Chapter 1

 

 

When monotone beep rings at 12:30, I always go to the cafeteria to order. I usually take my lunch at the 4th-floor veranda of the school campus. I was eating a sandwich and I was trying not to think about what happened during the class of Mr. Forester when Rico Turner puked in front of the class because he was so nervous to deliver his humorous speech about him putting a Lego in his nose and end up crying because it was stuck.

I headed back to the classroom when the beep rang at 1:00. I sat beside Theo Santiago and we discussed what might actually happen if a worm has claustrophobia. Theo loves to talk about silly things like how the breath of Kurt Callister could knock us down and how addicted Sara Elordi is to the smell of lard that she could spend her whole day inside the cafeteria.

“Guess who took her sleeping pill this morning,” Theo said, giggling. While Susanna Ramirez was sharing her discovery about Mona Lisa and her mailbox in the Louvre, Mrs. Kingston was sleeping. You could see the annoyance in Susanna’s face.

“I think Peppa Pig had a party last night,” Theo said.

“Why do you keep calling her that?” I asked.

“Reign Callister, look at her pinkish face, her big eyes and nostrils, she is Peppa.” Theo laughed loudly that he startled Mrs. Kingston. Mrs. Kingston noticed that no one was speaking in front so she called Sara to be the last one who would share her amazing discovery about arts.

“Did you notice that whenever Mrs. Kingston calls Sara in front, Sara is very excited?”

“Yes, why?”

“Because she loves the smell of lard,” he laughed again. Theo is the type of guy that every girl likes, he has perfect dark skin and his black hair is in curls, his blue eyes are like an ocean under eyelids. Sometimes, he likes to write stories on the back of his hands and they always end up messily scribbled. Theo is more than just a hot and good-looking guy. I know there is something behind his smile that made me question how his kinetic force impacted others intensely and even me.

“Reign do you want to go to the carnival and ride the Ferris Wheel?" I tried to swallow the lump on my throat when he asked that. I have never ridden a Ferris Wheel before. I am scared of heights. I still remember when we went hiking and there was this simple suspension bridge. I was so scared of crossing so I decided to stay and not to continue but Samantha – the girl who pretended as a friend told me that a shadow-like entity was lurking in that area. I tried to cross the bridge with legs that were wide open and knees that were bent down like I was a frog that was being trained to walk. I was on the verge of crying but she couldn’t stop laughing. Instead of helping me crossing the bridge, she was shaking it and I couldn’t stop screaming that I could summon something evil.

"Yeah," I answered. I would regret it. I was with Mark, Maya, and Kieffer – his squad.

We used Kieffer’s car and we went to Rochet’s first because Maya told us that she was starving and craving mashed potato. She ordered mashed potato with cheese, milk-shake, Mac n’ cheese, lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs. She didn’t share any of those, instead, she ate all of them. She eats a lot but she doesn’t gain weight. She's still in perfect shape.

“Guys I think I am going to be sick,” Maya said.

“I’m trying to tell you Maya, if you throw up in my car. I will let you walk to school every day,” Kieffer warned her.

Theo couldn’t stop glancing at Mark while he was peeking through the car’s window. Maya was still eating and Kieffer was humming the song on the car’s stereo. While me, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man who always appears in my head wearing a brown hoodie jacket. I couldn’t go near him because there is this force field that stops me from doing it. I wonder what is his intention and why he appears every time.

“Can you stop the car please, I am gonna throw up,” Maya said.

“For Pete’s sake Maya!” Kieffer said, irritated.

Kieffer immediately stopped the car. A lady shouted “Morning Sickness” when she saw her puking on the side of the road. She replied “I am not pregnant you idiot!” while saliva was hanging from her mouth. Kieffer gave her a tissue and bottled water to clean her mouth.

“Are you okay?” Mark asked her.

"Yeah I’m alright,” Maya replied. Kieffer’s face was in full disgust at what he saw.

“Because of your voraciousness, see what happened to you,” Kieffer confronted her while wiping out the excess sauce around her mouth.

Upon arriving at our destination, I saw a simple suspension bridge that we need to cross.

“Shit!” I muttered. My knees were trembling while walking towards it. They already crossed it but I was still trying to take a step. I thought we were going to the carnival

“You can do it Reign,” They said trying to uplift me. I managed to take steps but when I was in the middle, I looked below through the tiny gap of the wooden planks, it was so high.

“Look at me, don’t look below,” Theo said. I looked straight at them and slowly took steps. It was only five planks ahead of me when I ran and stumbled down. I was shaking in fear.

I felt so left out, but I could feel that they were trying hard not to. We just spent an hour there watching the sunset. I don't want to go home, but my aunt would scold me. Aunt Maria became my guardian when my mom and dad died in a car crash. I don't know but every time she sees me, her blood always boils. Her husband died 5 years ago because of lung cancer. She has three children-Virnah, Rebecca, and Kevin. They hate me too. Virnah and I used to be closed, but she changed. Aunt Maria stopped sustaining my needs so I have to find a way to do it by myself. Gaining income by writing essays and song lyrics. I want to leave Aunt Maria's house because I don't belong there. I want to discover more about me. I want to find my melody.