Cadence

Senior year. I have finally made it. Finally be able to get out of here away from these people, from my family, to have an adventure. Finally. I just have to make it through 220 days of being in this preppy prison of plastic smiles and fake tans. The drive to school in my lime green scion IQ is quiet, as I glide down the streets decorated with fall. The leaves crunch under my tires as I slide into my parking space, conveniently tucked into the corner of the lot under a giant oak tree. Kagan, my one and only friend, whips into her spot next to me seconds after I clear the area. Her car was lovingly referred to as "the beast" seeing as it was a beat up, red, Chevy Silverado pickup from the 90's. With a loud bang and muttered curses, she was able to close her door. Kagan's short frame belied her actual strength. Her hair was a mass of chocolate curls framing her heart shaped face. Eyes as blue as forget-me-nots smiled at me. "Good morning," I called cheerfully. "For you maybe, I just got my nails done yesterday and now they are chipped thanks to the bloody beast." I smiled. See that was the thing about Kagan, she could always make me smile. On our way across the parking lot, Kagan babbled endlessly about some new transfer student. I focused on where my first class, College Comp, was located. After reaching our locker, we parted for our classes, promising to meet at our spot for lunch. My first class was taught by Mrs. Snell. I almost fell asleep. Honestly I'd rather stab myself with a blunt spoon then sit through 45 minutes of Class Rules and Policy. Unfortunately, it only got worst from there. By lunch I was feeling like a two week old corpse dragging myself through the hallways. That's when it happened. I felt this numbness, all sound was gone, and the colors were bleached away. Blindly I stumbled forward toward the bathroom. Then all I could feel was emotions. They flitted past my consciousness; happiness, pride, anger, boredom, longing, lust. It was maddening. Then I was encompassed in a black nothingness as my face hit the cool tile of the floor. I woke up to Kagan shaking my shoulders and many faces curiously hovering above me. Great, just want I need, more unwanted attention to the debacle that is my life. Slowly, sound began to register. "Cadence! Cadence, are you ok? How did you get down here? What happened? Are you okay?" Each question Kagan threw at me pounded against my head like an ice pick, digging deep into my migraine. "Jesus, yes doll, I'm fine can you stop screeching now?" I implored. "I have no idea how I got here or what happened. It's all really fuzzy."

Gingerly I lift myself into a sitting position, and instantly feel nauseous. Ugh, this sucks. After a few breaths I am able to stand. Now I just have to maintain some dignity. Awesome first day. Kagan and I walk towards our lunch spot beneath the shade of another oak tree, just past the courtyard filled with laughing teens enjoying their lunch. Still slightly shaken from my earlier acquaintance with the floor, I slowly lowered my wobbly legs to the soft earth, and pulled out my pitiful peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Kagan propped herself up against the ancient bark of the trunk, and pulled out a lunch that could feed a small country. "I still can't believe that someone as small as you, is able to put away that much food, and still be that tiny. I'm mean seriously, that is so not fair." "Yeah, well maybe when you start doing three hours of volley ball every evening, then you can eat like this." "Yeah, yeah whatever you bloody Amazon Woman." As Kagan and I were happily munching on our lunches and gossiping about classmates, I spotted a horde of popular girls in high heels with spray tans and cheap highlights gathered around a single table. Craning my neck I glimpsed the form of a lone boy, before he disappeared in the gaggle of bimbos. "Hey Kagan, what are are the sycophants in heat about?" "Oh, it's probably the transfer student." "We have a new transfer student?" "See, this is how I know you don't listen to me. I was just talking about it this morning, while you were off in la-la land, and I was all- Kagan I don't think she is listening to you. You should really be more appreciated, with every thing you do for that girl, and I mean you're only her best friend. Yeah she is definitely not listening. I could say purple hippies fly and she wouldn't even register what I had said." "Kagan! Geeze Louise, could you just give me the dish on the hottie?" "You know I don't think I will. I should definitely be getting more love from you, you selfish whore." "Fine, fine you are an amazing wonderful person, and I couldn't ask for a better friend." "Damn straight. Okay so hottie mctottie is apparently from Germany. He fences, he can speak German, Polish, Russian, and Romanian. He is approximately 6ft 4in, tanned, has an apparent love of muscle shirts, and supposedly has gorgeous eyes." "You know, it's pretty terrifying how much you know about people." "It's a gift" "Yeah well I'm off to class then doll." "ugh, what is with you and your obsession with being early?" "Well, not all of us can be professional slackers and still get by like you." I toss back with a wink, already on my way to Trigonometry. Trigonometry was uneventful, like all my other classes. More rules and house keeping. Finally, my last class, health, rolled around and the day was almost over. Soon I could drive home, slip into sweats, eat flaming hot Cheetos, and fan girl over old episodes of Fairy Tail. Then he walked in. He stood at least 6ft 4in. He was wearing a black t-shirt that stretched across his frame, hinting at the chiseled physique underneath and faded blue jeans that hung low on his hips and shaped to his long legs. His hair

was a deep chocolate brown with a reddish tint that glinted in the sunlight streaming in from the window. He had brilliant green eyes that shined like emeralds, and his full lips were turned up in a cocky smirk that spoke of a sarcastic nature. And he was staring at me in amusement at my obvious attention. Crap, I've been caught gawking! In my time spent drooling over his masculine form, I completely missed his introduction to the class, and now he is walking straight towards me, oh my god he's walking straight towards me. Don't panic. Act natural. My god is he hot. "Hey," he said with a smirk. " I'm Derek. You are?" "I'm... I'm sorry, wha.. what was that," I mumble in a daze. "Me Derek, you?" Derek said sarcastically while using gestures like Tarzan did when he first introduced himself to Jane. "Cadence" I say while blushing.