Chapter 1

The Dashwood’s Change Everything

Chanel Dashwood. She was exactly what every girl dreamed to one day be. Beautiful, intelligent, athletic, and so much more. Usually girls described as above are just really good at hiding their flaws, and everyday mistakes. These girls, of course, make up for it with their snobby attitudes, and condescending glares. However, Chanel Dashwood wasn’t your typical girl. A little bit of Miss teen U.S.A, Einstein, and Mia Hamm all thrown together with a side order of great personality. Perfect you might say? Well, too perfect I might say.

Her long, wavy, golden-brown tresses were pulled back neatly into a shiny black metallic headband. easily revealing her beautiful features; large, round forest-green eyes, plump champagne lips, and a flawless ivory complexion. Up until now I’d never realized how naturally beautiful she really was.

“Her headband is tacky anyways.” I mumbled incoherently. Of course I knew it wasn’t. It complimented her blouse, and even brought out her eyes a bit more. If as though a “bit more” were possible at all. Everyone already noticed them in admiration. My comment really was just a way of redeeming my own self esteem. How could you sit anywhere near Chanel Dashwood, and not begin to feel self conscious? It was an impossible feat even for me. I began to feel worse.

“And that blouse? What was she thinking? Does she dress in the dark, or what?” I mumbled again. This time smiling to myself. This was fun, wasn’t it? I looked back up, ready for another. Only this time I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see. Chanel Dashwood. Chanel Dashwood was staring straight at me. She glowered toward me for a moment. It felt as though an ice cube had slipped down into the pit of my stomach making it difficult to breathe. Her deep green eyes tore into me as though she had heard every word firsthand. I gripped my tray ready to stand, and perhaps run.

“Ara! Where have you been? Did you just get here? I heard you were held after class with Mrs. Dire?” I peeked up at my best friend, Dulce Alvarez. She was quite pretty with her large, dark-brown eyes, and cascading, wavy jet-black hair. I’d only known her for a year or so, but we couldn’t have been any closer. She transferred in from Spring Creek High last year after the shooting. She doesn’t like to talk about it, so I don’t pry.

“Yea, she gave me another detention—hey, how about we move to a different table?” I asked trying to ignore Chanel’s gaze that I could still feel piercing into me. Dulce must have noted for she turned, skeptically, in Chanel’s direction.

“Is that poser still bothering you?” Dulce pulled a seat out from next to me to sit. Dulce seemed to know quite a bit about the Dashwood’s. Chanel and her older brother Peter had also transferred in from Spring Creek last year. Dulce liked to remind me that neither of them had sung the same tune at her other school. When they moved here they seemed to get that fresh start they were looking for, fooling everyone with their fake personalities in the process.

“You know, did I ever tell you that Chanel is actually a natural red head? She used to have freckles too.” I did a double take of Chanel, whom had turned her attention back to her elite, sociable, round table. I didn’t see it.

“It’s hard to tell now, eh? Daddy’s money sure does buy a great plastic surgeon doesn’t it?” I gaped at Dulce in pure shock. The girl whom everyone admired, whose beauty knocked a few points off your own self-esteem, whom gave life to the little green monster on every teenage girl’s shoulder was a fake. I smiled not feeling as bad anymore. Yet, a little unsettled. How horrible people must have made her feel to change herself so drastically?

“So you got another detention? That’s the third one this month Ara.” I frowned feeling the square pink slip in my pocket.

“I know…but none of them have been my fault! Honest.” Dulce peered at me, disbelief washed over her face.

“What’s this one for then?”

“I sort of fell asleep in class—but have you heard Mrs. Dire speak! How could I stay awake? I’d rather pound my head with bricks!” Dulce chuckled whole-heartedly, nearly choking down her pizza. I couldn’t help but laugh. Dulce pounded her fist against the chalky white table catching her breath.

“Now that’d be a site to see! There’s some construction not too far from my house—“Oh, now you’re a comedian?” She shrugged biting into her pizza, suddenly turning serious.

“Wait. If you have detention again today…what about our movie night?” Dulce and I crashed at her place every Friday night with a bowl of burnt popcorn, and long list of movie rentals. Burnt popcorn because the microwave never seemed to agree with my settings, and a long list of movie rentals because Dulce’s dad only owned foreign movies; none of which I could understand. It was our thing and I had bailed on her for the last two weeks in a row.

“Oh, Dulce. I’m really sorry. I didn’t—Can’t we do it Saturday? My mom could drop me off?”

“I’m leaving with my dad remember? Going back to Spring Creek to visit my mom?” I felt horrible. I couldn’t just skip my detention. Mrs. Dire would surely slap an ‘in-school suspension’ on me then, but I felt horrible doing this to Dulce for a third time in a row.

“Dulce…I’m really sorry.”

“No, don’t. Really, it’s okay.” Was it just me, or did it not really sound okay at all?

“How about…I skip—“Okay!” Dulce was smiling from ear to ear pleasantly. I thought she would have told me no, to go, and not to get into any unnecessary trouble. I couldn’t take it back now.

“I’ll probably get in-school suspension…” I wandered on.

“It’s only a warning for your first time. They’ll just reschedule it.”

“Oh.” Was all I could say. How Dulce became so knowledgeable on our school’s detention policy, I’ll never know. Last I heard, she had a perfect behavioral record coming in from Spring Creek; not even tardy once.

“Do you have your things?” She asked a bit hesitant. I did. I always brought them with me on Fridays. That way I could leave right after school. Lunch was my last bell. Unpleasant as it was to starve the entire day, it reminded me that this long torturous day, which parents found amusing, was over and I could relax.

“Yea, they’re in my locker.”

“Great. The bell’s about to ring. Let’s get rid of these trays.” I nodded, and stood with my tray. Suddenly an uncomfortable feeling wrapped itself around me. I was being watched. I averted my eyes as best I could away from Chanel’s table, but couldn’t help but peek over my shoulder at her. She was staring at me again. It’s a rather uncomfortable feeling, it is. To feel watched. I tried my best not to stare back, but when she rose from her seat I dumped my tray quickly, turning for the hall. Surely she would not confront me about earlier? Not now at least? I still wasn’t sure if she had heard me at all, but I didn’t want to stick around to find out. Dulce followed me out.

“Do you think I should make the popcorn tonight? I mean…it always seems to get burnt?” Dulce nodded feverishly.

“Yea, maybe you should leave it to me tonight.” I smiled appreciatively for her understanding. I leaned against my dusty, pale, yellow locker inserting the combination. It sprung open and I slid my Jansport out with ease.

“Miss Bayneridge? Araceli Bayneridge?” I turned around to find Mrs. Dire heading for me. That isn’t what had surprised me. Chanel Dashwood wasn’t far behind, gripping her new Prada handbag, struggling to keep up with Mrs. Dire’s even and steady pace.

“Ye—ye—yes?” I stumbled with my words. Chanel was now at her side. Eyeing Dulce far more serious than she ever had me.

“You weren’t by chance skipping your afternoon detention with me, were you now?” I felt a spasm of fear strike across my face. How would she know? I surveyed Chanel for a moment, and had my answer. Somehow she had managed to hear my conversation with Dulce, and ran as quickly as she could to snitch on me. Maybe she had heard me earlier, and was just angry?

“Answer me.” Mrs. Dire repeated, her stern gray eyes narrowing on my bag.

“No…no, I just had to grab a few things.” I lied opening my bag grabbing, retrieving a notepad and pen. She seemed to relax a little.

“Very well. Report to my classroom directly after the last dismissal bell. Do not be late.” She nodded curtly toward Dulce before turning back down the foyer. Chanel did not run off like I expected her too. She remained where she was, her knuckles crunched, her intense glare set on Dulce who kindly returned the gesture.

“How dare you?” I slashed out toward Chanel as soon as Mrs. Dire had turned the corner and was out of sight.

“It’s for your own good.” She replied her eyes still strongly fixated on my best friend before her. I stepped between them.

“Get out of her face. She didn’t do anything to you. Whatever problems you’ve had with each other at Spring Creek, just forget them!” Chanel seemed to smile at this, her eyes flashing brighter then usual. She pushed off on her heels.

“Did she ever tell you what happened Araceli? How she killed those people? They never even had a chance—“Stop it!” Dulce had not spoken before hand and her initial reaction startled me. Chanel seemed amused.

“Why? Doesn’t your best friend deserve to know the truth? Doesn’t she deserve to know who you really are?”

“What happened wasn’t Dulce’s fault—“Oh, but it was. Actually, it was all her fault.”

“Don’t listen to her Ara.” Dulce seemed to order from beside me. Chanel zeroed in on her.

“We all know how this is going to end. Don’t we?” Dulce shook her head now stepping before me.

“She’s with us. Vaylen will see to that.” Chanel seemed more aggravated than she had before.

“You bore me.” Was all Chanel said before my best friend was cast into the opposing wall, crumbling to the floor in a heap of bricks. I looked around to see who would notice when I glanced up at the clock. It read 3:33 and it had stopped moving. A teacher who had been walking by with his umbrella was frozen like a statue in place. Time had stopped. I ran to Dulce’s side.

“Dulce! Dulce! Are you okay!” Of course she wasn’t alright! Chanel Dashwood had just used her as a wrecking ball to destroy an entire wall! How could she possibly be okay? I looked up tp Chanel who was now approaching more fearful than I was furious. Dulce seemed to stir and I shook her arm.

“Dulce? Are you okay?” She paid no mind to me at all, and slowly crawled to her feet, leaving me there in the rubble. Chanel smiled toward some challenge she saw. I could not see it. Not after she threw Dulce into the wall like that. Every bone in her body should have been broken.

“Vaylen is on his way. He’s coming to meet her personally. I suggest you leave.”

“Well, we don’t have time to wait around now do we?” Chanel added with much more haste than before. Who was this Vaylen she kept talking about, and why was Dulce not as freaked out about this all as I was?

“Ara! We’re leaving!” Dulce shouted into her shoulder, not taking her eyes off Chanel this time. I slowly stood, brushing the cement chips away from my jeans.

“Oh, she’s leaving alright. Just not with you.” Chanel added, and with such force threw out her palm releasing a stream of silver light. Dulce flew back into the wall behind me, crushing her body altogether.

“Dulce!” I made a run for her, but found my legs kicking helplessly into the air. Someone was holding me back.

“Get the portal ready Chanel! Vaylen is close, and he’s not happy!” I didn’t recognize his voice at first, but a quick conclusion came to me that it was Peter, Chanel’s older brother. Tears streamed my face, and I screamed out for her. She lay still, her bodying unmoving. I was terribly too distant to tell whether or not she was still breathing. I struggled to gain my freedom but Peter’s strength was as unrelenting as the power I had just witnessed. A strange pull was dragging me further away, until the Earth slipped away from me entirely. Peter’s hold on me remained, molding his body with mine. His neckline curved into mine, and he whispered. I strained hard to hear what he was saying, not sure if I had wanted to hear him at all.

“Sorry about this little one…it’s for your own good.”

With that I felt a gravitational pull to my left, then my right, then I felt as though I were falling from the sky. We abruptly stopped in midair, Peter still beneath me. I opened my eyes to a hazy, purple light, and…

Smack!

We’d landed.