Dissension of the Mind

Chapter One: The Mysterious Stranger

Chapter One

The mysterious stranger

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“Alexandria Elizabeth Jane, would you PLEASE get down here!”

I cringe. You know my mom is mad when she calls my full name.

“Mom, I’ll be right down! I’m just getting some stuff for school!”

I imagine her shaking her head and pacing downstairs. God, my mom is so uptight sometimes.

I walk over to my desk and make sure that I got all of my books, pencils, and folders before I left my room.

Today is my first official day at Lakewood High. Actually, it’s my first official day in a real school. For years I’ve been homeschooled, cyberschooled, you name it. But I have never once stepped foot into an actual highschool, and to tell you the truth, I’m petrified.

Those kids are going to eat me alive.

Before I walk out of my room I make sure to check my reflection.

“Hair? Check. Makeup? Check. Trendy outfit? Check.”

I gave myself one more look over and then walked out of the room, half expecting to be whisked off to another world. But to my great disappointment, all I saw was that one pee stain that never came out of the carpet.

I gallop down the steps, trying not to fall backwards from all of the weight in my backpack.

And there she is, the one and only…nah. I’m not doing some huge introduction.

“What took you so long? You’re going to be late and you KNOW how bad that makes the parents look!”

I roll my eyes.

“Mom, would you please chill? We have perfectly enough time to get there.”

My mother sighs and throws me the keys to her Mercedes.

“You’re letting me drive?” I ask in astonishment.

She wouldn’t even let me drive a bumper car at the fair let alone a 6 figure car.

“I’m going to have to be on the phone in the car, I’m making very important business calls and I can’t be worried about what’s in front of me.”

I don’t complain.

I grab my coat from the rack and hurry to the car. I feel giddy inside knowing that I’m actually going to be driving….like for real driving to my new school. What a great way to enter with style!

I sit my bum on the black leather seat and strap myself in. I check my mirrors as my mom slides into the seat next to me, already dialing the first number. I put the key in the ignition, take a deep breath of the Pine scented air freshener, and turn the key.

The engine comes to life and a satisfying purr warrants from the hood. I close my eyes and smile, enjoying the moment.

“Well Alexandria? Are you going to drive or are we going to sit here like zombies all day?” asks my mom in an annoyed tone.

I snap back into reality, mumbling an apology, and pull out of the driveway.

As I drive carefully into the street, my mom argues loudly with her business partner.

“I don’t care if you need me there, it’s my daughters first day of school! No it’s not cyber school, I’m saying brick and mortar school! Yes! Ugh…Gary sometimes you can really be a pain in my arse!” and with that, she snaps her phone shut with a loud click.

“Boy that man can really get under my skin.”

I nod, paying attention to the road ahead.

“Alright, you’ll want to make a left at this stop sign.”

I follow my mother’s instructions, keeping a careful eye on the road.

“Now, turn a right onto this street right here, and just keep going straight. That should get us to the school.”

“Got it.”

After a few minutes of driving down the long road, I finally notice a huge building, it’s shadow looming forebodingly over us.

Something caught my eye as I was looking at the school. What seemed to be a person in a long white hospital gown was running down the hill from the school. I blinked my eyes again and suddenly the person was right in front of the car.

“BUMP.”

I slam on the breaks, wincing at the high pitched screech following soon after.

“What the hell was that?” breathes my mother, her eyes wide with fright. Her face is as white as the gown the strange person was wearing.

“I-I don’t know, I think we should find out if they’re alright…” I say with a shaky voice.

My mom crawls out of the car first. I shut my eyes as hard as I can and cautiously open the door.

I open up my eyes…and I can’t believe what I see.