p r o l o g u e


"THIS ISN'T YOUR smartest idea, Hayden." I heard my cousin's voice echo through the silent cafeteria hall, vibrating through the air and into the small kitchen adjacent to the large room.


"None of my ideas are smart, Spencer." I scoff back as I flip the pancake in the black frying plan. There had always been gossip of the pancake mix that the cafeteria ladies purposely hid from the student body and tonight I can finally put some damn truth to the rumors. "But they are fucking hilarious."


Letting that side of the pancake cook, I walk back into the cafeteria to see my dear cousin standing in the middle, arms folded across his chest as he looked up at my masterpiece. I came to a stance next to him, taking a bite out of another pancake gripped securely in my hand.


"Beautiful, don't you think?" I murmured to him, my mouth full of fluffy, sweet goodness. Spencer side glanced me before rolling his eyes with a heavy, disappointed sigh. It's not an uncommon sound for me to hear.


So my life is a constant spiral of disappointment. At least I acknowledge it.


"I can't believe you're eating pancakes right now." Spencer huffs as he takes the pancake out of my hand and takes a bite, becoming increasingly frustrated with my calmness with this whole ordeal. He chews it bitterly with his sharp jawline clenched tightly.


"There is always a time for pancakes my dear cousin," I muttered, ignoring the fact that he had just taken a bite out of my pancake. It would've made the list of top ten anime betrayals without a doubt. I step forward after swallowing yet another pancake down at an abnormally fast rate and bend down to pick up a can of neon pink spray paint. I shook it, the sound echoing in the silent room and peered up at the wall.


"I think it needs more dicks." I pondered and stepped up onto the chair, pulling the white, cardboard face mask over my mouth. The pink spray paint splattered on the white wall as I moved my hand like an artist would with a paint brush.


"You need to make it at least proportional, Hay." Spencer pointed out from behind, "Principal McKinley would never have a dick that big. Have you seen how tight his pants are?"


I screw my nose up in disgust and nod, "Oh shit, you're right."


The next sound to be heard is the opening of the cafeteria doors hitting the plaster walls. Boisterous and similar to that of an out of tune crescendo. I glance over my shoulder and watch in horror as my tenth-grade chemistry teacher Mr. Jacobs stood in the threshold.


"What do you two think you're doing?" He exclaims, his untamed eyebrows creased in a deep frown. He pointed a stern yet a rather chubby finger directed on my frame and he stormed forward across the cafeteria, "Get down from there this instant, Miss Jones!"


There was a slight pause of silence, save for the unbearable squeaking of Mr. Jacob's leather shoes on the linoleum flooring.


Then, "Run!"


Spencer shrieked in the tune of a pterodactyl to the likes of one from Jurassic Park as I hurled the can of spray paint away and leaped from the chair. Spencer massed our bags together with one clean swoop of his arms and we both hightailed it out the back doors as fast as fucking possible and across the school campus like our asses were on fire.


Spencer's silver car was in sight, situated in the empty parking lot and I pumped my legs rapidly.


"I thought you said the school was empty!" Spencer squawked loudly with a nasty hiss as we dashed across the parking lot.


"I thought it was!" I retorted back, hearing the bottom of my worn converse hit the black tarmac. Mr. Jacobs' shouts reverberated from behind as he trailed us, his nasally voice echoing through the crisp night air.


As we reached the car, I admittedly attempted to slide over the bonnet as spies do in the movies. Keyword; attempted. Subsequently, I ended up rolling off the slippery hood of the car and landed on my ass.


Nevertheless, the fear of getting caught and handed over to the police was greater than my humiliation so I jumped to my feet instantly.


Spencer propelled the bags in the back seat as I practically dived head first into the passenger seat of his car, slamming the door shut behind me and buckling myself in. My heartbeat was erratic behind the cage of my chest and I was panting laboriously.


He was so close, so fucking close to turning on ignition and getting us the hell away from Brookhaven High school.


But suddenly, Mr. Jacobs appeared like the demon spawn he is out of nowhere and slammed both meaty palms onto the hood of the vehicle. We both jumped in fright and screeched loudly with Spencer doing a live re-enactment of The Scream.


"Mr. Michaels and Miss Jones, get out of the car right this second!" Mr. Jacobs orders and I could see his face was beet red even in the darkness of the night. I'm glad my adventures of this evening has benefited Mr. Jacobs by giving him his daily dosage of fitness.


Spencer and I glanced at each other slowly.


"What? We can't hear you." I reply, my gaze leveling back on the teacher as I incline forward in my seat and cup my ear, "The connections is just atrocious. I think we're breaking up."


"We're talking, Hayden. I can literally see you." Mr. Jacobs narrows his eyes behind the thin glass perched on his engorged nose on me, incredibly done with my shit. But to be fair, he's been done with my shit since the first day I walked into his classroom and spilled a tube of Pringles on the floor.


I paused. Then, "Huh?"


"Miss Jones, if you do not get out of the car—!"


And in that very second, it was like a show of fireworks exploded behind Mr. Jacobs. The midnight sky turned all shades of reds and oranges. Mr. Jacobs threw himself onto Spencer's car as the two of us inside flinched at the boisterous, booming sound.


What was once the cafeteria of Holden Bay High School was now a gargantuan ball of fire. Spencer passes me yet another fleeting glance as I did the same to him. We were both thinking the same thing, no words were needed.


We were fucked.


And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I ended up in the back of this cramped cop car with an incredibly uncomfortable and lumpy leather bench seat. The handcuffs were too tight and it smelled like Cheetos and feet back here.


I was conversing, one-sidedly that is, with an Officer Roberts, about the beginning of the universe because I would take anything over stressing about the amount of shit I'm going to be in when my mother realizes her only child is currently being arrested.



ahhhh, first chapter is up!


not gonna lie, kinda terrified to start a new book but i kinda said fuck it and did it anyway knowing the amount of mental breakdowns that will inevitably ensue. 


but i love writing and i love you guys so much!


so what do you think about this new book. how do you like hayden? she's so much different than emery and really fun to write. 


and message me if you wanna chat!

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