Tick Tock

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

In war, events of importance are the result of trivial causes.
~Julius Caesar

"Noel?"

The French accent sings in the air.

"Noel. Ms. You must wake up. You slept through your alarm."

My eyes slowly slide open.

"What time is it?"

"Ms. It's ten till."

I quickly jump out of my bed.

Of course.

This is my luck.

"I prepared your outfit for you, Ms."

I give Angeline a thankful smile, "What would I do without you?"

"You'd be late. Now hurry."

She rushes out my room and I feel like a tornado spinning around, attempting to get ready in ten minutes.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I run my fingers through my hair.

The beast will just have to be unleashed today.

I grab my bag on my way out the door and give another, "Thank you!"

I pull my socks up as I get in my limo.

"Ms. Peters, everything okay?" Andrew asks, eyes poking at me through the mirror.

"Of course!" I hoped my tone wasn't too sarcastic.

He just chuckles, "My daughter used to have mornings like this every other morning."

I smirk at him and slide on Walter's Prep school's signature vest, "at least she grew out of them."

His eyes avert away, "She hasn't. I'm just not there to see it anymore."

A pang of guilt hits me.

He spends his mornings waiting for me now.

"Here you are." He says, pulling up to the school, "I hope you have a great day, Ms. Peters."

I smile at him, "Thank you, and Andrew, take the day off. I can find a way home from school today."

He gives me a half smile, his eyes crinkling at the sides and I can imagine all the years he spent laughing.

His eyes are kind like that.

"Good bye, Noel. You need to hurry, you don't want to be anymore behind." He says, his voice merry like music.

I nod, "Right."

This week has snuck up on me so quickly.

I see the anxious faces of my peers around me.

There's always an almost annoying joy on Fridays.

It's like people are run by a clock.

Monday is meant for grogginess and Friday is meant for the exact opposite.

It's a rule that's just always been.

At least I'm the exception to something.

I hate Fridays as much as Mondays. It's still a school day.

The day passes in that tornado speed I used to get ready in and as I get my books from my locker I see Meghan approach me.

There was a little more bounce in her step and beside that being a little particular, when the bell rings, we normally just go our separate ways.

"Well hello." I say, eyebrow raised.

"Hi." She says, slightly smiling.

Odd...

We start walking, "How are you?" I ask not really knowing what to say.

She nods, "Decent."

I just nod back.

This shouldn't be so hard.

Emma and her friends walk past us and I notice her staring at me.

I sigh.

I knew I should have at least put my hair in a braid.

I look to see Meghan smiling at her.

Skepticism really starts to sneak in when I realize Emma wasn't looking at me.

She was staring at Megan.

The oddness of today has just been confirmed and when they're out of ear's view, I turn to Meghan.

"Is there something I'm missing?" I ask, trying to keep my negative tone out of the way.

Meghan's round eyes light up, "Emma invited me to her party tonight."

I jolt to a halt.

"What?" I ask.

I almost forgot about that party.

She takes a small breath and starts again, "Emma invited me to her-"

"Yes. I heard you."

She looks away, "Oh..."

"What did she say?" I ask.

"She just told me she was having her birthday party tonight and said she would love for me to be there." Her voice sang with hope.

I roll my eyes.

"You're not going, right?"

She puts her tiny hands together and looks down at her feet, "Well, I've never really been to a party before..."

"You can't go." I say, not caring that I sound like a bossy prick.

Her eyes go wide.

"It's for your own safety." I say, "I know Emma. She doesn't like us. And evil witches always have a nasty plan for people they don't like."

Not making eye contact with me she silently says through many breaths, "I'm sorry, but you can't tell me what to do."

And then she walks off, dragging her little mousy tail behind her.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I walk in my condo door slamming it behind me, "I have to go to party tonight!"

I abruptly drop my bags on the floor and crash on the couch.

Angeline walks up to me with a cold glass of water, "Well I must say, I am surprised by your sudden change of heart. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed have anything to do with it?" She lets out a little laugh.

I groan dramatically, "It's not funny. Emma is evil. She's just plain evil."

"Now, now," she says, softly sitting next to me, "is there a reason for your outstretched insults?"

By her tone I could still tell she thought this situation was humorous. And I guess I can't blame her.

I am kind of ridiculous.

"Emma invited Meghan to the party tonight and I highly doubt it's just a random act of kindness." I sit up a little taller to try to show the seriousness of the situation.

"Well Emma does have a way of surprising people. Maybe she just wants a little more people there." Angeline says.

"I don't know," I say, "but I'm not taking any chances. Meghan's too sweet and too shy. She wouldn't know what to do with herself if something happens."

Angeline gives me that motherly smile that I have grown to need over the years, "You have a way of surprising people too, Ms."

I smile at her.

She quickly stands up and puts her hand out to me, "Now let's get you sexy, shall we?"