CHAPTER 3
It was Monday morning in the Wright family's new home, and it was also the first day of school for the daughters of the smiling couple. The parents of the children talked animatedly about their new abode, grateful that they could even reside there. Jessica, the younger sister, gabbed about the cool prestigious dojo in town, wanting already to earn her third degree black belt. The only thing Spencer could think about, however, was not of what "excitedly" awaited, but of the fact that the mansion was haunted.
If she told her family what she thought, they would immediately send her to a mental hospital. But Spencer has seen enough horror movies to know that she was in the midst of a cliche trope. She had to be. Yesterday's creepy happenings were not a part of her imagination. And even if they were(they weren't), Spencer concluded that speculating the idea that her new home was inhabited by a different life force was way too fun to disregard.
After breakfast, Spencer did her usual routine: shower, brush teeth, brush hair, clothes, backpack, outta the house! She stood with her sister on the sidewalk, like any other school day. The only difference was the sisters were guarded by several police officers, as the morning paparazzi was overwhelming.
Her sister's school bus arrived first. Jessica smiled triumphantly, thrilled that she was the one who got to escape the unnatural crowd.
"Haha! Snooze ya later, Spence!," Jessica yelled from the departing vehicle.
Spencer rolled her eyes, muttering to herself about 'the ungrateful crowd' and 'the ungrateful school board' and 'dang bus.'
Finally, what seemed like after forever, her bus arrived, signaling for her to get on. Taking a deep breath, she confidently strode into what was a mistake on wheels.
She stood in the front of the bus, clutching onto the handles of her backpack, stiff. All eyes were on her, which made even the act of breathing difficult. Scanning the seats around her, she found an empty one in the back. The problem was, it was a seat next to what was probably the most popular girl in school.
Every step she made seemed to echo throughout the bus, as all was silent. Each time she looked at someone, she turned away, seeing as they looked right back. Maybe everyone knew who she was. Even though this was probably the only time she would even be considered popular, Spencer knew right then and there that she didn't want this.
Standing by the half-occupied two seater, she was about to sit down when a sharp, high pitched voice cut through the air.
"Um, no."
The voice belonged to the girl who sat at the other end of the seat. Her legs were crossed, and her eyes were on her cellphone as she typed away. You could just smell the money off of her.
Oh great, just what I need today, Spencer groaned internally.
"PICK A SEAT ALREADY!," driver yelled as he closed the bus doors and started to drive away from the mansion.
Spencer tried sitting down, but the girl with the blonde hair and bright blue dress pushed her out of the seat.
Spencer stumbled, which caused the entire bus load of teenagers to snicker. Blushing she tried to sit down again, but was pushed out a second time.
Gripping onto the tops of the leather seats, Spencer clenched her teeth and spoke sharply to the girl.
"I need to sit here."
"Yeah…no."
"Look, princess, if you haven't noticed, I'm about to fall over in a moving yellow bus,and this is not how I would like to be remembered, so if you don't mind…"
"Honestly, I couldn't care less," the girl replied, still texting on her phone.
Spencer huffed and tried to sit down again, pushing her body weight against the other girl. The girl pushed back. Both girls were in a raging war against what seemed to be Spencer's butt, even though they were fight for otherwise. The boys in the bus began to chant, "CATFIGHT! CATFIGHT! CATFIGHT!," which was both degrading and humiliating for Spencer and Little Miss Princess.
"What's your problem?!"
"What's your problem?!"
" I just wanna sit in the seat!"
"Well, I don't want you sitting here!"
"Why not?! What have I ever done to you?!"
" I CANNOT be seen sitting next to some…LOSER!"
"Psh, yeah?! Well, if I was such a loser, then why am I related to Billy Joe Cobra?!"
The bus went silent again, as everyone stared at Spencer in curiousity.
"Oh PLEASE! We've ALL seen you on the news! We just don't understand how someone like you could be related to someone like…him."
A huge boy with a letterman jacket mimicked in a high voice, "YO! Sp-Sp-Sp-SPENCER WRIGHT HEEEEEEEEERE!"
The bus erupted in laughter, drowning out any violent thoughts Spencer could be having. Her face turned into a deep crimson shade as the other girl smirked wickedly.
"Well…WHATEVER! I still need to sit down-"
"Yeah, still not happening," the other girl pushed back, clearly enjoying seeing the other girl being tormented.
"SIDDOWN!," the bus driver yelled.
This was all becoming too much for Spencer. Not being the strong, confident new girl anymore, Spencer tried being the awkward, zombie loving girl instead.
"Look, I really don't wanna die here-"
"Honestly? I think YOU should have died instead of Billy Joe Cobra."
Spencer's eyes widened in shock. Her eyes scanned the girl's face for any signs of resentment, but all Spencer could read were the signs of someone telling the truth.
The bus practically exploded with laughter, leaving Spencer to feel all of the the feelings she thought she repressed. Angry, scared, sad, lonely. All of it was there to see, and she was so vulnerable at the moment.
"I SAID! TO! SIT!," the bus driver boomed, "DOWN!" The bus driver turned a corner so sharp, that Spencer let go of the tops of the leather seats she was holding on to.
It all happened so fast. One moment, Spencer was holding on for dear life, the next moment, Spencer's life flashed before her eyes, as that very thing was about to be taken. In a school bus of all places.
Spencer shut her eyes tight, not wanting to witness the moment her life would end. After ten seconds, her eyes were still shut, she realized she wasn't in pain. Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked a few times and gasped at the fact that she was above everyone. LITERALLY above them. She floated horizontally near the roof of the bus, looking down on everyone's gaping faces.
"Um…"
Just then, Spencer floated gently down into the seat beside the rude girl, who was now gaping like everyone else. The seat belt buckled itself, and tightened.
Then chaos ensued.
Once Spencer was in the seat, the girl beside her began to scream.
"What's wrong, Lolo?," numerous voices asked at once.
Anyone who wasn't blind and had a chemically balanced brain would see what the cause of Lolo's screams were.
Spencer's eyes widened at the sight of Lolo's ponytail being pulled up into the air.
Lolo's hair wasn't the only floating thing. Backpacks, school supplies, and jewelry began to fly around, causing an uproar. The bus driver honked on the horn, shouting at everyone to "SIDDOWN AND SHUT UP!" when the entire bus lurched itself into the sky, flying through the air.
If everyone's screams were loud before, they were deafening now. Even the bus driver screamed, causing Spencer, the only unafraid one, to cover her ears.
The bus lurched toward the hard, cold cement in front of the high school.
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!," someone shrilled, causing everyone to either scream, burst into tears, or some intense combination of the two.
Spencer shouted alongside her companions, silently wishing she never moved to Beverly Heights.
Right when the bus was about to crash into the ground, it stopped, then floated carefully onto the ground, as if the school bus DROVE to school.
Everyone blinked away their tears as they sat, shocked, and not ready to go to class. But alas, they had to, as the first bell was about to ring.
Taking in deep breaths, Spencer looked to her left to see how her new arch-nemesis faired out. Lolo looked panic-stricken, if not permanently scarred. Even though they would probably hate each other for the rest of the year, Spencer felt concern wash over her.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Lolo looked at Spencer, her lip quivering and eyes wide. But as soon as the initial shock wore off, she scowled at the considerate girl, hate beaming out of her bright blue eyes.
"What does it LOOK like?"
Spencer was caught off-guard, blinking rapidly.
"I, uh, I uh-"
Lolo sighed and shook her head.
"Whatever!"
At that, the whole bus decided to empty out, as if the whole "flying bus" thing didn't just happen. Spencer unbuckled her belt, regaining her composure. She decided right then and there that looking out for anyone but herself was a waste of time. It was clear that the teens of Beverly Heights were no different than the people of Orange County. Just high-class stiffs who like to use status and power to make people feel like they're less than human. Spencer knew it was irresponsible to base the behavior of an entire school population on the behavior of a bus load of kids, but she also knew that she was probably right. She was often right, after all.
Standing up, she was about to exit the vehicle when a finger tapped her shoulder.
"What now?," she asked Lolo, with a scowl on her face.
Lolo stood texting, shooting daggers at the unmoving girl.
"Um, what?"
"You just tapped my shoulder, so what do you want?"
Lolo looked at Spencer as though she sprouted two heads.
"You. Are. CRAZY!"
"If I'm crazy, then what does that make you?!"
"Ew, don't associate me with the likes of you!"
"Why not? At least I'm related to a dead popstar!"
"Yeah, so? At least I'm not some crazy, weird chick," Lolo spat out, moving out of the seats, pushing Spencer out of the way.
Turning back to Spencer, Lolo got up in her face, spitting out every jabbing word.
"You know, I wish you died instead of him."
With that, Lolo Calorie exited the bus with her head held high, claiming a personal victory.
"ARE YOU GONNA GET OUT OF THE BUS, OR WHAT?!," the bus driver hollered.
Spencer walked out of the bus, legs shaking as she did so. Standing in front of the school building, she took a deep breath and walked inside, thinking about zombies to calm her down. But all that seemed to run through her mind was the one sentence that managed to ruin her entire day.
I wished you died instead of him.
