-clapped as soon as she saw them. "Yay! Now we can start!"

"Wait, Dalia, what about the big announcement?" Their other stepmom-Ally-said. Dalia sighed, nodding.

"Right. Ally, you do the honors."

"What are you talking about?" Parker's stepbrother-Jonathan-asked. Ally and Dalia didn't respond, however.

Ally cleared her throat as Parker sat down. "We were looking through our mail when we saw a flyer for this new school that's opening. It said it will teach you the secrets of humanity or something like that. We thought it was interesting, so we called, and they told us that it's a school that teaches you about defending yourself from dark magic! It's called Pinefield Prep."

"Would you be interested in going there?" Dalia asked excitedly.

Parker bit their lip. "Um, maybe."

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Dalia begged.

"Can I go?" Jonathan begged. "Please, please, please?"

"Oh, sorry, Jonathan, you're too young. Maybe we can find you another cool camp!" Dalia said. Jonathan frowned.

"Whatever," He muttered, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

Ally turned back to Parker. "So, what do you say?"

Parker looked back and forth between their stepmoms. There really was no saying no, was there? "Okay, sure. That sounds cool."

Dalia smiled a huge smile. "Yes!" She turned to Ally. "I told you they would like it!"

Ally shrugged. "You were right, honey."

Dalia grabbed Parker's hand, still smiling. "You will love it, baby. You will do so great."

"Can we watch the movie now?" Jonathan whined. Their stepmoms nodded, and Ally took a pillow from the couch, handing it to Parker. Their family loved sitting on pillows on the ground while watching movies, so much that the couch was almost pointless.

Dalia and Ally asked their kids what they wanted to watch and they ended up choosing The Princess Bride. Jonathan liked it for the action, Dalia and Ally liked it for the romance, and Parker liked how it all slid together.

As the movie started, Parker held their pillow to their chest. They really did hope that they'd like the school.

§