5. First day in school

LUCAS

 

It was only the eleventh day living in this weird town and I was about to start my first day in Woodhidge High. Not only was I expected to see Woodhidge as home, I would spent my last year in high school in the town too. It was left to me to me to choose whether I would be happy here or not. 

 

I didn't hate the town—and that was saying a lot, as I rarely liked anywhere. For more than one thing, the town was a beauty on its own. I hadn't noticed how pretty the town was on the first day we arrived. The town was gave me some old-school vibe and on its own wasn't weird as it seemed like any other town—from the outside of course. Like every suburban location, the houses seemed so out of pattern unlike the notorious tightness of the city, yet it all looked like a happy embrace of homes. The town, however, struck me as one that I would have to spend a lot more time understanding. 

 

“So, how are you feeling?” Mum asked as she pulled the sedan by the road, and Woodhidge-High was just metres away. 

 

“Tell me, how are you feeling?” Mum asked again, now looking directly into my eyes. 

 

I shrugged. “Honestly, I just want to get school behind me and see what's next.”

 

“I understand, we all start feeling that way and when it is all over, we begin to miss school again.”

 

“Not in my case, Mum.”

 

Mum cupped my face in her hands as she always did and I slowly pulled my head backwards—like I always did. 

 

“Lucas.” Mum whispered.

 

“What, Mum?”

 

“Lucas, promise me you will give it a chance.”

 

I asked lazily. “Give what a chance?”

 

“You know what I'm talking about, you sure do.” She smiled in that way that made everyone else's smile look inferior and locked my eyes on hers in a way only her could do too. “Promise me you would give it all a chance, you know I'm not only talking about study, you have always been good at that, I'm talking about enjoying the whole experience and of course, making friends.”

 

I sighed noisily. “I promise you, now it's time to say goodbye for now, I have got classes to attend.”

 

“Are you sure you don't want me to walk you in, it's your first day in a town you are still new in, it is normal to be super nervous.”

 

I raised my eyebrows in utter astonishment. “Wait, what? Walk me in? Being a new student come with ‘perks' on its own, walking with your mother, on your first day in school, and as a senior, is a sure way to....“

 

“To? Whatever, have a nice day.”

 

Leaving the car and walking into the school premises, I felt more relaxed. It was just like any other school and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Yet.

 

Just as I had begun to busy my mind with school stuff, my bracelet on my wrist began to glow, this was awfully weird. I didn't understand it and it seemed awkward especially as it happened in school hallway and had literally never happened before. It was a dim glow but nonetheless, why should it glow at all? Why hasn't it ever glowed since it had been on me, why now? 

 

Immediately, like an instant downpour, the feeling that I didn't know a lot about myself and how I came to be hit me hard. So much for a first day. 

 

 

EVELYN 

 

After dropping Lucas at school, I headed home. It was the first time since I arrived in Woodhidge that I would have nothing to do. Literally nothing. It was a great feeling, it all felt great if I was being honest. Every supernatural being would know that being in a town where you don't have to hide who you are is awesome. Another thing that made Woodhidge even more beautiful was the fact there were still humans in the town. Innocent unsuspecting humans. How they don't know that Woodhidge isn't exactly normal is still a mystery to me. 

 

Even before I arrived at Woodhidge, I had rented a place where I would open my own cafe. I was quite excited about it, particularly because it was something I had planned to do as a kid and now, what the hell could stop me? I was so buried in thoughts that I didn't know when I got to the house. 

 

And then I saw him. 

 

He was younger than me and normally, I would never stare at him twice. According to the conventional society generated ‘age bracket’, I was nothing near his. I wasn't one who indulged in serious dating but when I did engage in dating of any sort, I respected myself and went for single men my own age—funny enough, they weren't too many these days. It wasn't just because I was a single mother, it was more because I made decisions not to cross some very thick lines I had boldly drawn over the years. 

 

He was probably twenty-four years old or maybe a year old older. If I spoke like my son and kids his age, I would say he was ripped. He was insanely handsome. A bloody gorgeous devil. Though I shouldn't be looking at him the way I was but I couldn't take my eyes of him. He had a lean body, though not to lean to make him look bony. He was well built and looked like a popular model though his face wasn't familiar at all. It annoyed me so much when I caught myself biting my lower lip, only I knew what kind of thoughts usually flood my mind whenever I did that.

 

When I was finally able to get a hold on myself, I pretended to be staring at the garden in the compound he was in, which was his home. I did this because no one needed to tell me that it was apparent he caught me checking him out. The least I could do was try to make it look like I was appreciating the little garden in his compound—which under regular circumstances, I would never look twice at. I think no one would ever look twice. 

 

“Pretty garden you got there.” I yelled out to him.

 

“This? Well, I met it here, told you I was also new to this house, though not the town.”

 

True! He had come before to welcome us to the town and just like today, I had behaved like a silly little girl before him. I guess he was that charming, everytime I laid my eyes on him, it felt like it was the first time seeing him. His name was Damon. Damon. I had registered the to my brain like it was all that mattered. 

 

“Have a nice day.“ I voiced as I headed into the house. 

 

I cautioned myself to stop thinking about him as he was clearly not someone I could date. Not like age gap really mattered in the modern day but the last thing I wanted in my life was getting in a relationship that would lead to people turning heads when I pass them. Not like a young hot devil like that would leave all the pretty ladies his age for an older woman who had a sixteen year old. 

 

With that huge discouraging factor in mind, I kicked Damon out of my mind.