Kind of Like Life

Chapter 1

RENEE, HONEY, WAKE up. We’re here.

At the sound of her mother’s voice, Renee Ward’s eyes fluttered open and a yawn escaped as she stretched her limbs. She had fallen asleep somewhere around the Georgia border. The drive from New Mexico to North Carolina had taken several days, even with all three of them sharing the driving, and she was exhausted. When she got out of the car, Renee got her first look at the house she would now call home and was awake instantly.

Oh my goodness! she gasped in awe. Please tell me I’m not dreaming.

In front of her stood a towering Victorian with a wraparound front porch that wasn’t just similar to her dream house, it was the exact house she had always fantasized about living in. From the gingerbread trim, detailed in three shades of green, to the huge and ancient trees that lined the perfectly crooked sidewalk, the house could not have been more perfect if Renee had designed it herself. All along the street were other houses with similar, yet unique, designs.

Pinch yourself, her father said with a smile. You haven’t even seen the best part yet.

Inside, Renee did indeed pinch herself when she saw the sweeping staircase that curved upward from the large foyer. All of the floors and trim were highly polished dark wood that contrasted perfectly with the warm colors of the plaster walls. To her left was a large, sunny living room that dwarfed the overstuffed furniture, which had always seemed too big in her previous home. To her right was a formal dining room with wood paneling that went halfway up the wall. It was empty at the moment because the tiny pub style table that they used to eat at would have just looked silly in such a grand room. The table, she noticed, was placed in a sunny breakfast nook off the kitchen, which was easily three times bigger than the kitchen in their old house.

There’s an antique store downtown, her father informed her. It’s just a few blocks away. Your mother and I thought you might like to help us pick out something appropriate for the dining room.

Really? That’s great! Renee said with a wide grin as she pictured the room with stately antique furnishings. She wanted to explore the entire house room by room, but she first needed to see exactly how perfect it was, so she went up the stairs to where the bedrooms would be.

I think you’ll find what you are looking for through that door, her mother said with a curiously impish smile as she pointed to the door at the very end of the second floor hallway.

The door, like all of the others in the house, was made of solid wood panels and had an antique brass knob. An old-fashioned skeleton key stuck out from the keyhole. With giddy anticipation, Renee turned the key and opened the door, only to find another staircase that spiraled up and around a curved wall, hiding the room’s secrets from view.

No way, she said and took the stairs, two at a time, until she found herself standing in the middle of a cozy tower room lined with windows that overlooked both the nearby beach and forest. Her bed, dresser, bookshelves, and belongings had already been unpacked. One of the windows jutted out, creating an alcove with a window seat that was perfect for curling up with a book.

How did you know? she asked, turning to her parents, who stood beaming in the doorway. Ever since Renee was old enough to read, and learned that there were houses like this one, that didn’t conform to the modern sterility of the subdivision she had grown up in, she had wanted a large house with an attic tower that she could call her own.

Lucky guess, her father replied with a wink.

And maybe a little parental intuition, her mother added with a nod toward the shelves that were overflowing with books, mostly paranormal fantasies, many of which featured pictures of houses just like the one they now owned on the cover.

It’s perfect. I love it! Renee said and gave each of her parents a hug.

We’ll let you get settled in now. Just don’t stay up too late reading, her mother reminded her lightly. You have to be up early if you want to register for school before classes begin.

I’ll be good, Renee assured them, waiting until she heard the door below close before selecting a book from the shelf and settling into the cushioned nook beneath the largest of the windows. Instead of diving right into the story, she sat for a moment and looked out at the beach view in the distance. The sun was already below the horizon, but the reflection on the water glittered with electric reds and oranges. She couldn’t wait to see what it looked like in full daylight.

For most teens, packing up and moving across the country in the middle of their senior year would be a nightmare come true, but not for Renee. She had friends, of course, but no best friend that she couldn’t bear to be away from, and certainly no boyfriend. Her parents weren’t terribly strict, but Renee had been a complete surprise to the two college professors, who had not planned on having any children at all. Of course, they loved their daughter very much and allowed her the freedom to express herself in her own way. But because sometimes their own childhood decisions had been reckless, they were occasionally a little over protective, which usually thwarted Renee’s attempts at having a social life just as much as if they had been strict.

Of course, she couldn’t fault her parents completely. Her attempts to fit in were halfhearted at best. Everything about her life had been ordinary and for Renee, ordinary meant boring. Every house in the suburban Albuquerque neighborhood she grew up in looked exactly alike. All of the kids at school liked the same music, hung out at the same burger place, shopped at the same mall, and considered drinking cheap beer at the abandoned quarry to be the epitome of cool.

Renee’s taste in music and clothing style were offbeat and considered weird by her classmates. She preferred the aesthetic of punk and new wave, which were popular when her parents were her age, and found most of her wardrobe at thrift stores and vintage flea markets. Her style was the one thing Renee could control to set herself apart, even if it made her the weird girl. Beyond that, she too was ordinary. Everything, from her name to her appearance, was bland and boring in her opinion. Her hair was a muddy, washed out color that was not quite blonde, but certainly not brown. In the summer before her freshman year, her mother had helped her dye it a vivid shade of hot pink, but the school made her dye it back, claiming it went against the rules of acceptable dress. Her eyes were just as nondescript, somewhere between green and brown, but lacking the vibrancy that either would have on their own. Hazel was the term her mother used, but Renee thought hazel sounded too pretty for a color that closely resembled swamp mud.

Instead of accepting her boring life, Renee escaped the ordinary through books, preferring fairy tales and fantasies most of all. As a young child, she had held fast to the belief that she was a changeling, a fairy who had been swapped with a human child, and that one day, her clan would come to claim her. Her drab appearance would fade and she’d have green hair, lavender eyes, and gossamer wings that sparkled not just with all of the colors of the rainbow, but also many shades her human eyes had never seen before. As she grew older, this fantasy faded, but secretly, she still hoped that one day she’d discover something, anything really, that made her special.

She knew it was childish. After all, she was nearly eighteen and would be going off to college in the fall, but she didn’t care. Daydreaming was her one indulgence and as she grew, so did the worlds she had created. Where as a child, she was content to frolic in ethereal glades full of talking animals and pixies, her fantasies now became epic adventures. Whether she was telekinetic, a powerful mage, half-elf, or simply gifted with psychic powers, there was always a villain to stop and a trophy to seek. Of course, the biggest difference between the fantasies that she created as a child and those of her teen years was that now they often prominently featured a handsome boy with supernatural gifts of his own.

Oh crap.

Renee cursed quietly as her eyes fell on the clock next to her bed. It was well after two in the morning. The sun had long since faded and the moonlight cast an unearthly glow on the ocean waves. Reluctantly, she tore her gaze from the magical scene outside, put away the book she had been reading, and got ready for bed, hoping to get at least some sleep before her first day at her new school.

Maybe this one will be different, she thought hopefully as she snuggled into her pillow. Maybe being the weird kid won’t be so bad.

Chapter 2

FOR THE FIRST TIME in her life, Renee would be walking to school and she didn’t mind at all. In fact, she was looking forward to it. She never liked the bus, which always took so long to go such a short distance, and although she had her driver’s license, she did not have a car. It was pleasantly warm and the sun was shining brightly, but the ancient trees that canopied the sidewalk provided the perfect amount of shade for the brief walk.

The school was only a few blocks away, on the other side of the town center. As she got her first look at downtown, Renee was excited to see a bookstore among the picture perfect storefronts that surrounded a small square. The grassy lawn had benches and a copper fountain, turned green with age. Even though it was quite early, there were a lot of people about. Shopkeepers were sweeping the sidewalks and setting up displays. People in suits walked with purpose as they headed into offices. Already, the one diner was doing a booming business with the breakfast crowd.

Some of the people exiting the diner seemed to be her age and Renee watched as they walked in groups toward the school. One boy in particular caught her eye. He was tall, with spiky jet-black hair, and he was wearing a Ramones concert tee that Renee recognized because her father had the same shirt in his own impressive collection. As he turned his head, Renee’s stomach did a little flip flop. He was incredibly cute, with bright green eyes, high cheekbones, and lips that she suddenly wanted to touch, just to see if they were as soft as they looked. She hadn’t even realized she was staring until he caught her eye and gave her a wink. He then said goodbye to his companions and began walking in the opposite direction of the school.

Renee felt her face burn red with embarrassment. That was another thing she hated about herself. Her cheeks were naturally blushed and when she was flustered, her whole face became red and blotchy. Even when she tried to play it cool, her body turned traitor on her. At least he wasn’t a student, so she didn’t have to worry about any awkward interactions at school. Yet despite the awkwardness of the moment, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she might never see him again. She quickened her steps and mentally chastised herself for getting distracted by boys, especially boys who were clearly out of her league.

WATERSIDE HIGH WAS an impressive brick building with a wide set of steps leading up to the entrance. Unlike her previous school, which was a set of short, squat buildings connected by covered walkways, this one looked like the schools she saw in movies and on television. It was at least four stories tall and if the imposing stairs out front were any indication, there was also a basement. Renee just hoped her classes weren’t spread out all over the building like they had been in the past.

Registration was a simple affair. Her previous school had already sent over her transcripts, so a class schedule had already been made. She had just enough time to find her locker before the first class began. Luckily, it was English literature, one of her favorites. She checked the rest of her schedule and smiled. History was next, then math, physical education, and lunch. After lunch, she had a study period, physics, and finally art. Starting and ending her day with her favorite classes was a perk she hadn’t expected, but it was one she appreciated nonetheless.

The layout of the school was easy to figure out as well. The number of the classroom began with the number of the floor on which they were located. Renee was relieved to see that most of her morning classes were on the lower floors while her afternoon classes were all on the fourth. As a senior, she merited a locker in the coveted main hall, close to the school’s entrance. She had just stowed her backpack and was about to find the English lit classroom when she heard a snotty voice behind her.

Hey look, ladies. I guess the nerds must have figured out time travel because we just got an exchange student from the eighties.

Renee looked up from her schedule and her stomach plummeted. Blocking her path were three girls who stared at her as if she was a bug or something equally distasteful. She immediately recognized them as the queen bees by their expensive and somewhat inappropriate outfits, highlighted and flat-ironed hair, and tacky manicures. The middle one, teetering on a pair of platform high heels that would have been out of dress code at her former school, was clearly the ringleader. Renee supposed it was too much to ask for everything to go right on her first day.

Come on, Renee, she told herself. New school, new you. Don’t let them get the upper hand. She took a deep breath and put on her most dazzling smile.

Like, hi. My name’s Renee and like, the future is wicked cool and all, but like, totally confusing, which is a total bummer. Can like, one of you Heathers, like, tell me where room one twenty two is?

Are you retarded or something? the girl on the left asked. This one was tall, which probably explained the ridiculously high heels that the alpha mean girl wore. After all, it wasn’t cool for a minion to have a perceived strength over the leader.

The politically correct term is socially awkward and yes, I am, Renee found herself saying with an exasperated sigh. Since the humorous approach didn’t work, it was time to try honesty. I’m also terminally uncool and obviously, I’m new, so I’m an easy target. But I don’t want to be late to class on my first day, so could you kindly save your insults and bullying until lunch or something? I promise to be properly shamed, with an audience even.

To Renee’s surprise, no one had a witty comeback. All three girls looked momentarily confused. She was pretty sure that they weren’t used to anyone standing up to them. Finally, they got sick of glaring at her.

Come on, the leader said to the others, turning unsteadily. I don’t want to catch whatever disease made her retarded and ugly.

At least I don’t have the bitch flu, Renee shot back against her better judgment.

The leader spun back around and her eyes bulged as if she couldn’t believe that Renee had the nerve to insult her.

You better watch yourself, she said and took a step forward, getting right up in Renee’s face. You don’t have any idea who you’re messing with. With a disdainful sniff, she turned back around and all three girls stormed off.

You’re right, Renee muttered to their retreating backsides, noting the unsteady wobble of the leader as she tried to storm off in such impractical shoes. I don’t have a freaking clue who the crap you are because I’m new here, idiots!

That was the best thing I’ve seen all day.

Renee turned to see a girl with short black hair leaning against the locker next to hers. Like the boy Renee had seen earlier, this girl also had bright green eyes that stood out starkly against her pale skin and dark hair. She wore ripped jeans, combat boots, and what looked like a men’s suit jacket over a lace-trimmed tank top. Renee instantly identified her as the ‘weird girl’ and smiled.

They weren’t very clever, even for bullies, she replied just as the bell rang. Aw, crap! Late on my first day.

What have you got? the girl asked.

English lit.

With Haskins? Perfect, the girl replied with a mischievous smile. Me too. Now we both have an excuse for being late. I’m Autumn, the bitch squad’s usual target.

I’m Renee, the fresh blood, I guess. I’d ask what’s wrong with them, but I had a similar group at my old school too.

They’re entitled little brats, Autumn explained anyway. Macey, the Hobbit in stripper shoes, thinks she’s the queen of Waterside because her daddy owns the biggest car dealership in town. Lacey, the goon who called you a retard, has been her lap dog since kindergarten. And Casey used to be this gawky nerd that they picked on until her rich parents got sick of having an ugly kid and sent her to Switzerland for a butt load of plastic surgery a few years ago.

Wait, seriously? Renee let out a short laugh, which turned into an embarrassing snort. Their names are Macey, Lacey, and Casey? Well that explains everything, doesn’t it?

Suddenly, the name Renee didn’t seem so bad.

Mrs. Haskins, the English literature teacher, was positively ancient, but forgiving of the girls for being late, just this once. The class had been divided into groups who were working on presentations. Since Renee was new, she was allowed to join Autumn’s group, whose presentation was on drawing parallels between the works of Shakespeare and modern comic books. Autumn introduced her to the other two in the group, Kate and Josh. Kate was a pretty girl, with deep red hair and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose, but she seemed to hide her beauty behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. Josh was a pale boy with blonde hair, who wore a military surplus jacket that was much too large for his skinny frame. From their body language, it was clear that he and Autumn were a couple. Both Kate and Josh seemed just as friendly as Autumn, and everyone wanted to see Renee’s schedule.

We’ve got the next two classes together, and you have the same lunch as us, Kate pointed out.

And I’m in your study period and art class, Autumn added.

Josh was in her physics class, meaning that the only class without one of her newfound friends was, unfortunately, physical education. If ever there was a class where being the new kid with no ally sucked the most, it was gym. By the sympathetic smile that Kate gave her at the end of math class, Renee realized that she wasn’t the only one who knew this to be true.

We usually go downtown for lunch. You are more than welcome to come with us, Kate informed her with a friendly smile before they parted ways.

Sure. Thanks, Renee said and smiled back, pleased to have found a group of likeable friends on her first day of school.

Though as soon as she entered the gymnasium, her smile faded. Macey, Lacey, and Casey were all in her gym class. They were standing in the middle of the gym, wearing very short shorts and tank tops that didn’t quite cover their stomachs. Renee had to wonder if Waterside had any dress code at all. Not that she would have dressed in such skimpy clothing. But if they could get away with dressing like that, she was sure she could get away with dying her hair.

Fortunately, the teacher blew a whistle for everyone’s attention before the girls noticed Renee. Unfortunately, the teacher made sure everyone noticed her.

All right class, listen up, he said, clamping one brutishly strong hand down on Renee’s shoulder. We have a new student with us today and you all know what that means.

The students’ expressions ranged from sympathetic to curious. From the vicious smiles that all three of the mean girls wore, Renee wasn’t sure she wanted to know what the teacher meant. The rest of the class was sent to run laps around the gym while the teacher led Renee to the center.

Nothing to worry about, he said with what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. We’re just going to run a couple of trials and see what group you’ll be placed in.

It probably wasn’t anything to be worried about, but for Renee, the experience was as embarrassing as the classic nightmare of giving a speech and forgetting to wear pants. The teacher set a minute on his stopwatch and told her to do as many sit-ups as she could. After that, it was squats, then pushups, then toe touches, and then lunges. Every time the whistle blew, the other kids would slow down and gawk at her progress. By the time she was sent to the dreaded climbing rope, the class had given up all pretense of rule following and stopped to watch her make a fool out of herself.

The whistle blew and Renee wiped her sweaty palms on her sweat pants before jumping to get a hold on the thick, scratchy rope. Her legs dangled awkwardly for several seconds