𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦

✮2. Normality✮

It was the perfect evening. As I looked out the window, I could see the beautiful sunset and how the sunlight made the Chinese elm's leaves glisten. Best part about living in 'Sunny Bay Area', was the sunset. Birds were starting to return to their nests and young ones. The atmosphere in my after-school coding class was calm and collective. People were listening to music while silently working on their Python. With the occasional sounds of the keyboard and mouse, there was the faint sound of the clock, ticking away. Just five minutes more I thought. 

I looked over my desk to see my best friend Yara. Her lovely black curls were falling into place like dominoes. Her sun-kissed skin looked bright as ever in the rays. She typed away, with a focused look on her face. If I could describe her in one word, it would be effortless. The girl was on top of her game and everyone was in awe of her. Maybe it's because of her beauty, charm and intelligence. I am in awe of her 'cause she's been like a sister to me. We met in high school and ever since then, we've been inseparable. 

Yara's supported me through thick and thin. When my little brother, Rowan, passed away when I was 17, she was the one who supported me through and through. My mother became too distraught to even care for me anymore, and one day she just left. Yara was my shoulder to cry on. Still is. 

I look over to the clock. Two more minutes. I looked out the window again, gazing at the sunset when my eyes fell upon two distant silhouettes. I squinted my eye to see better. One of the dark figures leaped onto the other and they both fell down. That was an odd bear-hug, I thought to myself. Before I could try and make out what I saw, I came to the realization that the class was over and everyone was getting their things together and leave. I shrugged what I saw off and began to put my laptop in my bag pack. 

"Did you get your work finished?", Yara inquired, coming towards me. "Yep, all done. I can't wait to sleep!", I let out an exasperated sigh. Yara shook her head while smiling and we left the classroom. 

"So, Chinese tonight?", I asked Yara. "Nah, what about Vietnamese?", she asked in return. I was about to respond when a strident voice from behind us called, "I was thinking more of Mexican!"  We looked over to see Dirk McAllister, or as I like to call him-Jerk McAllister, making his way towards us. 

That guy was the most obnoxious, egoistic, self-absorbed idiot you would ever meet. Blonde, tanned, khaki-shorts wearing man(basically a surfer dude) was a bozo full conceitedness. The smell of his freshly and too much applied dry shampoo made my nose scrunch up in disgust.

 He had been trying to get Yara to go out on a date with him for so many months and wouldn't budge after innumerable rejections from her. 

"Who said you were invited, McAllister?", I said blatantly. "Who said I was talking to you, Everdeen?", he boomed. I gritted my teeth thinking of ways I could end him when Yara spoke, "Dirk, do you want it in writing that I won't go out with you?" 

"Well, too bad, I know you can't resist me, Yara. I'll give you my number though, bet you'll contact me", he said with an smug smile on his face. 

"Don't know about that, but your face will surely be in contact with my fist-", I said clenching my hand, when Yara pulled me away from actually throwing a punch at him. 

"Leave that jerk alone, we have better things to do.", she said, trying to calm me down. "I know, I know, he just makes me hella mad.", I muttered, while straightening out my jacket. We made our way out of campus when I saw my second closest friend, James Hill, coming our way. 

He was a slender man with honey brown eyes, thin lips and dirty blonde hair. James was probably the sweetest guy ever. "Hey guys, how's it going?",  he asked in his British accent. "We're gonna have Vietnamese tonight and you're invited!", I said. "Ah, I'd love to but some of my friends from Georgia Tech are coming over tonight, have to hang out with them. Count me in tomorrow though!", he waved us goodbye and hurried away. 

Yara and I waved in return and when I turned to look at her, I noticed her cheeks had reddened and a smile was on her face. She was blushing? I did not bring it up though.

 We continued talking about why our professor's debate on Java being the best language was irrelevant. 

We made our way into a dark valley. "Should we turn back around, I don't feel safe here.", Yara commented, looking around at graffitied walls and dim streetlights. "It's a short-cut, don't worry.", I assured her. She had a tendency to be overanxious. Although, there was something eerie about this path. Sounds of hushed voices, lighting of cigarettes and hurried footsteps from behind us loomed through the air. 

We made a right hand turn when we saw a man, in his mid-forties, violently coughing. "Is this the benefit of smoking, they see?", I remarked. Yara took my arm and led me away from him. The man was on the ground now, definitely didn't look in good shape. 

We kept walking until, in the middle of the path, Dirk McAllister stood with a evil eye. 

A/N- Hey guys, hope you liked this chapter which gives us an actual introduction to Diana's adventure. I promise that the action will pick up from Chapter 3, I just wanted to start the book with a calm chapter, considering how things will get after this! I think I will reduce the lengths of the chapters but it won't be guaranteed. Bye!