Unmasked At Midnight

chapter one

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Do not copy this story in any way.

That's all I've got to say.

Thank you Jasmine for helping me write this and edit alongside me. Or, through a screen.

I hope you enjoy this story because I went through hell to create this. Reading is fun, but writing is like a whole other level. Believe me.

My Instagram is no._charisma._.without_.ris and my partner is _oui.oui.baguette_

Shoot me a message and my friend or I am glad to help with any (writing-related) problems. (Maybe I could help you with romance too :P)

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"New city, new school, new friends, a new chapter of my life."

The luminescent glow of the moon casts a shadowy light in my room. Everything looks weird. The arrangement of my room is off somehow, and my bed feels too cushiony. I blink, momentarily in confusion, before sitting up.

Of course, I'm not in my old room.

Just two weeks ago, my parents' divorce was finalized, and it was decided that I would be moving in with my dad, since he was more financially stable and my mom didn't care to have me around anymore these days. Needless to say, she'd visit as a formality, but only a few times a year since I moved a few cities over.

Divorces are nothing to celebrate, at least as a teen, but a big part of me is relieved it's over with. My parents were never good for each other, and I could tell they are much happier when separated.

I turn on my phone to check the time and immediately regret it; the bright light makes me squint and blink rapidly in irritation.

It's 5:48 in the morning, which is too early to get ready but too late to go back to sleep. Sighing, I flop back onto my pillow, listening to the sound of silence outside my room. Although it's peaceful, a little feeling of uncertainty manages to nudge its way into my mind. I would be going to Riverwood High for the first time in a few hours, a place where I would be completely alone. I don't know anything about the school besides the name, nor do I know any of the students. It would be tough starting in the middle of term one, especially as a sophomore when everyone has their own friend groups; it'll be harder to force myself into one and fit in.

I force the nagging feeling of anxiousness out of my head.

You'll be fine. Don't worry, everything will be okay.

🎭🎭🎭

Riverwood is both strangely familiar and uncomfortably new at the same time. The halls are still noisy and overcrowded, and the flooring is still as unappealing as ever. It's a challenge for me to find my classes, and there is this weird sense of loneliness that envelops me, separating me from the others. Hopefully, that will change.

I walk into my first period, which is chemistry. The desks are arranged in neat rows, and there's a setup of some sort on the lab benches. The teacher is nowhere in sight, meaning I stand there awkwardly, not knowing whether I should sit down or stay where I am and wait. The final bell rings, almost everyone is seated, and the teacher still isn't here yet. I am already receiving more than enough curious stares from my classmates, so I sit down at one of the empty seats in the front.