Divine

Chapter One

I slam my hand on my alarm clock and moan. I roll over my bed and try to wriggle back into my slumber. The last thing I want is school. Please no school. Please no school. Please no school.

"Aidan!" My mom's voice booms from downstairs.

Ugggh. It's probably likely that no one likes school, but out of all the people who don't, I am probably the one who hates it the most. Probably because my life in general is so dull. But today, when I reluctantly swing my legs off my bed, I stop in my tracks and jump. I see a shadow. Of something I can't Identify. It looks disfigured and spills from my bathroom door. I jump, the hair on my neck standing on end. But once I blink, It's gone. Just like that My heart pounds when I slowly saunter over to the bathroom door and bravely throw it open. But there is nothing. Just my normal sink and closet. Did I just imagine it? I sigh and get dressed. I tug on a pair of skinny jeans and a green tank top with a denim jacket. I brush my teeth and spit the toothpaste from my mouth in Disgust. I hate orange. I brush out the tangles from my matted hair and stare at my exhausted eyes in the mirror. Sleep outlines my vision and I shake my head to extricate myself from my blur. Then I sigh and head downstairs.

I nearly trip as I make my way down the steps and nearly ran myself into the railing. Typical me.

"Morning, honey." My mom shakes my shoulder with one hand and balances a pitcher of lemonade with the other.

"Hi." I gasp, pushing myself from the railing, and strands of light brown hair falls into my eyes. I sweep it away impatiently. My mom pulls up a chair and I slip in and begin eating the bacon and eggs she made my sister and I. My mom pours me a glass of lemonade and I mumble a thank you.

My mom looks like me. She has short, dirty blonde hair with a slight wave and light blue eyes. She's tall and wiry, and her smile lights up a room. But that's when the resemblance stops. My smile actually doesn't light up a room. I'm not graceful, either. Not nearly. I trip on nearly everything. And I'm not athletic, or smart, or stylish, or artistic, or musical, or swag, or violent, or even nice really. I'm not good at anything. But my sister, gosh. She's what you'd call perfect. Beautiful. A goddess. Everything I'm not. She has curly blonde hair, blue eyes, red lips, lots of clothes, pounds of makeup, a perfect body, and is really REALLY popular. I mean, really popular. I'm the complete opposite of her. I always wish I was special, but unless you mean special as in needs special help, I don't meet the requirements. I feel like I'm so different than everyone else. Like my mind is completely wired apart from people in general. It's weird.

"So I was thinking McDonalds for dinner?" My mom asks us once we're all seated. My sister, Anna, gasps.

"Mother! I can't eat McDonalds! I'm on an all salad diet!"

"Not helping." I put in, scooping up my eggs. She glares at me from across the table.

"At least I don't look like a girl who just slept in a barn for a year."

That tears it. I start to get up, but my mom yanks me down.

"You two behave!" She snaps at both of us. "I'm working two jobs for twelve hours straight and I don't need you guys complicating my life any further by fighting."

Anna smiles too sweetly at my mom. "Sorry, Mother," she addresses my mom. "I won't try and fight." She gives me a look before standing up and heading upstairs to probably reapply 50 pounds of makeup. My mom turns to me.

"Sorry, Mom," I sigh. "I didn't think about how it would effect you. I know you're going through a lot. You know, since Dad left."

The room is quiet for a moment. My mom smiles, slowly.