Tonight Will Change Our Lives

What was I doing here? Rachel asked herself as she walked down the hallway full of curious stares and whispers. It was the beginning of a new life for Rachel Hale and she was anything but excited. Her family had uprooted the already unstable teenager for their hometown city to the quiet town of Benchville, Maine. Wherever the fuck that is... Rachel commented to the innermonologue that was narrating her life.

New York City was the only place Rachel could call home. She missed the noise, the pollution, and the hot dogs. Her stomach grumbled, wondering when lunch hour would start, despite that she had just arrived at school and it was 7:45 AM. It was a true fact that Rachel would be able to become more sociable in a friendlier environment. This was probably one of the main reasons her mother and father decided to move. That and the fact that they wanted to rekindle their marriage and grow their family.

Rachel wasn't a shy person; she just wasn't very outward. She reveled in her introvert nature and often times skipped school just to be alone. Plus, when she was angry, which was most of the time, she wasn't the greatest person to be around.

The population in Benchville was a whopping 1,964. Rachel's sophomore class had been larger than the town's population. 248 of the town's population made up Benchville High, home of the Benchville Bats. Out of this 248, at least 60 of these students were currently muttering about Rachel who angrily opened her locker.

Not fair, thought Rachel, Mom and Dad never asked if I wanted to move. Rachel gazed at her schedule. Her first class was PE. She sighed and turned to walk towards the locker room. A hand tapped her shoulder before she even move a foot. The brunette girl turned around to see a friendly girl with glasses smiling at her. Rachel smiled at the girl with black hair.

"Hi, I'm Megan Wells."

"Rachel Hale," she responded shaking the girl's hand warmly.

"Have gym first?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Well it was either gym or English. By the direction you were headed, I guessed gym. I'll accompany you to the gym since I have it to. I'm sure its better having someone walking with you while everyone's still busy talking about newcomer."

Rachel smiled at her new friend. It was nice to have someone who understood that she didn't like to be gossiped about. As the two walked down the hallway, Rachel was confronted by several other people who stopped to say hello. I guess not everyone here is a gossiping monster, Rachel thought to herself as she and Megan walked into the locker room and changed for class.

"Hello class," said a female PE coach to the group of about 20 girls.

It wasn't a big class because well, there weren't that many girls in the junior class at Benchville. Rachel pretended to listen to the coach as she discussed the layout of the class and expectations. Rachel could almost feel the drool fall out of her mouth as she stared off in the distance. Across the track field sat the junior boys' PE class.

"Ok girls, that's it for now. Today is a pretty relax day until next class. For now, do rounds around the track until the bell rings. Walking is fine but I'd prefer if you ran."

The boys across the field were let go at the same time the girls were. They began to competitively race against each other. Typical thing at Benchville. Most of the boys tried to prove themselves better than each other. Someone tapped Rachel's shoulder.

"Want to walk with me?" Megan asked with a smile.

Rachel nodded, "Sure."

As they walked Megan pointed out several well known people of Benchville's junior class. So far there were Greer Sinise, a blond blue eyed girl who was chatting up several jock looking guys while walking. Apparently she was a cheerleader who people sucked up to. Then there was David Welling, average rebel trying to get out of town by getting put in jail. Pauline Adams was the local fat girl who ate her feelings. Rachel looked at Megan who continued to rant how Pauline bullied her in the sixth grade.

"-And it's not like I even meant what I said to be mean. I simply wanted more ketchup and she had a bunch of left over packets."

Rachel laughed, "She do that often?"

"What? The bullying or ketchup hoarding?"

"Both."

"Yeah, basically."

A guy strutted next to the two conversing girls. He gave Rachel a good once over and then turned to Megan, who still hadn't realized he was now next to her. He was a pretty handsome kid but he didn't have any features that made him stand out. The guy was pretty much regular. That was probably why Megan hadn't pointed it out.

"Hello Megan. Earth to Megan. I is here!"

Megan turned her head to the guy, "Oh hey Jake. Jake this is Rachel. Rachel this is Jake. He's very competitive. He's been in practically any and every sport here at Benchville."

"Hi Jake," Rachel greeted waving from Megan's other side.

Jake smiled, "Hi Rachel. What'd you doing with this sore loser here?"

Rachel glanced at Megan who was laughing, "I challenged Jake to a race once... and lost. But that's only because I tripped. I was winning until then."

Jake rolled his eyes and spoke to Rachel, "She's just a sore loser."

"I bet I could beat you in a race," Rachel said with a mischievous grin.

Jake and Megan raised their eye brows at her.

"That's a very ballsy move of you, newbie," Jake said with a grin, "But I'll take you up on that. Four laps, which is one mile, around the track?"

"Yeah let's do it," Rachel said as the trio reached the start and finish line.

They all stopped and the two competitors began to stretch as Megan stood at the line, ready to call 'Go'. People had noticed Rachel and Jake stretching and stopping at the line and began to sit on the bleachers to watch. Rachel and Jake took their positions and waited for Megan.

"On your marks! Get Set! Go!"

The two set off at the same speed around the track. Jake looked at Rachel who matched his every move. They stayed together until at lap three. That was when Rachel began to run faster than Jake. By now, the bleachers were filled with both of the first period classes who were now cheering on both Jake and the new girl. Rachel pushed herself faster, making her guts scream on the inside. She was now on lap four and Jake was ways behind her. The finish line was a few yards away. Rachel looked away from the ground to see two pairs of eyes watching her intently.

It was odd. Both boys looked identical, yet not. They looked to be as if they were brothers. One had night black hair and green eyes. The other had platinum blond hair with unnaturally blue eyes. Both had their arms crossed against their chests and their angry gazes followed Rachel all the way to the finish line... and then she tripped.

It wasn't one of those nice trips where the person falls down and gets back up. It was a trip that cause Rachel to curl into a ball and roll several feel. She had no idea what had happened until several people ran up to her. Pain seared through her leg. There was a huge gash from her ankle to her knee... and it was bleeding profusely. Rachel looked back to where the two boys had been standing but they were no longer there. They had disappeared.

Rachel turned back to her leg which was now being mended by several people and passed out.