Mornings were always Lilah’s favorite part of the day except for the ones where she had to peel her body from the comfort of her bed to go to school. St. Raphael Academy, a cobblestone three story castle like structure with enormous and ominous iron gates was the home to the Copeland family for generations. Ivy slithered up the side walls and around the fountain that lays in the middle of the courtyard along with six sporadically placed oak trees filled with end of summer life.  
“Lilah! Hey!” Izzy, Lilah's eccentric best friend, yelled across the courtyard.
"Hey Iz, what's up? I’ve missed you" Izzy lifted her manicured hands up in the air with an excited look in her eyes.
"Missed you too, but did you hear that there's another new student coming today!?" Lilah softly sighed to herself, "The last one that came stole Eric away from me when I was helping that lying manipulative b****, Lucas!" Last year Lucas came to the school and innocence, frail kid and Izzy needed a project, as usual. No one thought it was anything when Lucas and Erica are both on the varsity soccer team and always together. But one night at the annual halloween party Izzy found the Eric and Lucas doing more that talking fifa, if you know what I mean.
Meanwhile, walking towards the wooden entrance Lilah says, "Relax Iz, aren't you happier without him? Eric made you miserable with either suffocating you and getting on your nerves or acting like you didn’t exist. You didn’t deserve that!" Iz took a deep breath and the tension slowly left her face and shoulders. “Okay! How was your summer boo?!”, Izzy grabs Leilah for a surprising hug acting as if her hurt feelings are irrelevant, “Tell me everything?”
“Iz you know that I didn’t do anything. I stayed home, helped the family, and chilled in my spot.”
“Leilah, you have to get out more. I heard that Justin had huge parties like every weekend?” Justin has been Leliah’s crush for about six years now, Lilah is almost as close to him as she is to Iz, but he’s always had some girl around.  Iz does this thing with her face when she is frustrated or confused the wrinkles, she swears don’t exist, cringles up.
  “ You know how it is at my house, the boys get to do whatever they want to do and I’m chained to the stables. they don’t let me do anything that’s why I gotta get out of here” The two are strolling down the wide hallway with alternating bright blue and gold lockers watching other friends greet each other after the long hot weeks apart.
Locking her arms to Leilah Izzy says, “I know, sometimes I wish we can switch for a couple of days so you can just breathe.” Izzy is one of the few people who understand what it’s like to be a Copeland the constant pressure to be perfect  the daughter of the varsity football coach and not any football coach Nevada twelve time state champs coach. Even though, David and Tom go out and do who knows what to the wee hours of the night, their star players and everyone turns their cheeks. But since Tim hates sports and Lilah’s the brainiac supergirl the two were stuck at home all summer.
“Did you send it in?” Izzy asks about the college app.
“Yeah, last night early action, if I get in that’s where I’m going.”  
The two get to their lockers and Izzy continues rambling about her crazy summer in Las Vegas until something or someone walked through the doors. As if Gabrielle guided her from the heavens to the halls of this earth. She gently swayed across the floor parting the crowds as Moses and gifted them with a silver grin. Her beauty was not just outside, but radiated from a point further within. Long, elegant, and big gemmed hazel-brown eyes Delilah thought she was going to walk right past her however she was heading right in Delilah's direction.
“Oh my god…” Lilah softy says
“What...who the hell is that?!” Izzy hissed, interrupting Delilah’s thoughts.
“Umm...I...ahh...new girl I guess”
“Hi, I’m Athena. I’m new and looking for my homeroom 707?” Her voice was as kind and her smile polite, but never reaching her eyes. There was an awkward silence that seemed to not only cover the two girls, but also the entire hallway. 
Finally Izzy interjected, “I’m Izzy and this is Lilah. 707 is our homeroom too so we’ll show you the way.” Lilah and Athena were divided by Izzy who wanted to play 20 questions. Lilah tried to concentrate on moving one foot in front of the other but, she felt Athena looking right past Izzy ,ever so slightly, and boring her eyes into Delilah’s burning cheeks.
By lunch Athena everyone had heard and went out thier way to see Athena.  At lunch She told stories of  traveling all over the world because her parents are doctors without borders saving lives wherever they are needed. 
“It was a great way of living, we were able to meet so many people, experience different cultures, oh and the food umm so good.!” As if a burning unwanted memory reappeared in her head she took a quiet pause then continued, “Our beautiful world is constantly in motion, but that’s not always for the best.” another pause, “Terrorist don’t have an appreciation for American doctors, so we came back to the states. There was a recent opening for doctors in Riverdale because Dr. Shel I believe her name was pasted away and parents wanted to try the quiet life.”
“Yeah she was eighty-seven years old and died of a stroke.” Lilah said with a small frown on her face.
“Did you know her...personally?”
“Yeah I want to do something in medicine one day and Dr. Shel was my mentor.”
“I am so sorry, I didn’t know,” Athena looked genuinely upset over her parents taking the place of someone important in Lilah’s life.
“It’s alright.”
“Well maybe I could talk to my parents see if they would mind an intern?”
The rest of the table was completely quiet as they all watched the casual conversation unfolded before them.
“Yeah that would be awesome.”Lilah said with with a bright smile
“Okay! You have a great smile you know.”
Blushing again and hoping no one sees Lilah thanks her with another smile. Meanwhile, Tom and what seems like the entire football team walks past the lunch table only to get a good look at Athena. Athena looked him in the eyes and quickly looked away trying to avoid getting attention from him but little did she know it was too late and at that moment he’s started gathering his weapons to start the hunt. However, Tom would not see her again for several days.

Later that night, the family is sitting at the kitchen table filled with different meals, “Tom can I have some of your nachos?” David asks for across the table, interrupting the transaction Lilah says, “Wait, no I’ll trade you for some of my delicious spaghetti?” giving Tom her oscar winning puppy eyes. The table’s filled with different foods from all over the world because it was leftover night due to their parents being out with Riverdale's finest, the football committee.
"Fine, D go for it." Lilah reached for her prize and rewards David for his lost with a bright smile. David was home this weekend for the big game tomorrow, it’s the first game of the season and against their rival Bickering goes on between the kids for several minutes until a knock came from the front door. They all look around questioning one another with their eyes. Finally, David got up to see who was at the door Delilah guessed whoever it was he sexually attracted to because he does this thing where he’ll have this imaginary itch on his right shoulder blade to show off his triceps and he’ll scratch it every seventeen seconds since seventeen is his favorite number. Inaudible words were spoken, but Delilah decide not to think anything of it and continued to eat her nachos.
“Hey Lilah?” a soft voice appears.
Even when Delilah is sprinting down the last straight and her opponents are on her heel breathing heavy hot breath on the back of her neck she’s never been as scared as that moment right then. Athena was standing in the door frame of her dining room right next to  her over sized horny brother.
“Hi…*clears throat* what’s going on?”
A sparkle of excitement crosses her face, “Well, I didn’t know that you guys were our neighbors. Our central air broke down and I’m home by myself about to have a heat stroke. Came to ask to use your phone?”
“You don’t have a cell phone?” Tom asked in shock
“Yeah but it’s dead.”
“Well, sweetly you should thank God because I’m a mechanic.” Tom awkwardly tries to wink his left eye, but it just looks like he’s trying to stop a bug from flying in.
“Are you thirsty? I can get you some water?” Lilah starts to walk to the kitchen with Athena right behind her.
“You have a beautiful home.”  Having Athena in the house gave Lilah weird feelings like Athena belonged there but all in the same breath she didn’t.
“Thanks we’ve lived here forever. Its old” Lilah opens the fridge and grabs the jug.
“I think it has character. How there are small paint splatters on the wall over there and the light wood theme with white linen is beautiful...homey,” Athena’s mouth is happy smile, but her eyes look like she has missed something she’s never known.
“So enough about you home how’s your week been haven’t really had the chance to talk to you since the first day I got here?”
“It been okay, mornings are the hardest part.”
“I know, I am not a morning person, could you imagine what it would be like? The school would be filled with happiness and bubbles.”
Lilah laughs,”why bubbles?”
“Bubbles can make anyone happy, they fly in the sky and then explode.” She says matter a factly.
“Okay, I’m okay with the time I just want to be able to watch the sunrise.”
“Why,” as if the idea of waking up early to watch the sun was as terrible as waiting for a pack of wolves.
“You don’t have to look so horrified,” Lilah teases,”its the best part of the day. The earth is waking up from its slumber and you get to see all the life around you. And the best part is the silences it makes you forget the life that goes on at home. It’s a relief.”
“Wow, you could almost convince me to willingly wake up and watch the sun with you!”
An exciting new idea popped into Leilahs head,“Let’s do it!”
“What?”
“On Saturday, we can go together. I have a whole bunch of spots that are amazing.”
“ I don’t know? Are they woodsy and can I get a tick?”
“You do know you can get a tick anywhere?”
“Not in the city!”
“Yes, if the rats have them you can get them. Thats how the black plague got around.”
“Oh whatever, I can’t get one. Anything that can latch on me and suck my blood out freaks me out!”
Trying to hide her laughter,”Okay I’ll take you the way with the most pavement.”
“Okay, I’ll do it but can I ask you a personal question?”
Lilah hesitates,”Umm… okay?”
“ How old are you?”
“I’m fifteen my birthday is in a few weeks.” Delilah turns her back to put the vase back in the fridge. She hates that question for so long she was bullied because of her age and if it wasn’t for that it was because of how smart she is.
“I’m sorry, I take it back don’t be upset please.”
“No it’s okay, I just always get that question. I skipped two grades I’m supposed to be a freshman.” 
"Wow so you're super smart! I could barely get through last year for get skip one."
"Umm..." As much as Lilah talks about skipping grades she never knows how to respond, thankfully the two were interrupted by one if the boys.
"Hey, so we walked to your house, but the doors are locked. Do you have the key?" Tom asks. Athena reaches for her back pocket and her face turned into a frown,
“Oh my gosh you guys, I’m so sorry. I don’t have my keys must’ve locked myself out.”
“It’s cool you can just chill here.” Tom says with too much enthusiasm.
They all got around the table and continued to eat the leftovers. For Lilah, that dinner was one of the best dinners of her life. Filled with laughter, jokes, and stories from the past. She could have done without the story of being attacked by the chicken, but there is no such thing as a perfect night. Nights always leave invitation for evil or tragedy to slip through the cracks, waiting a lurking to strike.