CHAPTER 1

LUCINDA


“I’m sorry, Lu…but I don’t think it’s working out…” I tried to keep my composure as best I could. “We can still be friends though…” He went in for a goodbye hug. My arms were frozen by my side. He smiled arrogantly and ran off to a busty blonde and put his arm around her…My facial expression was the same, I barely registered what was happening around me as I left school grounds, I got into my old, black jeep and drove home, I raced to my room and locked the door. Blasted some music off my iPod and laid on my bed, I promised myself to never let a tear fall. And not one fell. I remember when Westley had first asked me out. It was the end of summer and we were about to start tenth grade. We were at a back to school bonfire and I was sitting by the fire roasting a marshmallow. I glanced over to him staring at me, and my marshmallow caught on fire. I blushed and went to the concessions table to get a new one, he followed me over and started talking to me. We talked the whole night and he asked me out, then we became an “item.” I thought I was so lucky to have a great boyfriend like him, so I ignored everything my friends had tried to tell me about him being a player. I thought I was in love, but then towards the end of tenth grade I found that I didn’t love him at all, he was uncaring and an idiot, but I still dated him, hoping to find that guy from the beach. During the summer, he ignored my calls and texts and when I finally had the nerve to go to his house I saw him making out with said blonde. He told me he made a mistake and I forgave him, at that point I didn’t care. At least one of us could be happy. The rest of the summer we became strangers and now on the last day before winter break he broke up with me. I didn’t love him, but I still feel rejected. No! No! No way will I feel sorry for myself. That’s it! I’m sick of this crap! I switched the dopey sad song to Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation. I then made my way over to my bulletin board. I took off all my pictures of him and threw them away. I tore apart all the last-minute valentines day cards. And threw away his baseball hat. I felt better, but looking at the scarce remaining items on my bulletin board, I owed my friends a major apology. I called my best friend since second grade. Delaina Roberts. She used to have silky, blonde hair, but major pressuring for pageants and spelling bees by her parents made her rebel and dye it navy blue. I called her number and she answered on the first ring. “Hello?” “Laina?” “Oh, Lu, he’s done it hasn’t he? Broken your heart, hold on. Let me stretch and I’ll go kick his butt…” Laina is a martial artist and likes to box, another rebellion to her parents, she’s also recently taken up archery. “Laina, relax, he broke up with me, but I don’t give a crap.” “Oh, good.” “Yeah, um, I called to apologize…I know I’ve been a really sucky best friend…” “Don’t worry, Lu. You were love drunk.” “How can you be so nice to me?” “’Cause I’m your best friend! It’s what we do.” “You’re amazing, Laina…” “I know.” “So, you wanna go out tonight?” “I don’t know, Mean Girls is coming on later…” “Oh come on, Laina. You own that movie.” “Well…I guess so.” “What do you want to do?” “Well, Erin’s having that party tonight…” “Well, what if Wes is there?” “No offense, Lu, but he’s probably going to be getting Blondie pregnant tonight…” “True, and no offense taken. Okay, let’s go.” “’Kay, meet ya at your house in fifteen minutes, ‘kay?” “Yeah, okay.” I threw on my favorite jeans and a t-shirt. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and then Laina got here. She had a sequined mini-skirt on and black lace tights. A silky camisole that exposed her mid-drift. She had on a million silver and black bangles. Her hair was in flirty low pig tails. Her bangs swept to the side. Beat up, but cute, combat boots on her feet. She looked at my outfit and said no. She dragged me back to my room, made me wear a silver and shimmery dress that was five inches above my knee. I slipped on some strappy heels and Laina did my make up and my hair. I felt so bad about ignoring her, that I didn’t mind the excessive eyeliner. “She threw her arms around me. “Oh, Lu, you look marvelous!.” My black hair was pinned up in a messy bun, my hair was wavy and really pretty. My gray eyes contrasted with the raccoon eyes, Laina gave me. “Let’s go Lu!” I followed behind her trying to discreetly pull my dress down a couple of inches. “You’re going to wrinkle your dress, Lu! Stop it!” “Ugh, fine…” I hopped in Laina’s old 50’s car. The paint was scratched off and I’m surprised it still worked. I buckled up for my life as she drove to Erin’s party. You could hear the music from a block away. I walked in, with a stench of beer, perfume, and what I daresay cheese. “Gross…” “Oh, Lu, it’s been awhile since your last party.” “Not that long…” I followed her around the party, and I couldn’t help, but notice all the guys checking out Laina. “Laina, those guys are totally checking you out! Go ask them to dance.” “No way, I’m still waiting for the guy that can prove chivalry isn’t dead.” “Then you’re going to be disappointed…” “No, there’ll be somebody, someday…” I couldn’t help but admire her for her dreaming, but how many Mr. Darcy’s are there in the world? I scanned the party, looking for a familiar face…I saw a bunch of jocks, trying to brush up against some girls and a couple nerds standing by the food table. In the very back of the party near a place set up for a DJ stood a group of stoners and skaters head banging. Near a back door, I saw a trio of guys. Two were smoking, the other standing there. The one who wasn’t smoking had black wavy hair. He had broad shoulders covered by a leather jacket. Jeans and motorcycle boots. He glanced my way, gave me a sneer, drank all his beer and threw it on the ground and left. Jeez, angst much? I kept scanning faces, until one familiar face caught my eye. He was kissing a blonde, quite sickly. Westley. I looked away, and back to Laina. “Hey, Lu, I’m going to go find Erin, I’ll find you in a minute. Try not to babble if a cute guy asks you to dance…” “Thanks, Laina, glad to know you care…” She smiled and walked away, I gravitated towards the nerds. I stood by a guy named Oliver Grove. He had sandy blonde hair and hazel-green eyes. Oliver was actually a very attractive person, but he was so unaware of it, it was cute. He was funny, when he wasn’t trying to be. He was talking to a girl named Marcy, she wasn’t the prettiest girl, but she had a great personality that made her beautiful, to all the people that could see people for who they really are. (Not the popular crowd) “Hey, Oliver, Hey Marcy.” “Oh, hey Lucinda!” “Yeah, uh, hi Lu…” Sheepish Oliver… “So, what are you talking about?” Oliver spoke up. “Oh, um, nothing much.” “Oh, please, Oliver’s just afraid to admit it, but he has a crush on your friend…” She pointed at Laina, who was threatening a guy to stop trying to grind on her. “Delaina?” His face grew red and he looked at his feet. “No, Marcy’s just saying stuff.” “Oh, Oliver stop being so fifth grade!” “Shutup Marcy!” Marcy laughed. “I don’t want to burst your bubble, Ollie, but Delaina will never date you…” “Jeez, Marcy, why don’t you just shoot him in the foot?” “I’m just being honest! She’ll only date a guy who looks like that.” She pointed to a guy who looked 23 and covered in tattoos. “Marcy! Jeez! Laina’s not jailbait!” “Well, then what kind of guy would she date?” “I don’t know, Laina’s a jumble of things. I don’t know who she’d date…” Oliver was still looking at his shoes. “Don’t feel bad Oliver, she won’t date anybody, unless they meet all her requirements…” “Yeah…” I left them to their talk of other things and looked at the clock it was five minutes, until midnight. Crap! I was supposed to be home at twelve. I found Laina and told her I had to go. “But, we just got here!” “It’s been two hours, isn’t that enough?” “No!” “Don’t worry about it, I’ll walk.” “Lu, don’t walk, I’ll come.” “No, I wanna walk. Clear my head.” “Okay, be careful.” I left the house and was walking down the sidewalk. It started raining after I had walked a mile, and I was soaked. I ducked into an alley to wait, until the rain let’s up. I started getting a headache, when the rain didn’t let up, I began walking again. It was dead at night and I was feeling so light-headed. I felt an odd tingle slowly spread through my body. I started stumbling. I looked at my hand which was oddly hazy and see-through. I was about to fall, but somebody caught me. Sort of, I went right through them. When I landed on the ground, the impact made my headache and dizziness fade. I looked up at the snippy guy from the party, he looked slightly confused, but shrugged it off. “Watch where you’re going.” And he left. I stood back up, and I realized I was crying. My life was so messed up right now. My mom died when I was nine and I’ve never really gotten over it. My boyfriend left me for a future prostitute and there are too many pessimists in the world. I just wanna fly away, disappear, leave. My headache was back, a little less painful, and the tingling was back. I lifted my hand to wipe away the last of the tears and it went through my head. I looked down. My hand was transparent and fading, as were my arm, shoulder, legs, feet. I was disappearing. I felt the sensation take over and felt a breeze run right through me. I looked into a shop window and my reflection slowly faded, I was gone, but still here. It was like I was…invisible…