CHAPTER ONE
I stared blankly at the white board, oblivious to whatever was being said to me, or the whole class rather. My thoughts with the romance novel I was reading before the history teacher walked in, I`ve never liked history, it`s just so boring and full of unnecessary topics.
I reached into my bag to get the novel I shoved in there previously, my sketchbook was in my hand, in place of the novel. I made a move to get the novel when I felt my eyes glaze over. Picking up the pencil I sneaked in my bag days ago, I stared at the board as my hands drew images on the white sheet in front of me. I heard a faint whimper, it sounded like someone in pain, it sounded like me. It came from somewhere within - it was strange and unfamiliar - but my lips were tightly clipped and nothing was uttered from my mouth.
My hands stopped moving abruptly and I let out a breath as I slowly brought my eyes down to the book in front of me. My eyes widened in fear as I took in the image, in place of a perfect white sheet stood a drawing of me with a spine-chilling smile plastered on my face. A figure at my back caught my eyes, it was staring right at me, with it`s hand outstretched. It looked scared, and furious at the same time. It`s gender wasn’t the only thing I couldn’t decipher, but also the fact that it was chained to my chair.
I looked over my shoulders, to check if I would see anything close to the horrifying… entity in my sketchbook, but instead I was met with a cold glare, coming from a girl who always dressed like she was mourning, if I didn’t know better I`d think she was in a long term mourning.
My thoughts were cut short by the feel of a hand on my shoulders. I turned to see Riley holding me with a frown on her face. I fought hard to keep the laughter that was threatening to spill out because of the look on her face. She looked like she`s been fed a cow`s dump.
‘’Are you okay?, I`ve been calling you’’ She whispered or so she intended to do.
‘’Yeah, I`m fine’’ I said forcing a smile.
I quickly closed my book as I saw her eyes move to the drawing on my desk, hoping she doesn’t say anything about it, but who am I kidding, this is Riley alias the most inquisitive being on the planet.
‘’What’s that?’’ She asked pointing to my sketchpad.
‘’It`s nothing…. are you taking notes, cause I wasn’t taking any’’ I said changing the topic hoping she`d let it go. Thankfully, she did.
‘’I was to an extent but I lost him so I didn’t really bother, I`d just take Kent’s note’’ She said nodding towards Kent, the class nerd.
As if on cue, the bell went off signalling the end of the damned history class. I shoved my book into my backpack and placed it over my shoulders as I made my way towards the exit not even bothering to wait for Riley. I stood at the threshold and took a quick glance at my back before walking through the door.
I hadn’t even gotten half way across the hall before I heard my name coming from somewhere behind me, no doubt coming from Riley. I stopped, kicking blank space with my hands on my bag, as I waited for her to catch up.
‘’Here, copy them and send to me when you done. I don’t feel like writing at the moment’’ She said, her hands stretched towards me with a notebook in her hand, obviously Kent’s, how easily he gives into all of Riley`s whims makes my conviction about his crush on her set on stones.
‘’Lazy ass’’ I said with a chuckle.
If there was one thing I liked doing, it’s definitely copying notes, which isn’t something most students would say, my friend is a perfect example.
I entered the lunchroom with Riley in tow, bickering about some kdrama guy, I really don’t know what she sees in them, I can fairly watch a Korean movie but their guys aren’t really intriguing to me.
We approached the creepy lunch lady, for some reason she made my skin crawl. She smiled at me, showing her missing tooth, as we voiced our lunch order to her. The hair net on her head was torn, with little of her blond hair sticking out. Black dots coated her big nose, with little hair peaking out of her nostrils. The mole on her chin did a good job at making her look like the witches in old movies, the ones with flying broomsticks.
She dished variety of messy looking meals on my tray, with an apple juice at the side. Dragging the tray off the counter, I advanced to our usual table, placing the flat steel on the table.
I focused on the petite figure that sat in my usual spot. I stared at her blankly, slowly tapping on the desk in a tick-tock rhythm. I placed my rear on the chair, silently relishing the look of horror on her face as she exited the space.
‘’You did a great job at scaring the poor girl, she probably pissed herself’’ Riley said her eyes probably still on the girl, I think her name is Lia or something.
‘’Shut up Riley’’ I said in a bored tone.
‘’Yeah, but you might wanna see who just walked in’’
I could hear the amusement in her voice. From the giggles and whisperings coming from the girls, I could already tell who it was. I raised my head and automatically found the reason for the whole din. About ten feet from where I sat, stood three guys, they always moved together, something I found annoying and childish.
I care less about them, but even I know their names. That`s how popular they were which was extremely infuriating, hearing about them from girls who had nothing better to do than talk about boys all day long.
Liam, the flirt out of all three slowly moved further away from the other two, making calculated moves towards Anika, a dummy, if I`m to use a word to describe her. His six foot figure towering over her smallish frame with her school uniform clinging to her like a second skin. He whispered words into her ear which made her giggle, good lord! I`m gonna puke. He always goes for juniors.
Drawing my eyes away from them, I turned to see the other two already seated. I stared at Cole as he chomped loudly on the fries splayed carelessly on his tray; typical of Agnes, the lunch lady. My mind was no longer on Agnes as I felt a pair of eyes on me, I turned my eyes slightly until they landed on a particular someone… Alyx.
I rolled my eyes taking it off of him, ignoring the urge to look back at him. I couldn’t help the feeling at my lower abdomen at the remembrance of how he looked at me. I mentally shook my head, taking a bite out of the red apple I took from the counter.
‘’he’s hot, isn’t he?’’ Riley said, obviously referring to Cole, her crush since fourth grade. I really don’t know what she sees in him. He was our senior anyway, a fact that I still find difficult to accept.
‘’Not to me he isn’t’’ I said standing up, with the tray in my hand.
I got the same feeling of eyes staring at me but this time, it wasn’t just a pair. I looked back to see everyone busy with whatever they were doing. I ignored the feeling and made my way to the counter, dumping the remaining food into the waste bin.
" Zivah....wait for me’’ I heard Riley call as I exited the cafeteria.
