Chapter 1
“The first day of school. Kids are excited, anxious, scared, and many others, like me, could care less. I just don’t really see the point of really worrying if you’re going to do something stupid like walk into the wrong class, or say something that would make you look like you don‘t have a single brain cell left in your head.
The only thing I worry about when school starts, is if something bad is going to happen to my best friends, or what I have left of my family. To me, that’s all I really should worry about. Of course, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about anything else. I mean, you always have to plan some mischief in with your daily schedule. Since life isn’t like it is in the movies, a girl has to make some trouble on her own, right? Besides, I can always count on something embarrassing and stupid to happen to me. I am a giant klutz after all.
- Toki”
“Toki, are you ready to go yet? You’ll be late if you don’t start walking.” Lucy called up the stairs to me.
“Yeah, I’ll be down in a minute.” I called back and sat up on my bed, closing my BOS (short term for Book of Shadows, which is basically a diary) and got up from the bed.
I slipped my shoes on my feet and quickly combed through my hair with my fingers and trotted on down the hall and then the stairs. I took my backpack from Lucy’s grip and slipped my arm through one of the straps.
“Bye, Luce,” I said as I walked out the door and headed towards my school.
The sun beat down upon my head; though, it was only 7:30 in the morning. Again, I ran my hand through my short, almost bright, red hair to make sure all the tangles were out. I stared up at the sky as the big fluffy clouds moved throughout the bright blue sky. I predict it will be a very, hot, humid day later on. But beautiful non the less. I just wish it wouldn’t be humid. I’ll have to walk down the halls at school and hear preppies complain about how their hair is going to frizz from the moisture. Poor babies.
I looked back down at my feet as I continued walking and about 20 minutes later the big school building was in sight. The flag was waving gently with the breeze, birds chirping as they flew past. Such a happy scene considering the torture that happens inside that building.
I slowed my pace as I neared the parking lot and hiked my backpack up higher on my shoulder, the many key chains swinging and gently hitting me on my hip. I wiped my forehead that was already damp from the walk. Great, I’m going to have to go through the whole day sticky from former sweat.
I love summer. In fact, I love all the seasons. I enjoy feeling and seeing all the different weather changes the seasons cause, and the different animals that appear and disappear during those changes. But I just don’t like how my body reacts to the heat. I’m just not to fond of smelling like BO, and looking like you just got done running a mile.
Someone laid on their car horn as they entered the lot and I turned to yell at them, but held my tongue and smiled instead.
“Hey girl,” Kim Warner said as she rolled down the window, also moving slowly so she could park it.
I jogged alongside her car and stopped as she gently maneuvered it into a parking space. I stood, waiting patiently as she did so. When she turned the engine off I walked over to her. She slowly climbed out of her car, grabbing her backpack. Kim was gorgeous, but she never flaunted it. I admired her. She was nice, caring. I never understood why she hung out with me. She’s debated on joining the cheerleading squad, but somehow she always missed the tryouts. I once asked her about it and she just shrugged and said that even if she joined the cheerleaders she wouldn’t hang out with them after school. I had been touched that she truly wanted to be my friend.
“A-o,” I said as we greeted each other with a long awaited hug. Of course, we’re never exactly sure why we greet each other like this on the first day of school when we saw each other pretty much every day during the summer break.
We separated and she smoothed out her pink mini skirt. “Is T here yet?” she asked as she reached back into her car to get her purse.
“I just got here, how should I know?” I asked her and examined her shiny black Bentley. “I thought you said you were driving your mom’s Jaguar to school.”
She turned around and smiled at me. “Isn’t it a beauty? My parents surprised me with it this morning.” she said and shut her door. “I couldn’t wait to tell you.” She said.
I smiled at her. Her family’s pretty wealthy so she gets a lot of stuff. Usually nice and expensive stuff, like this Bentley for example. She doesn’t exactly show off that her family has money, but for the car I can understand. She had just gotten her license, along with T, this summer. It’s pretty nice to get a Bentley for your first car.
“So, should we even bother trying to look for her?” she asked me as we started to walk across the lot and into the schoolyard where friends were standing, or sitting, around in circles to catch up on each other.
“Well, knowing her, she’ll probly just be late.” I said looking around and I noticed a new face in the schoolyard. Of course, there were plenty of new faces from the freshmen being here, but this face looked like that of a senior, and as far as I’ve heard there hasn’t been many transfers here.
“Checking out some guys Toke?” Tamara Bishop, affectionately nicknamed T, asked as she walked up to us.
I looked back at her and shook my head. “No, just looking around at the place that I’d rather not be at.” I told her and she smiled.
“Yeah, I’d rather be in bed sleeping.” she said and waved as a small group of people walked by.
“You’re here earlier than I’d expect.” Kim mentioned as her eyes met Matt’s. “Excuse me for a second.” she said and wandered off in his direction.
I smiled and walked over to T. “Hey, you see that kick Bentley?” she asked me. I nodded, not bothering to tell her yet that it was Kim’s. “Do you know who got it? I betcha it was one of those spoiled ass preps.” she said and paused. “They’re lucky getting something like that. They better appreciate not getting a piece of junk like I got.”
“Oh, I think Kim’s pretty damn happy she got it.” I told her with a smile.
She looked at me in surprise. “Oh, that’s hers?”
I nodded. “Yep, and I think she appreciates it.”
“Yeah,” she said and glanced around the schoolyard to find her. “Where’d she go?”
“Um, over there.” I said turning her in the opposite direction as the bell rang.
“I guess it’s time to get to class.” I said.
“Yeah, see you in homeroom.” T said and walked in a different direction to get to her locker.
I shook my head as I walked away. I liked T. She can be a very good friend, but sometimes she’s just to busy complaining and moping about how much her life sucks. Her parents are constantly fighting and threatening to get a divorce. She says she wishes that they just would so she didn’t have to listen to them argue. The fights had caused her father to become an alcoholic, but he’s never hit her before, though, he’s threatened too. Her mother is usually gone looking for something better. T feels like her parents have forgotten about her. Abandoned her. At least, that’s what I’ve gotten out of it whenever I’ve been over there.
She’s pretty, like Kim, but she flaunts it as much as she can. She’s
fun to be around, but only if there’s no guys present, or people she hates. Kim and T are complete opposites. That’s why I need both of them. Kim is there to comfort me, and T has vowed to keep me safe. They have their good points, and it is I that keep us all together. If I’m not around and Kim and T are alone, they fight like crazy. The only thing they have in common is that they both just want to help and protect me, though, I’m not really sure why.
As I walked to my locker I couldn’t help but wish our lockers were together. Kim and T’s are in a totally different hall than mine and it’s harder to get to homeroom from where I am.
I glanced at the locker numbers as I walked down the hall, looking for my own locker. I got to mine and put my combination in to open it.
“God damnit,” I heard the guy next to me murmur as he pulled the latch.
I took in a deep breath. I‘m not so good with talking to guys, especially when it’s evident and undeniable that they are good looking. “Need some help?” I asked silently congratulating myself that I didn‘t stutter.
He looked at me with relief practically flowing from him. “Yeah, I do.” he said and sounded slightly embarrassed, but it could‘ve just been me.
I quickly hung my backpack on the hook in my locker as he put the combo. in again. I helped him pull it open but it wouldn’t budge. It wouldn’t even shake!
“Here, let me.” I said and he moved out of the way. “What’s your combination?” I asked him. “And don’t worry, I probly won’t remember it.”
“Alright,” he said. “It’s, um, 9-32-10,”
I put the numbers in as he told them to me and lifted up on the latch and pulled. It didn’t move so I gave it a good kick and pulled on it again, wiggling it slightly. Come on, open you stupid thing. Open. Without any warning it swung open and hit me in the head. I stumbled backward into the guy and he, thankfully, caught me.
“You okay?” he asked and stood me back up.
“Yeah,” I said. “My head hurts, but it’ll go away eventually.” I told him.
He smiled. “Thanks for your help.” he said. “Are you a senior?”
I shook my head. “Junior, but I’ll be taking senior history and psychology.” I told him almost triumphantly.
He smiled. “I’m taking Psychology. I hope we’re in the same class. It would be great to see a face that’s at least slightly familiar. Bye.”
“Yeah,” I said as he walked away. “Lets hope.” when he was gone I grabbed the stuff from my locker and headed off to class just as the bell rang. I was in a daydream the whole way there and tried to keep my smile hidden. I can’t wait till science or psychology. Goddess, let him be in the same class as me.
“No, I want to go to class.” I said as T dragged me in the opposite direction. “I don’t want to go to the stupid presentation!” I yelled, trying to struggle so she would let me go.
“Oh, shut up, will you? What kind of freak would actually want to go to class?” she asked.
“Kim, why aren’t you helping me?” I asked her.
“She does have a point.” she said in an apologetic tone. “Why do you want to go to science anyway? I mean, you’re going to get different homework then we do since we’re not in a senior’s class.”
“I don’t care. I just want to go, I like science.” I half lied. I just wanted to go to see if the guy was in my class.
T jerked me hard so I went through the gym doors. “I’m so happy that you’re short and quite tiny.”
“Shut up, don’t pick on me for my size.” I said and sat down on the floor.
She sighed heavily. “Don’t make me pick you up.” She said.
I ignored her and wouldn’t budge. She sighed again and grabbed me by my shirt collar, and pulled upward. “You’re pulling my shirt up!” I yelled, happy that the auditorium was loud with people talking. In defense I stood up, holding the bottom of my shirt downward. T took the opportunity to put her one arm behind my knees and the other at my back and picked me up. I started kicking immediately. “Put me down! I told you not to pick me up!”
She carried me, kicking and screaming, all the way to a sit and sat me on her lap so I couldn’t get away.
“Let me go!” I shrieked and people looked at me and laughed. My face turned red with humiliation.
“All right, everyone quiet down.” the speaker said.
I didn’t want to be rude. In order to not be noticed I had to sit next to T and not get up and leave, or complain. Kim and T had one, and I was forced to stay here and watch this stupid thing. I had no idea what this was about anyway.
The presentation lasted until our lunchtime, making me miss science, but luckily not psychology.
“That was boring.” T said as we left. “What was she talking about anyway?”
I had actually thought it was interesting. She was talking about tolerance. I had known most of the facts she had mentioned about religions and other countries. She had told us about how skeptical people were towards certain things, just because of dumb stories that people take out of proportions. I was pretty sure I found most of the people in the room sleeping. Most who came had just come to avoid going to the first day of class and hoping to get some rest.
“Shut up, T, you’re the one that dragged us both there, and you’d know what she was talking about if you weren’t sleeping.” Kim said.
T sighed heavily. “I’m hungry, lets go get some lunch.”
“That sounds good.” I agreed and we all made our way to the lunchroom.
I got a ride with Kim to my house after school, and I couldn’t help but be sad that the boy wasn’t in my psychology class and I didn’t know if he was in my science class.
“This is a very nice car.” I said trying to make a conversation.
Kim I nodded. “I know, and during the winter we’d be able to have heated seats.”
I felt my eyebrows rise. “Wow, you really hit the jackpot.” I told her and she smiled at me, delighted. “It’s to bad that T’s jealous.”
Kim waved a dismissive hand. “She’ll get over it.” and I nodded my agreement.
“You can’t help but admire this thing.” I said.
We drove up to the house and parked in the driving, with T behind us. We found Lucy tending to the garden. We got out and we asked if she needed any help.
She slowly got to her feet. She was an old, hefty woman. Very motherly with wide, blue eyes and white hair from age. It seems she hasn’t changed since we hired her. I think of her as my grandmother, and we’re very close.
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m done out here anyway. You girls go inside and cool off, it’s hot out here. I made some iced tea and cookies if you girls want any.” she said in her motherly tone.
“Thank you,” we all said and she herded us inside.
We sat down at the table in the kitchen and she set the plate of cookies in the center of us and poured us each a glass of iced tea. Lucy was a witch, so the house was definitely clean and calming. Our gardens were well kept, and we always had a variety of herbs, vegetable, and fruits available. We had tea quite often, and, with me studying Wicca, she comes in handy. She helps me study and teaches me things I should know.
We all said another thanks to her and she went back to work around the house. She lived in the house with us and, sadly, when dad gets remarried, then she won’t be needed anymore.
“So, have you guys met the new senior?” T asked. “I saw him in the hallway and started talking to him.”
“What’s his name?” Kim asked.
“Max Gringer,” she said. “Have you guys seen him?”
“Describe him,” I said, my heart pounding.
She thought for a little. “Well, he’s got thick, dark brown hair, fabulous blue-gray eyes, red luscious lips-”
“Alright, shut it before you wet yourself.” Kim interrupted her.
T shook her head in a daze. “It’s to late, I’m afraid I already have.”
I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, yes I have. His locker is right next to mine”
T quickly looked at me. “That’s so unfair!” she shrieked, the kitchen echoing. She ate another cookie and drank the last of her tea. “I think I’ll ask him out.”
Kim rolled her eyes. “He’s only been here one day and you’re already all over him.”
T shrugged. “I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t.”
“Maybe you should get to know him first.” Kim said and took a sip of her tea.
I got up and poured some more for myself and for T. “Lets go up to my room.” I said, trying to change the subject. “I’m getting bored of the kitchen.”
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