Have you ever had a friend who completely annoys you? They claim to be loyal to you but they always seem to be sucking up to you, only pretending to be your friend to get something out of it. That’s who Racheal was to me. She seemed nice but I always thought that the way that’s she moved and talked was too over the top. I loved her but at the same time I wished that she would just leave me alone.
“Hazel!” she called, her short black hair bouncing off her back, “wait for me!”
“Do you always have to be so loud” I groaned as the other students in the courtyard watched us.
“If they’re going to talk let them” She said, still talking on the top of her lungs. We walked to the halls as she continuously talked about her holidays in painfully accurate detail.
“Anyhow, how about your holidays” she asked with a ridiculous smile on her face.
“Well…..” I said thinking carefully, “I mostly went on walks, homework, that kind of stuff”
“Sweetie you need to go away,” she laughed shaking her head, “Even on holidays you have a dull personality”
I ignored her comment as we arrived at our lockers. I opened my locker so fast it almost hit her in the face.
“Umm, I know you have abandonment issues but there is no need to take it out on me.” She said putting her hands on her hips.
“I didn’t do such a thing and I don’t have abandonment issues.” I said grabbing my books and closing my locker.
“Well, it’s a new school year” she shrugged, “maybe we can set you up with the perfect boyfriend; I am known to be the best matchmaker.”
We walked down the busy halls as she explained about how matchmaking was her favourite pastime.
“I thought rock climbing was your favourite pastime?” I asked.
“Get with the times Hazel!” Racheal exclaimed as the bell rang, “everyone knows it is uncool to rock climb”
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“Did you know that in America canteen food is said to be terrible?” Racheal asked, as she continued to talk about useless and incorrect facts. “I’ve seen it in every TV show and movie, so the evidence just came to me”
It was the end of the day and we were heading out the school to hang out at a new shopping centre. Against my will of cause, if it was up to me I would be at home reading a book. Racheal kept going on about how American customs should be accepted to make our small country more “bearable.” I couldn’t disagree more, I loved our traditions. According to legend our country was the closet from the gateway to the realm of the dead and the realm of the vampires. Of cause these were only ancient myths. However over the past year I began to believe that one of them may exist.
Just before we left the front gate a voice called from behind us. We turned to see a young girl in the sport uniform running up to us calling my name. She had short blond hair and had a smile of relief upon her face.
“Hazel, I don’t believe it!” she exclaimed looking at me from head to toe, “it’s been so long! My how you’ve grown, I almost didn’t recognise you!”
I blinked, I hadn’t seen this girl before yet she seemed to think we were close.
“How do you….” I began but Racheal cut me off.
“Who are you?” Racheal snapped.
The girl looked out the corner of her eyes but returned her gaze on me with a smile.
“It’s me, Alice!”
Racheal scoffed and rolled her eyes. “We don’t know you, leave us alone.”
Alice frowned as Racheal took my hand to walk away but I pulled it away and turned to face the girl.
“Hazel, you really don’t remember me?” she asked.
I shook my head. I thought Alice would break into tears instead she smiled and laughed.
“That’s ok; we were best friends nearly eight years ago.” She said.
My eyes went wide. “I don’t remember anything past six years ago!” I said.
Alice closed her eyes and nodded. “That makes sense,” she said with great thought “you did live in the realm of the dead two years before that”
Racheal turned in shock. “How do you know that?”
I rolled my eyes. Technically not even Racheal should’ve known my secret. The only reason she knew was because I had saved her from being crushed by a truck by stopping it with my hands. She told me that she wouldn’t leave me alone until I told her the secret behind my super strength. After that she said that I was her best friend and she would protect me.
“I told you I was her best friend, we lived in the realm of the dead together” Alice replied, also rolling her eyes”
“Fine” Racheal sighed, “What is Hazel’s favourite food?”
“Apple Cakes” Alice answered with a smile.
“Wrong” Racheal growled, “Her favourite food is spaghetti”
“Actually my favourite thing to eat is apple cakes. I’ve only told you like, a million times.” I shook my head in disbelief, some best friend.
I began to walk away but Alice grabbed my hands. “Please don’t go! We should all hang out to celebrate.”
I sighed, removing my hands from her grip.
“We’ve been given tons of homework to do just overnight,” I said as they both looked at me with puzzled looks, “we’re in year 11 now, so our studies are more important than ever”
As I walked away, Racheal rolled her eyes and walked in the opposite direction. Alice called after me with a huge smile upon her face.
“See you tomorrow Hazel”
I stopped in place. It had been a while since anyone had taken an interest in my feelings instead of their own. I spun to face her.
“Hey Alice” I called. Alice tilted her head to one side.
“Would you like to come home with me tonight?”
She smiled and nodded.
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“I still can’t believe it’s been six years since I’ve seen you.” Alice said as we walked into the front gate.
“Just please be quite when we enter. I can’t afford to get into any trouble.” I said as I slowly opened the door.
As we walked in my father walked past us.
“Oh Hazel, welcome home” he said with a smile.
I lowered my eyes and bowed. “Good evening sir”
“Your mother’s not home, so there is no need for formalities.” He said holding his arms out.
I walked towards him and gave him a hug.
“Where is she? Isn’t she usually home by now?” I asked.
“Oh who knows,” he said letting go placing his hands on my shoulders, “over the past eight years it is almost like I don’t know her anymore”
I sighed, Eight years.
“I’m helping my friend Alice with her homework, and she just started today so she needs to catch up” I said, changing the topic.
My dad sighed and walked away.
“I better go do some paperwork; it was nice speaking to you Hazel”
I nodded and began to walk to my room with Alice walking quietly behind me. As we entered my room Alice exhaled.
“What was that all about?” she asked throwing herself on the bed, “What did your dad mean by ‘formalities’?”
I sat down next to her and sighed.
“I’ve been wondering… were your parents ecstatic when you returned from the dead?” she asked.
“I awoke in my room being packed away” I said with a sigh, “when I went out to see my parents, my mum declared that I was only a monster who replaced her daughter. She stated that I was no longer allowed to address them as equals that I was even a lower class than the animals.”
I stood up and walked towards the window.
“My father was different, he was somewhat pleased, however he is always so afraid of displeasing my mother he treated me like dirt just like her.”
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know” Alice stuttered.
“its fine” I said turning around to face her, “Sometimes, whenever she isn’t around Dad will comfort me and makes me feel at home once more. Perhaps I’ve always felt closer to my father”
I took a deep breath, running my hair back with my hands.
“So… what about you?” I asked breaking the silence, “How did your parents take it?”
“Oh,” she said, “I was born in the realm of the dead so I’ve always been with my parents”
“Wait how is it possible to be born into the realm of the Dead?”
“The realm represents another chance at life, so new life can be created within the realm” she said staring at me with a confused expression, “you really don’t remember anything do you? The cities, the people, not even the Grim Reaper?”
“No... well I know the legends and stories, but I don’t remember being there myself.” I said shaking my head, “I don’t even remember the time before my death”
“Probably for the best” Alice muttered under her breath.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“Oh it nothing, that must suck though” she said with a smile.
“I suppose…”
Just then images of the girl from my dreams popped into my head. The vicious girl with bone white hair and bright crimson eyes who was often covered in blood.
Perhaps she is from my past? I thought.
“Hey Alice…did I…I mean you know a girl with silver hair and blood red eyes, possibly with a sadistic personality?”
Alice’s eyes went wide but she shook her head to hide them.
“N-no never heard of such a person” she laughed awkwardly.
“Oh… ok” I said. Perhaps it was something that caused her discomfort. So I didn’t ask again.
Moments later, a small black feather landed on the windowsill. I picked it up in my hand and my heart began to race. For some reason, that one small feather seemed familiar.
“S-shall we get on with our work?” Alice stuttered also staring at the feather.
I shook my head and dropped it. We stared at it silently for a while, not making any sort of movement.
“Let’s begin with Maths then” I said drawing my attention back to the task at hand, “we are on the unit of Algebra at the moment.
“Ok, but I’m not very good at it” she said rubbing the back of her head with a laugh.
We forgot all about the feather as we worked through the night while we talked about the new day arriving on the horizon.
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“It’s so nice outside today,” Alice said looking out the window. We were in production class, my absolute favourite class; however I didn’t have the courage to audition and ended up getting stuck in set designing. I was humming the opening number as I sketched the plan for the backdrop. Just then Jayden Evans, the hottest boy in school, walked into the classroom. All the girls sighed and giggled as his golden hair glowed in the sunlight. He stopped at my desk a knelt next to me.
“Wow that’s really good Hazel” he said, his blue eyes sparkling in amazement.
I blushed and looked away, “thanks”
“Oh” he said, “I have many ideas for our media project that we got yesterday. I’ll see you during our free periods to discuss them.”
He patted my back and walked away, causing all the girls in the room to give me the death stare.
A few minutes later Racheal came storming into the classroom.
“Where the hell have you been?” she said angrily, “we always meet at the courtyard ten minutes before the bell”
“We’ve never done that” I said rolling my eyes.
“That’s when we always meet and walk to your locker” she said ignoring my comment, “are you abandoning me for some ditzy blonde girl you just met”
“I’ve never agreed to that,” I argued, “you always follow me around everywhere to talk about things that no one else cares about”
“Oh” she said turning away to sit in front of me. It was silent for a moment until she turned around with most hideous grin I had ever seen.
“Jayden is in this class, you should confess your love to him”
“Will you be quiet” I whispered angrily, “I don’t need the whole school to know my secrets!”
“Jeesh” she said turning around, “someone is in a bad mood today.”
The bell rang and the teacher entered the room with a humungous sigh.
“I have some bad news” she said as she placed her folder on the desk, “Our lead, Anna has transferred schools. So, would anyone be willing to take the part?”
The whole room began to scream as the girls waved their hands high in the air, jumping out of their seats. Everyone wanted to be the lead as they got to work next to Jayden Evans.
The teacher thought for a moment and looked at me. “Hazel, would you take the role”
I opened my mouth to speak but Racheal cut me off.
“Miss Haldom, with such little time to prepare and in my opinion a lack of talent, Hazel would only make a fool of herself.”
A small faint voice growled in my head. A voice that I rarely hear buried deep into my soul.
Lowly Scum!
“Perhaps Alice would be a safer option as she is new.” Racheal laughed.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. After years of Mythical Education, she should know.
Alice stood from her seat and cleared her throat. By instinct I covered my ears. As Alice began to sang it sounded more like screeching. He voice was so loud, high pitched and off key, it smashed every window in the class room. Racheal stared at me and I shook my head in disgust. Everyone knows that the Dead can’t sing. Yet somehow, I still believed that I could.
“I think Hazel would do an amazing job” a voice said from behind. I turned around to see Jayden standing out of his seat.
“I think she is an amazing singer, and would be perfect for the lead”
“I agree” Alice shouted raising her hand in the air.
“Then it’s decided, Hazel will play the lead and Jayden will help her prepare” Miss Haldom said.
I sighed with a smile as my heart banged against my chest.
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“Shall we begin?” Jayden said as he sat at the piano.
My heart was racing so fast I could hardly breathe. Not only was I room alone with my crush, but I was about to sing with him. I had never sung in front of anyone before. Then I realised “wait when you have heard me sing”
Jayden blushed “Well, I always listen to you sing,” he said, “When you’re not around Racheal you tend to sing down the halls”
“Crap, I never noticed” I said blushing.
There was silence for a long time. Neither of us knew what to say.
“Um” he said breaking the silence, “I’ll just start”
He played the piano so beautifully it made me sigh. Every melody just fell into place.
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I can see it in your smile190Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCAWs5Gyjt
you’re all I've ever wanted190Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyQ005qD5Z
and my arms are open wide’
I sighed; there was no place I would have wanted to be at than that moment. I took a deep breath and song along.
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for I haven't got a clue190Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBS7Ga3I0W
But let me start by saying I love you’
I smiled “Hello by Lionel Richie would have to be one of my favourite songs”
“You were so beautiful” Jayden said still looking down at the piano.
“Huh?” I said, looking towards him with wide eyes.
He blushed, “you’re the only girl in this school who treats me like a normal person.” He said looking into my bright blue eyes, “I’ve kind have had a crush on you since we met.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Not in a million years would I have thought he would say those words to me.
“Maybe we could do this more often” I said.
“There’s nothing I would rather do.” He said grabbing my hand.
Although I was still confused about who I was everything was beginning to fall into place. For once in my life I had finally found hope.
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Miles away a dark figure stood at the edge of a cliff. The sunset faded into darkness as she laughed.
"Hazel" she said in a sing-song voice, "I have finally found you"
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and then Add to home screen.