The Eye Of The Storm

Chapter One

"Katherine Constante, you are going to henceforth live with Gertrude and Geoff Cordell in ShadeView, Pennsylvania." The judge declared, sending shivers up my spine. His voice was loud and gritty. I sighed quietly. I hated my aunt and uncle. They were legit the weirdest couple on the planet. They didn't eat meat, dairy or anything with gluten in it. I am going to starve to death, I thought to myself. Then I'd be with my family in heaven. A wretched feeling came over me. Somehow, I had miraculously survived the car crash that had killed my whole family, but I wished that I could have died with them, so I didn't have to live with Gertrude and Geoff. In the back of the room, Gertrude applauded excitedly. I rolled my eyes. Geoff stood up and clapped slowly. I ducked my head, entirely embarrassed. There I was, a confident seventeen year old cheerleader, and I was going to move in with Gertrude and Geoff. Even their names were weird as hell.

"Um, your highness, I mean, er, um...."

"Yes, miss Constante?" The judge said impatiently.

"Uh, is there any way I could...not live with..." I shuddered. "Them?"

"Miss Constante, this isn't up to you." I groaned.

Three days later I was settled into my room, which was huge, and was getting ready for my first day at Shadow Mountain Private Academy for Orphans. Yeah. I was attending a private academy exclusively for orphans. Thanks for stabbing me in the gut, Gertrude and Geoff, how about you rub in the fact that my family is dead, just a little more. Apparently people all over the country send orphans to Shadow Mountain, which is three miles away from Gertrude and Geoff's house. I had to walk three miles to school everyday. I smiled at Gertrude and Geoff once more before I departed for Shadow Mountain, and my first day of school. According to Gertrude, her and my father, her twin, went to Shadow Mountain when they were young. I was thrilled. I would forever more remember my father every time I went to school. Another plus to living with Gertrude and Geoff. So far, I wasn't impressed, except for the fact that they stocked up on food, like, real food, as in meat and dairy and gluten, for me.

I arrived at school ten minutes before the bell, exhausted. I groaned as I fell into a desk in my grade class. All grade tens were together, all grade elevens, etc, etc. The youngest grades were downstairs, going from Kindergarten to grade seven, and grades eight through twelve were upstairs. When the bell went, a finger poked my shoulder blade. I groaned as I sat up to see the greenest eyes I'd ever seen staring at me. Short black hair framed his face neatly.

"Sorry to bother you," he said softly. I could tell he was a dork. "But, that's my seat." I nearly laughed at him, but then I noticed all the supplies that were stuffed neatly inside the desk.

"Oh. Sorry." I mumbled as I got up and walked to the nearest empty desk, which was right beside him.

"Uh, oh. New girl's sitting next to gay boy." I heard from the mean clique at the back of the room. I knew immediately who they were when I walked in. I used to be that group. Not anymore. There weren't any sports teams, so no cheer leading. Cheer leading was what made me popular. Now I'm just a nobody with straight As. Heck, I'd probably pick up an instrument. Probably the clarinet. Shudder.

"Hello, grade tens." A cheery man in his mid to late twenties said. "As most of you know, I'm Mr. Geoff." Huh, I thought. Weirdly coincidental. "We have a new student this year; Miss Katherine Constante. Please, tell us something about yourself, Katherine."

"Well, I guess I'll start with the basics. I used to be a cheerleader," I said, sneaking a glance at the mean clique.

"Yet another cheer leading bimbo." The boy whose seat I had taken mumbled.

"I have a 4.0 GPA," I continued, gaining some strange looks. "I live three miles away, and I hate being an orphan."

"Where the hell do you think you are, dumbas-" A boy in the back, who obviously used to play football, spat, or at least tried to.

"Mr. O'Connor. Please refrain from using cuss words in class." Mr. Geoff sighed. 'Mr. O'Connor' probably had some trouble with that everyday. "And, how did your family die, Katherine?" Heat rose to my cheeks, and I stared at Mr. Geoff. "It is best to get it over with now. People will ask you later anyways." I nodded. He was right. Teenagers are curious jerks.

"Uh, my whole family died in a car crash three months ago... I was the only survivor. My three year old brother, my twenty year old brother and my parents all perished. I escaped with a few minor bruises, somehow." The boy with green eyes looked at me with pity and something else on his face. I hastily walked back to my seat and sat down, cheeks blazing and tears stinging my eyes.

After classes, a girl who lived down the street from me offered me a ride to and from school. I agreed. Her name was Artemis. I thought I recognized it and I had to Google it when I got home, but Artemis was a Roman goddess of hunting, forests and hills, the moon and archery. Strangely enough, Artemis, the girl not the goddess, is an expert at archery.

When I got home, Gertrude and Geoff sat at the table, waiting for me, looking like they hadn't moved since I left.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" Gertrude said in her horrific voice. She sounded like a witch crossed with a pig. It was dreadful.

"Fine. I am going to get rides from Artemis Light, that girl who lives down the street, to and from school."

"Why, isn't that lovely!" Gertrude exclaimed, hurting my ears.

"Hey, I'm exhausted, can I go sneak a nap?" I asked, crossing my fingers.

"Why, sure thing, pumpkin." That was the first Geoff had spoken. It gave me chills. I was weirded out by the way he said 'Pumpkin', like it was second nature. I walked cautiously up the stairs to my gigantic room and fell onto the bed. I fell asleep, and didn't wake up until the next morning.