The Thousand Year Curse (The Curse Books) (2 page)

Since I am running a little late, I assume my best friend Junior caught the bus. He didn't show up here for breakfast which is a good sign he's gone. He's more or less my neighbor which is how we originally met.
 

My dad was alone with me when they first moved here. I think he felt bad when I never had playdates so we went over to welcome them. Junior's dad and mine actually hit it off. It ended up that Junior and I became best friends, too. We've all been a second family to each other ever since.
 

As I pass his house I spot his mom, Janie sitting on the stoop having her morning coffee. Nothing has changed with this picture. I wave out my window in greeting.

"Hi Janie!" I call out as I slow the car to a stop in front of her mailbox.

"Hey honey! How you feeling?" She asks, sending me her maternal inspection. I love how she thinks of me as her child. She really has looked after me and been a large influence on my life since I met her.
 

"Eh. Junior catch a ride?" I ask her raising my voice over the hum of my car.
 

"He jumped on the bus. I told him to give you a break today." She says giving me a knowing smile along with a slight wink.
 

"Thanks, Janie. See you later!" I start rolling up the window.

 
"Have a good day!" She adds, waving with the morning paper in her hand as she gives me a genuine smile. I love this woman as if she was my own mother. At times, she is.
 

School is only about an eight minute drive, depending on traffic. Today is a perfect day so there aren't many cars around. I hit almost every single light though, making me frustrated—so much for being invisible today. I can't hide when I'm running into class late causing a scene.
 

I curse myself for running late. Then I curse the lights. Stupid traffic lights are messing with me today. I bang my hands on the steering wheel and the light actually changes. Wow, that's lucky. I was about to break my steering wheel in half if that thing stayed red another second.

I park my car in a decent spot which is surprising since the first bell already rang. If there's one thing I can count on—it's time.
 

I reach for my iPhone off the passenger seat and plug in my headphones. Nothing like some good Secondhand Serenade to calm my first day jitters. I blast
Fall For You
to tune out the world around me before slamming my door shut. I take a deep breath to try and calm myself as I head towards the big brick building.
 

As I start walking, the weather changes. Water starts falling, landing on my face in little droplets. It wasn't supposed to rain today. I bring my back pack up over my shoulders to cover my head from the drizzle. Luckily the walk is short so I make it through the doors before I'm too drenched.
 

I get into class only seconds after the last bell rings. Perfect timing. I quickly glance around the room searching for an open seat and settle into a desk near the windows. The rest of this aisle is nearly empty so I can chill by myself over here.
 

The teacher introduces himself as Mr. Winters. I've seen him around school before. As I'm half listening to his lecture, I notice his name fits him well. He's an older man, fifty five give or take a few years. He has white hair and gray eyes. They remind me of snow and dark clouds which pretty much equals winter.
 

It's crazy how some people's names end up fitting them. It's like Junior. Last year he put these huge gauges in his ear. At first, I thought they looked awful and told him I would rip them out. Of course he never did listen to me. Now when I see those huge rings in his ear, they fit. I don't think he'd be Junior without them.
 

Anyway, my name is beyond stupid. My mother named me Eurydice. My dad was furious. I guess he wanted to name me Morgan, which makes sense because it's a completely normal name. My mom agreed to Morgan but then changed her mind at the last second. Since she gave birth to me it was her choice so my dad was overruled.
 

Whenever I ask my dad why she changed her mind, he just tells me, "Your mom told me it felt right. She said you had to be named that." Well, thanks for ruining my name, Mom.
 

When I first went to school nobody could pronounce Eurydice. Hell, I could barely spell the damn name myself. When I was about thirteen, I tried to figure out a nickname. I thought of hundreds. Dee, Die, E, but none fit me right. I wanted something cool. I played with the letters in my name and came up with Ryder.
 

Ryder sounds much stronger than Eurydice and almost badass. My ex-best friend Becca liked it too, back when I cared what she thought. She told everyone Ryder was my real name. The name stuck and when I got to high school, no one knew the difference.

Mr. Winters drags on for what seems like days on end. It's the usual first day of the year stuff. Introductions, then syllabus, then homework, books and finally reading assignments. I can tell already this day will be the death of me.

The bell finally rings and I jump from my seat excited to talk to Junior next period. Mr. Winters gave us a monstrous book though and if I don't drop it off now, I'll be walking with a hunch for the next week. After ten steps my back is already screaming at me to stop.
 

My locker couldn't be farther away from all of my classes. I take mostly math classes, near the labs. Not music or art by the auditorium—where my locker is. I've applied all three years for a new locker but let's be real—they don't give a crap.
 

I'm jogging to my locker when I run straight into what feels like a wall. The thing just popped up out of no where. Letting out a gasp of air, I groan from the pain shooting up my face. After touching my nose, I peek at my fingers and am surprised I'm not bleeding. Whatever I hit felt like pure concrete.
 

When I look up, there is no wall at all. Only a tall guy standing right in front of me. I hide my face in embarrassment before I get a good view of him shuffling towards my locker, keeping my head pointed down.
 

"Are you okay?" The guy asks me in a deep, sultry voice that sends goosebumps up my arms. I want to get a look at him to match it to his face but refrain.
 

"I'm good." I dismissively murmur pushing past him. I'm still in a rush so I open my locker to quickly drop my book off wanting this guy to go away.
 

"Are you sure you're okay? You hit me pretty hard." He continues to pursue me, following me to my locker. My invisibility plan has gone down the tubes.
 

"Yes, I'm fine. Just in a rush." I rudely remark. I don't even know who this guy is. From the quick peek he isn't someone I recognize.
 

When I finally gaze up, I see the most beautiful guy. I use the word guy because he doesn't seem like a boy but more of a man, yet he has a backpack on, which tells me that he's a student. He must be an exchange student because guys my age don't look like him.
 

The first thing I notice is his amazing height. He's at least six feet tall, probably more. I'm only five four so when I stare at him, I literally have to crane my neck up. He's not skinny. He definitely works out—hard. It must be why I mistook him for a wall. I fight back this unwanted urge to run my hands up and down his chest and wrap them around to his tight back muscles.
 

When I look up at his face, I realize I don't mind the awkward head tilt up at all. He has the most beautiful face I've ever seen. He has dirty blonde hair with little flips at the ends. His blue eyes are like baby blue but more piercing. They remind me of the ocean in Alaska—transparent and icy. He's amazingly handsome and definitely nobody from this school. I mentally confirm my exchange student idea.

"Hello?" He asks me while waving his hand in front of my face. Damn-it, even his hand is sexy with crazy long fingers that I can picture pulling through my hair. I shake my head trying to get those alarming thoughts out and my eyes focus again on his smiling face.
 

"Sorry what?" I ask him averting my gaze to the floor as I try to busy myself in my locker.
 

"I said, do you need help to class? The bell just rang." He raises his eyebrows questioning me. His head does a little quirk to the side emphasizing the question. His voice is still friendly but has a weird sharp edge. I think he is tired of talking to me and my inability to form a complete sentence.
 

"What? It rang? Dang!" I slam my locker shut as I register his words. The sound reverberates off the low ceiling making me cover my ears. I could swear the noise was way too loud to just be my locker.
 

As I turn to leave I notice the guy still standing in the same spot, watching me. I run in the direction of class and shout back to him, "Thanks! Sorry for hitting you." I turn to go but can't tear my eyes away from his. My feet are frozen in place leaving me dizzy and confused.
 

He nods in my direction then turns, walking towards the auditorium. As his silhouette leaves my vision, I start snapping out of it. Who is this guy?
 

Thank god for second period because Junior is in this class and the next one. I rush into class late, thanks to that odd encounter with the stranger. Luckily, Junior is already in class and saved me a seat next to him at the lab table.

We both hate Science so having it together and most likely being lab partners is going to be a test in itself. I don't care though, as long as I maintain my above 3.5 grade point average, I have a good chance of getting into a college and getting out of this small town.
 

Science is boring but we have culinary next which is our elective. Junior and I walk together to class and I feel comfortable for the first time today. Being with Junior helps me to relax and realize that everything is okay.
 

I am sad when third period ends since English is next—without Junior. My one lifeline is now gone and I'm back to being alone. I feel the panic start to well up in my mind but I give everything I have to stop it. I pause on my way to class and lean up against a locker, letting myself breathe.
 

The class is pretty empty when I get there. I choose a seat at the edge of the room near the windows—not in the front and not in the back so I can blend in. I'm in a low level English class which means this class will probably be full of dumb kids. Dumb kids mean popular kids and jocks—my biggest nightmares.
 

I figure I'll write in my journal, since I've got time before the final bell rings. The class is empty, except for two random girls.
 

Sept 2

It happened again.
 

I shut my locker and it vibrated through the whole school.
 

I didn't mean to! I don't know why this shit is happening to me.
 

It happened in public this time.
 

Somebody saw.

This guy is different. He's got the bluest eyes I've ever seen
 

but I know something is off about him.
 

I can't explain it. He's so-

"What the hell?!" My journal is yanked from under my hand and off my desk into the hands of precisely the person I would never want it to.
 

"Hm, let's read what the gay girl is writing about." Becca snickers as she flips through the pages to my most recent entry. I hate that she's reading my most secret thoughts.
 

"Stop give it back!" I yell at Becca from my seat. She stands up on top of a desk in the center of the room, my diary clutched to her chest. She starts prepping herself to read to the class which is starting to fill up. She purses her lips and fluffs her blonde hair up. Great, more people to witness her proclamation.
 

"Everyone!" She calls out to the crowd. "Listen up, bitches." She announces in a clipped tone. Everyone stops talking to listen to what she says like she's the freaking President. I sink into my seat in utter humiliation.
 

"Oh, Junior! I love you so much, just not like that. I like girls now, don't you get it? I'm a lesbian Junior. Les-bi-an." Becca pretends to read from my diary as she waves her arms around animately. Getting angrier by the second, I'm either going to kill her or cry—I'm not sure which yet. I decide to grow up and fight back.