Already Dead

3

Part 1:In a Darker Forest
Chapter 2

"Hey, girl!" My friend Jenny called, "Aw, man I haven't seen you in forever! Everyone's been all like, 'Where's Avery?' And I've been like, 'Who's that?'--"

"I'm hoping you asked that because it's not my name, not because I haven't been around." I said, laughing slightly.

"Avery isn't your name?" Jenny asked with mock surprise, "You should have told me, oh wait-you might of... once or twice... every day... at school..." I laugh, wincing at a cramp. "You okay?"

"Peachy. Wonderful. Pocket full of sunshine."

"Cramps are a bitch, eh?"

"Gee, what could ever make you think that?"

"Here," Jenny said, passing me her specialized cramp meds. That stuff's amazing, though I'm not quite sure it's legal; you can never quite tell with Jenny, so I'm careful taking stuff from her. "God, girl, its legal, it won't cause cancer, won't get you high, won't get you tipsy, won't kill you, etc. Just take it!" She shook her head, pulling my favorite type of water bottle out of her purse. That girl has everything in her purse. Had everything in her purse, I mean.

"Hey Jenny, Avery," Leena had walked over and greeted us. We nodded. "Oh, period?" she asked, eyeing the meds and water in my hands.

"Yeah," I said, taking them. "Thanks, Jen."

"No prob," Jenny said kindly, "Hey, has anyone seen the new guy? Julie Roberts told me he's hot!"

Leena and Jen squealed as I sighed. "Look, you two can talk about guys all you want, meanwhile, I shall try to get class in time and wait for the drugs to kick in." They paid me no mind as I walked into the school building, heading for my locker. I rolled my eyes as the scents of a flawed education system and high stress made it's way to my nose. School had started.

***

"Lora?" the teacher called.

"Here, Miss Brooke!" Lora said cheerily. That chick was always cheerful. Way to perky, if you ask me. Of course, if I went around never going a day with out being mind-blowingly drunk at least twice, I probably would be pretty perky too. How she didn't get hung-over was behind me though. Maybe she was just stoned.

"Sam?"

"Here," Sam said in his deep voice.

I stopped listening, letting my mind wander.

"Ava Ver!"

"Taking a dump in the woods, Miss Brooke." I said as the class erupted into giggles, including Miss Brooke who quickly schooled her expression into a stern teacher-ly one.

"Miss Ver, you do realize that I had to call your name twice?"

"No, I didn't, you should be glad I heard it at all. I mean, the woods are pretty far away."

"Very well." Miss Brooke said, her pretty face twisting into a smile, "I can't dispute your logic."

I got up and bowed in all directions, "Thank you, thank you, thank you all. I couldn't have done without each and everyone of you!" I said as people clapped.

"Order!" Miss Brooke yelled over the clapping as I sat down, "Mr. Conner? I do believe you're new."

"Yep. And I, unfortunately, am not smart enough to find my way to the woods, so I am, very sadly, here," a unfamiliar tone said, sounding like music. I turned my head to look at him. He was, indeed, hot, but so not Jen's type. He had the palest skin I'd ever seen, that would have appalled my Hispanic, brown skinned, tan friend. His skin was paler than Leena's, which I never thought I'd see, mainly because, although she was Japanese, not white the way I am, she's pale as moonstone. I, at least have a tan. But back to Conner. He had pale, crystal blue eyes that reminded me of ice and winter, and sandy blond hair that was wind tossed. He was wearing the uniform, too. Most people never even bothered to buy it, Lentil, Jen, and myself included. Really, he was my type; not that I dated often enough to really have one. No, I was not considering a future career as a nun, as Jen and Leena often put it; I just didn't believe that all 17 year olds needed to be going around dating anything that moved.

***

The bell rang. I picked up my bag and left, thankful that the meds had kicked in and I was no longer in agonizing pain.

"Hey!" a strangely beautiful male voice called, "Ava, right?"

I turned around to see Conner right there. "Nah, only the teachers call me Ava, just call me Avery."

"Alright, Avery," Conner said, laughing with his icy eyes, "I just wanted to say that, well, I really loved your joke in class but I couldn't believe that the teacher put up with it! No teacher from where I'm from would of."

"Yeah, Miss Brooke's a freakin' angel. As long as you don't act like a complete asshole in her class, anything goes," I said.

He let out a short laugh; "I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that," I said, raising my eyebrows and walking away, blissfully unaware of the fact that I had just willingly signed my own death warrant. In my own blood.

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It's been two chapters so it's FEEDBACK TIME! Yay! *claps hands like the child we all are inside* So how are you liking Avery? Smart, stupid; funny, dull; what do you think? I believe she has a touch of drama queen in her. Oh well...
-NoNameHere