Spellbound

Chapter 1

The sun was planted low in the sky, soft rays of light beaming colors of pink and orange off the clouds, indicating early morning.

Liam laid comfortably under his plush comforter, his snoring bouncing off the walls.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The sound of an alarm interrupted his peace as he jumped with a start. He lazily reached for his phone, which was perched on his wooden nightstand. Opening one eye, he squinted at the painful brightness beaming from the screen. He tapped stop and groaned, sitting the phone back on the nightstand.

Warm water saturated his dirty blonde hair as he stood in the shower. Liam was not a morning person. He found the start of every boring day to be a pain, but this particular morning was especially annoying. He groaned again, running his hands down his face.

Most mornings he took a shower, got dressed, and went on about his day. He didn't get how anyone could possibly have enough energy in the morning to jog, or even cook breakfast. Mornings were ridiculous. He finished his usual routine with brushing his teeth, getting dressed, and grabbing his bag on his way out the door.

The cold autumn air slightly bit at his skin, like pesky mosquitoes. The sun was higher now, and birds were chirping cheerily. Liam sighed and raised the collar of his jacket as he skipped down the steps of his apartment building. His neighborhood was annoyingly rowdy in the mornings, with kids running to school and adults gabbing on their cellphones while waiting for a taxi. Every time he walked past his neighbors, he wished he owned a vehicle. Their laughter, yelling, and sometimes crying was too much for him to handle in the morning.

Liam looked both ways before crossing the street, running up to the tall glass building that he called his second home. New York Film Academy was not easy for him to get into. His father wanted him to become a surgeon, like him. His mother wanted him to be whatever he wanted, as long as he gave her a daughter in law and grand kids. Liam shook his head at the thought as he pulled open the large glass door to the building. A wife? And kids? At twenty three years old, Liam was just starting his photography career. He had just moved out on his own, he had just started to establish himself. A wife and kids didn't fit anywhere on his agenda.

Liam's tan Brogue boots clicked against the white marble flooring as he scurried into class. There were twenty people total in his class, along with Mr. Williams, their instructor. Liam knew everyone in class, but was only close to two people. One of them, Victor Rodriguez, came tumbling into class. His camera was dangling out of his suitcase with the strap attached to the zipper. A few pieces of clothing fell onto the floor as he scrambled to tuck it back in. Liam chuckled to himself. Victor, or "Vic", as his friends called him, was always flustered. He was incredibly clumsy, but his photography skills were excellent. He walked swiftly over to Liam and slammed his things on the table, obviously frustrated.

"This is definitely not my morning, man." He said, adjusting his black thick brimmed glasses. Liam nodded in agreement, "Mine either. This whole thing is pointless." Just then, Kelsey, their other friend came walking up to them. She wore a red floral printed sundress, brown sandals, and a long black duster. Her long curly hair was tied back into a bun, and she held a drink tray with three small coffees nestled into each section. Kelsey was never one to hate the cool weather. She dressed like it was summer almost year round.

"Oh, come on guys. This is going to be great!" She smiled, holding out the tray. Victor and Liam both grabbed a coffee. "Great? Ha, okay." Liam said, rolling his eyes and taking a sip. The warm liquid eased his annoyance some. "Liam, we're going to Paris for a whole three days! That doesn't excite you at all?" Kelsey asked. Liam shrugged. The class was going on a three day trip to Paris that morning, for a photography session. There had been a vote for where they should've visited, with Paris, Italy, and China being on the list. Liam had voted for China. He loved the scenery, and he desperately wanted to see the Great Wall. Three other people had also voted for China, while five voted for Italy and twelve voted for Paris. Paris won by a landslide. Liam rolled his eyes at the thought of this. What was so exciting about Paris? Sure, there was the Eiffel Tower, but he hadn't been interested in it at all. As far as he was concerned, this trip was a waste of time and money. Victor adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "I'm excited about the trip. I just wish I wasn't so clumsy." He said. Just then, Mr. Williams walked through the door.