Shadows of Destiny

CHAPTER 4 - The Party

I walk in through the school doors just as the bell rings to signal that first period has ended. As I walked down the halls to my locker, I notice the lights are flickering more than usual. This school really needs to buy new lights before our permanent headaches from the fluorescent’s above turn into seizures. I walk past some of the freshmen who speed past me, scared of being late to second period. 

I arrive at my locker and quickly grab my books before walking across the hall to my ELA class. Thank god there's an open seat next to Sab (Sabrina). I really need to tell her about that dream. I shudder, remembering the water closing in on me, the look in Caels eyes, his hand holding mine…I shake the thoughts from my mind. It’s just a dream, I remind myself. A stupid, overly realistic dream. I walk past a few desks and pull out the chair next to Sabrina from under the table. It lurches across the ground with an audible scrape against the cheap tiling. I drop my tote bag next to me and smile at Sabrina as a greeting. Mrs. Briggs stands up at the front of the class and clears her throat.

“So since you guys are done with the booklet I handed out on Monday, that means we will be starting our semi-independent book study. I know I enjoy having somebody to talk about what I'm reading with, so you will be doing this in partners. Since you guys were surprisingly good this week, I’ve decided to let you pick your partner” The class lets out a small cheer and Mrs Briggs chuckles lightly. I glance to the right of the classroom, where Gina and Cory are already making eyes at each other. I roll mine at how cheesy the two get. Seriously, just date already!! 

“You and your partner will go down to the library and pick out a book that has an identical copy and is relevant to the theme of this unit. Which, of course, is Human experiences. This means you can pick survival stories, WW1 or two stories– or even a book on Ryan Reynolds if we have one.” No one laughs, and I cringe slightly for our poor teacher. Everyone sits still and waits to be excused. “Does anybody have any questions?” Mrs. Briggs asks at last. 

My hand shoots straight up and she nods, letting me know I can speak. “Can me and Sabrina stay in the library after picking our book?” I hope she says yes so I can tell her about my dream in private. No one ever lingers around in our school's dusty library unless they were going to make out-in which case they won’t care about Sabrina and I’s conversation anyways.

“Umm yes, that shouldn't be a problem.” Thank goodness I was a good student, teachers didn't usually think twice about me and a group working somewhere else, simply because they knew work would still get done. Except for the odd time like this, I note. Mrs. Briggs answers a few more questions and sends us all down to the library.  Me and Sabrina quickly pick out a book called ‘10 Days in a Mad House’ written by Nellie Bly. We walk over and sit down at one of the tables in the middle of the library. We both set our copies of the book aside straight away, wanting to talk first.

“Late by a whole class, Lia? I never thought you’d be COOL in our senior year!”

“Trust me, it wasn’t intentional,” I reply, already trying to steer our conversation towards the dream.

Sabrina brushes my comment aside, “Blah blah blah, you’re ruining my theory! Here’s what I think happened; You suddenly realized your life is boring and wanted to spice it up but could only get through one class before you missed your dear best friend-” Sabrina strikes a dramatic pose, “Sabrina!”

I laugh at her goofy reenactment of what DIDN’T happen. “You done yet?”

“I could keep going if you like,” She offers innocently, grinning mischievously. I open my mouth to say something when my brain flashes the dream in front of my eyes. Caels stupid smirk, the statue with the veil, the room filling with water…I nearly feel myself begin to drown again.