The Dead Girl Club

Chapter One: The Living

Noah couldn't gobble down his breakfast any faster. Today was a big day, and he was in a hurry to get to school.

"Slow down. You're gonna make yourself choke," His grandmother chimed from the kitchen table. She sipped her tea and looked at her grandson with judgement. The boy was always inhaling food like it was his last meal.

Noah rolled his eyes and ignored her. He stuffed the last bit of his bagel in his mouth and poured some orange juice in there for good measure before snatching his backpack. It seemed he finished just in time, as a car had pulled up in front of his house.

"Alex is here. Tell mom I'm hanging out after school," He called before he went on his way. Noah was pretty sure he heard his grandmother saying something along the lines of "Learn something!" when he left.

He climbed into his friend's dated car and shoved his backpack down by his feet.

"Hey, man. You ready?" Alex had just gotten his license and Noah had to do a lot of convincing for his parents to let him ride to school with his friend. He couldn't say he felt particularly safe with Alex driving, but who cared? It was a ride to school that wasn't his parents.

"Yeah," Noah said, buckling his seatbelt. "Let's go."

Alex nodded and then they were on their way.

"Big day today, huh? Bet you're excited."

"You bet! But if she says 'no', I'm going to look like a freaking moron."

Alex snorted. "Yeah, you really will."

Noah sighed.

"But-! I'm sure she'll say yes. It's just hanging at the mall, Y'know?" Alex stumbled over his words, watching his friend frown at the thought of a painful rejection. Noah had liked Carmen since eighth grade, and now that her last relationship just ended, he had a chance.

"Yeah, I guess."

He school with a plan. Ask her out at lunch, he decided.

Lunchtime came along and he spotted her. She sat with a group of her friends, laughing a giggling. She looked cute today. Carmen had on a sweater that matched her chocolaty eyes, and a flower pin in her hair that was as beautiful as she wa- oof!

"Dude, go get her!" Alex said as he shoved his lunch tray into Noah's back..

"She's talking to her friends. Maybe I should wait until tomorrow . . ."

"Noah, I'll personally go over there and ask her out myself if you don't," Alex threatened.

He only scoffed. "You would never do that."

"Yeah okay, but would you wanna find out?"

Before he had a chance to stop and think about it, Alex gave him a final nudge toward the table Carmen sat at and it was enough to get the ball rolling. Noah's feet wouldn't stop moving toward her. She was looking at him. Oh God. She was smiling. That was good, right?

"Hey Noah, what's up?" Carmen greeted, pulling a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hey, Carmen," He tried to keep his voice - no - his entire body, from shaking as he answered, "I was just wondering if you'd-"

"Anyone sitting here?"

All of a sudden, someone was slipping into the seat next to Noah's crush. Tyler Dells. Noah could practically hear the Imperial March playing as Dells showed up.

"No, go ahead!" The girls answered.

"Hey, Tyler!" Some others greeted.

"Listen, Carmen," That was all Noah needed to hear from him before his blood started to boil. Tyler was getting in on his girl. Well, she wasn't his girl yet, but she was going to be. "Would you be down for hanging out at the mall after school?"