It was the day of the big game, pep rally and the homecoming dance. Seniors were excited for their last homecoming dance and football game of the year.

A lot of the teachers were rushing around before school started to get the last minute things ready and the school to look "preppy" enough for the day.

Each teacher that taught a specific grade wore certain school colors. They all called it color wars.

Freshman wore white, sophomores wore grey, juniors wore orange and seniors wore black.

Their school colors were orange and black.

"Where's your school spirit?" Jace asked Blake.

He was hoping she wore a little bit of orange on her body seeing as they are juniors but her body consisted of all black. The halls were filled with all of the four colors people were supposed to wear. She was stunned that pretty much everyone participated in school spirit. Her old school never had color wars.

"I threw it away."

Blake went to walk around him but he stopped her.

"Here, take my orange hoodie all football players have one. I have an orange shirt underneath" Jace said as he placed his backpack on the floor so he could take his hoodie off.

"I am not wearing your stupid hoodie."

Jace sighed sadly as put his backpack back on.

"Well you have to have orange. Here I have a bandana from the school store."

He handed her a bandana and she shook her head.

"Come on! It's color wars you have to participate."

Blake groaned loudly and tied the bandana around her thigh.

"Happy you moron?"

Jace nodded with a big smile and she glanced at the same kid who asked her to homecoming. He was staring right at them.

"I'm gonna go, your friend is being a creep."

Jace glanced at Tony and laughed.

"Yeah sorry about him, he's my best friend."

"Cool I guess. See ya."

§

Blake sat alone during the pep rally as she had music blasting in her ears. But it still wasn't enough for the loud screams and cheers from the rest of the school.

She glared at anyone who got a little too close to her and the two kids on both sides of her made sure not to touch her.

Jace sat with all the cheerleaders and football players right up front as they were the loudest in the juniors sections.

There were two sets of bleachers on both sides of the gym. There was about seven rows of them going up to the wall as they separated the two bleachers in half. Each section was for each grade so the freshman sat across the gym from the seniors and the sophomores sat across the gym from the juniors.

Blake started to get a headache as they brought in a drum line to end off the big pep rally. She was about ready to rip her own ears off. Her earbuds weren't doing her much justice seeing as she could still clearly hear everyone that she tried to block out.

When the drum line got to their section everyone stood up like the two previous classes had and began screaming to see who could be the loudest. Blake stayed sitting as everyone around her was standing. It was so obnoxiously loud that she could feel her entire body vibrating against the bleachers due to the drums and people stomping.

Once the drum line moved onto the seniors they somehow were way louder than the juniors. She didn't think it could be possible since the juniors were way too loud.

It was the end of the day anyways and Blake was staring at her phone. The minute the clock turned to two-ten she was going to stand up and climb down the bleachers so she can leave the hot, loud gym.

Once she saw it turned two-ten she pushed her way down the bleachers passing many students who began to follow her lead. She began speed walking out the doors as the cold breeze immediately hit her the second she left the building cooling her off.

Her head continued to throb over how loud everything was and an arm swung over her shoulder. She grabbed Jace's fist and twisted it before shoving him backwards. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with him.

"How was your first pep rally?" Jace asked her, ignoring the thing she just did.

"It was awful, next time we have a pep rally I'm skipping school."

He gave her a look which she ignored.

"Bye."

§

Blake snuck her way around the crowded area. She would glare at anyone who touched her as she maneuvered her way around people.

She made sure not to be noticed as she watched the last five minutes of the game. She didn't think she would show up but she wanted to see if they won or not. The boys practiced everyday after school so she figured they had to be good.

The teen girl watched as Jace threw the ball to Ethan and she nodded at his good pass. Ethan scored and the team ended up winning by one point.

Before everyone started leaving, she left right as the game ended. Cheers erupted in the stands as she walked away. She didn't want to be seen at this game so she wore her hair in a low bun with her hood up.

She quickly skated off and went to an abandoned railroad track.

§

Time passed by slowly as she watched as the sun slowly began to set. It became dark around five-thirty but she continued to stay at the track.

She had felt her phone vibrate in her jacket pocket but she didn't bother checking it. She didn't want to answer anyone, she hated being on her phone all the time. She enjoyed being able to get away from everything and get off her phone and just enjoy nature. It's something that everyone should do since nature was just so peaceful and relaxing. But so many people rather be inside playing games or just on their phone. It was sad to see but she was glad she wasn't apart of that group who were addicted to electronics.

It soon became seven and she knew homecoming had started. So she made her way to the skatepark to practice some tricks.

It was around eight was when she was shocked who actually showed up.

"Hey" Jace smiled at the purple haired girl.

"Shouldn't you be at homecoming?" she asked him.

He was wearing a white button up, some nice pants and nice black shoes with his hair gelled.

"It was boring so I left. There is still an hour and half left."

She nodded and he sat next to her.

"How was your day?"

She just shrugged.

Silence filled around them and she laid her head on her arms.

"Was Taylor clinging onto you at the dance?" Blake asked.

"Yeah."

Blake laughed slightly.

"I wouldn't blame you for leaving either."

He smiled at the girl and laid his head on his arms the same way she just did.

"If you could go back in time for one day what day would you relive?"

"Last year's Halloween."

"Why?" Jace asked.

It was oddly specific and she clearly thought about it before.

"My dad and I always went trick or treating every single year. But last year I told him I was too old to go trick or treating. It was our tradition since I was one. I would want to go back and go trick or treating with him because I didn't think it would be my last halloween with him."

Jace sighed, "I'm sorry Blake."

She shrugged and played with her rings.

"What day would you want to relive?"

"The day Michelle was born."

"She your favorite?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, she has always been my little munchkin. Her being born was one of the happiest days of my life, she's like my little sidekick."

Blake envied the relationship he had with his siblings, especially Michelle. She wished her parents had at least one more kid. She really wanted a sibling.

"It's lonely being an only child."

Jace glanced at Blake.

"I thought you liked being alone."

"I do, it would have been nice to have someone to grow up with. Someone to help me with mom."

"Well you can still have siblings if your mom remarries."

"It won't be the same, I'm almost eighteen and they would be my half siblings."

Silence consumed the two again. Before Jace brought up a thought that had just crossed his mind.

"Your dad was the famous Adam Sterling wasn't he?"

Blake sat up and looked at him.

"What?"

"I saw your last name on a college envelope, your dad in the pictures looks just like the actor, and your dad and Adam died."

Blake sat quiet for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah he's my dad."

"That's really cool, his movies are awesome! Oh and his songs! Whenever I heard about his secret daughter and wife I had no idea you would be his daughter! I've always been a huge fan of him and all his movies!" Jace ranted.

He continued to rant about his favorite movies of him as Blake sat silently. She wasn't to the point where she could talk this much about him without getting upset.

She squeezed her eyes shut as he still rambled on about the amazing Adam Sterling.

"Jace, shut up."

He stopped talking and noticed the sad look in the girls eyes and his eyes widened realizing his mistake.

"Oh god Blake! I'm really sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's whatever, I'm gonna head home."

"I didn't mean to make you upset I'm sorry" Jace said as Blake stood up with her skateboard in hand.

"It's whatever, I'll catch you later."

Blake skated off and Jace groaned loudly. He really didn't mean to upset her. He was just excited that one of his favorite actors and singers was actually Blake's dad. He found that incredibly cool so he got a little carried away.

Blake laid in her bed staring at the ceiling in silence, something that she did often.

It was her way of being able to zone out and picture herself somewhere happy.

So she did.

*flashback*

"Daddy! Daddy! Look!"

Adam turned to look at Blake as she held to what looks to be an empty baggy in her hand as she ran towards him.

"It's a uh, plastic bag?" he questioned his five year old daughter.

She laughed loudly as he picked her up once she got to him.

"No silly! I lost a tooth today! See!"

She smiled and moved her lip slightly to show the now empty gap in between two teeth. She then pointed her finger to the small tooth that was in the corner of the bag.

"No way!" Adam said as he carried his daughter to the car.

"Isn't that cool! Now the tooth fairy will come!"

Adam smiled at his daughter as he put her in her car seat.

"I bet she will be really happy to get a tooth from you princess" Adam said as he hopped up in the drivers seat.

"You think so?" Blake asked hopefully as she stared at her little tooth in the bag.

"Well duh! Who wouldn't want a tooth from a princess?"

Blake laughed loudly and Adam's smile widened listening to his favorite sound in the world.

"Mommy should be home soon from work" Adam said as he pulled up into their driveway.

"I get to show mommy!" Blake smiled happily.

Adam nodded with a proud smile and helped his daughter jump out of the car.

"Can we skateboard until she gets home?"

Adam nodded and Blake ran inside as her little braids bounced against her back.

She got her little skateboard while Adam helped her put her knee pads on while she put her elbow pads on.

"Where's your helmet princess?" Adam asked his daughter before she stepped foot on her board.

"Oh right! Silly me."

Blake ran to their garage and grabbed her helmet, which was a matching helmet with her dad.

When it became night time, Blake waited in her room for her parents to kiss her goodnight.

"Goodnight snuffy, love you" her mom smiled at her.

"Goodnight mommy! Love you too!"

Adam walked in after his wife and kissed her cheek before whispering he'll be in bed soon like always.

He tucked Blake in like he always did whenever he wasn't working and kissed her forehead.

"The song daddy, I'm waiting!" Blake said.

Adam laughed at his daughter and rubbed her silky smooth cheek. His little girl was so precious.

He began singing their song and Blake couldn't help but let her eyes close listening to her dad's voice to their song.

Once he finished he gave a gentle kiss on her forehead and walked towards the door.

"Goodnight princess, I love you" he whispered.

Blake cracked open one eye and yawned.

"Daddy I love you more."

Adam's heart soared as he shut the door behind him.

*flashback over*

Blake clenched her shirt tightly above her heart as she curled up into a little ball.

She hated the pain. She wanted it to go away.
———
11-23-20