By Disturbly Serene
With the pop music, and the consistent blabber of her mother and sister, it was difficult for Susie to accomplish her homework. She hadn't written the assignment down but was certain that it was to read the book that was handed out the previous day. How could she remember, there had been an excessive amount of gossip flowing in English that day. Frustration crept into her, and she set the book down and reached towards her purse and began to rummage through its contents. She found twenty- seven dollars scrunched up in the corner, along with an exuberant amount of makeup. Hey money... now I don't have to ask the 'rents for that much loot and I can go Christmas shopping earlier. Darn where is that...errrrr. She thought to herself. Forget it I've got to read this book.
Just then she was hurled up into the air; her head nearly collided with the roof of the car. With a grunt of perturbation and a complaint to her mother; ("Gosh mum instead of talking to Lyla you should be concentrating on the road ahead of you, seriously mother you two are making so much cacophony that...") she grudgingly looked down on her lap. Having been distracted, Susie had to skim the book and find her spot, which she found out subsequently, was no where near her destination. She tried concentrating her gaze on the book but was caught thinking of driving the car herself realizing that her mother was doing "such a horrible job".
"Eh, mum, are you tired or something? I'll... I'll take the wheel if you like?" Susie asked while secretly crossing her fingers.
"No hun, I'm not tired? What'd make you think that?"
"Besides the fact that you don't usually drive this poor," Susie replied under her breath, "oh no reason, I was just, you know, wondering, and well just in case you were tired I could take over" she said aloud.
"Oh how sweet of you, but no you can't drive, because I'm fine, and I'd feel much safer behind the wheel"
Damn you, I can't stand your horrid driving. You have to let me drive. I'd feel safer if you'd only let me drive! Susie couldn't help but think to herself.
She attempted to go to sleep but she didn't feel somnolent and instead reached under the seat and pulled out her glamour magazine which she flipped through aimlessly. The sun was beginning to sink slowly down into the horizon and Susie was getting bored, so she thrashed the magazine back under the seat and felt what she assumed to be a candy cane.
"There it is!" Susie said speaking to no one in particular "Must have slipped out of my purse or something." After the discovery of her candy Susie's spirits began to brighten. She tore off the wrapper and jabbed it into her mouth. She looked out the window and wondered how long they had been on the road. It had been about three hours. She began to think about yesterday, while she passed her tongue over the candy cane.
"Mum can we please go somewhere this winter break? Please mummy, please," pleaded Lyla the previous day at dinner.
"Maybe, who knows," was all their mother had responded to her daughter's pleas.
After listening to more of Lyla's beseeching talk this maybe gradually turned into a yes. They had their bags packed the following day and set of to our trip to who knows where.
I can't believe this! Instead of watching entertaining shows or out at the mall hanging with my mates I have to take a trip with my obnoxious family. Why must this be so boring? We should buy one of those telly things that you can put onto the roof of the car; I could watch that show with that cute actor. As she thought this she went into a reverie of that handsome and enthralling actor.
She reached for the candy cane in her mouth and stared at it. The apex of the cane had shortened and was becoming a blunt point. With her free hand she got her book and opened her mouth to put the candy back in. Once again the top of her head nearly collided with the roof of the car.
"Oh, sorry hun, it's the road. It's really rough so watch out back there," her mother apprised Susie.
"You know it would be a bit less impact if you would just put your seatbelt on," Lyla suggested with a fake caring smile plastered onto her face.
Why thanks Lyla I'd rather bang my head unconscious than stay stuck in this ruddy car with you two, Susie felt like replying. After several more minutes of her head throbbing, she couldn't help but take into consideration her sister's suggestion. Agh, forget her I'm fine. A minor headache but I'm fine.
The headache that Susie was presently suffering from brought her a flashback of yesterday afternoon. She was dismissed from her chem class and as she walked out of the room pushing anyone that got in her way, as she continued to put on her make up. Somewhere from behind she heard her name being called. She turned around and realized it was the girl with the orange hair, alias Carrot Top. She quickly turned around stuffed all her utensils into her pursed and began to walk quickly, attempting to escape Carrot Top. Jackie Stiller or Carrot Top was a grade below Susie, a junior and entirely worshiped the ground she walked on. Susie at first enjoyed the extra attention but then began to hinder Carrot Top's presence. Gosh can't that idiotic shelia just leave me alone. I got tired of her weeks ago! You can admire my beauty and popularity, and, well, all of me from a far away distance you subordinate creature. Gotta think fast, test to make up? No I used that exemption yesterday. I know, I have to meet with the journalism class because... they're...doing a... Darn she's getting closer.
"Oh, hi Carr—Jackie! That was you calling me? I thought someone was saying juicy or something," Susie said with a sound of wonder.
"Yeah, it was. I was hoping that maybe you and I could—"
"Oh no, I really have to go I have a thing to do over at the journalism class," she interrupted.
"Ah. Okay. Its fine," Jackie responded sounding deeply disappointed. "Maybe some other time," She said her voice returning to its high pitched originality.
"Um, okay. Yeah, I, I guess, maybe some other time," she replied
"Okay then, I'll be waiting." Jackie waved and turned to leave.
Susie waved back, and sighed. "That idiot," Susie knew that Jackie could have heard but she didn't give a heed. Maybe she'll stop bothering me if she knew I didn't like her." She thought as she headed towards the journalism class. She didn't have to go but began to think that maybe they'd want to write about her again. Anyways, it had been a while already. I bet people are dying to hear about me.
"What do you mean no? I'm sure more people would read it if you would," Susie shouted to the editor of the school newspaper. She was incensed at her because she had denied writing a story that included her in it.
"Uh, Susie we've written three about you or with you in it already. Don't you think that's enough?" replied the editor. She didn't particularly like Susie but it was true they've been including her in the newspaper too much already. They're not waiting to hear about her they're tired of hearing about her! The editor thought to herself while staring blankly at Susie.
Ugh, forget it I skipped breakfast so I'll eat lunch. Yeah, because yesterday I ate breakfast and skipped lunch. Stupid newbie where's Jack he's co-editor he'll write about me. I'll just talk to him later. With a grunt of annoyance and a glare that would burn through metal Susie tossed her hair back and stormed out of the room.
That editor shelia is going to pay!!! Great mum took my cell, if not I'd call Lolly and tell her about that imbecile and plan out her future reputation. What shall it be, embarrassment in front of an audience, nasty rumors. Susie considered herself wonderful when it came to spreading rumors she was so credible and had much power that no one would dare speak against her word. Rumors it is, although I can't help but consider complete humiliation in front of the entire school or at least one-third. Oh she's going down. Susie laughed malignantly, as she continued to brainstorm.
She passed her tongue over the candy cane, oblivious to everything and everyone. Lyla and her mother's rambling on couldn't impede her malicious thoughts, much less the rough road. In fact, all of them were inattentive to the road. After deciding that embarrassment would be better for Carrot Top, Susie inadvertently pulled the candy cane now remarkably acute.
A kilometer away, a delirious man swayed onto the road having been stung by some insect. He wasn't aware that he was upon a road, he simply ranted on about the giant monster he just saw who had eaten the purple elephant. The red mini-van was of no concern to him.
"Mom can you drive a bit faster, you're going to slow, my head hasn't been crashing the roof hard enough," Susie uttered sarcastically. The candy cane still in her had, she reached for the mirror in her purse and brought it up to her face. Just then something was reflected off of the mirror something that she knew couldn't be possible. She opened her mouth, but no words would spill out. Her mother and sister had gotten into a heated discussion and were hardly paying attention to the road. Susie turned her head, checking the back of the car searching for the figure that had been reflected, her heart was pounding, was sure that it could be heard. She saw nothing, both relieved and slightly shaken Susie turned to face the front of the car and in that slight second she saw another figure, a man out in the road. Her mouth open and she was ready to scream, but before any words could escape her mouth, the car collided into the man. Susie flew forward, her head slamming into the seat before her.
Susie lifted her head, feeling a sharp pain in her torso, the car smashed into a tree somehow near the road. Reflexively, Susie looked down at her shirt; it was drenched, with some red substance. Her head was throbbing and her sight was foggy. It came to her that the red substance was blood, her blood, and protruding from her shirt sodden with blood was the candy cane. It had punctured her torso when she had been thrown against the seat. She wanted to yell her lungs out but only let out a gasp of air. Just before slipping into darkness Susie remembered the figure that she had seen reflected by the mirror, the horrid face looked simply evil, sinister. The figure who had been there was Carrot Top; it was the last thought she had just before Susie slid into the unknown.