Chapter 1
Walking into the hell hole most people call "shool", I feel a little apprehensive. I have never liked the prospect of being in a room full of people. It only means that I have to constantly try and not to punch someone in the throat. Sighing heavily, I slowly drag myself out of my car. Grabbing my bag, I slam the door and make my way up the ragged coblestone steps leading to the school building.
Saxton High was the literal bane of my very existance. The teachers were too happy all the damn time and the students were even worse, always trying to ruin somebody elses life. The majorjty of the student body were complete assholes, but I didn't really pay any attention to them, choosing to not have any confrontation. I didnt want them to know the real me.
I pull the hood of my hoodie further over my head, turning up my music as well. Using muscle memory, I make my way to my first hour, ignoring all of the lingering students still in the hallways. As soon as I make it to Mrs. Young's class, I take my seat in the very back by the window and pull out my sketchbook. Quickly flipping to my latest addition, I work intently on trying to finish it, adding the correct shading in the places that needed it. While I was so absorbed in my drawing, I hadn't noticed that the room had steadily became full and people were whispering and acting secretive. Frowning, I pull out my earbuds and poke the girl two seats away from me.
"What the hell's all of the commotion about?" She glares at me.
"Haven't you heard? We are getting three new students. In one day. How crazy is that?" Her irritation had quickly became cheerfulness as she spoke. My eyebrows were probably in my hairline right about now. In this small town, having just one new kid was cause for the complete uproar of the student body. Having three was certain to cause a lot of commotion. I turn away from the girl, who apparently thought that I was still listening because she just kept on talking, and slide my earbuds back in. I blast Rihanna as loud as my earbuds will go and pick my charcoal pencil back up. This whole deal about the new kids will blow over in about a month.
Probably.
As I put the final touches on my artwork, the teacher walks in, three students behind her. I ignore them and take the devices from my ears, taking out my English notebook.
"Class, we have a few new students I would like to introduce you to. Please welcome Quinn," Mrs. Young jestures to the young man on the left. His chesnut hair paired well with his hazel eyes which looked almost golden. He was wearing some bleached jeans paired with a white t-shirt. He had bronze skin and was in perfect shape. In fact, now that I actually took an interest and paid attention to the small group, all of them were well fit.
"-Rebekah," the girl was to the right of Quinn and a few inches shorter, making her probably around 5'10. Still an impressive height. She had blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. Letting my eyes roam, I concluded that all of the guys in the school would probably be after her within the week. She had the perfect body, and an impeccable fashion sense.
"-and Xavier." Dragging my eyes away from Rebekah, I meet a pair of the brightest eyes I had ever seen. Xavier was...well. He was stunning. If I thought that the other two of the group looked amazing, Xavier easily put them both to shame. His hair was almost onyx, and was faded on the sides, the top of it falling gently into his eerily light blue eyes. He was the tallest of the three, probably reaching 6'4. His skin was the perfect shade, not too dark, and not too light, making it appear as if he had spent some time in the sun. He had a black shirt on and some bleached jeans as well, but he had a chain hanging from his front pocket and a black leather jacket slung across his shoulder. I turn back to the window and gulp. This boy was trouble, and I had enough of that to last me a lifetime.
"I hope you all will show them some of our very own Saxton hospitality." Her words make me chuckle in my seat. Looking the way that they all do, they had nothing to worry about.
"Yes, Varelynn? Something to add?" At the sound of my name, I stiffen and swivel my currently green eyes toward Mrs. Young.
"No." I tell her, hating that everyone's eyes were now on me, even the three new kids.
"Really? Well then, would you mind showing these three the way around today? Can't have anybody getting lost now, can we?" I internally groan, glaring at her. Just as I opened my mouth to respond, she claps her hands together and starts to talk cheerily to the rest of the class.
"Alright, you three. Go ahead and take your seats so that we can begin." I huffed and pulled out my sketchbook once again, hiding it in the textbooks she had given us at the beginning of the year. I was so focused on my new sketch, that I didn't notice when Quinn, Rebekah, and Xavier sat in the ring of open seats around me.
Yes, the students in all of my classes leave a ring of open seats around me. They have since gradeschool. Something about how the way I carried myself was unsettling. Even the teachers tried their best to avoid calling on me or talking to me in general.
I ignore the three of them and continue my sketch, curving the back of the beast I was attempting to make. When I felt someone's eyes on me, I stiffened and looked around the room, capturing that same pair of creepy blue eyes.
He was sitting right next to me and staring intently at my drawing, arms crossed over his chest. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes narrowed. He looks up from the book, and meets my glare.
"What are you drawing?"
"Mind your own damn business."
When I say this, he clenches his jaw and Rebekah and Quinn chuckle lightly. I didn't even notice that they had turned their chairs around and were now facing us. I give them each a glare.
"I like her, X. She's gotta sharp toungue on her." Xavier glares at Rebekah, who is smiling at me. She juts out a hand, sticking it basically in my face.
"Hi, my name's Rebekah. Please ignore my brother. He's a complete asshole who doesn't know how to respect someone's privacy. Trust me, I know." She laughs again. I shift my glare from Xavier to Rebekah, trying to see if she was being serious.
They can't be related. They look nothing alike.
"You two are related?" The disbelief clear in my voice.
"You mean, us three? Damn, am I that forgetable? I am wounded. You have wounded me." Quinn says dramatically, holding a hand over his heart and fake crying. Rebekah rolls her eyes and flicks him in the forehead, earning a glare from Quinn.
"We live with the same foster family." She explains to me. I nod and soften towards them a little. I understood what it was like to go through the system. It was fucked up. I turn my eyes back to Xavier.
"A dragon." His eyes fly up to meet mine. The look he gives me is unnerving.
"What?" I huff an roll my eyes.
"Im drawing a dragon." His face smooths out to a nuetral expression and he sighs.
"I draw mythical creatures that pop into my head." I flip through my sketchbook, wondering why I am showing them all of my drawings. At one particular drawing that took me a few days to finish, Quinn stops me.
"What's that...?" The hesitance in his voice makes me look up at him. His face was a mix of awe and suspicion. I furrow my brow in confusion. What is so suspicious about my drawings?
"I...don't really know. It just popped into my head one day and I couldn't get the image out, so I drew it."
The drawing was dark. Many shades were used to complete it. It portrayed an image unlike the rest in my sketchbook. This one had so much detail, it looked as if it were about to jump out of the page.
Long, razor-like teeth protruded from a wide-set mouth. Its long body was a thing of nightmares, all sharp edges and scars. It's wings appeared to be made out of smoke, spiking from its back, only to dissipate into nothing. If it were real, its talons would be the length of a large kitchen knife. But the most unsettling thing about the drawing, were the creatures eyes.
Instead of the whites around his pupils, they were a blood red, bleeding down the creature's face and down the length of its teeth.
"That's....amazing..." Rebekah whispered, still taking in the image. I tear my gaze away from the paper to see the three of them sharing a glance.
"Hey, so we are going to go to the lake later on tonight. Want to come?" This came from Quinn. I raise my eyebrows.
"No. I have work." He looks at me and nods slowly.
"How about tomorrow then?" I turn to Xavier, who had just spoken. Studying the three of them, I decide that they don't pose any threat. Shrugging, I agree.
"Great. We'll meet you there, say, five?" Rebakah suggested. Shrugging once more, I nod and start to put my things away. After I have my bag packed, I stand up and walk towards the classroom door. When I am almost out the door, I turn and look back at Quinn, Rebekah, and Xavier, ignoring the looks of the other students and the teacher.
"I know for a fact that the lady in the office gave you a map of the building, so you will be fine getting around on your own." I shrug and mock salute as I turn and exit the classroom, jogging away from a screaming Mrs. Young. I chuckle and exit through the front doors, hopping into my car and peeling out of the parking lot.
