The Cycle

CHAPTER 1: SURPRISE

CHAPTER 1

SURPRISE

The city blurs by in big blotches of color smearing against the window. It's another snowy day in Moon Bay, Alaska and the clouds are heavily grey. That's always been one thing that I like about Moon Bay; I always know what to expect with the weather and I'm never left in for a surprise. My parents blab on about upcoming holidays and events at work and I steadily tune them out, used to their mindless chatter by now.

My father, Forrest, drives the car and it is from him that I get my dark hair color and grey-blue eyes, all the physical traits. My mother, Lorraine, is a levelheaded woman with a keen eye for perfection and a sensitive taste for luxury. It's from her that I get all my personality traits like my heavy sarcasm and my undeniable timidity and seriousness.

I've never been much of a wallflower, although the evidence proves contrary despite what I tell myself to make me feel better. I've always been the shy girl, the outcast, the loner. It never seemed to bother me up until recently when my mother brought the subject up at dinner. Hearing my problems come out of her lips just seemed to fuel my anger. That may or may not be part of the reason that I'm ignoring her this morning. She'll never know.

My father makes a turn into Arrowleaf High School and I sigh.

"Thanks for the ride, Dad," I tell him before hopping out.

"Good-bye, Laine," he calls through the rolled window before turning around the corner and driving away.

I pull my hood up and head into the building, trying very hard to blend in with the crowd. I was born here in Moon Bay, and yet feeling out of place has always been normal for me. The kids here always seem so careless and immature and that might be part of the reason that they ignore my existence, if they even care to ignore me.

I walk into my anatomy class right after the bells rings, but my teacher doesn't notice my tardiness. I guess being invisible does have its perks. Mr. Franco does roll call and he accidentally skips over my name, something that happens on a daily basis. I sigh and decide I'll talk to him after class instead of speaking in front of all these students, like the coward I am.

The day passes on lethargically, but everyone seems to be highly excited, whispering and gossiping between and during classes. I'm not even trying to listen to the news and yet somehow I still manage to absorb all of the information. I even unintentionally find myself eavesdropping on two girls in front of me in the cafeteria line.

"He's British and he's in my English class," a tall, brunette says quietly. "He's insanely gorgeous...and when I 'accidentally'," -she quotes the word with her fingers- "dropped my pencil, he picked it up and gave it to me, like a gentleman!"

"You're so lucky!" the slim, shorthaired girl replies. "But, according to my friend Luna, he's off limits. Doesn't date."

"What do you mean he doesn't date?" the brunette asks, horrified at the thought.

I hear the other girl sigh.

"Yup. Sammy Berger tried flirting with him in her art class and he completely ignored her attempt, pretended he wasn't talking to the prettiest girl at Arrowleaf High."

"That's a shame."

They stare off into space, creating a backup at the register. I hoarsely clear my throat and they both look over their shoulders. Something in my expression must've kept them from gawking. I buy a bottle of orange juice and make my way through the crowd, to my usual seat at the back of the room; the one that's always empty. I pull out my beaten edition of The Crucible and begin reading where I left off. I just get to the part where John Proctor discusses his affair with Abigail when the chair across from me glides loudly against the tile and someone fills the empty seat. I look up cagily, my eyes guarded, and I see a petite, blonde girl with freckles lining her nose and chin smiling at me apologetically. Her dark brown eyes are framed by a pair of thick glasses that take up most of her heart-shaped face. She intertwines her bronze fingers involuntarily and nervously bites her lower lip. I guess she's waiting for me to say something.