The Beast Within (#Wattys2016)

The Calm Before the Storm

The early morning air was frigid, and the wind nipped at my exposed face, while the rest of me stayed somewhat warm, hidden under my soft coat. The last of the fall leaves crunched and crackled beneath my feet, and a few stubborn survivors finally accepted their fate and let go, tumbling down from above. I turned the corner, absentmindedly kicking a pebble along the sidewalk, and hummed a song that I'd had stuck in my head for the past few days. Sunlight streamed down through the the branches, illuminating the world. Further down the street, I saw my destination: my high school. I smiled and quickened my pace. Walking to school and observing the trees and people had always been more enjoyable to me than riding three blocks in a car.

I finally reached the school, and I had started down the long hallway that led to the locker rooms when I spotted a girl sitting by herself on a bench. Her wavy, dark brown hair moved slightly in the breeze, and she looked up from the book she had been reading, seeing me. Her brilliant blue eyes lit up like Christmas lights.

"Eden!" Robin exclaimed, rushing towards me and enveloping in me in her warm embrace.

"Hey, Robbie," I replied, dropping my bag to the ground and wrapping my arms around her. There had never been a morning that she hadn't greeted me with a hug; it was a way to ensure that we both started off our long day of classes on a good note. After all, what could be better than a hug from your best friend, who you love like the sister you never had?

"I missed you! How was your weekend?" Robin asked, pulling away and smiling at me.

"Pretty good. And you, how was your weekend?" I asked, beaming back at my cheerful friend.

"Oh, it was okay. Did I mention that I missed you?"

"Yes," I said with a laugh, picking up my bag and walking with her towards our lockers. Our pace was leisurely and our feet fell in time to some unheard rhythm, one that seemed to be the sound of our own simultaneously beating hearts.

We reached the locker room and gathered our books, chatting about things we had done over the two-day break from school. There were a few other students at school already, collecting their own books and talking in small clumps; I knew that once the buses arrived there would be many more of them, swarming and hurrying about like a colony of ants.

I pushed my locker shut and clicked the lock into place, zipping my bag closed and waiting for Robin to do the same. Then we made our way back out to our bench in the hallway, setting our things down upon it and standing next to it, talking.

"So, are you ready for our math test today? I asked.

"Oh, I didn't study for that..." She replied worriedly. "Maybe something will happen and Mrs. Thomas will cancel it?"

"Yeah, maybe. She does cancel tests sometimes." I noticed the buses pull into the parking lot, kids spilling out of them, laughing and talking.

Robin looked at her watch and frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's just... Nothing exciting is going on today! It's just another boring, ordinary Monday morning. I can't stand the monotony..."

"Look on the bright side! You've got me, and I've got an extra five dollars in my backpack so we can get cookies from the cafeteria," I said with a playful smile.

"In that case, I think I can survive today." She laughed, her smile returning, like sunshine after a long rain.

"What was that about surviving today? 'Cause I can certainly help with that," A familiar voice said. I turned around and saw our friend, Quinn, grinning at us. His red hair was messy and his charcoal grey eyes were glimmering in a teasing way.