Evil - Chapter 5
“All right, students,” Mrs. Cooper said from her spot at the front of the room. Even over a thousand miles away, classrooms were pretty much the same.
This is a portal fantasy series with mythological roots and action-adventure tendencies. You can search through all my work on my website.
It's not easy being the Antichrist.
Anjelica’s mother never told her that she was a demon. Now, all she wants is her old life back, but that’s not possible for her. Not after what she’s seen.
Anjelica used to be a popular cheerleader with an awesome life, but that was before an evil cult of demons tried to use her blood to open a portal to Hell and start the Apocalypse.
She was rescued from that fate, barely, and because of the imminent threat to her life, her saviors ripped her from Los Angeles and brought her to a safe house in the middle of nowhere.
They said it was for her own good, but she would rather be dead than stuck in boring, old Bronard, Missouri. She was from the big city, so a sleepy, rural life wasn’t for her.
She longed for excitement.
So, when she met a young witch with a mysterious past who promised to show her everything she knew about opening portals and traveling between distant lands, they bonded immediately
I mean, what’s the worst that could happen, right?
It’s not like they would open an intergalactic gateway to another planet and get thrown into a brand, new world with no way to get back to Earth, right?
Join Anjelica in her own solo adventure and find out what happened to her immediately after the events in Magic.
“All right, students,” Mrs. Cooper said from her spot at the front of the room. Even over a thousand miles away, classrooms were pretty much the same. I was used to having the school open to the elements, and this one was closed off, which made sense since it was negative a million degrees outside. The room itself, though, was still the same ugly box with a chalkboard at the front of it. Twenty or so desks spread out around it that resembled the ones I’d sat in since I was five. “Take out your workbooks to page 137.”
When I walked in, all eyes turned to me. Aside from a distinct lack of diversity, even the students looked similar to those I remembered. The jocks wore sports hoodies, and a few preppy kids had on khakis and bright sweaters. There were a few goths with dark eyeliner and black shirts mixed among the huddled masses that would best be described as generic high school kids.
Mrs. Cooper smiled at me, her head cocked to one side. She wore a long, blue dress with a white cardigan draped around her shoulders. Her hair was short and pulled back with a headband.
“You must be Ms. Campbell,” she asked.
For a moment, I forgot the part I was playing, but soon enough, I nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
She waved me toward her. “Well, come up here and tell us about yourself.”
“Must I?” I asked. I was perfectly happy to be social, but I didn’t like being the center of attention.
“Yes, of course! I’m sorry, but none of us know even a little bit about you, and you simply must introduce yourself to the class.” As I walked to the chalkboard, resigned to my fate, Mrs. Cooper cleared her throat. “Class, this is Anjelica Campbell. She’s from Los Angeles. Fancy, eh?” When I got up to the front of the class, she shimmied out of the way. “Take it away, Anjelica.”
I sighed. “Okay, so I’m Anjelica. As Mrs. Cooper said, I’m from Los Angeles. I pretty much grew up there. I’ve never been to Missouri before yesterday.” I realized I was in an ugly pink, puffy coat and black beanie with a skull on it. “I don’t usually dress like this. Me coming here was kind of sudden and unexpected.” My eyes dropped for a moment. “But I’m happy to be here. I mean, not here at this moment. This particular experience is awful, but I guess I look forward to getting to know you and stuff.”
“What did you do in Los Angeles?” Mrs. Cooper asked as if I was on Johnny Carson.
“Um, I was a cheerleader. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I have spirit…yes, I do…” I pumped my fist halfheartedly. “Whoo, or whatever.”
“Really?” She pointed to a blonde girl in the front row with a big smile and yellow shirt. “Chrissy is the captain of our team. You two should get to know each other.”
Chrissy smiled. “We can never have too much spirit.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll think about it. This is all a bit overwhelming, you know.” I turned to Mrs. Cooper. “Am I done yet?”
“If you want to be done,” she said, craning her neck around the room. “You can take a seat right behind Dante in the back over there. And don’t mind the eyeliner. He’s harmless, I think.” Suddenly, she popped up like she had an idea. “I almost forgot, here is your book. Have you studied the Civil War out there in Los Angeles?”
I took the thick book from her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Super-duper.” She turned to the board. “Then take your seat, and let’s dig in.”
***
Lunch used to be my favorite part of the day, but that was back when I had friends, and I did have friends. Lots of them. I was a perky, preppy, and pretty cheerleader. I had plenty of boys buttering me up for dates and girls who wanted me to hang out with them.
A thought ticker went through my brain…we had a basketball game against Manhattan Beach Prep this weekend. I was supposed to be the top of the pyramid. Afterward, we would go out for pizza. I wouldn’t eat any because I needed to maintain my figure, but I would sit and gossip with Anna and Regina for over an hour as the boys tried to impress us.
One had already impressed me, Bobby Sherwin. The tall, gorgeous starting point guard. We went together like ham and mustard. Even though he hadn’t asked me out yet, I had it on good authority that he was building up the nerve.
I’ll never see him again. I wouldn’t see any of them again. I was stuck in this stupid school, halfway around the country.
“Are you crying?” somebody said to me, and I realized I was sitting down in the middle of the cafeteria, crying my eyes out, lost in my previous life.
“Maybe,” I said, wiping my eyes on my sleeve. Lizzie stood with two other girls flanking her, looking at me with shocked faces.
“Could you not do that, though?” Lizzie said. “I’m enough of a freak already without having a basket case sister.”
“Sorry,” I replied. “It’s just—” I looked up at her and could see she didn’t care about anything coming out of my mouth. “Nothing. I’ll try to keep it together. Do you want to sit?”
“Absolutely not.”
I ate alone, in a new place, watching the cliques chatter away around me. I found a paper bag in my backpack when I got to school, filled with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, and an apple. When I was finished eating, I walked to the office to inquire about a locker. My bookbag was already weighing me down after three classes, and I didn’t feel like lugging everything around for the rest of the day.
Ms. Vicki was behind the desk, listening as “Little Deuce Coupe” played on the radio. She tapped her feet and bobbed her head until she saw me and straightened up with a lurch.
“Anjelica!” She smiled. “How’s it going, rock star?”
“Okay,” I said. “I was wondering about a locker…”
“Of course!” Ms. Vicki said, knocking herself on the head. “Silly me. I completely forgot.” She reached into her desk and pulled out a Post-It note. “I even have it written down. Locker 321. Far end of the hall. Little bit of a hike, sorry.”
I grabbed the Post-It note. “It’s fine.”
The second half of the day went the same as the first, except I didn’t have to give any more introductory speeches. Every time I entered class, all the students stared at me, though, some of them whispering to each other, probably making guesses about why I was really there—the same kind of crap I did with my friends when a new kid came in. I hadn’t realized how rude it was until I was the butt of it.
Finally, mercifully, the bell rang, and we were done for the day. I stopped by my locker to drop off my new books before making my way outside with the gaggle of students who all walked to their buses…and I realized I had no idea which bus to take home.
I hadn’t paid attention to the bus number when I got picked up, and I didn’t see Lizzie anywhere. I walked up to the first bus, but the driver didn’t look the same. My driver was an old woman, and he was a younger man with glasses. I went down the line until I saw what I thought was my driver and waved to her.
“‘Scuse me? You’re going to the water tower, right?” It was the biggest landmark around where Junebug and Carl lived.
“Sure am,” she replied. “Hop on.”
I stepped onto the bus and took a seat at the first seat I could find. I was completely physically and mentally drained. All I wanted to do was lie in bed until I had to go through it all again the next day. Tomorrow would be better, and the day after that easier still. Eventually, this would all be completely normal. I wouldn’t be a stranger. Somebody might even take pity and befriend me.
I leaned my head against the cool window and saw Lizzie walking up to the bus. Oh good, I chose right. As I watched her stroll toward me, the lids of my eyes got very heavy, and I closed my eyes. Lizzie would wake me up when we got home, I thought, as I drifted off to sleep.
This is a portal fantasy series with mythological roots and action-adventure tendencies. You can search through all my work on my website.