As a light breeze carried smoke though the early night air, Marshall Lee took one last drag of his cigarette before throwing it to the dirt and stepping it out with his shoe. He sighed to himself and flicked his hair out of his face, looking out onto the forest behind his house. Tonight was the last night of summer vacation; something that the teen tried not to think about. Tomorrow he'd be starting his junior year at Alpha Arsenal Academy or AAA for short. Although the title suggested otherwise, AAA was a public school. Marshall's small city pretty much revolved around the Academy and the University, attracting a diverse set of people to the unique environment. He readjusted the collar of his black and red flannel and turned back into his house. Marshall's parents had died when he was young, and one of the few things he still had was the house he lived in. It was big and surprisingly modern. Marshall Lee kicked off his converse and threw himself haphazardly into the couch in his spacious living room, kicking his feet onto the black coffee table in front of him. Tomorrow begins another horrid day. Will it be worth it? Marshall thought to himself. He never really made too many friends, even though girls always seemed to flock to him, though only for his looks. But he didn't mind. He could play the role of the ladies' man quite well. Marshall reached over to his guitar, which had been leaning against the TV stand a few feet away. He lazily plucked on the strings, repeating melodies he'd taught himself of rock songs, and singing along to his own songs written over the years. He continued on for about an hour, stopping to take a walk to the fridge.
After pouring himself a glass of Coke, he picked up his cup and the bottle and made his way to the couch again. As he attempted to sit down, he was startled by the doorbell ringing. Who the hell would be over here at this hour? Hell, hardly anyone even knows where I live. Marshall mulled over his thoughts as to who the guest might be, but was soon interrupted by another piercing ring from the door. Groaning lightly, he walked over to the door and threw it open. Marshall's eyed the person in front of him, looking her up and down, not recognizing her in any way.
She was a girl about his age, wearing two mismatching shades of blue, a darker skirt with a lighter long sleeve shirt. She had equally vibrant blue eyes, one partially hidden behind a wave of golden hair protruding from- Is that a bunny hat? Marshall questioned, raising an eyebrow to himself. The girl smiled at Marshall Lee, eyes lighting up and teeth grinning wide.
"Hi there! My name is Fionna. Me and my family just moved in the house just down the road from you guys. I thought I'd present myself to the neighbors while the folks unpack, and it looks like your house is the only one for a ways," Fionna talked fast and happily, clearly excited to have met someone her own age.
"Uhh… Hi. Name's Marshall Lee," Marshall uttered, still processing the word vomit that this girl had just laid out to him. "So… You're my new neighbor, huh? Welcome, I guess." Marshall scratched the back of his head as a light silence fell for a moment. This is not what he expected to deal with this late at night.
"Nice to meet you Marshall Lee! So, are your parents out? I only saw the motorcycle in the front of the house and-," Fionna began brightly, but was quickly cut short by Marshall.
"I don't have any. At least… Not anymore," Marshall spoke bluntly; his eyes drifting to the motorcycle his dad had left him and then back to the girl in front of him.
"Oh my glob! I'm sorry… I didn't know," Fionna apologized quickly, looking guilty for making the remark.
"It's no big deal. You couldn't have known." Marshall cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So. What brings your family all the way out to this dumpy city?"
"It's not that bad Marshall. My dad got transferred to a new office position in this town, so we went with him." Fionna smiled again, her eyes shining in the sunset rays. In the distance, the sound of a female voice was calling. Fionna's smile slowly faded, and she turned to face the road where she had presumably come from. "Well, that's my mom. It was nice meeting you! Maybe we'll see each other in school? Anyway. Bye!" Before Marshall could respond, the bubbly teen had gone bounding down the pathway. Oh shit. Marshall thought again. School.
Author's Notes
Hey guys, so I've officially began a new, way improved story. Not that I had too many followers beforehand. Anyway. I know this chapter is kinda short, but it's a test to see if this gets off the ground. If you're eager to see how this story unfolds, review. Until then.
~Akai