Better than Death

Chapter 3

The morning air hung heavy with a sense of foreboding as Ayanna stepped out of her house, her heart heavy with the weight of impending dread. The sky above was shrouded in a thick blanket of gray clouds, casting a pall of gloom over the world below. It was as if even the heavens themselves mourned the beginning of another day at Saint Mary's senior high.

As she made her way to the bus stop, Ayanna couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at her from within. The streets were eerily quiet, devoid of the usual chatter and laughter that accompanied the start of a new school year. It was as if the very essence of life had been drained from the world, leaving behind a desolate wasteland of emptiness and despair.

The black cat that crossed her path only served to reinforce her growing sense of apprehension. In her world, such omens were harbingers of misfortune, portents of doom that whispered of dark days ahead. And as Ayanna boarded the bus, she couldn't shake the feeling that today would be no exception.

Inside the dimly lit confines of the bus, Ayanna kept her head down, avoiding the curious gazes of her fellow passengers. She felt like a ghost, a specter haunting the shadows of her own existence. The music in her ears provided a fleeting distraction from the suffocating atmosphere, but even the haunting melody of Lana Del Rey couldn't dispel the pervasive sense of unease that hung thick in the air.

"Wish I may, wish I might?

Find my one true love tonight

Do you think that he could be you?"

She zoned everything else out and had just listened to this song in complete earnest. It was by her favourite singer afterall. 

"If I lay really quiet

I know that what I do isn't right

I can't stop what I love to do"

It wasn't long before the bus arrived at its destination. The dreaded school. 

When she finally arrived at school, Ayanna felt a sense of relief wash over her, knowing that the bus ride was over and she could at least attempt to navigate the familiar halls of Saint Mary's. But as she rounded a corner, she collided with a stranger, her words tumbling out before she could stop them.

"Excuse you," she muttered, cursing herself for her lack of grace. But the stranger merely brushed past her, disappearing into the men's bathroom without a second glance. Ayanna breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to have escaped the encounter unscathed. Ayanna was well acquainted with the sensation of words slipping from her lips before her brain could catch up. It was a frustrating habit, one that often left her feeling embarrassed or regretful. But no matter how hard she tried to reign in her impulsiveness, the words always seemed to spill out uncontrollably, like water rushing over a dam.

But despite her best intentions, Ayanna knew that her impulsive nature was a part of who she was. No matter how hard she tried to suppress it, the urge to speak her mind would always linger just beneath the surface, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And as she navigated the tumultuous waters of high school life, Ayanna could only hope that her impulsive tendencies wouldn't lead her into too much trouble along the way.

As Ayanna stood in line, waiting her turn at the administration office, she couldn't help but feel a sense of impatience gnawing at her insides. The line seemed to stretch on for an eternity, each passing minute feeling like an hour as she watched the people ahead of her shuffle forward, one by one.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ayanna found herself at the front of the line, face to face with the receptionist. The woman behind the desk was dressed in a manner that seemed out of place for a school administrator, her attire more befitting of a high-end fashion boutique than a humble office. Ayanna couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the incongruity, wondering what had led the woman to choose such ostentatious clothing for her job.