The necklaces, Enter Divine and Tantalize

Hello reader, Welcome to the first chapter of my story, in case you didn't know, this story is rewritten due to me (the author) not being impressed with my past work, therefore this. If you are a past reader of this story then hopefully these rewritten chapters are far better to your liking than my first rookie ones.

ENJOY!

PS: Sorry about the first update, I don't know what happened, the whole chapter f**ed up but now its all good :)

A vibration is heard throughout my room along with a catchy tune coming from the song "Cecilia" sung by Simon and Garfunkel. I reached a hand out to turn it off. After that I slowly retrieved my now cold fingers back under the warm duvet. I laid there for a minute or two extra before the snoozer started to blast the song again. I groaned and threw the wonderful warm cover off to shut the snoozer up with a little more rough force than necessary. I glared at it for a long five seconds before I let out an exhausted yawn. I stretched my long, strong arms while I shuffled towards the bathroom in my oversized black t-shirt, which is the only thing I wear when I sleep. Aside from my panties of course.

I took my usual face scrub out of the cabinet beside the sink and scrubbed my face. After rinsing the scrub off I looked up into the mirror. Tired dark brown eyes with a hinge of caramel glared right back at me. My natural tan skin seemed a little pale and my mid-back dark hair was a mess. I imagined a hen sitting in it and laying eggs. It would have been no surprise to me if that happened. However, until such a faithful day would occur I set my concentration on brushing my locks back to the way they were supposed to be.

Once done with grooming myself I ignored any sort of makeup for the day and gave myself a small wink in my reflection. I had learnt that even such small actions can make one's day better. Thinking good about yourself is important!

I stepped out of the bathroom and walked up to my closet. I picked a dark pair of cargo pants, a simple black belt, a black long sleeved shirt with a white tank top on top. They were not exactly that feminine but I wore them due to how they seemed to magically make me look shorter. As a person who is considered tall standing at 6,1 ft, I had difficulties feeling good and secure about myself. One would assume that a person with such a great height would have great self confidence. For some, maybe yes. But not me. I was not a person who liked being the center of attention. Such clothing I usually wore made me look more average. Skinny jeans or a mere skirt would make my legs stand out like a bright sign and I wouldn't like that. I have my dad to thank for my height, being that he was a tall Danish "gentleman".

Lastly, I decided to slip on a pair of dark blue ballerina shoes and jogged downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed an apple. The sound of eggs sizzling on a pan reached my ears along with the smell into my nostrils. I tried to suppress the whales mating call that emerged through my stomach, but there was no stop to it.

"Cecilita?" a soft voice called. I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned around to see a short peruvian woman standing before me with stern eyes. "Where do you think you are going?" I gulped and tried to give an innocent smile.

"On my way out to pick up Lize and then go to school..."

"Without breakfast?" she looked deadpanned. "Nononono! You come back here right now and eat your fried eggs. I have made them just the way you like it." At her sternness I sighed in defeat and marched back into the kitchen, all the while my mother continued to scold me, saying how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I sat back down on the table where my eggs awaited. My brothers were already seated before me. 13 year old Sean was half eating and half texting his "buddies" while 10 year old Liam was straight up shoving his eggs down his throat. My sister was no where in sight though.

"Morning everyone." my dad came shuffling in and gladly grabbed the cup of coffee my mother handed to him. He took a sip and looked down at the table.

"Where is Patricia?"

"Still sleeping perhaps..." I mumbled before eating the last part of my eggs. I had rushed with my meal and stood up immediately with my eyes set on the door.

"What is with the rush, Cecilita? You usually take your time at the table." my mother questioned and mused the last part.

"I'm fine, just fine. I just want to be on time..."

"Sure, on time." a somewhat slurry voice piped in. I turned to see the tired face of my 19 year old sister. She was older than me by two years. "Indeed." The sarcasm within her voice said it all. She knew.

"Whatever, bye!" And with that I was out the door with my school bag and duffle bag that hung properly on both sides of my shoulders.

I walked along the sidewalk for a while before coming up to my friend's house. I casually leaned on a tree in her family's garden before I mimicked a morning rooster. "Kukellekuuu, klockan är sju!" I spoke Swedish to my friend as well as all he others that are not my family. Being that I lived in Sweden. In a small and seemingly peaceful Swedish town called Bjärnum.

A young girl with a cute round face poked her head out of a second floor open window. Her long blonde curls flew perfectly in the small summer gusts.

"Coming!" she called. I remained in my leaning position in await for her arrival.

After a scratch on my head and a yawn. My blonde swedish friend walked out. I gave a lazy salute. "Good morning Tantalize.", Her real name is Alma, Alma Hafstöm, but through the years we have been together she and I decided to give each other a unique nickname. She came to the conclusion that "Divine" was the best nickname for me. I honestly do not feel properly related to that word at all, there is nothing extraordinary about me. But I assumed she simply decided on that one due to how we had first met. She wasn't really the most healthy child, she was kind of chubby, nearly reaching the "fat" scale. She had been new to our middle school and wound up getting in the way of a few older boys who started to mock and harass her for her not-so-very toned body. Me already being tall at a young age, I managed to intimidate them to going away when I stepped up to defend her. We have been friends ever since.

It took me a while but I finally settled myself on calling her "Tantalize" Lize for short, being that she constantly had a tendency to annoy and or provoke people.

"Morning, Vine." she nervously smiled, as if she had done something wrong. And indeed she had. The main reason that I was out of the house earlier than usual, the main reason I had nearly skipped my beloved breakfast. She had opened her mouth without thinking.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she questioned as we started to walk alongside, "We could perhaps just try to avoid them an-"

"No, Lize. There is no way we can avoid them forever. It would have to happen sooner or later." I sighed and sped up. Annoyance was clear in my voice and Lize sped up to my pace as well. We were silent for a while until she finally broke it.

"Look, Cecilia. I really am sorry," Saying my real name, that indicates that she is being serious. "I was just so mad. You have no idea of the insults she was saying about you. I just...Couldn't contain myself." Her eyes were filled with guilt and for each word she said she slowed down. I stopped in mid step, not noticing my sudden halt, she bumped right into my tall back. I turned around to give her a firm but forgiving gaze.

"Next time she says such things about me, please keep in mind that I don't give a crap. And don't bet such things, thats not so very fair to me you know. And what if she had wanted to fight you instead? You would be a bloody pulp." Lize inwardly cringed at a mental picture but looked back up at me and nodded along with a final apology. Thereafter we set on walking the rest of the way to school with a silence mixture between being calm and nervous.

I like Lize, I really do. I have known her ever since since she first walked into the classroom, which was 6 years ago. But, I just wish that she would not be so bossy and stubborn, always committing things without a second thought. And always seeing to put me in the middle of her troubles on purpose. I would not mind sharing her burdens but, the way she does it. Sometimes I wonder if she sees me as a good friend or just as a personal body guard. Being tall and decent at the martial arts known as Taekwondo, I had advantages, but she always seemed to abuse that advantage of mine once in a while. However, apart from that she was like a sister to me. A younger sister by one year with a love for attention. This time though she had gone a little too far. She had somehow gotten into an argument with the school "gangster's" leader Jonha. Said bully had apparently threatened Lize for something when she in return mentioned me which resulted in having Johna change her insults on to me instead, thereafter Lize could not resist but challenge her to a fight. Me fighting of course...

We finally reached the school and went into the back where an abounded yellow building stood. I its backyard where overgrown grass grew like millions of spikes stood Jonha and her gang that consisted of four people, two boys and two girls.

Our presence was noticed and Jonha turned her grey-eyed gaze to me and Lize. "Well its about time," she mumbled and trudged over with her friends joining her. I pushed Lize protectively behind me and tried to remain calm.

"Jonha, this doesn't need to happen. Alma wasn't thinking properly when she challenged you to fight with me. Not to mention that I never agreed. So please lets just call it off." I really don't want to fight. I have always been taught during training that martial arts should only be used when absolute necessary. This would be breaking the code.

Jonha raised an eyebrow. "What? You scared?" she mocked. Her companions chuckled at her words and I tried to contain an insult back at her but took a deep breath instead.

"No i'm not, its childish to just fight like this, alright? We're out of here!" And with that I proceeded to turn around along with my blonde friend in the direction of the school building, only to stop dead in my tracks after Jonha gave one last threat.

"Well then don't be surprised if you find your precious friend beat up in the hallway after school." She was smirking at Lize, who whirled around to glare at her.

"Oh shut up! Just leave us alo-"

"Lest fight," I interrupted. Lize abruptly stopped glaring at Jonha and whipped her head to me, eyes wide.

"What? Cecilia-"

"In the middle," Jonha smirked. I slowly paced my way to the middle of the wild garden and stretched my legs while Jonha cracked her knuckles and shoulders. Lize stood further away watching with a worried look. I turned my gaze away form her and focused on my opponent. She seemed confident. I could imagine. I had heard that she had a few years of experience in boxing. While she may have the upper hand with speed in her arms, I knew I just might have more being that taekwondo consisted more of kicks rather than punches. My legs were longer and more powerful along with speed than hers but her arms were muscular. We would just have to see.

Without warning, Jonha charged at me. I dodged her punch and proceeded to give her a side-kick but she dodged me as well. She violently turned around and tried to give me a double punch but I quickly blocked them. I could feel that she was strong, but my legs were stronger. And with that kept in thought I awaited her to charge again only to have me doing an unexpected tornado kick. The impact was hard and it her side. She winced and nearly fell onto her knees but her friends encouraged her to get up, which she did, but her legs were wobbly.

Wanting to end the fight I grabbed her next punch and painfully twisted it, forcing her to mover her whole body along with it. She fell face first into the ground and my grip remained on her fist as I placed it on her back and sat down on her spine. She cried out in pain. "LET GO!" Suddenly, someone else's voice joined hers.

"Cecilia Parker-Nielsen!" I nearly jumped along with the other students present. I looked up only to see my english teacher watching not so very far away with shocked eyes that slowly narrowed. "To the principals office, NOW!"

Out of all the fights that have occurred here, why did they have to bust this one?

I awkwardly drummed my fingers on the desk before me while trying to avoid the obvious disappointed eyes of Principal Jan. Jonha was sitting right beside me, both of us not even notifying each others "company".

"I am really disappointed in you both." Jan started, "My tolerance for violence in this school is ZERO. What were you thinking hiding behind there to fulfill your violent deeds?"

"I was challenged, sir!" Jonha inquired. Fear filled me, knowing that this would bring Lize into the mess.

"Yes, I challenged her sir," Jan's eyes were now on me and I inwardly shrunk at his intense gaze, "Y-you see...I-" I was interrupted by the door opening and a middle aged woman came in. She was on the chunky side with a horrible taste in clothing that seemed to be a wannabe of "flower power".

"Ah, Anna. No worries. We just started." Jan half smiled. Anna, the councilor and self-proclaimed psychologist sat beside Jan in front of us. She took her glasses off and started to absentmindedly polish them with her floral blouse.

"Now, lets see here. Please tell me from the start of what had happened."

"It couldn't be THAT bad! What happened?" Lize questioned as she chewed on a potato. Today's lunch was potatoes and meatballs (swedish meatballs) with a brown sauce.

I sighed and mashed my cooked root fruits with my fork and smeared them with the brown sauce, making it into an icky-like slob. "You should have heard how Anna spoke to us. Her tone and all was as if we were small kids in first grade. It was SO awkward."

"Okay now THAT is awkward." Lize mused as she swallowed.

"And to make things worse, guess what she made us do." I said with a deadpanned look.

"What?"

"She actually said this," I straightened my back and mimicked Anna's voice as accurate as possible, which was very breathy. "Now, I hope you see each other's flaws. Remember that we are all human. So find it within yourselves to shake hands and forgive each other."

Lize nearly choked on her food. "NO WAY!"

"Yes way,"

"Oh God..."

"Oh God indeed." I starred at Lize's last meatball and without warning pinched it with my fork and brought it to my mouth. I ate the whole thing in one bite.

"Hey!" Lize wined. I ignored her cries and pointed accusingly at her with my instrument.

"You. Owe. Me. Big time!" At my words my friend finally seemed to remember the cause of the situation and lightly blushed.

"I said I was sorry! An-and I told you not to an-"

"She was threatening you." Silence. We both let out a heavy sigh each that we had been holding in.

"Whatever, what is done is done," I finally announced before quickly eating the rest of my goo and stood up. "Come on." And with that we put our dishes away and marched to our last class of the day. Math. God bless me.

After a long and boring school day, Lize and I finally stepped out of the school entrance. I stretched my arms in the air let out a non too feminine yawn.

"Freedom!" I exhale as I dramatically fall onto my knees. Other students walk past me, some trying to avoid looking at me while others glanced at my direction as if I were an alien. I ignored my surrounding fellow classmates and settled myself onto one of the concrete stairs beneath me. I placed my large duffle bag on my lap and zipped it open to take out my awaiting rollerblades. I would have skated to school but due to the change of plans (the fight) I only got to wear them now.

Once they were exceptionally tight around my feet I stood up and adjusted my bags on my shoulders and skated over to Lize who was waiting for me. She had taken her thin spring jacket off and was enjoying the warm late May sun.

"Shall we?" I smiled. She nodded and walked at my skating pace. We were silent for a while until Lize suddenly stepped before me, forcing me to brake. I was about to question her sudden actions until I noticed something in her hand.

"I know I have said it at least over a hundred times now but. I really am sorry. I promise that I will never do it again. Words can't describe how much you mean to me, you are the best friend I could ever ask for. And I really hope you can forgive me."

I was baffled to say the least for her apology and confession. 'Has she been rehearsing this?' I wondered.

A smile bloomed across my face and I placed a hand on her head. "Of course I forgive you, you little drama queen."

Lize scoffed, "Come on! I was preparing that speech all night! You have NO idea how guilty I have been feeling because of that."

I laughed and proceeded to continue skating when Lize's small hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"Wait, I'm not done,"

"There is more?" I mock with a smirk. However my coyness disappeared when she opened her hands to reveal a very peculiar looking necklace. It was kind of simple looking yet unique. She placed it in my open palm and I inspected it. It looked and felt like metal, but what kind it was I wasn't sure. When inspected properly I noticed that there were tinny scratches or...symbols on it. I looked up at Lize and saw that she was holding an other one in her hand.

"Are...Are these-?"

"Special designed metal pieces or perhaps hundreds of years old thing-of-amabobs that were specially cut in two to make separate necklaces? Yes."

I blinked, "Wow, that was a mouth full. I was going to go for "friendship necklaces" but that beats the questions I was going to ask afterwards." It was silent for a second but the two of us then laughed.

"Whatever. No but seriously do you like it?" I smiled and slid the necklace on, being that it was large enough to put on that way.

"I love it,"

"Great! Because well, I first thought of getting these silver ones that had half a heart on them. But then I came across these. I thought they were different, kind of like us." Lize rambled and slid hers on.

Thank you," I smiled and lightly touched the foreign metal.

Little did I know that after we had put those necklaces on, our lives would change forever.

Please review what you think, especially you people who read the other version, I am really curious to know what you think