Fabled Dreams || Book 1: Truth

Prologue

I stood outside. The chilly morning air was heavy and muggy. I felt like I was suffocating because the air was misty and wet. It was almost enough to soak me through. I was on my way to school. I walked to school every day from my home across the street and I enjoyed every second of it. I've always been teased and I have no friends, so I sit alone at lunch. Every day no one looks, talks, or even cares about me. Which, I somewhat don't mind as the expectations of others to look pretty or to always smile were never on me.

I now stood outside of my middle school, Riverview Academy. Everyone rushes by me, but I stand frozen. There, standing by a towering oak tree was a boy. A boy who was oddly beautiful. No one looked at him. No one noticed him. It was strange. He should be honestly surrounded by fangirls. I blinked and suddenly he was gone. Definitely strange. I shrugged and began walking up into school. I looked up at the clock. It was ten minutes past eight. I was late. I scrambled over the low brick wall surrounding the well-tended lawn. It was a shortcut, but if you got caught you were in a huge amount of trouble.

"Hey!" Shouted a stern voice.

"Uh-oh..." I whispered. I turned slowly. Mr. Benden, our groundskeeper, was standing practically two inches from my face. I jumped startled.

Before he could escort me to the office a silky smooth and strange voice intervened, "Stop."

We both turned to the boy who had been standing by the oak tree earlier. I couldn't believe it. He was standing there in defense for me? "Sorry, my car was busted and we were late. Let's go, Arianna."

I stepped towards him. Anything to be left alone. Then I realized I didn't know him. That was strange because I felt like I knew him. I sighed finally deciding to follow him. When we walked I asked how he knew me and the very suspicious thing was he changed the subject and never answered. So, I decided to ask him something else, hoping to get at least one answer from my mysterious savior, "Why could no one see you this morning?" I asked, "And another thing, uh.... Who are you?"

"Wait.... You could see me?!" He stopped walking in surprise.

I stopped as well and turned to him slightly impatiently, "Yeah... I could and seriously, who are you?" I was getting rather annoyed.

"My name is Damien Galiant." He replied, smiling softly at me.

"That name... it sounds... familiar..." I said thoughtfully.

He looked at me strangely. It was a sort of sad, knowing look. I walked into my classroom. People snickered and threw wads of paper at me. I sat at the very back of the room and shrunk down in my seat. I looked at the teacher and the board. Damion stood by Mr. Hax. He must be a new student. He walked over after introducing himself, to the empty desk by me.

'What is he doing? A hot guy like him sitting next to Miss. Geek. Uh, yuck!!'

I looked around confused but no one had said anything. Now, I noticed something odd. Maranda, Miss. Beauty Queen looking at me but it was not in her normal usual hate glare. This look was a sad and sympathetic look. That in itself is weird and then, I looked around the room. Everyone had that small look. The only normal look came from Noka, a girl who hates me a lot more than everyone at the whole school. The boys were all eyeing me.

'Oh, she is so much hotter than my girlfriend.'

'Uhm...' I thought, 'This is crazy.'

That afternoon, when I sat down in my usual spot alone, everybody picked up their lunches and quickly sat with me. 'Okay, this is starting to get scary.'

"Hello," I said nervously, eyeing everyone who was all staring at me expectantly. 'This... is really... creepy.' "What do you want?" I asked a bit shakily.