Beautiful Beings

Chapter 1

The realisation that stars are actually made of something as ordinary and mediocre as hydrogen and helium is something worth pondering over. It teaches us that some beautiful creatures can be full of crap, which was a concept I was used to by now.

I grew up in a rough place, no fancy houses with big pools and doormats that read 'Home Sweet Home' or some other soppy quote, no glamorous women walking down the sidewalk with a Gucci purse and fur coat with a man in a suit and tie on their arms. Instead we had the local pothead that liked to sell drugs to kids on his front lawn and houses that looked as though they were made from old Lego bricks; unsafe and as reliable as a plastic toy. We weren't going to be surviving an earthquake anytime soon. Ironically, this town was called 'Daintyville; Where Hopes and Dreams Are Made.' The only dreams that were ever made in this place were of leaving it.

The town was named by its founder, Thomas McCredie, who wished to have his own running paradise. He shot himself soon after when he realised that the town was corrupt and that his wish would never really come true.

Gang crimes were at an all-time high and underage sex, drinking and drug usage levels had risen dramatically as well. I guess the only thing to do in good ol' paradise was to turn it bad.

Me, on the other hand, I was a loser in a town full of losers. I had good grades, amazing grades actually. Not to brag or anything but I had a future laid out in front of me that even gave me the option to go to Harvard with a merit-based scholarship.

I spent most of my time in the school library which was almost always empty. I wasn't like other kids my age, which, at the time was around 17, I didn't smoke weed and get high, I wasn't pregnant at the age of 16, I was normal I guess, which is pretty odd for a town that belonged on MTV. My only friends were the librarians. Such sweet old ladies that harnessed power from the sun to put forth through their brilliant smiles. Sandy had a child- like charm to her, a curious air around her that filled a room with laughter and star shine. On the contrary, Judy, the head librarian, was graceful and wise in her old age. I could go to her at anytime with problems or fears and she'd be there with wide open arms and worried eyes gleaming in the sunshine.They were like day and night, Judy and Sandy, but exactly the opposite at the same time. Put together they were a muddle of wisdom and questioning laughter that I know loved me truly and deeply. I swear that sometimes they both just exuded a glorious white light, like angels. My guardian angels. Judy's true and gentle beauty gave me hope. She made me believe in beautiful creatures that are truly perfect, which, was a gullible mistake on my part.