The Spirit's Demon.

Chapter One.

|   |   S U N D A Y   J A N U A R Y   1 7 T H   2 0 2 1   |   |

/   /   H E M M I N G W A Y   /   /

-  5 : 0 0  P M  -

Sitting in the passenger seat of the car, I occupied myself by reading from the book in my lap. My eyes easily devouring each and every word on the pages before me causing me to be far ahead of the initial section my class had stopped on.

I was so invested in this story that I blocked out the outside world, eliminating most of my distractions with ease. It wasn't until a hand flew between my face and the book that I acknowledged anything else. "Hello... Earth to Grace?" the skinny tan hand continued to wave until I finally looked up from my book and at the face of Madalyn Hoyt.

She was my best friend since the age of nine, and was one of the most beautiful people I had ever met. Maddie had long raven black hair --that was always tied up in a ponytail-- with skin that was perfectly tan, even in the dead of winter. She was a giant goofball who was very hard to take serious, occasionally annoying me with her bubbly attitude.

Of course she wasn't so bubbly right now, in fact with her brown eyes narrowed into a death stare.

"Are you talking to me?" I ask sheepishly.

I already knew the answer, it was written across her face. "Am I talking to you!" Maddie huffed before pinching my arm hard enough for me to jerk away with a pained cry, "I was only telling you my entire life story and you weren't even listening --UGH! You're so annoying, Grace!!"

"I was just getting to the good part too."

"I'm sorry Mads, don't be upset it wasn't on purpose." I plead but she just glared. "I promise, I was just reading it because I wanted to get ahead in Mrs. Anderson's class." I lie. Well my statement wasn't a complete lie I really didn't notice Maddie start talking and I actually did want to get ahead in Mrs. Anderson's class, it just wasn't the foremost thought on my mind at the time of my opening the book, of course Maddie didn't need to know that.

"Yeah right." Maddie sniffed out my bull with a roll of her eyes, "Oh come on Maddie, I really didn't mean to ignore you --it was an accident, I swear." I plead but still got nothing in return.

Sighing I turned towards her more and shot her a look back.

Maddie was definitely overreacting now. "Nope Grace, you made your choice." She said, this time wasn't as serious as the last. I could tell by the smile that briefly cracked on her lips before being covered by an angry smolder.

At least she knows how ridiculous she's being.

"Maddie."

"No."

Sighing I marked my page and closed the book. "Maddie you overdramatic ostrich, if you don't finish your story I will beat you," instantly at my playful threat Maddie slammed on the breaks making the tires on her mother's car screech causing my side to smack into the dashboard.

"Madalyn!!" I yell, holding my side. "You could've killed me!"

"That's why we wear seat belts --and did you seriously just call me an ostrich!?"

"Yes you ostrich."

The air between us was tense for a second before we both broke out into a fit of laughter. Neither one of us being able to take the other serious. We laughed for a long while before we calmed down enough to speak again.