Light to Dark

Chapter Two: The Hunted

Chapter Two--The Hunted

"Brithe!" I heard someone call, and I prepared to hide from another crazed maniac trying to comfort me. I looked anxiously toward the sound, but it was just my best friend, Mia Rolland smiling and waving at me.

I could not help waving and smiling back. Mia is one of those happy-all-the-time kind of people. And who ever said happiness was not contagious?

This barrowed happiness was incomplete, though.

"Hey, Mia, what's up?" I greeted her, fingering my necklace.

Three days since the fire and I still can only manage minimum enthusiasm when speaking. This Monday was the first day of school for me since the deaths of my parents. Apparently--or at least, according to the school district--the pain of the loss of my Mom and Dad should have passed by now. Though, I must admit I will have to get on with my life, and the sooner the better.

Still, I can buy my own cow; I don't need their bull.

"I can't believe you're back in school already! Oh my God, I heard about the fire. I'm so sorry about your folks, really. They were always so sweet! I can't imagine what you must be going through, like, in that orphanage--or well, I guess you live in the beach house now, but still. I asked Mom if we could adopt you. Wouldn't that be cool? We could be, like, sisters! Though I'll still miss Mrs. Sally and Mr. Kane. I know you will, too. Of course you will, I mean, they are your parents!" Mia bubbled on and on fretfully.

"I would totally rather you adopt me than some strangers," I agreed in a hard, serious voice.

When it comes to personality, we two could have been twins. Kinda. Happy, cheerful, gossiping--nothing really unkind, though; we weren't like that--and commenting on what everyone was wearing. Though Mia was way more prone to gushing than I was, and more trivial. I admitted it to myself; I really did not feel like 'Blithe Brithe' right that second.

When it comes to looks...we could not be much farther apart.

Mia had longish, brilliant, royal blue hair, styled in a fashionable (not by my book, but whatever) pompadour. Obviously, she died it that color and red-orange seemed to always show at the roots. That most likely helped the overall look of the hairstyle. She had a medium tan and was a bit short for a sixteen year old. Her brown eyes were large and eyelashes thin. She was a little toothpick in appearance. Actually, that was not a bad comparison. Like, one of those toothpicks that are kind of dark with those little blue plastic things on top that you see at parties skewered through cheese.

I was tall and slender, but it was not to the point where it made me look eleven years old such as in Mia's case. My long, straight, jet-black hung to mid-waist, very un-pompadour like. It was anything but 'boring' though; long hair is so much more useful and pretty than short. I was pearly pale, with ice blue, diamond shaped eyes. The contrast between the ivory tone of my skin and dark hue of my tresses added extra pallor to my skin's appearance, not to mention and unreal quality in my looks. (This is according to my good friend, Lauren Strillvan. It was meant as a compliment, as if to make me look like something out of a romance novel. I was not sure whether or not I took it that way.)

"I know, right?" exclaimed Mia. "I told her that. She said she did not know, but, I mean, come on, why would she leave to some strangers, or weirdoes--like the Mareaus. What would you do if you were adopted into that family?"

"Mia!" I cried, astounded. "How can you say that? Renee nor Anthony ever did you anything wrong. Besides, Lauren is dating Anthony, and she is coming this way." It was true. Lauren Strillvan had just turned the corner, saw us, and was heading over with a look of importance. I understood this, the 'hot' look--hot gossip or hot guy. Or hot pizza. One of the three.