Łひㄅ㈦

PART ONE

"Dear, God. If today goes wrong, please make sure that your plans are better than my dreams. AMEN." I do that prayer every morning after walking out the door, merely for God to hear.

"Serena!" my mother uses her morning voice perspicuously on me.

"Yeah?" I call back. Ever since my sister April left for college, I was put into the place of making provisional arrangements around the house. I don't mind but it's just a hard job. Complaining isn't the best thing to do this early in the morning, because I have to come to terms with school. And everyone despises school.

I then hear my mother scowling. "I can't wait here all day, honey." She puts into words. I understand her vexed question and quickly lock the doors, making sure I don't take any longer for my mother to wait. My footsteps are low-key on the mulch, which is a good thing because I don't think my mother would like me crunching her up-to-the-minute garden.

My family loves to keep old vintage supplies for the house. I don't know if it is meant to be an amateur interest, but I do know that it calms everything down. When my mother comes home from work, I do evoke her about new bargains and giveaways down the road. It eases the tension for my father too, but he doesn't enjoy it as much.

In the car, my family keeps a road trip playlist and today; we're listening to April's songs. Her music comprises of aesthetic Greek music, which is total inanity. I check out my bag, making sure everything is inside of it. Everything pretty much is. "Is dad coming home today?" I want to start a morning conversation with an exhausted mother.

Her eyes study the road before she indicates. "Can I be straightforward to you?" My mother's voice is strained of faintness, it's hard to work out what she even said. Her brown hair is slowly turning grey, making me see the number of years she has taken care of me. I don't look like my mother, except for the auburn hair though. She has crystal blue eyes, I have a mix. She has soft pale skin, I have tan.

But right now, I want an answer for my keen question. "Tell me anything," I counter, resting my hand on hers.

She takes a gulp of air and exhales it. "Your father won't be coming back, honey."

"Why?"

"His mother is very ill and it's best if he stays with her until she can get better. The same happened with me two years ago, didn't it?" Her words have the power to make me close my eyes in woe. It's been five weeks since my father left and it's the longest he has gone ever. He promised not only April he'd come back soon, but me too.

I don't want to be at variance with my mother for the rest of the day, so I moan and close my eyes. "I really want him back..." I murmur, hoping my mother would hear it.

Thank God she did. "Well, talk to him about it then. He listens to you more than he listens to me, Serena."

I just want to wait in silence until this is all over.

»»------(¯' '¯)------»»

"Serena!" As soon as I get out of my car and say goodbye to my mother, I hear Isla's shrieking voice. My drink bottle is now emptied from anxiously drinking in the car... looks like I need the washroom for the rest of the day.

I wave back at Isla. "I missed you so much!" Is the first thing I say to my friend after Spring break. I feel like it's my job to record the introductory to Isla and I's friendship, which sounds a bit wrong. Isla is a good friend because we're pretty much alike in every way. We both go to church on Sunday, we both love to read and we're both into music.

We're like the perfect match. The high society of girls judge us a lot, I don't get why. The two of us are over boys... well technically not Isla. She met this bloke at church and I'm so happy she finally admitted to liking him. They're also a perfect match. "What did you do in Spring break?" Isla asks me.

"My dad went to France to see his mom, yours?"

"You told me last Sunday. Oh and I stayed home with Kenzie, I guess. We're doing clarinet this semester," As seventeen year olds, I don't get why people can judge the two of us. We're normal like them... right?

I act satisfied, when really I'm guilty for not seeing her during Spring break. The only place we actually met up was every Sunday at church. "Ok, wow. I never knew you could play the clarinet..."

"I just found an interest in it last week, Serena." Isla says in response. Maybe I am in a bad mood this morning.

After we collect our schedules, I head to my first class without Isla. I'm in none of her classes. The heartache is morally wrong. What if I sit next to someone I don't know by an accident? Even worse, what if we become friends? I'm not going to let fate decide this time. I need to look around closely and make a wise decision.

A bunch of girls ram into me, making me lose balance and stumble to a wall. My hair was in a normal braid that my mother helped me do... now it's ruined. I grope with the urge to put in a bun, so instead I leave it out. I don't like my hair all over my face. It gets annoying... and it frustrates me. I put it behind my back, combing the puffy parts with my fingers.

I look around before actually walking inside the class. Two tables are connected in rows of about seven, the rest are spread out evenly. This has to be a wise choice. The whole class is resoundingly talking amongst themselves... except for the back row as there is only one person sitting. I don't recognise the boy, but I know that he is looking out the window vigilantly.

I realise that this boy is the outcast. The DP of our school.

Chase Lane.