• I didn't even need to look out the window again. I could hear the rain pounding against the roof. It was raining for two days straight, already, and to tell the truth I was loving it! I opened the window and let the chilly, moist air inside my bedroom. Usually I would have gone to the meadow in the middle of the dark woods. Nobody ever went to those woods because they were "haunted". That was the only place I went to since we moved to this huge house reminding a castle. We got it really cheap because the whole family who lived here got murdered, so it was classified as "hunted", like most of the things in this strange little town. Sadly, I couldn't go to the meadow today, because I was grounded, all because I fell asleep in the meadow the day we came here when I was exploring, and came back to this place we were calling home, early in the morning.
    Tomorrow I'm supposed to go to school. Yesterday I my mom went there to sign me up. I already got my books, and a uniform which is a plaid black and white miniskirt, a white polo with a tie, and a black jacket. I found it weird because in my old school there was no uniforms. I also had to walk to school because there was no busses and my mom had to go to work. I was nervous because everything in this town is weird, and I was scared the kids are going to be that way too.
    I went to bed early today, dreaming that for once I could have a real friend, that I never had.

    * * * * *


    I slowly opened my eyes, the sun was shining through the windows. I felt so good, like nothing could hurt me, but then as I remembered where I was. A chill ran down my spine, and the calmness broke. I stood up and stretched, and as much as I hate this house I couldn't complain - the beds were dead comfy! I opened the big wooden closet, took out my uniform and put it on. I brushed through my long, flowing black hair. I wore my hair down today. I took an apple, and ate it on the way to school. I was kind of glad it stopped raining - at least people would think of me less scary.
    It took me an hour to get to school, because our house was in the middle of no where, anyways I had to hurry because the bell for homeroom rang when I was putting my things in my locker. I hurried down the hall and slowly reached for the handle of the door, thinking what they would think of me. I slowly pressed the handle, and pushed the door. The class froze and - so did I. "You're late" the old lady said, her voice full of hate. "I'm sorry I'm new..." I started explaining. "I don't care, and whatever your reason is - I don't want to hear it" she was getting angrier "Now take that seat at the end of the class - NOW". I figured it was best just to follow her directions, so I sat quietly at the end of the class. I have never seen such an old teacher, and so full of hate! "Continuing..." she said looking at a magazine, "Tomorrow report cards are going to be passed out and..." the bell rang, I got up imidiately and went for the door taking out my schedule. "Miss Coy is there someone dying? Nobody leaves my classroom until I finish talking! You have detention today, after school, in this classroom" The teacher screeched "as for the rest of you - there is a school fundraiser, and you can get more information about it in the front office, you can all go now"
    I couldn't find my math class, so I was a little late for my first period. The math teacher - Mr. Foley was nicer. I explained that I was new, and he introduced me to the class, and said not to be late tomorrow. My first four periods were stretching forever. I hated all the teachers, and the kids were kind of like in transe. During lunch I sat at an empty table near the trash can. Two girls came up and sat at the table, looking at me like I'm some kind of an alien, "I heard she lives near the dead forest" I heard one of the girls whisper while glancing at me. That was enough to make me mad, I came up to them and asked "What is wrong with me? Why does everyone look at me like I'm from another planet?!" I was getting really angry at everyone. The two girls looked scared, giggled, and moved to another table. I quickly finished my lunch trying to keep my tears in, and went to a restroom. I washed my face with cold water, I heard someone coming so I locked myself in a stall, and waited there untill the bell rang, and I safely went to my fifth period class which was science.
    Mrs. Nancla told me to sit at a table with a girl she called Darren, she had long, golden hair, and purple eyes. What caught my attention about the girl was... her. She didn't look at me weirdly, she just acted like the girls in my old school, she said "hey" and ignored me like I was worse than her. I couldn't help but stare at Darren, her eyes were so unusual, and her hair looked like it was made of actual gold. After the class she stopped me "Do you mind?! Why the hell ware you staring at me for the whole science class?!" she burst out "It's just that you of all the people in this school, seem normal, and I've never seen anybody with purple eyes" I explained. She paused for a while definately thinking about what I've said "Get lost. You just won't be able to survive in our little town, so give up" she said walking away. Darren was in my sixth period as well. My geography teacher told me to sit by one of the girls that were sitting with me at lunch, I slowly did as he said, but the girl stood up as soon as I sat and exclaimed "I have no intention of sitting anywhere near a blue blood" and as she moved seats, the teacher nodded. I noticed that Darren was looking in my direction, when she noticed me looking she smiled. Maybe I could be friends with Darren! I was getting so excited!
    I was happily walking over to my seventh - and last period, which was Language Arts. Darren was in this class too! Mrs. Thunder said that I can sit wherever I want to. I was about to sit near Darren when I noticed she was sitting near a mysterious boy. He had silver-ish skin, and his hair was bleach blonde, in a hot scene hairstyle! He stood out because almost everyone in the school had the same hairstyle. Girls had butt-long, black hair. Boys had neat short hair, usually black as well. I felt that there might be a few people in the school that might be normal. Then the final bell rang! It started pouring rain again, and I had to walk. When I started walking, the boy came up to me "Hey! You need a ride?" he asked "Heard you live near the dead forest, aaand so do I!" I was shocked! No boy ever asked me if I needed a ride, especially one that was so hot! "Sure! Thanks, my mom is too busy to give me rides..." He thought for a while "Sweet! We can give you rides in the morning as well!" he really seemed to be nice! When I got in the car with him I asked him his name "Sorry" he bursted out laughing "You must really trust people to go into a car with someone you don't even know the name" he continued laughing "What if... I'm the bad guy?" this time I was the one laughing "So are you ever going to tell me your name? I don't like being kidnapped by people I don't know the names of" we were both laughing on the whole way home, just when I was supposed to get out of the car he stopped me "Jake" he smiled "My name's Jake" he laughed "We'll pick you up tomorrow morning at 7:30... bye!"
    Finally I felt like there was an actually pretty good chance I'm going to love this town! I was bursting with hope as I opened the front door to see my mom lying on the floor, motionless. "Oh my god! What happened?!" I was so scared! I called 911 and told them that my mom was lying on the floor. I looked around the house, they said they were going to be at my house in 30 minutes. There was a letter on the table in the living room. It was addressed to me! It was from the school. Oh no! School! Jake charmed me so much and Darren was so nice to me I forgot about my detention! Ugh now I felt horrible all again. I took the paper out of the envelope - it was my new schedule! How'd that happen? The only classes that were the same were fifth-seventh periods. I even have a different homeroom! I got even more excited because I don't have my homeroom teacher in any of my classes now! But then the depression caught up - my mom was dead lying in the hall and the police is probably going to take me away to some weird place! I quickly gathered all of my stuff into a suitcase, as well as my mom's things and some food, and money. I was off running into the secret meadow. I was running fast through the woods, I needed to get away! But when I got to the meadow I knew I wasn't alone, there was five people there sitting in a circle, with one seat left. I couldn't see their faces, because it was dark. I don't know why or when - I just walked up to them and took a seat. They were all my friends, we were all... the same.

    * * * * *


    A strange voice woke me up "Linda, wake up, it's time for school!" I opened my eyes to see a short girl, with two ginger ponytails. "Who... who are you?" I asked looking at the girl "My name's Patty, I'm 14, and yes, I am in the eighth grade with you, your mom got murdured by ghosts, you came to the meadow, you became part of the circle - which gives you unnatural powers, your power is to see the future, and your element is earth, you might have more powers but we didn't discover them yet, the circle's job is to destroy the ghosts, you fell asleep in the meadow, so I took you home, we will give you a ride to school, and the circle gave you a new schedule so there always is a member of the circle in your class, all the members of the circle have a necklace of some element, you have a necklace too, i put it on your neck, the homeroom teacher you had is on the evil side with the ghosts and when she said "Miss Coy is there someone dying? Nobody leaves my classroom until I finish talking! You have detention today, after school, in this classroom" she sent a ghost to actually kill someone from your family, and at the detention she was gonna kill you, so we sent Jake to give you a ride, and yes everyone from the circle lost both of their parents, i would have told you more but we've gotta get to school" she blurted out "Well you're sure a talker" I said "Linda... that's how I am!"