Chapter 2 (2012)

PEARL 

My boots crunched through the fallen snow as I paddled my way through. If it hasn't been packed in the early hours of the morning by the delightful Mr. Ferry, it'll be as tall as reaching my weight.

I folded my hands in my long jacket as the scarf my mom wrapped around my neck began losing fold after fold. I long to remove my hands and fix the scarf but I was also scared my hands might freeze from the cold.

Winters wind has stripped the trees of their leaves and left them naked and brooding in this lonely world. 

"I want to go home," My twin sister, Aurora groaned from behind me. 

We had to walk to school because of the snow that had decorated the roads. My mom had insisted on not driving us because she didn't want to get stuck on the road. 

"We're almost there, Aurora," I encouraged her as we could truly see the school at a considerable distance from us.

"Wait," She touched my arm and I stopped walking. She adjusted my scarf around my neck properly. 

"Thank you," 

"You're welcome sister," She grinned at me and I smiled back.

She's probably the only person who could do anything for me. Even if it's to get frostbite so I would be warm.

"My legs are wobble," She complained again and I laughed.

"It's probably the cold, come on, we're at the gates already," 

She wrapped her arms around mine and we walked into the school premises together. We could see Lyla waving at us at the entrance of the senior classes building and we ran towards her, colliding with her in the process.

We all giggled.

"Why am I still friends with you girls?" Jerry nagged.

"Because we're amazing, beautiful, and intelligent, and guess what, you can't survive without us," Lyla replied and he glared at us.

"I can't believe I have to do this again this year. I know it's still January but can winter please take a break?" 

Aurora whined.

"I love winter," I shrugged my shoulders and the three of them stared at me with so much anger.

Wait! I didn't say I killed my mother. 

"What?" I half screamed.

"Whatever," They all responded in unison.

We three ladies locked arms as we walked towards our locker while Jerry walked after us. 

"Who's excited for a new school year? I mean we're a class away from senior year. Aren’t you all excited?" Lyla asked and Aurora groaned.

"My twin sis just wants to go back home and cuddle under her fluffy blanket," 

"You know I don't use fluffy stuff. That's you, missus," 

"What? I love them. They're cuddly and warm," I explained.

"You're so girly," Jerry pulled my hair.

"And you're so girly too. Oh, news flash, you're not even a girl. You're a boy," I reminded him.

"You're so evil, Pearl Adams," 

Lyla grinned.

I stuck my tongue out at Jerry and he charged at me.

Lyla threw herself in the middle and threw her hands open to stop us.

"Enough guys. I don't want any cat and rat fight this morning. It's the first day of school. Control your poise. You both are amazing people," 

Jerry and I both muttered some words under our breath at the same time and I'm so sure it was the same thing I'd said. 

"We're supposed to talk about what we want this year, guys. Not fight," 

I walked towards my locker and opened it. I dusted the snow off my bag, removed some books from the locker.

"What do you want this year, Aurora?" Lyla's asked my twin sister as she leaned against her locker.

"I don't know. Should I want something different this year?" Aurora asked. 

"Maybe you should want a boy," Jerry winked at her.

"I'm not interested in anyone," She answered.

"You?" Jerry asked Lyla.

"Maybe a boyfriend, someone who wears cute glasses, not too short but on the cute size. With those cute jackets and all," 

"Maybe you should create such a boy by yourself," 

Jerry replied before turning to face his locker.

"What about you, Pearl?"

"Me?" I asked, pointing to myself.

Lyla nodded. Jerry suddenly turned his attention to someone about a few feet from his locker and pointed at him.

"How about him? You've been crushing on him since forever and this is his last year in school. You might not see him ever again, so, why don't you try your luck and ask him out?" 

What?! 

"That's Lucas Anderson, dumbhead. I can't ask him out. He'll disgrace the hell out of me," I cried out.

Lucas Anderson is not the favorite student in school. He's not the teacher's favorite student as well. Lucas Anderson is their nightmare.

"What's so attractive about this guy? His ability to still be in school despite pranking the whole student body and causing trouble every single day," Lyla asked as Jerry walked to my side and passed a bottle of coke to me.

"This is warm, thanks," I opened the cover and took a sip.

I was about to take another sip before replying to Lyla when I was suddenly pushed towards something. 

My body crashed into another body and when I looked up, it was Lucas Anderson with half of his jacket drenched in coke.

"Shit! Shit! I'm so sorry, I'm sorry," His stare was indifferent. He didn't look at me murderously, neither did he glare at him.

He had his signature cold glare. 

"Get away from me," His voice was low yet chilling and scary.

I moved away and he dropped his school bag on the floor before unbuttoning his jacket and throwing it angrily at the locker behind me. I had thought he was throwing it at me at first and I’d closed my eyes, ready for the hit but I was forced to open them when I didn’t feel anything as a shiver ran down my spine.

Lucas began walking towards me and I moved back until my back made contact with a locker. A reasonable number of students had gathered to watch us.

"Return that in its original state before five in the evening and I'll think about not burying you alive," He whispered and I'm so sure I'm the only person who heard his threat.

Lucas picked up his bag and walked away instantly. I had a panic attack immediately. It took me a few minutes and continues back-patting from Aurora before I could recover from the shock. 

I turned to glare at Jerry who just shrugged his shoulder. 

It might not have mattered to him but that was the start of Lucas's hatred for me and my hatred for him. It was the origin of our story and of course, the end of it.