Broken Creatures

Chapter 1 - Gat-dung

     Word got out that “Old Man Ravenwood’s niece” was dating Ethan Wate. It didn’t take long for rumors to spread in a cruddy little town like this place. Yet I was here anyway. Whoop-de-doo.

     I’d spied on the old people. They seemed to know the most, even about the high school, and that thought alone made me shiver. I couldn’t imagine living in a place where all the senior citizens, who, by the way, were even crazier than my family reunions, knew who was dating and when dances were. Yet here I was, stuck in the middle of possibly the smallest town in South Carolina. Gatlin. Or as I prefer to call it, Gat-dung.

      Crouched in the middle branches of the trees on the side of the High School’s basketball courts, I watched the Jackson High boys’ basketball practice.

     When they were finally done, I hopped straight down from my higher-than-any-mortal-could-jump-without-twisting-something position and stealthily eavesdropped on their conversation, then bolted out from behind the bushes, careful not to be noticed, to my car.

     I slipped into my black-and-white Mini Cooper, a little something I’d picked up from a town-a much bigger town-on my way here.

     I arrived at the Stop & Shop way before the boys, so I parked near the end and redid my already perfect hair and make-up while I waited. I watched them pull up and go inside before I drove back towards the center of the parking lot and parked haphazardly between two spaces, dead center in front of the sliding doors.

     I closed my mind, clearing everything, shut my fist, and reopened it with a blood red lollipop in my hand. I smirked smugly, loving the comforting feel of an unopened lolly in my hand. I set it in the cup holder and pulled down the mirror again, unable to contain my excitement. Even if I had to snoop around the old ladies and watch boring basketball practices, enduring those parts of missions were always worth the fun parts, like messing with boys and using my lollipops. This was the biggest mission Sarafine had given me yet, and I couldn’t be happier to have it.

     I smiled coyly, then confidently in the mirror, my pouty, ruby lips perfected with the continuous stain from my sucker habit. Giant, flaring yellow eyes stared back enticingly, framed by super long, overly thick eyelashes. I pulled out my favorite giant sunglasses, which hid more glow than my others hide, and smugly surveyed how my lashes showed even beyond the long lenses. My long, straight blonde hair was on the thicker side, never frizzy, always immaculate. The thick pink stripe that swept down the right side, past my choppy, new bangs, could use a touch up. I concentrated on the color and my lollipop, which I had unwrapped in one swift motion without a thought, watching the color change in front of me. Suddenly, it turned blue. I growled under my breath. Curse everyone for being stronger than I am. I focused hard until a brilliantly hot pink finally showed.

     As the boys started to get closer to the door, my heartbeat increased, as though their steps had a direct link to every beat. My eyes flickered over my cut-off white tank, which was so thin you could see the black bra beneath, along with most of everything else, and my short black pleated skirt, showing off my extra-long, slick, muscular legs. I had gone for a gothic cheerleader look, with black motorcycle boots and a belly ring finishing the touch. My tattoo, which was black and tribal looking, surrounded my belly button, showing that I was a Dark Caster. At the last second, I flipped on the radio, which blared alarmingly, and continued licking my lollipop, spreading a warm glow throughout my body.

     The team came out, and I looked them over, and turned up the music. One, towards the center, saw me first and started choking on powdered doughnuts, shoved in his mouth as though he were going for a record. His blonde haired friend dropped his jaw, along with his dignity.