To Be Burned

Chapter 1

"Is it true?" I glanced up from my book suspiciously, to see a girl with strawberry blond hair uncomfortably close to my face.

"Ummmm, is what true?" I mumbled in response, but I knew what she was talking about.

"You know," she glanced around nervously as if someone was eavesdropping on our conversation, then leaned in even closer and whispered dramatically, "Voodoo."

I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud. She pulled back quickly, looking startled and affronted.

"What?" She replied indignantly.

"Nothing, it's just, you're saying it so... so dramatically, it's rather comical."

She humphed in response. This girl was quite odd, but honestly, who was I to judge?

She sat backward into the seat next to mine. No one ever sat in the seat next to mine. Not just because everyone was afraid of me (not because of voodoo, no one actually believed that, except it would seem, this girl, it was more just because I was a generally prickly person to be around), but also, sitting next to me was social suicide and no one wants their high school memories to be about being "sort of" friends with the pariah. And frankly I was just fine to be sitting all by my lonesome, reading my book. Harry Potter was a better friend then any of these other idiots (no, I was not reading Harry Potter, of course I've read that already, multiple times, Harry Potter is just the go to favorite book).

"They said you were prickly," she grumbled, or mumbled, I'm not sure, maybe both, let's be safe and say that she grumumbled.

"That is not prickly. I just laughed for God's sake. That was nothing. Honestly, right now, I'd say I was being friendly."

"Giirrrl, you do not have enough friends."

"Or any," I mumbled.

"What?" She was scandalized. She was new at Watsonville, she'd figure it out eventually, "Well, good thing I'm here, I'm going to be your friend."

"You sound like a kindergartener on the first day of school, before they learn that other people are dicks and the whole world sucks."

"But we will be friends."

I looked at her as a parent would look upon a child who tried to say 'fire truck' but accidentally said 'fire fuck'.

"That's not how the world works, sweetie," I patted her her on the head condescendingly.

"No, no, no! Don't you see? I'm going to make you popular and you-"

"Popular?!" I snorted, " I don't want to be popular! Why would I? If I wanted to be popular I could be popular."

"Ha!" She pointed me, grinning wildly, "So you do practice voodoo!"

"No I don't, you idiot. Get this in your head: magic isn't real, wishes don't come true and your story won't end with your prince scooping you onto his flying frickin pony. If I wanted to be popular I could, all I'd have to do is be a cold hearted bitch, which I really don't want to do. So just leave me the fuck alone."

Wounded puppy face. Damn her. Stupid big brown eyes- blue eyes, wait, green eyes. Screw it, I can't remember what color her eyes are. They were just really big and- and colorful... unless they were black. Wait, what?

Who knows? Eyes are just unimportant, OK? Just leave me alone!

Sorry, eye color bugs me.

Well, anyway: stupid wounded puppy face, guilt, well half guilt, she kind of needed that.

But it did the job anyway, after my outburst she sulked away dejectedly. I got to go back to my book. Hopefully forever.

* * * * *

I stood at the bell and walked to science without raising my head from my book, yes it is possible, yes I can see, no you don't have to wave your fucking hand in my face: I'M FINE.

The chaos in the halls is unnerving: jocks whooping, girls tittering lick friggin birds, and others just milling aimlessly.

Five days in. 175 days left in this hellhole, then summer. Then one more year in Watsonville and then I'm home free to Oxford. Did that make sense? No? Suck it up.

I sat in the back of science, as was my custom, and prepared my mind of the 'wonders of of physics'.

She say next to me. Shudder. Why? Well you can bet I was about to find out.

"Hey Vyri," She said casually, it surprised me, though it shouldn't have. If she knew about the voodoo, how could she not know my name? It just unnerved me.

"Well, since you know my name, why don't you tell me yours?"

"I didn't?" She was aghast, "Well my name is-"

"Miss Revale, sit forward and pay attention, please, unless I'm disturbing your important conversation? Then, by all means continue," Ms. Fisher's expression threatened 'serious consequences'.

'Miss Revale' opened her mouth as if to speak defiantly, then closed it again, "Yes, Miss Fisher."

"Alright, onto physics!"

* * * * *

"Willow!" I heard a sing-song voice shout behind me, "It's Willow!"

I turned to see a strawberry blond bun running up to walk in step with me. Damn. I was trying to lose her.

"My-" She interspersed over dramatic pants between her words, "Name- Is- Willow."

"K," I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster: all of none.

"Sooooooo."

"Sooooooo, what?"

"Well, Vyri, now that we're BFF's-"

"We are not friends. Get that in your stupid head," She pouted. Gross. Why do people pout? Girls in particular? Because they are idiots. It looks ugly and stupid, but they do it anyway. Grrrr. Stupid insensible people. Grrrrrr.

"But- but," Her attitude suddenly changed. Her posture straightened, her eyes brightened, and her pout became a wide grin, "Alright, you're right, we're not friends yet, but we will be friends soon. Just you wait," She skipped away. Literally skipped WTF.