Chapter 1- People Watching

"Ever since he could remember, he'd people-watched to pass time. When he was younger, everyone told him it was rude. He hadn't stopped; merely perfected his technique."

― Laura Oliva, Season Of The Witch

I knew I was dreaming, simply because it was too good, I was too happy, I was smiling. I dreamt that I was running on air, I was soaring through the night. Wings held me up, big beautiful wings that seemed to glimmer in the moonlight. I felt weightless ,careless, free. My dream suddenly changed.

I was no longer flying, more like falling. Falling to my doom, at this very moment I felt like Icarus, I had flown to high and now I will pay the price. I continued to spiral out of control, I wasn't screaming more like a calm peace over that held me to nothing-less, I was dying but I was fine with that. Death seemed like an easy way out an escape. You know what they say, there are fates far worse than death.

I woke up with a jump tears pooling down my cheeks, as I drew my feet into my chest. The clock showed 5am, pulling myself out of bed I walked to the bathroom. Lifting my shirt at the back, I saw it exactly were my wings were, identical scars matched. It hurt a lot but I wasn't worried about that.

I was ready for school before 6:30, as I always have been. These Nightmares were not new waking me up at the exact moment each day . Lining my head with beads of sweat. I moved downstairs to get breakfast ready. My father was asleep on the couch. He was a peculiar sort, he never made it to his bed from the couch. His bed was almost like unusable commodity. I sighed as I got to cooking, I made eggs and toast. The smell wafted to my fathers sleeping state and woke him up immediately.

I stifled a giggle and watched him get up groggily from the sofa. I eyed my father wearing the same shirt for three days in a row, his greying hair disheveled from the amount of times he ran his hair through it. His dark skin contrasting perfectly. His smile never reached his eyes and recently he never smiled. He became an empty shell of his self, just like me. Dragging my, my bag out of the house, I went to the bus stop I was early way to early so I sat down and brought out my sketchbook observing. People Watching I called it, the subtle act of guessing someone's backgrounds basically on a brief observations of the mannerisms.

My attention was focused on a boy in a uniform across the street. His entire concentration was in the book in hand. His eyes were greyish, he had brown hair that curled perfectly at the tips. The uniform he wore was similar to mine, black trousers white shirt and a blue blazer. Suddenly his eyes snapped at me scrutinising me.

I was shocked at the action, he stood up and walked towards me, walking with a purpose he was tall like really tall. I had to tilt my head a little to get a good luck at him. I gasped he was so good looking

He sat down beside me. Curiosity got the better of me so I turned around and faced him. He was a bit shocked by my actions, he peered into my sketchbook that was sitting on my lap. Instinctively I covered it, my hoppy was kind of creepy if you thought about it.

After a few tense moments he spoke " Hello, my names Xavier." He smiled at the end, it was more like a lop sided grin that suited him.

"I'm Quinn.", I replied tugging my curls into their band, I didn't know what to do with my hands so I fiddled with my fingers.

"Are you new here?", he asked. I just nodded in reply.

"You don't talk much do you? Well that's alright, you and I are going to be great friends.", he said slinging his arm on my shoulders. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes.

"Well I hope so.", I replied beaming back at him.

We sat there for a while and just talked about anything, he told me he had lived in this town for years and he had friends to introduce me too. He talked so animatedly his grey eyes coming to life. It felt like a few minutes before the bus pulled up. We sat together, but the bus was virtually empty I looked around.

Xavier caught me looking around, "It's the start of a new school year, you'll see when we get there." A few more people trickled into the bus, they weren't much though. After 20 minutes we were there. Climbing out of the bus I almost lost my footing because I was staring at the school in front of me.

The building was huge, I can see myself getting lost here, repeatedly. The walls were painted blue and the windows were sparkly, but I couldn't see the inside, more of my reflection. It was almost like a castle the parking lot was so large, and filled with cars of different brands with people flocking each other. There was a natural aura, there were trees surrounding the school almost like it was encasing the school, flower vines danced on the walls. I was surrounded by laughter and I loved it.

Xavier watched me gawking at everything with a smile on his face. "Different from your old school eh?"

I shrugged " I was never allowed to go to school, I was home schooled by my mother, till she died. That's why we moved. My father is a bit of an air head, so I doubt he could teach me properly."

Xavier studied me for a bit before we moved towards the doors. He was taking me to the office then showing me around. We had just been to my locker when I heard a high pitch scream.

"Xavier how could you?", the voice wailed

I turned around and saw a pretty girl, the first thing I noticed about her was her flawless skin and her eyes they were so beautiful. She should be Xavier's girlfriend I suppose. Xaviers face turned sour as he braced for impact but it didn't come, I was the one on the floor.

Xavier hauled me from the floor and pried the girls fingers off me. She flashed him an angry glare before she fixed her attention on me.

"OMG I love your skin, it's so dark and shiny and beautiful and don't get me started on the hair, simply gorgeous ", she gushed. I was lost for words not only because I was out of breath from my dance with the floor but that she was complimenting me.

Xavier ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Quinn, meet my sister Xena, Xena meet my friends Quinn"

Xena smiled at me and laced her arm through mine I was still speechless. I doubted if I could for coherent sentences at this point. "Well welcome Quinn to Arindale High, you and are going to be good friends. Ooooooh we need to introduce you to the rest of the gang."

"Not a chance maybe at lunch it time for class", Xavier said prying his sisters arm off me, she gave him the puppy dog eyes to which he skilfully ignored.

"But how do you know that the bell hasn't even-", I was caught off by the bell, Xavier smirked at me and dragged me towards a classroom as Xena went the opposite way.