Chapter I

In a house, somewhere in the town of Soulverton…

"Odetthe? Honey? Are you OK??? I heard a thud" my mom said from the other side of the door.

“I’m OK Mom!" I replied as I rubbed my head. The door cracked open and she came in.

"What are you doing on the floor?" as she stared on my out-of-bed-in-the-floor-state.

"Dreaming...." I mumbled as she helped me stood up

"Obviously. Since you're up, why don't you finish unpacking?" she suggested and when I looked behind her was box after box of moving boxes

"Sure Mom!" I said happily & started making my bed

"After repacking, come down for breakfast, 'key?"

"Sure Mom!" I replied as I started to sorting things in a box labeled 'SCHOOL THINGS' 

That's what I hate about my life. Because of my parent's work (they're writers and professors of mythology); we have to move like every 10 months 'cause Mom & Dad doesn't like staying in one place for too long. According to their history, Dad's family is always moving and he met Mom in one of the places he moved to. They moved again and when they were grown-ups, Dad moved back. They fell in love and got married and the rest is history. Ever since they got married, they kept on moving and moving up to now. In my fifteen years of existence, I've had two new school days in a year. Tomorrow’s going to be another day at a new school, so there’s really no use excited. I never tried to excel in my studies or try-out for some sports 'cause in the end, I would never really stay in it...Worthless, right?

I unpacked all my clothes, necessities & other important things that are really used. That's also one of my problems, I like to keep trash. Well, not like those wet & gross kind of trash, but useless junks like used notebook, papers, etc... I always keep a mental note to sort my things out one of these days, but I always forget. Other stuff that aren't used so much will stay in the box and will be stored in the extra room next to mine (I'm an only child, there are four rooms in this house). I took a bath and changed into my jogging clothes (I go jogging like every Saturday & Sunday after breakfast). I went down and right on cue, breakfast of bacon & eggs is served.

“So Mom, Dad, how long are we going to stay here? 8 months? 6 months? 3 months?” I asked them as I mix the eggs together.

My parents looked at each other. “Well, Pumpkin, we’re going to here for 3 …” before my mom could finish what she said,

“3 months? I knew it!” I snapped at her

“No Honey! Me & your Dad signed a 3 - year contract with Notre Dame High…” she continued

“3 - year contract? I’m going to be here “till graduation?” I asked, fingers crossed behind my back

They nodded their heads.

“YES! YES!!!!” I jumped out of my chair and into their laps “So, I can try-out for sports? Really do well in my studies? Make lots of friends?”  

They nodded their heads “Really?! Thank you!” and got off of their laps and headed out for my morning jog.

But before I could go out, I went back and gave them both a kiss on the cheek “You guys do know how much I love you, right?” and ran to the front door “ Bye Mom! Bye Dad!”  

I was just jogging in the oval, admiring everything around me, when I bumped into another jogger.

“Sorry!” I stood up immediately & offered my hand to the hand to the person I bumped to which he took immediately

“You should watch where you’re going ---- “and he stopped and just stood there, staring

“Hello? HELLO!” I said and snapped my fingers & he went back to reality.

“Hey! Uhmm… I’m Will Davis, and you are?” he said w/ his hand extended.

“Odetthe Campbell. I just moved here…” and took his hand and shook it.

"Oh! Welcome to Soulverton! So in which school are you going to go??" and lets go of my hand.

"Notre Dame High..."

"I go there too! So we'll see each other tomorrow?"

"Yeah! Sure." I replied and we went our separate ways.

I went home after that. When I arrived, Mom and Dad was unpacking box after box after box of books. If you weren't me and you're looking at our house right now, you’d really mistake it for a library. Books are everywhere – the table, the stairs, and the sofa, above the fireplace, on the floor. I wouldn’t even be surprised if one day, I might trip and fall because of these books on the floor, or even better, our house would turn into a full-fledged library. I helped them arrange all of the books, it’s a good thing the house is huge. The house has a library that has shelves reaching up from the floor up to the ceiling. Sometimes I really don’t get why being a professor/ writer needs to have so many books w/ them. I know it’s for reference and everything else but we’re already in the 21^st century for crying out loud! There’s the computer, internet and everything. Guess that’s what I get for having old fashioned parents.

Later that evening, Mom made her specialty for dinner. I went to sleep after that.

I woke up and it’s sunny! Good Sign… I hope the kids at school aren’t too hard on new kids. I had a quick bowl of cereal & since my parents work at NDH, I went with them.                                                                                                                

Wow! That’s not even enough to describe the scenery in front of me. The school was… well, indescribable? It looks like a castle from the Middle Ages. All it needs is a massive wall surrounding it, a moat w/ alligators, high towers and a gate bridge and you have a castle from Camelot. The hallways were wide. Guess there isn’t student traffic here during breaks. I got my school map & class schedule. I located the building for my first class. English w/ Mr. Sprouse on Building 4… (Yep! They have a total of 5 buildings – the 4 buildings surrounding the castle) Hmm? Where is it?

“Hi! Are you new here?”

I turned beside me and saw a petite, brown haired, green eyed girl.

“Uhmm…Yeah! And a bit lost.” and scratched my head and bit my lower lip.

“What’s your first class?” and reached for my class schedule and looked through it.

“Hey, we have Home Economics together! I’m Riley Parker by the way.”

“Odetthe Campbell” I replied, pleased that someone being nice to offer some help

“Building 4… Come on, I’ll show you the way. My class is on Building 3.” And took hold of my arm and led me through students now crowding the halls.

We got there easily.

“Here it is, Building 4!” she opened the door and I could see there’s already a lot of students

“Thank you so much, Riley.” And smiled before I entered

“Don’t mention it. Guess I’ll see you later. Bye!” she waved before closing the door behind me.

It’s easier to find the classroom now -- there are signs above the door. The room for English class was at the far end of the corridor, near the janitor’s stockroom. Once entered, I quickly took my seat, on one of the chairs on the back row. Hoping no one notices me. I looked around and saw people in their clichés -- jocks, cheerleaders, nerds all of the norm groups you can see in a typical classroom before class starts. To be busy, I took out my English book and started reading it. I was reading when a shadow casted over me. I looked up and saw Will.

“Are you trying to look busy or you’re just one of those students who like to study so much so they can be admitted to the top universities in the country?” he asked sarcastically

“I’d say… the first one.” I told him. He laughed. I laughed. We both laughed.

“It’s nice seeing you again. And we have the same subject on first period”

“Yeah. And why wouldn’t we since we go to the same high school together and obviously on the same grade level.”

I noticed he was wearing a sports jacket w/ a print of the school’s mascot, The Irish Leprechauns.

“Jock?” I asked and saw the other jocks looking at us.

“I forgot to mention. I’m this school’s basketball captain. And also the sophomores class president” he said and chuckled lightly

“You sure are an achiever.”

“Thanks. Hey! Why don’t you sit w/ us on lunch today?”

I looked at the other jocks and… they sure are tall & built, just like Will.  Being with them makes me feel like an elf.

“I’ll think about it.” The bell rang and he went back to his seat.

The teacher came in. Mr. Sprouse was a gangly young man. Ok, he’s a nerd but he knows how to dress himself which is rare for nerds. Usually nerds wear anything they think that is suitable for them but maybe not that suitable for the people around them. In the middle of class, I realized his class is boring. I mean, we already know how to speak English, so why do we need to learn it?! And sometimes, when he lectures, he links the subject to his boring life. But I still took down notes. Number one rule in school is to take down notes, always! & read them once in a while, so if teachers pop out a quiz, you’ll be ready & prepared. I was so glad when the bell for the next class rang. I gathered my things and left the classroom.

Next subject is Algebra w/ Mr. Moseby. Next subject and the subject before lunch is Biology. Now Biology is a really neat subject. I love Biology. The only flaw it has is it’s a bit redundant, but I didn’t get bored like in English because our teacher in Biology is Ms. Pickett who’s a really fun & cool teacher.

The bell rang for lunch. I found Riley w/ some of her friends on the way to the cafeteria, so I just joined them. The school cafeteria was huge. And instead of round tables like you normally see in school cafeteria, it’s lined with long, glass tables (like where Harry Potter eat their meals in Hogwarts Academy but divided to have different sets of tables for different kind of groups in high school.)