Minutes to Midnight. (discontinued)

Slow day. Chapter 2.

the lecture passed slowly, with extensive looks into the moves and mistakes Napoleon made. students used to think i was odd when the term began, but by now they had figured out why i didn't take notes during the afternoon lecture.

Annika and Blake had all their classes together, Business studies, geography, economics.. anything to do with the business that Annika wanted Blake to inherit as soon as our father died--both of us didn't so much as know his favorite color--so Annika had no problem thinking about his death. i was a little frightened that she might kill him when we first moved here--but he has heavy security--and even now i can tell she hates him. i remember my mom once told me that i was a lot more like him--and Annika was a lot like her--because we are both smart, book-worms and content to stay silent. i never thought about it after that, but with the few glances i'd seen of him before coming to the dorm--and the parent's ball--i could see some resemblance. that only made me scared as to what Annika would do if she saw the similarity.

i stretched and stood up when the lecturer concluded the speech had been giving to sum things up. i pulled my bag over my shoulder and patiently waited my turn behind the swarm of students rushing to just about whatever you could think of doing. i noticed that another student was waiting a little to my right.

he had mussy short hair--that was white?!--and he was wearing a tshirt and jeans with a leather jacket that in no sense could defend him from the cold. i thought it was more than a little strange, but the other thing about him was that he had more of a tan than any other pale-faced person living under this constant cloud cover. he looked my way as if sensing i'd looked him over. i think he recognized me somehow--the look on his face seemed to scream that--but i could swear i'd never seen him before. when i lost sight of him the crowd, i let my curiosity go with him.

i spent the afternoon--technically--in the library. i say technically because--well--the sun sets around three thirty in winter, rising ages later around ten.

that night--back in the dorm--Annika came flying through the door bouncing around like she had a pogo-stick. she kept chanting something that had something to do with my lucky day. all i could do was sit and wait for the episode of 'joy' to be over.

"AUDRIE!!" she screamed, "i have done what i do best today, and its your lucky day!!"

"huh?"

"you should be yelling 'YAY' and 'HALLELUJAH' from the rooftops!!"

--there was only one other hundred times she got this excited, i prepared to sigh--

"i have found your perfect match!!"

"no."

"what??"

"you say the same thing every time you throw another dweeb at me, i can safely say that every guy you show me is another guy i don't need to be thrown."

--by now this was a practiced conversation--

"but its different this time!!" she persisted,

"just, no."

"but--"

"no means no!" i scolded her.

she mocked hurt, but i knew she would be fine, a few of her hair-brained tries back i found that hard and steel discipline was the only way to stop her shoving me into the guy at every turn. now she would only do it a few times. a day.

i hoped that tomorrow i could have a little freedom, which looked brightly possible since Annika had a full day off--with Blake--which she always honored religiously with a trip to their favorite restaurant. i loved that restaurant, but for a different reason to her. it just gave me a day of rest from her glowing pure free-spirited self.

"Audrie!!"

"what now?" i span around in my chair,

"look!!" she squealed, "you'll love him after i show you the picture i took with my phone--and all the things you guys have in common--that i got my friends to help me get!!"

"alright..." i resigned, feigning interest until i could escape to the shower or something.