My Darkest Nights

Chapter 1

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Panting, I  jolt up from my bed grabbing my pocket knife from under my pillow in the process.  Holding my knife out in front of me I survey my surroundings taking in every aspect of my room. My eyes land on my alarm clock and as they do I read the time, 7:30am. 

"Shit!", I exclaim. I'm running late for school... again. I hop up from my bed, closing my pocket knife and placing it on my nightstand. I dash to my dresser throwing off my pajamas and throwing on some denim shorts and a bright orange tank top. I then slip on my high top converse before flinging open my bedroom door and heading to the bathroom. 

I begin brushing my teeth as quickly as I can when...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"One minute!", I scream spitting toothpaste from my mouth. I grab my brush and run it through  my hair, before taking a final look in the mirror. Deeming myself fit to leave the house I rush to the front door where my backpack lays on the floor. I throw it over my shoulder before opening the door. Standing on the steps of my trailer with his fist raised to the door as if he was about to knock again is none other than JJ Maybank, a fellow Pogue and one of my best friends 

"Sergeant.", JJ says saluting me.

"Corporal.", I say saluting him back. 

I close the door to my trailer following JJ down the steps and over to John B's van, the Twinkie. JJ pulls the door open and allows me to climb in before he hops in himself pulling the door shut behind him. 

"Took you long enough!" John B says looking back at me through his mirror. 

"Sorry sorry" I say as I throw my backpack to the ground. 

"Step on the gas. Now!", Pope bellows from the passenger seat. "I cannot be late for the last day of school!"

John B chuckles before putting the Twinkie in drive and taking off. Me and JJ swap glances before bursting into  a fit of laughter. 

"Chill Pope, if it was up to me we wouldn't going at all.", JJ states leaning back with his arms behind his head. 

"I second that!", I say raising my hand. 

"Of course you do Cassie!", Pope says "You always agree with JJ." 

I shoot Pope a wink and let out another giggle.

"If we have to go we might as well get a little high.", JJ says pulling a joint out of his back pack and lighting it. 

"OH YES!", I cheer taking the joint from his fingers and putting it in between my lips, taking a  hit. 

"No no no! Not right now. I can't go into school smelling like this. I'm going to get a second hand high." Pope whines, putting down the window and sticking his head out. 

"As much as I'd love to, "John B says snatching the joint from me, "we are not hotboxing the Twinkie right now." Putting down his own window John B throws the blunt to the wind letting it fall onto the road. JJ smashes his face to his own window letting out a dramatic sob. I pat him on the knee and scowl at John B in the mirror before I begin to stare out my own window.

As, I stare out at the world I take in the views around me, the place I've grown up. I live on The Cut, the working-class side of Kildare island. On The Cut we work to serve the rich folk on Figure Eight, the side of Kildare where the snobby elitists hole up.  We get a lot of shit, but hey who cares what everyone else thinks. 

The only thing I care about is making it through the last day of school and having the summer of my dreams. It's been a rough couple of months. I've done some things I'm not proud of but this summer is the time to take my life back. I'll be damned if anyone tries to get in the way of the Pogue's and I surfing the biggest swells Kildare has seen in decades. This will be the most unforgettable summer if I have anything to say about it. 

-

Soon enough, we are pulling up to school and JJ and I let out a simultaneous sigh. We make eye contact again giggling, earning a disapproving stare from Pope.

"Out now!", Pope demands checking his watch. "We only have 3 minutes to get to class thanks too little miss sleep in Sally over there."

"Hey!" I say in leaping from the van. "You know 3 minutes is better than none, just be glad that I got ready so fast."

"And she still looks good!", JJ chimes in as he slings his arm over my shoulder and we enter the school. I blow him a kiss and he catches it stuffing it in his pocket. John B and Pope roll there eyes , and I stick my tongue out a them earning a hearty laugh from JJ. 

Rounding the corner of the hallway I take a deep breath in. I can do this. The last day of school. My last day having to see Mr. Tanner for 3 months. I've been waiting for this day for a while. 

As me and the boys enter the classroom, I tense up as the first pair of eyes I meet are Mr. Tanner's. He runs his eyes down my body before flashing me a sly grin, that only I see. I immediately advert my eyes moving to make eye contact with someone else, anyone else. Thank God, I  make eye contact with Kiara, another one of my best friends and the only other girl in our friend group. I flash her a big smile as I plop down in the seat next to her. 

"There you are!", Kiara exclaims "You look great today!"

"That's what I said!", JJ says a little too loudly from behind me , earning some stares from my other classmates. The bell rings and the whole classroom goes silent.

"Well class, can you believe it, the last day of school", Mr. Tanner said shuffling some papers together on his desk. "Now I don't have much for us to do today, but what I do have is your graded essays. " He picks the papers up and begins to hand them out.  I keep my eyes on my desk as he nears me, but I can feel him getting closer. 

As Mr. Tanner finally reaches my desk he clears his throat. I stiffen but lift my eyes from my desk making eye contact with him. 

"Excellent job Cassie", Mr Tanner says placing a hand on my shoulder. I hold his stare but notice his eyes drifting to my chest. They linger there for a moment before he proceeds to hand out the rest of the papers. Shit, I don't have a bra on. I cross my arms over my chest and shudder at the thought of his  face which has somehow been burned into my mind.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when JJ taps my shoulder. "Huh" I say over my shoulder.

"How'd you make out?" he says. 

"Oh uh an A-, how about you?"

"Wow wanna switch?!? I got a D+ , but hey what can ya do?"

I stifle a laugh and look to the rest of my friends. Kie and John B both hold up there papers that showcase B- in red ink. I give them a thumbs up before looking to Pope who dangles his paper from his hand. At the top of his paper reads A+. I roll my eyes at him but give him a smile anyways, I didn't expect any less out of him. 

As I look back up to the front of the room, Mr. Tanner has his eyes on me again as his begins to address the class,  "Since this is the last day, I figured we'd just do a class reading of Romeo and Juliet. I'll read as Romeo to get us started and hmmmm... Cassie, how about you read as Juliet and then we will switch off reading aloud in pairs". 

I  swallow down the bile that has risen in my throat and and shake my head in agreement. I remind myself that this is the last day, I won't have to see him for three months. I can do this. I take a deep breath, saying a prayer that this day will fly by, before I begin reading aloud to the class.

-

Hey all I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! The first few chapters may seem a bit boring but please stick around so you can see the story build and the relationships form! Read on and rock on!

-R