"Alright class. Open your books page 394. Today we will talk about genetics." 

Nice, another boring chapter. I hate fridays because they are so long, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM is too much, Almost exclavagism. What does they take us for, machines ? Mr.Larryson always seemed weird, with his enormous rounded glasses and his middle part fringe with greasy hair.   

"I had a strange dream last night" I said to Emma who is sitting next to me.

"Was I in it ?" Her rounded eyes made me laugh.

"No silly, but it was unusual." I replied, a lump stuck in the throat.

"Unusual how ?" Asked Emma, her eyebrows parted. 

I hesitate for a moment, a chill running through my skin, when i remembered what happened in my dream. Or should i say : nightmare. 

I tell her about my nightmare and Emma looks at me, dumbfounded. My story finally over, her silence annoys me. 

"Well, what do you think ?" I ask.

"You know that dreams are a message of our subconscience, our era sending us signals of the future." She marks a pause without looking at me "You know, like premonitory dreams." She chuckles a second while she writes the lesson.

No way, she is playing with me. How dare she !

"Don't make fun of me ! It was scary !" 

She starts laughing hysterically. At first i was mad at her, but i followed her laughter, which became uncontrollable. Air missing in our lungs, half the class looked at us, judging us. But we did not care in the world. We only stopped when the teacher scolded us. 

"I will see you after class, ladies." He threatened. 

-ಬ-

"I am highly disappointed in the both of you." Mr Larryson's voice echoes in the empty classroom. "Not only you don't listen but you have to interfere in my class"

"We're sorry sir, it won't happen again." Emma replies, hands crosses in her back, the head looking at her feet. 

Actually, i have nothing to be sorry for, it is not my fault his class is boring. Our teacher, sitting on his desk, facing us, watch us for a second like he is thinking. One finger on his mouth, another one putting his glasses at the right place on his nose. He stays silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

"An apology won't be sufficient, ladies." A mischievious smile appeared on his lips. What was he planning ? "For the next class, after the vacation, you will both present to the class your family's genealogical tree, starting from your great-grand parents." A sneers escaped.

"But sir," "No buts miss Barthelot ! Now go, see you next week". He almost sang the last part. 

I seriously hate this man. Emma close the door behind me, but she was not as annoyed as i was. I love her, but she can be really random sometimes. The hallway is almost empty for it was our last class. Whispers raise between the groups. "Did you hear what happen during the 4PM pause ?" "Yeah it's crazy". These were the only  things i heard. 

What happened, i wonder ? Emma looks around, curious when she asks one of the guys beside us "What's going on ?"

"You don't know ? Two boys were found making out in the locker room, so awkward for them and the guys !" He burst out laughing until he chokes on laughter. "Who were they ?" A girl pushed the barely breathing boy to the side and said "Nobody knows, they were in the dark and escape from one of the open windows." 

If you ask me, boys are reckless. If you don't want to get caught then don't kiss in public, as simple as that. I walk away, followed by Emma who clang to my arm. Leading me to the parking lot. Ethan's car is still parked at its usual place. Which mean he is still here. Great. 

Speak of the devil and he's sure to appear. Ethan almost jump in front of me with his usual messy hair and his worn out leather jacket. He leans on his blue Classic Unveils from 1957 Jaguar, a smirk on his face. 

" Good you're here, will you give us a lift to Anna's ?" I asks.

"You're still going there ?" He stood on his feet while he asked. 

"Obviously, i made a promess, dumbass". I said opening the passenger door of the car. 

"You do you Lu, I'll be coming with you then." He sat behind the wheel and Emma hopped on the back. 

"Is your brother coming with us or not ?" Ethan wondered, facing my best friend. 

"No, he only had class this morning. Lucky him."

-ಬ-

The street is submerged in the dark, only one street lamp lighting our way. The stars shine brighter today, on top of us while Emma jerks my arm, almost running. What a shame that I didn't bring my camera. 

"Hurry up Lu, the party already started !" She jumped from one foot to another, excited. 

I sigh. Is it too late to go back home ? I guess so. The music echoes outside of the house. Ethan is parking the car one or two roads from here. Apparently, everyone decided to bring their cars because we can't even walk on the sidewalk without crossing a car.

No use knocking on the door, for it was already open, drunken teenager holding the handle. It was only the beginning of the envening, around 9:34 PM and they were all wasted. The music is deafening, every rhythm were vibrating through my body, an electrical discharge in my spine. 

Teenagers are animals from a zoo. They are predators waiting for its pray to be vulnerable. The law of the jungle is unbearribly the only law they know : the stronger eat the weaker and the weaker get stepped on. It is how it has always been. A discrimination. It is a doctrine taught too early in the kids mind. So fragile and naive. Kids are easily manipulated.

As i was saying, teenager are animals, especially the ones that eat each others faces in public; right in front of our salad. Seriously, why don't they take a room ? 

In the kitchen, Jason and Anna are chatting, and drinking in a red cup some punch. Without hesitations, Emma runs to them, almost jumping them. It was not a good idea, i should have gone home when i felt like it. I get pushed from right to left. The loud melody, or should i say horrible music, make my ears bleed. Anna really does not have a musical taste. 

I sneak upstairs to find a safe place, away from all this heckling. An empty room opened its arms to me and it seems to be... A library ? Anna reads ? 

I reach over to one of the dark wooden shelves and grab one of the books. This is a romantic novel between a mobster and a policeman's daughter. Original. I put down the book, adorned with red roses surrounding a woman in a midnight-blue dress, and moved towards the large window leading to the back of Anna's garden.

She may be insufferable, but at least she have a great house, or may i say a manor. I am sure she has a maid for every room. After all, having a rich daddy must be nice and easy. Not worrying about taxes or groceries. 

Suddenly, the door opened behind me and as i turned around, i saw two lovers kissing. They could have looked before entering and see if anyone was there or not. I escape as quickly as possible, to avoid being traumatized for life, to the garden, which seems empty.  

I cross the living room, where i can see Emma chatting with Jason in the distance. I'm just as surprised that Jason would spare his time to be with my best friend. 

Once outside, the cold hits my rosy cheeks; it's colder than when we arrived. I sit on the swing that surely hasn't been used in years, and lift my head to gaze at the stars. As bright as the sun, they are beautiful. They remind me of Papa's smile sometimes. As radiant as ever. Stars are the eyes of the sky. As long as the world goes round, the stars will be there. They are gift from the Heavens to show us that the world is not as perverted as we might think. There is still hope and that hope is untouchable. 

Fortunately, otherwise humankind would have destroyed it as soon as he touched them. After all, the only thing they know is how to destroy what nature has taken thousands of centuries to build.

Footsteps can be heard behind me but i don't turn around, too fascinated by the dazzling stars. 

"oh sorry ! I didn't know someone would be out here." The male voice breaks the stillness of the envening to get my attention.  

"I was here first so i won't leave, just for your information". I said harshly.

The  boy laughs softly. There's a heavy silence as he plants himself in front of me. 

"Is the seat taken ?" He looks at the empty swing.

"Yes" I responded. 

Even so, he sits down. I knew i shouldn't have come. I'd rather be in the presence of Anna or her cousins than be with him right now. 

I look into his blue eyes, reminding me of the coldness of the night. But his eyes are red and his pupils dilated. 

A cloud passes in front of the moon, hiding its particularly rond shape as a cool breeze wafts through my loose hair. 

"My name is Jessy by the way" I turn my head towards my swing's neighbor. He's scanning the skies like me just a few seconds earlier. I don't know what to think of his presence. He does not seem offensive. In fact, his presence soothes me. Jessy reaches into his pockets and pulls out two joints and a red-hot lighter. 

"Do you want one ?" He asked almost innocently. 

I don't see why not. Normally i wouldn't have accepted, even if he does not seem to be on his first one, i am nobody to tell him what to do. I reach for the object in his hand and bring it to my mouth. Without further ado, Jessy lights his lighter to ignite the end of the joint. 

All my life, I've never smoked anything. I'm not usually curious. But this time was different. The world seemed to be spinning faster than usual, but I wasn't cold anymore. Lying on the ground, Jessy joined me and the stars seemed to fall on our heads. They had become shooting stars. For once in a long time, I felt good. With my head in the clouds, my thoughts are altered; I don't know what time it is, but I don't care. Jessy doesn't seem disturbed. On the contrary, perhaps he's used to the weed. A smile is built on his lips. We get up from the damp grass and head for the living room. Several guests are still dancing, but fatigue seems to have got to them. Or maybe the alcohol coursing through their veins is slowing them down. Jessy heads for the kitchen and grabs a bottle of vodka. It's now in Jessy's right hand as we head for the second floor. The library, where I'd been a few minutes or even hours earlier, seems empty. Jessy lands on the floor and opens the clear, cold bottle.

"Come." Jessy taps the floor beside him, inviting me to sit next to him. Without further ado, I settle down at his request and watch Jessy. He takes a first sip, then a second without wincing. I grab the bottle before he drinks all the liquid - it'd be a shame if he got drunk, I'd have to take care of him. After the cold liquid crosses my windpipe, the alcohol hits my throat with full force. A blankness hangs over the room as Jessy stretches noisily.

"It's weird." 

"What is ?"

"Well, we don't even know each other, but it feels like i've always known you." 

Jessy looks me straight in the eye. His eyes pierce my soul, leaving me speechless. 

"Maybe it is destiny. You. Me..." He looked around the room "... and this library." His serious voice made me laugh and I shrud. 

"What ? Don't you think so ?" Jessy asks. 

"Nah, I don't believe in destiny." 

"Really ! Why ?" 

"Well destiny or faith or love at first sigh even, is a waste of time. Why believing on something nobody ever witnessed ? It's for people who are stuck on the past or on an idealised future. This hope is doomed even before you think about it. Almost like religion. How can we believe that only one man, created an entire universe. It is absolutely and irrevocably impossible." I said.

Jessy looks at me for a few seconds like he is thinking of a plausible response. 

"You know, some people need to believe on something to hold onto life. If not for faith, then for what would we live for ?"

His reply left me speachless. In a sense he is right, but in an other, I can't imagine what faith is like. I have nothing against Religion for that matter, but it seems like a lost cause. An impossible redemption. 

Suddenly, a loud crash startled us. Their was a fight in the other room. 

-TO BE CONTINUED-