There Is No Never Ever [MAJOR EDITING]

Chapter 1: Four Strangers Walk Into A Diner... [EDITED]

Cassie's POV

I stared at my blank piece of notebook paper the same as I had been for the last four hours. I can't do this. I can't write an essay when I can't even form a good idea to write about. Why did it have to be an essay on some aspect of my family history? I don't know anything about my family and I really don't care to know. Even if I had an interest in my family history, my parents aren't around for me to ask and I doubt they'd give me a straight answer anyway.

I'm going to fail if I can't get the grade on this paper. I suck at English and my teacher, Mr. Davidson knows it. Why couldn't I be as good as writing as I am at math? Where's the disclaimer that I'd only be good at analytical or dialectical learning and not both?

It doesn't help that Mr. Davidson expects a lot from his students. It's not like I could take English from a different teacher. We're too small a town to have more than one teacher per subject if we're lucky to have that; Some teachers teach two or even three courses. I'm barely balancing on the edge of failure and just hoping and praying to God that I don't fall off and succumb to the expectations of my teacher.

If I fail, everyone will think I'm a loser... hell, I'll even think I'm a loser. If I fail, I'll either have to repeat the class next year on top of my new required classes or go to summer school. Ugh, the curse of a small town!

I stared at my pen and wished it would write something without me having to do any work. That's every high school student's dream: to get work done without having to put in any actual effort. I waited a few more minutes, hoping something would come to me, but couldn't help shifting my eyes in the direction of my bed. It looked so inviting. Finally, I decided the essay could wait till tomorrow. Maybe it will finish itself while I sleep. I climbed under the snuggly warm covers to catch at least a little bit of rest.

Where was I? Looking around, I noticed that there were large trees everywhere with bushy leaves that shrouded the sky from my view. I don't know why that bothered me. Was this a forest? Suddenly I heard rustling in the bushes to my left. I realized I was sitting on the forest floor, decided there was no reason to be sitting, and then stood up.

Out of nowhere, a dark figure walked around the corner on a thin, rough pathway that obviously had not been used in a long time because it was covered in weeds, broken branches, and overgrown grass. The man was tall and held a hard expression. He almost looked old enough to be my dad, but handsome with black hair. I could see the muscles under his shirt. As I focused more on his face, I could tell he wasn't very happy. His intense glare frightened me.

What did I ever do to him? I couldn't possibly recognize a single characteristic about him and yet, he felt familiar. This scene: Us, here, in these positions. I'd been here before... But that couldn't be possible.

I wanted to ask him why we were here and who he was to me, but before either of us could say anything, a bright, blinding light shone. Where was it coming from? What did it mean?

"Wait. What... No!" I screamed as it swallowed me up in a whirlwind of agonizing light.

I sat up fast.

"Ouch!" Too fast.

I forgot my lamp was still bent up over my head. I rubbed my forehead and shoved the lamp aside, angry with it for just being a lamp.

What was that all about? None of my dreams have ever seemed to make sense, though I had begun to think the exceptionally weird ones had stopped five months ago. I guess it was the late night homework that did it. I was already starting to forget the details. The look in his eyes stuck with me, though. Whoever he was he loathed me with an unmistakable animosity. I shivered just remembering it.