One of those "Save the world" kinda stories.
(with just a bit of romance and a few vampires thrown in for fun.)
Written by: Noyz
CH. 1
The sound of the alarm going off woke me from my daze.
I squinted my eyes against the glare of the little machine telling me it was 6:30. Groaning, I rolled over and sat up dizzily, still exhausted from the 10 hour flight, and looked around the unfamiliar room.
Huh? Where am I?
Even as the questions formed in my mind, I remembered. This was my newest room. I say newest because my family has been moving around since I was a child. I sighed sadly, thinking of my friends back in Texas. I'd seen them only days ago, but already I wished I was with them. My parents seem to have a real knack of uprooting us right when everyone has settled down and made a few friends.
A sudden loud rap on the door startled me out of my moping.
"Wednesday! We're going to be late for school! Get up!" That was my youngest sister, Emmalea, and yes, my name really is Wednesday. My parents have always thought it was prettier than Thursday but not as lazy as Friday. My four siblings had been given strange names as well, though none quite as strange as mine. Especially due to the fact that I was born on Tuesday. My three sisters were Emmalea, Winifred, and Rosalinda. Winifred and Rosalinda are older than me, while Emmalea is the youngest of us all. My brother, Jerry, was the lucky one. Or would have been if my parents hadn't made his middle name, Reasonable. We all call him that instead, of course.
I flinched. Even the word "school" was enough to put my stomach on edge. Just one of the many reasons I seldom eat a great deal for breakfast.
Grabbing and pulling on a grey AFI shirt I was 90% sure was clean and an old pair of faded black pants, I ran down the stairs, and straight into my mother.
"Ouch! Sorry, Mom." I laughed at my carelessness.
Holding me at arms length, my mother looked me up and down. Carline Stevens was a rather short, but beautiful woman. Her hair, a dark, blue-black color that I envied, was cut and straightened to frame her heart-shaped face. The truth is, I'm adopted. My real mother had thought it best if I be given to someone who knew what they were doing. I didn't mind, though. I loved my adoptive mother as much as, if not more than, any real daughter could. Suddenly, mom started laughing, and the skin around her dark brown eyes crinkled.
"What? Are you suddenly too cool to wear shoes like the rest of us?"
I looked down, saw my naked toes, and realized that I'd forgotten a very important part of my outfit. Flip-flops. Funny how I hadn't felt the carpet between my toes until she'd said something. Blushing a dark red, I performed an about-face, and walked back up the stairs.
Rummaging through a box next to my door labeled 'shoes', I found my favorite pair of black flip-flops and slipped them on. Glancing up through my open doorway, I saw Emmalea coming out of her room dressed as if she were going to a job interview. The tidy black sweater dress she was wearing over knee-length black tights made her look sophisticated and confident. She had the same blue-black hair and dark brown eyes as our mother and it was painfully obvious that she had inherited the same short gene.
Following her down the stairs, I grabbed my bag from the table and let her lead the way to the bus, which had conveniently just pulled up to our drive.
Here goes nothing. I thought worriedly to myself as we climbed the stairs onto the bus.
Ch. 2
The bus turned out to be just like every other bus I'd ever had the misfortune of having to ride in. Overcrowded and overwhelming with the force of dozens of conversations at once.
Trying to ignore the headache forming behind my forehead, I followed Emmalea onto the bus. Rosalinda, Winifred, and Reasonable are triplets, meaning all three of them are old enough to drive to school on their own. They all shared one car, however, and, rather than be smashed together everyday, Emmalea and I agreed to take the bus to school.
Emmalea, always so sure of herself, quickly found a seat among other freshman such as herself, leaving me to face the sophomores on my own. They were staring, of course. This never failed to freak me out. Not, unfortunately, that I wasn't stare-worthy.
I told you before that I was adopted. What I didn't tell you is that I look absolutely nothing like my adoptive family. My wild red hair and tall, lanky body were horribly, glaringly different than most people I've met. It was true of the students here, too. Not a redhead in the bunch, from what I could see. It didn't help that no matter which direction I looked, at least one person was staring at me.
Grimly locking my jaw, I made my way down the narrow walkway, looking for a seat. I would've had to stand the whole way or smoosh myself into an already full seat had it not been for the boy suddenly waving at me from his seat near the back of the bus. He patted the empty space next to him when he was sure he'd gotten my attention and moved his bag next to his feet. I smiled, happy to see a friendly face, and walked towards him. It was then, as I started to sit, that I truly saw his face for the first time. I immediately began blushing.
The boy sitting next to me was by far the most gorgeous boy I'd ever seen in my life. His eyes, a brilliant ocean gray, were twinkling at me from behind his slanted black bangs. His clothes were as gothic as my own, which somehow seemed to make him even more attractive.
"So…I'm guessing you're new here?" He asked softly. I looked down, knowing that I'd been staring, and answered shakily. "Um…Yes, actually. We just got here yesterday from Texas. I can't get over how different Shadyview is! And huge! There are so many people here!" I stopped, embarrassed. In my nervousness, I'd started babbling, which was stupid because I normally hated talking a lot.
But he was grinning. His smile seemed to do funny things with my heart. It bothered me that a stranger could do that.
"You'll get used to it, I promise. I'm Atton Bricks, by the way. And you are…?" He let his question hang open, encouraging me to answer. Looks and manners. A small smile played on my lips, but its life was short.
Might as well just get it over with…At least his name is unique too… I thought sadly. I hate introductions because of my name. Most people laugh and say "No, seriously. What's your name?" I usually end up wasting ten minutes convincing them that my name is indeed Wednesday and that I am really tired of explaining it to everyone.
"My name is Wednesday Stevens, and I really hope you're right."
His lips twitched at the corners, but he didn't laugh.
"Nice name. It suits you."
I was surprised. He actually believed me! Finally meeting someone that took my name seriously made my heart warm. I would have to write about it later in my all important journal.
"Thanks! My parents are crazy."
He laughed, a soft and silky sound, and turned to stare out the window. I assumed that that meant our conversation was over. I looked past him and out at the scenery flying past, wondering if I might have made a new friend. The prospect of making a friend, and a hot one at that, on the first day of school was unheard of for me.
The bus pulled into the school parking lot then, and I readied myself for what was to come. I'd gone through this more times than I cared to count and knew what to expect. My only fear was that one of the teachers would ask me to stand and introduce myself to the class. Talking to crowds has never been one of my strongest points.
With these worries in mind, I shouldered my purse and allowed myself to be jostled off of the bus. I didn't make it far, however, because as I took in the huge building before me, I realized I had no idea where the front office was. A soft touch on my shoulder jolted me out of my shock. It was Atton, smiling at me in a knowing way.
"Don't worry, I was new here too, last year. I'll show you where everything is if you'll let me." I wondered if his eyes always sparkled when he smiled or if it was just my imagination. My shoulder tickled oddly where he had touched me.
"O-of course! I'd love the help. Thanks!" I hurriedly shut-up before my mouth said something stupid or worse, got tongue tied, and followed him through the double doors into a commons area twice as large as any I'd ever been in. I gawked, and he laughed.
"It's this way, Wednesday." He said, motioning at a door with a little square tile reading "Head Office". I smiled at the back of his head as he lead the way in. He'd said my name as if it were just that, a name. As if my name were Amy or Jessica instead of Wednesday.
The head office was just as large as I'd been afraid it would be. Actually, it was a little ridiculous. The woman at the front desk looked up at us as we walked in, held up a finger for us to wait, and then went back to the phone she had pressed to her ear.
"Yes…yes…I'll tell him right away. Of course…I'll make sure he knows. Mmmhmm…you're welcome. Goodbye." She still didn't look at us as she placed the phone back onto its receiver.
"Um…" I began but she cut me off.
"You need a schedule, right?" She nodded to herself and continued before I could respond. "I've seen every face here at least once except you, meaning you're the new student, Wednesday Stevens." She turned to her computer and started typing. I shared an exasperated glance with Atton. Is this lady for real? I thought to myself.
She clicked the enter button and tapped her nails impatiently as a paper made its way out if the printer. When it finished, she snatched it up and handed it to me.
"Here. This is your schedule. It has your locker number as well. Now if you'll excuse me." With that, she stood and left the room through a door behind her desk.
For a moment, I just stood there, but then the first bell rang, making me jump. Trying not to blush, I turned to Atton.
"Sorry, but it looks like I've made you late for class. Um…" My face got even warmer. "Can you tell me where-" I looked at the first name. "-Mr. Davis's class is?" Atton smiled a smile that made my heart flip.
"Absolutely! It is, after all, my first class, too."
I couldn't help it. I grinned right along with him. My first day of class was turning out to be very good indeed.
CH. 3
School was not nearly as bad as I had first assumed it would be.
Mr. Davis did indeed make me stand and introduce myself to the class. The good thing was that, once I was finished stuttering and being laughed at, he told me to take the seat next to Atton. Atton smiled apologetically as I slid into the desk on his right. "It'll get better. Promise!" He mouthed. I doubt it…I thought to myself, but I smiled at him all the same.
Mr. Davis was the World History teacher, as it turned out, which is the only class I have ever truly hated in my life. It didn't help that Mr. Davis just continued with his lecture without bothering to tell me what we were doing.
"As I was saying, George Washington was our first president. Now, can anyone tell me what he was before he took on the very important responsi…" I managed to tune him out. There was no point in trying to keep up today. I'd do all that tomorrow. What was important right now was figuring out what I was going to do during lunch and whatever my schedule meant by 'break'. Should I sit with the first Goths I see? Or just find an empty table and hope no one sits there?
Lunch on the first day of school is always the worst because you don't know anyone. Basically, you have to figure out the best place to sit just by looking at people. Not something I ever looked forward to.
After what seemed like an eternity, the bell signaling the end of class rang, and I began shoving my various folders and writing utensils back into my purse. As I did, I felt a touch on my shoulder that was quickly becoming familiar. Atton was standing behind me in the aisle between our desks, his arm still raised from getting my attention.
"I know, I'll move in just a moment. Sorry." I said before he could ask me to get out of the way. He grinned. What did I say? I thought. Is it really that easy to please this guy?
"I wasn't going to ask you to move. I was wondering if you needed directions to your next class." Oh. I mentally slapped myself on the forehead.
"Sure! Um…I have…Mrs. Davis?!" I stared at my schedule in surprise, then up at the man sitting behind the desk in the corner of the room. Did his wife work here, too? It seemed so. This was going to be weird. Atton laughed at my stricken expression. Uh-huh. Definitely easy to please. At least I won't have to worry if he'll laugh at my cheesy jokes or not.
"Yeah, she's married to Mr. Davis. Come on, I'll show you where her classroom is." With that, he jumped over the desk so he could more easily get around me, earning a glare from Mr. Davis, and walked out the door. I blinked. This guy is really graceful…I wonder if he dances. At that moment, Atton's head popped back into view.
"You coming?"
Giggling, I nodded and let him lead the way down the hall and up a flight of stairs. Can you believe that this school has two stories? It's incredible! The halls were, unfortunately, overcrowded with people. I say unfortunately because most of them were staring at me as I followed Atton.
Some waved at Atton as they passed, and he'd grin at them and "Hey!" or "What's up?" back without stopping. Actually, most of the people going out of their way to speak to him were girls.
Well, duh! I chastised myself. Of course a guy as handsome as Atton would have lots of girls after him.
"Here it is." Atton said, opening the door to the class with a flourish of his hands. I blushed, of course. The heat on my face only got worse when I realized the girls within hearing range of me were glaring. It made me wonder if being Atton's friend was going to be bad for my health. Nothing worse than a jealous type with a crush.
"Thanks! You're a life saver!" I smiled in a way I hoped was cheerful. He just grinned, again, and bowed his way out. Bowing? Really? I laughed inwardly. I decided right then and there that I liked this guy. As a friend, of course! I lied to myself.
Mrs. Davis's Health class was unlike any class I'd ever gone to. She had us play a game were we split up into groups and made a salad out of all our favorite fruits. When we were all finished deciding what we wanted in it, we wrote the ingredients down. Tomorrow we would make our salads and Mrs. Davis would vote on the most delicious. The winners would get 5 dollars each and then we'd all eat each other's fruit salads. I actually couldn't wait!
The bell rang all too soon and, with a collective class groan, we gathered our things and started filing out into the hall.
I was almost to the door when the girl in front of me turned around and blocked my path. I stopped, hoping she wasn't about to chew me out for "messing with her man" or some other nonsense. She was smiling, however.
"Hey! I'm Angela! I'm just going to get this out there before I lose my guts, 'kay?" She took a deep breath while I stared at her as if she were insane and continued. "You look nice and I love your outfit, so I was wondering if you wanted to be friends."
I really couldn't help myself. I laughed out loud.
"I'd love to be your friend! I'm Wednesday. It's nice to meet you, Angela." I managed to say between giggles. Her confused expression immediately cleared when she heard this and she smiled.
"Ok! Now that that's settled! Do you need help finding anything or your locker or something?" Her face was absolutely glowing. I couldn't have said no even if I'd wanted to.
The girl that was now leading me out of class was only a couple of inches shorter than I was with a slightly slumped poster and beautiful dirty blonde hair. The tiny cleft in her chin and her soulful blue eyes gave her a lost puppy look that I was sure had lots of boys drooling over her. When we reached our destination, she smiled brightly and waved before leaving. I realized then that she hadn't said anything when she'd heard my name. I was incredulous. I've only been here for a few hours and already I've made two friends that didn't bother me about my crazy name.
I entered class with a grin on my face and a happy, warm feeling in my chest.
Third period, Chemistry for me, was taught by a very grumpy woman named Mrs. Scott. She grunted at me as I explained that I was new and pointed at a desk in the back of class. I couldn't complain about my seating arrangement at least.
The period limped by while Mrs. Scott wrote out various chemical formulas on the board and their names. I could tell right away that this was going to be one of the boring classes. With fifteen minutes left in class, Mrs. Scott finally passed out a worksheet that would be due on Wednesday.
"Wednesday? Does that mean we're going to have to give our papers to the new girl when we finish?" A beautiful and very preppy girl chirped when the due date was announced. A smattering of laughter was her reward. I flushed angrily and ducked my head. I knew my day couldn't possibly stay good.
"Ms. Jamie! That's no way to treat Ms. Wednesday!" Mrs. Scott admonished. It only made them giggle harder though. I gave the teacher a pleading look, hoping she would leave it be. She seemed to understand because she sat behind her desk with another grunt and began typing on her computer.
The bell rang then, and, being careful to let the preppy girl leave first, I left in search of my 4th period room.
What was her problem?! I pondered as I searched for room 211. This school had a very confusing layout. It just has to be here somewhere…I thought worriedly to myself.
My next class was English2A with Mrs. Clifford, my best subject. My scores on the tax test were high enough that they put me in advance classes.
I'd reached the end of the hallway and was in the process of turning the corner when I suddenly hit a brick wall. I mean, someone's chest. Blinking dizzily, I looked up at the boy that was now kneeling over me with a worried scowl. It was ridiculous how immediately I recognized those eyes.
"On no! I'm so stupid! I didn't…I mean, I wasn't..!" Atton's voice was laced with embarrassment and chagrin.
Wow…Was all I could think. He's even cuter when he's upset…
I realized then that I was just laying there, looking up at him and that he was waiting for me to reply, his frown growing more pronounced with every second that I didn't.
"Um…don't worry about it, Atton. It was my fault for not paying attention. I just need to watch where I'm going." I laughed shakily and stood up. Atton, seemingly always a gentleman, helped me, his hand warm where it grasped my elbow.
"Where were you going in such a rush anyway?" He asked, but I couldn't bring myself to answer because I'd just seen the huge crowd of people that was beginning surround us. All the girls except one were glaring at me so hard I thought their eyes would pop out of their heads. The one not glaring was Angela, much to my relief.
"S-sorry for the disturbance!" I stuttered softly to the crowd in general before shouldering my way through to the empty hallway beyond. Mrs. Clifford's class was mercifully only ten feet away.
I spent the next 45 minutes tucked away in a corner of the room, trying to ignore my classmate's stares. It wasn't very easy because at least four people took it upon themselves to throw me notes asking who I was and what that scene in the hallway had been all about. I would just shake my head at them and give them please-leave-me-alone looks. They seemed to get the message.
When the bell rang, Mrs. Clifford told me that it was now lunch time and that the cafeteria was down the stairs and through the third door on the left. I thanked her for her thoughtfulness and hurriedly made my way there.
I waited through the line for food with my head down, though I could feel the stares directed at me.
With a school as big as this, you'd think they had something better to do with their time! My thoughts buzzed angrily.
I was lucky with lunch. Chicken nuggets and pizza. I bought both, feeling as if I could eat the whole student body, and braced myself for the challenge of finding somewhere to sit.
My small luck held, however, because just as I left the line, a soft, voice spoke my name from behind my left shoulder. I let out a tiny squeak, earning myself an amused chuckle.
"You can sit with me if you don't mind making my fans angrier with you." Atton whispered conspiratorially, mischief dancing in his eyes. I couldn't help but grin and whisper back, "Of course! Nothing's more fun that making girls that are prettier than me jealous!" but his grin vanished and his expression grew somber.
"They aren't prettier than you in my eyes. I don't classify a woman simply by her outward appearance."
I blinked, happy that he didn't judge by looks but not sure if he'd complimented me or not. Never the less, I nodded as if I'd understood and he lead the way to his table. It was packed with girls, which didn't surprise me at all. What did have me nervous was that the girl now offering Atton the open seat next to her was the same girl that had openly mocked me in class.
"Atton!" She huffed teasingly, though her eyes were telling me to get lost. "I don't see you for just half a day and already you've started cheating on me!" She giggled, but it never reached her green eyes. Her hair was a platinum blonde that couldn't have been completely natural, and she was wearing a pink sweater over a white collared shirt and a pleated pink skirt. She looked every bit like the preppy stereotype. If I hadn't liked her before, the cold look she was sending me had me hating her now.
Atton laughed, a much different laugh than I'd heard before. It must be his fake laugh, I realized, just a bit happy that this girl annoyed him. I frowned at myself. It wasn't like me to think like that. My worst nightmare would be for me to turn into just another jealous girl with a crush on a boy that would never like her back. Atton's voice brought me back to reality.
"Come now, you know me better than that, Jamie!" He pretended to be offended at the Barbie, I mean Jamie, before turning and addressing the rest of the girls. "Can't we make just a bit more room?" The girls obediently, though a bit reluctantly, shifted around so that I could sit next to Atton. I shook my head. Sitting next to a hot guy wasn't worth the wrath I was sure I'd face from Jamie later.
"Don't worry about it, Atton. I'll just eat in my car. Besides, I'm really claustrophobic around a lot of people so…" I trailed off, convinced I was only making myself look like an idiot. He looked as if he were going to protest, so I cut him off with a little farewell wave and walked out of the double doors not twenty feet away from me.
"Too bad she didn't want to stay, Atton." I heard Barbie say as I left. "She would have been a lot of fun." Something about the way she said it made me feel as if it wouldn't have been me having the fun.
"Man! This is one weird school!" I muttered to myself as soon as I was outside and alone. Sitting on the nearest bench, I got out my notebook and decided to write down the good, bad, and just plain weird things about my day.
Good things about the school day:
1. Atton- a boy that was really hot, had incredible manners, and seemed to want to be my friend.
2. Health and English2A- definitely my favorite classes now.
3. Angela- yet another person that seemed nice and actually asked me to be friends with her.
Bad things about the school day:
1. World History- that's all I have to say.
2. Jamie (Barbie)- definitely a person to avoid if at all possible.
Weird things about the school day:
1. Every girl on campus seems to be in love with Atton.
2. Everyone is always staring at me. It's a big school, you'd think I'd be able to blend in just a little bit!
3. Mr. Davis and Mrs. Davis are nothing alike, yet they're married! They don't seem like a couple that would fit together well. "Love hath no boundaries" I suppose.
Sitting there, I realized that for the first time all day, I felt peaceful. There was a slight breeze that brought with it the smell of flowers and freshly cut grass. I breathed it in, just enjoying the moment of silence.
Of course the bell would choose that moment to ring for 6th period.
Letting out a sad sigh and throwing my untouched food away (so much for being hungry) I made my way back through the cafeteria doors and back out into the hallway. I felt like I'd spent most of my day walking around in hallways. This school is just too big! I decided.
My sixth through eighth periods passed by much the same way the first five did. Once I found the right room, I had to introduce myself to the teacher and find a seat as close to the back as possible. Then, 45 minutes later, the bell would ring and I'd have to start all over. No one came up to talk to me, though everyone stared, which was just fine with me. Two friends were much more than I'd dared hope for.
As soon as the last bell rang, I grabbed my things and made a bee line for my locker, which was mercifully only a little ways down the hall. Once I was finished there, it was all I could do not to sprint for the bus stop. This school was messing with my mind in ways I didn't understand. So many people. So much noise! I couldn't get home soon enough.
The bus took an infuriatingly long time to show up, a time I spent shifting from foot to foot and glancing around to see if Atton was there yet. We'd all gotten on and the driver was about to close the door when he burst in, looking flushed.
"Sorry! I had to make up a test!" He apologized to the old man in the driver's seat. The man just glared and motioned for him to take a seat. To my horror, (and joy) I realized that I was sitting in the only open seat, much like he'd been that morning. Oh no! Now people will definitely hate me! I tried to cover my seat with my bag but by the time I'd started reaching down it was too late. His eyes had found mine and now he was making his way towards me. Well, good thing I've never been popular…
"Hi, Atton. How was your day?" I asked shyly. If the girls of this hellish place were going to hate me, might as well make sure they all did.
He smiled sadly, and my eyes widened. Had something happened? My stomach twisted into tight knots.
"Fine." Was all he replied before he pulled out a book and his face disappeared behind his dark bangs. It seemed he didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering him.
Refusing to get depressed, I pulled out the book I'd brought from home and began reading as well. It was the second book of my favorite trilogy, recently turned into a cycle, Eldest. The only book I'd been careful to bring onto the plane with me so it couldn't get lost. Quickly losing myself in the realm of dragon riders, elves, and dwarves, I let my day and the boy sitting next to me drift out of my mind.
I had just reached chapter five when the bus pulled onto my road. Placing my bookmark in between the pages and grabbing my bag, I tapped Atton on the shoulder. He jumped and looked up at me with a surprised expression. I giggled, just a little proud of myself for being able to startle him, and motioned with my free hand that I had to get out.
His eyebrows furrowed a little, but he stood and made room for me to pass by.
"See you later." Was all I could make myself say before I turned and followed my sister off the bus and down our winding driveway.
My sister didn't say anything to me while we walked the fifty yards from the road to our new home. The love of silence was one of the few things my sister and I actually had in common. I could tell by the way several strands of hair were escaping her carefully maintained ponytail that Emmalea was just as frazzled about our over-sized school as I was.
There's one thing you should know about my family. We all love solitude and have unique ways of pursuing it. I, for example, can loose myself completely in a book or an Ipod. Music and the written word, for me, are a wonderful release from the sad realities around me. It's what has kept me sane over the years.
As soon as Emmalea and I were inside, we left the other to do as they pleased. For Emmalea, it was reality TV. For me, it was my own room, my stereo, and a good fantasy novel.
The day had been a long and exhausting one, and I needed to write about my experiences in my journal.
I had a feeling I'd be writing for a while.
CH.4
My room really wasn't as bad as some of the rooms I'd been forced to sleep in. The small, twin-sized bed that my parents had bought over the weekend was only slightly lumpy, and the walls were a very lovely shade of sky blue. I'll have to paint clouds on them sometime. I thought to my self as I walked through my bedroom door, locking it behind me. The lock was a new concept to me, and I wasn't about to let it just sit there.
Looking around, I truly took in my room for the first time. It was smaller than normal because it used to be a storage room and smelled faintly of lemon. I could only assume it was the previous owner's favorite smell, since it seemed to cling to everything in the house. It was a quiet, unobtrusive odor that one quickly stopped noticing.
Because the room hadn't been built for someone to live in, it didn't have a closet, but I didn't have many clothes anyway. They easily fit in the faded blue dresser that the last family had left behind, which took up half of the back wall. My mom would probably offer to have it taken out, since it didn't match any of my own red furniture, but I liked it. It gave the room a unique, clashing style that I felt reflected my personality well. The dresser was bare except for my little alarm clock.
The last half of the back wall held my desk and TV, which I'd dumped on top of it for lack of a better place to put it. There were several boxes stacked against the corner filled with my various possessions. A tall shape in the corner of my eye caught my attention. My vanity was my favorite piece of furniture, though the mirror had long lost its reflective properties, because it was the only thing that I'd been able to keep with me through all our moves.
The only thing left in my room was the bed next to me and the outfit I'd worn on the plane that I'd left on the floor. Pushing the dirty clothes to the side, I rummaged through a box labeled "things I'll need immediately". It held my stereo, my favorite books, and the numerous journals I'd filled with my thoughts over my short lifetime. Grabbing the small stereo, I plugged it in, found the right station, and quickly went back to the box. My most recent journal was on top waiting for me. Taking it, I settled down onto my bed with my back against the wall and, with a pencil I'd kept in my pocket for just this moment and AFI playing in the background, I began writing.
I told my closest friend about Atton and his weird admirers, about the rather odd but nice Angela, and the terrible Barbie named Jamie. It soaked in every detail without judging and without staring at me the way the people at school had. I soon lost track of reality and was in the process of describing the way Atton had seemed so deflated on the bus ride home when I heard a faint knock on my door. It was the kind of knock you could imagine having a question mark behind it. My mother was asking without words if she could come in.
I loved my mother more than anything else when she did this. It made me feel as if she understood me and that I wasn't alone in my frustrations. I never told you why we move around so much, did I? My father is a salesman who's stock changes as often as we change homes. He goes wherever his work takes him, and we follow along in his shadow. Don't get the wrong idea, though. Our father, Jarred Stevens, was a good man that loves his children and wife dearly, and we love him back. We just wish he had a different job.
"Come in, mom!" I called as I marked my page and glanced at my alarm. I'd been sitting there for three hours, which explained the pain in my neck. The door creaked open, and my mother walked in. She looked beautiful, as always, and apologetic.
"Sorry sweetheart, but you've got to come down and eat sometime. I'd hate for you to miss out on the hamburger helper." She smiled mischievously as she said the last part, knowing I wouldn't be able to resist my favorite food. I smiled right along with her, knowing I wouldn't be able to either. Stretching like a cat, I stood, turned off the stereo that was now playing Disturbed, and placed my journal under my pillow.
"Oh, if I must." I teased as I followed her back out into the hall and down the stairs. The stairs lead to the living room and end directly opposite the door to the tiny dining room. I could smell the food now, and my mouth started watering.
"Smells great, mom!" I complemented her, earning a crinkle-eyed grin.
The table was already full of my numerous siblings when I made it to the dining room. Winifred motioned at my already fixed plate sitting beside her and, with a grin in her direction, I sat down and dug in.
"Nice to see you're alive!" Reasonable teased me from the seat on my left as he reached over to mess up my hair. I grunted with my mouth full and swatted his hand away. My brother had an annoying habit of only doing that to me. He knew that if he did it to any of my more hair-conscious sisters, he'd lose a finger or two. There was a collective laugh at my now tangled hair as my mom and dad squeezed in with their plates.
"What's so funny?" My father asked, and everyone pointed at me, much to my embarrassment. He laughed appreciatively before telling Reasonable to cut it out.
My mother and sisters loved to simply sit and listen when we all sat down to eat, leaving my father, Reasonable, and me to pick on, tease, and annoy each other as much as possible. We never left the table without one of us having food of some sort in our hair. I loved it with every fiber of my being. It was the only thing that never changed, no matter how many times our surroundings might. Sure, we fought and argued all the time, but we'd always make up eventually.
Once everyone was finished eating, Reasonable, the rock-paper-scissors loser, began clearing the dishes and sitting them in the sink to be washed.
"Need help? I'll rinse and dry." I offered as I stacked plates into his waiting hands. He just nodded with a look of gratitude. Reasonable has always hated washing the dishes. Once we were finished, he flipped my bangs around again, earning a glare from me, and made his way upstairs to his room at the end of the hall. I frowned. That's weird…He usually says thank you, at least. My only brother seemed to have something preoccupying his mind today. I could only hope it wasn't a bad something.
"So." A voice spoke up, making me jump and whirl around. It was Winnifred. Winnifred, standing at six foot one inches, was the only one of my mother's children that had escaped the short gene, and the only one that had inherited our father's recessive blonde hair, pale skin, and glittering green eyes. She also happened to be the only one of my female siblings that didn't insist on a regular basis that I wear some pink every now and again.
I smiled at my favorite sister as she continued in her soprano voice.
"How was your first school day? I'm sure you must have felt overwhelmed by how big it all was." Once again, Winnifred displayed the ability to predict my feelings. I sometimes felt as if she could read the thoughts behind my dull green eyes.
"Yeah, I couldn't breathe all day." I admitted, hanging my head in embarrassment. Her slender hand patted my left shoulder sympathetically as I spilled my guts about all the weird and awesome things that had happened. When I was finished, she offered to give me a pedicure to help me relax. I laughed, knowing she'd offered to do such a ridiculous thing to make me do just that.
"Sure!" I said, trying to sound like Emmalea. "Can I borrow your pink hoodie while I'm at it?"
"That's not right!" She corrected me between giggles. "She wouldn't ask first!"
Feeling much better now that someone had listened to me, I thanked her and returned to my room to finish today's journal session. The journal was sitting just where I'd left it along with my pencil.
Once again, I turned on the stereo, made myself comfortable, and began writing. Another two hours later, I closed the little book. Satisfied and weary, I looked at the clock, which read 8:45. Late enough. I concluded and dressed for bed. Maybe with more than a few hours of sleep under my belt, school wouldn't seem so suffocating tomorrow.
For the first time in several days, I slept through the entire night.
ch.5
I woke up the next morning feeling more energized than before, which I took as a good sign. Digging through my drawers, I found my studded black skinny jeans, my favorite red and black belt, and a tight shirt that had "Goth-o-licous" emblazoned across the front in bleeding red letters.
The bathroom, by some strange miracle, was empty, so I quickly rolled on black eyeliner and silver eye shadow. I never bothered putting on lipstick because my lips were already a very prominent shade of pale red. I was running a brush through my hair in a vain attempt to tame its messy curls when my youngest sister started knocking on the door. Not wanting to make her angry with me so early in the morning, I quickly gave up and shuffled back into my room. My black army boots were waiting for me in the middle of my "shoes" box.
"Wednesday! Come eat some breakfast before you go!" My mother called from the kitchen. The smell of bacon and fried eggs wafted up at me as I made my way down the stairs, making my stomach grumble. I've never passed up a chance to eat bacon and don't plan on ever starting.
"Mmm!" Was all I could say as I shoved the still hot meat into my mouth. This day was definitely going to be a good one.
"Glad you like it! Try to breathe every now and then." My mother teased as I grabbed my bag and threw it over my right shoulder. I nodded at her, tried to grin without showing her my breakfast, and walked out the door towards my sister's already receding figure. It was surreal how fast she could be ready for school and still look as if she'd been working on her look for hours.
The bus pulled to a stop a few feet away from the end of our driveway while we were still a good 10 yards away, and the bus driver honked impatiently. My sister and I picked up our pace.
It was then, while we were climbing the stairs, that I thought about Atton for the first time since late last night. My stomach twisted, making me wonder if it had been a good idea to eat so much bacon after all.
There he was, sitting halfway down this time, smiling his dreamy smile at me. I lifted an eyebrow at him. Was he feeling any better? It certainly seemed so. I sat down next to him, looking in his eyes for any hint of the sorrow he'd displayed the day before. His smile slipped a little, and I saw confusion behind those grey depths.
"Is…something wrong?" He questioned. Maybe he was just worried he'd fail that test he was talking about. I decided that it didn't really matter anyway. Nobody, not even someone as kind as Atton seemed to be, could be happy all the time.
"No." I soothed. "I was just wondering who or what made you so upset yesterday. You were really out of it on the way home."
His smile completely fell away then, and his eyebrows furrowed so close together, they almost looked like one long line.
"Distant? I guess I was. My girlfriend and I had a fight of sorts." He looked away, and I felt a twinge of guilt for bringing it up when he'd looked so happy.
"Listen, I'm sorry. It was none of my business anyway." I patted his arm awkwardly. Not wanting to upset him more, I started to turn and look out the window, but he stopped me.
"Wait. It's fine. Um…How was your morning?" He looked apologetic for some reason, but I let it go this time and answered.
"Well, not much has happened yet. I guess it was good, since the bathroom was actually open and I got to have bacon for breakfast." I stopped and bit my lip, afraid I'd just made myself sound like a moron, but he started laughing.
"Those certainly are good things! I wish my day had started out that well." His laughter caught the attention of several girls nearby. They giggled and batted their eyelashes, hoping to earn a "good morning". Atton glanced at them and smiled the smile he'd given Jamie the day before. They immediately started hyperventilating.
Do they really not realize? I pondered, but then a horrible idea squirmed its way into my thoughts. What if it was me he was giving the fake smile? Maybe I was the one he was humoring. The very real possibility that this was true had me frowning at the boy next to me that was still smiling away at the silly girls across from us. The girls, upon realizing that I was there, began glaring at me. I glared right back, refusing to be bullied by jealous barbies that didn't approve of me sitting next to a boy that would probably never like them back. They looked away first, seeming a little miffed that I'd won the glare-off.
I glanced back at Atton as the bus pulled in front of the school. His attention had gone back to me while I'd been preoccupied, and he was now looking at me as one looked at a freak of nature. Oh great. I muttered to myself. I've gone and freaked him out.
The bus crawled to a stop and Atton stood, his mouth opening as if he was about to say something, but the tide of students behind him didn't give him the chance. I waited patiently as he was swept away for an opening in the line big enough for my bag and me to slip through. An opening never presented itself, however, and I ended up being the last person off the bus. Atton was no were to be seen, so I made my way to World History on my own.
Atton was a conundrum that made my brain hurt. Sitting in my seat just as the bell rang, I decided that no amount of jealous girls was going to stop me from being friends with the boy sitting next to me. Lunch, on the other hand, I still wanted to spend outside. The clean air of this city had cleared my head a little yesterday, and I had a feeling I would need that again today.A folded piece of paper landed on my desk, breaking me from my brooding thoughts. There was only one word written inside in elegant, yet somehow sloppy, handwriting. "Smile." I hadn't realized until that moment that the corners of my mouth were turned down in what could only be a scowl.
Glancing to my left, I saw the note's owner. Atton motioned at his mouth, which he was pinching up into a clown's leer. It looked so ridiculous, I did more than smile. I laughed so hard I doubled over in my seat. The teacher entered the classroom then, observed my uncontrollable laughter and the students now staring at me as if I'd gone insane for a moment, and made his way to his desk.
"Ms. Stevens. Are you quite alright?" His tone was politely amused but firm. I nodded, finally getting a hold over myself.
"Y-yes sir. It won't happen again." My face was so hot it felt as if it might melt off. Mr. Davis's lips twitched at the corners good naturedly. I was surprised. Maybe, just maybe, he and Mrs. Davis weren't so oddly matched after all.
"I should hope not. Now, I believe we were in the middle of studying George Washington's achievements before he became president. Does anyone have any questions before we begin?"
The class's attention, to my great relief, trained itself on Mr. Davis again. I sent a glare in Atton's direction, which he returned with a playful grin and a "What did I do?" look. Being careful to do so when Mr. Davis's back was turned, I quickly wrote, "I'll get you back. Just you wait." underneath his note and tossed it at him. He caught it one handed, much to my amazement, and opened it silently. A moment later, he was shaking with mute laughter, almost making me laugh out loud again.
He sent the note back, not even bothering to hide it from the teacher. I looked down my pale nose at it, afraid it might have something overly hilarious written in it. Might as well…I decided, unfolding little piece of notebook paper. "You can try." were the three simple words he wrote. I grinned, deciding that I was going to do everything in my power today to come up with a suitable way to embarrass him. My second day of school was going to be fun.
When the bell rang, I gathered my things and turned to face my new victim. He was still seated and not looking in my direction. At that moment, I realized I couldn't put any plans into action just yet. I didn't remember how to get to Mrs. Davis's class.
"Hey, um…" I began. "Would you…show me where-" He cut me off.
"Of course! I should have offered right away." I raised an eyebrow, still a little put off that anyone could be as nice as this guy. It was going to make it hard to get back at him. I'd feel much too guilty about it later if I embarrassed a boy that had only ever been nice to me. No. The little voice in the back of my head whispered. He challenged you to do it. You can't back out now. And so, as Atton lead me out of class and down the hall, I began planning my move.
My plans didn't get very far, though, as I was having too much fun. By the time it was halfway over, Health class had become one giant battle between groups. Everyone was working furiously to mix the various fruit we'd chosen into a tasteful and beautiful display. My group, upon hearing that I was planning on becoming a chef, quickly appointed me as the one who arranged the final salad into a work of art.
After several experiments, we decided on a floral display, where all the fruit were placed to resemble certain flowers. We won, much to our immense delight, and I left 2nd period with five dollars in my pocket and a huge smile on my face. Angela, who had been placed into a different group, caught up to me and slapped my shoulder in congratulations. Ignoring the bruise that was no doubt forming on my right shoulder blade, I asked her how her day was coming.
"Well, before Health, it was pretty crappy." I frowned at this, but she hurried on before I could respond, "But now it's great! I mean, even though we lost, I still got to eat more food than I could stand! And it was actually good for me!" Her eyes grew wider and wider with happiness as she spoke, and my worries were forgotten. Angela just didn't appear to be the kind of girl that stayed unhappy for long.
Waving goodbye to her, I hurried to my seat. Mrs. Scott chose then to walk huffily into the room and begin her lesson. I sighed, letting my attention wonder back to the task at hand. Getting Atton back. Should I try to annoy him during lunch? No, I needed that time to be at peace.
By the time the bell rang, I'd decided that it could only take place on the bus after school. The only question now was what I would do.
A shadow fell over me as I bent to put my things together. Glancing up, I saw that it was the horrid girl I'd dubbed "Barbie".
She was leaning over my desk, her beautiful features marred by an angry scowl. I knew what she was going to say to me before lip-glossed lips opened to speak.
"Keep your gothic mitts off of Atton." Yup. I thought, trying not to let myself smile, as she continued. "He may be humoring you because you're new, but don't let it go to your head. He's my boyfriend and will soon forget all about your silly existence!" With that she glared one last time, turned on her heels, and walked out of the room. For a minute, I just sat there, but I couldn't hold it in for very long. I laughed long and hard. Somehow, ridiculous as it sounds, Barbie's not so veiled threats had only served to make my good mood even better.
Fourth and fifth period passed me by in a blur, and I found myself waiting in the lunch line without any knowledge as to how so much time had gone by so quickly. Lunch today was spaghetti and meatballs. Inhaling the soothing garlic aroma, I made my way to the double doors I'd gone through the day before. Atton was already sitting at his female-crowded table. Barbie was sitting next to him, throwing me hateful glances.
"Hey! Are you going to sit with me today?" Atton asked. I dared not let myself think that he sounded hopeful.
"No, I'm sorry. There's a wonderful bench outside calling my name." Without telling my mouth and vocal cords to do so, I continued. "The air out there is clean and works wonders at cleansing my mind." Clamping my mouth firmly shut before it could betray me further, I turned and hurried out. I could feel Barbie's glare boring into the back of my head the whole way.
Once safely outside, I sank gratefully onto the metal bench. The air still smelled faintly of cut grass, and a small smile found its way onto my lips. I'd been telling the truth inside. The air was definitely cleaner and made my tense shoulders relax fully for the first time since before school had started. This time I wasn't about to let my food go uneaten, and I began to dig in. The food was surprisingly better than it looked. It only made the moment better.
I was so engrossed in the food and the much needed silence, that I didn't hear the soft footsteps coming towards me. Or that they weren't coming from the way I'd come.
"Excuse me." A deep voice inquired, making me jump up and spill what was left of my meal. Trying not to let myself look peeved, I turned towards the new comer. The man standing before me was at least six and a half feet tall, skinny in the extreme, and wearing a suit that was just a little too short for him. His skin was the golden color of those who spent many hours outside, and his hair and eyes were a very dark brown. He was handsome, in an interesting way.
"Um…Can I help you?" Was all I could come up with to say. The man smiled gratefully, his lips pulling up to reveal blindingly white teeth. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something about this man seemed off.
"I was hoping you'd say that. See, I've been called in to sub for Mrs. Rucker, the geometry teacher, and I seem to have parked on the wrong side of the school. Could you kindly show me where the head office is? I'll gladly help you clean the mess there up first." At the last part, he cast a pointed glance at spaghetti covered sidewalk. Ants were already beginning to carry off tiny pieces of noodle. Laughing nervously, I assured him that I would clean it up when I came back after showing him his way. He simply nodded at this, seeming occupied by some other thought, and followed me as I lead the way.
The head office wasn't very far off from the cafeteria, and I was soon back at the bench with a handful of towels. By the time the bell rang, my mood had been completely demolished and I just wanted to go home.
It occurred to me 90 minutes later that my 8th period class was geometry and that that would mean I'd have that stranger as a sub. Thankfully, however, he simply nodded at me in a grateful way when I walked in and, with no other acknowledgments that I existed, he began to introduce himself to the class.
"I am Mr. Raddclif and I will be subbing your class for today and tomorrow, during which you will do the worksheets Mrs. Rucker has selected for me to give you." He smiled his toothy smile when the class groaned and continued, "Don't worry! They are generously easy." The class relaxed a little. Mr. Raddclif turned out to be telling the truth. The worksheets were so easy I finished with a full twenty minutes left in class. I decided to spend the time planning what I would do on the bus ride home. I decided that simply doing what he had done to me would be too obvious. Maybe I should think of a hilarious nickname to call him. I grinned at this new idea. It was perfect. A sharp nudge from the student behind me brought me out of my slightly evil thoughts.
Following the direction of the girl's finger, I realized that Mr. Raddclif and the entire class was looking at me. I flushed, knowing that he'd probably called on me and I hadn't realized.
"Can you tell me the answer to problem number six, miss..?" I'd been right, he'd called on me. He also obviously did not know my name. Desperately trying to buy a little time, I spoke up.
"It's Wednesday, sir." He blinked, confused.
"The answer is Wednesday?" Many of the girls giggled, making my face drain of even more color.
"N-no sir. That's my name. Wednesday." I'd read over the problem by then and, to my relief, it was a very simple one. "The answer is 44 inches squared." Mr. Raddclif's mouth pulled down at the corners. Oh no. I thought, horrified. He doesn't believe me! Here comes a long explanation.
"You say your name is Wednesday?" He snatched up the roll sheet that he'd ignored until then. Quiet snickers sounded around me as Mr. Raddclif scanned for my name. After a minute he sat it down with a victorious look on his thin face.
"There is no Wednesday on this list. Please tell the class what your real name is. Now." His dark eyes bored into mine, making me shift uneasily before replying.
"But sir. That really is my name. Yesterday was my first day here, so my name isn't on any of the roll sheets yet." I tried my very best to look sincere as his frown deepened. Lifting a finger, he began counting the students.
"22..." He mumbled to himself as he turned back to the roll sheet. "21...Well. It would seem that at least part of your story is true, Miss Wednesday..." He said my name with a tone that clearly stated that he still didn't believe that part. I sighed to myself. There really was no point in trying to make him believe me. Oh well...It didn't really matter to me whether he believed me or not. What did matter was that the bell had just rang and it was now time to find Atton and put my plan into action.
If I'd known what was coming, then maybe I'd have walked home. Then again, maybe I wouldn't have...