The Prious Chronicles: Origins

RING!

“Eden, hurry up!” My brother, Calvin, screamed from down the stairs, “Steven’s waiting for you!”

I groaned as I rolled lethargically out from my blanket and disabled the alarm on my phone. Hauling on my uniform, I simultaneously sorted out my bag.

Monday. Did I need to say anything else? It was the second half of the Autumn term and my second year at St Thomas and I still hadn't settled on a sleeping schedule

I trudged downstairs in a slight daze. My dad was downstairs, silent as always, and typing away on his laptop.

“Calvin left early, it’s not fair on him if you wake up late. You should really try to get up earlier, Eden-”

“-I will,” I murmured, “Guess I’ll head to school,”

“There’s a sandwich that I made in the kitchen, you can eat that.” My dad offered.

“It’s okay, I’ll eat lunch at school. See you afterwards.” I insisted.

“Your mum is picking you up,” He called behind me as I closed the front door behind me.

As I walked down the concrete pavement, I spotted Steven on a phone call at the end of the road. I knew right then, I was in for it once again.

“You’re late again,” Steven remarked with a hint of frustration. He pocketed his phone and gestured for us to walk.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “This time I just had no energy to leave my bed,”

“As always,” He muttered, “If we take the forest path we might be able to make it on time,”

I nodded. Steven Ilàndez was in the year above me and when I started at St Thomas he was the one who helped me around. Even now he still helped to get to school on time and get back home safely.

“You know I called your phone eleven times, don’t you ever look at it?” My friend sighed jokingly.

I shoved my hand in my blazer pocket, it was empty. I exhaled in frustration, I must’ve forgotten it at home, again. Noticing my visible annoyance, Steven patted my head apologetically.

The path that we usually took to school had a rainy, morning smell to it - which wasn’t a surprise as the path was dotted with murky puddles that were at least half a foot deep. It was a typical English weather: rain, clouds and more rain. What a great way to start the day.

We were only five minutes away from the school until a pair of idiots raced past us and splashed the nearby puddles onto the passersby. Steven eyed them angrily but didn’t say a word, he wasn’t one to start a fight with strangers. Unfortunately for me, I knew these two.

Joseph Wayne had spiky, strawberry blonde hair that matched his fiery attitude. Shane Marren, however, was quite the opposite of his best friend, he didn't pick fights nor complained. His only role was to make sure that Joseph didn't get hurt.

“Blithering bastards.” Sam cursed as he caught up beside us, "Hey, Eden, how have you been? You seem well,"

"I'm okay," I responded half-heartedly. Although it was Steven who always helped me around, it was Sam who was my first friend at St Thomas even though he was a year older than me.

"By the way, did you like your present? I heard your birthday was last week, so I dropped it off at your house," His pure, black medium-lengthed hair gave off a warm glow, along with sparkling rust-coloured eyes.

"Yeah, thanks for the watch, I left it at home because I didn't want to break it," I acknowledged him gladly. As we blended within the crowd, the school building quickly came into view.

St Thomas was quite a good school, in a good area with good students. There was nothing particularly special about it except for its average education. Surviving one year was painful enough, but here I was again to attend the next year.

Students began to messily file into their classrooms and as I did the same I was embraced from behind by my best friend. Amy also walked over rather uninterested, her eyes were always permanently glued to her phone.

“Jane?” I patted her hands gently so that she’d release her grip.

“It’s good to see you too! Have you heard of Mr McCready’s last weeks’ arrest?” Jane informed, “There was an argument between McCready and a boy.”

“What was it about?” Amy raised an eyebrow confused as she broke contact from her device.

“Maybe it's best if we don't talk about it-” I warned quietly, noticing the attention we had received from the mention of the teachers' name.

"He must be asking for a death wish to face Mr McCready," Amy scoffed before I could finish my sentence.

Mr McCready was a force of nature. With sharp rectangular glasses that would rest over his pointed nose, following on with an immaculate, pearl-grey suit and tie. Though it wasn't his clothes that terrified us, it was the piercing, cold stare that we all feared most. Nothing could scare a student more than Mr McCready's stormy grey eyes piercing into the depths of your soul.

“It was Vincent Hayden-Gailey,” Jane fawned hopelessly, "I think he's quite admirable,"

“Always thinking with your eyes rather than your head.” Amy mocked.

I thought that I had to restrain Jane from attacking Amy until George bolted into the room in a breathless panic. He looked as if he was going to burst with dread.

“McCready’s coming!”

The entire room exploded into a frantic frenzy as everyone dived into their seats. I crashed into my desk which just so happened to be directly in front of the teacher’s desk. Everyone had sat down except one boy who was standing at the front of the class.

“Everyone, please, calm down,” Vincent assured, the same boy who had supposedly talked back to the awaited teacher.

Vincent had roughly-brushed, brunette hair and matching coffee-coloured eyes. He had his arms crossed assertively with a determined glint in his eyes. Vincent was a born leader, if he had an opinion there would be no doubt he would speak up.

“Vincent, um-“ George warned.

“Relax.” Vincent interrupted his best friend, “McCready's no threat to anyone, besides, what’s he going to do turn me to dust? Or shoot laser beams out of his eyes and burn me to a crisp?”

“I promise you, Hayden-Gailey.” Mr McCready admonished behind him with a stinging, deep-toned voice, “I can do much worse than that.”

“Sir!” Vincent spun his head around completely unfazed. Everyone was silent; no one had dared to move. How could he be so calm after everything he said! “What a nice surprise.”

The tension between student and teacher was unbearable.

“I will be taking your registration today, I see you have already seated yourselves.” Mr McCready pursed his lips, “Hayden-Gailey if I overhear you talking behind my back again, there will be more consequences than being sent home,”

“I look forward to it, sir,” Vincent replied with a cheeky remark as he sat in his seat obediently.

“Cady.” Mr McCready vocalised ignoring the boy’s comment.

“Yes, sir.” He squeaked.

George Cady was quite a good acquaintance of mine. He had dark, scarlet, curly hair that was a similar hue to the freckles that looked similar to blood splattered across his face.

As the register carried on, I traced my finger down the pathway of a raindrop. A surge of cold entered my system a severe headache struck me out nowhere. As if there was a band around my brain that kept on tightening, and squeezing my mind.

“Jeanne...? Is there an Eden Jeanne here?” Mr McCready called.

“Yes sir...” I winced hiding my face behind my darkish-brown hair.

“Would you like to go to the nurse?” He noticed the visible pain on my face.

It was a miraculous moment, but then the headache had disappeared. My clothes were dry and as I looked outside, it was a clear, sunny day. As if it had never rained. Was I hallucinating?

“I’ll be fine.” I nodded politely.

Everyone was present except for one girl - Bethany Rodriguéz - but she was rarely even at school these days.

My first few classes were bearable: English; that was okay, History; hated it - the past just didn’t make any sense to me. It was infuriating to watch how by one foolish decision it caused a disastrous chain of events.

As I left my History class, I saw Mr McCready watching at me from the other side of the corridor as if he were staring directly into my soul.

My entire body was burning up it was as if I were on fire, the shaking of the earth beneath my feet and the echoes of a hailstorm crashing against the building. What the hell was going on?

“Eden!” Someone shook my shoulder, I turned my head sharply - It was Jane. “Are you okay? You’re a lot quieter than usual,"

“I’m fine.” I plastered a smile onto my face.

“Well, if there is something you can tell us, okay?” Amy informed.

My friends looked at me in concern but dismissed the subject and made their way to our next class. I trailed behind them silently but as I glanced back at the other end of the corridor, Mr McCready was gone.

Entering the classroom, I could already predict it was going to be chaos. I noticed Shane and Joseph messing about at the back of the room - though it was mainly Joseph. George and Vincent were creating a sort of pencil flicking contraption. But before the boys could even test their creation, Ms May burst into the class and sprawled her books onto the desk.

“Sorry I’m late everyone, please sit down,”

It was only the start of the lesson but I was already ready to leave. Yet, when I was on the verge of closing my eyes, a sharp pang proceeded to stab at my head. What was wrong with me today? This godforsaken headache was going to be the death of me if it didn’t disappear soon. I was so infatuated with my pain, I didn’t notice Mr McCready enter the room.

“I hate to be a bother but I would like to take a few students from you, Ms May. They may leave their belongings here,”

I looked up from my downward gaze and gaped at what I was seeing. My eyes widened in shock as I noticed in his hand, concealed behind him, was a sword.