As the school week progressed, time seemed to slow down to the pace of a tortoise. It was during this motion that Lunette was a constant spectacle for the students at Eastport High. Whether it be tripping down the stairs, dropping her books, or falling face first into the gymnasium floor, Lunette was the star of every slap-stick show. The dreaded walk to school only become more feared for her. Every morning the local birds seemed to mock her as well. These soaring creatures loved playing a game that entailed divebombing into Lunette to scare her into the streets.

But Lunette wasn’t the only person on everyone’s mind lately. A student, Jason Hastings, suddenly went missing during the week. Even Lunette was aware of her fellow junior classmate’s disappearance. Supposedly, Jason was last seen with his out-of-town girlfriend the night he vanished. Most students speculated he ran away with her, using the money he saved up as a driver, and escaped. Lunette sympathized with this thought, wishing she too could escape this hell hole. She had never met him in person, only her family had the pleasure, but the sudden disappearance still left a sense of mystery within the student body.

Thankfully, today was now Friday and Lunette couldn’t wait to spend her weekend in bed. She had acquired minor bruises and cuts from her graceless nature throughout the week and needed time to heal. The lumps and abrasions were a constant reminder she had discovered a new talent; being uncoordinated.

She sat in her last class of the day, oceanography, and stared out the window. Lunette’s class was watching a documentary about the mysterious and endangered wildlife of the sea, but the narrator’s voice had the right amount of soft huskiness to put anyone to sleep. To keep her sluggish eyes open, she stared out the window, watching the heavy rain pour down onto the concrete of the roads.

Her mind wandered as she stared out into the grey world beyond the glass, entranced by the dullness. Lunette found herself recalling to earlier in the morning when her aunt and grandmother expressed their concern about her well-being. They offered her to stay home from school. But Lunette knew she couldn’t afford to miss a day if she wanted to graduate with honors. So instead, they compromised and offered to take her out to eat later today.

Lunette and her family were supposed to meet at the Happy Crab, a restaurant just a short walk away from their apartment, but Lunette wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of walking from the school to the restaurant in the heavy rain. Her mind pondered the idea of her falling into a ditch or getting hit by a lone car. Whenever her family needed to go anywhere, especially with Dalia, they would call the local driver to pick them up. But, she figured her family wouldn’t be considerate enough to send out the chauffeur in the opposite direction of the apartment and restaurant.

The sound of the high-pitched bell repeatedly being struck filled the school, signaling the end of class. Lunette continued to watch the outside rainfall for a few moments before closing her eyes and standing up. She decided it would be best to stay in the library of the school and get work done. Hopefully, when she finished, the rain would have subsided enough for her to leave.

Lunette carefully made her way to the library, letting out a small breath of relief when reaching a desk unharmed. After placing her black framed reading glasses on, she pulled out her history textbook and the packet of questions her teacher had assigned to go with it. History was the single course Lunette genuinely liked. There was an odd attraction for learning about the recorded past events that change the future constantly. She had a sense of fulfillment learning the subject.

Lunette was quick to finish her homework and turned her head to the side, looking out of yet another window. The rain didn’t show any signs of stopping, or at least lightning up. The ground below was swollen with water, the grass an unhealthy deep green shade, and the dirt near the edges of the property was being washed away by the current. She glanced at her phone screen, secretly hoping to find some form of notification while she checked the time; It was now only thirty-past-three. Finding no reason to stay bound to her wooden seat, Lunette stood up and walked to the bathroom, leaving her bag and phone behind.

This was another thing different about Eastport. You could leave your doors unlocked, your cars open, and your things behind, and no one would dare take anything. It took Lunette a few months to get used to this sense of trust. Perhaps this was the one thing she thought positively of the place.

Lunette was used to hiding and being observant of her surroundings, taking note of the smaller details and the faces of many. It was important when living in a busy city as it could mean the difference between stolen property and security.

When Lunette exited the stall of the bathroom and washed her hands, she turned to the full mirror that was glued and pressed into the wall. Tilting her head slightly to the side, Lunette eyed her reflection that showed past the smudges and dirt of the public mirror. Her once tanned complexion had faded into a very light olive tone. When Lunette noticed this, she let out a small groan and stared back into the reflection of her dark irises. She pushed her reading glasses back to rest on the hook of her nose, the glare from the overhead light refracting in the glass. This seemed to bring her nose into the spotlight. She always believed this genetic trait that her entire family shared was unappealing. Lunette bit the inside of her cheek, tired of viewing her own figure and left the bathroom.

When Lunette sat back in her seat, her attention shifted and observed the library. There wasn’t a vast selection of books, but it wasn’t considerably small either. The tall cherry wood bookshelves almost met the faded, dropped ceiling. The carpet had very short fibers that were a mash of different colors ranging from blue, yellow and red. Though there were now traces of crusted dirt and small wet folds of mud adding a layer to the ground.

The librarian walked out from the back-office room and to the front desk then. It would be just Lunette and Mrs. Williams today. Still waiting for any sign of the rain to stop pouring, Lunette stared to her phone. Tt was out of place. She could have sworn she left it face down onto the table, but instead, the black screen faced outward. Shaking her head, she opened her phone and began browsing through multiple apps, begging for some sort of entertainment.

She froze suddenly and seemed to stop breathing, she had been caught by surprise. Her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. He moved on… Lunette thought to herself while looking to a picture of Caleb. He was posed for a picture with a friend Lunette once talked to, Kiara Beers. Both figures were smiling brightly in the photo, Kiara’s pale skin and red hair was the opposite of Caleb’s. Despite this, they both seemed to meld well together, like Yin and Yang, almost too perfectly.

In a swift motion, Lunette locked her phone and put it face down on the table, sure of its placement this time. She sat in the seat, staring at the case of her phone for what seemed like an eternity. The shock of what she had seen left her without a calm mind. It took her a few moments before she started packing up her things and make her way to the main entrance of the school building. She was trying to think of something. Anything to distract her from the copious feelings she was experiencing. Sadness, jealousy, anger, and grief. Every negative emotion she felt fueled her hatred for Eastport.

She stood at the entrance of the building and hesitated. It was still raining profusely outside. And now the light had begun to fade away. Lunette took out her phone once more and checked the messages she had with Tatiana. The reservation was in less than an hour. What part of this adventure was supposed to make her feel better?

Lunette bit the inside of her cheek once and stared out the entrance, unsure of what decision to make. She shoved her phone into the inside pocket of her jacket and put her hood over her frizzed head, deciding to suffer earlier rather than later. After putting her glasses away, a voice surprised her.

“Lunette?”

She turned her head to look behind her, a reflex that she hated. Past her hood she could see a tall young man, a teen. He wore a grey zipped hoodie and jeans; the bottoms of his shoes were soaked and muddy. Lunette turned again to the door, pushing it open, and wondering which door he had come in through with the mud trail he had been leaving behind. She didn’t care if he knew her name, it was common knowledge, and she wasn’t about to hold a conversation with the sour mood that seemed to seep out of her pores.

“Wait – Wait!” He shouted; his hand now pulled on the door to close it once again. Lunette eyed him in surprise. “I’m here to pick you up.” He confessed, smiling down to her.

Lunette raised a brow to him and looked around the entrance hall. “What?”

“It’s me, I’m your driver for today.” He smiled wide, it looked forced. “Your family sent me.” Lunette softened her features slightly.

“My family sent you?” She asked hesitantly, unsure if he was telling the truth. She almost wanted this to be a joke so she could mope in her disappointment towards her family further.

“Yeah, your aunt, Tatiana, called to have me pick you up on the account of the rain and all.” He then motioned with his head to the wet world outside. Lunette relaxed her once tensed shoulders, gripping the strap of her backpack and pulling it in front of her.