Into the Realm

Chapter One: The Coffee Incident (part one)

Tessa Matthews, age seventeen, doesn't drive and never plans on it.

    Years ago, when Tessa was young, her mother died in a car accident. Drunk driver. Since then, Tessa has refused to get behind the wheel for anything. She wouldn't even ride a bike. There was something so utterly terrifying about getting into a machine that could potentially fold in half—to Tessa, she saw no reason at all for her to start driving, and she only allowed certain people to drive her if she needed to get anywhere. When Tessa was thirteen, her father offered to let her back the car down the driveway and Tessa was so hurt that didn't speak to him for a week. Driving has been a touchy subject for her, and those close to her knew better than to mention anything about it.

    Trenningway High School (and the town of Trenningway, Pennsylvania in general) was small enough that everyone knew about the death of her mother and the reason that caused it. Mrs. Matthews was a lovely woman whom everybody adored, and it was a terrible loss for not only the remaining Matthews' left behind, but the whole community as well. She was as kind as she was beautiful—and when she was rudely taken from her daughter because of a stupid decision someone had made, Tessa swore at a young age that she would never touch a steering wheel or a drink. That was why nobody ever said anything when Tessa was the only seventeen-almost-eighteen-year-old who still got dropped off by her father every day.

"At least it's Friday," Tessa told herself as she waved goodbye to her father and walked into school at the crack of dawn. Her friend Robin would take her home that afternoon since her father had to work late again. She looked forward to Saturday where she could sleep in and catch up on her favorite show, Say Yes to the Dress. It was her guilty pleasure to watch the show about wedding dresses and happy bride-to-be's. It was totally different than what she was usually interested in (on a random weeknight Tessa could be found reading or trying to get ahead in her schoolwork), and her father often teased her for liking such a simple and mind-numbing show. Tessa took a deep breath and passed by a gaggle of bratty sophomore girls, trying her hardest to not accidentally inhale their obnoxious perfume. They stood huddled around someone's iPhone with Katy Perry's latest single blasting on full volume. Tessa rolled her eyes and continued on in the sea of students. She was in the cafeteria at this point and tried to ignore the high pitched squeals emitted from freshman girls who then tackled a group of guys twice their size. Tessa narrowly avoided the girls as they ran off giggling, and she entered the school's café, located near the student entrance of the building.

    The café was the only good part about being at school so early; the coffee solved every sleep-deprived problem any student had. An added plus was that it was cheaper than Starbucks and significantly tastier. The administrators also let a few students work behind the counter to make the coffee as well. Tessa got in line for the liquid gold and as she approached the counter to place her order (a matter that took a good amount of time) she noticed her friend Robin had the morning shift.

    Another good thing about students allowed to work at the café was that not only did they earn a decent salary, but they could choose to work during break, before school, or after school. Sometimes when the school had events like football or basketball games the café would be open for visiting spectators to enjoy. Tessa's friend Robin usually opted to work after school but someone asked her to take their shift. The only problem with working the morning shift was that the baristas had to be at the school at an ungodly hour to clean and prep the workspace, and Robin showed signs of defeat.

"Hey, Robin," Tessa got her wallet out of her book bag. "How are you this fine morning?"

    Robin hated to get up early and tried to sleep whenever she could; even during school one could find Robin curled up somewhere quiet, trying to catch a few Z's.