Chapter One - Poof

I looked up from my cell phone just in time to see my teacher suddenly vanish without a trace. The dry erase marker he had been using to write notes for the class up on the white board fell to the ground, and all everyone did was just watch. The sound of the marker clattering to the ground was the only sound in the room as everyone else was staring at the front of the room in utter surprise. No one moved a muscle or said a word as all eyes were trained on the spot the Biology teacher, Mr. Sanders, was standing just a few seconds ago.

Finally, someone muttered, "What the fuck?" This then was followed many more voice joining the confusion. At this point, everyone was cursing or asking what was going on; well, everyone but me. I just sat there with a raised brow on my face, but my lips remained sealed. Eventually, I moved to get up from my desk and walked to the front of the room, not sure what the fuck was going on. But the more I thought about it, the less I cared. It was most likely some very stupid prank the school was pulling on the kids—wouldn't be the first time this kind of thing happened. Okay, well, nothing like this ever happened before, but it wouldn't be the first time the teachers' tried to pull some lame ass trick on the students. They were always trying something to get on a more friendly level with the kids, but I never fell for it. It was all pointless and stupid, but those two words described Coates Academy perfectly.

"Stella!" a squeaky annoying voice called out just as I stepped out of the classroom. "Stella, is your teacher gone too? Did he just kind of disappear? Do you know what's going on? Mrs. Lancon is gone! We were reading Charlotte's web in class and then she was right in the middle of a chapter and she was just gone!"

I rolled my eyes, trying to just wave off the annoying little brunette, but the small child didn't know when to leave people alone. She was an absolute nuisance but I was never able to get rid of her, ever. No matter how hard I tried, she clung onto me and followed me around like some lost puppy. Some thought it was good for me to have a friend who was always there for me, but the twelve year-old wasn't a friend—she was a royal pain in the ass.

"No, I don't know what the fuck is going on and I don't give a fuck, so how about you just fuck off, you annoying little piece of crap," I growled threateningly before turning on my heel and walking off down the hall. I didn't care that I most likely hurt her with what I just said to her, but that was the point. I wanted her to just leave me alone and if that was only going to work by shouting at her, then so be it. Though, I have shouted at her before and it has never really worked before. For some reason, this pest thought the more I yelled at her, we were becoming even closer friends. Unfortunately, part of me somewhere deep inside was starting to believe that was true.

And sure enough, I could hear the patter of her ballet flats right behind me and I didn't bother to quicken my own pace. "Stella, this isn't a joke! There aren't any teachers around at all, and I heard even students have disappeared. Stella, we need to figure out what's go—" I stopped in my tracks, which caused Mari to bump into my back and efficiently cut her off. However, I only stopped because a certain shark faced prick stepped into my way.

"Oh Drake, always lovely to see you," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. My sharp blue eyes narrowed on him, but my lips curled into a rather devious smirk. "My favorite little psychopath, you don't happen to know what's going on around here, do you? Or you waiting for Caine to tell you everything and then order you around?"

I could tell he was getting annoyed with what I said to him just by the dark look in his eyes. Then again, he always has a dark look in his eyes, but I could tell this time it was because of me since he pulled his lips back in a sneer. Whatever he said next, I wasn't really listening to him since my cell phone began to ring like crazy. So, I quickly answered it and turned my back on Drake, who was most likely going off about how I should respect him and how he was going to kill me, blah blah blah.

"Hello?" I answered my cell, not sure who was calling me since I didn't recognize the caller ID. I barely even recognized the voice that was squeaking, and crying about something that I couldn't even understand. Why do people have to be so stupid and so emotional? "I can't understand a damn thing you're saying! Speak slower and clearly and tell me who the hell you are in the first place."

At first, all I could hear was the other person sniffling a lot as if trying to reign in the tears. This of course only annoyed me even more, but I said nothing as I just waited for the person to hurry up and start telling me what was wrong. It was probably not the best reaction to someone crying, but when I couldn't even understand what was being said and all the person was doing was wailing loudly in my ear, it was going to cause some problems for the both of us. I would get annoyed then shout, and the person would keep crying, which would make me even more annoyed that I already was—the cycle was endless and vicious.

"Sissy?" the soft voice whimpered.

However, the scowl left my face when I recognized the teary and scared voice that belonged to no one other than my six year-old baby "sister"; she was a relatively new addition to the family, who my parents took in since their best friends left them the kid a couple years back. I have only ever met her a few times, but that was enough for the rugrat to become attached me in a way that she always called me every night before she went to sleep. And over the years, I became attached to her too, but denied it whenever her parents tried to bring up.

"Sophia, what's wrong?" I asked, but tried not too sound too worried, at least not in front of Drake. That was the last thing I needed, him teasing him for actually caring for someone other than myself. But I didn't want to exactly scare the little girl anymore than she already was. "What happened? Are you okay? Where's Don and Cheryl?" Those were my parents, but I haven't called them mom and dad since I was eight years-old only because they were never like parents to me. Ever. Bu now wasn't the time to dwell on something like that.

"I don't know. I wake up from nap and they're gone," the small girl whimpered sadly. "I'm scared sissy. Sissy, where they go?"

"They're gone too? Sophia, don't move, I'm coming right over to get you, okay? Just stay in the house," I said quickly, but didn't hang up the phone as I turned around and began walking briskly down the hall, ignoring everyone and anyone who tried to speak to me or stop me. The only thing on my mind was Sophia and the fact that she was alone in the house back in town. I didn't know how I was going to get there since Coates Academy was more than a simply half an hour drive from Perdido Beach, but I knew I would figure out a way to get there. To get to her.

...Hi *waves very awkwardly* So...how's everyone doing?