The Daughter of the Sun

**2**

I wake up with a start, almost falling off of my park bench. I realize that something is held tightly in my fist, so I look at it. What I see makes me instantly wide awake. This can't be possible! I think.

In my hand, slightly crumpled, sits a brochure with a picture of a group of powerful looking girls on the front. In bold silver letters it proclaims, "Join the Hunters! Immortality, free! Comes with health benefits!"

I just sit there for a second, stunned. Then I happen to notice the watch on my wrist. The glowing face told me that the time was...5:45 a.m.! Dam it! I'm going to be late to school! I gather my blanket and pillow, shove them in my knapsack, grab my school bag, and start running. I'm the fastest girl in the school, so I run the mile in 5 minutes. I'm getting to school right as the first bell rings.

"YES! I MADE IT!" I jump up and down in excitement, until...

"Why are you so excited, Trash? Just found a new hole to live in?"

"Hey Julian, I saw something that reminded me of you...but then I flushed and it was gone," I turn around and scowl.

"Ohhh...someone's feisty today!" The weasel laughed with his cronies.

"Why don't you back off? Do you have nothing better to do than hit on a girl who obviously doesn't want you like you want her?"

I turn and look at this newcomer. He's medium height (to most people, meaning he towers over my 5 foot nothing) and tan with dark brown hair and expressive hazel eyes.

"Whatever," Julian huffs and stalks away. A second before he turns, I glimpse his face. Is his face red? I shake my head. It must have been my imagination.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hazel Eyes asks.

"Oh, yeah. He does this at least 4 times a day, more or less depending on what mood he's in. I usually just ignore it, but today I'm just a little out of it," I reply, "Thanks anyway, though."

"No problem. I mean, who would want to watch that loser hit on the prettiest girl in this dump? I mean, he obviously doesn't deserve you," he says, making me blush.

Stop it; he's just messing with you!

"Yeah, whatever you say," I roll my eyes at his obvious lie.

"I'm telling the truth!" he says, "Oh, and by the way, I'm Zach."

"Bailey. Nice to meet you Zach," I stick my hand out right as the warning bell rings.

"Oh, dam it! Sorry, I have to go! See you later!" I call as I start to run to my locker.

I have one foot in the door of my Math class when the tardy bell rings. As I hurry to my seat, Mr. Romon, my teacher, just looks at me for a second and says nothing. Mr. Romon is cool like that. I've always been naturally smart, so I got into all honors classes no problem. And since we have 14 minutes for homeroom, I go to the bathroom to brush my long auburn hair, put on deodorant and perfume, and wash my face. When I'm done I get back to class and think about last night and why I had to sleep on a park bench...again.