Bloody Ties//g.d~completed

Chapter 1

The steady fall of rain was almost as heavy as my eyelids. I was exhausted, and nervous too. First days of school always scared me, but this was different. New house, new town, new state even. I would be the outcast.I had tried for hours to rest my eyes hoping that when I pried them open in the morning, I would no longer find myself a captive of this strange new place.I felt everyone's eyes on me, penetrating the black hoodie I wore to shield my face both from the rain and prying eyes of my new classmates. It was a small town too, my new home. Everyone knew everyone. Except me.

Pines Maine was a particularly plain place. There was something eery I noticed the moment I breathed in the misty air. It seemed as if Pines Maine had this mystic energy within its limits; as if the town was teetering on edge of oblivion.

Tucked away from the more densely populated areas of the state, Pines never saw much traffic from out out-of-towners. One thing I did appreciate about my new home were the tall pine trees seemingly scattered over every inch of the town. The landscape was beautiful and the houses were much more spread out than back home in South Carolina.

I waddled slowly towards the front office yielding strong caution towards the puddled forming within the small divots in the sidewalk. Dad had attempted to convince me to wear the proper rain repellent gear, but I didn't listen. I truly had underestimated the extent of a Pines storm.

Once I entered the front office, I let out a barely audible sigh of relief. Finally, even if only for a few brief moments, I would no longer have to face the raging clouds outside.

"Can I help you?" A voice asked me from out of nowhere. My neck snapped up in the direction of the speaker. I blinked and shook my head, attempting to clear my mind. I approached the source of the voice. A women, whom I assumed to be the receptionist, sat tucked away behind a rather large desk.

"Uh yes ma'am. I'm Emily Clarks."

The women smiled up to me, acknowledging without words that she knew I was a novice resident of Pines. I appreciated the wordless gesture. I knew that for the rest of the day, and perhaps even the next pending weeks, I would be bombarded with 'new girl' comments and questions.

She entered my name into a computer, clicked the mouse a few times, tapped her nails on the desk briefly, then spun around and snatched a blue piece of paper from the printer.

She held it out at me, "For you."

I reached out and grabbed the blue sheet. Printed on it was my school schedule, along with a map of the campus. I quietly thanked the woman and went on through the office,
reaching the double doors that served as an exit. Opening one of them, I felt a strong gust of rain-laced wind waft my way. I scolded myself again for not heeding my Dad's sensible warning. Tomorrow I knew for certain I'd come better prepared.

Apparently, even if it's pouring down rain, students at Pine High have no sense to go inside while waiting for class to start. Instead, they all hovered beneath the awnings encircling a rather large courtyard. I checked my map and schedule again. Most of my classes were in the Junior hallway.

I walked quietly in the direction of my first period class. The awning above protected me from most of the rain, but every thirty seconds or so a large gust of wind would carry the rain drops into my eyes, nose, and mouth. It seems a strange thing to say, but the rain tasted different here in Pines. It was exceedingly more earthy and crisp.

As I neared the building, I looked down to my wrist watch (a family heirloom or sorts) and saw that it was almost 9 o'clock. School was to start in three...two...one. The bell rang out, though it was barely audible over the pounding rain, and I jogged the last few yards to the hallway entry way.

I pulled my schedule from the front pocket of my black hoodie, and inspected the column for my first period.

AP Biology
Room 317B
Mr. Riggins
9:05-9:55

I crept slowly towards room 317B with my head down and hoodie still on, dodging reckless students and inhaling odd smells that wafted in from the boys bathroom. This school was different than my last school back in South Carolina. It did however, have the same worn out digital clocks that never seemed to work.

The bell rang just as I took my seat in the back of room 317B. Much to my dismay, Mr. Riggins didn't begin lecturing right away, so naturally, many of the students took this opportunity to introduce themselves to the new girl. It was obvious that everyone was trying to be friendly, but even so, I was heavily introverted and wasn't a fan of excessive attention. So, in a thrilling turn of events, Mr. Riggins entered the classroom exactly two minutes after the bell. No more Emily Clarks Q&A.

As I sunk into my seat, I couldn't help to come to the realization that Pines Maine might as well have been an alien planet when compared to back home. The style here was much different. Both the girls and boys were prepared for the rain storms. They had rainboots, nice rain coats, and umbrellas where as I was soaked to the bone in freezing rain. I looked down at my desk in embarrassment.

First period crept by slowly yet uneventfully. Mr. Riggins did give us an assignment, however. It wasn't much, just a questionnaire on ourselves. Simple facts like our email, favorite subject, who we live with. The usual first day junk.

The bell rang to dismiss first period. I was the first student to leave class. I peered down at my schedule again.

Psychology I
Room 403A
Mrs. Brown
10:00-10:50

Psychology was a great interest of mine, and I was very lucky to be heading there now. For some reason, my course selection form had never arrived in the mail, so I was finding out about all of my classes and teachers for the first time today.

In order to reach my Psychology class, I had to leave the familiarity of the Junior hallway and venture over to the extra building at the back of the Pines High campus. Luckily, the rain had suppressed and the sun now strained to shine through the grey clouds that still lingered in the sky.

I entered the classroom weary. With a minute or so to spare, I was vulnerable to another bombarding of questions and introductions. Looking around me I saw no face that belonged in my fist period class. I mentally sighed a little bit, letting go of all hope that maybe I'd see someone familiar.

There was an open seat in the back of the room bordered by a bookshelf as a large window. The seat practically had my name written across its plastic covering.

Then a caramel blond girl entered the class. Her eyes floundered about the room for a moment before anchoring themselves with the desk to my right. She walked over confidently.

"Hi, I'm Margot," she said taking a seat next to me. "Or Maggie, Maggs, Mayo, Mrs. President. Whatever you want to call me."

I smiled, appreciating her attempted humor. "I'm Emily."

"Hold on, you're Emily. The Emily! Im just messing with you. You're probably tired of all fo the questions and introductions huh?" Margot shot me a side smile and I laughed a little. "Do you mind if I sit back here with you. Frankly, I know absolutely no one in this class."

"Sure, but you don't know anyone? I mean, it seems to me that everyone knows every detail about every resident of Pines."

"I mean, I know them. But I don't know them, you know?"

"I know," I said turning to face the front board.