(February 5, 2009) Rough Draft...I don't have a title yet though...heh

The street lamp flickered in the night as the trees were run through with the horrific screams of the wind. A homeless man sought shelter from the fresh bout of snow chunks riding the malicious gusts. There was someone watching the lone man, who was lumbering up a deserted alley. There were a few rodents that scurried about but were not heard above the thrashing of the incoming blizzard. The dark seemed to follow the stranger as he stepped in the old man's footprints, quickly gaining. The old man didn't even have time to turn around and when he realized what was happening, and, just like the rodents' scurryings, his screams were smothered.

“Ashlyn, you're going to be late!" I nearly banged my head as the shrieking voice reached my room. I braved a look at my alarm clock. "Shit," I muttered as I scrambled up and threw some clothes on. Thankfully I had enough sense to pick my clothes out the night before, not that it would make much of a dent in how late I was going to be. I had just finished slipping on my shirt when I heard the most annoying voice in the world. “Ha, you’re such a doofus Ash! I even woke up earlier than you.” I looked up to see my little brother, Mason, leaning against my doorframe with the stupidest little smirk on his face. “Oh shut up, and get out of my room before I spray mace in your face!” I flung a plastic figurine at his head which he dodged. “You’re still using that corny insult? Even Jason stopped saying that, like, a month ago.” I stuck my tongue out at him as I pushed past him down the stairs to the kitchen, nearly tripping as I jumped the last few steps. "Mom, why didn't you wake me up, it's almost seven twenty!" A grizzly mane of curly hair moved to reveal my mother's livid face. "Don't you dare start with me! I woke up late too you know! I have work I have to go to, and yet I'm still making your lunch!" She swiveled back to the frying pan in an angry blur of dark brown bushy hair. Jason, the older of my two little brothers, was already eating some cereal and rolling his eyes at what he called the “morning melodrama”. I sullenly went to slip my shoes on before moving over to my mom. "I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean it; it's just that there's a really big test today first period so I'm a little stressed, is all." She seemed to relax and the dangerous trestles of hair seemed to go limp. "Well, I guess I was a bit snappy too. I'll go in with you in case there are any problems about you being late since your dad is taking the boys today." As soon as she mentioned dad, he came bustling through the doors. “Well, it looks like I’m not the only one who’s running a little late.” He walked over to mom and pecked her on the cheek before yelling for Mason to hurry up. “Ash, go ahead and get a plate. The eggs are done." I shoveled my breakfast down and mom and I actually managed to leave before the boys as we sped off to my high school. Mom drove like Speed Racer and only started to show signs of slowing when Evansville High came in sight; there would definitely be tire skids after she pulled away. I got there five measly minutes before the bell and thanked my luck stars! I jumped out, which in retrospect might not have been the best idea as my legs wobbled under my weight and made me dizzy. "Okay, thanks mom. I'll see you later." I waved over my shoulder and ran inside the safety of the school, past all the freshmen loitering outside. The secretary in the main office smiled at me warmly. She was incredibly young to be the school's secretary but all the students who had been assigned as office assistants had loved her, including me. "Hi Ms. Ring." I smiled back at her just as warmly. "Hey Ashy." My friends were all clustered by the library, not necessarily because they were incredibly studious, but because it was the only place that the staff allowed students to sit in the lounge chairs that were actually meant for visitors. “Hey guys!” I let my backpack slide off my shoulder and make a loud thump sound. Several heads swiveled around and greetings were thrown haphazardly in my direction. I slid easily into the meaningless gabble I only indulged in around my friends when my best friend, Gavin, came rushing through the double doors. “Hey you guys, there’s a limo outside and some kid is coming out of it! I think we’re going to have a new student!” Valerie rolled her eyes. “Oh please Gav; your stories just never stop growing do they?” She turned around in her seat to get a better look at Gavin, making her purple hair cover her dark eyes. Gav stuck his tongue out her, revealing his piercing and walked the rest of the way over, plopping down next to me. “For your information, I am telling the truth this time Miss Coleur du jour.” Everyone laughed as he poked more fun at Valerie’s ever changing hair when the bell for first period rang. “Hey Ash, don’t you have Ingleman first period?” I shouldered my back pack and turned around to look at Gavin. “Yup, I get to take a test all over The Fountainhead, joy.” He grinned at my obvious dislike of the prospect. “I am so glad I didn’t take the dual credit AP English class! It’s so much fun to watch you be tortured.” He laughed and I shoved him into the wall. “Oh just go to your stupid science class you slacker!” He laughed and gave me a half wave as he walked down the hall. I took a reassuring breath and headed towards the bright orange door that signified the English room, where, inside, waited my arch nemesis.

The classroom was in complete silence as I slowly opened the door and walked over to my seat in the back, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. "Ah, Miss Slate,” Crap! I turned around to face Mr. Ingleman, the strictest teacher in the whole school, probably the whole world even! “I think you forgot to pick up your test. They’re over here,” he motioned at a stack of papers on his desk. I walked over, trying not to make eye contact with him. By the time I got to his desk, he was sitting on top of it with his ankles crossed and leaning back, looking for all the world like Casanova in teacher form. It wasn't hard to understand why more than half of the girls wanted to take the AP dual credit English IV when someone like Mr. Ingleman was teaching it but they soon regretted it after about the first five minutes. They also say that the devil used to be the most beautiful angel. I couldn't help but smirk as the thought crossed my mind. Fortunately, I was able to get my test and walk back to the back of the room without incident. Just as I was getting to my desk, I heard the door open and several of the girls gasped. I ignored them and sat down and started filling out my name and the date, when I heard Mr. Ingleman call me to the front. I slowly moved back to the front and only noticed Mr. Berrtz and some boy I didn’t know, as I stepped right on front of them. “Miss Slate, this is Mr. Bryce; he’s a new student who just happens to share the schedule as you. I was wondering if you could accompany him for the next few days, you know, just to help him get familiar with the school.” I was little confused but understood that I was expected to nod, which I did without fail. Mr. Berrtz beamed before saying, “Good, well I suppose I should leave you to take your test. And Mr. Bryce, just ask Miss Slate here if you have any questions.” He smiled and walked out the door. The new kid stepped more into the light and it was then I understood why the girls had been gasping. He’s GOGEOUS! The light seemed to glitter off his milky skin and accentuated his bright green eyes. He had jet black hair that looked shocking against his pail skin. His hair looks so soft, I thought to myself. Almost like feathers and the way he has it spiked in the back reminds me of a cockatoo…an extremely hot cockatoo. I could feel my face burning as he smiled, making his eyes crinkle in the corners. “You can call me Sef by the way.” He held out his hand and I slowly reached mine out, hoping my palms weren’t sticky from nervousness. He shook my hand and then a looming shadow, signifying a foreboding presence, shifted. “Ashlyn, would you mind breaking up your little love fest and finish the test?” My cheeks felt as if they were on fire as I rushed to the back of the class, trying to ignore the random eruptions of giggles pursuing me. I could tell that Sef was still talking to Mr. Ingleman but I put both of them out of my mind and concentrated on the stark white paper, interrupted by black print, in front of me. I was already onto the second page when I heard a chair screeching next to me. Is Ian done already? I looked up to see that it wasn't my seat mate, Ian, moving the chair but Sef! I must have had an odd expression on my face because he looked like he was trying not to laugh. I shook my head and tried to ignore his presence and forced myself to focus on answering the questions. I was able to finish just as the bell rang to announce the end of first period. I jumped at the sound and nearly tumbled over as something cold brushed my arm. I looked over and saw Sef, his hand reaching out for me. I took it and he helped me from my chair. Wow, a gentleman. Dad would love him, not that he'll ever meet my dad....or my family for that matter.... "So what's next on the list?" Sef's voice interrupted my thoughts and brought me back to the loud crowded hallway we were now entering. "Um, well do you have a locker?" He shook his head and said, "No, I think Mr. Berrtz is going to get someone to share with me. It's not that big of a deal right now since I don't really have anything to take to class." He smiled and I could feel my knees get a little wobbly. "Oh well then I guess we can just go on to Sociology. We're not really doing anything in that class yet since we just got the teacher last week." We walked the rest of the way to the Sociology classroom in silence.

The rest of the day went by full of gawking and gasping on the girls’ parts and territorial glares on the guys' parts. It was pretty annoying but I had to admit, it was also a little bit funny too. When lunch came around I strolled over to my usual spot by the outside benches where Gav and the rest of the crew hung out for lunch. Gav was already there as well as Valerie and her boyfriend Eric. “Hey you, are we going out today?” Gav swung his arm over my shoulder and jabbed me in the ribs which I countered by punching him in the shoulder. The normality of it all made me feel immediately at ease. I had even almost forgotten about Sef who was still standing right behind me...was almost being the key term. Gav was already poking fun at something Eric had been saying when he finally noticed Sef. “Oh hi...who are you?” The expression on Gavin’s face nearly made break out in hysterical fits of laughter. “I’m Sef, the new kid.” Sef had the same amused smile I could feel spreading across my own face. “Oh! You’re the dude who came to school in a limo!” Gav’s face lit up at the prospect of proving Valerie wrong. “Well, um, sort of. I told my parents to let me take my bike but they wanted me to go with a driver. They’re a little overprotective.” Whoa! He must be loaded! That is not fair! He’s got money and looks?! “Hang on a minute, you’re saying you’d rather ride a bicycle to school than take a limo!?” Gav’s expression was incredulous but I couldn’t help agreeing with him. Sef took on a bemused expression that gave way to amusement when he said, “No, not a bike, my Harley.” Gav and I were shocked into silence. Oh my gosh, I bet he thinks we’re really stupid and coarse now! Damn! And he’s so cute! Gav was the first to recover from the shock. He sauntered over to the black bench where Valerie and Eric were sitting and leaned in a little bit. “See Valerie, I told you so, but you didn’t believe me!” He continued to rub his small victory in her face but I don’t think she was really affected or even paying attention at all due to the fact that she was completely engrossed in something Eric was saying. Kimberly, the studious one in the group, looked up from her book. “I believed you Gavin.” Gav nodded as if believing him was what everyone should do, even though most of us secretly believed he was a compulsive liar. The look of stupid pride returned to his face as he beamed down at her. “Of course you did, for ‘I can not tell a lie’.” I rolled my eyes at his horrible Abe Lincoln impression. “So, come on Ash,” He hopped quickly back to my side and grabbed my sleeve like a little kid holding onto their mother. “Are we going somewhere or not?” I shrugged and turned my pockets inside out to show him I was completely broke. His face looked crest fallen. “Aw, you too, well that sucks! I’m really hungry today!” I could feel the beginnings of growling starting in my own stomach. “Oh, are you guys talking about going off campus for lunch?” We turned back to look at Sef who was unloading some serious bills out of his own pockets. “Wow! With you around we’ll never go hungry!” Gav was next to Sef in a flash as if they had been best friends forever. I couldn’t believe how he could be so shameless about “borrowing” things from people, knowing he would never give any of it back. “I’ll just call Ethan to pick us up.” Not even two minutes had passed when a black glossy limo purred in front of the school. I couldn’t believe we were actually going to be riding in a limo! I had only ever been in a limo once before and that was for my great-grandma’s funeral, so I really didn’t think it would be appropriate to check out all the cool gizmos when the corpse of my grandmother rode in a hearse a few miles ahead. A very sleek looking man opened the door for the three of us, nodding as we each slid into the car. “Thank you very much for being so quick Ethan, but you really needn’t have rushed so much.” I was a little confused at Sef’s dialogue. It sounded like an old person was talking using his voice. Ethan tipped his hat using his gloved hand and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t rushing, I just happened to be,” he paused and looked at Gavin and me. “in the neighborhood.” He smiled and Sef looked at him disapprovingly while leaning in to whisper something in his ear. Ethan’s face went chalk white and he urgently whispered something back. I was only able to hear bits like, “Of course I would never….No please....Yes, I promise never again!” I thought the urgent whispers might be an indication of something but just as the thought crossed my mind, Sef slid in the car right next to me. I was suddenly incapable of forming any conspiracy theories even if I wanted to. “What was that all about?” I turned around to see Gavin staring at Sef and automatically knew that he had already cooked up at least five theories. “Oh nothing really. Ethan just,” he waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. “He just got hungry and stopped for a unprecedented lunch.” I thought his excuse was a bit lame and one look at Gavin and I knew he thought the same thing. “Uh-huh…ok.” I let out a sigh of relief. Thank you Gav! For once in your life, you actually just something be! “So, where would the two of you like to go?” It was then I understood the reason why Gav was acting so mellow. “I want SONIC!” Just for food?! Well that figures. I couldn’t help but laugh a little bit at my friend’s simplicity.