Post by Janelle Aurora O'Hara on Oct 1, 2013 7:17:57 GMT
Janelle threw her backpack down in the middle of her bed, and fell face first down next to it. She groaned, the sound was muffled by her thick comforter. Most girls her age would be ignoring their homework and planning an evening out with a boyfriend, or a group of friends about now. She knew her friends back in Texas were probably trying on dozens of outfits or no… there was a time difference, they were probably already hanging out. She missed fun, she missed the most important thing she had to worry about being if her shoes matched her dress. Now it seemed everything was an intense life or death situation.
With great effort she pulled herself from her bed, and sat up. She would love nothing more than a nap at the moment, but naps were just a fond memory now. That was partly her fault. She wanted to keep some normality in her life, and cheerleading was a good constant. It kept her active, made her feel good about herself and it practically came with friends. With her life suddenly changing, she wanted to hold on to something normal. She opened her closet door and hung up her pompoms adoringly. This was as close to normal as she had felt in a long time. Then she reached down, and opened a shoebox that was buried under several others. She opened it and pulled out her stake. It was given to her by her temporary watcher, Clara, while she was in Texas. It was Clara, that explained to Janelle what she was and what that meant. The small stake felt a thousand times heavier in her hands then it should.
She quickly showered and changed, knowing that her night was far from over. School, cheerleading practice, make a quick appearance at the club, and then a fun filled evening of possibly life ending slayage. The sun was setting, and as she looked out her window she shuddered to think of all the possibilities of ways she could die. She threw on her jacket, and threw her hair in front of her shoulders to frame her face. She looked at her refection one last time, and wondered if she would ever see the sun again. If not then she sure as hell was at least going to die pretty. She dabbed on just a tiny bit more gloss before putting on her shoes.
Her father was not home, he was hardly ever home. She suspected it was easier for him to adjust to the change by burring in his work. He had not even bothered to un-pack. Janelle hated seeing the boxes piled up on the floor, but her schedule was already overflowing. She decided that she would finally put the house together during the upcoming weekend. Maybe then it would start to feel like home. She left a few lights on, and locked the door behind her.
Once upon a time walking down the street at night gave her little cause for worry. But now she was startled by every little noise, or movement of the wind. She had not even been a slayer for a full two weeks, and her experience was little. She had dusted maybe a dozen vampires at this point, but it did little to boost her confidence.
When she made it to the nightclub, it was already loud and beginning to get crowded. Once upon a time, she would have enjoyed it, but now she could only see a clear avenue for danger. She could see how her classmates made easy targets for anything that wished to prey on them.
She waved at one of her friends, but she was on the dance floor, and Janelle did not want to interrupt. So, she stood there looking like an idiot rocking on her heels back and forth. She hated feeling awkward, but she supposed it went with the territory of being the new girl. She had not even been at school a full week yet. So she moseyed her way to the counter and ordered herself a cupcake. She felt she deserved it. A full day at cheerleading practice, and a night of slaying should cancel out the calories. Or she could die later that evening and her one regret being not eating one last cupcake.
Cupcake in hand, and a tiny bit of frosting on her bottom lip she smiled. It was amazing what a little sugar rush could do for a girl’s outlook.