Chapter 5: The Beginning (Audra’s Version Part 1)

The early fall air was unusually heavy for late September and the sun had already set, which brought a slight chill to the damp air.

Becca, Molly, and I wandered around behind the bleachers along with most of the other students. The only people who really came to homecoming for the game were either the parents or the players themselves. For everyone else, it was just a place to be other than home, not that there was anything else to do in our small town.

As we walked through the crowd of our peers, someone suddenly yells “LOOK OUT!” and the next thing I know, I’m being tackled as a Nerf football goes flying passed my head.

My savior and I toppled onto the damp grass, landing with me pinned under him. I’m about to start yelling and throwing punches when I look up and am met with an unfamiliar face that I’m suddenly not mad is only inches from mine.

I see thick, dark brown hair and warm hazel eyes. I’m frozen for a moment and we both just stare at each other, panting, for what feels like an eternity.

“Oh my God, Audra are you ok?!” Molly shrieks, running to my side.

My savior’s friends rush to help him off of me.

“I’m fine.” I reply, glancing around at the ground around us. “Although my popcorn has seen better days.”

“I’ll get you another one. I’m sorry about that.” A deep, unfamiliar voice replies.

“It’s fine. I’m good. Thank you though.”

“No, I need to. Come with me.” He grabs my arm and whisks me off to the concession stand.

“I’m Simon, by the way.”

“Audra.”

“You a freshman?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Junior.”

Things felt so awkward, I just wanted to crawl under a rock. I was not a popular girl and I had zero social skills.

Simon pays for another popcorn and we walk together to find our friends. We made small talk where we discovered we went to the same church and our parents knew each other. We soon find our friends and go our separate ways, completely unaware of the mysterious nature of fate.