AN: I hope you don't hate original characters, because here comes another one! Today is Bella's first day of school in Sault Sainte Marie. The Monster in this chapter is based on a real Ojibwe Legend of the Baykok, all the information I got on it came from Monsterpedia dot com. Not an original beast, sadly. R&R!

Chapter Three: Flying Skeletons

The wind did not settle, the waves did not silence, my heart did not stop pounding. The only light that shone was the moonlight over my hair. Here I stood, the ground beneath me frosted by the air. The waves in my view were a never ceasing force of nature.

"Bella," I ask myself, "What are you doing here?" Like an outer body experience, I watch myself stand on the edge of a stream. I watched myself starting to get into a canoe. It was carved out of a tree log, the carvings were precise, and intricate.

I watch as I step into the canoe like I've been doing it my whole life. I begin floating through the rapid waves and begin to go closer and closer to the cliff. My body crashes with the canoe through the waves. I watch myself look up to the cliff, it's like I'm waiting for someone up there, so busy looking at the cliff, and not busy enough to see the wave take over my canoe.

I'm being tossed by the waves, and my canoe violently tosses over into the icy, cold rapids.

I'm drowning. I feel my lungs burn through the icy liquid. I try to scream but I can't breathe. My body is seized by the water, there's no fighting.

I wake up in darkness, panting. By instinct, I turn to my window, and I can't help but feel disappointed, because he isn't there. Sitting in my window, like he always was. My throat tightens, my whole body just ready to give up, and I sob. I let go, and let the tears run freely. not only because of the nightmare.

I miss him.

…

When I woke up again the sun shined through like a hazy fog. My room was on the third floor, fully equipped for my new life. Honestly, everything was too modern for my taste. My Cast Iron bed frame, The raven black dresser set with a matching night stand. The beautifully styled arm chair that sat in the corner by my bookshelf, already stocked with all of my favorite books. Honestly, it was a bit much. But if being the slayer means living the pampered life, I can live with it.

I began to get dressed, just jeans, tank top, and a sweater over it. I put on my cross, and hid a mini vial of Holy water in my pocket. I stocked my backpack up: pencils, notebooks, some sticky notes, my copy of Jane Eyre; and of course, two stakes. Just in case one stake just wasn't enough.

I slip on my Toms, and I head down stairs.

Carmen sat at kitchen table, munching on some apples.

"It's pretty cool to get all this stuff for just being a slayer, I bet this is how trust fund babies feel," Carmen speculated.

I snorted. I walked over to the cabinet and grabbed out a packet of instant oatmeal.

"No, I'm serious. Like...All those rich kids out there, that just have money for being alive."

I begin pouring the packet into a bowl, "Yeah but, I definitely feel like we should avoid splurging. We wouldn't want to draw too much attention to ourselves."

"Man," Carmen started changing the subject, "They give us a credit card, but no fake ID? I mean, Jeez, we're slayers, we probably won't even make it to 21."

I laugh out loud, but part of me thought that she was probably right.

Minutes passed, we started piling into my truck, Carmen popped a CD into the car was soon pouring lyrics from every direction.

"But I can tell you, it's a guarantee that I'll

Always run

Away from every problem or severed relationship

Cause that's who I am

I wanna be a pirate cause they get to be

Whoever they want on the deep blue sea

Here I come"

Yeah," Carmen starts, " Cady Groves is my Spirit Animal."

I liked the song. About a broken girl, that's giving up on society and just says f*ck it, and says she wants to be a pirate. I wish I could be like her.

The album came to an end, and we pulled into the school parking lot.

I put the truck in park, turn the keys out of the ignition, and step out of the truck. I put my book bag over my shoulders and Carmen followed behind me.

The walk through the parking lot felt wrong. I could feel something wrong in the air, and I hadn't even stepped into the building yet.

I hate it when I'm right.

The Main Entrance doors are violently swung open, two police officers are restraining a petite girl and trying to get her out of the school.

"I'm not crazy!" She cried. "It was a skeleton! A flying skeleton! It was real!" Her sobs exploded out of her as she got dragged out of the school. "They killed him! It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" She screamed on the top of her lungs, the parking lot of people were silenced.

She made eye contact with one of the classmates, "Braxton! Braxton, don't you believe me? BRAXTON! BRAX-" The wails were cut off by the cops throwing her into the back of the police cab. The sound of the door slamming echoed.

I turn to look at Braxton. Dark curly hair, red brown skin. He stared at her miserable face through the window of the cruiser. She put her hand on the window, like she was reaching out to him. They made eye-contact for a few seconds. And he just looked down and shook his head.

I turn to Carmen, "I hope you weren't hoping for normal," I whispered softly. We begin stepping towards the school. Now it just feels much farther away than before.

She waited a few seconds before replying. "We're going to have to kill this flying skeleton thing, aren't we?"

"Afraid so." I replied

"Unless she's actually crazy." She tried to persuade

"Doubt it." I said with a sigh.

She sighed in defeat. "I'll hit the books."

We take a step through the Main Entrance, "Welcome to the Hellmouth." I say quietly enough for only Carmen to hear it. I watch as the police car takes that girl away.

…

The morning flashed by like a blur. Nothing notable happened. Lunch time rolled around and I took a seat at an empty table. Carmen sat down shortly after, with her face in a book.

"How was your first three classes of the day? Any drama?" I say conversationally.

She looks up at me like a deer in the headlights, "What?"

"Oh," She begins to answer, "I skipped." she says flatly.

"What?"

"I skipped."

"On your FIRST day?" I said astonished. I have never skipped a class a day in my life. I've always been square Little Bella.

"I was in the library." she said in a defensive way, "Trying to find something in our handbook about a flying skeleton."

"Well?"

"No dice there, but check this out." She took the book in front of her, and handed it to me. I checked out the cover, 'Ojibwe Legends.' I flipped it back to the page she was on.

"Check out this Mr. Ugly. Also known as, Baykok."

I scanned through the information about him, " Well, it says he looks like a skeleton, and he flies. He fits the description."

"And check this out," she flipped it to the next page.

I scanned the page. "He eats peoples LIVERS? Oh, God. This isn't going to be fun."

"Patrol tonight? It says he likes to screech about the woods,"

"It also says his main prey is the strongest warriors. Sounds like we'd be the perfect bait." I added

"Is it sad that I'm actually a little excited?"

"Yes," I said sarcastically with a smile. "It's very sad. Now lets get some food."

I get up to turn around, and as I turn around, of course, there's a hot guy behind me. And of course I spill all of his food to the ground. and of course my face turns red. I don't even want to know what my facial expression is right now!

"I am so…"I tried to say sorry but I was so shocked.

But this guy here, Braxton, from earlier, his eyes shine, his smile was a little too perfect, his hair, shiny and curly. too perfect. He must be a demon.

Maybe.

He looks me in the eyes and then he begins to make eye contact with every person in this cafeteria. He takes my wrist and raises my arm up triumphantly.

"SHE'S RIGHT! WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO EAT THIS SH*T! WE DESERVE BETTER!"

The cafeteria replied back passionately, " YEAH!" and the next thing I know everyone is throwing their food to the ground, every single person in the cafeteria.

"WE BUST OUR BUTTS LEARNING IN THIS PLACE! IF WE DIDN'T SHOW UP HERE EVERYDAY, DO YOU THINK ANY OF THESE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE JOBS?"

"NO WAY!"

Someone tossed their table over, chairs we being thrown across the cafeteria. and some jock guy with a letterman's jacket just yells, "F*ck the police!"

I made him let my wrist go, and I stared at Carmen in horror. She mouthed something like, "Let's get out of here." and I nodded enthusiastically.

We walk through the slush of mediocre cafeteria food while Braxton, the freedom fighter, continues his rally on the mistreatment of students. We exit the cafeteria and close the door behind us. I sit against the hallway wall, practically panting from all the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Carmen said comically.

"Let's just never speak of this. Ever again."

But before Carmen could even reply, Braxton came running through the cafeteria door.

"Aw, sh*t, man. I got them all really riled up." He just chuckles to himself. "This could go on for the rest of the day!" He chuckles some more, "I love it." He puts his face in his hands and just continues to laugh.

Carmen and I just stare at each other like, 'Oh my God, what is going on?'

He comes out of his laughing spree and takes out his hand for me to shake it. " My name is Braxton."

I take the hand hesitantly. "My name is Bella. And this is my sister, Carmen."

"Did you just start here today?" he asked. "I've never seen either of you."

"Yeah, we're new. Just moved in yesterday."

"Well, welcome to Sault Sainte Marie. You're both very attractive girls, so I'm sure you'll do just fine here. As long as the snow doesn't bother either of you."

We both blush. We stood there awkwardly because neither of us really knew what to say. He's too nice. He must be a demon.

Maybe.

"Well, uh…" he started slowly, "This," He pointed through the cafeteria, "Is probably going to go on for a few hours. Or until the cops show up. Again. You two want to get out of here? Trust me, with this going on, no one will notice."

Carmen and I looked each other. I thought about Carmen, who already skipped all of her morning classes anyway. And I thought about me. Little Bella who's never skipped a class in her life. i could use a little adventure. Some teenager-y fun. Why not? What would Cady Groves do? Stick around for when the cops show up? Or leave, go on an adventure? It's time to make Cady proud.

"Let's go. We'll take my truck."