𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐓 || Book 1

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

How many kids out of hundred would say yes if they were asked the question of all questions: Do you like school?

Well, I would. Maybe that's why I always got strange looks from everyone. Except my best friend Elena, which I was currently waiting for at the hallway.

Her parents, Miranda and Grayson Gilbert, passed away more than 3 monts ago and she didn't really talk to anyone in this time.

I was scared. Scared to talk to her. I didn't know what to do or say, which was actually a rare phenomenon in my case. During the whole summer holidays I thought about what to tell her and I was still at zero. Maybe I shouldn't say anything at all?

"Hey, Caitlyn." Elena's quiet voice attached my ears and I spun around.

My green eyes met her hazel brown ones and a small unreal looking smile tugged her lips. Her straight hair was falling down her shoulders flawlessly and her discreet Make Up was set perfectly. She didn't look like she went through a loss at all.

"Elena." I gasped, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around the brunette. I felt her clinging onto me, slightly sobbing into my jacket. When we broke apart, she put on her fake smile again.

"How are you?" How I am? I should be the one asking you that! I thought but got rid of the thought quickly, since I didn't want to get her any more emotional.

"I'm fine." I answered her question, finally daring to say it. "How are you?"

"I'm good, as far as the word still has its meaning." I just nodded, not really sure what to say anymore.

How have your holidays been? That would've been a stupid question to ask. She probably cried the whole time or whatever. Why was I so awkward at those things?

"Hiii Caitlyn, hiii Elena!!!!!!" Omg, not now!

"Caroline nO STOP!" a female voice roared and I chuckled when I spotted Bonnie's silhouette at the end of the aisle. But the blonde had already wrapped her arms around me.

"I missed you guys soooo much, you can't imagine!" she squealed while jumping up and down, making me join in since...well, I kinda had no choice.

Elena glanced at me briefly before she was pulled into an embrace by Caroline as well.

"I'm so sorry for what happened, Elena! I know that it's hard to lose someone." she mumbled after puling apart. "But if it comforts you, you still look good, even though you've been through all this."

"We really appreciate your sensitivity, Caroline." I said sarcastic, as Bonnie stopped next to me, completely out of breath. "The girl should be tied a bell, or even better a leash." she quiped, leaning on her knees.

"Hey Bon." I greeted the slightly dark skinned girl and she gave me a quick hug. "Hey Cay, Care." She pulled Elena closer. "Hi Lena."

"Don't you guys wanna start getting ready? Class starts in 10." Caroline said discreetly hectic, rushing forward. I was about to follow her, when Bonnie grabbed my wrist.

"We have time. And you know how she is." the brunette smiled at me. I nodded, slowly walking down the aisle with her and Elena.

⋙

"And so the Gauls defeated the Romans." Mr. Saltzman spoke and the sound of pens on paper echoed through the classroom.

There was already a good thing about the new school year: we got a new history teacher. Hopefully Mr. Tanner was dead or something, then at least he couldn't come back.

Alaric Saltzman took a satisfied look at his very large sketch of the struggle between Gaul and Rome, which took up the whole board. He had even used colors, I liked this man.

Elena sat a row next to me. Supporting her head with her hands, she stared into the void. I doubted she was paying attention at all. Mr. Saltzman seemed to notice that, too. "Ms. Gilbert, everything okay with you?" he asked and Elena just nodded.

She wasn't even looking up to him and I saw practically every kid staring at her, which made me feel uncomfortable although I wasn't the one who was pierced with glances from all directions.

"I truly don't know what she has." I heard a girl behind me say. "She's practically free. No parents, no rules. She should be glad they're dead."

That was enough!

I got up so abruptly that my chair flipped over and even Mr. Saltzman winced.

"Now watch out, bitch!" I snapped, leaning onto her desk. "Just to make it clear for your sunburnt brain: just shut your goddamn mouth and don't get into things that concern you a shit!"

Nobody said anything. Nobody even knew what was going on.

I wasn't the typical girl of swearing, but when it came to someone hurting my friends, even if it was with words, I could become a fury.

"Girls, I don't know what conflict is currently taking place here, but I would like you to regulate your affairs privately and refrain from any kind of swearing." Mr. Saltzman said, directing the last part to me.

I grumbled, sitting down again.

"Alright, where did we stop?"

⋙

During the break, I ran to the toilet as quickly as if it was about life and death. After my little outburst I had literally pumped liters of water into me to relieve the anger. Unfortunately, I hadn't thought about my bladder.

I pushed the door to the girls' toilets open and threw my backpack in a corner, not even noticing that I wasn't the only one present here. I shrieked like hell when I saw Elena's little brother Jeremy standing at one of the sinks.

"What the fuck Jeremy?"

"Great to see you too." he smiled and I shook my head in disbelief. "Do I wanna know what you're doing in the girl's toilet?"

He gave whatever had it's place in the sink a short glare before looking back at me. "Uhm, I don't think you do."

I nodded, looking down at my feet, trying to find something to talk about.

"Caitlyn." I looked up. "Mhm?" "I'm fine if that's what you want to know." he said, giving me a smile which, unlike his sister's, looked honest.

"It's okay. It happened and we can't change it, but don't make life hard for yourself by thinking about what you should or shouldn't say. Treat us furthermore normal, at least me."

I just nodded again. "Okay."

Treat them normal, I should get that.

"Gotta go to my next class noe, see ya." he said, taking whatever was in the sink and putting it into his backpack before rushing out of the toilet.

I grabbed my backpack from the floor and left as well. I didn't had to piss anymore.

"Was that just Jeremy on the girl's toiler??" Caroline, who opened the door in the same moment, asked shocked, but I just pushed myself past her and walked on.