The Golden Hour

Before

    EACH MORNING starts off the same, sleeping in even after my alarm chimes the same diddy. Abandoning my bed was a struggle and after putting on my uniform and brushing through my silver hair, I'm all too aware the time when my mother comes and kisses me on the cheek. We share the same freckles sprinkled across our noses. The only thing on the counter is a croissant so that's what I grab on my way out the door, also making sure to scoop up my plain black rucksack and make my way five-minute walk to the bus stop.

The bus is filled with students all wearing the same school mandatory uniform. Koeh a hot popular redhead is draped across a section of seats with his friends. Their gang takes up more space today with the bus being mostly empty. Each one is thrown over each other in a wild mess of limbs and hangovers. Koeh sits there his white dress shirt untucked and navy blazer unbuttoned the school crest prominent and royally displayed on the chest. Most of his friends are disheveled in the same manner, with their striped ties undone or loosened. Even though it is a city bus only student usually ride it. Since Pastel Shores is such a small town they opted to just dedicate a city bus to one of the two high schools in this sad excuse for a city. 

As the guys go on about their female conquests I spot Lea and Farah. They talk quickly, and as Lea get more and more anxious Farah takes her hand and pecks her on the cheek. Deciding I've spent enough time gawking I make my way over to them. The navy skirt uncomfortably short and my knee high socks uneven. 

"Hey, the bus seems a lot emptier today," I point out and I put my bag down and sit on Farah's left making sure to cross my legs so Koeh's gang doesn't get a sneak peek.

"Yeah people are staying home because of the nuclear threats," Lea says as she runs her other hand across her eyes, and incidentally her mascara. Farah grabs her wrist, stopping her.

"Stop that you know everything will turn out okay. Prime minister Thea Lock and President Michelle Hawkings will sort everything out," Farah is the most amazing girlfriend any girl or guy could ask for. Even though her Russian mother back home is very disapproving she is always strong. 

"It's just things have gotten really scary these days,"Lea says curled up in Farah's arms

"What happens if Russia goes through with nuking us and the States?" I ask

"Someone will back down before North America gets blown up." Farah adds her accent catching on the 'v's and 'w's.

All the sudden the bus driver leans over his matted grey hair sways as the bus hits potholes. Suddenly he turns up the radio, and even Koeh and his herd go silent. 

"We've just received news from the US President Hawkings" The eerily calm voice of the news report makes everyone in the bus turn to stone. 

"The United States of America wants to make it very clear to Russian President Liposetky that we will not back down and if it comes to nuclear war we take the necessary steps to fight."

Thank the timing gods, right at that moment, we pull up in front of the school. The black and steel industrial building completely contrast the pastel neighborhood around it. It makes the silence in the bus deafening. We all stumble out of the bus, out of the suffocating silence. Reality seems to fade as you walk into the building everything seems perfect as if the school is trying to convince us that the rest of the world is this perfect and clean. 

As time ticks more and more kids file in. Lea, Farah, and I aren't exactly popular yet we aren't invisible. Each class slugs on nothing exciting, staring at Koeh, doing working, making jokes. By the time it's time to leave I'm absolutely exhausted. That's when Lea flounces toward me her blonde hair and big green eyes glowing in the impeccable hallway lighting her style is always a contrast to Farah. Farah's hair is this straight black and her crimson red style creates a fabulous wardrobe.