Signed In Blood

Chapter 1- Cheating's For Tests

                  I yawned, poking at the microwaved instant ramen disdainfully. Once again I was left to fend for myself while my parents were off god knows where. How fun. Note sarcasm. With a sigh, I spun the long noodles around my fork, blowing the stream away before shoving it between my lips. On the bright side, it's Saturday so no school. On the downside, I had work at five so no movie night with Jared. Not that I'd probably see him anyway. For my boyfriend, he sure was absent lately. Not that I really blamed him, coming over here was a drag, especially considering my freaky neighbors. Last time we watched a horror movie they called the cops. Serious mood killer.

Once the foam cup was empty, I tossed it in the trash, pulling my long, dark hair into a messy ponytail. Having a few hours to kill before my shift, I decided to stop by the bookstore. They were usually way better in my opinion than Chapters, even if the place smelled like dust and broken dreams. Guess a small, slow business like that wasn't what the owners were hoping for.

"I'm going out." I called to the empty house. It was a habit I had developed at a young age; made me feel less alone if I pretended someone was here to miss me. Yeah I know, depressing.

A cool breeze moved a few loose strands of black as I closed and locked the front door. It was gloomy outside, clouds hung low in the sky, enhancing the vibrant oranges and yellows of autumn leaves. I made my way towards downtown, checking both ways before crossing the street, defying my mother's teachings. She had always told me to never check and just go, people would stop for me. However I wasn't a stupid kid and knew I'd probably get hit and die if I did that. The sharp scrape of ratty sneakers against the pavement filled my ears as I tugged the long scarf I wore over my mouth slightly. In all honesty, I didn't hate this kind of weather, it was nice. Not many people were out due to the slight chill and depressing overcast. I quite liked it, reminds me of my own life a little bit; dull and absent of people. Well mostly absent, I still had my friends and those bible thumping nuisances next door. And my boyfriend, he's a thing too.

With a small yawn, I walked past the array of small shops, gazing lazily into the windows as I continued to my destination. Cocking an eyebrow, I hesitated at a newer store. The fluorescent sign read "Hot Topic". Huh, so there's one of those here now? Weird, you'd think they wouldn't want to open up in a smaller town. Maybe it was a marketing tactic.

Losing interest, I sauntered over to the bookstore. The door creaked open, a bell jingling overhead as I entered. The boy behind the desk looked up, a smile spreading across his face as he recognized me.

"Quinn, what's up?" he greeted, leaning against the wooden counter.

I smiled slightly, moving my scarf down so he could hear me properly. "Hey Zack, just killing some time before work." the darker boy laughed, adjusting his glasses. Out of all my friends, I'd say he's the happiest; always laughing or smiling.

"I see, well feel free to waste all your time here. We haven't really had any customers today so I'm bored out of my mind." Zack enthused, his eyes gleaming. For someone who was bored, he sure didn't look it.

"Thanks, I might just take you up on your offer." I replied, hopping up on the counter, now sitting cross-legged.

Zack rolled his eyes, "Dude, really? If the owner sees me letting people just climb up on shit she'll fire me."

I shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm in here all the time, she won't mind if it's me."

"Well I guess, I mean you're our best customer." He responded after taking a moment to contemplate. I nodded, pulling my phone out for a second to check the time. Got to make sure I'm not late for work after all. My brown eyes landed on Zack once again, narrowing in slight suspicion as he glanced from the window back to me a little too quickly. He smiled nervously at my expression. What was out there? I turned to see before I was distracted by a loud thud.