Avoiding Cliches

Chapter 1: Spilling Lunch Trays

Pandora grabbed her book bag from the back seat of her red 97 Toyota Corolla, her baby. She huffed as she swung her bag over her back and walked to her school. George Wilkins high school, the biggest public high school in the city of Philadelphia. Almost 800 students in her grade and the school was big enough to fit all of them. Best public school in the area, everyone would say. Worst prison ever, Pandora would often correct. Well, a prison with her best friends doing the same time. Another huff as she opened her locker to start setting it up.

"Gang, gang, gang, gang!" Pandora eagerly turned to the animated voice with a expecting smile. She easily recognized the source of the voice as her childhood best friend, Phoenix. Phoenix danced over with her dark brown hair in loose coils falling over her caramel skin and bright green eyes that popped out. Pandora smiled as she watched Phoenix make a fool out of herself. Neither of them cared anyway. They were seniors, no one else's opinion mattered. "Nine more months and then freedom!" Phoenix exclaimed as she bounced on her toes.

"Stop, you're gonna get me too excited," Pandora warned with her body buzzing with an odd excitement. "We'll get out of here and go to New York and finally be free."

"You, me, Eve and Laurel, at NYU," Phoenix sighed as she moved her hand across the empty space as of showing something. Her voice was dreamlike as if she could see the vision in the air. Pandora could see it right along with her.

It was clear as day until Pandora was literally yanked out of her daydream. She was ready to curse the unknown hand until she met familiar wide blue-green eyes matched with the pale face. There stood the only one blue-eyed blonde that she would let the action pass. Laurel, her grade school best friend, had strands falling over her eyes as she continued to yank at Pandora's arm. Her beach blonde hair bone straight. Her dark eyebrows and eyelashes helped her eyes pop out even more. Light freckles dusted her cheeks. Pandora looked at her friend with the vice-like grip on her arms and tried to snatch her arm away, but to no avail. Her face scrunched together as she struggled.

"Did you hear? Did you hear about the new kids?" she quickly asked, her talking all jumbled together. Pandora finally was able to yank her arm back before Laurel almost dislocated her shoulder.

"But you do?" Pandora questioned, but turned herself to face Laurel, her interest piqued. Phoenix joined on Pandora's side.

"They came from New Jersey, but it isn't even their first time transferring schools," Laurel began, "Four boys, extremely close friends, I heard their parents are also best friends," she continued to ramble and Pandora was beginning to lose interest.

"Who's close friends?" Another body jumped behind Pandora and leaned on her shoulder. She turned as much as she could to identify the face. She met with Eve's chocolate brown eyes, light caramel skin and bright smile. Eve's bun would occasionally bump into Pandora's head. Her eyebrows were covered by her straight bangs.

"A group of new kids," Phoenix answered as she finally stood up straight beside Pandora. "And apparently naughty."

"Oh," Eve popped up, "So your type?" she teased and Phoenix shoved her away. Eve cackled evilly as moved away from more possible hits from Phoenix. Pandora stood taller than her friends in between the chaos. Pandora always stuck out among her groups, being the tallest, darkest, and quietest. She had long braid extensions that reached the middle of her back and styled the front half with space buns. Her eyes were dark brown, close to black with her arched eyebrows going along her upturned eyes.