Wild Chase - Storm V (books for new readers txt) 📗

Chapter 1

Despite the things we say, we end up living life trying to prove ourselves. Think about it, everything that you’ve done so far, you’ve don’t it to prove someone wrong or to impress them. It’s a natural tendency. We do that because we want people to know who we are and what we’re capable of. Leave them shocked and they want more. Wide eyes and open mouths tend to boost our ego. So that day I guess I did what I did to prove everyone wrong and not to help the poor girl. Well okay, I really did want to help Claire but proving myself was what really drove me to do what I did that day.

 

Being underestimated and bullied all my life really hurt my confidence. This did lead me to being friendless, well that, and the rumours that certain horrible people spread to entertain themselves. But I had learnt to live with it because honestly it wasn’t going to miraculously change. Even if I did make an effort to make it better for myself I’m only going to end up making it worse because that was always what happened. So living with it, taking it day by day, week by week seemed a whole lot easier.

 

It was Saturday and that was the only thing keeping me from dragging my feet along the school hallways. And the fact the Naomi and Janice, the certain horrible people, were not there at school. It did make me move around on my toes because if the both of them were missing from school on the same day there was a possibility that they were planning something. Something terrible, for me. 

 

I walked down the hallways, being tiny and inconspicuous as always. I liked it that way because there was no drama, no unnecessary energy wasted and more free time. “Watch where you’re going!” someone yelled when I bumped into them. “Oh sorry,” he said looking down at me.

 

“Sorry, it was my fault.” I mumbled and looked up to see the greenest eyes. They were a mucky green that would only look good on an army camouflage uniform. But they looked so interesting right then, as this person’s eyes. They had these little black flecks at the corners that made them look darker than they actually were. I looked at the rest of his face and recognised the person. Alex. He brown hair was cut short and for some reason that made his jaw look stronger. Or maybe it just looked stronger from where I was standing. I realised I was staring and I blinked with embarrassment. “Sorry,” I mumbled again and walked past. I heard him chuckle behind and I cringed.

 

 I usually didn’t make a fool of myself but when I did, there was no one to see. There were a few occasions that there were people but they took no notice. Except for Alex. Alex noticed everything and was the only person of my entire school’s student body who regarded me as a human being. A homo sapien, just like everyone else. But the thing was, he was on the on the other side of the social hierarchy of our school. Yes, it did have a social hierarchy which I found completely absurd because we’re in the twenty first century for one thing. We also promote equality and things like that but when it comes to accepting people for who they are in our own lives it just isn’t possible. Thus, I couldn’t just march up and talk to him. That and my lack of confidence wouldn’t allow me. Oh also that I’ve liked him for a very long time now. Very long time. So if I did manage to walk up to him, and make my voice work, I would end up speaking a whole load of rubbish because I would be so nervous.

 

By the time it was time to go home I was exhausted and just wanted a shower. There’s only so much or psychology you can handle. I loved the subject but not when the teacher is a man who doesn’t know what excitement is. Of course, I couldn’t get what I wanted. Not even once. I had to go to down to dad’s book store and help out.  I loved books and on any other day I would look forward to helping out but it was the end of the week and I was very tired. I would probably be more motivated if I got paid, but I didn’t. My dad claimed it was like community service and even had my younger brother come in occasionally. It was walking distance from school so I had to drag my feet down the street in the hot sun.

 

“Rach! Thank god you’re here!” Keith yelled when I entered. Keith did the morning shift with Victoria and they were easily two of the most interesting people in this place. Working at the bookstore was their part time job to help them survive since their real job didn’t really help. They were dancers, excellent dancers, without work most of the time. So they needed an additional job to help them get by.

 

“Why? What happened?” I asked suddenly panicking. I was ready to handle any catastrophe right then. I was still in my school uniform, I hadn’t eaten lunch and I was very tired.

 

“You need to finish sorting these out before your dad gets back,” he replied and tapped a big stack of books. “And these,” another pike was tapped. “Oh and someone messed up the romance section.” He finished quickly as he gathered his stuff. “I’m in a hurry because I have an audition!” He yelled excitedly.

 

“Oh!” I smiled. Even though he had left me heaps of work I was happy for him. “Good luck!” I called as he ran out the door. It was fun hanging out with Keith and Victoria even though they were six or 7 years older than me. They were probably the only two people who made an effort to like me and they wouldn’t be around for very long.  I quickly changed into comfortable clothes, a pair of shorts and a button down shirt whose sleeves reached my elbows, and went into the back of the shop to warm up one of the microwavable lunch packets from the refrigerator. Once they were warmed up I can back to the front of the store, settled down at the table and got to sorting the two huge stacks of books that surrounded me.

 

“Rachel!” Someone called from the doorway.

 

“Hi,” I replied without looking up. I knew who it was. Ian, my younger brother, came up to the desk panting. I looked up to him sweating and red like a tomato. “Dad isn’t in, you’re safe.” I said answering his unasked question.  He let out a long breath and went to the back. “It’s in the microwave.” I yelled and got back to sorting the books out.

 

Ian was always late to the store, whenever he did manage to make it, that is. And when dad happened to be there he got in trouble. Otherwise we would cover for him. We being, Victoria, Keith and I. For every cover we did he’s buy us packet of m&m’s each. We even kept a tally on one of the shelves that dad never checked. It was nice to have a system.

 

“Any work?” he asked and sat down next to me.

 

I nodded and pointed to the stack that I hadn’t started yet, “new shipment.” Was the last thing said for the next couple of hours. It was easier for the both of us to work in silence because of the short attention spans we had inherited from out mother. Ian and I were in more like twins when it came to many things like our attention spans, our music interests, oh and even our movie likes. Actually, I think it was just me with the geeky man likes.  But we were more alike than we would like people to know.

 

Just as we finished setting up the messed romance section someone walked in and Ian got up to help them while I stay lying on the hardwood floor staring at the ceiling. The customer couldn’t see me because of the tables all over the shop with books on them, so unless they walked up right next to me they wouldn’t  be able to see me from anywhere in the store. The ceiling seemed so interesting at that point of the day. The orange and red lights of the setting sun made the extremely ordinary ceiling look like it was painted with water colours. No shapes, nothing, just colour and shadows everywhere.  I heard footsteps come closer to me but I didn’t bother looking because I assumed it was Ian. “You know, the ceiling looks intriguing at this time of the day. Way more interesting that some of the books here and you know how much I love all of them.” I said.

 

“That’s the first time I’ve heard your voice properly,” a voice that did not belong to Ian said. I sat up and was face-to-face with Alex.

 

I looked at him with wide eyes and warm cheeks. I was probably red from embarrassment. The first time he heard me and I was talking about the ceiling. The goddamn ceiling. Great. I felt something vibrate in my pant pocket . I pulled out my phone and excused myself from the conversation that was about to take place. In fact, I wouldn’t even call in a conversation. It would be him talking and me trying to talk. I don’t know why but I could never talk to people I didn’t know. I answered the phone as Alex continued browsing the shelves.

 

“N?” I heard some girl say.

 

I was about to answer when another girl said, “Yes.” It was one of those weird calls where they didn’t actually call me but I somehow got patched through to the call. I was going to disconnect but the eavesdropper in me wanted to see where this was going. I know I know, curiosity killed the cat.

 

“Should I get anything?” the first girl asked.

 

“Nothing. Just be there. The Plaza, Room 7, midnight.” She answered.

 

“Okay,” I heard the evil smile in her voice. “Poor Clair Brent.” Was all that was said before the line went dead. Claire Brent. I knew her; she was in my history class. I had never spoken to her but I knew her. She was the nice Japanese girl that was our school musical prodigy.  What was going to happen to her?

 

I turned to face my brother and Alex who were talking near the desk. Ian caught my eye, “what happened?” he asked.

 

I swallowed and shook my head, “need some air.” I cast a nervous glance towards Alex and walked out the store. I didn’t need any extra. The air in the store was fine but if I stayed in there I would told Ian everything and Alex was there. I didn’t need them thinking I was crazy.  But something inside me made me go back inside. I didn’t know what was controlling me right then but whatever it was, it was good. Weird but good.

 

“So I just...” I glanced at Alex again. I need to stop doing that. “So I got the weird call again. You know the one where I’m not the one they’re calling?” I asked looking at Ian and ten and Alex.

 

They both nodded.

 

“So I got that and I heard something about a poor Claire Brent.” I said and looked down at floor.

 

“What?” Ian asked clearly confused.

 

“Claire Brent, the violin chick?” I asked and the both of them nodded again. “Something’s going to happen to her. At The Plaza, Room 7. Midnight.” I said and looked at them expectantly.

 

“Okay.” Alex said very slowly. That was