"Some girls wear lip gloss , i wear chaos"
Janet Elara Wynters
Chapter 1:-
High school is supposed to be the best time of your life. That's what movies say. That's what adults say. That's what liars say.
Because let me tell you ,it is a trap. A never-ending zoo where you're either the prey, the predator, or that one clueless tourist who accidentally wanders into the lion enclosure.
It's First day of Ninth grade.
I am a tourist, the chaos turned into a human version.
And especially since I can read the last thoughts of people , it doesn't help to know they think I would be better off wearing black when I'm wearing my favourite lavender purple.
The moment I step into my new class, wearing my lucky lavender purple hairband.
I know I'm doomed.
Two girls,
Sarah
Autumn.
Three boys.
Carson
Caleb
Asher.
I blink. "Oh no."
I wonder if I will complete high school or will it complete me!!?
I look at a guy who looks he still doesn't have made friends :,
Carson ,he seems as though he's reconsidering every life decision that led him here.
I see him sitting near the newly painted serene green windows,
in a yellow shirt,
hazel eyes flickering shyly
,like a secret ready to burst out.
He was gripping his bag like it's a parachute and he's seconds away from ejecting himself out of this nightmare.
Time:-8:02 am
Last thought received:-"Should I wave to her , but Nevermind , I CAN'T!!"
Received:- Carson.
I smile at his innocent thoughts and wave to him instead.
He just looks away shyly.
Sarah autumn already dead glared at each other?
They're already sizing each other up,
Silently deciding the social hierarchy like we're in ,
Wildlife Documentary: High School Edition. I just know if it's a wildlife, I'm a rabbit.
I stand at the door, seriously debating escape or as if to break into one dramatic monologue of fate's cruel jokes on me .
I had rather pretend I walked in the wrong class.
But I still walk in .
And then my eyes shift and for a second time stops,
I stare at it
A clock , broken one.
On the back wall of the class .
I thought about looking away
But something pulled me towards it ,
I walked closer.
It was brown and rusted almost as if it was made a thousand years ago.
It's hands they weren't moving forward
Instead, they were ticking backwards slowly, as if trying to reverse time erasing each second that passed and was to pass.
I checked my watch and it was 8:04 am. The clock also showed exactly that.
I lean closer .
But no, the hands continued to tick, in reverse, like a broken piano hymn.
I looked closely and then I saw it.
Written sharply bold numbers
2127 carved on its side.
Before I can think of anything ,
"Boooooooooooooooo" asher shrieks
With his blue hoodie on , and his usual irritating voice, I exist to annoy you.
Looking at his dark green mischievous eyes.
I scream "asher you nearly killed me"
Asher laughs and says"oh my god that face , it was priceless hahaha"
Time:-8:08 am
Last thought received:-The Clock won't fix itself just by looking at it Jane dear.
Received:- asher
I say "what do you want, ashjerk ???? "
I have been calling him that since we were both five years old and I tripped on grass and he laughed instead of helping me up , that's a jerk thing.
He smirks "why are you looking at that clock like it would come alive and eat you!?"
I say "maybe it will , who knows!?.
Then we both laugh.
He says "Come on let's sit unless we are auditioning to be human statues ;"
I stare at his dark green eyes which seemed to be glowing today.
Asher shouts "Earth to Janet"
I laugh "you know you look like a green devil today !"
Asher "you know I hate you !"
I just say back
"I hate you more , now sit before you are selected to play the role of human statue of our school"
He takes a seat next to me.
The teacher walks in. "Settle down, everyone! Welcome to your new class. You can't turn off your cameras!Right Carson dear?"
I stare. "Excuse me?! .
She laughs at her own joke. "Online class humor!"
Carson just buries his head in invisible cloth obviously not happy with the special attention.
Oh. So she's that kind of teacher.
I sigh, putting my head on the seat.
The class settles, and the teacher starts calling out names for attendance. I barely pay attention,until she says mine.
"Jannet?"
I jolt. "Here!"
She moves on. I slump in relief.
Then—
"Carson?"
Silence.
The entire class turns to look at him.
Carson, who has been staring at the wall like it personally betrayed him, blinks. "Uh. Yeah."
I look at him. That's it? No effort? No nothing?
I side eye sarah. "Tell me why he sounds like he just woke up from a coma."
Sarah laughs "Maybe he did."
Carson pretends not to hear us.
Smart boy.
Teacher shouts :-
"Alright, class. Let's break the ice, shall we? Stand up, say your name and one interesting fact about yourself.
Ma'am says "First Sarah"
Sarah stands up and with her piercing brown eyes looks directly at Miss.
Sarah: "Sarah. I once fell asleep during a rollercoaster ride." she says with a straight face.
The class chuckles.
Autumn fixes her invisible glasses
Autumn: Autumn. I've been a dance champion three years in a row.
She looks at Carson, who's tapping his pen like he's not paying attention.
Ma'am says "now janet "
I stand up.
Janet: "Janet Elara Winters. And I wear chaos like it's a fashion statement."
Sarah laughs. Carson gets surprised . The teacher blinks like she's not sure what to do with that. Caleb just smirks.
Carson turn
, he looks like he would rather do anything but this.
Carson: "Carson Avery Sinclair. I... uh, play the guitar."
His eyes fixed to the window.
Asher whispers to me
" Liar. He doesn't even own a guitar"
I whisper back "Really how do you know so much , I barely know him even though we have been classmates since two years"
Asher just smirks "I know everything like you love waffles!"
I just say " well I know something too , your a jerk , a alien"
Caleb stands up, flashing his dimpled grin and his mesmerizing blue eyes.
Caleb: "Caleb Langford. And I've been told I can charm the socks off anyone."
I giggle like he really thinks he can charm anyone, well then not me Sir Langford.
Asher: "Asher Woods I'm the guy who listens more than I talk. You learn a lot that way."
I look up at him and giggle and say "you don't talk any less anyway."
Asher smirks "yeah but I listen to your weird stories more like—"
I interrupted him "I'm sure they can know some other day !!"
Now the teacher looks at her attendance roll and says "Clara Noelle Hayes."
Silence.
A shiver runs down my spine.
I try to remember something, I know wasn't there in my mind.
The air gets cold.
Voice of the ceiling fan echoes.
The broken clock on the back of class slows down as if the room itself is holding its breath.
Caleb shifts in his seat, his eyes looking to the empty chair in the back row ,
the one no one dares to sit in.
Time: 11:10 AM
Last Thought: "She can't be gone. She can't be."
Received: [Caleb]
Carson looks at an old group photo of all of us before she disappeared , Clara seemed to be fading in it .
The teacher's eyes scan the room, oblivious. "Clara? Clara Hayes?"
Tick. Tock. The broken clock on the wall shows 11:11 , its second hand stuttering.
Silence was too much to take.
Clara's name shouldn't be on that list.
Wind enters through the open window, rustling the pages on my desk.
And for a split second, it almost feels like someone's standing behind me.
Whispering.
Watching.
Waiting.
I take out my necklace which I always wore .
I take out a note in my handwriting from the necklace , which I don't remember writing.
It reads , "Time forgets what you try to erase"
Asher nudges me "how many times shall you read it , you have found it a week ago and you keep reading it"
I say "i don't know "
The teacher blinks, then goes "Oh, right. My mistake. Forgot she uhm disappeared."
Forgot.
Like people just forget someone vanishes into thin air.
Like it's a typing error.
The teacher says
"Alright class let's start"
The first lecture starts, and all the tension vanishes at least I think it did .
I am already bored out of my mind. The teacher is going on and on about history,something about treaties, something about wars ,and me well I am completely gone.
I glance around, desperate for entertainment.
My eyes go on Carson. The perfect victim, he is the only person I don't know quite well.
He heads over his notebook, aggressively doodling instead of taking notes.
Interesting.
"Carson," I whisper.
No response.
I say "Carson."
He still doesn't look up.
I smirk. "What are you drawing? A detailed escape plan?"
Carson sighs and finally looks at me, clearly exhausted. "What do you want?"
I look at him innocently "Just wondering if you can hear human speech."
Sarah giggles beside me.
Carson just stares like he's reconsidering his entire existence.
"Do you ever stop talking?" he said with an almost annoyed face.
"Not really."
Carson looks away. I grin , satisfied with irritating him.
And then,
"Jannet," the teacher says.
I freeze.
"Would you like to explain what I just said?"
Oh no.
The class erupts into quiet snickers.
I blink. "Uh… Could you repeat the question?"
The teacher gives me The Look ,
"The significance of the Treaty of Versailles, Jannet."
Ah. Yes. The Treaty of Very-Sad.
I nod, like I totally know what I'm talking about. "Ah, yes. The Treaty of Versailles was very, um… significant. It… uh… involved a treaty. Which was… signed?"
The teacher's eye twitches. "Anything else?"
I add "…In Versailles?"
Silence.
Sarah leans over. "You are so dead."
I grin. "At least I'll go down in history. Unlike the Treaty of Very-Sad."
The teacher sighs like she knows me already and suddenly the bell rings and she walks out.
i chuckle "That was boring"
Sarah grins. "For you."
I roll my eyes and turn to Carson who has already retreated back into his corner, looking completely out of the place.
Naturally, I have to bother him again.
It's a natural instinct, I can't see someone feeling lonely , I just have to irritate them.
"Carson," I say, gasping dramatically. "Why don't you talk to us?"
Carson does not look impressed. "What would I even talk to you about? Barbies?"
I choke. "EXCUSE ME?!"
Autumn looks at Carson almost as if she judged him on that one. She is our school nerd , she has been the topper of our class for the past three years.
I place a hand on my heart. "You really think all girls talk about are Barbies? We could talk about… astrophysics! World politics! The stock market! "
Carson hysterically "Do you talk about astrophysics?"
I grin. "No, but that's not the point."
Carson sighs and turns back to his notebook. I lean closer. "Seriously, are you planning an escape?"
Sarah comes dashing from her table and steals his notebook and flies it around for everyone to see
shouting "And that's how it's done janet "
Asher shouts "it's a triangle , a leaf ..nooo a triangle leaf !! "
I laugh "That's Art murder!"
Carson just snatches his notebook back annoyed.
Sarah :"Do you want to get rid of us dear Carson !?"
Carson whispers "I wish "
tapping his hands on the desk.
I smirk. "Are you hacking into a government database?"
Carson rolls his eyes to as if saying "you wish"
Sarah whispers, "Maybe he's plotting your downfall."
I gasp. "CARSON, ARE YOU TRYING TO , if, I am a, I ASSASSINATE ME?!"
Carson ignored me.
Time :-12:03 am
Last thought
"oh that would be a dream now wouldn't it??"
Received:- Carson
Rude.
At some point, I give up and turn to Asher.
Unlike Carson, he doesn't look like he's moments away from a mental breakdown
Asher:- "oh so someone finally realized ashjerk is the only one who doesn't ignore the Janewitch"
I say"don't you dare call me Janewitch again , you you you jerkwoods "
Asher smirks. "That sounds Probably worse."
I ask "do I annoy you?" almost wanting to be reassured after hearing Carson thought.
Asher leans against the bench "not as much as you are trying to annoy Carson"
I grin. "That's a skill."
Asher :"I can tell "
Oh, I love this guy's confidence.
Just that moment We hear a announcement
"Their is teacher meeting going on,
so your teacher might arrive five minutes late"
i look at Sarah devilishly and she say
"You know what time it is "
I shout "fun time "
And she throws eraser at me and I throw it in Autumn , and well let's just say her reaction was well uhm not so civil.
And I could feel Caleb looking at me like
"I'm the most annoying person to ever exist"
I don't need to read minds to know that.
But I couldn't care less about what he or anyone thought about me.
Miss Willins finally walks in with a book called
"Thread of eclipse" was a dark black book. And my head suddenly hurt seeing it .
Caleb drops a pencil looking at it.
Ma'am starts teaching but everything blurs and I , I don't remember much , everything turns hazy blue .
The colors faded on me and all I could see was misty blue.
My head feels heavy.
Before I could even understand it, I was falling.
Falling through a weird nothingness.
The ground beneath me was gone,
And in the distance, a towering clock tower crumbled, its hands spinning wildly backwards.
The sound of its echoes clashing with a single voice that echoed over and over.
'Clocks never lie, but people do… Clocks never lie, but people do…'
I snapped out of it .
'Wake up, Jane! Are you okay?' Asher's face above my face with a look of concern.
The room was back to normal , warm, buzzing with chatter. Caleb was by the window, staring outside .
A sudden gust of wind swept through the room.
Carson asks "Janet what happened, you just fell on the table " almost half concerned.
I say "I I I don't remember"
And suddenly I felt something at my feet.
A single page fluttered across the floor, on my feet.
I reach down and pick it up. It was yellowed and torn, a diary entry with the date at the top in faded ink:
February 13, 1914.
Time bends quietly before it breaks.
A shifting shadow, a fading tick.
Some changes are soft, almost unseen,
until the moment everything slips between.
The name of the writer was black and grey almost as if someone had tried to erase it.
Who wrote it ?