One day, like any other, I was walking the back alley of my street, the cold winter air greeting me slightly through my winter jacket.
I wore a pair of jeans with a hole in the left knee, a short sleeved shirt, a reversible black and white sweater, and a pair of shoes that were black, my winter jacket, and to keep myself warm, I had the hoods on from each sweater.
The dark alley was not there anymore, by it was brighter, a sign of spring approaching. The roads were not too icy, but just enough to let me slide across the road without taking forever.
There were no cars, and not many people. The crosswalk was easy the pass the first time, and the second.
I walked straight to the bench, and sat down, ignoring everyone. They were not my friends, nor did I know them. Before I left it was seven thirty, soon these people will go away, but only after two minutes of waiting as usual. So I waited patiently for the first bus to come and take these adolescents, leaving me alone, except for the one kid who comes at the same time the bus leaves. Just like any other day.
The bus arrived, so did the one kid, he waited at the top of the hill, I never bothered to ask his name, because it was never important.
I watched as the bus left with all the students showing their transit passes, then leaving to go to the next stop two blocks down the road.
I stood up and paced, like some days when I'm full awake. Not unusual at all.
While I paced, more kids arrived, a few my actual friends, some I just knew and chatted with, others I didn't know at all.
But one girl stood out. She was NEVER there before. I wanted to say hi, but it was against my morning ritual; turn alarm off, bathroom, change, make sandwich, drink, get ready, check time, leave, wait silently making no contact, sit at the back right corner, get off, learn. My whole day of school generalized in the morning.
Conversations were over rated at seven forty in the morning, so i walked around in wonder, wondering who this girl is.
Was she a new student, late for the bus before, or I just didn't see her before? I pondered
She wore a really dark blue jacket with a weird symbol on it, black pants with moons on them, and had weird blue hair.
I looked more expertly, she had dark blue eyes, and blue lips. Weird? Yes. Was I the least bit concerned? The next day I wished I was.
The bus for me was appearing down the street, some kids were still racing down the road to get to school on time. The rest walked to where the bus stopped by.
Th blue girl walked to the side of the sidewalk away from us. I watched in confusion, as the bus stopped for her, right in front of here. Convenience? Yes, it stopped where I was one time, who cares.
She walked on without a pass, not even bothering to grab it out of her pockets.
The kids scurried to the bus door, but I walked calmly, and showed my pass. The bus driver looked cheerful with her four colored hair: purple, green, blue, and turquise, set down, with a smile that said "Hello friend", but the smile dropped after I passed her.
Now it was beginning to get weird...
I walked to my regular spot, surprised to see the blue girl on the left of it. Ignoring her, I sat down, awaiting for the bus to get moving.
The girl looked at me, I looked at her, quickly looking away, I didn't like making eye contact. Especially with girls, I didn't want the wrong impression. So I looked at the window to the right of me. Then she seemed to smile in the reflection in the window, I made no change in expression.
She reached for my shoulder, and grabbed it lightly, trying to grasp my attention. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
"What?" I asked, annoyed. She let go of my shoulder.
"I'm new, i think I'm in your class, and I would like to know you and the class."
"Wait." I replied calmly to her.
"For what?" she asked, confused.
"For school," I added tiredly, "and for me to wake up."
"But your up now." she seemed even more confused.
I stared at her, then at the sky. The moon was still up, usual winter day.
"Luna," she said dreamily, adding smartly, "that's Spanish for 'Moon'."
"I do not care for Spanish. So what's so special about it? The moon I mean." I asked distantly, holding a yawn back.
"That's my name." she replied calmly.
"Moon?" I asked childishly, I wanted to be left alone.
"No, Luna." she said matter-of-factly.
"Strange name..." for a strange girl, I thought to myself.
"But it's beautiful, and so am I."
I checked her out, and shrugged. She pushed my shoulder playfully. The back was slowly getting rowdy.
I moved away, slightly to get some room.
"Come on, don't be a baby." she said playfully.
I stared out of the window, the school was close by.
I stood up slowly, walking to the exit. Everyone else did the same, but at their own pace.
Luna followed behind me, and as the bus stopped, we prepared to leave, and walked straight to the school.
When me and Luna reached the office I told her to get her schedule for classes.
"Okay. See you soon?"
I shook my head. "I'll come along with you, and show you to your class."
"Okay." and we walked into the office.
The secretary looked up, and I explained why we were here. "This is the new girl, and she would like her schedule for the terms."
She nodded and searched for some papers.
She handed Luna a paper stating her classes. She was in my core subjects, and my day A periods, day B's we had the opposite classes of me.
Since today was day A, I motioned her to follow me.
"First thing we have is..." I checked the paper, "social, with me, room 202."
"You teach?" Luna was staring at me, confused.
I stared back, and laughed "No, it just means you come with me."
"Okay." now she understood.
I motioned her to follow me, and we shared the same homeroom, so first I had to arrange a locker for her.
"But first you need a locker..." i paused, and thought about other stuff she might need, "and textbooks."
She nodded in agreement, and followed. We walked to our homeroom, 208, and spoke with the teacher.
"Luna is new here and she needs a lock." I explained.
The teacher nodded and gave me her new lock and combination. "Tell me the one you choose, so I can write it down."
Luna and I walked to the hall, and I pointed to a locker next to mine, only because "This one I know is empty" I told her.
"Seems nice. Now the textbooks?"
I smiled and nodded in reply, then we walked to the homeroom, told the teacher the locker number, and left for the library, hoping the librarian was still there, and she was.
"We need one science eight textbook, one math eight textbook, and one social eight textbook." each I remembered from in my backpack, and the librarian nodded "For who?" she asked.
I pointed to Luna, "she's new."
"Name?"
"Luna." she pronounced.
"What a pretty name." the librarian complimented Luna.
"Thank you very much." she bowed, smiling.
The librarian signed the books out, and handed them to Luna.
We began walking to our class, and after we left the library, I asked Luna what all the bowing was about.
"It is traditional to show ones gratitude that way." she pronounced gladly.
"Seems legit." I shrugged, and we continued our way to class. The silence between us awkward.
I decided to break the silence, "Where do you come from?" a simple question.
"From around here and there." she was avoiding the question, understandable. But I pressed on.
"You can tell me." I urged her on, she shook her head, "I won't tell anyone if you like."
"But I don't want to tell you." she was beginning to sound annoyed.
"Sorry..." I let the silence engulf us again, until we reached class. "We are at social now."
"Okay, what shall we learn? How to talk with manners, peer pressure? What?"
I held back a snicker, she talks so strange, it was cute, but instead of laughing, I said normally "It's not exactly social, more like history. We learn about the past."
"So you know all about me? I should be a subject in your history class."
Now it became clear, weird speech, self centered, "Look princess, daddy wasn't here early enough to write a subject about you in the history book. I don't care if your a rich or not, but learn we are all equal, and don't have a class dedicated to us." a bit harsh, but this rich kid had to know she wasn't important.
She was beginning to be furious, and wasn't liking the fact I just disrespected her.
"I'm sorry, but rich kids don't get books written on them. Particularly in Canada. You need to be popular first."
She was still furious, if anything she was getting even more madder the whole time.
"Just take a seat and calm down. Class is about to begin." I said soothingly.
She began to breath deeply, a calming technique, and sat down. I smiled that she actually listened. I guess rich kids aren't completely naive.
I think she smiled back because she was either plotting revenge, or because she realized I was right and didn't have to freak out over it. Either way, I was glad the new kid was seemingly happy.
The class begun at the usual pace, with some slight drawbacks, from people other than Luna, and some slight paperwork.
At the end of class, I spoke to Luna and asked if this was simple, or if she needed some help.
"It's quite fine really, just what's next?" she wondered.
"Language arts, room 205, follow me." I pronounced helpfully, and we walked down the hall like all the other kids.
"Are you mad at me still?" I asked sadly, I didn't want her to hate me.
"No, it's just..." she paused, "never mind, you will never understand it."
I looked curiously at her, wondering what it was that she thought I couldn't understand. "So you aren't going to tell me?" I asked.
"It will boggle your mind, and you will be frightened."
"Puh-lease rich girl, I won't be frightened by your stacks of gold, or money." I said sarcastically, She wasn't going to scare me, I thought, money is material wealth, so, I'm okay.
"Meet me by true very far edge of the fence, by the trees, and I will tell you everything." she said quietly, not really a whisper, not quite regularly loud, but I heard every word she said.
I nodded, and before I realized it, we were at the classroom. "Well, LA, period two. Grab a seat."
I sat by my friends, and Luna joined in, right next to me, so I introduced her. "Tara, Emily, this is Luna, Luna, this is Tara, and Emily."
Tara nodded and introduced herself better then I did, the same thing she did with Emily. I'm not that formal, but Tara can make everything nicer, in a work related way (more effort).
When class started, we began reading a fiction book. I finished mine, and Luna didn't have a copy. I face-palmed, and gave her my copy. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to get you a book. Well grab one at lunch."
"Its okay, I'll use this one for now." she said reassuringly.
I blushed and kept regretting my stupidity. How could I forget a book? I ask myself, books are my thing, oh, my god, I am such a stupid friend.
Don't say that, came a reply...
Wait... "What the..." I was confused, I'm not supposed to hear mental replies, not when I know that that was NOT me.
"What's wrong Tristan?" she ask quizzically.
I stared in shock, I never told her my name, an I was next to her the whole time, and no one slipped out my name, so how did SHE know? I began to be paranoid, and really afraid. I actually felt like crying, never in my life did something so odd scared me so badly that I wanted to curl into a ball and roll out of the room.
"It's okay," she said stroking my hair at the back, just like I do it to go back certain way. "We won't hurt you... Yet."
I laughed like a deranged psychopath, hysterically, and didn't stop for a few moments. Everyone was staring, surprised with shock, except for Luna, the I continued laughing, longer and more insanely. I fell to the ground, crippled, for no apparent reason, but continued. After a bit, I passed out, in a seizure, which I've never had until now, and passed out, unconscious and cold.
After a while, I got ahold of myself and woke up in a state of pure shock and fear.
"This has to be a dream!" I exclaimed to myself repeatedly, but didnt wake up in my room. I groaned loudly. This is one of THOSE dreams, I thought, the one that I can't wake up no matter what I do. So this can't end well, I decided. And I prepared for the worse.
Meanwhile, in my classroom, one girl had sat down, and smiled. She had black hair, black clothes, and menacing dark green eyes.
She put down her school items, and took out an amulet. It was an assortment of colors, and had a face of a goat with two different horns.
She held it to her lips, stood up, and exclaimed with pride, these words of fate; "Let the madness, begin!"
"Yes, your highness." came the reply.