The Quiet One

Chapter 1

With her history books clutched to her chest, Isabelle squeezed through the tight gaps in the bustling hallway. A normal day at Adamsburgg High, where your either hot or not, no in-between. Isabelle deemed herself a "not", most definitely. She was short for her age with sparkling brown eyes, dappled with specks of hazel. Her thick hair dropped down to just below her shoulders, waves defining each strand. She had medium-sized lips and tanned skin. Isabelle was athletic and fit. She had a small group of friends, which she had deemed nicknames for. Achelle was the Outgoing One. Hayden was the Cool One. And Isabelle was the Quiet One. Her three friends had always been their if she needed a shoulder to cry on. It's been that way ever since second grade.

That was the year Isabelle's dad left her and her mom to care for themselves. Her mom said he stormed off, without even telling her where he was going. Isabelle had been too young, too naive, to understand. Her mom said she wanted a fresh new start, to get far away from the hell-hole called Texas, as she described it. In her little town in Texas, Isabelle was quite a popular kid, well for a kid anyway. She was used to those kids, but when she moved miles away to California, Isabelle became quiet and lonely. It was her first day of second grade when she met Achelle and Hayden. The only people that invited her to play with them. Since then, their friendship has grown.

When Isabelle finally made it out of the rowdy herd of kids that were now heading to their classes, she made her way to history class. She loosened her grip on the books, feeling more secure now that she was out of that stampede of teenagers with bad body odor.

Isabelle then felt a sudden jolt from behind and a scream. Achelle.

"Why do you do that everyday?" She squeaked, clutching her textbook. Isabelle tried to look mad, but Achelle's massive giggle fit made her crack up too. Achelle looked at her watch, trying to suppress her smile. Achelle had short blonde hair which was naturally straight, with her movie star good-looks and her tall figure, she was beautiful. Her pale skin reddened as she laughed, showing off her even teeth.

"Oh God, we got to go!" She huffed, tapping the watch. Achelle grabbed her textbook and they both sprinted to Mr. Barn's History class. Mr. Barn was a tall guy. VERY boring to even be around. He looked around fifty with his black hair. But, if you look closely, you could see small gray streaks. And, despite his boring personality, he always dressed sharp.

Breathing hard, the two stumbled into Mr. Barn's class just as the bell clattered in the hall. Isabelle and Achelle sat down in the two desks directly in the center of the class. The very back held the trouble-makers and the bad popular kids. In the front sat the teacher's pets, the angels, of the class. On either side in the middle were the two mixed together. Last but not least, the center, where the undetermined group sat. The ones who were a bit of everything, like Isabelle and Achelle. The same for every class, not one thin different.

"All right kids settle down", Mr. Barn said in a tone that said I-have-better-things-to-do. As he began his speech about Ancient Egypt, the class sighed in unison, already ready for class to be over.

"I wish Hayden were in this class with us, he would make it humorous", she smirked, leaning over the desk. Isabelle replied with a quick nod and Achelle turned back to her notes. Hayden was a tall guy, with dirty blonde hair. His short, straight hair defined his laid-back personality. But, he was still a good time.

Isabelle's mind wandered, not focusing on her notes nor the board. She was always an over-achiever, which sometimes got annoying. Whenever she wasn't with Achelle and Hayden or reading, Isabelle would always go ahead on her classes. She took these notes last week.

Isabelle stared into nothingness as Mr. Barn continued the process of mummification. She leaned back on her chair, but something blocked her. Her backpack! She had forgotten all about it. Unlike the other students who put everything into their locker, Isabelle stashes her important possessions into a backpack to carry around. It consisted of her phone, a charger, a book (VERY important), a first aid kit, and some snacks. She slid off the backpack and placed it on the floor, unzipping the small front pocket and pulling a ring out. Zipping back up the small pocket, she placed the ring on her finger.