A timeless place. That's where I was. As always. I had my back to the lamp post, but I knew it was there. I knew it was looming above from behind me, showering my surroundings with its timeless illumination. I put up a fight but, as always, I lost, as a force pulled me around to face the lamp post. I tightly squeezed my eyes shut against the blinding light. But the light changed. It wasn't the blinding light of a lamp this time, but warm sunlight.
It was hot and bright upon my face where the sun rays slithered through the curtains and onto my face. I opened my eyes sleepily, snuggling further into my covers. No more than a second later, my eyes snapped open to the clock on my bedside. 7.58 am it read. Oh, crap. School starts in about half an hour. I threw my blanket over to the side before stumbling up. Woah, that was not a good idea- my head was spinning. I stumbled into my closet, grabbing whatever clothes I reached first before running into the bathroom. I hurriedly washed my face and brushed my teeth before grabbing my school bag and running downstairs.
"Dad!" I called out. No response, of course, he'd already left.
I grabbed an apple off the kitchen counter, put my shoes on and made my way outside. I sighed as I locked the door and started sprinting. My phone read 8.10 am. Record time, but I really had to start waking up on time...
I looked at the reflection of myself from the back of my phone. There were bags under my hazel-green eyes and my dark brown hair was sticking up in random places. Taking out a comb from my bag, I combed through the wavy curls of my hair but who was I kidding - my hair would always look like plant tendrils, curling midway down my back. Taking a bite of my apple, I prepared myself for yet another mundane day at school.
"Kitty!" Eli perked cheerily from behind the counter when I walked into my usual stop at Chance café on the way to school. I loved this café mainly for its simplicity and solitary peace. The café, while having a respectful amount of business, was not crowded with impatient busy workers who had a list of orders for their colleagues. Besides, my best friend worked here. I usually drank my coffee while she finished her shift. I came around so often I even had a tab here. Yes, at a coffee place.
"'Morning, Eli," I replied, going over to join her as she pressed in my usual order. "And stop calling me Kitty! It's Cathy. Cathy." I emphasised on the pronunciation.
Eli smiled sweetly. I only scowled at her in response to which she replied "Right, caffeine first, then joking."
I hated pet names. They seemed condescending, somehow. Cathy was alright, it was short for Catherine. Although only dad called me Catherine. Mom used to call me Kitty ever since she read Pride and Prejudice and made Eli and I watch the movie with her. One of the Bennet girls, Catherine, was nicknamed Kitty. After that, the name stuck. However, the tables turned less than two years ago when Eli, short for the protagonist's name Elizabeth, had a crush on the highschool's Mr. Darcy, a jock named Tyler Jefferson. That, however, was a very sensitive topic that was not often open for discussion between us after he knowingly broke her heart and I knowingly broke his nose. A lot had changed since then. And no one called me Kitty ever since mom died a few years ago. Eli tried every now and then but without much success.
I moved over to the side while she gave my order to the barista, Jordan.
"Hey, Cathy," Jordan greeted, beginning to make my large cappuccino while Eli served other customers.
"Hey, Jordan, still working here, huh?" I replied. Jordan Reed was a student at our highschool, Hearstbridge high, who was also in my Chemistry and English Literature class.
"Yup, saving up for college," Jordan did not like to financially depend on his parents. So here he was, working every weekday with Eli a year before we graduate. He was actually quite good looking, but unfortunately he was also friends with Tyler. Even more unfortunate was his friends with-
"A large cappuccino for me and a latte for the pretty girl." a voice cut through out conversation. I didn't even bother glancing over. I already knew it was Wesley Bane with yet another girl. I had already lost count of the number of girls he brought here after he reached the number fifty mark, with a new girl every morning. Sometimes she didn't even last all day, and he'd bring a different girl in the afternoon.
"Can you make that carb-free?" the girl added, giggling. I finally looked over to see a girl from the cheerleading team, a blonde, giggling at his side. She must be a new recruit because Wes had gone through every single cheerleader first, of course.
"Um, sugar-free, you mean?" Eli raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, and that too!" the girl gave another outburst of a high pitched giggle.
Jordan and I snickered silently. The girl gave us a weird look and a glare. I stole a glance at Wes and saw that he was discreetly biting his lip to hide a smile while looking away from the cheerleader.
Eli coughed, covering her laughter, before breathing in and replied, "Sure."
I rolled my eyes as Wes slid his arm over the girl's shoulder as she snuggled closer to him. His hand travelled down her arm and went lower and lower. I liked Jordan and all, but because he was best friends with Wes, I had to question the guy. I sincerely disliked Wes. Wesley Bane was narcissistic. He was the guy every girl wanted and the guy every guy aspired to be. He wasn't a jock himself, but somehow, all the football players listened to his advice on the field as though their lives depended on it. Yes, he is quite good looking. But the problem was that he knew that too well and he knew how to use it to his advantage.
Even I had to admit, despite hating his disreputable ways of flirting with any girls in the vicinity, that his looks certainly did a great deal in his favour. With his black messy hair that swept just above his startling grey eyes and gave him the right just-got-out-of-bed-look that was a great contrast to his flawless light olive skin. His well-sculptured body also did his looks justice. Yes, even I gawked at him. But, really, it wasn't my fault. Any hormone-filled teenager would stare at such a beautiful creation. But I'm stopped just as suddenly when he does something that reminds me of the spoiled, dishonest guy behind. All Wes did was party, hook up with girls left, right and centre, and then beat me in every single damn test at school. For that Wesley Bane was, literally, the bane of my existence.
"Jordan!" Wes smiled, walking over to where I was standing by the counter across from Jordan. He made a show of looking me up and down and smirking. My lip curled up in distaste and I abruptly turned around and walked over to Eli. See what I mean? Him being Wes completely ruined his hotness. What a shame.
"Hey man, what's up?" Jordan replied, grabbing a chocolate shaker to dress the milk foam.
"You coming over later, yeah?" Wes leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, of course," Jordan replied. "Large cappuccino?" he then called out.
I walked over and reached for my coffee but instead, my hand closed around another hand. I looked up to see Wes standing next to me, his hand under mine.
"That's my coffee," I stated.
"Nope, I just ordered that. Get your own coffee," he replied.
"Bro, don't mess with Cathy's coffee," Jordan looked over. "She's dangerous without caffeine."
"I like a bit of danger," Wes whispered, his grey eyes shining.
"Yeah?" I said in a flat tone. "Then you have nothing to do with me."
"It's the quiet girls that are the kinky ones," he winked.
I blanched, but tried to keep my cool, "And it's guys like you who're man-whores."
He opened his mouth to say something but I quickly cut him off, "Well, if you don't mind, could you kindly remove your hand?" I looked pointedly at his hand.
His eyes had a certain glint to them as he winked at me before he squeezed his hand. The cap sprang off, hitting my face as coffee spilled over my hands. I shrieked as the hot coffee scalded my hand, effectively causing me to drop the cup. I was glad to see that I dropped it on Wes' shoes though, causing it to splatter on his jeans.
"What the hell?" he shrieked, jumping back.
"Don't 'what the hell' me!" I shouted at him. "What is your problem, Bane?!"
"Well, you see, there's coffee on my shoes now," he frowned. "They were expensive too, you know."
I huffed in irritation, fuming, "If only money could buy decency."
"Bro, seriously?" Jordan sighed in exasperation. "Who do you think is gonna clean that up?"
"Well, she dropped it," Wes said reasonably.
My mouth fell open in shock. There was literally no sense in this guy!
"Just- please- another coffee, Jordan?" I rubbed my temples. "I need caffeine to deal with this."
I stalked off, grabbing a mop from behind the counter where Eli was standing and cleaned the mess and myself up while Jordan made me another coffee. I took it gladly, pointedly ignoring Wes. The cheerleader was pouting at him for leaving her alone.
"Can you believe him?!" I fumed at Eli, who was free of customers.
"I think your caffeine addiction worries me more," Eli commented.
"Says the one selling the stuff," I replied.
"There are plenty of fattening cakes and Danishes to choose from instead. But seriously, if you slept more you wouldn't need so much coffee."
I gave Eli a look. She always took any opportunity to discuss my sleeping patterns, or rather my lack of sleeping patterns. I usually got off on four hours of sleep, if I was lucky enough. I quickly diverted the topic, "So when do you get off? School starts in five minutes."
"Now, actually," she replied, throwing her working brown apron with green straps over her head. All Chance café workers had to wear an apron that had "Go take a chance in life, but before you go, how about a cup of tea?" scrawled across the torso.
"Jordan, school starts in five," Eli called over. Jordan nodded and pulled himself over the counter and waited for Wes impatiently. The cheerleader was tipping coffee into Wes' mouth playfully. Some spilled over his lips, to which she licked it, trying to look seductive. Eli and I rolled our eyes, looked at each other and laughed. The two Chance workers taking over the next shift showed up, allowing Eli and I to go. We walked out into the chilly air of an autumn early morning.
Jordan never walked to school with us. Outside Chance café, we barely spoke to Jordan or Wes, that was an implicit rule. Wes and Jordan were well known at school and often had a crowd around them constantly whereas Eli and I, we just preferred to blend in, spending our time peacefully away from the crowd that seemed to flock mainly around Wes and Jordan. It wasn't that we were anti-social or anything, okay so maybe we were. But we were just content to how our lives were.
-
"Anyway, so you remember that guy I was telling you about- Mathew?" Eli said, as we walked to out first class of the day, English Lit class.
"The first year college guy who looks like the reincarnation of Dracula?" I asked.
"Har har," Eli replied dryly. "And yes, that's the one. I'll have you know that he's just pale with a widow's peak hairline."
"No one in this century combs their hair back that much," I commented.
"Anyway, he's having a little party this Friday night and invited us."
"You mean he invited you to his dark and mysterious home where he can feed off your blood."
"Cathy, be serious. I think this guy's the one!"
I sighed, "Eli, you think every guy you meet is the one."
"Pleassee, Cathy," Eli gave me a puppy look, her blue eyes widening pleadingly. "He said there were going to be a few high schoolers and college students too.
No fair, she knew I couldn't resist that puppy look. "Fine, fine, we'll go. But I swear, if you get too drunk again and climb on the roof claiming to be superman again, I'm dragging you out."
"Yayyy! I love you!" she squealed, jumping a hug on me. "Besides, we can find you a man. You really need to start dating."
"Okayyy, don't push your luck," This happened often. Eli would meet someone, a customer at Chance café usually. They'd invite us to a party or a trip out with their friends, I'd get dragged along while Eli flirted. Sometimes, she'd be successful and get a boyfriend. But most of the time, it was just the fun of meeting someone new, thinking of all the possibilities that came along with each person and leaving, as Eli often told me. Although I knew the real reason Eli didn't want a steady serious boyfriend. After what happened with Tyler, Eli could never properly commit to any romantic relationship.
We walked into the usual pre-class buzz of the English Lit class. We took our seats in the middle row. Just as Jordan and Wes came in, the jocks in the back row were already loudly signalling for them to join their group. Before Jordan and Wes had even sat down, the jocks had already started discussing football and new tactics they were thinking of employing in the next game.
Mr. Coulter, our English Lit teacher, then walked in. We had just started learning Greek Mythology and were told to read Medea over the weekend and were going to analyse and go over the play today. The class went by with Mr. Coulter droning on about gender roles, Greek mythology, culture and society. I, of course, wrote down all the important notes while Eli discreetly texted on her phone throughout the class. It was probably Mathew.
"Mathew said he couldn't wait for Friday! I'm so excited! Let's go shopping for something to wear!" Eli squealed the second we left English Lit class. I knew it was Mathew.
"Sure, we'll go after you finish work today."
"Great, I get paid today!" she said excitedly. I chuckled at her excitement as we headed for a double Biology class. Eli didn't care that we were studying the organelles of cells, she kept writing notes throughout the class on what dress to get. This continued through the break after and the free study period after.
"Would a ball gown be too much?" Eli asked, searching her phone for dress ideas.
"To this generation, yes. But to his, absolutely not," I replied seriously. She just shoved me playfully in return.
"Sweetheart or v-neckline?" she said on a more serious note.
I hit my head down on my math books. I just wanted to study...
"See, this is the reason you need to come," Eli poked my side. "You're such a nerd."
"Thank you for always having my best interests at heart," I replied dryly, picking up my pen to work on the next problem.
After that, I headed to my Trig class while Eli headed to her Algebra class. This was the only class I didn't have with Eli and one of the most boring classes, despite loving math.
"Test results are out for last week's lest," Mr. Rayn announced at the end of class.
All the students scrambled to the front where a large paper was tacked to the board with everyone's names and scores on them. I found Catherine Proud towards the top of the list. My heart almost skipped a beat and then sunk horribly. Second again. Of course, Wesley Bane was first again. Even though he was discussing the events of the party the night before the test at homeroom, he still managed to get top marks! I grabbed my bag in frustration and walked out to my locker to find Eli waiting for me to go to lunch.
"What took you so long?" Eli asked.
"Test results were out," I replied, shoving my bag moodily into my locker.
"Wes beat you again, didn't he," Eli smiled knowingly. It wasn't even a question anymore, but a statement.
"Don't give me that look!" I snapped my locker shut and we headed for the cafeteria, grabbed lunch and headed towards the stone fountain outside the cafeteria with a large bench in front of it where we usually hung out.
"I don't see why he gets to you so much," Eli was saying, opening her burger and taking a bite.
"He doesn't deserve getting first place every time!" I unwrapped my schnitzel roll.
"You don't know that, he could be secretly studying and not attending all those parties."
"Eli, all we hear in homeroom is them ranting on about each party and who did who, what and where," I pointed out.
"What if that's his twin? I mean that would explain a lot."
"I just hate the fact that he's so loved, looked up to, good-looking AND intelligent. Talk about unjust and unequal distribution of qualities. He can't have all that and still play around with anything that has boobs," I ranted.
"Woah someone's been paying a certain other a bit too much attention. This is a typical shojou manga! Your arch-nemesis, your one true rival, your one true love!" Eli laughed.
"Mr. Dracula has clearly been taking too much blood from you," I sarcastically replied. "I know how biting into people's necks with sharp teeth is somehow considered erotic by some and all that, but he really needs to ease up."
Eli shoved me playfully, "Yeah your right." I gave her a weird look. To which she protested, "No, I mean about the impossibility of you and Wes. You'd sooner join the cheerleading team and start asking for non-carb coffee then be with Wes."
I laughed, "I don't know if that's insulting me or insulting Wes."
"Wes, obviously. He's close friends with Tyler. I mean, anyone who'd want to be around Tyler must be like him," Eli said quietly.
"Yeah," I said, not knowing how to reply to that topic. "Although Jordan isn't that bad."
"Yeah, but anyone popular, funny and hot probably has some other dark side and I'd rather not be involved in that again."
"You just admitted he's hot," I smirked, uncapping my water bottle and taking a sip. Eli had profusely refused to acknowledge any of Jordan's good looks ever since he started working at Chance.
"Well, it helps in business," Eli replied unconvincingly.
"Yeeah, let's go ask him now about which ground coffee he ordered in," I smirked back.
"Whatever," Eli rolled her eyes at me. Speaking of the devil, Jordan and Wes had just walked out of the cafeteria and were passing by on their way to the basketball field. Jordan was laughing at something with Wes as he pushed his wavy dark brown hair out of his olive-green eyes. Jordan was not as muscled as his friend, but still had the strong grace that fit guys had. Jordan was, well, Jordan. He was light and friendly and was almost always in a good mood. Wes, on the other hand seemed much more guarded than his outgoing, unaffected friend. Wes gave off that intimidating, condescending but approachable look. However, it didn't look effortless. His composure had a hint of being forced, but his careless attitude did not give away his carefully composed nature.
I took another bite of my lunch, chewing slowly. Not realising that this was the last day of my uneventful life.
Okay so this chapter may have been a bit long, but it was an important chapter in terms of introducing the characters and their average daily lives before all the fun starts! Promise!
~ TheNightMarauder