(sin)eca || rewriting ||

Chapter One:

Chapter One:

            "Sineca Astera Foxwell! Why aren't you getting ready for school, young lady?!" My aunt Clara yelled at me. I sighed. "It's the first day of March so school will be over soon. But that does not give you an excuse to slack off!"

            I rolled my eyes heavenward and stood up off my bed. Little did she know, I was already dressed and ready to go. I walked out of my room and hopped up onto the banister, sliding all the way down to the bottom and landing gracefully on my feet.

            "Sineca, you're almost eighteen, you really shouldn't be doing that." My uncle Caribro reprimanded me. I shrugged and shot him a smile. "Well, you can't say I didn't warn you," he added, a ghost of a smile hovering on his lips. "Goodbye then, Astera." He kissed my cheek and was out the door.

            "Sineca!" Clara screeched. I sighed again.

            Walking into the kitchen, I saw Clara laying a plate of eggs and fruit on the table. I reached out to take a piece and felt a sharp rap on my knuckles. Hissing in pain, I looked up at my aunt only to find her grinning maliciously at me as she brandished a wooden spoon in my direction. She tsked and said, "Sineca, when will you learn? Those are for your cousin, and that is for you."

            Looking in the direction she pointed in, I saw a small bowl full of what resembled barfed up oatmeal. Gagging a little, I tried to hide my reaction and wished against all odds that my parents hadn't left me in her care. I resented the fact that they died and the judge found my aunt to be an acceptable caretaker. More like he found her to be an acceptable screw. My aunt may think I'm daft, but I do know what goes on in my mothers' old house.

            A sound came from the doorway and I turned, finding my younger-by-a-year cousin, Annabella. Her platinum blonde hair was up in a ponytail and mascara coated lashes that framed bright blue eyes. She was clad in a halter-top that left nothing to the imagination and cut-off jean shorts that were more like a belt that anything else. All in all, she looked as plastic as a Barbie.

            "Bella," my aunt began and I automatically tuned out of the conversation as I sat down and methodically started eating the goop my aunt called "organic oatmeal". If I didn't focus on it, it was pretty much tasteless. As I ate, I thought about the new girl that had arrived yesterday. Word had gotten around that Gracia Martinez was expecting her friend to join her. Although she refused to say whether it was a boy or girl, she did say that the person in question was arriving today. Ah, well, just another tormentor for Jefferson High School.

            I was washing my plate when I caught Gracia's name in the conversation. "-but Gracia said that she didn't know when he was arriving. She said that he was eighteen and had black hair and eyes greener than grass. He sounds like heaven but I could obviously tell that she liked him. Anyways, I just have to stay 'friends' with her until he gets here and then..." Bella laughed. "Well, you know."

            I tuned them out again and knew I had to warn Gracia. Wait. Why would I warn her? I don't even know her.

            But it'd be the right thing to do, my subconscious reasoned.

            I sighed and left for the bus, a battle raging inside my head all the while.

*****

            "Is this seat taken?" someone asked me. I looked up and found myself staring into the wary brown eyes of Gracia Martinez. I shook my head and she sat down across from me. The way the seats were laid out were in groups of four, two chairs with their backs facing the front of the bus facing two chairs with their backs facing the back of the bus.

            Gracia sat down and I noticed that she was alone. "Wasn't their supposed to be someone meeting you here?" I blurted out. Gracia's startled eyes met mine as I flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry. Forget I asked... I'm Sineca by the way."

            "Gracia Martinez." She replied. "And yes, Antonio should be here around..." she paused and glanced at her watch. "Well, about nine-ish if his flight's not any later than it already is..." she paused again and her eyes darted up to mine and I saw recognition flare in her eyes. "What's your last name?"

            "Um, Foxwell. Sineca Foxwell," I replied warily. Her eyes narrowed and I thought I saw a flash of loathing in her eyes before it disappeared and she smiled. I wondered if I had imagined it and dismissed the thought as she began to speak.

            "Sineca Foxwell is a beautiful name." She said. "I'd rather mine be something like that. Unusual. But no. My name is Gracia Lilith Martinez." She sighed and looked out the window wistfully. "Did you ever know your future and wish something else could happen? That you could map out your own path and just... be?" I stared at her and she sighed again. "I suppose not." She murmured and went silent.

            By the time that the bus got to school, I was so uncomfortable that I literally jumped up and ran off the bus. The bell rang just as I shut my locker and I headed towards my next class. Going into the door of the history room just as the tarty bell rang, I wasn't paying attention and one of the jocks, a guy named Aaron, stuck his foot out and I tripped. The class laughed as I fell and landed on my hands and knees, my books and papers spread out on the floor before me. My face flamed as I scrambled to pick them up and I rushed back to my seat as soon as I had.

            The teacher called the class to attention and began speaking of a book we'd have to read. I drowned him out, turning my thoughts inward. Pursing my lips, I willed myself not to cry. I heard the door open and looked up. What I saw erased any and all thoughts I had about crying from my mind.

            It was a guy. He was tall, about six four, with dark, almost black hair. His long legs were encased in worn, faded, dark blue jeans and his tight black shirt did nothing to hide how well built he was. His face was flawless. But his eyes. They were the kind of green that made you feel like you were drowning. A haunting, emerald green that seemed bottomless. More importantly, he was staring right back at me.

            My eyes widened and quickly dropped to the ground and I cursed myself for outright ogling him. The teacher engaged him in a conversation to quiet for me to hear and then turned to us.

            "Class, I'd like you to meet our new student, Antonio Renaldi." Mr. Garrison said.

            Antonio waved and slung his bag over his shoulder and scanned the room for a seat. All the girls were eyeing him, trying to get him to sit near them. I just stared at my desk, wishing he'd just sit down already. I heard several quiet gasps and saw movement to my right out of the corner of my eye and saw that he had chosen the desk adjacent to me. My eyebrows raised in surprise as he dropped into the seat and glanced at me. Mr. Garrison began speaking again but the new guy didn't seem to notice. He leaned towards me and smiled.

            "I'm Antonio Renaldi, but you can call me Nio." He held out a hand and I hesitantly reached towards it.

            "Sineca Foxwell." I said softly. As soon as we touched I felt sparks shoot up my arm and I yanked my hand away. I thought I'd been the only one to feel it but now Nio was looking at me oddly. Shaking my head, I tried to dispel any lingering thoughts that we'd shared a moment and instead focused on the teacher.

            Nio didn't try to talk to me the rest of class but I felt his gaze burning into me. As soon as the bell rang, I jumped out of my seat and was the first one out the door. I didn't see Nio as I made my way to the lunch room and hoped I had no more classes with the strange new boy who appeared to have bewitched me.

***A/N***

Sineca on the side!