I Was So Bitter, Till You Came Along

I was jolted awake by my alarm clock screaming at me to get up. I rolled over, smacking the snooze button, and I rolled onto my stomach, desperately wanting to go back to sleep. But there was a harsh knocking on my door, and it was pushed open. Light flooded the room, making me groan in protest.

"C'mon Casey! Get up!" Miss Kelly said.

"I don't want to," I muttered.

"Do it anyway. You have five minutes to get up, or else you're going to school like that," she announced, and she left. I sat up and ran a hand through my knotted hair, and I rubbed my face tiredly. I liked the woman, but when it came to Mondays, she really was one sour human being. My alarm went off again, making me jump, and I turned it off before getting up and grabbing a shower.

When I was fully ready for school, I was sat waiting for the other kids to get ready.

Jessica, an eighth grader, sat down on the couch next to me. I looked over at her, noticing she'd straightened her hair... like she did everyday. Her face was coated in thick makeup, and I tried hard not to physically cringe at her appearance.

"Why are you staring at me? Freak," she said, making me look away from her.

"Oh, no reason. Fake," I muttered, grabbing my phone and standing up. I was the oldest one here, and I'd been here the longest. I was happy that the school year was almost over though, because I was a senior, meaning I wouldn't have to go to school next year. If only that time was now. As soon as I turned eighteen, however, they were gonna do everything they could to get rid of me.

I think there was a reason I hadn't gotten adopted in my whole seventeen years of life. Maybe it was because my eyes were a dull hazel... maybe it was because my hair was an ugly brown. Maybe it was because literally no one here or at school liked me. I was an outcast in my own home.

"Casey, when you get home from school today I want you to..." I droned Miss Kelly out. She was probably telling me that she wanted me to do some chores or whatnot later.

"Got it?" She asked. I smiled.

"Yep," I said, and I grabbed my backpack, slinging it over my shoulder. I followed all the other kids out of the house, having to eventually turn a different way than they did. I was definitely glad I didn't have to go to school with any of those little brats. They were annoying as all Hell.

I arrived at school, and I walked to my first period, sitting down in my desk at the back of the room.

"Senior boards are next week, Miss Marie," my teacher, Mr. Sam said. I looked up at him from my phone, and I smiled.

"I know. Thanks for the reminder," I said politely. He smiled and walked out of the room, the door closing shut behind him. I was the only one in the room, and I jumped when my phone buzzed in my hands. It was Miss Kelly. It read:

I know that you weren't paying attention to me this morning, so I'm gonna say it again. I told you I want you to straighten everything up in your room when you get home. You have a visitor today.

I widened my eyes. I had a possible family ahead of me today? That was definitely some big news. Usually, when Miss Kelly says 'straighten everything up in your room,' she means pack your bags because you're outta here. Who could it be? Could it be two guys? Two girls? A man and a woman? A single father? A single mother? There were so many options of who it could be, and I was rather excited.

Mr. Sam returned, smiling at me.

"Guess what!?" I announced. He raised his eyebrows.

"I might be getting adopted today!" I shrieked happily, running over to him to show him Miss Kelly's text. He grinned.

"Oh my god! That's fantastic, Casey!" He exclaimed. I nodded happily. I returned to my seat just as the bell rang, and minutes later, students came bustling into the room. I was so glad I had Mr. Sam as one of my teachers. I've told him so many times that I might be getting adopted, and he's always been nothing but supportive and happy for me. This time felt different, though. I didn't know why.

When I returned home from school, there was a taxi parked in the street. I ran inside, only to be ushered up to my room to find everything was already packed.

"Kelly!?" I asked as I descended the stairs. She was talking to a man. Her eyes met mine and she motioned for me to come quickly as kids who were just getting home from school gathered around.

"Casey, this is Ashley. Your brother," she said. I looked at Ashley, instantly recognizing him.

"What? My brother?" I asked.

"We're blood related, sister. You ready to come home?" Ashley asked. Wait, what? Ashley Purdy from Black Veil Brides is my brother? But, we have different last names.

"Same mom?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Same dad," he replied. Dad.

"Are you taking me to see him?" I asked hopefully. Ashley shook his head sadly.

"Dad's been dead for a while. He hardly mentioned your mother, but when he did I had to find out more. I discovered you, I tracked you down, and here we are, little sis. You ready?" He asked, motioning to my suitcase behind me.

"What's going on in here?" Jessica asked as she entered the house. I looked at her and smirked.

"Casey's leaving," Kelly said. Jessica frowned.

"Take me with you! You're hot!" She complained. I looked at my brother and cringed.

"Sorry little Jess. He's my brother," I said happily.

"Wait, you're related to this guy?" She asked. I ignored her and instead threw my arms around Ashley's neck. He hugged me close before letting me go to grab my suitcase.

"You want to say goodbye to anyone before we leave?" Ashley asked me. I nodded and hugged Miss Kelly goodbye. Then, right before I left, I turned around and smiled.

"See you never!" I said, and I followed Ashley out of the house. He loaded my suitcase in the back of the cab, and we both got in the back. Ashley told the driver where to go.

"Wait. Where are we going?" I asked.

"Los Angeles," he said.

"Wait. There's one person I want to say goodbye to," I said. I told the driver the name of my school, and we arrived in ten minutes. I jumped out of the cab, Ashley on my heels. I quickly walked to Mr. Sam's room, finding it unlocked. I pulled the door open, making him look up as Ashley and I entered the room.

"Mr. Sam!" I exclaimed, running over to him and pulling him into a hug.

"Casey?" He asked, stepping away to get a good look at me. I grinned up at him, pulling Ashley forward.

"Mr. Sam.. this is Ashley," I said. They shook hands.

"What's the occasion?" He asked.

"He's my brother. I'm leaving," I said. Mr. Sam's smile faltered.

"Wow. You're actually leaving this time. Congratulations, Miss Marie," he said, "where are you guys headed?"

"LA," I replied, "I came to say goodbye." Mr. Sam pulled me into another hug. It was okay to hug your teachers, right?

"I'll miss having you in my class. I hope you have a wonderful time," he said. I thanked him, and Ashley and I left for good.

The plane ride to Los Angeles was faster than I expected, and before I knew it we were walking through the airport for our luggage.

"So Ashley.." I started as we walked to the pick up/drop off area.

"What?" He asked.

"What's it like here?" I asked. Ashley smiled as he spotted a black car waiting for us.

"You'll just have to wait and see, little sis," Ashley said. He loaded my suitcase into the trunk of the car for me, and he opened the back door for me. He closed it and I buckled myself in. He got in the passenger seat, making me look over to see who was driving.

It was Andy freaking Biersack. Okay. I was freaking out now. He turned around in his seat to look at me, and my cheeks heated up the second our eyes met.

"Hi. I'm Andy," he said, extending his hand out to me. I took his hand, shaking it.

"I'm Casey," I said. I was mesmerized by his intense gaze. He released my hand, and he smiled at me before turning around and starting the car.

Him and Ashley talked the whole drive from the airport to Ashley's house. My new home. When I got out of the car, I was greeted by the sight of Ashley's house. It was huge... not to mention gorgeous. Ashley escorted me inside as Andy grabbed my suitcase out of the trunk.

"Wow," I muttered. Ashley chuckled. Andy set my suitcase on the floor, and he approached.

"By the way, Andy's my roommate, just in case you were wondering," Ashley said. I nodded. Awesome. I get to see the God of hotness twenty-four-seven. Ashley then escorted me upstairs to my room, which was way bigger than I was used to. I looked around the room, taking it all in. This was all so much to deal with, and it was all very sudden. Ashley set a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around, smiling at him.

"I'm glad you found me. I honestly thought I had no family... that I'd been deserted by my loved ones. I'd been there since I can remember," I told him. Ashley pulled me into a hug, rocking me back and forth slowly.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," he said softly. I smiled into his chest, stepping away from him to look up at him.

"Andy and I are gonna go get some food for dinner. Why don't you unpack?" He asked. I smiled.

"Okay. Could you get pizza?" I asked. Ashley grinned.

"You guys definitely are brother and sister," Andy said from the doorway. I rolled my eyes and pushed Ashley out of my new room.

"Food!" I exclaimed as they walked down the hallway. When I heard the door slam, I noticed Andy had brought my things upstairs for me, and I bit my lip. He was so freaking nice.

I rolled the suitcase into the room, unzipping it and pulling out the first thing. A Black Veil Brides t-shirt that didn't fit me anymore. Weird, how I'd known about my brother for years, not knowing he was my brother at the time. Strange how things work like that sometimes. I set the shirt aside and pulled my school backpack in front of me, pulling my phone out of the front pocket.

Twenty minutes later, I was done unpacking, and I was sitting downstairs on the couch on my phone. The front door opened, and I looked up as CC entered the house. He looked over at me, smiling politely.

"Hey... you must be Casey. Ashley called me and told me we were going to hang out with the guys, so here I am," he said. I smiled.

"Well, Ashley and Andy went out for pizza not too long ago. They should be back any minute now," I said. CC smiled as he advanced into the living room. He sat on the other couch just as my phone rang. It was Kelly, and I answered it happily.

"Hi!" I exclaimed.

"How was the flight? Did you make it? Are you alright?" She asked quickly. I smiled.

"Kelly, I'm fine! I'm sitting at... home.. right now. Ashley went for dinner, everything's fine," I said with a small laugh, feeling CC's eyes on me.

"Okay. I was just worried! It's weird not having you here," she said. I laughed again and the front door was being pushed open.

"I definitely miss you too, Miss Kelly," I said, glancing over at Ashley and Andy as they entered.

"Well, I'll talk to you later," Kelly said with a sigh.

"Alright," I said. She hung up, and I set my phone down next to me on the couch.

"Finally! You guys take forever!" I exclaimed. CC chuckled, and Andy set the two pizza boxes on the coffee table. He winked at me and sat down next to me, and Ashley handed me a coke and a paper plate. Jake and Jinxx showed up minutes later, joining us for pizza and sodas.

"So Casey.. tell us a little bit about yourself," Ashley said. I set my second slice of pizza on my plate, taking a small swig of my coke.

"Well uh... there's not much to say about me. I'm seventeen years old, my birthday is on July fourth. Umm... I don't cuss or anything," I said in a suggestive tone, hoping that would be enough information for them, but they didn't look pleased.

"Your birthday is on the fourth of July!?" CC asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah. A lot of people don't believe me when I tell them," I said with a laugh.

"What else?" Ashley asked, seemingly intrigued. I took a deep breath.

"Well.. I don't have any friends-"

"False," Andy said, "you've got the five of us now." I smiled over at him.

"Thanks," I said softly. Ashley cleared his throat, and I met his eyes.

"Well," Jake said as he stood up and set his paper plate on the table, "welcome to LA, Casey. I'm gonna head out. Jinxx?" Jinxx stood up and followed, and I assumed they drove here together. They both left together, and I ate my second slice of pizza as Andy, Ashley, and CC talked amongst themselves.

When everything was cleared away, CC left, leaving just the three of us.

"So, it's only..." Ashley checked his phone for the time, "seven thirty. Who's up for some fun?" I smiled.

"No thanks. Plus... aren't I starting at a new school tomorrow?" I asked. Ashley raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah. But, you can't go to bed now! It's so early!" Ashley complained. I smirked.

"Sorry big bro. I need to get my beauty sleep. Goodnight!" I called, standing up and waving to them before disappearing upstairs. I entered my new room, flicking on the light as I did so, and I happily strode over to my closet, grabbing a Black Veil Brides tee that was huge on me. I turned on the lamp beside my bed before turning off the big light, and I slipped my shirt over my head. I tossed it in my suitcase before unclipping my bra, shoving it in my suitcase underneath the shirt.

"Hey. Ashley wanted- oh fuck! Sorry!" Andy exclaimed as I shrieked and covered myself up with my huge shirt.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry," Andy said, "are you decent?"

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered as I tucked the shirt under my arms to make it stay. I rested my hands on my chest as I blushed deeply. Andy appeared back in the doorway, noticing my very prominent blush.

"Once again, I'm so sorry. I had no idea," Andy said. I waved it off.

"It's.. uh it's fine," I said. "What is it you wanted to tell me?" Andy glanced down at my shirt, a smile gracing his lips.

"You like our band?" He asked. I looked down as well.

"Yeah. I do. I actually have about four or five of your guys' shirts," I confessed. Andy gave me a crooked smile.

"Well anyway... I just came up here to tell you that Ashley wants to know if you're allergic to anything," Andy said. I smiled.

"Just penicillin," I said. Andy nodded.

"Alright. Well, goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and if I were you, I'd keep the door closed and locked when you're changing. There tends to be a lot of guys around here," Andy informed me. I smiled and nodded, laughing a little as well.

"I'll make sure to do that," I said, approaching the door. I placed my hand on it, completely forgetting about my shirt, and it fell slightly, making me blush as I tried to fix it. I turned around as my blush deepened, and I pulled the shirt over my head, turning back around to see an amused expression on Andy's face.

"You're something else, Casey," he said softly, and he disappeared down the hall, leaving me standing there with my red cheeks. I didn't know how to take that. Was that a compliment? Or was it bad? I decided to take it as a compliment. I closed my door and locked it, unbuttoning my jeans and pulling them down my legs. I stuffed them in the suitcase with everything else that wasn't unpacked, and I crawled into bed as Andy's words floated through my mind.

'You're something else, Casey.' I smiled, turning off my lamp and pulling my covers over me. So far, I was off to a good start.

~~

Negative. Scratch that: I was not off to a good start. My first day at my new school was abso-freaking-lutely terrible. No one bothered to help me find my way around, causing me to be late to every single one of my classes. Next, I was shoved into a locker, and no one apologized, and then I accidentally knocked someone's binder off their desk and I got yelled at.

So when I got home, I was rather upset.

"Oh no. What's wrong?" Andy asked when I walked into the living room. He shut off the television as I set my stuff down on the coffee table. Ashley was in the kitchen, making himself a drink.

"Today sucked," I muttered as I sat myself down on the couch.

"Here. Thought you might want a drink," Ashley said. I took the glass from him, taking a swig only to spit it right back out.

"Oh my god! What the heck is this!?" I asked, completely disgusted. Ashley took it from me, one eyebrow raised.

"It's a scotch and soda," he said.

"Well, it's disgusting!" I exclaimed.

"You don't drink?" Andy asked.

"No. Why would I?" I asked.

"Huh. The only teenager I've met who doesn't drink. Fascinating," Ashley muttered, and he returned to the kitchen.

"Whatever. Why did your day suck? What happened?" Andy asked. I sighed.

"I got yelled at.. and pushed into a locker.. and I was late to all my classes," I murmured. Andy sighed.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"Andy asked. I shook my head.

"No. I'm just gonna go lay in bed for a while," I said, and I stood up and left.

What if I didn't make any friends at school?

Notes

Chapter one. How was it? I was going to get this up sooner than I did, but this nerd has been busy.

Anyway, let me know what you think!!