Cured

Chapter One

    "Lana! Come on, or you'll be late for school!" her mother exclaimed from downstairs.

    "I'm coming!" she shouted, slipping on a pair of jeans, a green blouse and brown sandals. She applied some makeup - which ended up taking longer than she anticipated - before rushing downstairs. "Alright, alright. I'm ready," she stated.

    Her mother took in her appearance before smiling softly. "Beautiful as always. Now, hurry up!" she responded, tossing Lana her car keys. Lana caught them and gave them a gentle shake before heading towards the door.

    "Have a good first day!" her mother's voice called from behind her. "Thank you!" she replied, closing the door as she left. She hopped into her blue car, turning the engine on before pulling out of her driveway and onto the road. She drove through the small town of Washington, Georgia and towards her new school.

    They had moved across the country, along with baring fake birth certificates, fake ID's, fake driver's licenses, you name it. Her dad had created the fake documents, his years as a government official paying off. He knew how the system worked, therefore he knew how to remain under the radar. Even though they were well hidden, her parents saw attending school as an unnecessary risk. However, Lana wanted to. It's the only thing that gave her a sense of normal, so they reluctantly allowed her to go.

    She pulled up to school and parked, twisting her key and killing the engine. It was January, the beginning of the second semester and she was nervous. She had spent her whole life in Oregon - surrounded by friends she'd grown up with - up until this point. Now she'd be in a swarm of foreign people with different cliques and different drama. It was a terrifying transition.

    She grabbed her backpack from the backseat and left her car, walking with the crowd and passing a huge bronze statue of a bear, its face frozen in a permanent roar. The school building was a decent size, with large glass windows and brick walls. The kids around her were murmuring softly, casting their gazes her way every now and then. She caught sight of a couple of girls eyeing her, curling their lips in disgust. Her ears immediately zeroed in on their exchanged whispers.

    "Is she wearing contacts? No way her eyes are naturally that bright gray."

    "I don't know, but she already has most of the boys drooling."

    "Please, she's a nobody. Once they realize that they won't spare her a second glance. I mean look at her, she's a wannabe. A joke."

    They went into a fit of giggles, still casting their gaze her way. Lana kept her eyes ahead of her, her stomach twisting with nerves. Once inside the building, she headed straight to the principal's office to obtain her schedule, books and locker number (luckily it was the door to the left upon entry, principal's office etched on a large metal tablet drilled into the wall beside the handle). Her mother had come the day before to register her and sign all the required paperwork, leaving Lana with the task of acquiring the few items.

    She pushed down on the handle and opened the door, a creaking sound filling the air. She lightly closed the door behind her, walking up to the large desk that occupied much of the room. Paperwork covered the desk's surface in multiple heaps and office supplies were scattered about. A thin man with graying brown hair and large glasses sat behind the desk, tapping a pen against his hand. He looked up as Lana approached, smiling politely.

    "Hi, Mr...uhh-" she paused, her eyes searching for his absent nameplate.

    "Boran, Mr. Boran," he filled in with a smile, offering his hand. She shook it, her face mirroring his.

    "My apologies. My nameplate has seemingly disappeared. It's probably somewhere under all this mess," he explained, retracting his hand and indicating to his desk with a chuckle.