Illusions Mean Dawn

Chapter 1

         I sighed as I tapped my pencil on the desk impatiently, I quickly felt my eyes glaze over as I gazed into the distance. The seconds ticked away slowly as the sound of the clock became like the deafening sound of a time bomb, ready to send all students to their inevitable doom. I was caught in my drooling trance up until the point when I noticed a hand waving to her from a distance.

         "Ms. Duce? Ms. Duce are you alright?"

         I snapped up quickly and gave the teacher a stern nod. "Y-Yes Mr. Simons. I'm quite alright." I quickly added a small smile to make it less awkward.

         "Alrighty then. Let's continue with the lesson." Mr. Simons said as he turned towards the whiteboard. He uncapped a red dry erase marker and began writing on the board. "You're homework for this evening is to take notes on pages 120-129 in your textbook. I then want you to consult with with a partner over what you gained out of your reading and what the turning point in this period time was."

         The class groaned in annoyance and many rolled their eyes. The bell sounded with an abrupt ding and students began to file out of the classroom. I collected my things as quickly as possible and slung my brown, leather messenger bag over my shoulder. A small, delicate hand touched my shoulder and I turned around to face my best friend, Charlotte Knight.

         "Hey Charlie," I said sleepily as I grabbed at my sweatshirt. Charlie's light curls bounced as she crossed her arms with a smirk. "You're kidding me, right? Your best friend walks up to you and you say 'hey'? You should be saying, 'Hello my flamboyantly amazing, and talented friend, who I could never live without for all my days!"

        I smiled at the dramaticness of Charlie's script, "How about we just stick with 'hey' for now, sound good?"

        Charlie groaned nod let her shoulders relax with an exasperated sigh, "Fine." she said, dragging out the word as if it was a note in a song. "So, where are we off to, 'Ms. Dunce?" asked Charlie, doing a perfect imitation of Mr. Simons' voice as he taught a group full of kids nobody wants to deal with.

        "Well Ms. Knight," I said just as annoyingly, "We are of to the wonderous world of knowledge, harvested in the crops of the ever-growing Media Arts room--where only the finest of brain food can be fed to the royalty of the eager and developing teenage mind." I turned to Charlie with a smirk. "How was that?"

        "Stunning, Your Highness."

        "Are you suggesting I'm high?"

        "Luka!"

        "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I threw my hands up, defensively.

        Charlie rolled her eyes, "Someday, you will be the death of me."

        "Will that be the day I steal your Cheetos and you go diving into the Grand Canyon to retrieve them?" I asked nonchalantly.

        "Yes, that is exactly right," Charlie said with a grin.

        I gave her a big, goofy smile before my entire happy demeanor was crushed by a tiny, floating rain cloud of pure evil and sadness. I froze in my tracks and stared, eyes bulging out of my skull. Charlie looked back to see what was wrong, but I didn't move. I was too focused on the figure standing merely a few inches away.

        "Well, if it isn't Luka Duce. Short as always, I see." A big, toothy grin spread across his face.

        Cassian Price. Seventeen years of age, tall, dusty caramel hair, and teal-ocean-blue eyes. His dad died serving in Afghanistan, so now he lives with his mother and sister. He moved to Michigan about three years ago, but recently came back due to financial (and family) reasons. Or so I've heard.