AN: I shall be continuing because I can. Now let's get on with it. And Jessamine is pronounced JEH-SAH-MEAN.

~ Chapter 1 ~ A Day Before the Taking ~

Jessamine POV (Point of view)

I scowled at the line of students curling around the Clitan Middle School hallways, unable to get to the water fountain, much less my class. All the girls in line jumped up and down, eager to get their hands on whatever was at the front of the line. The boys were acting cool but I could see in their eyes they were about as jumpy as anime school girls. I chuckled, but I had no clue what could get middle schoolers so excited at 7:30 am.

What's going on? I thought, raising an eyebrow at the sugar rushed students.

In the corner of my eye, I caught one of my classmates, Mia Walker, from my English class walking towards something behind me. I quickly grabbed her arm, already putting questions together in my mind.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked first.

Mia frowned and shrugged off my hand, never one for cussing, even if it's small. "Duh. It's the line to get tickets to the Spring Dance. It's really popular, so you have to get your tickets now or they'll be sold out. Who knows how many tickets are left." Mia explained and sashayed away, and I stood there about to burst out laughing at the idea of me in some kind of dance. I quickly turned and squeezed my way towards my first class.

oOTIME WARPOo

The bell finally rang for the end of the day. I flipped it a quick middle finger before leaving, for it dragging on the last minutes of the class. I hurried off to the front doors not wanting to meet up with someone. To my right, I noticed the stand for the dance tickets was gone, only the few remainders of pulled tickets that ripped apart by two people.

Mia was right. They do sell out quick. I thought as I saw many girls and boys doing dances with their tickets as if they were winning lottery tickets. I chuckled softly as I saw one girl kissing her tickets, and another almost hitting another girl in the face from moving around so much. Popping a piece of spearmint gum in my mouth, I walked out the front doors and walked outside.

Almost off campus, I heard a high pitched voice behind me.

"Hey, Jess!" I flinched as the person hugged me from behind. "What's up? I love what you've done with your hair!" I turned and faced Katie, the most annoying and preppiest girl in school. She had enough preppyness in her body to power five whole cheer leading squads. I mustered a forced, but obviously annoyed, smile.

"Hey Katie. What's up?" I clenched my hands into fists, ready to punch her for calling me Jess, but Katie didn't notice. Apart from being the most annoying girl in school, she was the most beautiful. While I'm standing there with my messy dark brown hair, weird golden eyes, and tan skin, she pulls off the cliché golden locks and crystal blue eyes and nice flawless skin that movie cheerleaders have. Katie needed someone to annoy and she chose me for the school year. Not that I would ever tell her that. She was annoying and a bit rude, but she was still as sensitive as your typical eye.

"So I heard you're not coming to the Dance? I am and I'm going with Daniel Florez. I was planning on going with Riley Kord but he's planning on taking some other girl named Alisha. Dumb drama club girl. I already got my dress and shoes and have my limo plan-" I walked away before she could keep rambling on about her plan for going to the dance.

I lived in Hights Road which was a long walk in my book. Could have been riding a bus but NOO. Mom wanted me to get some 'exercise' everyday. Yeah like walking practically miles was a non-abusive thing and would get me a Barbie figure.

Six blocks later and I arrived at my house, legs a bit tingly from when my legs fell asleep during class. I pushed through the beige front door and ran upstairs to my room, taking two steps at a time. I sighed and sat at the edge of my bed, where I let myself fall backwards into a nice long nap.

Drexel POV

"DREXELLLLL! WAKE UPPPP!" My little brother, Kye, shouted from his room, but it still made me wake up startled and fall off my bed.

I held back a sea of curses from my mouth. When I remembered what Mama warned tomorrow was. My breaths got shallower and the color from my face drained.

"No no no no no no NO NO NO!" I cried out and buried my head in my pillow. Tomorrow was the day of the Taking of two children. My mind wandered to the fairy tales I had skimmed when I was forced to read in class. All the children who got taken from their parents and homes to be heroes.

And the other children who got 'defeated', as my teachers told us but everyone knew they meant killed, for being Evil.

My mouth dried and my arms felt weaker. I had been bad all year. Bullying other kids, skipping classes, not being exactly great to my parents and siblings, and just.. plain bad. The other kids guaranteed I would be picked for the next Taking since my Aunt was, turned into the Evil Queen who tried to kill Snow White but failed and got killed herself. But that was years ago that people would think I would be chosen, when people still thought The School Master would come, but he never did.

For 15 years.

Missing a few years, I guess, was okay, but when ten years passed and I was still here, People gave up on trying to hide. Until now. A seer had told the Elders the School Master would come this year. Didn't tell us who would be picked. I guess answering questions about the future had consequences. Poor guy aged ten years.

I knew I would be taken but I didn't say anything. It would worry my parents even more than before.

Still pale, I got up and fixed my ruffled light blond hair to make it just a tiny bit neater. I walked into the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with my family, and waited for the day to pass.

AN: And that is chapter 1. It might suck, yes, but I had fun writing it, and "Having fun is all that matters." Merp.