Before You Knew Yourself

Chapter One ~ Nothing New...Or Is There?

"LE-ANNE! BREAKFAST," I heard my mother shout from the kitchen downstairs. I rolled my eyes as I pulled on my purple jacket. My mother gets on my case all the time for shouting in the house but as soon as she does it - "HURRY! YOU'LL BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" Ugh. I walked over to my desk and grabbed my-incomplete-homework and stuffed it into some flap in my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, and headed to the kitchen for what I'm assuming to be a cinnamon-raisin bagel slathered in peanut butter. I stumbled to the kitchen still half asleep and poured myself a glass of orange juice then sat at the table. Mom slid my bagel over to me then went back to packing my brother's lunch. My brother, Tommy, was in fourth grade and an absolute pain in the morning. He should actually be in the fifth grade right now, but he missed so many days he had to repeat. Mom and Dad were more than outraged. Apparently, he would somehow sneak out of class during recess and hide out in the church next to the school until pick up. I was more than impressed. I just wish I had the guts. The eighth grade was horrifying. Drama around every corner, people crying over how many likes on a picture, pencil thieves, and teachers who gave literally zero fucks. "So Le-anne, I heard from the Mrs. Fredrickson that you haven't been turning in your work on time." I glanced up from my bagel to look at my mother who was seated across from me at the table. Of course I wasn't turning in that hog shit. It was either too simple or too complex. I shrugged. I didn't want to get into this right now. I heard a very audible sigh come from her direction. "Sweetheart-" she began, but I cut her off. "Mom I really  don't want to get into this right now. " I stood up to take my plate to the sink but was intercepted when she blocked my path. "If not now, then when?" She gave me one of those looks that said Lets talk-well I'll talk and you'll listen. I was about to say something sarcastic when I heard HONK HONK from outside. Praise Jesus, her the timing has never been better. I gave mom an apologetic look. "Sorry mom, gotta dash. Wouldn't want to keep Ms. Diana waiting!" I handed mom my plate, grabbed my back pack, and practically flew out the door. I carpooled with my friend Laurie and her mom-copter Ms. Diana. I know her intentions were good, but she was a total helicopter parent. I dove into the backseat and off we went. "Hey gurl, did you SEE want Kylie and Kim did yesterday?!" This was the first thing Laurie said to me when I got in the car. "No." I said with firmness to indicate that I did not know, nor wanted  to know what shit the Kardashians were up to. Laurie and I agreed on almost everything except our choice of television. She enjoyed Keeping up with the Kardashians and reality T.V., where as I enjoyed things like Sherlock and Doctor Who and Supernatural. She said this is why I was a nerd. I liked people who didn't exist. I then would say that we should both be nerds, because with all the shit the Kardashians get into there is no way they are real people either. "Girls could you be quiet? I'm on the phone with work. NO THOMPSON I WANT THOSE GODDAMN REPORTS ON MY DESK MY 12 NOON DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?!!?" I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Every morning it was the same. I would eat that bagel, Ms. Diana would yell at Thompson, and Laurie would rattle on about how the Kardashians wouldn't stand for any of it, and I would close my eyes and imagine The Impala pulling up next to us at a traffic light or some murder bringing in Sherlock and John and Molly. The Doctor was a bit trickier though. I could never think of any reasonable explanation as to why that Mad Man in a Box would ever come to the most boring town in America. Sure Mayville had its charms but it was one of those town people came to when they got tired of living. A paper town. Except I couldn't change anything. I'm in that position of 'I know how to change things and I want to change things but I have no power to actually change anything'. As Ms. Diana pulled up to the school she and Laurie gave the usual I love you, do your best, see after school yada, yada, yada...."And don't forget about the science fair next week!" The was the last thing Ms. Diana said before taking off in her environmentally friendly eco-boost company car. Sometimes I think maybe one day things will be different, but nothing ever changes. At least, that's what thought. "Dude, what the hell is that ? " I stopped walking and looked at Laurie. She was looking at the East wing of the school. When I looked over there myself, there was something different. Things that weren't there yesterday. Half the structure had collapsed in on itself. But that wasn't the weird part. The weirdest part was that there were three military personnel speaking with Mr. Jackson, the principal. I couldn't tell from this far if the military people were men or women, but what I could tell was that by their uniforms and the insignia on them, that these people didn't exist in any data base. At least not one that was available to the public. "Should we check that out?" Laurie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Laurie ran a gossip blog and military on the school campus could be just the scoop she was looking for. But I knew better. "Laurie, don't even think about it." She looked at me like I was crazy. "But Le-anne!" I held up my hand to shush her. "Laurie do remember how my dad was in the army for about 10 years?" She nodded. "And how he was so buff her could proably snap your neck in half a second?" She nodded again. "These people are so deep in the system that they don't need to be buff. They can have a copper on you within the hour and make it look like an accident or blame it on whom ever they choose." Her eyes widened. I don't know if it was shock, fear, or excitement but whatever it was would have to wait because the bell for first period (or hell, however you wanted to put it) was to ring in T-minus five minutes.