The alarm on Cite’s phone went off at exactly 6:00 AM. She had a habit of oversleeping, but last night was different; she barely slept a wink. Then again, how could anybody sleep after learning they’re the supposed savior of not one but two separate worlds? She reached over to her nightstand and turned the alarm off before rolling over and facing up at the ceiling. Maybe it was a dream, she thought hopefully, but she already knew it wasn't. I was in a room with actual ghosts and I didn't even get any footage of it. Sitting up, she glared at the now non-functioning camera which sat on her dresser. I suppose I can thank Scrap-whatever for that.

  Before her feet even touched the floor, there was a knock at her bedroom door. “Hey Ci,” came a man’s voice from the other side. “I have to get going a little early. Breakfast is on the table.”

  Cite smiled wearily and called back, “Got it, thanks dad.” How was she even going to begin to tell her dad about all this? The old man didn’t really understand her interests in ghosts much, but he always tried his best to be supportive of her hobbies. Even explaining it her friends was going to be difficult, and they actually did understand this stuff somewhat.

  She ran some cold water in the bathroom sink and splashed it on her face. Squinting at her reflection in the mirror, she heard the words of both Almah and Sprite echo in her head. Your assistance is no longer a request, it is a necessity. You believe in us.

  "You believe in us," she repeated aloud, trying to make sense of it. What did that have to do with anything? Cite certainly wasn't the only one in this town who believed in ghosts, so what was that supposed to mean? She straightened up, tying her hair back in her signature loose bun. No use worrying about it now.

  It wasn’t even 7:30 when she left the house. Locking the door behind her, she started to make her way down the secluded street toward Appa High. She couldn’t help but feel bittersweet upon passing the park, the very same one Sprite had been playing near when they first crossed paths. That’s what I get for being curious. I don’t deserve praise for being a paranormal investigator if it’s gonna get me killed!

  Approaching the school, she could see a handful of students hurrying inside with unusual urgency. She glanced up at the clock mounted above the entrance. There was still plenty of time before class began, so why was everyone in such a rush?

  “Hey Cite!” called a familiar voice. Jenn was waiting for her on the steps, just like she did every morning.

  Cite picked up her pace slightly when she saw her. “Hey, uh… what’s going on? There some big announcement today or something?”

  “New kid.” Jenn said as they made their way inside the building. “Transfer from Ivyvale.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Cite raised an eyebrow. That was the town that neighbored Appa Hills, commonly seen as the upper class area where the rich folk lived. Compared to those schools, this place was a dump. No one from that neck of the woods would ever choose to transfer here. “I see… where’s Risa?” she asked, wondering why their other friend wasn’t waiting at the usual spot.

  Jenn smirked and pointed to the large group gathered in the hall. It was mostly female students, giggling and whispering amongst themselves. Risa was hard to miss, those scarlet cowboy boots would make anyone stand out. She waved when she saw Cite and began to slip away from the crowd, carefully weaving her way through some of the other girls.

  “Did you see the new guy? He’s cute~” she cooed once in the clear. She kept her head turned, unable to take her eyes off the scene.

  “Guess that explains the crowd,” Cite replied. Despite her exhaustion, she felt a pull of curiosity; it was unusual enough that this boy was from a place like Ivyvale, but he was good-looking too? She had to see this for herself. Hoping to catch a glimpse, she took a couple steps forward, but a sudden sound stopped her. The sharp click of high heels on the tile floor, gradually increasing in volume and cutting through the chatter.

  “That’s enough!”

  Cite immediately backed up, knowing all too well who that voice belonged to. Miriam Choshek. The vice principal’s reputation for strictness and no-nonsense discipline was widely recognized throughout the school. You didn’t want to get on her bad side.

  The crowd quickly dispersed when they heard her, revealing the person they had been surrounding. He was a thin, pale boy of about 15, with dark blue eyes and tousled blonde hair that covered his ears. His clothes weren’t particularly fancy, but the scarf draped around his neck was pretty striking. It was a bright red, not unlike Risa’s boots.

  Choshek walked up beside him and narrowed her eyes at the students standing before her. "This boy has been here all of one hour and you delinquents are swarming him like he's some kind of teen celebrity.” She chided, her presence commanding absolute silence. “Now… and don’t make me repeat myself… get to class!”

  The bell rang the moment she finished her sentence, as if she’d willed it to. Jenn and Risa exchanged brief glances before nodding and heading off in different directions to their respective classes. “See you at lunch, girl.” said the latter, giving Cite a pat on the shoulder.

  “Yeah, see you then.” The hallways had returned to buzzing with the usual morning energy, but Cite’s mind was elsewhere. She sauntered over to her locker and pulled out the books she needed. For once she was actually dreading lunch. There was no telling how her friends would react to all the ghost stuff, and the last thing she wanted was for them to get wrapped up in this mess too.

  On the way to her first class, she started to consider her options. Maybe it’s best if I don’t say anything. But then again, maybe I should- her thoughts were cut short when she saw who was sitting in the desk next to hers.

  “Ah, Cite,” her teacher spoke when she entered the room. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve seated our new transfer next to you for the time being.”

  “Oh sure, that’s… fine.” Cite responded. She wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about this. On one hand, he was kind of cute, but on the other, she now had to deal with jealous girls giving her dirty looks. Just ignore them. Sitting down, she took the opportunity to introduce herself. “Hi,” she said, trying not to sound nervous. “I’m Cite.”

  The boy acknowledged her gesture and did the same. “Chase. Chase Denhamor.”