Underlying Hunger ✓

Chapter 1

I wish my alarm clock went off this morning. It is already 6:30, so I have to rush to get ready. I currently have half an hour until school starts and it's a twenty minute drive. I throw on some black skinny jeans and a white hoodie I got from the beach last summer. Finding a pair of socks, I sprint down the stairs.

I see my older sister Emily in the kitchen munching on a bowl of cereal. She has been here for about a week now; Emily's taking a break from her second year of college in Michigan because of all of the stress she has been under.

As I walk by she happily chirps, "Hey,". I nod a reply while frantically grabbing an apple and granola bar from a basket in the middle of our island. She notices me rushing and says, "I'll get your backpack from your room. I'm guessing you forgot it during your mad dash down the stairs."

I stop in my tracks only to face palm myself. How could I forget my backpack? It was honestly the only thing I needed for school besides my phone. Wait, I think I forgot my phone upstairs as well.

Ugh, why isn't my brain working this morning? It's my first day of my junior year and to make it even worse, it's at a new school. We had to move after my mom's co-worker stole her credit card info after my dad died. She thought it wasn't safe there, so we moved from California to Illinois. I don't get how living near a large city is extremely safe, but I guess my mom had her mind set on northern Chicago.

Out of nowhere a hand smacks my face and I grab it and throw it to the ground. I hear the groaning of my sister and immediately realize I was still in my kitchen. My thoughts had transformed me to another dimension, I guess. I look down and see her laying on the floor with my backpack and phone next to her.

She gets up and cracks her back while picking my phone and backpack off the floor. After putting my stuff on the chair she glares at me. Soon, rolling her eyes, she mumbles, "I see you're reflexes still haven't slowed down since you stopped your karate lessons."

For years and years, I had taken karate. Up until a couple months before we moved, I loved it. It's too bad I became too weak to fight.

I nod while saying a quiet, "Sorry".

Her eyes roll for the second time and she says, "I grabbed your phone off your bed because I saw you forgot it. I was expecting a thank you not a vicious shove to the floor." That makes us both laugh.

I grab my food, backpack, and phone. "Yeah, sorry again about that," My face flushes with a light shade of red out of embarrassment. "Bye, I have to go or else I'm going to be late. Thanks." I add a stiff laugh and wave to her. She waves back at me while I close the garage door.

I open the garage and pull out my keys to my silver 2015 Chevy Malibu; I got it for Christmas after my 15 year old pickup stopped working. It was bound to happen at that point, but it was still sad. Nevertheless, I'm glad I got rid of it. It was bad enough being the new student. Showing up in a rusty, old truck probably wasn't going to get me any new friends.

Stepping into the car, I take my phone out of my pocket and set up the GPS. I have no idea where the hell I'm going and I cannot be any more late by getting lost. I hurriedly put in the address my mom told me and start driving.

When I get to the school I immediately feel small. There are cars everywhere and the building in front of me is twice the size of my old school. I quickly look into my car's mirror and find my black hair sticking everywhere. I flatten it down and see my dull, brown eyes looking back at me. I see my freckles dancing along my nose and it crinkles in disgust. I hate freckles, but of course I had to be cursed with them. I sigh and turn myself towards the school doors.

A car parks in the spot right next to mine, almost hitting me in the process. A short blonde haired girl comes out. She has light hazel eyes and is wearing black leggings along with a white tank top and orange cardigan. She pushes her curly hair out of the wind and yells, "Oh my gosh! I'm so super sorry! I couldn't see you and then you were there and... sorry, but that's not enough. You probably won't forgive me. I could have hurt you. Like... really bad." She stops talking when she sees my confused expression. "Oh," She squeaks while looking down. Her blush deepens and she mutters a quiet, "sorry".