Tales from the Darkside (Currently Being Rewritten)

16

I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, analysing the outfit I'd chosen to wear for school: a yellow and white plaid jacket over a yellow thermal crop top and straight leg grey jeans paired with checkboard Vans sneakers. I didn't know why I was bothering to actually think about what to wear instead of just throwing on a hoodie or a t-shirt plus jacket and pairing it with leggings and sneakers.
"Hey, Cora!" Dad yelled from downstairs as I made my way to the door, grabbing my bag along the way. "I'm heading to work now. You better start going as well or your going to miss the start of school!" Oh what a shame that would be.
"Ok." I waved goodbye, watching as he walked out of the front door, closing it behind him but not locking it. 4 minutes until Liam came banging on the door, sometimes he didn't even bother doing that and just walked straight in.

A car horn beeped from behind me as I locked the front door, spinning around to face the street I expected to find Liam, not a red Mercedes CLK350 Convertible. Who?
"Are you coming?" Abby called, turning her head towards me as I walked towards the car, still feeling confused. Where was Liam?
"Where's Liam?" I wondered, sliding into the passenger seat of Abby's car. Abby shrugged not answering my question before pulling out onto the road as I looked at my phone to see if there were any missed calls or messages. None.

School parking was a nightmare. Students competed for the best spots; the ones closest to the building so that it was easier to make a quick getaway, when all those were gone then people competed for the second best and so on. No one wanted to park their cars on the far side of the park across the road, a fair distance from school grounds. Abby pulled up beside a large Sweet Gum tree, angling the rearview mirror in order to apply a layer of her signature red lipstick, as I watched the crowds of students in the distance. Most were indistinguishable from one another in terms of clothing, at least from a distance, except maybe the jocks and the cheerleaders who were always wearing their uniforms even when the sports season hadn't started yet.
"Ready?" Abby asked, having finished with her touch up as she turned towards me.
"Not really." I shrugged, making a move to open the car door, swinging my backpack over my shoulders as I closed the door.
Abby appeared a second later, dressed in a green plaid overall skirt over a dark grey jumper with black studded wrap pumps; looping her arm through mine as I sighed in the direction of the school building. "Well, you'll probably be out of here before lunchtime." Abby noted as I nodded in agreement, that was probably true.

I parted ways with Abby at my locker, expecting Liam to come out of nowhere...he didn't. There was only three maybe four people in the English classroom, one in the front row and the others scattered throughout the middle row, when I walked into the classroom heading straight for the back. No sign of Ben but he was usually five minutes late anyways.
"Hi." I looked up from the desk at Paige who twisted the seat at the desk in front of me and plopped down on it.
"Hey." More people started to enter the room, no sign of Ben yet OR Mr Barrett.
Before either of us could say another word, there was a kind of gasp-like squeal of delight and then I was falling backwards in my chair, my head close to smacking the filing cabinet behind me.
Who is that?
Must be another newbie.
And the whispers had started again.
She's hot, I'll give her that.
Whoever had tackled me, soon stood up, releasing me as I stared up at the new comer; recognition sparking through me as I noted the wavy blonde hair, pale white skin, large brown eyes and the lean yet shapely figure dressed in a cropped leather jacket, blue leather corset top, skintight jeans and heeled boots.
"Erica?" I wondered, trying not to be overheard by other students and start even more rumours spreading.
Erica flung herself into the chair next to mine as I tried not to think about the fact that Ben could walk in at any second. "I didn't know you'd moved to South Carolina." Erica exclaimed, frowning as she glanced around at the students who were trying to get a sneak peek over their shoulders or from behind books they'd opened up to his everything but their eyes and foreheads. "Why is everyone staring? Does this town not get a lot of new people?"

"Sorry I'm late everyone!" Mr Barrett called, his voice muffled by the gargantuan pile of books, papers and a laptop he was carrying, slowly in the direction of his desk.  The pile landed on the desk with a faint plop, revealing a 30 something year old African-American man dressed casually in a simple button-up shirt and dark brown pants. "Now, let's talk assignments for this semester." Mr Barrett rubbed his hands together as several groans sounded throughout the classroom.