When Metal Met Gold Chapter 1

 Overview Two years later since the first incident, Reens goes to school, only to find out her mother has been killed in a car accident.

Included Characters
Reens Maricina

Ariana Maricina (deceased in this chapter)

Bartholomew Maricina

Other Ocs I've made

Years Later, Still Hurting
It had been two years since that first horrifying incident. Reens rubbed her eyes as she awakened from her soft bed. She winced as her side started to ache. Yesterday was one of the worst, she thought to herself. Shaking her mussed hair from her face, she began to get ready for the day. As she looked through her closet, she pulled off her night shirt to reveal unsightly black and blue bruises. Her father had hit her harder than he usually did then, but this time he also added a new tactic: cigarette burns. Now, her father didn't smoke, but her mother had a bad habit of lighting one every few minutes. He had taken the cigarettes from her bedside table and had a habit of lighting them and putting them in various spots on Reens' chest. Reens tried not to cry out when he did this, for if she did, he would press harder on the skin.

Sighing, Reens chose her outfit for the day: A slightly dirty white long-sleeved t-shirt with a light blue heart on it, faded jeans with fringed edges, white socks, and blue Converse ® brand shoes with dirtied white laces. She also pulled on her light blue finger-less gloves and goggles, gently caressing the heart necklace from her mother that she wore on her neck at all times. Her clothes were mostly donations from her local DAV, but once in a while she would get something new. "Hey sweetie, you ready yet?" "Yeah, Mom, almost." "Well you better get down here before I leave without you!" She grinned and ran downstairs, her mother sweeping her up into a gentle hug. "Leaving for work, mom?"

Her mother was a darker shade of blue, more like a cerulean, and had light purple eyes. Her brown hair was long like Reens, but today she was wearing it up in a bun. Her outfit was a crisp white shirt with buttons and a grey pencil skirt with tan pantyhose and black pumps. She worked as a lawyer dealing in child abuse cases. Funny how that works, Reens thought to herself. She was gently lowered and given a small kiss on the head. "Ha ha, yes honey. Momma has to work extra long hours today. This child case I recently got is a little more complicated than I imagined. Have a great day, sweetie. Now you better get going before you miss the bus." Reens grinned and shouldered her backpack, putting a piece of warm toast in her mouth as she headed out the door.

As Reens walked to the bus stop, she noticed a few other people standing there. One she recognized as Matthew aka Matt, a brown dog with slightly less bright blue eyes. He was wearing a sleeveless red shirt and black shorts with black Nikes. Another she recognized as Nathaniel aka Nate, who was a white and orange tom with green eyes. He wore nothing but his tennis shoes and socks with a black jacket. The other few she didn't recognize. She shrugged and waited for the bus. Matt was the first to try and strike up conversation with her, but she ignored him. Nate, on the other hand, butted in. "Hey, man, she don't wanna talk to you, so just leave her alone, okay?" "What's the matter with you, man? Can't I talk to anyone I like?"

They were still bickering with each other as the bus chugged up and opened its doors. The other students went on first, and Reens was the last in line, when suddenly a yellow rabbit walked past her quickly, tripping her. "Ooh, sorry, didn't see you there," she smirked. Reens got up quickly, a little too quickly, and immediately winced in pain. The rabbit looked at her with a cocked head. "I didn't hurt you that bad did I?" Reens grimaced but shook her head no. "Alright then, rat," the rabbit sneered as the bus doors closed. At that nickname, Reens growled internally.

Her ice blue eyes widened as she watched the bus roll away. She had an urge to run after it, and she ran as fast as she could. Matt and Nate saw her outside the bus window and looked at each other, then Nate poked the driver on the back slightly. "Hey, can you stop the bus? There's this hedgehog gal trying to get on, and she's running beside it." The bus driver, a large brown bear, sighed and slowed the bus down, letting Reens climb up the stairs.

She thanked him, panting, and sat in the very back of the bus opposite Nate and Matt. As the bus got moving again, she turned to them. "Thank you for stopping the bus for me." "Ah, no problem…" "Oh, I never told you guys who I am. I'm Reens Maricina." Matt nodded. "You know who we are, right? Glad to finally learn your name." The bus arrived at Cedarwood High just in time. "See you in class?" Nate quipped. "Uh, sure!" Reens responded nervously as she walked off of the bus and shouldered her backpack. "Nothing like a new school day to brighten my spirits."

Her first class was Algebra 2, which she hated with a passion. She had always been good at math, which seemed contradictory, but she hated it because of the incredibly slow pace in which the course was going. She was very smart, but why she wasn't placed in a higher level was unknown. As soon as she sat down and opened her textbook, the intercom started to crackle. "Reens Maricina to the office, please; Reens Maricina to the office." The algebra teacher looked at Reens sympathetically and let her go to the cacophony of oohs and jeers. She didn't know what was going on, but due to the look on the teacher's face, it wasn't very good.

As she entered the wide office, a tall elephant secretary tapped away on a computer. Reens cleared her throat slightly, and the elephant looked down at her from where she was perched. "Miss Maricina, correct?" Reens nodded, and the secretary got down from her chair and talked to the principal before letting Reens into his office. The room was spacious, with various awards and plaques on the walls and a bookshelf with various books. There was his desk with a tall office chair and also a large green and blue couch. The principal (who was a lion) motioned for her to sit down on the couch, and she did so, almost being swallowed by its large cushions.

He looked at her with a stern face, then placed his hands on the desk. "Do you know why I've called you here, Miss Maricina?" Reens fidgeted in her seat and tried not to have her legs shake. "N-no, Principal Maxwell, sir." The principal leaned forward in his chair as she trembled. "Now there's nothing you did, Miss Maricina, but I am afraid I have some heartbreaking news for you." "W-what is it?" He leaned back and handed her something. It was a gold bracelet with three turquoise beads. "Where'd you get this? My mom has a bracelet like… this…" Her eyes started to tear up. The principal sighed apologetically. "I'm afraid your mother is no longer alive. She died in a car accident. I'm sorry."