Chapter One
The clock on the wall buzzed a loud whining sound, and she flipped onto her stomach, wanting just "five more minuets." She pulled the pillow over her head, but too late. Zipper had heard the clock and was stretching already. The black tabby hopped onto the bed, kneading the pillow with her paws, and then moving to her neck as if saying, "hey you, wake up. The clock went off and I'm still hungry." It continued pushing at her until she rolled over, glaring at the cat, then pushed it off the bed. It landed on its feet with a thud, and rushed at the door, waiting for the hinges to give and open. She rolled out of bed, the tired feeling dragging at her like porcelain dishes to gravity, and she would crash to the floor at any minute. She passed by the mirror, and stopped, running a hand through her shoulder length brown hair.
Shaking her head, she opened the door, letting the cat out into the hall and bug another member of the family. Maybe the twins would wake up and cause enough noise to snap her into focus. She managed to walk down the hall, knocking on her parent's door twice. They had gotten back late from yet another party, but that was no excuse to slack off. She pushed into the bathroom, turning on the shower, placing two fingers in the water and adjusted the temperature. Pulling off the PJ's, she tossed the Junior Mint's patterns into the basket, the wash-them-sometime-later basket. She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash over her body, accepting. Sometime later a ruckus could be heard in the hall and she knew the twins were up. That would be mom rapping at the door in 3...2...1
"Kaye! The rest of us want some hot water too! And I need your help with Yvonne and Kasia!" She heard her bang her fists on the door again before chasing down the hall after one of the terrible two.
Stepping out of her sanctuary, she wrapped herself in her towel, she security blanket, and rushed across the hall into her room.
More screams and giggles of laughter and she knew it was them. By them she meant Y-to-K. Y2K. Yvonne to Kasia Mac. Kaye nicknamed her only two three-year-old siblings Y2K, the end of the world. Sure enough, stepping into the blue-carpeted hall, she spotted two nude butts dashing around the corner, fallowed by a distressed mother holding two separate outfits. Her natural curls wild with anxiety, she tried desperately to capture the twins, and clothe them. Kaye knew it wouldn't happen. She shook her head and escaped down into the kitchen. Her father, Mike had already left, his plate of muffin crumbs still on the counter. Grabbing her backpack, Kaye grabbed a banana and a to go mug of coffee, managing to yell a "goodbye mom" before swinging open the side door to the outside world. The bright sun hung in the sky, warming her back. Her school was only a few blocks away, and she could walk.
Although the sun cast heat waves about the ground already, Kaye Mac felt a shiver creep up her spine. Her tired eyes flicked around; looking nearby for any passersby that gave her sudden sense that she was being watched. To no prevail, Kaye kept on her walk to La Brea High, trying to ignore the urge to bolt.
Reaching the tall building, kids bustled around the parking lot, hopping out of cars, greeting friends. Picking up her pace, she brushed by a large group of girls; all talking in distressed hushed voices.
About to push through the security guards, she felt a cold hand grip her shoulder. Spinning around, ready to attack, she stopped mid war cry, starring into the bewildered face of Bryan.
"Hello, Xina, warrior princess." He teased, walking beside her toward the metal detectors.
"Hello, Bryan." She muttered, shaking her head.
The blonde haired boy smirked, throwing his arm around her waist, guiding her around the line of students waiting to get into the school.
"Just thought I'd say hi...don't seem so happy to see me. The joy is overwhelming." He snorted, letting go and taking slow easy strides down the hall.
Kaye glanced at him. Bryan was hot. There was no other way of saying it. But he was like a brother to her, ever since their second break up; they were determined to stay friends.
"Sorry." She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Turning the dial of her locker combination, she clicked it open, grabbing her first few books for the day.
"I just feel...funky." She shrugged, the words to describe how she felt failed her.
"Well, funky or not, you still coming to see the concert tonight?" He tilted his head, pausing to slap a high five with a fellow basketball player.
"You mean to see SR71?" she felt stupid asking, of course that's what he meant.
"Yeah." She finished, just in time to see him take the other hall down to English 1.
"Yeah..." She repeated, shaking her head again.
With each echoing step to class, she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, someway, today was going to be different than the day she had awoken to.
Turning down the next hallway, she scanned the doors like every morning since the first day, looking for room 127. Coming up on her calculus class, she gripped the knob to the door.
Pain seared through her head, and she blacked out for a few moments, jerked as reality slipped away. As if it were an old black and white movie, she watched as a big black cloud swooped down, and attacked four girls, as if suffocating them to death. She could feel their pain, and she stifled a whimper as the image inside her head vanished, and she once again found herself clutching the doorknob.
The clock on the wall buzzed a loud whining sound, and she flipped onto her stomach, wanting just "five more minuets." She pulled the pillow over her head, but too late. Zipper had heard the clock and was stretching already. The black tabby hopped onto the bed, kneading the pillow with her paws, and then moving to her neck as if saying, "hey you, wake up. The clock went off and I'm still hungry." It continued pushing at her until she rolled over, glaring at the cat, then pushed it off the bed. It landed on its feet with a thud, and rushed at the door, waiting for the hinges to give and open. She rolled out of bed, the tired feeling dragging at her like porcelain dishes to gravity, and she would crash to the floor at any minute. She passed by the mirror, and stopped, running a hand through her shoulder length brown hair.
Shaking her head, she opened the door, letting the cat out into the hall and bug another member of the family. Maybe the twins would wake up and cause enough noise to snap her into focus. She managed to walk down the hall, knocking on her parent's door twice. They had gotten back late from yet another party, but that was no excuse to slack off. She pushed into the bathroom, turning on the shower, placing two fingers in the water and adjusted the temperature. Pulling off the PJ's, she tossed the Junior Mint's patterns into the basket, the wash-them-sometime-later basket. She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash over her body, accepting. Sometime later a ruckus could be heard in the hall and she knew the twins were up. That would be mom rapping at the door in 3...2...1
"Kaye! The rest of us want some hot water too! And I need your help with Yvonne and Kasia!" She heard her bang her fists on the door again before chasing down the hall after one of the terrible two.
Stepping out of her sanctuary, she wrapped herself in her towel, she security blanket, and rushed across the hall into her room.
More screams and giggles of laughter and she knew it was them. By them she meant Y-to-K. Y2K. Yvonne to Kasia Mac. Kaye nicknamed her only two three-year-old siblings Y2K, the end of the world. Sure enough, stepping into the blue-carpeted hall, she spotted two nude butts dashing around the corner, fallowed by a distressed mother holding two separate outfits. Her natural curls wild with anxiety, she tried desperately to capture the twins, and clothe them. Kaye knew it wouldn't happen. She shook her head and escaped down into the kitchen. Her father, Mike had already left, his plate of muffin crumbs still on the counter. Grabbing her backpack, Kaye grabbed a banana and a to go mug of coffee, managing to yell a "goodbye mom" before swinging open the side door to the outside world. The bright sun hung in the sky, warming her back. Her school was only a few blocks away, and she could walk.
Although the sun cast heat waves about the ground already, Kaye Mac felt a shiver creep up her spine. Her tired eyes flicked around; looking nearby for any passersby that gave her sudden sense that she was being watched. To no prevail, Kaye kept on her walk to La Brea High, trying to ignore the urge to bolt.
Reaching the tall building, kids bustled around the parking lot, hopping out of cars, greeting friends. Picking up her pace, she brushed by a large group of girls; all talking in distressed hushed voices.
About to push through the security guards, she felt a cold hand grip her shoulder. Spinning around, ready to attack, she stopped mid war cry, starring into the bewildered face of Bryan.
"Hello, Xina, warrior princess." He teased, walking beside her toward the metal detectors.
"Hello, Bryan." She muttered, shaking her head.
The blonde haired boy smirked, throwing his arm around her waist, guiding her around the line of students waiting to get into the school.
"Just thought I'd say hi...don't seem so happy to see me. The joy is overwhelming." He snorted, letting go and taking slow easy strides down the hall.
Kaye glanced at him. Bryan was hot. There was no other way of saying it. But he was like a brother to her, ever since their second break up; they were determined to stay friends.
"Sorry." She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Turning the dial of her locker combination, she clicked it open, grabbing her first few books for the day.
"I just feel...funky." She shrugged, the words to describe how she felt failed her.
"Well, funky or not, you still coming to see the concert tonight?" He tilted his head, pausing to slap a high five with a fellow basketball player.
"You mean to see SR71?" she felt stupid asking, of course that's what he meant.
"Yeah." She finished, just in time to see him take the other hall down to English 1.
"Yeah..." She repeated, shaking her head again.
With each echoing step to class, she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, someway, today was going to be different than the day she had awoken to.
Turning down the next hallway, she scanned the doors like every morning since the first day, looking for room 127. Coming up on her calculus class, she gripped the knob to the door.
Pain seared through her head, and she blacked out for a few moments, jerked as reality slipped away. As if it were an old black and white movie, she watched as a big black cloud swooped down, and attacked four girls, as if suffocating them to death. She could feel their pain, and she stifled a whimper as the image inside her head vanished, and she once again found herself clutching the doorknob.