Enchanted By: Mariah Soleta

Chapter 2- Alex

It's now 6:30 and I haven't gone back to sleep because I'm too afraid of that dream. Since I'm not going to sleep anytime soon, I might as well get ready for school. I walked into my bathroom and started the the shower. As I was walking I started getting a very strange feeling. I felt like someone was watching me very closely. My neck started to tingle but as soon as the feeling came, it went away. I turned around and saw nothing. Okay Alex, pull yourself together. You're just paranoid because it's first day of school, stop worrying!

After my little mini panic attack, I went to my room and picked up my clothes off the window seat. I looked towards Adam's house and saw nothing. What did I expect to see? Adam in his room playing video games on his floor or Adam's mom telling him to clean his room like before he moved? No I expected to see nothing like always and I know that it's never going to change although I do have hope. I walk to the bathroom and get in the shower still worrying about school. I really need to stop doing that. So I just let my mind go blank and I focused on nothing but positive things. Things like moving away, going to a good college, and succeding in life.

When I'm done with both my shower and my daydreaming, I dry off and get dressed. As I'm doing my make-up, I happen to look at the mirror. Crap! It's already 7:20! I promised Lizzie I'd pick her up at 7:30, so I grab my bag and run downstairs. I rush in to the kitchen and steal some fruit for the road. I yell that I love my parents over my shoulder and tell them that I'm going to LIzzie's house after school and I run out the front door. But something I see from the corner of my eye stops me in my tracks. There's a flickering light in Adam's room. Could it be? NO. He moved away, he's nowhere near here anymore. So why does my mind say that, but my heart says another thing? It's because I have hope. That's my blessing, I guess. To have hope in the darkest situations.

I ignore the strange light and walk to my truck. I throw my bag in, start it, and take off like there's no tomorrow. Probably because there won't be a tomorrow if I'm late picking up Lizzie. Yeah, that's how serious she is sometimes. When you make a promise to her, she means for you to keep it and if you don't, there will be Hell to pay. So, as I'm driving to LIzzie's, I turn the radio up and listen to some country music. But I quick change it before I get to Lizzie's because she hates country music.

" It's just a bunch of hicktown people trying to make money by producing cheesy and sucky-sounding songs." If I remember right, that's what she said exactly. So i switch it off because now no radio stations are coming through. It's a small town, what can I say?

I pull up to Lizzie's sidewalk and look at the time. It's 7:35, but Lizzie isn't waiting for me. Huh? She's never late to anything even if she doesn't want to go. I decide to get out and look for her in her house. I walk up the sidewalk leading to her front door, walk very carefully on her old rickity porch, and knock on her door. Her mother answers looking very stressed. Her mother is never stressed either. This is a very weird day and something tells me it's only going to get more weirder than this.

" Hello, Alex, dear. I'm afraid Lizzie can't make it to school today. She's very sick." Her mother answered, avoiding my curious stare.

" Really? On the first day of school? Oh what does she have. Is it contagious, because I don't want you getting sick what with your busy schedule and all." I asked innocently, but I knew better. Lizzie never got sick enough to skip school. The most serious sickness she's ever had is a stuffy nose and tiny cough.

Her mother answers back hesitantly, " No, it's not contagious, but she just doesn't feel up to going to school. So you must be heading off then. We don't want you to be late for school. Lizzie should be back next week. Okay? Goodbye, Alex. Oh and tel your mother I said "Hi" okay dear? Bye." And with that she literally shut the door in my face.