Moonlight Magic

Chapter 1

Briiiing! Light flooded through my dark plum curtains as I threw them open and looked out the window. Too bad today's not my weather. I prefer gloomy grey days where I stay indoors and lay low while my parents say I should get out more. 

I got dressed and looked in the mirror at my complexion. I had wavy chestnut hair that was nearly black with dark blond highlights throughout. My eyes were almond shaped and was also a nice shade of brown flecked with gold. I had blemish free skin and a decently shaped face. I'm not oblivious to boys' attention at school. I would just rather keep to myself and not become one of those attention soaking people. 

Shoving my favourite ring onto my finger, I can't but be entranced by the way it reflected light. The ring was an eleventh birthday gift from Mum who said it'll be all I'll ever need. Even at eleven I found that a strange thing to say to your daughter but Mum was slightly on the eccentric side at times.

Happy with looking decent, I trooped downstairs and made my way to the kitchen. Strangely my parents weren't there. I looked up at the clock which read quarter to eight. They were normally up by now and didn't leave for work until eight, dropping me off at school along the way.
Standing between the island and sink, my eyes swept the room and landed on a note on the fridge. 'Becky, we'll be back around midnight. Love Mum and Dad.' Guess I'll be walking to school.

*****

The walk from where I lived, which was on the outskirts of Ravensvale, to Verisa High took around twenty minutes. Not that I minded. The walk itself was quite pleasant. There was a short cut through the Rose Gate park where at this time of the year, flowers blossomed and showed off their beauty. The air was heavily scented, smelling of something sweet and innocent. Bird songs rang out like gentle wind chimes above the tranquil peacefulness. I would rarely see anyone else here in the park. Sure, there were the odd couple or two that took casual strolls or made out on a nearby bench, unaware of people passing by. 

I trudged along the paved path that wove through trees aware of my pace that I would get a tardy. Not as if I care. Like any other day I couldn't dread school enough. Yet it's five days a week.

*****

Classes were boring as usual. Other than for the nerds -or should I say 'highly achieving'- who would say otherwise. I was dragging myself towards Geography when a familiar shadow fell across my path. My eyes travelled up until they locked with another pair the colour of emeralds.

Lauren Tiffmen, the known bitch at Verisa was hell bent on making my life miserable. Saying she and I weren't friends was an understatement. We loathed each other since the first time she set eyes on me. I was prepared to be much civilised if not for the fact that she had practically turned me into the pariah of Ravensvale's next generation.

Many people my age tended to be very interested in being my friend. I had no doubt that it was because of my background. I lived in the secluded ancient mansion nearing the borders of the town. It had cost my parents a fortune -not that they couldn't afford it. This was one of the many reasons where people would be more than curious to get to know me. And it was also one of the reasons for Lauren's green eyed monster to especially target me. Poor Lauren couldn't stand to be any less than the most popular. With the attention I got -even when I made it very clear on more than one occasion that I despised the attention, might I add -girls and guys swarm me. Couldn't blame Lauren for wanting to pull me down a peg or two. 

"Why the glum face, Becky?" Lauren Tiffmen addressed me with as much warmth as the winter at Alaska. "Where's Nutella?" My eyes narrowed to slits. She just had to bring that up.

"What crawled up your ass today? Fleas from Boyfriend?" I sneered. 

She glowered at me. "Oh no, no, no. You know, I'm just concerned. After all, I'm not the lone soul braving a school of hungry sharks. If you know what I mean."

"Really? Hungry sharks? That's the best you can come up with?"

"Well, yeah. Everyone knows you're a loner now. There are bound to be rumours, you know."

"No need to worry your pretty little head off, Lauren," I said, "Haven't you noticed my new entourage?" This wasn't a lie. There really were a bunch of students tailing me that I just managed to lose. 

As I moved past her with a pat on her brown head, I added, "So I'm fine by the way. You on the other hand should stop concocting useless rumours." I stalked off with my moods lifted. The last glimpse of her face gave me the urge to laugh out loud.