Removed

17

 I glance from my school tablet to my watch. It's difficult to concentrate on typing an essay when the party was only last night. The terror on the cousin's faces haunted me throughout the night. They refused to speak another word after the lady left. We basically stayed in silence until the adults informed us the party was over. I had to drag Eva home while Cody and Jared fled as soon as the lady was out of sight.

Emitting a soft sigh, I glance up from my digital notebook. The teacher wears a bored expression, palm pressed against her cheek. Her inky hair curtains her face as she taps away at her tablet with her other hand. The students are silent, obediently typing their essays.

Every day of the week, my schedule is the same. The last class of the day is always language, where we type up essays and learn about the English language. It's a boring, monotonous routine that agitates me to my very core. The classes are dull and straight to the point. The popular cliques are the teacher's favorites. In my opinion, the system just isn't fair.

Finally, the bell rings. Students hastily gather their belongings and dash out of the classroom. The teacher offers the class a small smile before she begins to pack up her own things. Lazily, I grab my notebook and amble out of the classroom. My flats scrape against the linoleum floor, eyes dropping and shoulders sagging.

"Hey, Autumn!" Eva greets, looping her arm through mine as I trudge towards my locker.

"Hey, Eva," I yawn, letting her arm drop as I pry open my locker.

As Eva rambles on and on about her day in an overexcited manner, I shove my notebook into my locker and pull out my bag. With a swing of my arm, the small door flies shut, causing Eva's feet to leave the floor. She lets out a squeal of surprise as her shoes touch the ground once again.

I roll my eyes, letting out a small chuckle. "It was just a locker, Ev."

She scoffs, lightly elbowing me in the side before stalking ahead of me. I follow her out the door, glancing up at the overcast sky. The sun struggles to peak through the thick gray clouds and a nasty wind nips at our flesh. Eva shivers, wrapping her arms around herself as her chocolate hair whacks her in the face.

The boys lean against the wall, their hoodies shielding their hair and upper bodies from the harsh breeze. Cody grits his teeth while Jared openly complains about the climate. Eva immediately rolls her eyes, stalking towards Jared with her hand raised to slap. Hastily, I grab her hand and jerk her to a halt. She grumbles under her breath, yanking her hand away from mine and shooting Jared a steely glare.

"Guys, chill," I shout as Jared inches towards my dauntless friend.

Cody's hazel eyes roll themselves as he grabs his cousin's arm and drags him towards the street. I trudge behind and Eva easily catches up to me. For a while, we walk in silence, destination unknown. The cousins seem to be feeling better today, yet I restrain myself from bombarding them with questions. Now's not the time.

After strolling in silence for quite some time, I nearly trip over a fluffy orange cat. It glares up at me before scurrying towards the mansion in front of us. Of course, it's Jared's mansion, as he yanks open the gate and proceeds to unlock the doors. Once again, I enter his gaudy home.

This time, my eyes don't linger on the interior. We walk straight to the backyard, jogging down the stairs to the deck. A steady trickle of rain graces our already goosebump-ridden flesh.

I nearly gasp at the sight before me. Jared's huge pool is rippled by the rain, nearly hissing from the temperature difference.

Suddenly, Jared commands, "HomeAssist, raise the pool roof."