CHAPTER 1
318 Words
THE BEGINNING OF MY LAST YEAR
"I can't believe this is my last year of high school," I said, glancing sideways at my friend, who seemed to be floating somewhere between this universe and... well, not here.
"Layla!"
"...Huh?"
"Layla, come back to Earth for a second!"
"I hear you. There's no need to scream," she replied, sounding mildly exasperated.
"I've called your name a hundred times! Were you lost somewhere between galaxies or what?"
"And what if I was?" she retorted, barely hiding her smile.
"Enough with that. Did you even hear what I said?"
"I would have if you pronounced my name correctly. We've been friends forever, and you still forget the 'h,'" she said with a mock annoyance.
"And it looks like you'll correct me for a lifetime," I teased.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm used to it."
"For someone used to it, you can sure complain a lot. I mean, all the time, every year."
"You know, you have a weird way of speaking," she said, laughing softly.
"Come on, you know it, our friends know it, and everyone else does too," I said, rolling my eyes.
"True, but it gets worse each year.Well, since neither of us knows how we got here, and we have about the same level of intelligence, how about we head to class and meet up with our friends?"
"So you did listen?"
Just then, the bell rang, and we picked up the pace, lapsing into a comfortable silence. As we walked to class, we bumped into friends one by one. Everyone seemed a mix of excited and nervous-or maybe that was just me. We finally reached the classroom, where most students were already lining up outside the door. I scanned the room, relieved to see that all my friends were present. It felt like a sign that this year would be memorable for all of us. I hoped so, anyway.
- Writer
