CEASELESSLY (J. HALE)

1.0

None of us saw it coming, not even Alice. No one could have predicted it, no one could have prevented it. Once we saw, we knew that we could never be the same.

. . .

"Calina Rose," Allison shouts up the stairs at me.

As nearly every other day, I'm more than fifteen minutes past when I'm supposed to leave for school.

"I promise I'm coming." I call back, desperately trying to toss everything I need for school into my backpack.

My laptop is nowhere to be found, so I toss my backpack over my shoulder taking the stairs two at a time in my haste to get out.

"Have you seen my-" I stop when Allie holds out my laptop to me, rolling her eyes as I shove it hurriedly into my bag.

"You really should be more organized." She quips, handing me a glass jar of juice, and rushing me out the door.

"Yeah, I know, you remind me all the time." I shoot her a teasing glare as I unlock my car.

"Have a good day." She waves from the door, shutting it behind her when she sees me get in my car.

The drive to school is less than exciting, the only thing that keeps me from falling asleep behind the wheel is the fresh layer of snow atop the week old foot from the first of our winter storms.

"Jesus." I groan, holding my wheel tightly when I realize how full the parking lot already is, if there's anything I hate, its parking in the far lot. It's still dark out, and by the time I'm done at school, it will be dark all over again, meaning a trek in the snow and dark for me.

Resigning to the fact that I will in fact have to park in the back lot, I turn the familiar curve to the back lot, raising my hand to wave at Kate who rushes into the school, leaving Tanya to trail behind her talking to the new family.

So far they haven't spoken a word to anyone besides the Denali clan, which part way irritates me, but I would never tell Kate.

Wrapping myself up tight, I hurry into the school. They didn't manage to ice the back lot in time obviously, because multiple times I have to catch myself as I slip on the ice in my rush.

The warning bell rings right as I run in the front doors, the warmth from the heater hits me, and I welcome it, jumping up and down to stay warm.

I don't even bother taking my coat to my locker, knowing that I'll be late if I do, and Mrs. Dowis has promised me my third detention of the month if I'm late one more time to homeroom.

I barely manage to make it into Mrs. Dowis' room before the bell rings. She raises her eyebrows at me, and I toss her an innocent smile, making my way to Kate in the back.

"Well, you actually made it on time today at least. You know you almost ran over Sheri Hill again this morning." Kate laughs, handing me a bagged cinnamon roll.

"Oh my God, tell Carmen she's literally the best." I grab it greedily, putting it in my bag.

"Will do." She rolls her eyes, focusing on tearing the paper on her desk into a thousand tiny little pieces.

"So, how are the newcomers?" I joke, but Kate just looks frustrated.

"It's just weird, ya know. They're really good at keeping to themselves." She sighs, and I can tell that there's more, but I don't push it with her, instead I turn my focus on Mrs. Dowis who's giving the class a lecture on snow safety as though any of us need it.

When the bell rings, I give Kate one last look, she still looks bothered, but gives me an attempt at a smile when I bid her goodbye until lunch.

I walk down the hallway slowly, pausing when I reach my locker. One of the new girls, the tall one who looks like the stepped right off a magazine gives me a small smile as she puts away books in her locker. I return the smile, instantly feeling awkward next to her.