Blur

Chapter 1: Shiny Day

Chapter 1: Shiny Day

The bright morning light shines through the kitchen window as I sit at the table reading as much of the vampire book I am reading as I possibly can before being forced to go to the prison for teenagers called high school. I am so engrossed in the book that I forgot about the sausage and biscuit, which my mom had placed in front of me, a long time ago. I have forgotten about everything but the main characters of the novel. I can get so absorbed in a book about the paranormal that, occasionally, I forget that none of it actually exists. Sometimes I find myself wishing that it did exist and that I was a part of it.

Buzz. I jump a foot as my phone vibrates. I glance at the phone just long enough to see that Ryan texted me. I can guess along the lines of what the message says, but I open it anyway as I stuff my book in by backpack and sling it over my shoulder. Hurry up. Hmm, no teasing or funny remarks, somebody's in a bad mood. I remove the sausage from my plate and shove it in my mouth as I feed my dog the biscuit.

Then I quickly brush my teeth in the downstairs bathroom. I glance at my phone, I probably have only a minute or two before the bus will pass my house. On my way to the door, I stop to give my mom a kiss on the cheek. She wraps one arm around me in a hug as she pats my long, straight, glossy black hair that cascades down my back and plunges to my waist. At five foot nine inches tall, I tower over my mother even though I am a tad shorter than my older brother, Jeffrey. It is just the three of us now, me, Jeffrey, and my mom. My dad went MIA during war nearly ten ago. I don't really have any memories of him. "Bye, mom, have a good day," I tell her.

"Bye, Amanda, love you," she replies swiftly. I glance back to see her slightly disapproving face, which looks so much like mine with the same fair skin and face shape. Her blue eyes are brighter though and her curly hair is a couple shades lighter. She doesn't understand why I wake up at 'the butt crack of dawn,' as she puts it, yet still I manage to run behind. Reaching the full length mirror in the long hall, I pause long enough to appraise my outfit today, a pair of black skinny jeans and a nice red blouse accompanied with silver Toms. My dark blue eyes are outlined with black eye liner and I also wear some red lipstick, but otherwise I do not wear any make-up. I nod once at my half-way decent appearance.

I burst out my front door right as the cheese wagon rounds the corner onto my street. I sigh in relief. Every morning is a success as long as I make it onto the bus on time. I climb aboard the bus and take my usual seat by Leslie, across the aisle from Ryan. "Good morning, Amanda," Leslie greets.

"Hello," I greet them both. Ryan flips his chocolate brown hair out of his brown eyes and ignores both of us. "What's up with him?" I ask Leslie in an aside.

"No idea, he has been sulking ever since he got on," she answers.

"Oh," I say, "Well, did you both have a good weekend?"

"I didn't really do anything," Leslie answers, "but I rather sit in front of a TV watching reruns of That 70s Show than go to school any day."

"How about you?" I ask Ryan, trying to get anything out of him.