Sky's Story- Chapter 1

Sky’s Story--

Sky groaned as rain drops pelted the side of the window pane of her bedroom window. How she hated the rain. Not just because it was cold, damp and altogether depressing but because it reminded her of her fear of water. She groaned again as she sat up in bed as she realized that today was the day she would be swimming in gym class. She wished for the millionth time that she had never moved away from home.

Overnight her life had changed.

One day Sky was happily attending school-- a straight A student-- and the next day her father told her and her brother to pack their bags. Next thing she knew they were living an outdated farm house older than her great-great grandma, in a town she couldn’t even find on a map going to a school, with a student population smaller than a couple of her classes back home.

No, that was no longer home. She told herself. This is your home now. She sighed as she looked out the window at the overgrown field of corn and slid off the bed.

Downstairs her little brother Tyler was eating breakfast, as nosily as possible from the sounds of it. He was just as unhappy about their new living situation as she was and he wasn‘t afraid to show it. “Hurry up Sky or you’ll miss the bus again.”

"I don't think I'll go to school today.” Sky said, not sure where that thought came from.

“Not going?” Tyler said with a snort. “You have plans or something? What exactly is there to do all day in the middle of nowhere?”

Before Sky could answer the bus horn interrupted the silence and Tyler cursed under his breath as he jumped to his feet. He pushed past Sky as he grabbed his coat. “Fine. Get in trouble, see if I care.” He paused at the door then looked back at Sky. “You’re not the only one that doesn’t like it here.” He slammed the door behind him leaving Sky alone.

Sky felt guilty for a moment. She knew her brother was in the same boat, a new kid with no friends. But he wasn't the one everyone called "freak." It didn't help that she saw things that weren't there, things that should be impossible to see, things that don't even exist.

For a split second Sky contemplated faking a cold, or the flu, or maybe even the plague but she knew if her father caught her he’d never let her get away with it.As much as she wanted to stay home from school she knew the consequences weren't worth it. With a long drawn out sigh she grabbed her lucky hoodie, pulled it close over her head and picked up her back bag as she went out the door.

Because they lived in a rural town, elementary, middle and high school students were all mixed into the same bus. After nearly an hour of driving through dense forests and stopping off first at the other schools first, the bus pulled up to the front steps of the school with a deafening squeal.

As Sky walked up the stairs a couple of girls snickered behind their hands. “Freak…” One of them pretended to cough and a new round of giggles began. Sky tried to ignore them as she pushed through the front doors, but the word resonated in her ears as she made her way to her locker. She twisted her combinaiton lock, forgetting again the combination for the umpteenth time before fishing a crumpled piece of paper out of her bag with the number written on it.

She had just managed to get the ancient piece of garbage to unlock when the bell rang. She cursed as she quickly threw her books into her backpack and swung it around-- nearly knocking off her balance in the process-- before darting off to her first period class.

When she opened the door, Mr. Jude looked up from his desk and gave her a condeming stare. "Late again, Miss Baker. One more time will earn you manditory detention."

"It won't happen again." Sky said, though she wasn't sure if that was a lie.