||𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎||

||1:𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥||

The wind brushed past me, turning my world upside down as I felt my gasps for air become apparent, but just then I saw him and my gaze fixated on him for the milliseconds I had. And then I hit the ground. Suddenly and annoyingly, my head was turned into a drum circle, pounding as hard as it could on rhythm. I felt as my vision blurred the faces around me, making them look like preppy misshapen blobby puddles. The dew of the grass didn't help either, the fall making a squelch sound as my thighs hit the ground. The moistness of the grass seeded a cold shiver up my spine as I hit it. In moments like these, my perception of time is distorted. I almost feel like I was some kind of comic Superhero. Slowing down time, speeding it up, what have you. It's moments like these where I feel everything around me, I suppose maybe being aware of everything is what makes me like this. As my vision cleared, I looked around. The field I was in, green and marked with white spray paint in some portions. And the leaves, now a yellowish colorful hue. Oh and the dozens of teenage cheerleaders staring at me with an incredulous gaze. How fun. Too bad my new grass stains on my skirt clash with the bright green ground. Double fun.

I snapped back into my reality, looking up at my whispering peers. Some concerned, some seemed like they had prayed for me to mess up. As I scrambled around, trying to gather my pom poms and my thoughts at the same time, that was interrupted by a long slender pale hand in front of my eye line. I looked up, her face looking down at me as if I were being greeted at the gates of heaven. It was none other than Cherry Valance. My best friend. I smiled bashfully, heaving myself up with Cherry's help. "Thanks." I say, laughing as I dust off my pleated skirt. My eyes scan Cherry, her bright ginger hair was tousled by the wind including the ribbon tied in her hair, her lips pursed, and her eyes half lidded as she scanned my face as well.

Despite my gaze, my thoughts had run off in another direction. The boy I saw for a split second. A split second that felt like minutes. His head peered around the school corner, his hair was shiny but dark and glistening in the sunlight. But the strangest thing about him was his eyes, big and alert like a deer in headlights as if I had surprised him. He certainly looked like no cheerleader I had ever seen. But I'm not quite sure, as my body was completely turned upside down when I saw him. Like a possum with its tail wrapped around a branch. However a possum would look more graceful than I had. I turned around to see if that boy was still around, hoping I could get to the bottom of his whereabouts.

"Y/N! Your head!" The sound of Cherry's frantic warning distracted me from my visual source. I quickly put a hand over my head, holding it close and pulling it away, seeing red. Triple fun. I suppose realizing that a new wound had produced on my scalp had sent my nerves into overdrive. I felt a sting, traveling up my scalp. I had only noticed the pounding sensation in my head, assuming that it was my only pain. A new sensation arised, Cherry's arm wrapping around my shoulder. "Hey, I don't know what's going on with you but maybe you should head home early." Cherry suggested, her angelic voice was soothing. I don't say much, just biting down on my lip in an effort to suppress the pain and nodding my head. Really, my week had been lackluster. Cheer practice had started a week before school would officially start and it was now the eve of the first day of school. So while all the other pretentious preppies were shotgunning booze and hopping around in quarries, I was flopping in front of all of my teammates. Which usually I would be just fine with, I'm privileged enough to feel that complaining over something like that is silly. However my thoughts were scattered everywhere and it's been difficult to focus on anything.

I suppose it's the American way, finding a way to complain over something minor just for the sole purpose of complaining. There's not much I can do about that.

Before I could have any form of retort to Cherry's suggestions, she was already by the coach asking if I could go home early in the distance. I couldn't help but let out a brief exasperated sigh as I hauled my duffle bag that felt like it was filled to the brim with bricks over my shoulder. Even though my thoughts had been interrupted by Cherry's concerns, I hadn't forgotten about that figure. As my sneakers dig into the grass with each step, I realize how my way home would have me walk around the corner of the school. Convenient. Not really actually, my house is the other direction however curiosity killed the cat and I was the cat.