CHAP. TWO—HIGH SCHOOL.

『.* +• ᴄʜᴀᴘ.ᴛᴡᴏ• *.+』

~WEDNESDAY

IT WAS PRETTY GREY FOR SEVEN AM in the morning.

Scarlett sluggishly awoke from a soft slumber, it was nice having peace and quiet for once. El Paso had the same loudness as any city big as Houston, but just a small fraction of it though. She actually enjoyed it. The birds chirping around was the only good music she could hear out into lake-embedded Pastonville, she couldn't hear that loud party house far downhill, that was an included bonus.

"Scarlett, you better get up and eat before you miss your first day."

Great, a moment of bliss ruined. The teen groaned from under the pillow in protest. Scarlett didn't want to go to school, hell, she'd rather jump off a—okay that was too graphic for a thought. But she hated school as much as life.

She tussled her wild red hair back as she got her head off the pillow. She wasn't prepared to go to school this early, she just left El Paso, and she doesn't like the town at all. But she missed the ambiance, the park she goes to whenever she wants to escape the modern world. In a tall old twisted tree she liked to stay on top of. Then read her special novels. Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series were her favourite.

Dammit, she could've bought the Midnight Sun edition before she left El Paso. Will she ever get one in this town, she thought. By the look of how ghostly it looked out there, she'll probably check it out later. If she has the chance.

Scarlett sluggishly got herself out of bed and checked her wardrobe for clothes before heading to her shower. Minutes later, she dried her frizzy red locks as she was already dressed for a hellish day in prison—her blunt definition of a day at school. Pessimistically drudging down the tread of stairs and carrying a black small satchel bag. Scarlett wore a black hoodie with matching jeans and brown boots.

Her mother's locket was visible from her chest as she slugged towards the kitchen. Josh wore a white apron, handling a batch of bacon in the frying pan, humming an optimistic tone. "Mornin', sport."

"Morning, Uncle."

"Hope you like bacon n' eggs."

Scarlett nodded as she sat on the luxury kitchen stool. Josh plated her food next to her as she pushed curled tussocks of her hair back, the red-headed male noticed the silver-colored locket dangling around her neck.

He knew it was his twin sister's, oh how he missed her so much. The loss of a sibling couldn't compare to a loss of a 'twin' sibling. And now he has her spitting image next to him. To him, it's like she never left. "Umm...Uncle?"

"Yeah, sport?" The male blinked at the 17-year-old, her curious sky blue eyes glistening from the grey cloud light. It's been 24 hours since she's met him - out of 15 years. Even after learning, he has a goofy side to his personality but at the same time, he was frank on a few things. "What—what do you actually do?"

"Oh." Josh sheepishly grinned, trying his best not to act hesitantly in front of his niece. "I—build houses. I'm a contractor. I actually built this house with my own two hands."

"Really?" the teen gazed around the luxury kitchen and the ceiling. For one person, he did an amazing job on the interior and the roofing. Most homeowners who are also homemakers would just flop at constructing and design. And the colour scheme of the whole kitchen. Josh was no amateur but a master of his own craft, Scarlett assumed.

"Yeah, took me about 3 years but I managed on my own. You wanna make your dream home, I say make it yourself."

Scarlett pursed her lips at another thought, this was it. She barely got any information from her father. So maybe she could pick Josh's brain too. He had to know something about her mother. He was after all the closest relative to her mother. Her twin brother! She wanted to know what her mother was, and who she was. What she liked, what she loathed. Her favorite colour, favorite flowers, her favorite thing to do. Anything!

And yet her own father couldn't do that.

Guess it was now or never. "What—what was Mom like?"

Josh's jovial aura suddenly faltered. He could see that Scarlett was eager into knowing about her mother. He couldn't blame her.

But there were some...things her mother did that Josh had to wait on. 'It's not time yet,' he deeply murmured in thought.

"She—she looked just like you." He answered straight away with a smile.

"Your mother was—she was enigmatic but sweet. We never stuck around much until when...she met your dad, but she was an amazing person to be with." He chuckled. "Sometimes we'd bicker who was the best out of both of us. Who the better twin was."

"Oh," Scarlett murmured. She never doubted that answer, but she was expecting a lot more than that. Josh bit his lip and looked away. Almost 18 years without a mother and the timing couldn't be any more gruesome.

'Less than 7 days from now...'

And since there's been a lot of activity lately, it was a sign that something was going to happen in the quiet town of Pastonville, and Josh had sworn to protect Scarlett from it. From what, one would wonder. He could sense it. He turned back to Scarlett with a wistful grin before turning away again.

His ginger brows furrowed in determination. He wanted no harm to come down on his niece. Josh would gladly give up his life to keep her safe from—them. 'They're coming for her. I swear—I'm going to protect her.

I promise, sister.'

________________________________________________

It didn't look so much as big at the front premise, but it seemed grand enough to be a high school.

Pastonville High.

The place had an old medieval vintage look to it, almost like Hogwarts in Harry Porter—minus the fantasia. Pessimistic to say the least.

Students from all walks of life were drudging down the tread of stairs towards the main building. Scarlett hopped out of the car as it slowly parked by the school sidewalk. "I'll come pick you up later, 'kay?"

"Okay." Scarlett nodded forlornly. Breathing in the cold crisp air, mixed with a bit of what Josh's car smelt like - and the school atmosphere had the dull pong of rancid milk for some reason. It was almost sickening.

"Later, sport." Josh slowly maneuvered the steering wheel and drove off.

Well, this was it. Scarlett took a down breath and sighed defiantly. She was heading into this new school, a warzone with not much as even a strategy of an escape route or way out. High school is never easy. It wasn't easy in El Paso either.

The constant eerie stares, the back-turned gossip, the mocking laughter. 'Unpleasant' wasn't the correct word for her to use. It just made her whole existence as a teen even more dreadful.

But it's just seven hours, she can survive this. Right? 'What could possibly go wrong?' she thought.

Just as she took the first step; a sudden coupe revved into a rapid break stop, rifting the dirty road puddles to swish over to Scarlett's legs. Soaking her jeans and shoes.

Talk about Karma.

The coupe was a convertible. With three glossy-looking teenage girls exiting out of it. One of them glossily flicked their mirror sun shades down, scanning Scarlett's form, top to bottom.

"Watch where you're driving, roadhog!" Scarlett snarled.

The glossy ravenette stared annoyedly at Scarlett before chortling boastfully. "Whatever. Move over, you drenched out loser." One blonde teen girl rolled her eyes as the other girl guffawed sardonically— clicking their heels out of the attention-attracting convertible towards the school steps.

'Great. Did Mean Girls get reincarnated into this life just to torture me?' She internally cursed at the universe.

Something told Scarlett that these seven hours were going to be her undoing. Already regretting being at school after her 15 seconds of humiliation, Scarlett sauntered into the campus, trying her best not to show eye contact. But that became a mistake right away.

"Oof!"

She harshly bumped into someone's shoulder, their books slumped onto the school floors.

"Oh, s-sorry." She stuttered as she helped pick up their books and hand them over. She instantly made eye contact with carroty orange orbs.

Their unswervingly bright colour harked back to her remembrance of Edward Cullen, a fictional character from the Twilight Saga novels. They had a mystic shine to them too. Like you'd be put under a trance in just an instant.

"No, it's my fault. I'm often the one being clumsy," said the girl Scarlett bumped into. "Hey. I've never seen you here before, are you new?"

"Um...yeah," Scarlett shrugged, before taking a good look at the teen.

She had brown short hair, and she looked more tomboy, but at the same time—a sporty type. Her eyes were like the colour of the seasons raining the whole of Pastonville. No human being could possibly possess those kinds of eyes, it would be such a rarity.

Her skin tone was fair albeit to the red head's ghost pale tone. What seemed like she had been staring at her for a while—the bell quickly sounded off, causing the traffic to increase around the thin halls.

"Shoot, I'm late for Chem! Gotta run fast! Nice meeting you though. Talk later?" Before the rubicund-headed teen could say her bit, the brunette disappeared into the sea of students. She didn't even get to know her name. But why bother? She doubted she would've wanted to be her friend anyway.

'Talk later?' That was just an excuse to avoid her as much as possible. And Scarlett knew that all too well. After staring distant in the halls—she was later reminded that she had to find her own class to get to.

She wandered the emptying halls in search of the Principal's office. The traffic wasn't helping. She could barely see where she was going. Bumping into every shoulder and elbow without any such as a mutter of apology. But then suddenly halted by a grand presence before her.

A tall skinny male with glasses in a grey suit. He had slick-back grey hair. A presence that spooked every student to pace even faster.

'Shit, it's the Principal—' a few conspicuously whispered, as if the man was one person not to be messed with.

"No running in the halls."

The class obeyed the sudden macrbreous undertone as the current slowed down and the students soon dwindled in numbers. The suited megane man stared down at the young redhead. The girl suddenly shivered at his strong presence, he had an intimidating glance from underneath his rectangular spectacles.

And the aura he was giving out was heavy and deeply authoritative. As if she was about to get executed. Is that why the students had a look of fear on their faces?

Scarlett already had a wild guess on who he could be.

"You must be the new student, Ms. Scarlett Lax. I was aware from your uncle that you were coming here—I am the Principal of Pastonville High, pleased to meet you."

"U-uh...pleased to meet you too?" Scarlett answered bashfully, gulping down her dry throat.

The aura that the principal had was eerie, but it was incredibly intimidating. His sulphur yellow eyes glimmered under his strict glasses. It wasn't helping ease her nerves when he had his silver-tongued British accent—as if she was standing next to a nobleman. He scanned down, seeing water dribbling down lower jeans and shoes. Scarlett gulped, embarrassed.

"Yes. Well, I've already placed out your timetable and curricula right here. All of your today lessons, excluding the extracurricular activities." He ignored her problem and handed her over a couple of files. "I do suggest heading to the restroom for your little issue first."

Scarlett nodded agreeably as she took her schedule.

Wait? Hold on. Where did the papers come from?

Wasn't his hands empty just a second ago? Scarlett was pretty sure his arms were folded behind his back. Or was she not paying close attention?

"You'll be assigned into a...' different course' from others. I'll show you to your homeroom. Follow me, if you please." He gestured her to walk behind as he turned a heel and sauntered forward.

The once crowded and loud halls became ghost-quiet. Then suddenly, what he said; made Scarlett quirk a brow—confused.

'Huh? What does he mean by 'different'? Like—an 'exchange student' kind of thing?'

The principal folded his arms behind his back as he casually sauntered down his school halls. The students were all in their classrooms, just as he objected. Scarlett's first impression of him was he was probably a stickler for rules and punctuality. His stiff straight body language said it all.

He quietly glanced back at the wandering teenager. He stopped, forcing Scarlett to do the same thing. "Oh, I just realised I never told you my name. How ill-mannered of me," he raised a plain smile at the teen girl behind him.

"Like all students here, you can call me Principal Garrix."

-END-