Unknown

Chapter Two

Present

                To this day I wear the necklace as a good luck charm everywhere I go. People at school give me looks but I shrug it off and walk on. My friends know the story and they keep the talk of their dads to a minimum. I kind of hate it because they look at me as if I'm damaged. I'm cool with it.  I honestly would love it if they talked about their dads.

                At lunch I sit and wait for my friends to get here. Our lunch table is close to the exit just in case something unexpected happens. You know expect the unexpected. I get bored easily so I pull out my French assignment and work on it until Clara sits down. "Hi. How was French?" she asks me. "You know, foreign as usual. How was Algebra," I ask. "Ugh, frustrating." I finally look up from my workbook.

                Clara has faint bags under her green eyes. She obviously tried to cover it up with makeup. Her face is pale and skinny. Her short, brown hair flows down to her shoulders.  "I bet," I say looking back down at my French. "How are you feeling," I ask. "Why do you ask?" She asks. "Just curious," I answer. "I'm feeling superior," she says sarcastically. "Cool," I say.

                I close my workbook and drop it into my book bag. Jason walks up and sits to my left. I ask how history went, you know small talk. I look at him and ask, "Staring Contest?"  He never refuses.  On the countdown by Clara, I stared into his pale blue eyes.  "Where's Rae," Clara asks about thirty seconds after we started.  "She's in line, she should be here soon," Jason said without breaking eye contact.

                My eyes are starting to strain but suddenly someone slams there tray down, causing Jason to blink. "Damn it, Rae!" She busted into laughter. "Thanks, you saved me there," I say with a smirk. I look over to see Jason pouting.  "Ha no problem," she said.

                "Finally," Clara exclaims. "Alright here are your invitations to my Christmas party. You better come or else." "Or else what?" Jason asks. "I'll kill you," she answers with a straight face. "You can bring ONE guest, but that's it. No 'he/she can't come if his brother/sister can't go'. You'll have to find someone else or no one. I cannot stress that enough," she said. "Alright. When is it?" I ask.

                "It's on Christmas eve. I have told you two weeks early because I don't want you guys making any plans for Christmas vacation," she says. "Okay, but what if we've already made plans?" Jason asks. "Then change them," Rae said. "You are always the one who doesn't show up because you're giiirrllfriend said no." "She's right," I said. He frowned, "That's not my fault. She doesn't like the fact I hang out with girls." "Pssh whatever, we're ugly. She just likes to control you," Rae says. Clara and I nod.

                "Whatever." He says. His phone vibrates in his pocket. "Speak of the devil." He gets up and goes outside to the courtyard. We see him text, put the phone in his pocket, and walk over to his guy friends. "So, you think that was Vanessa?" I ask. "Who else would it be, Alexx" Clara asks.  "Hey Rae, how did the horse competition go?" I ask. "I won second place. Stupid Sarah Barkly won first," she moped.

                "Dude, Clara, can I invite Vanessa," Jason asks as he sits down. "I said you could invite anyone. Did I not make that clear?" She said sarcastically. "Awesome." He looked into his lap and wiggled his thumbs across his phone and put it in his pocket.

                "Alright, I'm bored," He says.  "Do you want to make an apocalypse plan?" I ask. "Sure," Rae said. "But, first, who are you inviting to the party?" she asks me. "I'll probably invite Austin." I say.  Austin is my neighbor/boyfriend. We became really close after he moved here and sat in my seat on the bus. It kind of ticked me off at first, just walking up on my bus and then sitting next to the new kid while your best friend is already predicting your future.