A Place Called Green Briar

Chapter 1

        Carter's P.O.V.

I honestly have no idea what I am doing. I stared into my closet, sighing. I shook my head slightly, rubbing a hand down my face. It's my first day at school as a freshman. I had already picked out a cute outfit, that I spent the four hours I didn't spend sleeping, picking it out. But now I was second guessing myself. I had picked out a cute floral dress, even though I don't really care for dresses, but I wanted to look cute. Ah, who cares?

I, instead of wearing the dress, grabbed a pair of black jeans, and a cute flowy, soft pink shirt. Man, sometimes, I feel good when I do this. Proves that I can be comfortable and fashionable at the same time.

I ran out of my room, down the hallway, and into my mother's room.

"Mom! Get up!" I yelled from the door way.

"Just five more minutes," I heard her grumble.

"You said that twenty minutes ago," I told her, "Now get up."

"Why me?"

"That's what you get for being the principal at Green Briar High School," I retorted, walking out of her room, running back to mine.

I quickly straightened my hair, and turned around to see my mom, her natural curly brown hair, still Afro-like, twirling her keys at me. I turned, grabbing my dark green book bag and shoved the last of the necessary school supplies into it.

"You coming," she asked me in the midst of my chaos filled room.

"No, I'm walking. To school and back," I looked at her, to see her infamous pouting face.

"Aww, Carter please?" she whined.

I shook my head, grabbing the rest of my stuff, grabbing my sunglasses and phone.

"Sometimes, I wonder who the real parent is in this relationship, mom."

Mom acts like an eighteen year old who found a car and money, and she goes crazy. Until she gets to school.

I turned on my phone, and put my earphones in. I was too nauseous from my nervousness to eat, so I skipped breakfast. I wanted to walk to school. Ease up the nerves, breathe in the fresh air. My house was close to the school, because the only thing separating their house from the school was a large patch of woods. Something about the trees and the sunlight instantly calmed me. I walked out of my house and started through the woods.

As I walked through the woods, I heard leaves crunch, and I took my earbuds out, and shoved my phone into my back pocket. You know how you have earphones in and your volume is up all the way, and you feel as if someone is calling you? Yeah, that's how I feel. I stopped walking and the crunching stopped too.

Well, that's weird, I thought. I started walking again, then I heard a twig snap. I looked under my feet. Only leaves, no twigs. I kept walking, but I could...someone was behind me. I spun quickly around and my blue eyes met a pair of green. I stared at her small form, but something told me she was stronger than she looks.

I was curious and confused, but mainly curious. She tugged at her fingers. Her soft dark red hair was in a pony tail.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"Are y-you t-talking to me?" she asked pointing at herself. I nodded at her.

"Tracey," she answered, and she smiled, and I returned the gesture.

"Are you following me?"

"Kind of. I was looking for the school," she said, awkwardly.

"Good thing I know just where to go. Come on," I said, telling her to come with me.

She smiled and came walking up to me. She told me she came to find her mother, and she wasn't sure of where she was, but she knew she should still come to school. I looked at my phone to check the time. I had to be there in fifteen minutes and I had to register Tracey.

I looked over to her, "Race?"

"Race," she smiled. I lifted my hand, and she stared at it expectantly. I threw it down, and started to run through the forest. I watched as she matched my pace, as we dodged tree and branches as we raced. I jumped over a large tree blocking our path, and I heard a gasp, as Tracey did also. I started to think about it, but chose not to. I dodged a branch, I was almost there. I feel her right behind me, and she's catching up. I smiled, pumping my legs to their fullest extent, I jumped onto the next log in our way, and jumped off, grabbing a branch and swinging myself onto the trail that went to the woods to the school. I ran past the last tree, and pumped my fists, then leaned over my knees, catching my breath. Tracey came beside me and started doing the same.

"Impressive," she complimented as we started towards the school.

"How so?" I asked her.

"Well, I-I mean, I used to be on a track team? Yeah. Definitely the track team," she answered, and I gave her a look. She wasn't telling me something, but it's not my business so I won't ask.

"Okay. Well, come one. We've yet to get you transferred."

As we went to the school, I brought out my brush and quickly ran it through my hair. As we neared the entrance, we noticed a distinct amount of people crowded around the stairs. I pushed through the people, and saw my best friend, Ryder, with another freshman hovering over him. One I clearly recognize, the devil himself:

Andrew Peterson.