The Island

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

~Tillie~

I pushed my way out of the auditorium, bumping and nudging other scared kids as I walked, trying to stay calm and a straight-faced. When it comes to fight or flight, I choose to depend on survival, and survival was telling me to find my friends, my second family. I walked to the back hallway near the lockers, weaving my way around other petrified and confused students. My friends were all huddled around each other in our usual hangout during school hours, in a little nook that was outside the janitor's closet.

John was easy to pick out, his lanky and thin frame looming above the heads of the others, he was extremely tall for his age, dirty blonde hair sprawled across his forehead, just above his bushy eyebrows, his complexion was as pale as you could possibly get without looking sick, and his eyes were a blue-ish brown hazle. He spotted me before anyone else. Tina, Hannah, and Zoie were beside him.

Tina and Hannah were cuddled together, arms around each other in comfort as they whispering to each other. The twins were both equally beautiful, with their dark tanned skin and even darker hair. Tina's hair was in multiple tight braids, golden beads weaved in and out the braids and held the ends together. they kept her hair out of her face when she was playing sports or studying. She was the more outgoing and academic of the two and was definitely the polar opposite of her sister.

Hanna's hair was out and wild, her skin covered in pale patches from her vitiligo covering her face and hands. She loved to paint, and she usually had streaks of bright paint on her face, in her long and wild hair, or on her clothes which tended to consist of painted jeans and a white t-shirt.

Then there was my girlfriend, Zoie, she was staring straight ahead in a daze when I got to her. Her brown curly hair was pulled behind her in a ponytail, a few strands hanging out in front of her ears and some in front of her eyes, her usually olive skin was pale due to fear. Her eyes looked glazed, no longer granny-smith green. I ran to her, bumping passed everyone else. Kneeling down on one knee, I looked into her face. I had a plan, a whole future with her, and now, because of this Island, it was gone.

On her nineteenth birthday, right after dinner, I would take her out to the bridge that crossed that stream behind her house. She would be wearing that cream dress I'd had given her, since it would be early spring, there would still be a nip in the air, the bishop sleeves would be made out of sheer, with gold cuff to make sure she stayed warm enough, it would tight at her hips then flow behind her, the train drooping over the edges of the bridge slightly. The bridge would be surrounded by the fireflies Tina and Hanna would have released on my signal, which was when I got down on one knee like I was now. I would have pulled out a small white velvet box. When I opened it up, it would reveal a promise ring made of silver and gold, with a blue gemstone, pale, and reflect the light of the fireflies. She would say yes, and life for once would be perfect.

But then the world decided to never give me a chance at my happiness. At our happiness. A warning bell rang out through the halls. As people started walking to their homerooms, our band of misfits dispersed, only Zoie and I were in class together. I tugged on her hand, but she wouldn't stop staring at the ground.

"Zoie, we have to go." I said standing up and kissed her head, and she looked up, her eyes wet, "Nothing will happen to you, I promise" I murmured into her citrus-scented hair, memorizing that scent. Memorizing her.

Standing up, she used her free hand to wipe her eyes. "You know you might not be able to keep that promise," she said staring down at me. She was a few inches taller than me, but I could still reach up to plant a small kiss on her cheek. "I know that, but I'll try, so that should count for something, right?"