I - Anxiety

1

The morning sun rose ever so beautifully in the sky, simply erasing the rainy day that had came. While the roads were still wet, it wasn't anything drivers had to fear. The birds were singing and flapping their wings across the skies. From the world's perspective, the new day bought discoveries and joys to be explored. The new day sought to ignore past mistakes and terrible moments to start fresh for everyone.

However, Tracey could only fear the new day.

Tracey could only wish for time to reverse, but he was stuck in this new day of discoveries to be sought out.

Even if those discoveries were about the school's situation, now that Michael was gone.

He wasn't a morning person by any means, but Tracey still couldn't sleep very well after yesterday's events. He kept having nightmares of the corpses he saw. The smell of burned flesh, the deformity of the bodies, and the murderer herself.

How she looked at him with no empathy. How she did not bother to think of the lives she took.

And above all else, how her partner in crime treated him.

How he took Tracey's ideals and wanted to crush them completely. How he pushed him out of his own home and disregarded his presence.

But it was the woman, the murderer, who scared him the most. Not that man.

Instead, he only felt hate and arrogance towards him.

It was the very thought of bringing them to justice that motivated him.

While terrifying him all at the same time.

Even so, he would show them justice.

No matter what.

That, however, had to be put on hold. As of now, he had to go to school. See what his actions had changed.

And if he truly did something to help.

Regardless of what was happening with those two, he had a responsibility to attend school.

He was in the guest room that Tracey usually stayed at. It was filled with notes about Michael's crimes, whereabouts, and how to stop him. Some lines were crossed out, while others were expanded on into more papers. If you were to gather all of them, you would have an entire book and then some.

Tracey didn't mind his step over the notes. Tracey was sure he had done his job right. Now he won't have to worry about Michael anymore. Even in the case he had to, the notes were useless to him now after yesterday.

He opened the closet to find similar-looking clothes. White t-shirts, button-up shirts and either short or long pants that were all the same type of colour: brown and peach. The shoes were all dress ones, such as loafers and monks. Once he got dressed, he headed to the bathroom to be met with Ashley brushing her teeth.

"Good morning, Ashley!" He said with a cheerful smile.

She ignored him and continued to brush her teeth.

"Good morning, Ashley." He said with a less than enthusiastic tone.

She ignored him again and continued to brush her teeth.

Tracey scoffed. "Would it kill you to give me some acknowledgement?"

"You see me brushing my teeth, don't you?" Ashley finally replied.

"You could still say something." Tracey countered.

Ashley rolled her eyes and left the bathroom already dressed. It wasn't the most eloquent attire. She only wore an oversized jumper with regular faded jeans. Inside her pockets, he could even see an MP3 player.

Tracey thought to make some conversation with her.

"Hey, what kind of music are you listening-"

And before he could be finished, she had already made her way downstairs with her earphones on.

He only sighed and entered his way into the bathroom to clean himself up. Tracey wanted to improve things between him and Ashley, but day by day, it became harder to do so. He can't help but be extremely annoyed. It's not as if he wasn't aware of Ashley's dislike towards him. However, if he wanted to bring justice to those criminals, she was vital to it all, and for them to never be on good terms had seriously held them back. While it wasn't too bad during Michael's case, the situation now called for him to be on better terms with her. At the very least, he had Arthur, who happened to show up as Tracey thought of him.

He was still in pyjamas, still yawning and sleepy.

Arthur almost fell over and yawned ever loudly. "Where's Ashley?"

"She already went downstairs. But you should get ready, it's almost time to head out." He spits out the toothpaste in his mouth as he was finishing up.

His comment seemed to startled Arthur as he rushed back into his room to get changed.

Tracey smiled to himself. He was glad that he had Arthur, at the very least. Sometimes, he does get a feeling from Arthur that his friendship is a burden, but Arthur always showed him otherwise.

Tracey, the messy hair boy, took his way down to the dining table. Ashley was eating breakfast that consisted fried eggs, some strawberries, and a single slice of bread.

Perhaps I can start a conversation now?' He thought to himself.

He sat down at the table. Ashley immediately finished all her food and went to the kitchen.

'This wasn't going to be easy, huh?'

But Ashley bought out a plate of food (the same meal she had earlier) for Arthur, for when he arrived downstairs. Tracey knew well that plate wasn't for him, since she has always made food for Arthur while leaving him nothing.

Arthur had arrived with his usual blue hoodie and even longer skirt. Tracey never liked him wearing a skirt. At times, he wanted to rip it off and give him a more appropriate attire, but he held it in.

That would cause him to lose his friendship with Brookie, and no one wanted that.

Arthur sat down and thanked Ashley for the breakfast she made. It didn't take him long to finish and clean his plate.

Tracey quickly grabbed his bag from upstairs. When he got back down, he saw Arthur glance at his parents, who sat in the living room, before he turned around and exited out the front door.

It was almost similar to yesterday for Tracey.

Glancing at his parents, only to see a truth he never wished to know.

He shook that thought away.

He then walked through the door as Ashley followed along.

Tracey could now only anxiously wait for what was to come.

And pray for the best.