space adventures and invisible girls.

chapter one.

I crumpled up the lined piece of paper in my hands, stuffing it into the depths of my locker. The letter was a strange thing, from a very strange group of people.

I wiped away a film of oily sweat from my forehead and then my nose. It was ungodly hot. It was as though the every molecule of air was breathing on me with its sticky, moist breath down my back.

"Victor!" I heard the call from down the hall.

I turned and saw the gawky boy strut through the mass of people, towering over most of them like a giant. He had on an oversized shirt advertising the Black Veil Brides and a pair of flared jeans that were so small on him that they came a good few inches above his loafers. Behind his ridiculous attire, and thick (possibly trying-too-hard) framed glasses, there was the only kid in the whole school who talked to me when it wasn't necessary.

I quickly slammed my locker shut, holding my binder and a chewed-down pencil in one arm, while the other wrestled to keep the locker door jammed shut.

The letter was out of sight and out of mind.

"Victor," Boone exclaimed again, vehemently, wearing a loose smile. His teeth seemed abnormally long, straight and white, considering that on a daily basis he ate the equivalence to a five-year-old at a birthday party. "You don't have to hand in your history outline today. Legitimately no one showed up for class, so it's due Monday."

"Right," I drawled, clicking my lock back into place. I switched my binder into my other arm. "She'll probably still want ours. She hates us. Besides, I finished this at one in the morning. She's going to read it, and she's going to like it."

"Like it? Dude, she'll feed it to her stupid cat. Honestly. Anyways, did you see Frankie? We were going to the ledge at lunch."

Boone looked up and down the hallway, landing his gaze on someone he knew, and gave a quick wave. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Really, why there again? That's so far."

We started walking down the hall the way he came, instantly being consumed by the sweltering heat and sweaty mess of teenagers. I started staring at this girl's backpack in front of me. It was covered in patches that pronounced a few choice phrases. I was surprised she got away with them so far;our school was pretty strict.

Boone shrugged. His rooster-like hair fell into his eyes. "I have gym after lunch. Don't you have Mr. Willis? What are you complaining about?"

"I never said I wasn't coming. It's just far and hot. And no, I haven't seen Frankie," I answered half-heartedly. "Why you took gym is beyond me."

"Because I look fantastic in shorts," Boone retorted, craning his neck up when we passed Frankie's locker. I watched his glassy eyes behind his glasses soften when her locker was visibly unoccupied.

"Didn't she skip history too?"

"Yeah, but she was supposed to be here second period."

"She'll show up."

"Yeah."

Boone saw a group of friends waiting outside of his next classroom and went along to join them. I went the opposite way, breaking away from the boiling hallway.

The stairway was cool and dark like a cave within the school. I skipped down the stairs, almost late for SAP.

I hated that particular staircase, despite the coolness that for only moments relieved my sweaty skin. I think that most kids hated that staircase, except for the Other Kids. It was a stupid name of a stupid group of students no one could get used to. This was their staircase they lurked to at lunch. It was said that they killed a kid down there, and were only trying to hide any left over evidence. The story was stupid and had more plot holes than my street had potholes, but it gave me chills anyways. But I do get scared easily.