Moon Curse

Chapter 1 - Nyx

Nyx sat in the back row, in the corner, as she always did. Though she was new, she supposed she just had a 'stay away from me' vibe. You develop those when you're an orphan with no friends, or home.

And as she looked around, she saw what she'd seen a million times: dirty bleachers, on which assorted humans sat. They were in groups, all of them smooshed together yet the groups still clearly separate, somehow.

There were, of course, the popular girls and guys. Both boys and girls equally handsy with each other. One girl was draped on some boys shoulder, and they were kissing as if they weren't in a crowded gym before an assembly. Their lips moved together in an honestly disgusting gesture of affection.

When she came up for air, Nyx got a glimpse of her face: cute, but her overdone makeup ruined the effect. Her lips were over-glossed and some had smeared onto her chin. Her eyes were a pretty light brown, but they were overshadowed, literally, by her long, obviously fake lashes. Her perfectly smooth skin was slathered in pale goo that was just a bit off color from her skin tone. It was gross.

Nyx looked at the boy she was kissing, and was slightly more impressed. He was good looking, with beach wave blond hair, a strong jaw, and dark brown eyes. He seemed smart, but also arrogant. Although they didn't look nice, Nyx envied their relationship: normal, perfect.

Nyx's fantasies were interrupted by a man in a pressed shirt, walking up to the podium, which looked tiny in comparison to the large bleachers overcrowded with students. He cleared his throat a few times, then tapped the microphone. It boomed through the gym, and everyone stared at him. When he leaned in close and tried to talk, it screeched loudly and everyone covered their ears. He was probably a new principal.

"Welcome students, to Northridge Academy. As you might have guessed, I am as new here as you fine young freshman," he gestured to one side of the room, where younger teenagers sank back in their seats. The principal gave them a winning smile, and received blank stares in return. He cleared his throat again.

"Uhm... I am Mr. Porter, and as you'll soon find out, I'm not one for long speeches, but uh, let's all just have some fun this year, huh?" He smiled broadly again, and glanced at the other teachers, who were all glaring at him, probably thinking something along the lines of, 'I can't believe this idiot is going to be the principal.'

"Um, but don't forget about your school work! 'Cause ya know, school, uh, it's important! And that's why we're here, right? Uh, anywho, I have some quick announcements, starting with the sports department! Don't miss the tryouts for the following sports, as tryouts will not happen again until next year. Soccer, lacrosse, hockey, ...."

He kept droning on, but Nyx stopped listening. She didn't care about sports, or some dumb principal who wasn't prepared enough to write a speech before this. Instead, she looked around the room, more interested in watching the teenagers behaviors and groups. After spotting the large popular group, she spotted the stoners next to them, one of which was vaping right out in the open. She crinkled her nose at him, and continued to look around.

The closest group to her was the uncategorized group. They weren't exactly outcasts, but they didn't really fit in perfectly with one specific group. The row down from them were the geeks, most of which wore glasses and were putting together a mini robot, or something. And there were other groups too, but at this point, the principal was finishing up with his announcements.

"...and finally, Harry Potter club meets in the library every Thursday, so come on down and do some magic! Alright folks, that's all for today! I welcome you to this school again, and hope you'll have a wonderful year here at Northridge Academy! Thank you!" There was a halfhearted applause, but either he was too dumb to notice or just didn't care. He walked away beaming, waving and strutting out the door. The school got up at once, and the noise level rose. Everyone scrambled to grab their bags, and still get out the door without being crushed by the crowd.