Supernova

Prologue

PROLOGUE

Unlike others, I am compelled to begin this story in the middle.

It is set in school and is starred in by a handful of giddy, immature teenagers, but the beginning of their year doesn't differ much from what you probably experience on September—or June, for you see, West Summer High’s school calendar begins on June. This story begins in the middle, because there simply is not much to tell on the first days of Alice’s freshman year, or Shiela’s junior. June and the first months passed without much fuss, except maybe for the occasional heavy load of school work and the birthdays scattered along this time period (like Penelope’s and Charlotte’s, but we’ll get to that later.)

In fact, the rest of the story won't differ much from your life, and you will find, I hope, that you are more or less in tune with the personality of at least one of my friends.

Because in retrospect, there really isn’t that much to elevate them from the crowd about them…

Are you insecure? Like people would kill to be in your shoes, but you still feel like you’re thoroughly inadequate? Then you’re probably an Alice. That girl really needs to start counting her blessings, if you ask me. Do you have problems with being outspoken, and hell, of all people in the world, you are provided by fate with a secret to keep? You’re Penelope. An advocate of Hakuna Matata? Definitely Dean. Loves someone who doesn’t love you back? Prince. Poor guy. In love with your best friend? Charlotte. Poor girl. Torn between two perfect guys? Haley. Lucky bitch…no, sorry. Haley’s really nice. Your friends’ mother figure? Belle. And if you’re basically just bitching around? Then you’re…well, you get the idea. And yes, I meant what I said with ‘a handful of giddy teenagers’.

It is, after all, a very complicated story.

I guess the first major occurrence happened on a late November afternoon on 2005—middle, you see—when Alice Stevens, first year, got off late from theatre practice, and was promised to be met in front of the school by her best friend Penelope Summers. However, by six o’clock in the evening, Penelope was still nowhere to be found.

So in front of the school, just below the sign that read "West Summer High: Home of the Lancers", Alice checked and rechecked her watch, tapping her foot and biting the inside of her cheek in impatience. She looked around…still no Penelope.

It was in this irritated and flustered state that Kyle Davies, a cute guy two years above Alice's, made a deal with her.

Although I must add, for storyline’s sake and all that stuff, that Alice must not have agreed with the cute part at the time.

Obviously, she—and Kyle, too, I suppose—did not have any idea that exactly a year later, on November 2006, they would find themselves on the same place and at the same time, on that most mundane piece of ground on a late afternoon—almost evening, in fact—but it would be different on a lot of levels.

He wouldn’t be trying to annoy her, and she wouldn’t be trying so hard to be cool.

Penelope wouldn’t be late—because sadly, she wouldn’t have any reason to come at all.

Same time, same place, same people…yet it would be different. Drastically different.

But that, as with the rest of the story, would have to be given justice by my telling it right.

And I choose to begin in the middle.