Hearts in the Skull's

Chapter 3: Call to Action

My alarm disrupted my slumber, signaling that it was time to start another day of dreaded school. With a loud groan, I threw off my blankets and dragged myself out of bed. My sleep had been disturbed by thoughts of Jake that kept me tossing and turning all night. As I got dressed, the dream I had about him came to mind. He was in my room, those piercing blue eyes drawing me closer as he kissed down my stomach. But just as he reached the waistband of my shorts, the dream abruptly ended and everything went black. Shaking my head, I slipped on my skirt and tan stockings, along with my trusty white tennis shoes. Being from Texas, I'm not used to this cold weather, even in the fall.

Before leaving my room, I unplugged my phone from the charger. As I turned to leave, I noticed a small card resting against the base of my lamp. It had a skull printed on the front, and I picked it up, lost in thought. Could it be that he wasn't just a dream after all? But no, that was impossible. We didn't even know each other and there was no reason for him to sneak into my room...right?

I descended the final step of the staircase and was greeted by my mother's cheerful voice. "Good morning, dear! I made you some toast and eggs. They're on the counter for you." I thanked her with a kiss on the cheek before turning to my father, who was sitting on the couch enjoying his morning coffee. "Good morning, Dad." He smiled and asked how I slept. My mind immediately thought of the dream I had about Jake, causing me to blush and clear my throat before responding, "I slept great, Dad."

As I quickly ate my breakfast, the taste of toast and eggs mingling on my tongue, I couldn't shake off the lingering unease from the mysterious skull card. My parents hadn't left it for me, which made its presence even more puzzling. Nevertheless, I gathered my books, feeling the weight of them in my backpack as I slung it over my shoulder.

Before leaving the house for school, a familiar sense of curiosity tugged at me. I approached my parents hesitantly, "Did either of you leave a skull card on my nightstand?" Their puzzled expressions mirrored my own confusion as they denied any knowledge of the mysterious card's origin. Dismissing their bemusement with a forced smile, I bid them goodbye and stepped out into the crisp morning air.

The small town of Maplewood greeted me with its usual charm—cobblestone streets glistening with remnants of dew, trees whispering secrets in the gentle breeze, and colorful leaves crunching beneath my feet.

As I approached the school's red brick building, I felt a surge of nerves but quickly pushed them aside. As I walked toward my locker, I took in the sight of all the students milling about. Suddenly, I heard commotion at the end of the hallway and turned to see Kevin and James laughing and joking, while Jake leaned against the lockers watching me intently. When Kevin and James noticed Jake's attention shift towards me, they fell silent and followed his gaze. Feeling self-conscious, I quickly grabbed my books from my locker when I saw another card with a skull on it. Looking up, I realized that Jake and the twins had disappeared. Frustrated, I stuffed the card into my locker and headed to my first class with Mr. Elvis.

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When lunchtime arrived, I immediately scanned the crowded cafeteria for Jessica. I spotted her standing against the wall beside the doors, engrossed in conversation with some friends. As soon as she saw me, she beckoned for me to join them. I walked over and introduced myself confidently: "Hi, I'm Mia." Jessica quickly informed her friends that I was the new girl she had mentioned and invited me to sit with them. She then introduced me to the two other girls - Ana, with her brown hair and eyes, and Ashley, whose black hair was streaked with red. Ana suggested we get in line for lunch before all the good options were gone, and we followed each other towards the food counter.

We navigated through clusters of students, the buzz of conversations and laughter filling the air around us. The cafeteria's aroma of melted cheese and tomato sauce mingled with the tantalizing scent of chili, creating a comforting blend that wrapped around us like a familiar blanket.