Authors: S.E. Myers
Ryleigh was not happy. And even visibly not so. This was her last year, a new home, a new family…what choice did she have?
Walking into San Andreas High, brought back old anxieties. Ryleigh tried to push those aside as she looked for the office to get her schedule. Her Aunt Vera took it upon herself to register Ryleigh without her so she didn’t get an opportunity to discuss her class schedule with the counselor. She was ahead in credits and planned on graduating early, however, every school was different.
It didn’t matter which school she went to, they all smelled the same, they had the same kids, the same cliques…the layout might be different, but overall it was the same. She just had to remind herself of this. And, the silver lining, she could always call Cy during lunch. He’d finally gotten back in touch with her. She was relieved to have him back in her life. It was weird without him. Having the distance separated them. Even having a status of “best friend” couldn’t make up for the miles between them.
The office was immediately to her right when walking through the front doors. It smelled of coffee and toner intertwined with cologne and perfume. The combination made Ryleigh nauseous, but it was tolerable.
A few kids were standing in front of her in the line. Ryleigh glanced around the office waiting her turn and felt a shove in her back. She flipped around shouting, “Hey!” but nothing was there. Great, now she was going to look crazy. At least fifteen students were milling around the office. For one moment, it seemed as if they were all looking at her as if she were crazy. Yep, that was Ryleigh, crazy girl. Let the rumors generate now... Ryleigh turned back around and there was one person left in front of her at the counter. She felt someone shove her again as she stumbled and turned around to find nothing there… yet again. She knew she wasn’t imagining it and told herself that if it happened again she was just going to ignore it.
Except… it happened again. This time, she stumbled directly into the blonde guy in front of her. Who in turn, fell into the counter, stomach first? “Oh…crap,” Ryleigh said turning red from her own embarrassment. “I-I am so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” She trailed off as the blonde turned around rubbing his stomach.
Ryleigh hadn’t ever had an immediate crush just looking at some guy. But this one, she could see herself drooling over. “It’s okay,” he said. Even his voice was covered in honey and sticky sweet. Something she could imagine listening to. Composing herself, she smiled and introduced herself, “I’m Ryleigh. And…I really am sorry for that.”
He grinned back, flashing a perfect smile and white teeth. She could almost smell the mint of his breath. “It’s okay. Really. I’m Tristan.” The secretary he was speaking with called his name and he turned back around.
Ryleigh could get used to this school, she thought to herself as he left the office. He offered a wink as passed each other. She watched him walk out the door admiring him from the back. Hearing a throat clearing she turned back around.
“And how can I help you?” asked the secretary.
“My Aunt Vera registered me and I need to pick up my schedule,” Ryleigh said. She gave her name and was pointed toward the guidance counselor’s office where she was made to wait again. She could see this day was going to drag by slowly. After a ten minute wait, Ryleigh was called into the office.
A gentle looking man stood behind the desk and smiled as Ryleigh entered the small personal office. She could smell printer paper and peppermint, not an unpleasant combination. The man introduced himself as Mr. Mauer.
They reviewed her credits and put her schedule together for the first semester. Ryleigh was pleased that she would still have the opportunity to graduate early.
Leaving the office with schedule in hand, she was given directions to her first class of the day. And as she missed homeroom, her class would be history. Something she detested. She loved to watch documentaries about the past, but sitting in a classroom reading chapters and reciting passages was extremely boring. Ryleigh learned when it was fun. Not when it was painfully dry.
Entering the classroom late was always an experience. All heads turn when the door opens, and she knew it would happen that way. Taking a deep breath, gathering her courage, she entered the classroom. Having the door at the rear of the class was entertaining. The definition ‘rubber necking’ does not quite explain the effect of twenty pairs of eyes, turning to see who entered the room. It was almost in unison, watching their heads turn as if on swivel sticks was amusing. It took everything she had not to laugh out loud. The teacher stopped mid-sentence and smiled, “So, how can I help you?”
Ryleigh walked to the front of the classroom and handed the teacher her schedule. He glanced at it and before pointing her to an empty chair, introduced her to the classroom. “This is Ryleigh Simmons. Ryleigh, would you like to tell us a little about yourself?”
Internally she groaned. She didn’t want to talk about herself in front of these people. She could tell they weren’t really interested in anything that she would have to say. So, why not just tell the truth? “Not really,” Ryleigh replied honestly.
“Okay then,” Mr. Ray drawled and invited her to her newly assigned seat. She saw Tristan sitting comfortably on the other side of the classroom - staring at her. She glanced his way and sat down trying not to cause too much of a disturbance, knowing that she was the “new girl.”
The rest of the morning progressed. Ryleigh did get lost a few times trying to find the classrooms she belonged to and had to force herself to ask for directions.
Lunch crept up like a cat waiting to pounce. This was what she was afraid of. The moment when she would have to find a place to sit down and eat, and socialize, and interact. It wasn’t as if there were kids throwing themselves at her feet. She hadn’t met anyone that suited her personality, or anyone that showed an interest in getting to know her…yet.
Ryleigh scoped out the lunchroom as she made her way through the line. She didn’t bring her lunch today. Her aunt gave her money to choose something a la carte. It didn’t matter what school she was in. The food was all the same. Disgusting.
She didn’t like vegetables and avoided them at all cost. It didn’t matter if it was at home or at school, if there were vegetables, she would not eat them. She grimaced at the vegetarian menu the school had. She couldn’t understand how anyone could consume something named “bean curd” and looked like sewage. It boggled her mind. Instead, she chose a hamburger, fries – the only vegetable she would eat, and a soft drink.
She paid for her meal and surveyed the room. Suddenly, she could feel someone standing next to her. Turning her head, she sighed, it was Tristan.
“Need some place to sit?” he asked nonchalantly.
Ryleigh, ever the one for sarcasm said, “No, I think I would just rather stand here and eat my lunch.” Tristan laughed, “Come on.”
Ryleigh stood there for a minute just wondering what the catch could possibly be. He turned around and motioned for her to follow him. Instead, she walked the opposite direction. She didn’t feel like being friendly and didn’t feel like being made fun of. She didn’t look back but she could feel her gaze on her back. And for the first time, she didn’t feel self-conscious about it. Which was weird… Even for her.
***
The school day continued to progress normally, but, by the end of the day Ryleigh could feel the tension building in her body. She felt on edge. She didn’t have problems with anyone but she could feel the stress. Somehow, some students were aware of her parent’s death and gave their condolences. Offering a fake grin and saying thank you was a little too much for her to bare when didn’t even care about these people.
After school, Siegfried was waiting for her in the car. If she could even seem even more like a rich kid dork, this was it plain as day. She rolled her eyes at Siegfried when she got into the car. “Really,” she questioned. “Right out front?”
“Yes, Miss Ryleigh, it is as your aunt instructed.” As Siegfried pulled away from the school, she saw Tristan looking at the car intently.
Siegfried stared at her in the rear view mirror, “Did you make any friends today?”
“Um, not really,” Ryleigh responded jamming her headphones into her ears not offering a response. The ride continued as she listened to her music and she stared blankly out the vehicles tinted windows.
They pulled up to the house in no time. The view still amazed her every time she saw it. The fact that she still lived in this house amazed her, every single time.
She noticed a few cars out front but didn’t think anything of it. Her aunt always had visitors at the house. But as she looked at the cars, she noticed a trend. Each car had a unique sigil or symbol. It was the same one she discovered on what she assumed was her family crest. The symbol resembled an ankh with a tail. It drew her in and yet at the same time repulsed her. She wasn’t sure why and she hadn’t yet asked her aunt about it. It was on her ever growing list of things to do. She still needed to have a conversation with her aunt about her family, but there was always something that came up.
Ryleigh entered the house expecting to immediately go upstairs to become invisible until dinner but Siegfried stopped her, “Miss Vera wants to see you in the study.”
Ryleigh was a little surprised as she rarely saw her aunt until the evenings. “Really? You couldn’t tell me this prior to walking in the door?” She was annoyed. Siegfried took her things and Ryleigh entered the study.
The study was more like a library. Each wall had built-in bookshelves from floor to ceiling. The décor continued the theme of the house - dark wood inlaid with gold trimming. The smell of old books, paper, and scented candles gave Ryleigh a sense of comfort.
“Come in darling, there are some people that you need to meet,” Vera said opening her arms for an embrace. Hugging her aunt she noticed three separate couples sitting around the room. What stood out to her is that their faces seemed similar in appearance – the only differences were their ages. Vera, behind her desk, motioned for Ryleigh to take a place on the settee just to her left, facing these strange people.
“These are also members of our family,” Vera started pointing them out as she stood up from her desk and walked behind each person. “These are your grandparents, my mother and father,” she said smiling reflecting her pearly whites at Ryleigh. As Vera introduced each adult, she touched them briefly on the shoulder. Ryleigh smiled and said hello. “These are your mother and Fin’s grandparents,” Vera pointed out. Again Ryleigh offered another “hello” and faint smile not knowing how to respond. She decided to wait until the introductions were complete.
“And this lovely couple,” Vera said touching both of them at the same time, “are your cousins.” Ryleigh noticed they stiffened a little when Vera placed her hands on their shoulders. “They also have children that you will be meeting shortly. They go to the same school as you do.” Ryleigh stared at this beautiful group of people. Although they had the same facial characteristics, she noticed the differences between each of them. Either pair of “grandparents” looked similar and yet different. It was as if they were a plastic image of what a grandparent were supposed to look like. The lines and wrinkles were apparent. However; their eyes looked much older than the image their body projected. There was a cold hardness to the way they stared at her, although their facial expression showed they were happy to meet her.
Vera motioned Ryleigh over to her relatives for formal introductions when the door to the study opened. As she glanced at the door she stopped mid-track.
“The children are here,” Siegfried said. As he stepped away two shadows emerged from behind him. The first person who entered the study was a girl about Ryleigh’s age. The first thing Ryleigh noticed about her was her long hair, white as fresh winter snow. She had high cheek bones, a small upturned nose, and violet eyes. She was beautiful and gracious. As she moved in the room, her clothes flowed with her walk. It was as if an invisible breeze encased every movement, allowing the wispy fabric to participate in each step. Her clothing was lightly colored and matched the radiance that emanated from beneath her skin.
“This is Illeana,” Vera said gesturing to the girl. “And this…is Tristan.” Tristan emerged from behind Illeana. Ryleigh sucked in her breath sharply.
Vera glanced at Ryleigh seeing the recognition in her eyes. “Ah,” Vera commented. “I see that you two have met then have you?” Ryleigh nodded,” Yes, we met today and have some classes together.”
“Well then, come greet your family properly,” Vera encouraged.
Ryleigh greeted each family member as if it were a wedding or funeral line – trying to shake or at least grip each person’s hand in welcome. Or rather, they would grab hers and hold on for a second. By the time she got to the end of the line, she felt sapped of energy and her hand was warm and sweaty.
When she approached Illeana, Illeana placed both hands on Ryleigh’s shoulders, “Greetings cousin, I certainly hope to get to know you much better.” Ryleigh stared into Illeana’s eyes marveling at how translucent and yet dense they seemed at the same time, entranced with their violet luminescence. Ryleigh nodded automatically and snapped back to reality when Illeana broke the physical connection.
Tristan placed his hands on Ryleigh’s shoulders as she stood in front of him, “Greetings cousin,” he said. Ryleigh felt a little uncomfortable and embarrassed. “I am glad to meet you,” he continued.
“Did you know who I was before?” Ryleigh asked, curious to see if she would get an honest answer. “Yes, I knew who you were. But, it was not my place to say anything at the time.”