The Magic on the Island #Onceuponnow

Part 1: First Chapter

Suddenly Lilith and Jared are fighting again, I can hear the through the walls that are all but thick and this makes me move faster. I throw my school stuff into my worn Hunger Games backpack and take a quick glance in the tiny mirror on wall to make sure I'm at least halfway decent with my jeans and T-shirt look. With a fluff of my dark brown hair, I slip out the front door.

Standing on the porch I put on my lucky grey jacket that's been with me through good times and tough times, which is more than I can say for my foster parents. It's still sunny raining and I watch cars go down my street to the downtown area that is literally not even five blocks away. I step out into the wet sunshine and look at my house. It's an old sandy brown two level house with grass growing to my knees. It kind of sucks being that girl who lives in the really raggedy house on the block with the deadbeat couple, but if people could choose their families I wouldn't be here.

When I get to school, I remember my first day an eighth grader among a sea of upperclassmen, so happy to have been accepted with all the other smart kids. After a bit of a search through the library I find her in the back corner of the non-fiction section. That is where we meet up and hang out every morning.

"Autumn! Where have you been? We have less the ten minutes before we need to be in class."

"Yeah well I wasn't paying attention to time and Lilith and Jared got into it this morning." Her good mood flickers a little. She hates my living situation and once offered me a spare room in her house.

"Oh, well, sorry, that must really suck to deal with that every day." I always try to tell her that she doesn't have to worry about it. I just stay out of the way and go about my business. But it seems that no matter what I say about it she is never convinced or swayed to think that I'm okay. I am, I've acknowledged that my situation sucks and I have come to terms with that and have to just look forward to the future.

"Scar, how many times do I have to tell you, I'll be fine. Seriously, don't stress yourself about it we don't have time for that with all the work we get at this place. Then, let's not forget that I can basically do whatever, no limitations, it's a plus." I know that I gave some crappy reasons as to why she shouldn't worry, but I have never been good at the whole comforting people thing. She gives me that look that says, 'Yeah, sure.'

"Fine fine, I'll try to push the aggravating thoughts deep down." After few seconds and a deep breath she starts talking about the latest eighth grade gossip. But, I have other things to worry about like school assignments and what book to read next. Who needs a social life? The only other person I really talk to is Dani. She's a fangirl, I'm a fangirl, so it was inevitable that we fangirl together. .

"Oh crap! We're going to be late unless we sprint!" We quickly snatch our things off the floor and sprint out of the library and burst through the art room door literally two seconds before the bell.

"Well we got lucky, huh?" As we make our way to our seats I turn and look at her.

"Barely, we nearly unleashed the beast!" We giggle quietly.

"Well, I guess it's good that it's the last day of school so she won't be our problem next year, yeah?

"Definitely, we've been waiting for this day since our first assignment." Then, there's a shadow over us, Ms. Carol. Maybe we did upset her. I look up at her as she glares at us.

"Ladies, would you like to share with the class what it is that you're gossiping about?" Scar and I look down at our desks and say, "No, Ms. Carol."

"Good. Well then, let's get on with class, today we will..." I tune out Ms. Carol and turn to Scar, whispering even quieter than before.

"So, since we're going to get a boring end of the year speech from the beast, is there something you wanted to tell me?" Scar smiles and looks like she just recalled something funny when Ms. Carol turned her attention to us once again.

"Autumn Jones, get your things you're going to the office." My good natured spirit tilts upside down and my face falls.

"Why?"

"The office called, someone is here to pick you up." What could have happened for Lilith of Jared to come pick me up?

I grab my stuff and out of the corner of my eye I see Scar looking worried. The last time I got picked up from school Lilith was hospitalized because she got into a bad fist fight with Jared and he'd hit her too hard. I look at her with my best reassuring look.

"I'll call you later." She mumbles a quick okay and then I'm gone. Once I state why I'm there the receptionist directs me to the principal's office. This is extremely weird seeing as parents who pick up their kids wait in the lobby not the principal's office. I walk down the corridor and I knock on Principal McKinley's door.

"Come in Autumn!" It's as if she has happy face emojis on the end of her sentence. I push the door open to see McKinley and a man I have never met before who looks like he's in his early thirties. He stands when he sees me. He has dark brown hair like mine that's cut short and the same brown skin as mine except his is a bit darker. Who could he be?