Jump

Chapter 1

  ✖️  KAYLA ✖️

 As I took one last look in the mirror and pushed a curly brown strand of hair away from my face, I inhaled a deep breath. I could do this.

It was the first day of Senior Year. As my parents kept reminding me, I should be excited! But as my brain kept reminding me, Senior Year comes with a buttload of stress and responsibility. Sighing, I picked up my bag and walked downstairs.

When I got there, my sister Fiona was already eating her breakfast of scrambled eggs. She was 2 years older than me, and she started her second year of college in 2 weeks. She attended Juilliard, and my parents bragged about that to anyone who would listen.

"Morning, Senior," she said, smiling. I forced a smile out and walked into the kitchen to make my cereal. I would go crazy without my lucky Cheerios for breakfast.

"So, are you excited," Fiona asked.

"Eh," I answered truthfully, "I'm mostly nervous."

"Well it is nerve racking to be a senior," she thought aloud. "But, hey, it's mostly SO much fun. You run the school. Act like it. I promise you'll get through it." Just then her phone beeped. She smiled. "Becca's here. Gotta go. But have fun," she said while getting up. 

Just as I finished my cereal, my parents came running down the stairs.

"Oh Kayla, thank GOODNESS you haven't left yet. I must've overslept. We can't miss this monumental moment in your life."

"Monumental," dad echoed agreeingly. I rolled my eyes and picked up my car keys. "Not so fast," he said. "We need to take pictures. Stand over here by the fireplace." I obeyed. That was the type of parents I had, taking pictures of everything. But my first day of Senior Year was important, I guess.

After mom snapped around 25 pictures, started tearing up, and my parents had the usual 'you're-growing-up-so-fast' moment, I was finally on the road. As I pulled up to the school building, I saw all my friends already gathered where we always stood. Well, all of them except Jaiden. But Jaiden wasn't the punctual type.

Once they saw me approaching, they ran to me.

"KAYLAAAAAAAAA," yelled Elena as she engulfed me in a hug. She had been my best friend since we were in the 4th grade.

Next was Skylar. She didn't really care about school, and hoped to break out into the fashion industry with a fashion line called "Skyline."

Last was Rose. She looked perfect, as usual. And all the boys were drooling over her, as usual. She was the beauty queen. She planned on going to beauty school and later working either for movies/shows as a makeup artist or touring with a famous singer as their make up artist.

We barely needed to catch up on anything, since during the summer we had a weekly group Skype Call.

"You're still clean," Elena, or El as I liked to call her said

"YES, I already told you that." I said crossing my arms. I used to cut, a really long time ago. Those were my dark times. I was over it, for the most part. It still got dark though, but not as much. The skies turned from black to grey, and although it wasn't blue, I was still ok with it. "Clean for 294 days today." I wasn't lying.

My friends looked quizzical. Skylar walked closer to me, and pushed my sleeve all the way up to my shoulder and frowned.

"Nothing visible," she said. "BUT it might be concealer, Rose please check." I rolled my eyes. When I tried to talk again, Skylar shushed me.